Discover 5 must-watch horror films at Fantasia 2025—from chilling sequels to bold debuts and spine-tingling body horror. Read on for our top picks of the year!
The Fantasia International Film Festival is back for its 2025 edition, and horror fans have plenty to scream about! As always, the lineup is packed with genre gems from around the globe—some buzzy, some under the radar—but all with serious potential to leave a mark.
We’ve dug through the horror slate to highlight five must-watch horror movies at Fantasia 2025 that we’re especially excited about. Whether you’re into psychological thrillers, body horror, or twisted sequels, there’s something here for every kind of horror fan.
Let’s dive in…
5 horror movies to watch at Fantasia 2025:
HELLCAT
Dakota Gorman (you might know her from Natural Disasters) stars in this tense, mind-warping survival horror. HELLCAT is already gaining a reputation for being unpredictable and raw.
This one promises to keep you guessing right up to the final frame. We expect HELLCAT to be one of the standout horror movies at Fantasia 2025.
Plot:
Lena wakes up in a moving camper trailer with a wound. She’s warned by the driver that they have one hour to get to a doctor, or she’ll succumb to an awful fate. As the pain sets in and reality begins to fray, who should really be afraid?
World Premiere
INFLUENCERS
Sequel to 2022’s INFLUENCER
The fact that CW is back already has us hooked. Will it go full slasher or keep the icy, psychological pace? Either way, we’re ready to follow her next move—no matter how deadly it gets.
Plot:
CW (Cassandra Naud) opens her heart to a beautiful new girlfriend. This time, jealousy rears its ugly head as CW locks in on a popular British Influencer named Charlotte (Georgina Campbell), who throws a wrench in her anniversary plans with Diane.
World Premiere
NEW GROUP
Yuta Shimotsu blew us away with his debut feature BEST WISHES TO ALL, which quietly dropped on Shudder and haunted us for real. His follow-up, NEW GROUP, is reportedly one of the most incredibly creepy J-horror films of the last twenty years!
Plot:
High school student Ai (Anna Yamada) sees her world collapse when a strange cult-like mentality gradually turns people around her into mindless followers who can transform simple gymnastics routines into a nightmarish dance of death.
North American Premiere
THE WAILING (2024) – El llanto
Spanish horror, directed by Pedro Martín-Calero
We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again: nobody does emotionally driven supernatural horror quite like the Spanish. THE WAILING (El llanto) already has us intrigued with its chilling premise and striking cinematography.
Plot:
Several generations of women, separated by time and space, are stalked by the same terrifying curse.
Canadian Premiere
TOGETHER
TOGETHER may be the most unsettling film of the bunch—and we mean that in the best possible way. Featuring a pair of real-life married actors, this film explores love, decay, and bodily transformation in ways that will make your skin crawl.
From the trailer and stills, it looks like The Fly meets Possession, with intimacy becoming the battleground for grotesque metamorphosis. Body horror lovers: this one’s for you.
Plot:
Years into their relationship, Tim and Millie (Dave Franco and Alison Brie) find themselves at a crossroads as they move to the country, abandoning all that is familiar in their lives except each other. With tensions already flaring, a nightmarish encounter with a mysterious, unnatural force threatens to corrupt their lives, their love, and their flesh.
Canadian Premiere
We cover horror, thriller, and sci-fi movies at Fantasia 2025
Fantasia Film Festival 2025 once again proves why it’s one of the best destinations for discovering bold, brilliant horror cinema. These five picks barely scratch the surface of what’s on offer, but if you’re looking for where to start—HELLCAT, INFLUENCERS, NEW GROUP, THE WAILING, and TOGETHER should absolutely be on your radar.
Let the nightmares begin.
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Remember to check back for all our Fantasia 2025 reviews when it all begins on July 16, 2025!
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