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- Our favorite movies of 2025 🎥, New book recommendations 📚, & more!
Our favorite movies of 2025 🎥, New book recommendations 📚, & more!
Intro by Sarah Stubbs | Bluesky | Instagram | Letterboxd
We're back in a brand new year! 2025 may have mostly been a dumpster fire, but it was a great year for horror! Between movies, tv shows, and books, horror fans ate well! It shouldn't come as a surprise, but in this issue we will all be sharing our favorite 2025 releases! We've also got a lot of great plans in the works so stay tuned!
Happy New Year!
Badges for Chattanooga Film Festival 2026 are on sale now here! During the month of January, you can use code EARL_LEE_BIRD to take $25 off your badge! Remember that CFF offers both Hybrid and Virtual Passes, so even if you're not in the area, you can still join in the fun! In-person will be held from June 18th-21st, 2026, and Virtual will take place from 19th-27th, 2026. |  |
IN THE NEWS
Brett Petersel | Bluesky | Instagram | Letterboxd
📺 Pluto TV believes in The X-Files
The truth is out there… and it turns out that Pluto TV will be the ones to unleash it on their service. Beginning on New Year’s Day, all 218 episodes will be available to stream via their linear channel as well as on-demand.
🪐 Predator: Badlands makes good with an early-January 2026 release
After its successful run at the box office (the highest-grossing Predator film!), Predator: Badlands heads to Digital on January 6th, followed by a physical release (4K UHD/Blu-ray/DVD) on February 17th.
🎮 “I want to play a (video) game.” A new Saw video game is coming
According to Dread Central, it looks like we’ll be getting a new video per a spokesperson for Lionsgate, which licensed out the film’s rights for consoles.
BEE DELORES’ 2025 FAVORITES
Bee Delores | Bluesky | Instagram | Letterboxd
When considering my picks for 100 Best Horror Movies of 2025, I carefully and meticulously examined plenty of blockbuster releases, of course, but I wanted to make sure I upheld my mission to champion the little guys. As you’ll see, most of my picks are independent films. I typically gravitate to the smaller, low-budget offerings because more often than not, indie writers and directors make bolder moves with their scripts and direction than 90% of Hollywood’s output these days. You can check out my list on Letterboxd here.
SARAH STUBBS’ 2025 FAVORITES
Sarah Stubbs | Bluesky | Instagram | Letterboxd
Best of lists feel very subjective to me. I hate classifying something as "the best" because that implies that there should be a list of "the worst". I don't enjoy that mindset so I put together a list of my favorite 15 films released in 2025. Of course I've included lots of gastro horror, but there were a few that were even a surprise to me! The list is not ranked but rather alphabetical. You can check out my list on Letterboxd here.
BRETT PETERSEL’S 2025 FAVORITES
Brett Petersel | Bluesky | Instagram | Letterboxd
Every year, we’re told that it was the best for horror. 2025 is no different. However, there are a number of films that graced our screens, both big and small, that made quite the impact. From the theatrical success of Sinners to the return of the Final Destination franchise, as well as, which was fun to me, Popeye the Slayer Man, there was something for everyone. To finish off the year, I put together a list of my favorite 20 films (in alphabetical order), which you can find on Letterboxd here.
CANDI NORWOOD’S 2025 FAVORITES
Candi Norwood | Bluesky | Instagram | Letterboxd
My favorite horror films from 2025 are a good representation of my eclectic taste, ranging from festival favorites to dark, grief-filled dramas to horror comedies and slashers to entries in long-standing franchises. You can find my picks here.
RECOMMENDED READING
Candi Norwood | Bluesky | Instagram | Letterboxd | StoryGraph | GoodReads
Sarah Stubbs | Bluesky | Instagram | Letterboxd | StoryGraph | GoodReads
Movie releases aren't the only things we have to celebrate and acknowledge. There were a lot of great books released in 2025 as well! Candi and Sarah both have some picks that you'll definitely want to add to your TBR!
The Bewitching by Silvia Moreno-Garcia- I’ve been a fan of Silvia Moreno-Garcia for a long time. I was excited to see her write a book featuring witchcraft and this didn’t disappoint! The book follows 3 women in different time periods who are connected via witchcraft, family, research, or a combination of the aforementioned connections. While I didn’t love the format of time jumps, that didn’t detract from her incredible world building and character development. Moreno-Garcia has an interesting way of also incorporating pop-culture into her work via movies or music which is always a joy. (written by Sarah)
House of Idyll by Delilah Dawson- What a ride! - vicariously living the life that any creator dreams of while all the time thinking, “You in danger, girl. Angeline, a singer-songwriter in LA (read: barista) is offered a chance to live in an artist’s commune by her favorite band of all time - rock gods Black Idyll. She reacts as anyone would - excited, but suspicious (introducing my favorite phrase of the book and possibly the year: “make scones out of her rib bacon”). At the commune, she finds herself at her most creative, but mysterious figures and strange dreams make her wonder if it is all too good to be true. (written by Candi)
Old Soul by Susan Barker- A chance meeting occurs between Jake and Mariko, and they realize they both have loved ones whose deaths are connected to the same enigmatic woman. Jake travels the world collecting testimonials from other similarly connected survivors to solve the mystery of who this woman is and what she has to do with them or their loved ones. Read this, and you will think about nothing else for a long time. In a good way. (written by Candi)
That Very Witch: Fear, Feminism, and the American Witch Film by Payton McCarty-Simas- Looking to learn more about witchcraft in American film? Payton’s book is the answer! This in-depth look is a fantastic resource for anyone interested in horror media or the evolution of how witches and witchcraft have been depicted due to societal context. (written by Sarah)
Victorian Psycho by Virginia Felto- This is at once a banger of a slasher with a female villain and a perfect satire of one of my favorite sub-sub-genres, the classic Gothic Victorian governess novel, and I will never stop recommending it to any like-minded reader. Governess Winifred Notty is full of sardonic wit and is probably only joking about eating the children. Though she is a delightfully unreliable narrator, through the lens of her disturbed mind, we can see the horrors that lie just beneath the facade of polite Victorian society. Very excited to see the film adaptation in 2026! (written by Candi)
We will both be sharing our reads this year but if you want to see more than what's highlighted here, you can follow us on StoryGraph or GoodReads!
Candi: StoryGraph | GoodReads
Sarah: StoryGraph | GoodReads
MACABRE DAILY: WEEKLY UPDATES
WHAT TO WATCH
I always try to pick a good movie to start the year with and this year I made a great choice (for me anyway)! I started with The Legend of Hell House (1973) since last year I started the year with The Haunting (1963). The film has been on my watchlist forever so I went for it and I'm glad I did! The Legend of Hell House is based on the book by Richard Matheson and sort of feels like a mix between The Haunting (1963) and House on Haunted Hill (1959). It follows a group of people including a psychiatrist and a psychic to prove or disprove life after death. Others have tried and gone missing. The film has gorgeous lush visuals and the performances that just knock it out of the park. I highly recommend this one! [written by Sarah] |  |
As someone who doesn’t drink coffee and opts for a good ol’ Diet Wild Cherry Pepsi, the drink featured in the film Kombucha sounds awesome. However, it comes with a few side-effects, mostly negative, such as worms infesting your body and having to deal with always-pleasant coworkers (red flag right there!), but it helps you become very (VERY!) productive. While that sounds appealing, I didn’t find the film to be, which I attribute to the acting and dull storyline. While this wasn’t my cup of tea, it may be yours. [written by Brett] |  |
Established in 2020, Macabre Daily is your home for the dark side of pop culture on the internet providing news, reviews, interviews, and opinions about the world of horror, sci-fi, fantasy, and cult films! Macabre Daily serves over 11,000 visitors per month to our website and over 13,7000 followers on our social media platforms. Our team of contributors covers a wide array of media such as movies, television, and physical media. Visit macabredaily.com for more. |  |
THE HORRORVERSE TEAM
BEE DELORES | SARAH STUBBS |
CANDI NORWOOD | BRETT PETERSEL |
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