Amy Madigan laughing as Aunt Gladys in WeaponsImage via Warner Bros.
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Remus Noronha
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Remus is a writer, editor, journalist, and author with an eye for detail and an extremely active imagination. He is an enthusiast of everything to do with the graphic medium, whether it's Western comics and their adaptations or manga and anime. Remus is also the author of the sci-fantasy novel Once Upon a Time in Hyperspace and several works of short fiction in the mystery, comedy, and horror genres.
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Easily one of the most acclaimed American authors of all time, Stephen King is a bona fide living legend. But while King may be best known for his talents in the written medium, he’s also proven time and again that he has impeccable taste in movies. Whether they’re adaptations of his work or completely original productions that he has no personal involvement in, King has always been pretty vocal with his opinions about the latest films, and the movies he has favored in 2025 cover a wide and interesting range of genres and topics.
From gripping horror movies to incisive comedies, King has praised a number of great movies this year, including both widely acclaimed hits and lesser-appreciated titles with otherwise lackluster reviews. Now, without further ado, here’s a complete guide to Stephen King’s favorite movies of 2025.
11 ‘Companion’ (2025)
Iris (Sophie Thatcher) smiling to someone off-camera in Companion.Image via Warner Bros. Pictures
Starring Sophie Thatcher and Jack Quaid, Companion is a science fiction thriller film written and directed by Drew Hancock in his directorial debut. The movie follows a group of friends spending a weekend at a remote lake house, where it’s revealed that one of the guests is a companion robot — and that’s just the start of a bloody tale filled with unexpected twists. Besides Thatcher and Quaid, the film also stars Lukas Gage, Megan Suri, Harvey Guillén, Rupert Friend, and more in key roles.
Widely hailed as one of the best sci-fi movies of the year, Companion puts a fresh twist on the killer robot subgenre that draws on common anxieties about AI in the world today to deliver a timeless story of conspiracy, deception, and murder. Released in theaters in January 2025, the movie was a critical and commercial success, earning praise for its stylish production and suspenseful narrative. The film’s biggest highlight is Thatcher’s performance as the rogue robot Iris, which earned her a Critics’ Choice Super Award for Best Actress in a Science Fiction/Fantasy Movie.
10 ‘Wolf Man’ (2025)
Christopher Abbott as Blake, with his face bloodied, in Wolf Man.Image via Universal
Directed and co-written by Leigh Whannell, Wolf Man is a supernatural horror film that serves as a reboot of the Wolf Man franchise. Christopher Abbott stars as Blake Lovell, a writer and family man, who becomes infected by a monstrous creature and starts transforming into a werewolf, endangering his wife and daughter. Julia Garner co-stars as Blake’s wife, Charlotte, and Matilda Firth as their daughter, Ginger, with Sam Jaeger, Milo Cawthorne, Benedict Hardie, and Whannell in key supporting roles.
Originally planned as part of Universal’s failed Dark Universe project, Wolf Man was first announced in 2014 and went through many changes behind the scenes before it eventually premiered in January 2025. So far, the movie has had a mixed-to-negative critical reception and a middling box office haul, but it is a pretty good watch for fans of classic monster stories. The film takes a more psychological angle to the werewolf genre, with varied results, but it is a solid body horror movie anchored by its compelling performances.
9 ‘The Rule of Jenny Pen’ (2024)
John Lithgow in a maroon swater holding up a toy doll in a crowd of elderly people looking focusedImage via IFC Films
Based on Owen Marshall's eponymous short story, The Rule of Jenny Pen is a psychological horror film directed and co-written by James Ashcroft. Set in a care home for the elderly, the film follows an elderly judge (Geoffrey Rush) who discovers that one of the residents (John Lithgow) secretly subjects the others to endless psychological torture and abuse. The movie also stars George Henare, Ian Mune, Thomas Sainbury, Maaka Pohatu, Holly Shanahan, Paolo Rotondo, and more.
This chilling New Zealand horror film originally premiered in 2024 at Fantastic Fest, but was released in theaters in March 2025. Very well-received by critics, the film has been praised for Lithgow’s terrifying central performance and the movie’s haunting take on elder abuse. Masterfully directed and performed, the film earned Ashcroft the best director award at Fantastic Fest, and Lithgow and Rush were jointly awarded the 2024 Sitges Film Festival’s Best Actor award for their roles.
8 ‘Bring Her Back’ (2025)
Sally Hawkins in Bring Her BackImage via A24
An Australian horror film directed by Danny and Michael Philippou, Bring Her Back follows two recently orphaned step-siblings: 17-year-old Andy (Billy Barratt) and his younger, sight-impaired sister Piper (Sora Wong). Sent to live with an eccentric foster mother, the children find themselves forced to take part in a demonic ritual. Besides Barratt and Wong, the movie also stars Jonah Wren Phillips, Sally-Anne Upton, and Sally Hawkins in key roles.
A disturbing occult horror movie that takes a chilling and emotionally charged approach to the possession genre, Bring Her Back received very positive reviews from critics, with particular praise for Sally Hawkins’ performance as the unhinged antagonist. The movie has also been quite successful at the box office, grossing nearly $40 million against a $15 million budget. It’s a brilliantly crafted and utterly terrifying film, and the movie has earned a number of accolades, including three nominations for Fangoria Chainsaw Awards and two nominations for Critics' Choice Super Awards.
7 ‘Our Hero, Balthazar’ (2025)
Jaeden Martell and Asa Butterfiled in Our Hero, BalthazarImage via Oh Boy Productions
Directed, co-written, and produced by Oscar Boyson in his directorial debut, Our Hero, Balthazar is a comedy-drama film starring Jaeden Martell as the titular teenager. A wealthy private school student, Balthazar posts videos condemning gun violence in an attempt to impress his crush, but when he receives a number of alarming messages from an online troll who may be planning a school shooting, he travels to Texas to confront the potential killer. Besides Martell, the film also stars Asa Butterfield, Chris Bauer, Jennifer Ehle, Anna Baryshnikov, Noah Centineo, Becky Ann Baker, Avan Jogia, and Pippa Knowles.
Our Hero, Balthazar had its world premiere at the 2025 Tribeca Film Festival and has earned near-universal acclaim from critics. A sharp critique of performative social media influencers and gun violence, the film starts out as a humorous comedy but slowly develops into something that’s a lot harder to watch. The movie has been hailed as one of Jaeden Martell’s best performances to date, and it’s an effective dark comedy that’s just as dark as it is comedic.
6 ‘Together’ (2025)
Alison Brie and Dave Franco in TogetherImage via NEON
Written and directed by Michael Shanks in his feature directorial debut, Together stars real-life married couple Dave Franco and Alison Brie as longtime romantic partners Tim, an aspiring musician, and Millie, an elementary school teacher. Moving to the countryside after the death of Tim’s parents and an awkward proposal, Tim and Millie find their relationship and lives threatened after a mysterious force causes them to start fusing together. The movie also stars Damon Herriman, Mia Morrissey, Karl Richmond, Sarah Lang, and more in supporting roles.
An unsettling body horror movie, Together premiered at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival to a positive critical reception. Powered by Brie and Franco’s stellar performances, the movie presents a disturbing and subtly funny take on relationship troubles, particularly issues of commitment and emotional fulfillment. Perfectly balancing gross-out gore with compelling emotions, the film is a highly original take on body horror that would make for a great date night watch, so long as you have the stomach for it.
5 ‘Weapons’ (2025)
Julia Garner lying in bed in Weapons.Image via Warner Bros.
Directed, written, produced, and co-scored by Zach Cregger, Weapons is a mystery horror film that revolves around a strange incident in which 17 schoolchildren from the same class mysteriously run away on the same night at the exact same time. Their teacher (Julia Garner), who immediately comes under suspicion, becomes concerned about her sole remaining student and sets out to find the truth. The movie boasts an ensemble cast that includes Josh Brolin, Alden Ehrenreich, Austin Abrams, Cary Christopher, Toby Huss, Benedict Wong, and Amy Madigan.
Cregger’s second horror directorial after 2022’s Barbarian, Weapons premiered in theaters in August 2025 to critical and commercial success, grossing $268 million against a $38 million budget. The film has been almost universally praised for its writing and direction, not to mention the amazing performances of its star-studded ensemble. It’s an intelligent and brilliantly crafted horror story that’s arguably one of the best of the year, and there’s already been some talk of a potential sequel or prequel film.
4 ‘The Long Walk’ (2025)
Cooper Hoffman and David Jonsson in The Long Walk Image Via Lionsgate
Directed and produced by Francis Lawrence, The Long Walk is a dystopian survival thriller adapted from the eponymous 1979 novel written by Stephen King under the name Richard Bachman. Set in an alternate version of the ‘70s, the film explores a totalitarian America where every year, 50 boys are forced to walk a non-stop televised marathon with the promise of a cash prize and the fulfillment of a single wish. The movie stars Cooper Hoffman, David Jonsson, Garrett Wareing, Tut Nyuot, Charlie Plummer, Ben Wang, Roman Griffin Davis, Josh Hamilton, Judy Greer, and Mark Hamill.
Released in theaters in September 2025, The Long Walk has been well-received by critics and was a box office success, grossing $62 million worldwide. Anchored by Hoffman and Jonsson’s compelling performances, the movie is a thoroughly engrossing watch with a timely narrative, excellent cinematography, and emotional depth. It’s an effective adaptation that captures the heart of King’s dystopian novel, and while it might not be the best Stephen King adaptation of all time, it’s certainly one of the better ones.
3 ‘Killing Faith’ (2025)
Guy Pearce and DeWanda Wise in Killing FaithImage via Everett
A supernatural Western thriller, Killing Faith was written and directed by Ned Crowley and stars DeWanda Wise as a recently freed slave in 1849. Believing her Caucasian daughter to be possessed or cursed, she enlists the help of a troubled physician (Guy Pearce) to escort them to a famous faith healer (Bill Pullman). Raoul Trujillo, Jamie Neumann, Jack Alcott, Joanna Cassidy, and Emily Ford star in supporting roles.
An engaging odyssey through the brutal lands of the Old West, Killing Faith premiered at the 2025 Beyond Fest to critical acclaim and was released in theaters on October 3th. A lean, low-budget production carried by its stellar performances and bold writing, the film uses the imagery and archetypes of the classic Western to deliver a story that’s firmly rooted in the spiritual and psychological. Though it hasn’t quite received the attention it deserves, the movie is easily one of the most fascinating Westerns of recent years.
2 ‘A House of Dynamite’ (2025)
Idris Elba's President Holds a Radio in 'A House of Dynamite'Image via Netflix
Directed by Kathryn Bigelow and written by Noah Oppenheim, A House of Dynamite is an apocalyptic political thriller that follows the United States’ response to a nuclear missile being launched at Chicago by an unknown adversary. A non-chronological narrative presented from multiple perspectives, the story explores the incident from the points of view of various government and military officials as they try to uncover the culprit and decide whether to retaliate. The movie’s ensemble cast includes Rebecca Ferguson, Gabriel Basso, Jared Harris, and Tracy Letts, with Idris Elba as the President of the United States.
Bigelow’s first new feature film since 2017’s Detroit, A House of Dynamite premiered in competition at the 2025 Venice International Film Festival, where it earned critical praise and was nominated for the Golden Lion award. The movie is an exciting piece of political fiction that raises questions about the US government’s ability to effectively thwart a nuclear attack, which has drawn criticism from the Pentagon. That said, the film’s technical accuracy is irrelevant compared to the laser-sharp focus with which it thrills and entertains viewers.
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