It’s Alive! Introducing 2025’s The Popcorn List: Genre Edition
Six movies, recommended by festival programmers, top the list of horror/mystery/thriller unreleased in the U.S.
If you’ve been following our journey, welcome back, and if you’re just learning about The Popcorn List, we’re very glad to meet you. Our goal is to amplify highly-enjoyed indie films for distributors, exhibitors and audiences. (Learn more about our evolution in the Hope for Film Substack.)
Founded in 2024, The Popcorn List is a platform for discovery; in simple terms - it’s the Black List for highly enjoyed feature films from the festival circuit that have yet to secure U.S. distribution or release - as recommended by film festival programmers from across North America. (The 2024 List included 20 indie films, many of which have since been released or are coming soon, and the 2025 List is coming your way next month, right here and on Instagram.)
It’s time to redefine what “distribution” actually means.
Let’s take a look at what all of this might mean in this moment, via NO OTHER LAND, that film won an actual Oscar and it still doesn’t have U.S. distribution. But does that matter? It’s playing to packed audiences in cinemas across the country.
NO OTHER LAND is the year’s highest grossing documentary. It opened January 31st and is still selling out screenings across the country. Shout-out to the independent exhibitors who are bringing this film to people across the country (hungry audiences actually exist outside of NYC & LA!): at FilmScene in Iowa City, NO OTHER LAND played for two weeks and came in just outside the top five box office gross (#6 to be precise) out of more than 40 films screened for the month; SIFF in Seattle reports capacity audiences all weekend with continued interest; and we have it on good authority that the film continues to be a word-of-mouth hit, well into week five of its release at the AFI Silver Theatre in Silver Spring, Maryland. (See NO OTHER LAND at a cinema near you.)
So, securing what we’ve always referred to as the gold standard: “a distribution deal,” might really be an archaic means of reaching your audiences in the current indie film landscape. Truthfully, getting your film in front of audiences is a fucking marathon, and anyone who doesn’t treat it as such, is in for a lot of disappointment. (Check out this substack for updates from our inaugural filmmakers - their advice is invaluable for filmmakers in all stages of production and release.)
With an abundance of new tools and distribution consultants, who are implementing new interventions, let’s pay attention to the fact that filmmakers are SUCCESSFULLY getting their films in front of audiences, without traditional means of support. We’ll continue to shout it from the rooftops: “to thine own film be true.”
In February, The Industry published Indie Film and The Perils of Creation, emphasizing one of our raisons d'être: “The hard truth that in this hyper-competitive environment, financial sustainability isn’t just about securing fair pay—it’s also about visibility…The biggest mistake we see filmmakers make is assuming that after they get into festivals, even the top-tier ones like Sundance and Cannes, they will be discovered. But this is not the case, without industry awareness…Art and commerce is a fine edge to balance upon, but a skill much needed in the current indie climate.” Flowers - and laurels - to all the regional film festivals and indie cinemas out there - who do this as a regular practice. These are our people.
Turn that genre idea into a film right now.
Speaking of the Oscars, much has been made - good and bad - about THE SUBSTANCE’s Best Picture nomination - a genre that’s traditionally been shut out of that category (Collider’s got the short list here.) It’s also one of Mubi’s biggest box office successes to date. Institutional acknowledgement aside, horror boasts one of the biggest fandoms in the world, research shows that genre movies offer one of the better ROIs in filmmaking, and that people turn to horror as a way of confronting and comforting their fears and anxieties…And boy, do we have fears and anxieties in spades these days.
Stephen Follows, a researcher with fantastic insight, released a recent study, revealing that we’re living in a Golden Age Era for horror filmmaking. According to his data, now is the time to make that genre movie you’ve been thinking about. In his report, Follows says:
Today, roughly one in every eight movies produced is a horror movie.
Horror has the highest chance of returning its initial investment AND the best chance of a breakout to an impressive payday.
Horror fans are some of the most dedicated in the world. They’re not just passive viewers; they actively engage with the content, attending festivals, listening to podcasts, and participating in online communities.
This level of engagement means that horror films can thrive even with smaller marketing budgets, as word-of-mouth and fan-driven promotion play a huge role in their success.Fans aren’t just watching horror—they’re living it, discussing it, and sharing it with others, which amplifies the genre’s reach far beyond traditional marketing channels
In an additional follow-up from this year’s EFM, he says: “more emphasis is being placed on niche markets and genre films, with horror, thriller, and prestige drama remaining particularly viable for independent producers.
We’re bloody thrilled to share the 2025 The Popcorn List: Genre Edition
But back to the reason you’re here! In addition to the annual TPL, we’re curating a limited edition collection each year, and for all the reasons you suspect - and stated above - we’re kicking it off with Genre films. We reached out to 22 genre film programmers across the U.S. and received 10 recommendations. Of those 10 films, 6 opted into the list. (Note about the TPL process: we reach out to every film to confirm eligibility, contact information and permission for inclusion.)
5 of 6 came through festival submissions
The list includes 3 First Time Directors
The list includes 2 Women-Identifying Directors
Big thanks to the following film fests for participating: Anomaly, Boston Underground, Brooklyn Horror, Fantasia, Fantastic Fest, FilmQuest, Nightmares, Popcorn Frights and Portland Horror.
Official Inclusions (click here for contact/sales/booking/detailed information.)
“A film you truly can't guess the ending of until it happens, this clever horror film is just as much about the mystery as it is about the horror that ultimately proves true horror is closer to home than we often admit. Strong performances, assured direction, and a solid story makes for a film worth checking out. One of the better genre features of 2024, indie or studio.” - Jonathan Martin, Founder/Director, FilmQuest
THE BELDHAM, Directed by Angela Gulner, USA, 2024
Struggling single mom Harper moves in with her own mother to renovate a fading suburban farmhouse. The two are joined by her mother's new boyfriend and a mysterious live-in home aide, both who claim to be dedicated to Harper's postpartum care. (Cast: Patricia Heaton, Katie Parker, Corbin Bernson, Emma Fitzpatrick)
“A subversive and beautiful work of personal genre storytelling that's fresh, radical and provocative with uncommon power, fronted by a transfixing performance by Mariana Di Girolamo. See it in a cinema if at all possible.” - Mitch Davis, Co-Director/Director of International Programming, Fantasia International Film Festival
ELECTROPHILIA (LOS IMPACTADOS), Directed by Lucía Puenzo, 2023, Argentina/Chile
Ada is struck by lightning, resulting in a physical and psychological reconfiguration. As she joins a group of lightning strike survivors, she finds out that the road to electrophilia will be a journey of no return…
“Old Wounds is a very creative addition to the found footage sub-genre and offers a lot of heart.” - Marc Ferman, Co-Founder/Co-Director, Popcorn Frights Film Festival
OLD WOUNDS, Directed by Steven Hugh Nelson, USA, 2024
An aspiring filmmaker documents a road trip with his girlfriend to meet her family. As he learns more about her past, they discover he's not the only one filming them. (Cast: Chelsey Grant, Brian Villalobos)
“This wild, strange, and transfixing film took our programming team by complete surprise when it came through our submissions, and it was one we couldn't stop talking about. The response from our first programmer to view it says it all: "This is a strange bird of a film, but it is also often beautiful, and could be the break-the-brain selection of the fest." - Adam Lubitow, Programming Director/Co-founder, Anomaly Film Festival
SOUND OF LOVE, Directed by Ayuta Yoshikawa, Japan, 2024
Cleaning worker Moriya seeks solace from his isolated existence listening to the ASMR streams of a mysterious online creator who goes by the name Akiha. Moriya’s fixation on Akiha’s videos threatens to destroy both his personal and professional lives, but he can’t stop himself from pursuing a deeper connection. He reaches out to Akiha and the two unexpectedly develop a relationship, first entirely online and soon IRL. But Moriya’s obsession only grows as their strange bond soon sends them down a dangerous path that just may consume them both.
"Strange Kindness" is a film about isolation, the shocking acts of violence that have come to punctuate our American dream, and what empathy might look like at its further limits. While the film's content is political, its treatment of themes is far more mythological in nature. (We think this team is one to keep an eye on.) - Nicole Controversy, Director of Programming, Boston Underground Film Festival
STRANGE KINDNESS, Directed by Joseph Mault, USA, 2024
Rose’s wayward brother returns home on the same morning their quiet neighborhood is roiled by a violent crime. Across town, their ailing aunt Chris lives in self-imposed isolation with no interest in receiving phone calls or mail. As a house-to-house manhunt is underway, Chris finds a bloodied gunman hiding in her living room. She calmly assures him, “I’m not going to scream.”
“Anchored by a superb lead performance and featuring some truly horrific and indelible imagery, the film does a great job balancing scares with emotional resonance.” - Lisa Dreyer, Festival Director, Fantastic Fest
WHAT HAPPENED TO DOROTHY BELL?, Directed by Danny Villaneuva, Jr., USA, 2024
After uncovering disturbing revelations from her early childhood involving her late grandmother, Dorothy Bell, Ozzie Gray sets out to video document her investigation into these past events. Desperate for answers, she attempts to communicate with Dorothy's spirit but unwittingly awakens something malevolent. (Starring Michael Hargrove, Lisa Wilcox)
Additional film recommendations (optioned out of official list):
The Complex Forms, Directed by Fabio D'Orta, Italy, 2024 (Rec. Gwen Callahan, Portland Horror Film Festival)
Dooba Dooba, Directed by Ehrland Hollingsworth, USA, 2024 (Rec. by Jason Tostevin, Nightmares Film Festival)
The Last Sacrifice, Directed by Rupert Russell, UK, 2024 (Rec. The Programming Team, Brooklyn Horror Film Festival)
Thank you to the filmmakers and film programmers who continue to inspire The Popcorn List.
Book these movies, watch these movies!