Weapons is one of the hottest horror movies of 2025, even if some scary movie lovers are a bit critical of its themes, but if you’re looking for another film with the same vibe, then Vicious by writer-director Bryan Bertino may be just for you.
Vicious follows Polly (Dakota Fanning), who receives a mysterious box from a late-night visitor. The instructions are simple: place inside three things — one you need, one you hate, and one you love. What begins as a curious ritual soon spirals into a waking nightmare. Reality warps, memories twist, and Polly is thrust into a world of impossible choices.
As time slips away, she must face the darkness both around her and within, before it consumes everything she holds dear. The cast also features Kathryn Hunter, Mary McCormack, Rachel Blanchard, Devyn Nekoda, Klea Scott, and Emily Mitchell.
If Vicious also feels similar to The Strangers, with a random visitor being responsible for your downfall, it’s because Bertino directed that film as well. It also features an older woman as the true villain of the film, just as Amy Madigan portrays the witch aunt Gladys. There’s horror, there’s mystery, and there’s even some creepy visuals of children at the end of the trailer.
Make it a Weapons and Vicious double feature this Halloween!
Vicious will debut on Paramount Plus on Oct. 10.
