As enjoyable as it is to watch slasher movies or stories about haunted houses, a significant portion of the horror genre is about messing with the viewer's mind and leaving them something thought-provoking to mull over as the credits role. We love psychological horror films and mind-bending thrillers. Stuff that genuinely shocks and rivets the audience, making it impossible to track the direction the story might go next.
In 2025, we'll be getting several exciting new psychological stories, including the upcoming January releases Presence and Companion, followed by later releases like The Woman in the Yard and sports horror film Him. Bookmark this page to keep track of the new psychological tales on the horizon.
Companion (Jan. 31)
- Directed by: Drew Hancock
- Cast: Sophie Thatcher, Jack Quaid, Lukas Gage, Megan Suri, Harvey Guillén, and Rupert Friend
Companion is a new sci-fi thriller from the creators of Barbarian. Sophie Thatcher (Yellowjackets) plays Iris, an android designed to be the perfect girlfriend. When Josh (Jack Quaid) purchases Iris, he thinks he'll have a submissive sexbot at his beck and call, but Iris turns the tables on him. It turns out this robot is a real killer. The initial teaser for Companion was very vague, not revealing much about the film's plot. Warner Bros. recently shared a new trailer revealing the science-fiction spin, but the stars and director have been clear that Companion has many other twists in store.
Him (Sept. 19)
- Directed by: Justin Tipping
- Cast: Marlon Wayans, Tyriq Withers, Julia Fox, Tim Heidecker, Jim Jefferies, Guapdad 4000, and Tierra Whack
Previously titled GOAT, Him has been described as a psychological sports horror film. It also happens to be one of the latest projects from Jordan Peele's production company Monkeypaw Productions, though Peele himself is not directing this one. That honor goes to Justin Tipping, with a script written by Zack Akers and Skip Bronkie. Tyriq Withers, who will also star in this year's I Know What You Did Last Summer reboot/sequel, plays an up-and-coming athlete who gets the chance to train at the isolated compound of one of his idols (Marlon Wayans).
Drop (Apr. 11)
- Directed by: Christopher Landon
- Cast: Meghann Fahy, Brandon Sklenar, Jeffery Self, Gabrielle Ryan Spring, Violett Beane, Jacob Robinson, and Ed Weeks
The next film from Happy Death Day director Christopher Landon, Drop follows Violet, a widowed mother (Meghann Fahy), as she attempts to get back into the dating world, to terrifying results. After her first date with the charming Henry (Brandon Sklenar), Violet starts receiving scary anonymous drops on her phone containing messages commanding her to do certain things or everyone she loves will die. The unknown sender has one primary objective in mind: to kill her date, Henry.
The Housemaid (Dec. 25)
- Directed by: Paul Feig
- Cast: Sydney Sweeney, Amanda Seyfried, Michele Morrone, and Brandon Sklenar
Sydney Sweeney and Amanda Seyfried star in this adaptation of Frieda McFadden's popular and best-selling thriller novel of the same name. Directed by Paul Feig, The Housemaid also features Drop's Brandon Sklenar and 365 Days star Michele Morrone. While she won't be writing the script (that honor goes to Rebecca Sonnenshine), McFadden will reportedly serve as an executive producer on the project. The plot of the movie hasn't been revealed yet, but going from the book synopsis, The Housemaid is about Millie, a young woman with a dark past who gets a job as a live-in housekeeper for a wealthy couple. But the longer Millie stays there, the more concerned she becomes with the erratic behavior and strange events she witnesses.
The Woman in the Yard (Mar. 28)
- Directed by: Jaume Collet-Serra
- Cast: Danielle Deadwyler, Okwui Okpokwasili, Russell Hornsby, Peyton Jackson, and Estella Kahiha
Not much has been shared about The Woman in the Yard just yet, but it's one of my most anticipated movies of the year just because it is directed by Jaume Collet-Serra, who also directed the excellent horror movies Orphan, The Shallows, and House of Wax. Most recently, Collet-Serra wrote and directed the Netflix thriller Carry-On, featuring Danielle Deadwyler, who he reunites with for this movie. A Blumhouse thriller, The Woman in the Yard logline hasn't officially been shared, but the rumored version describes a story revolving around a mysterious woman delivering a warning to a family while standing in their yard.