Welcome to your moviegoing guide for 2025! Here are our picks for the unmissable movies coming to a cinema near you soon.
It’s a new year and the release calendar for 2025 looks mighty promising.
We’ve already had excellent titles like Nosferatu, I’m Still Here, Maria and Babygirl, and the coming weeks will see the release of award-nominated movies like A Complete Unknown and A Real Pain.
Further down the line, you can expect the return of popular directors; a tonne of superhero flicks from the MCU and the new DCU; plenty of sequels (Wicked: For Good, Avatar: Fire And Ash, Jurassic World Rebirth, Zootopia 2); the occasional biopic (the Michael Jackson and Bruce Springsteen films); and whatever the hell the Minecraft Movie will be.
Much like the seemingly endless output of TV shows and albums, keeping up can be overwhelming. With this in mind, here are the 25 films that we’re looking forward to in the first half of 2025 – in chronological order – and with a few potential Cannes and Venice titles towards the end.
These are the movies you won’t want to miss.
The Brutalist
Release: Begins European rollout on 24 January
Having premiered at last year’s Venice Film Festival, Brady Corbet’s masterful American saga is already a major awards contender. Having won Best Director, Best Actor and Best Film (Drama) at the Golden Globes, there’s every reason to believe that it could go all the way to Oscar glory. Six years in the making, this post-war epic is one Paul Thomas Anderson would be proud of. Chronicling the life of fictional Bauhaus-trained Jewish architect László Tóth (Adrien Brody), it’s a tale that comments on the American Dream and how this fabled concept is really an illusion powered by envy, xenophobia and the preservation of a status quo that ensures privilege remains insular. Featuring wonderful turns from a supporting cast that includes Guy Pierce and Joe Alwyn, this is already one of the unmissable titles of 2025. Read our full review.
Love Hurts
Release: 7 February in US – mid-February in most European cinemas
The wonderful Ke Huy Quan made his big (and heartening) Hollywood comeback with the Oscar-winning Everything Everywhere All At Once. This year, the former child star of Indiana Jones And The Temple of Doom and The Goonies returns with an action comedy that sees him star as an affable realtor whose much less friendly crime-lord brother comes after him. Playing in his favour is that he’s a former hitman. Comedy + martial arts + Quan’s delightful screen presence? Sign us up.
Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy
Release: 14 February
Based on Helen Fielding’s 2013 novel of the same name and arriving just in time for Valentine’s Day, the fourth Bridget Jones movie brings back Renée Zellweger, Hugh Grant, Colin Firth (spoiler: as a ghost) and Emma Thompson for another chapter in London’s most famous singleton. Tagging along are two new love interests, played by Chiwetel Ejiofor and Leo Woodall. How will Bridget face the dating pool as a mother? And will this fourth adventure redeem the pretty poor Bridget Jones’s Baby? Not long to find out.
The Monkey
Release: 21 February
Following the box office success of last year’s Longlegs, Osgood Perkins returns with an adaptation of Stephen King’s 1980 short story of the same name about a cursed vintage toy monkey. Solid source material, but we can’t deny that even if Longlegs became Neon’s highest-grossing movie ever, we weren’t that fussed. The internet lost their collective shit over not that much, and while it was entertaining, we’re hoping The Monkey – starring Theo James, Elijah Wood and Tatiana Maslany – can deliver solid horror thrills that don’t just rely on admittedly impressive marketing campaigns.
Mickey 17
Release: 7 March
Delayed and rescheduled countless times, Bong Joon-ho’s long-awaited follow-up to his Oscar-smashing Parasite is finally coming our way… And those attending this year’s Berlinale will get to see it first, as the festival has secured its premiere. Set in the dystopian future, Mickey 17 sees Robert Pattinson star as a space traveller who agrees to be endlessly cloned each time he snuffs it. However, when he comes face-to-face with another version of himself, shit truly hits the fan for the two “disposables”. Based on Edward Ashton’s novel, the delicious premise recalls Duncan Jones’ Moon with a black comedy twist. There’s every reason to get excited, especially since the South Korean filmmaker has proven he can ace spectacle (The Host), dystopia (Snowpiercer) and excels when it comes to merging humour and social commentary (Okja, Parasite).
Black Bag
Release: 14 March
After 2011’s underrated Haywire, Steven Soderbergh returns to the world of espionage with Black Bag. This caper stars Michael Fassbender and Cate Blanchett as two married spies who are about to hit a rocky patch when Blanchett’s character is suspected of being a traitor. Essentially a darker Mr. And Mrs. Smith with an all-star ensemble cast that features Bond alumni Pierce Brosnan and Naomie Harris, as well as Bond hopeful Regé-Jean Page. Plus, Fassbender is currently crushing it in the spy thriller series The Agency, so this could be further evidence that he’s truly the 007 that got away.
Warfare
Release: TBC – Rumoured: April
Arriving only one year after his nerve-shredding Civil War, Alex Garland teams up with Ray Mendoza for another military thriller. Mendoza, a former Navy SEAL, was a military supervisor on Civil War, and Warfare is based on his experiences during the Iraq War. Considering how much Civil War made our insides quake and stunned due to its accurate depiction of conflict, this upcoming A24 film promises to be a visceral, boots-on-the-ground thriller that will necessitate a proper theatre-provided sound system for maximum effect.
Sinners
Release: 18 April
Vampires are all the rage once more, as 2025 has already seen the release of the excellent Nosferatu. While that was a lore accurate depiction of the famous Count Orlok, Sinners takes a different approach to the blood sucking mayhem. Directed by Ryan Coogler (Black Panther, Creed) and starring the filmmaker’s lucky charm Michael B. Jordan, this one won’t be a remake or based on any existing source material. Full plot details haven’t been revealed, but we do know that Sinners concerns twin brothers who are uncovering a dark presence in their early 20th century town. We’re hoping for a terrifying Southern Gothic with wanton gore.
A Big Bold Beautiful Journey
Release: 9 May
So far, South Korean director Kogonada hasn’t made a bad film. More than that, 2017’s Columbus and 2021’s After Yang are modern classics. Will it be third time lucky with A Big Bold Beautiful Journey? It’s looking promising. All we know is that it’s a romantic fantasy starring Margot Robbie, Colin Farrell and Jodie Turner-Smith, and that it features a car blessed with a magic GPS. Don’t ask. We can’t wait to see how Kogonada merges his contemplative sensibilities with a surreal central concept.
Final Destination: Bloodlines
Release: 16 May
It all began 25 years ago, so it makes sense that the Final Destination franchise would return in time for its quarter-century anniversary. For its sixth instalment, which stars the late Tony Todd in his final big screen role as William Bludworth, we’ll presumably be treated to another set of elaborate freak accidents – including a tattoo needle to the eye – and a hapless bunch trying to escape Death’s design. When will they learn?
Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning
Release: 23 May
Cards on the table: we thought the first chapter to Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, 2023’s Dead Reckoning, was an almighty step down from the franchise high of 2018’s Fallout. But never underestimate Tom Cruise and his long-running franchise. Promising to conclude the plot strands introduced in Dead Reckoning, this eighth adventure (and possibly Cruise’s last?) will hopefully surpass its predecessor and remind everyone why Cruise is the king of the boxoffice. Just as long as there are less sphincter-shaped AI antagonists and more death-defying stunts, we’ll be happier.
28 Years Later
Release: 20 June
Fans dared to hope there would be a third instalment to the sprinting dead films that scared viewers shitless with hordes of fast zombies. And lo and behold, the original team behind 28 Days Later are back for 28 Years Later! Good things come to those who wait, and all that. Director Danny Boyle and writer Alex Garland are playing with the likes of Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Jodie Comer and Ralph Fiennes for this trilogy capper. If the teaser trailer and its chilling poem narration is anything to go by, we’re in for a treat. Rumour confirmed: It has been shot on iPhone 15. Rumour debunked: Despite what was reported, Cillian Murphy is not returning for this one. He may return in the planned new trilogy though.
F1
Release: 27 June
Joseph Kosinski impressed with his adrenaline-fuelled dogfights in Top Gun: Maverick, so there’s every reason to assume that the director can provide the same thrills when it comes to Formula One racing. Starring Brad Pitt as a former driver who comes back into the fold to coach a young Damson Idris-shaped whippersnapper (sound familiar?), this action film gets no points for sticking to the tried and tested formula. However, considering F1 was shot at real racing circuits and features real F1 drivers, let’s hope that this will be more Rush and less Gran Turismo.
Untitled Trey Parker / Matt Stone / Kendrick Lamar comedy
Release: 4 July
Yep, you read that right. After a banner year for hip-hop’s poet laureate, Kendrick Lamar has teamed up with the South Park creators for a sure-to-be controversial comedy about a Black man interning as a slave reenactor at a living history museum. There, he makes the uncomfortable discovery that his white girlfriend’s ancestors once owned his. Lamar is on producer duties and there’s every reason to think he might star in what is Parker and Stone’s first movie since Team America: World Police. Could this be 2025’s most audacious comedy? Certainly sounds like it.
Superman
Release: 11 July
There’s no escaping this one. The Last Son of Krypton returns to the big screen in James Gunn’s new DC Universe. Billed as a sincere Superman movie in the same vein as the Christopher Reeves movies (as opposed to the dark Zack Snyder days), the first trailer looks promising. David Corenswet is the new Man of Steel, faced with a new Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult) and swooning for a new Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan). He’s also joined by a panoply of other superheroes, which has us worried about too much universe building. Still, Krypto the Superdog is here and he’s already a good boy, yes he is, hmm hmm hmm.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps
Release: 25 July
It’s going to be a busy year for Marvel, especially compared to 2024 which only had Deadpool & Wolverine on its release roster. 2025 is a return to the superhero fatigue rhythm with three projects, including Captain America: Brave New World and The Thunderbolts. However, the one we’re the most curious about is The Fantastic Four: First Steps. Firstly, because it’s going head to head with DC’s Superman for the boxoffice crown; secondly, because The Fantastic Four is Marvel’s bête noire. They’ve tried time and time again to get it right, but no film has yet done Marvel’s First Family justice. Not Roger Corman’s low-budget 1994 version; not the 2005 and 2007 Tim Story films; and certainly not Josh Trank’s dire Fant4stic in 2015. Will this new version, starring the ubiquitous Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn and Ebon Moss-Bachrach, finally break the FF curse?
Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery
Release: TBA
The third Benoit Blanc mystery hits Netflix at some point this year – and we’re betting it’ll be in the first half of 2025. Following Knives Out and Glass Onion, this new sleuthing adventure sees Daniel Craig joined by a new batch of suspects, including deep breath Josh Brolin, Jeremy Renner, Kerry Washington, Andrew Scott, Mila Kunis, Josh O’Connor and Glenn Close. No one knows anything about the mystery (and that’s the way we like it); we just hope that Netflix stop faffing about and allow Wake Up Dead Man to have a prolonged theatrical release. This series has earned it.
Frankenstein
Release: TBA
Another Netflix title, which shows the streaming behemoth is set to have a good year. They’ll also be releasing Guillermo del Toro’s long-gestating passion project: his adaptation of Mary Shelley’s « Frankenstein », starring Oscar Isaac as Dr. Frankenstein and Jacob Elordi as his monster. Kudos to Netflix for making it happen; and again, damn their bloodshot eyes if they deny this the big screen release it deserves. Netflix – GDT, the master of all things wonderful and weird, won you an Oscar for Pinocchio – reward him with a cinema rollout!
The Phoenician Scheme
Release: TBA (Cannes?)
After the middling Asteroid City in 2023 and four excellent Roald Dahl shorts, Wes Anderson is set to release his newest offering this year. The Phoenician Scheme is a spy comedy centred around a father-daughter relationship and, as per Wes’ want, the cast is jam-packed: Benicio del Toro, Michael Cera, Riz Ahmed, Tom Hanks, Benedict Cumberbatch, Scarlett Johansson, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Willem Dafoe, Bryan Cranston and Bill Murray, naturally. There’s no release date yet, but there’s every chance this will show up in Cannes in May.
Alpha
Release: TBA (Cannes?)
Whatever Alpha is, inject it into our eyeballs post-haste. The third film by French director Julia Ducournau, after the remarkable Grave (Raw) and the Palme d’Or-winning Titane, stars Tahar Rahim and Golshifteh Farahani. The plot is closely under wraps, but it is understood to be the director’s most personal project yet. If you’re in a betting mood, the odds are high on a Cannes Competition slot in May.
Duse
Release: TBA (Cannes?)
Italian auteur Pietro Marcello’s Duse is a biopic of 19th century Italian stage diva Eleonora Duse. It stars Valeria Bruni Tedeschi in the title role and the wonderful Noémie Merlant as her daughter. Merlant mentioned the project in our interview with her for last year’s The Balconettes, and we’re excited to see what her Italian accent sounds like! It’s a safe bet that Duse will premiere on the Croisette, as Marcello’s Scarlet opened Cannes’ Directors Fortnight in 2022.
Untitled Paul Thomas Anderson Movie
Release: TBA (Cannes?)
Rumours are Paul Thomas Anderson’s new film is titled The Battle of Baktan Cross and is inspired by Thomas Pynchon’s postmodern novel “Vineland”. It will star Leonardo DiCaprio, Sean Penn, Regina Hall, Benicio del Toro and Alana Haim. Considering how brilliantly Anderson adapted Pynchon’s “Inherent Vice”, we’re very excited. A release date has reportedly been set for 8 August. Is it too much to hope that Cannes will snap it up?
Franz
Release: TBA (Venice?)
Celebrated Polish filmmaker Agnieszka Holland wowed Venice in 2023 with her controversial but utterly unmissable refugee drama The Green Border, so we’re hoping that she’ll head back to the Lido this year with her Frank Kafka biopic. The titular role will be played by German-Israeli newcomer Idan Weiss, and according to a statement from the director, Franz will highlight fragments of the life of Kafka and examine his present-day legacy in his hometown of Prague and beyond.
After The Hunt
Release: TBA (Venice?)
The masterful Luca Guadagnino never seems to take a break. After Challengers and Queer last year, he’s already scheduled to return with a thriller focusing on a college professor who has a dark secret that threatens to be exposed by a star pupil. In a recent interview with Marc Maron on his WTF podcast, Guadagnino described After The Hunt as being “timely” and speaking to current times. Starring Julia Roberts, Michael Stuhlbarg, Andrew Garfield and Ayo Edebiri, and featuring another soundtrack from Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, we can’t wait for this one. The film is in the can, so there’s every reason to hope it’s coming soon. Whether or not it’ll be ready for Cannes is another matter… If not, Venice please. Pretty please.
Bugonia
Release: TBA (Venice?)
Another filmmaker who seemingly doesn’t believe in taking time off… Like Guadagnino, Yorgos Lanthimos delivered two films in 2024: the Oscar-winning Poor Things and Kinds of Kindness, the latter of which was a return to his Greek Weird Wave roots. For his next film, he’s reuniting with Emma Stone for an English-language remake of the 2003 South Korean film Save The Green Planet!, which sees two conspiracy nuts kidnap a CEO who they believe to be an alien hellbent on destroying Earth. It’s slated for 7 November, so we’re banking on it showing up in Venice’s line-up.
There we have it.
What movies are you most looking forward to? Let us know – and check out our Cultural Look Aheads with the Most Anticipated Books, TV Shows, Fashion, Albums and Exhibitions of 2025.
