Vicious (2025): Cast, Plot, Release Date, Review & Where to Watch – Dakota Fanning’s Descent into Horror

Horror fans, brace yourselves. This October, nightmares take a new form with Vicious (2025), the latest terrifying vision from Bryan Bertino, the acclaimed filmmaker behind The Strangers. Starring Dakota Fanning, Kathryn Hunter, and Mary McCormack, this chilling tale promises a descent into psychological torment, ritualistic dread, and reality-bending horror that will leave audiences questioning their own memories.

💀 “Place three things inside: something you need, something you hate, and something you love.”

That’s the haunting instruction that sets the stage for a story where every choice carries unspeakable consequences.

📦 The Story – A Box That Should Never Be Opened

At the heart of Vicious is Polly (Dakota Fanning), who receives a mysterious late-night visitor and an unsettling box. The box comes with a rule: she must place three things inside—something she needs, something she hates, and something she loves.

What starts as a strange ritual soon spirals into a waking nightmare. Polly finds herself trapped in a world where reality bends, memories betray, and the line between love and loss dissolves into terror. As time slips away, she must confront not just the darkness outside, but the one lurking deep within her.

The premise echoes Bertino’s signature style: horror that doesn’t just scare, but unsettles—drawing terror from intimacy, choices, and the fragility of human bonds.

🌙 Cast & Performances

• Dakota Fanning (War of the Worlds, The Equalizer 3) leads as Polly, navigating the fragile balance between grief, paranoia, and raw fear.

• Kathryn Hunter (The Tragedy of Macbeth) brings her uncanny presence to a role shrouded in mystery.

• Mary McCormack adds gravitas as someone tied to Polly’s unraveling past.

• Supporting cast includes Rachel Blanchard, Devyn Nekoda, Klea Scott, and Emily Mitchell, each shaping the twisted puzzle of Polly’s reality.

With Bertino’s penchant for wringing intensity from every silence and shadow, expect powerhouse performances that keep viewers on edge.

🎥 Behind the Darkness

• Director/Writer: Bryan Bertino (The Strangers, The Dark and the Wicked)

• Producers: Richard Suckle, p.g.a.

• Executive Producers: Melinda Whitaker, Shane Boucher

• Music: Tom Schraeder

Bertino is no stranger to atmospheric dread, and with Vicious, he seems poised to push his horror storytelling into surreal, nightmarish territory.

📅 Release & Streaming Details

• World Premiere: September 19, 2025, at Fantastic Fest 🎉

• Wide Release: October 10, 2025

• Where to Watch: Streaming on Paramount+ and available to buy on digital the same day.

Running at 98 minutes, the film promises a tightly wound, relentless horror experience perfect for the Halloween season.

🔮 Final Thoughts – Why Vicious Will Haunt You

Vicious isn’t just another horror movie—it’s a test of choice, memory, and morality. Bryan Bertino blends psychological horror with supernatural dread, and Dakota Fanning steps into one of her most harrowing roles yet.

As the tagline suggests, “What you put inside will take everything outside.”

This October, prepare for a haunting where the scariest thing isn’t the darkness in the room—it’s the darkness within yourself.

⭐ Vicious (2025) premieres on Paramount+ and digital October 10. Add it to your Halloween watchlist—you’ll never look at a simple box the same way again.