Civilian 2025 Wrap-Up and Year-End Stats!

And we’re back!

Having addressed the horror genre in a previous entry (hey, this is HORROR 101 after all), it’s now time to give the Civilian flicks a moment in the sun.

FOR PREVIOUS YEARS' RECAPS, CLICK HERE

Since my attentions remained focused primarily on the H101 YouTube channel throughout the year, that didn’t leave a ton of extra time. So, I watched my SAG-nominated films, enjoyed some random comfort food entries, and tried to stay abreast of the biggest and the brightest, but with only 20 of my 83 non-horror titles released in the last two years, I can’t say I’m all that well-informed outside the genre for 2025's output.

That said, let’s get on with the business at hand! As always, all the non-horror titles listed below were encountered for the first time from January 1 to December 31, 2025 (i.e. no repeat viewings were eligible), and there is the usual collection of random trends that appeared organically or by design. For example, I think it's fun - and a little surprising - that my top three most-watched directors this year were not technically horror directors! You just never know where these flights of fancy will take you. Hope you enjoy the read.

Stay strong, stay safe, stay tuned!

FAVORITE CIVILIAN FILMS OF 2023/2025

Aliens: Expanded (2024)
Flow (2024)
Jaws @ 50 (2025)
The Last Showgirl (2024)
Monkey Man (2024)
RRR: Behind & Beyond (2024)
Wallace & Gromit: Murder Most Fowl (2025)
The Zone of Interest (2023)

HONORABLE MENTION:

The Baltimorons (2025)
Breakdown: 1975 (2025)
Conclave (2024)
Eddington (2025)
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (2024)
Jay Kelly (2025)
K-Pop Demon Hunters (2025)
A Real Pain (2024)

MIXED BAGS:

Anora (2024)
Paddington in Peru (2024)
Love Hurts (2025)
The Brutalist (2024)

TOP CIVILIAN DISCOVERIES (First Time Views released before 2023)

RRR (2022)
Remembering Gene Wilder (2023)
Babe: Pig in the City (1998)
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005)
Corpse Bride (2005)
Happy Feet (2006)
Paddington (2014)
The Shark is Still Working (2007)
You’re So Cool Brewster: Fright Night (2016)
Gordon Lightfoot: If You Could Read My Mind (2019)
The Green Knight (2021)




TOTALS FOR 2025: 

360 Total Films, 137 First Time Views, 277 Horror, 11 Cinema

(2024 Totals: 400, 165, 335, 20)
(2023 Totals: 316, 146, 242, 10)
(2022 Totals: 203, 105, 143, 17)
(2021 Totals: 383, 198, 115, 5)
(2020 Totals: 434, 260, 148, 2)
(2019 Totals: 467, 222, 247, 41)
(2018 Totals: 346, 211, 173, 41)
(2017 Totals: 251, 179, 111, 52)
(2016 Totals: 272, 183, 131, 31)
(2015 Totals: 352, 190, 224, 41)
(2014 Totals: 399, 203, 251, 48)
(2013 Totals: 306, 240, 185, 69)
(2012 Totals: 607, 520, 362, 166)
(2011 Totals: 640, 419, 355, 59)
(2010 Totals: 364, 253, 242, 45)
(2009 Totals: 472, 276, 289, 38)
(2008 Totals: 384, 278, 226, 39)
(2007 Totals: 409, 284, 260, 40)

FIRST FILM OF 2025

Whiplash (2014)

LAST FILM OF 2025

Sling Blade (1996)

DOCUMENTARIES: 16

Aliens: Expanded (2024) d. Nathan, Ian
Breakdown: 1975 (2025) d. Neville, Morgan
Dracula Barcelona (2017) d. Prats, Carles
Gonzo: The Life and Work of Hunter S. Thompson (2008) d. Gibney, Alex
Gordon Lightfoot: If You Could Read My Mind (2019) d. Kehoe, Martha / Tosoni, Joan
Heirs of the Beast (Alex de la Iglesia doc) (2021) d. López, Diego / Pizarro, David
Jaws @ 50 (2025) d. Bourzereau, Laurent
Kubrick by Kubrick (2020) d. Monro, Gregory
The Making of Psycho (1997) d. Bourzereau, Laurent
Remembering Gene Wilder (2023) d. Frank, Ron
Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired (2008) d. Zenovich, Marina
Room 237 (2012) d. Ascher, Rodney
RRR: Behind & Beyond (2024) d. Rajamouli, S.S.
The Shark is Still Working (2007) d. Hollander, Erik
To Hell and Back: The Kane Hodder Story (2017) d. Herbert, Derek Dennis
You’re So Cool Brewster: Fright Night doc (2016) d. Griffiths, Chrisopher

MOST WATCHED DIRECTORS:

7

George Miller (Mad Max, The Road Warrior, Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome, Mad Max: Fury Road, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, Happy Feet, Babe: Pig in the City)


Tim Burton (Edward Scissorhands, Ed Wood, Sweeney Todd, Sleepy Hollow, Corpse Bride, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Dark Shadows)


6

Bob Fosse (Sweet Charity, Cabaret, Lenny, Liza with a Z, All That Jazz, Star 80)


5

Terence Fisher (Two Faces of Dr. Jekyll x2, Curse of Frankenstein x2, Brides of Dracula)


4

Nico Mastorakis (The Wind, Island of Terror, The Zero Boys, Nightmare at Noon)


3

Mario Bava (Black Sunday x2, Hatchet for the Honeymoon)
Byron Chudnow (The Doberman Gang, The Amazing Dobermans, The Daring Dobermans)
Alex de la Iglesia (The Last Circus, Perdita Durango, The Day of the Beast)
Mick Garris (The Shining, Chocolate, Psycho IV)
Russ Meyer (Vixen, Supervixen, Beyond the Valley of the Supervixens)
Don Michael Paul (Tremors: Bloodlines, Tremors: A Cold Day in Hell, Tremors: Shrieker Island)
Charles B. Pierce (The Legend of Boggy Creek, Boggy Creek II, The Evictors)
Brian Yuzna (Bride of Re-Animator, Beyond Re-Animator, Return of the Living Dead 3)
Rob Zombie (House of 1000 Corpses, The Devil’s Rejects, 3 from Hell)


2

Dario Argento (Jenifer, Deep Red)
Laurent Bourzereau (The Making of Psycho, Jaws @ 50)
Tod Browning (Mark of the Vampire, The Devil-Doll)
John Carpenter (Village of the Damned, Cigarette Burns)
H.G. Clouzot (Les Diaboliques, The Wages of Fear)
Roger Corman (House of Usher, Pit and the Pendulum)
Zach Cregger (Barbarian, Weapons)
Dan Curtis (Trilogy of Terror, House of Dark Shadows)
Ellory Elkayam (Return of the Living Dead: Necropolis, Return of the Living Dead: Rave to the Grave)
James R. Ellis (Final Destination 2, The Final Destination
Parker Finn (Smile, Smile 2)
Jesus Franco (Oasis of the Zombies, Count Dracula)
Lucio Fulci (City of the Living Dead, Murder Rock)
Stuart Gordon (Re-Animator, Dreams in the Witch House)
Val Guest (Hell is a City, The Abominable Snowman)
Tobe Hooper (Lifeforce, Dance of the Dead)
Bob Kelljan (Count Yorga, The Return of Count Yorga)
Paul King (Paddington, Paddington 2)
Bernard Kowalski (Night of the Blood Beast, Attack of the Giant Leeches)
Lucky McKee (Sick Girl, Red)
Greg McLean (Wolf Creek, Wolf Creek 2)
John McNaughton (Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer, Hackael’s Tale)
Roman Polanski (Knife in the Water, Repulsion)
S.S. Rajamouli (RRR, RRR: Behind and Beyond)
Bill Rebane (The Giant Spider Invasion, Monster a Go-go)
George A. Romero (Night of the Living Dead, Day of the Dead)
Eli Roth (Hostel, Hostel II)
Steven Spielberg (Jaws, Close Encounters of the Third Kind)
S.S. Wilson (Tremors 2: Aftershocks, Tremors 4: The Legend Begins)
James Wong (Final Destination, Final Destination 3)
Noriaki Yuasa (Gamera, Gamera: Super Monster)

SO NICE WE WATCHED ‘EM TWICE

Baby Blood, Black Sunday, The Changeling, Curse of Frankenstein, Mad Love, Misery, Peeping Tom, Rocky Horror Picture Show, Sinners, Two Faces of Dr. Jekyll

WHAT’S IN A NAME?

Black Sunday (1960, 1977), Day of the Dead (1985, 2008), Fright Night (1985, 2011), The Hands of Orlac (1924, 1960), Humanoids from the Deep (1980, 1996), Maniac (1980, 2012), Psycho (1960, 1998), The Shining (1980, 1997), Village of the Damned (1960, 1995), The Wind (1986, 2018)

GOING FULL FRANCHISE

Re-Animator (3 films)
The Doberman Gang (3 films)
Final Destination (6 films)
Ginger Snaps (3 films)
Hostel (3 films)
Jaws (4 films)
Mad Max (5 films)
Universal Mummies (5 films)
Paddington (3 films)
Psycho (5 films)
Re-Animator (3 films)
Return of the Living Dead (5 films)
The Stepford Wives (5 films)
Tremors (6 films)
Firefly Family (3 films)

THEY COME IN TWOS:

Alligator II: The Mutation, The Daring Dobermans, Babe: Pig in the City, Lady Blood, Bride of Frankenstein, Bride of Re-Animator, Brides of Dracula, Children of the Damned, The Descent Part 2, The Devil’s Rejects, Final Destination 2, Fright Night Part 2, Ginger Snaps 2: Unleashed, Hostel Part 2, Jaws 2, Boggy Creek 2: The Legend Continues, The Road Warrior, The Mummy’s Hand, Paddington 2, Psycho II, Return of Count Yorga, Return of Doctor X, Return of the Living Dead Part 2, Revenge of the Stepford Wives, Tremors 2: Aftershocks, Smile 2, Wolf Creek 2,

EARLIEST FILM WATCHED:

The Hands of Orlac (1924)




COUNTRIES OF RECORD: 22

Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Chile, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, India, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Mexico, New Zealand, Poland, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, UK, USA

GOING A-Z (missed “Q” and “X”) 

Anora
Battle Royale
Carnosaur
Demented
Eyes Without a Face
Funeral Home
The Ghost of Yotsua
Hollywood Horror House
It Came from Beneath the Sea
Jacob’s Ladder
Klaus
The Last Showgirl
The Midwich Cuckoos
Namaka
Paranoiac
Q
Return to Oz
Slap Shot
Terror on Tour
The Ugly Stepsister
The Vourdalak
WarGames
X
You’re So Cool, Brewster!
The Zone of Interest




LONGEST STREAK OF SEEING MOVIES FROM EACH YEAR:

2003-2025 (23 years)
1957-2001 (45 years)



VIEWS BREAKDOWN BY DECADE:

1910s – 0
1920s – 1
1930s – 9
1940s – 6
1950s – 12
1960s – 32
1970s – 44
1980s – 56
1990s – 41
2000s – 48
2010s – 35
2020s – 76

BOOKS READ IN 2025

Burton on Burton
Tim Burton: Interviews
Devolution by Max Brooks
Red by Jack Ketchum
Jaws by Peter Benchley
The Jaws Log by Carl Gottlieb
Withnail and I by Bruce Robinson
I Spit on Your Celluloid by Heidi Honeycutt
Terror Down Under: A History of Horror Film in Australia by Daniel Best
Roman Polanski by James Morrison
Blood Sweat and Chrome by Kyle Buchanan
The Shining by Stephen King
Games of Terror by Vera Dika
The Stepford Wives by Ira Levin
Which Lie Did I Tell by William Goldman
Misery by Stephen King
The Rocky Horror Picture Show FAQ by Dave Thompson
My Effin’ Life by Geddy Lee
Psycho by Robert Bloch
The Midwich Cuckoos by John Wyndham
Oxford Handbook of Black Horror Film by Novotny William Lawrence & Robin Means Coleman
Lone Women by Victor LaValle
Clown in a Cornfield by Adam Cesare



That's all, folks! If you made it this far, you're clearly my kind of people. Wishing you a fantastic year and looking forward to seeing you at the movies!