The Best 2025 Horror Movie Is Finding Brand New Fans On HBO Max

Contrary to what some mainstream sources might claim, horror is a perennially popular movie genre and has been practically since cinema began. As such, it's typically not big news that a horror film is successful; one of the reasons that the genre has enjoyed such lasting popularity is thanks to filmmakers being able to do a lot with a little, keeping budgets down low enough to turn a profit thanks to a killer premise, a couple of buzzy moments, and so on. Every so often, however, there comes a legitimate phenomenon within the genre, a movie which marks a new watershed moment for horror and cinema history in general. Films like "The Exorcist," "Halloween," "The Silence of the Lambs" and "Get Out," for example. It's these movies that don't just please the horror faithful, they also act almost like ambassadors for the genre itself, bringing it to an even wider range of viewers.

2025's "Weapons" is, at this point, unequivocally one of these horror movies. If the film's $267.5 million box office take didn't make that clear enough, the fact that it's currently the #1 movie streaming on HBO Max (via FlixPatrol) should put any debate about its success into a permanent trance. Of course, it only makes sense that a popular horror film released in theaters in the summer would get a boost on streaming at the height of the Halloween season, but the reach of "Weapons" goes beyond a flash in the pan trend. Writer/director Zach Cregger's movie has permeated pop culture so deeply that its influence is only just beginning. Given this streaming success on top of the film's theatrical victory, I'd be willing to bet that we're witnessing "Weapons" transform into a new pillar of horror movie culture.

Part of the reason "Weapons" is hitting so hard is because it's a remarkably accessible horror film. Indeed, it doesn't require foreknowledge of a long-running franchise, it isn't off-puttingly gory or violent (though it certainly serves up some brutal moments), and it isn't primarily exploiting a phobia which might deter regular folks from checking it out (i.e. there are no killer clowns, dolls, or spiders). It's also got a fantastic ensemble cast, including one of the best performances of the year in Amy Madigan's Aunt Gladys, a breakout character who's quickly becoming a horror icon. All these qualities make "Weapons" attractive to horror nerds and general audiences alike, which has resulted in the film being heavily embraced and really standing out from the 2025 horror pack.

For more evidence of this, consider the fact that in addition to killing it on streaming, the film's been hard to come by on physical media for the first few weeks of its release on disc as well. Not only has the limited edition 4K UHD steelbook been completely sold out since its release on October 14, but even the standard 4K edition was out of stock in several retailers for that first week, too. Surely, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment must be working on printing more copies, because this demand is extremely high, arguably the highest for a new release movie on disc in a while. Of course, we're at the apex of the Halloween season, so "Weapons" fever may die down for a little bit after that's over, and who knows if the proposed prequel will actually happen. Whether or not we're going to see a "Weapons" franchise, however, I think the film's legs means that we have yet to see the last of Aunt Gladys.