Horror Movies In Telugu 2025 Top May 2026
Screams in the Dark: The Top Horror Movies in Telugu (2025) You Cannot Miss
The Telugu film industry, long celebrated for its larger-than-life heroes, gravity-defying stunts, and soul-stirring romance, has quietly been undergoing a terrifying transformation. For decades, "horror" in Tollywood was often relegated to comedic subplots (the Avakaya ghost) or formulaic revenge thrillers. But 2025 marks a definitive shift.
With a new wave of年轻 filmmakers borrowing from Korean horror, J-horror, and psychological thrillers, the Top Horror Movies in Telugu 2025 are not just about jump scares—they are about existential dread, folklore, and claustrophobic tension.
If you are a fan of the genre, here is your definitive guide to the most anticipated and spine-chilling Telugu horror releases of 2025. horror movies in telugu 2025 top
5. "Maya Bazaar 2025" (December 2025 – Sankranti Race)
- Director: Nag Ashwin (uncredited supervision)
- Cast: Nani, Sai Pallavi
- Why it’s top: A genre-bender—period horror set in a ruined temple town. Nani plays a rationalist archaeologist who accidentally awakens a Brahmarakshas. The highlight is a 15-minute single-take chase sequence through underground tunnels. Early reviews from test screenings call it "Telugu cinema’s The Conjuring."
The Trend to Watch: "Folk Horror"
In 2025, Tollywood is moving away from "haunted houses" and shifting toward "Folk Horror."
Movies like Kantara and Virupaksha proved that audiences love stories about village deities, ancient curses, black magic (Chetabadi), and tantrics. The fear factor in 2025 comes not from ghosts, but from the wrath of nature and gods. Screams in the Dark: The Top Horror Movies
2. Naluguru: The Fourth Guest (Dir. Meera Kartikeyan)
- Sub-genre: Psychological home invasion
- Plot Summary: A family installs a smart home AI system that begins communicating with their deceased child. The horror arises from digital glitches, voice morphing, and the inability to distinguish between grief-induced hallucinations and actual supernatural events.
- Innovation: First Telugu horror film to use ASMR-like audio mixing for tension.
- Box Office: ₹52 crore
4. Pippa (Adivi Sesh)
- The Vibe: Horror-Thriller
- The Buzz: Adivi Sesh is known for smart thrillers (Kshanam, Major). He recently announced Pippa, which translates to a metal pot—often associated with paranormal activities in Indian folklore. This is expected to be a gripping, logical horror thriller without the usual comedic distraction.
- Why watch: If you prefer Hollywood-style investigative horror with a logical backstory.
4. 36 Veedhullo 2 (Dir. Vamshi Reddy)
- Sub-genre: Urban legend anthology
- Plot Summary: Sequel to the 2023 hit, this installment features three interconnected stories set in Hyderabad’s Old City—each based on purported real events from 1980s police records. The frame narrative involves a paranormal investigator who becomes the final victim.
- Reception: Praised for avoiding comic relief characters entirely.
- Box Office: ₹38 crore
Viewing Recommendations
- Start with Adhira if you prefer atmosphere and sound-driven terror.
- Choose Veedu Roju for folklore and vivid rural imagery.
- Pick Black Threshold if you want mystery + horror.
- Saaya for modern, stylish scares.
- Nija for intimate, performance-led fright.
4. Studio 84
Director: Naveen Chandra
Release Date: May 9, 2025
Found footage makes a grand entry into Tollywood with Studio 84. The premise is simple: A podcast team investigating the abandoned Ramanaidu Studios (where a tragic fire killed 12 junior artists in 1984) brings a medium to communicate with the spirits. Naturally, everything goes wrong. stylish scares.
Nija for intimate
The Gimmick: The entire film is marketed as "lost footage." The directors actually filmed inside a deserted studio complex at 3 AM without artificial lighting—only using the actors' body cameras and night vision. The result is a gritty, raw, and nauseatingly realistic experience. The final 15 minutes, involving a game of hide-and-seek in the editing room, has been called "the most stressful sequence in Telugu cinema."
Why watch: It redefines the "ghost in the reflection" trope. You will never look at a red light on a camera again.