The first horror movie of 2025, The Damned, has been released in theaters and is getting exceptional reviews from critics. Currently sitting at a score of 86% on Rotten Tomatoes, it has been a remarkable opening for horror this year. 2024 was also a strong year for horror. It had titles such as A Quiet Place: Day One, Smile 2, and Alien: Romulus. However, something worth noting is that each of these films belongs to a pre-established franchise. This is not the case for The Damned.

While critical acclaim for The Damned is high, many audiences are luke-warm about the film. Some applaud the acting, while others complain about its slow pace. To many, a complaint about The Damned being slow-paced is surprising, considering the movie only has a runtime of 89 minutes. The audience reviews are also small in numbers at the moment. It will be interesting to see how the audience score adjusts as more people give the film a try.

The Damned is fighting an uphill battle to maintain staying power. Horror is inherently a niche genre, and original horror films have struggled in recent years. With no big names to draw people in (such as Nicholas Cage in Longlegs,) it will be interesting to see if The Damned can maintain a strong foothold.