Director: Mohan Krishna Indraganti
Cast: Adivi Sesh, Nithya Menen
Historical horror is a rare gem in Indian cinema, but Golconda 1687 polishes it to a brilliant, bloody shine. The film takes place during the final siege of Golconda Fort. A small battalion of soldiers gets trapped in a secret underground treasury rumored to be cursed by a Qutb Shahi mystic. As thirst and paranoia set in, the soldiers begin to turn on one another—but is it madness, or is the ghost of the last queen orchestrating their demise?
Why it made the list: This is not a jump-scare movie. It is a slow, suffocating descent into hell. Director Indraganti uses the claustrophobic tunnels of the Golconda set to perfection. Adivi Sesh, known for his intense writing, co-wrote the screenplay, ensuring that every ghostly apparition has a logical (and tragic) backstory. The film cleverly blends real history with mythology, making you question whether the horror is supernatural or simply the cruelty of man.
Best for fans of: The Lighthouse, Aamis, and psychological thrillers. best telugu horror movies 2025
Director: Swaroop Reddy
Cast: Siddhu Jonnalagadda, Ananya Nagalla
Found-footage horror finally arrives in Telugu cinema with Nijam Cheppu. The premise is terrifyingly simple: A popular YouTube ghost hunting team decides to livestream from a condemned tuberculosis sanatorium in the hills of Araku. The film is presented as raw, unedited footage from six body cams and two drone shots.
Why it made the list: Authenticity. The actors improvised most of the dialogue, and the "team" has a natural camaraderie that makes the violence feel real. By the 45-minute mark, the livestream comments (which appear on screen as subtitles) start glitching, predicting the characters’ deaths seconds before they happen. It is a visceral, nauseating experience that redefines what "realistic" horror looks like in Tollywood. Director: Mohan Krishna Indraganti Cast: Adivi Sesh, Nithya
Best for fans of: Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum, REC, and The Blair Witch Project.
Telugu cinema, long celebrated for its mass masala entertainers and larger-than-life heroes, has quietly been building a terrifying new legacy. For decades, the genre was relegated to B-movie slates or comedic horror spoofs. But 2025 marks a tectonic shift. This year, Tollywood has fully embraced psychological dread, folkloric terror, and high-budget supernatural thrills.
If you are a fan of chills, jump scares, and deeply rooted cultural horror, 2025 is your year. We have scoured the release slate, the festival circuits, and the OTT platforms to bring you the definitive list of the best Telugu horror movies of 2025. Telugu cinema, long celebrated for its mass masala
Here is your guide to the films that will haunt your dreams long after the credits roll.
Director: Ritesh Rana
Cast: Priyadarshi Pullikonda, Rohini Molletti
If you thought horror comedies were dead, Ratri Veedhi revives them with a vicious twist. Set in a single night in the narrow, winding streets of Old City Hyderabad, the film follows three bumbling small-time crooks who decide to rob a "haunted" mansion. The twist? The house isn't haunted by ghosts, but by a Dayyam (demon) that feeds on fear. The comedy comes from the crooks’ attempts to rationalize the supernatural, but the horror hits hard when the demon starts mimicking their loved ones’ voices.
Why it made the list: Ritesh Rana (famous for Mathu Vadalara) perfectly balances tone. One minute you are laughing at Priyadarshi’s frustrated monologues; the next minute you are hiding behind your hands as the demon contorts its body to crawl up a wall. The film uses a unique "silent scream" gimmick where the protagonist loses his voice midway, forcing the audience to experience the horror in dead silence.
Best for fans of: Evil Dead 2, Bhool Bhulaiyaa (the original), and survival thrillers.