All through October, I’ll be posting reviews of the best of the best films in the horror genre released since October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2026. As an added bonus, I’ll be doing a secondary review that may be somewhat related to the main review or slightly missed the countdown by inches. Follow along the countdown every day in October. Feel free to agree, disagree, or better yet, give me your own picks for your favorite horror movies of the year. Happy Halloween!

The Best in Horror 2025-2026 So Far…

#31 – DOLLY (GATOR FACE)
#30 – THINESTRA (SACCHARINE)
#29 – ONSLAUGHT (BEAST OF WAR)
#28 – READY OR NOT 2: HERE I COME (PENNY LANE IS DEAD)
#27 – IN OUR BLOOD (V/H/S/HALLOWEEN)
#26 – SEND HELP (HEEL)
#25 – THE CARPENTER’S SON (THE BOOK OF SIJJIN AND ILLIYYIN)
#24 – OTHER (YOU ARE NOT ME)
#23 – WHO’S WATCHING (MATCH)
#22 – HOPE (TOUCH ME)
#21 – THEY WILL KILL YOU (MEAT KILLS)
#20 – IT ENDS (ANACORETA)
#19 – TEENAGE SEX AND DEATH AT CAMP MIASMA (PLAY DEAD)
#18 – IRON LUNG (THE DEEP DARK)
#17 – LEE CRONIN’S THE MUMMY (SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT)
#16 – BUFFET INFINITY (KETCHUP ON WAFFLES)
#15 – DUST BUNNY (THE YETI)
#14 – BUDDY (MONKEY’S MAGIC MERRY GO ROUND)
#13 – INFLUENCERS (PRIMAL DARKNESS)
#12 – KEEPER (THE HOUSE WAS NOT HUNGRY THEN)
#11 – UNDERTONE (MAN FINDS TAPE)
#10 – EXIT 8 (GHOST TRAIN)
#9 – HONEY BUNCH (BONE LAKE)
#8 – RESIDENT EVIL (WE BURY THE DEAD)
#7 – HOKUM (MOTHER OF FLIES)
#6 – EVIL DEAD BURN (BLOOD BARN)
#5 – GOOD BOY (KENNELED)
#4 – FRANKENSTEIN (NIRVANA THE BAND THE SHOW THE MOVIE)

#4 – FRANKENSTEIN (2025)

Released on November 7, 2025!
Streaming on Netflix!
Directed by Guillermo Del Toro.
Written by Guillermo Del Toro, from a book by Mary Shelley.
Check out the trailer here!

Opening at the North Pole, a ship filled with swarthy swabs find an exhausted and broken man, Victor Frankenstein (Oscar Isaac), and the monster relentlessly pursuing him (Jacob Elordi). Believing they’ve left the monster back under the ice after a fierce battle, Victor tells the captain (played by a very Robert Patrick-looking Lars Mikkelsen) the story of how he fell into this frozen predicament while attempting to play God and conquer death.

I’ve found from all my years of reviewing that it is quite hard to review a film that is really, really good. I try to point out all of what I loved about the film but most of the time, I find myself repeating that I simply really, really liked it. Usually have something to gripe a bit about, since no one ever makes a perfect film. But aside from a few tidbits, I found Guillermo Del Toro’s interpretation of FRANKENSTEIN to be almost perfect from top to bottom. While it is quite long, the film never lagged for me and crisply adapts Mary Shelley’s novel all the way through. Though I’ve seen an unknowable number of films and read a ton of books about this particular story, Del Toro still manages to surprise me with its solid story structure and succinct narration by Isaac as Victor, this is probably my favorite interpretation of the story to date, beating out my previous favorite take on the material, Hammer’s HORROR OF FRANKENSTEIN.

Del Toro has always had a flair for telling extremely watchable tales. He’s probably our last passionate filmmaker we have left since Tarantino is mincing around trying to decide what to do next and Nolan’s stuff always leaves me a bit cold. But you can really tell when Del Toro is passionate about his work. With FRANKENSTEIN, there is t a shot that isn’t composed in a gorgeous or interesting way. There isn’t a wasted shot in this film. Every scene feels like a painting, respecting background detail, monumental decor, deep dark shadows, and attention to fore, middle, and background. This is the type of film that is technically marvelous and should be studied as to how epic filmmaking should look like.

But on top of the cinematography, the film sports a cast to literally die for. Oscar Isaac puts just enough wit and whimsy in his performance to give a hint of humanity, though hides it with a dark and dreadful frown, showing a truly broken man in Victor who is doing everything to fix his problems, yet forgets to give that attention to himself. Isaac, through Del Toro’s direction, highlights the complexity of this role and making it feel less like a racing mad scientist, but a man stunted in emotion from young age and, despite his brilliant mind, never fully u seasons the concept of right and wrong, good and evil, human and monster. Isaac and Del toro communicate this character remarkably.

The monster played by Jacob Elordi is someone I am not familiar with, but he does a solid job portraying the sad soul embodied within the monstrous frame. Again, there are deep themes of life and death, father and son, and the like that he must convey, but he does it well. The same goes for Christoph Waltz who plays Victor’s money man Harlander. It’s a smaller yet key role and Waltz gives it the gravitas the role needs.

If there’s a weak link, I’m sad to say it is Mia Goth’s role as Elizabeth. I get what Del Toro was going for with this role. Goth’s Elizabeth is supposed to share a kinship with the monster as evidenced by her love of insects. She is supposed to understand the complex spot the monster is in while also having some kind of kinship with Victor himself. The problem is that, while Victor and the monster’s relationship feels fully formed, the relationship between Elizabeth and the monster feels less developed. I get it. Goth’s Elizabeth like bugs, but that doesn’t bridge the gap between her marrying Victor’s brother, flirting with Victor, and then succumbing to her own desires seemingly towards the monster. I think it’s just a step too far and the only thing in this story that doesn’t feel properly set up and believable. Her choices during the climax just didn’t make sense to me. I get what Goth and Del Toro were going for but still don’t feel like they achieved it successfully.

That said, FRANKENSTEIN proved to be thoroughly entertaining from beginning to end. Usually, these Netflix movies are over long for over long’s sake, but this one felt like the proper length to convey this complex story. The effects were magnificent. The cinematography left every scene painting worthy. This is epic horror storytelling that doesn’t come along that often and should be appreciated at such. Del Toro proves that he still has what it takes to make extravagant, yet aggressive and potent horror. This is a must see for anyone calling themselves a serious horror fan.

Worth Noting: NIRVANA THE BAND THE SHOW THE MOVIE (2025)

Released on February 13, 2026!
Streaming on Hulu from Zapruder Films and NEON!
Directed by Matt Johnson.
Written by Matt Johnson, Jay McCarrol.
Check out the trailer here!

Matt Johnson plays Matt, an enthusiastic wannabe entertainer who comes up with scheme after scheme to break into show business. Jay McCarrol plays Matt’s friend Jay, who is a little more down to earth, but always seems to go along with Matt’s wild plans. Matt’s latest plan involves time travel and though it seems like an impossible scheme, the plan works and Matt and Jay find themselves thrown waaay back in time to the ancient age of 2008, closer to the beginning of Matt and Jay’s relationship. Of course, hijinks ensue and Matt and Jay find themselves in a bit of a paradox that only another wild scheme can fix.

If you’re unfamiliar with the works of Matt Johnson, NIRVANA THE BAND THE SHOW THE MOVIE is a good enough place to start as any. I’ve seen a few of his previous works and have been blown away by them; specifically, BLACKBERRY and especially the excellent OPERATION AVALANCHE. I still need to seek out his first film THE DIRTIES, which is his most controversial as it involves a school shooting. In all these films, Matt pretty much plays the same character. Matt is overzealous, with mad plans that get himself and whomever is cast as his hapless partner into trouble while his partner (in this case Jay) sheepishly goes along with the plan against his better judgment. In that sense, Matt creates something akin to classic comedy duos like Laurel and Hardy or Abbott and Costello, where the same characters are cast in different situations over and over again. Even the way Matt dresses with his tan suitcoat and fedora resembles the outfit of Harpo Marx, part of another classic comedy team, the Marx Brothers. So, don’t expect a lot of range in these characters to be shown in NIRVANA THE BAND THE SHOW THE MOVIE. It’s the one consistent through Matt’s movies and it’s fun to see him take on new predicaments.

But because the stories are so crazy, it’s fun seeing these two characters / actors playing themselves. And this story is an insane one. Without going into too much detail, over and again, I found myself baffled as to how these two guys did what they did in NIRVANA THE BAND THE SHOW THE MOVIE. The film occurs through a few different timelines, mainly the present and 2008. But because these guys have been making films for this long, they don’t use expensive de-aging tech to make themselves look younger. They’ve cobbled together a story from old footage from their old webcam show, NIRVANA THE BAND THE SHOW from 2008, and paired it with new, modern footage, to make a time travel film like no other. And somehow, it all freakin’ works!

But on top of basically making this movie over the span of about twenty-years, they also pull off some stunts that seem impossible, like parachuting off of the CN Tower. As a person who suffers from a sane amount of vertigo, this early scene on the tower is some of the most toe-curling, head-slappingly insane stuff I’ve seen on film. They are basically combining Sacha Baron Cohen’s BORAT with JACKASS and these guys are smart enough, or lucky enough, to make it work.

For the most part, from what I have gleaned, much of NIRVANA THE BAND THE SHOW THE MOVIE is improvised with Jay and Matt riffing off of one another, but it seems the two have been friends so long that they do this as if they are following some mad script with how precise and funny this story is. There’s definitely a CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM feel here as they seem to just let the camera roll and fill in the gaps in their apartment with all the Matt and Jay back-and-forthings. It’s madness, but that’s the feeling you get from watching this film, asking yourself over and over, “How the hell did they do this?”

Yes, this is not much horror, though there is more than a bit of mad science going on. Matt is definitely like an unhinged Frankenstein with Jay tagging along out of a potent combo of lack of self-respect and a deep love for his friend. Seeing Jay work through his own ethical issues along the way is one of the more interesting threads of NIRVANA THE BAND THE SHOW THE MOVIE. It’s simply a movie that has to be seen to be believed and if you’re a genre fan, you have to seek out this offbeat, manic, and downright baffling bit of cinema.

Once again, feel free to agree, disagree, or how about you play along at home and give me your own picks for your favorite horror movies. It’s October, so let’s talk horror. Come back tomorrow for the next level in the Best in Horror Countdown. Be sure to hit all of the pertinent bells and whistles down below and you’ll never miss a post! Happy Halloween, folks!