The horror TV shows & movies for summer 2025 lineup is packed with horrific premieres that promise to haunt your August watchlist. From the highly anticipated return of Wednesday Season 2 to the gruesome sci-fi thrills of Alien: Earth and the cult classic The Toxic Avenger, fans can expect mind-bending plots.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Key takeaways
- Wednesday Season 2 (part 1) premieres on Netflix on 6 August 2025.
- Alien: Earth blends horror and sci-fi as it premieres on FX via Hulu on 12 August. The TV show is about humanity’s fight against alien invaders.
- The Toxic Avenger returns as a blood-soaked horror-comedy reboot, reintroducing cult chaos to the big screen.
- Jaws has returned to theatres in IMAX format, reintroducing the iconic creature film to a new generation of horror lovers.
Top horror TV shows & movies for summer 2025
We relied on official release calendars and cinema listings when compiling this article about the top horror TV shows & movies for summer 2025. Availability, regional access, and streaming platforms might change; check each service for the latest updates. Here are the most anticipated August releases:
TV show/movie | Release date |
Alien: Earth | 12 August |
Wednesday Season 2 (Part 1) | 6 August |
Weapons | 8 August |
Site | 8 August |
Strange Harvest | 8 August |
Birthrite | 8 August |
Witchboard | 15 August |
Hell House LLC: Lineage | 20 August |
Jaws (re-release) | 29 August |
The Toxic Avenger | 29 August |
1. Alien: Earth (12 August)
- Release date: 12 August 2025
- Episodes: 8
- Main cast: Sydney Chandler, Timothy Olyphant, Alex Lawther, Samuel Blenkin
- Created by: Noah Hawley
- Streaming platform: FX on Hulu
Alien: Earth is a Sci-Fi horror summer 2025 epic that will premiere on 12 August 2025. The TV show, based on the Alien franchise, serves as a prequel and takes place two years before the events of the 1979 blockbuster Alien.
The plot follows the first-ever reign of Xenomorphs on Earth and the emergence of terrifying new creatures. Earth is under mega‑corporate rule, and a crashed spaceship floods Prodigy City with aliens and hybrids.
2. Wednesday Season 2 (6 August)
- Release date: 6 August 2025
- Episodes: 4
- Main cast: Jenna Ortega, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Victor Dorobantu, Emma Myers
- Created by: Alfred Gough, Miles Millar
- Streaming platform: Netflix
The gothic mystery of Wednesday is one of the most anticipated Netflix horror series of the summer of 2025, with the first part premiering on 6 August 2025. In this new chapter set in the Gothic halls of Nevermore Academy, everyone’s favourite storm cloud faces fresh foes and woes.
The showrunners promise more intensity, danger, and horror as Jenna Ortega’s Wednesday Addams delves into prophetic visions and hazardous mysteries at Nevermore Academy.
3. Weapons (8 August)
- Release date: 8 August 2025
- Runtime: 128 min
- Main cast: Josh Brolin, Julia Garner, Alden Ehrenreich, Austin Abrams
- Directed by: Zach Cregger
- Where to watch: Theatres and IMAX
Weapons is an upcoming American mystery horror film that will be released in theatres and IMAX on 8 August 2025. The film chronicles the story of seventeen kids from the same classroom who mysteriously vanish overnight at the same time, with their teacher being the primary suspect.
4. Site (8 August)
- Release date: 8 August 2025
- Runtime: 106 minutes
- Main cast: Jake McLaughlin, Theo Rossi, Arielle Kebbel
- Directed by: Jason Eric Perlman
- Where to watch: Theatres
Site is a tense, paranoid film set in a solitary location where unnatural events unfold around its occupants. Scheduled to premiere on 8 August 2025, this summer 2025 horror movie is ideal for aficionados of chamber-piece horror.
The film’s protagonist, Neil Bardo, encounters time distortions and terrifying hallucinations after exploring an abandoned military facility. These visions lead to a biking accident threatening his son’s vision, prompting Neil to uncover the facility’s mysteries.
5. Strange Harvest (8 August)
- Release date: 8 August 2025
- Runtime: 104 minutes
- Main cast: Peter Zizzo, Terri Apple, Andy Lauer
- Directed by: Stuart Ortiz
- Where to watch: Theatres
This supernatural anthology, part of the horror summer 2025 cinematic wave, combines true crime and horror elements.
Premiering on 8 August 2025, the film follows the return of a serial murderer known as Mr. Shiny after a 20-year hiatus. The plot revolves around a detective pair hunting for the murderer, who leaves enigmatic clues at crime scenes.
6. Birthrite (8 August)
- Release date: 8 August 2025
- Runtime: 100 minutes
- Main cast: Alice Kremelberg, Juani Feliz, Michael Chernus
- Directed by: Ross Partridge
- Where to watch: Theatres
This is one of the most chilling horror movies of the 2025 summer, exploring inherited curses or rituals linked to lineage.
The story follows a pregnant woman who, after an estranged aunt gifts her a home, leaves the city with her girlfriend to begin a new life. However, as a karmic debt threatens the life of their unborn child, they quickly realise their place in the town’s cursed history.
7. Witchboard (15 August)
- Release date: 15 August 2025
- Runtime: 112 minutes
- Main cast: Madison Iseman, Aaron Dominguez, Jamie Campbell Bower
- Directed by: Chuck Russell
- Where to watch: Theatres
Witchboard is a summer 2025 horror film directed by Chuck Russell. It is a remake of the 1986 film of the same name and will be released in theatres on 15 August 2025.
The plot follows Emily (Madison Iseman) and Christian (Aaron Dominguez), a couple in New Orleans, who come across a cursed Witchboard, which unleashes a vengeful spirit.
8. Hell House LLC: Lineage (20 August)
- Release date: 20 August 2025
- Runtime: 108 minutes
- Main cast: Elizabeth Vermilyea, Searra Sawka, Mike Sutton, Joe Bandelli
- Directed by: Stephen Cognetti
- Where to watch: Theatres
Hell House LLC: Lineage is an upcoming American horror film written and directed by Stephen Cognetti. It will premiere on 20 August 2025 and is the fifth and final instalment of the Hell House LLC franchise.
The film continues the story of Vanessa Shepard, played by Elizabeth Vermilyea, who is tortured by visions and dreams in the hamlet of Abaddon. As mysterious killings occur around her, she discovers links to the Abaddon Hotel and the Carmichael Manor, diving into decades of unsolved homicides.
9. Jaws (29 August)
- Release date: 29 August 2025
- Runtime: 124 minutes
- Main cast: Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw, Richard Dreyfuss
- Directed by: Steven Spielberg
- Where to watch: Theatres
This 50th anniversary re-release of the 1975 classic returns Spielberg’s oceanic nightmare to the big screen. It remains the gold standard for cinema’s psychological thriller TV 2025 vibe, delivering primal terror with a simple concept.
Roy Scheider plays police chief Martin Brody, who, with the assistance of a marine biologist (Richard Dreyfuss) and a professional shark hunter (Robert Shaw), pursues a man-eating great white shark that attacks beachgoers in a New England summer resort town.
10. The Toxic Avenger (29 August)
- Release date: 29 August 2025
- Runtime: 102 minutes
- Main cast: Peter Dinklage, Kevin Bacon, Jacob Tremblay
- Directed by: Macon Blair
- Where to watch: Theatres
The Toxic Avenger is an American superhero black comedic splatter film written and directed by Macon Blair, set to be released on 29 August 2025. It’s a reboot of the 1984 cult classic about Winston Gooze, a janitor who becomes a monstrous hero, Toxie, after a toxic accident.
Toxie must transform from outcast to saviour, confronting ruthless corporate rulers and unscrupulous forces that endanger his son, friends, and the neighbourhood. In a world of greed, justice is best served radioactive.
What are the most anticipated horror TV shows releasing in summer 2025?
This summer’s most anticipated horror TV shows include Alien: Earth and Wednesday Season 2 (Part 1).
Where can I watch the new horror TV shows in August 2025?
Alien: Earth is a Hulu horror show for summer 2025, premiering on 12 August 2025. Wednesday Season 2 will premiere internationally on Netflix on 6 August 2025.
Are there any horror movies releasing in August 2025?
Several horror movies are releasing in summer 2025, including Witchboard, The Toxic Avenger, and Birthrite. These films span sub-genres like supernatural horror, horror comedy, and classic creature features.
Which horror anime is coming in Summer 2025?
Horror animes set for summer 2025, include The Summer Hikaru Died (July 5 on Crunchyroll), Theatre of Darkness: Yamishibai Season 15 (July 14 on Crunchyroll), Necronomico and the Cosmic Horror Show (airs Tuesdays at 8:15 a.m. PT starting July), Hell Teacher Nube (new adaptation, July release TBA), and Nine Mountain: Paraghost (expected in August).
The horror TV shows & movies for summer 2025 deliver a chilling variety of tales that push the boundaries of dread and imagination. Whether you’re a fan of psychological thrillers or sci-fi horror, this summer promises screams for every taste.
Yen.com.gh recently published an article on new kids’ movies in theatres in July 2025. This summer, exciting new films have hit theatres, offering adventure, action, and family fun.
Kids’ movies playing in theatres include Lilo & Stitch, Elio, How to Train Your Dragon, and Jurassic World: Rebirth. In this piece, discover more exciting films for your kids.
Proofreading by Samuel Gitonga, copy editor at YEN.com.gh.
Source: YEN.com.gh