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"The Conjuring: Last Rites" was an announcement that excited me in 2021, now in 2025, the trailers looked promising, Michael Chaves who directed the lackluster "The Curse of La Llorona" and later the decent "The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It", seemed like he was prepared with a great fourth and final installment (supposedly it will be), but it was not like that. The script is based on the supposedly true events experienced by the Smurl family and had already been better adapted with the television movie "The Haunted" (1991), Chaves' direction manages to be effective during the first hour, which is the best part of the film, but once the 60 minutes are up the script declines, it becomes a cheap, poorly directed drama and in the last 20 minutes the horror returns in an exaggerated, unrealistic, silly way and terribly directed by Chaves. The cast is good, especially Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson as the iconic Warrens, in addition to a great performance by Steve Coulter, whose character has greater importance than in previous films. The cinematography is good, but as the film progresses, it becomes too dark and impossible to see anything of quality. The positive aspects are the atmosphere and the costume design, which really hark back to 1986. The worst aspects are the pathetic and unrealistic digital effects. "The Conjuring: Last Rites" is disappointing once seen; although the first 60 minutes are good, it seems like three films of different genres and not one coherent film.

"Bring Her Back" is arguably the best horror film of 2025, with an original script that is both dramatic and sinister. The direction by brothers Danny and Michael Philippou is tremendous, managing to capture drama, horror, and thriller in scenes that require an emphasis on the aforementioned genres. The cast gives tremendous performances; Billy Barratt and Sora Wong deliver excellent performances with great chemistry as stepbrothers Andy and Piper, while Sally Hawkins is brutal as Laura, a character full of facets that explode on screen. The cinematography is gloomy, achieving a decadent and sad atmosphere. There is no doubt that the 2020s are the decade for Australian horror cinema. "Bring Her Back" is an instant classic for the seventh art.

"Weapons" is undoubtedly one of the best horror films of the year, with a wonderful and original script written by Zach Cregger, who also directs the film, giving it a great touch of suspense and horror from the perspective of different characters. The cinematography stands out with its eerie lighting and camera movements. Julia Garner's performance is fabulous, proving herself a worthy modern-day Scream Queen, and Josh Brolin gives a magnificent performance, sweating his emotions on screen. In addition, Amy Madigan gives the best performance of the film, the most difficult of her career and the most memorable, immediately becoming one of the most remembered in horror cinema. The music composed for the film is eerie, heightening the suspense in key scenes. The editing work is superb, managing to tell a slow-moving yet mysterious and terrifying story. "Weapons" is a terrific film, one of the best horror films of 2025.