A Look Ahead At Must-see Films Of 2025

Now that 2024 has come and gone and as we celebrate the best of last year in awards shows like the Oscars and Golden Globes, it’s time to look ahead to see what’s to come in the next 12 months. From the return of beloved modern auteurs to new visions of classic stories, 2025 is going to have it all. Here are 10 films that should be on your radar in the new year.

“Presence.” Steven Soderbergh has been toying with film formula ever since he began his independent, experimental phase, and his latest is no less inventive. “Presence” is a supernatural haunted-house movie, but with a twist: it’s told from the first-person perspective of the entity haunting the house. Long, meandering takes bring us through both the house and the story of a grieving family, and it ties together in a surprisingly emotional coda at the end. (Unlike every other film on this list, I’ve already seen “Presence,” and it’s very good.)

“Love Hurts.” The big-screen return of recent Oscar winner Ke Huy Quan is an action-comedy that, simultaneous with its Valentine’s Day weekend release, promises to be exhilarating and heartfelt. Academy Award winner Ariana DeBose and Hong Kong star Daniel Wu co-star.

“The Legend of Ochi.” This independent fantasy film, years in the making, blends puppetry, animatronics, animation and old Hollywood-style matte paintings to immerse us in a world not so unlike our own. It follows a young girl, Yuri (played by German actress Helena Zengel) who strives to reunite a magical creature with its pack.

“Mickey 17.” Years after his film “Parasite” made history, South Korean filmmaker Bong Joon-ho is back with a balls-to-the-walls sci-fi comedy that stars Robert Pattinson as a hapless grunt worker who is cloned every time he dies. Naomi Ackie (“Star Wars”), Steven Yeun (“Minari”), Mark Ruffalo (“The Avengers”) and Toni Collette (“Knives Out”) co-star.

“Sinners.” The next film from “Black Panther” director Ryan Coogler brings the filmmaker to the American South, where Michael B. Jordan plays a dual role as twins who are drawn into a sinister plot when they return to their hometown. Coogler’s latest is a horror film, promising to offer a meditation on the true nature of evil set against the backdrop of the Civil War.

“The Life of Chuck.” This adaptation of a rare non-horror Stephen King story from genre filmmaker Mike Flanagan features an incredible ensemble cast in an uplifting tale of a life well-lived. “Chuck” made waves at last year’s Toronto Film Festival, where it won the Audience Award.

“Elio.” We’ve been in a dry spell in the last few years when it comes to original Pixar films, but their summer offering this year promises to correct that. “Elio” stars Yonas Kibreab as the titular 11-year-old, who is accidentally identified as the ambassador to Earth by visiting aliens.

“F1.” Director Joseph Kosinski promises to bring the same excitement and inspiration he brought to “Top Gun: Maverick” to “F1,” which puts Brad Pitt behind the wheel of a Formula One racer. With countless hours shot directly in the driver’s seat, “F1” will surely be a titanic summer hit, the likes of which we haven’t seen since “Maverick.”

“The Bride!” We get a new take on Frankenstein just about every year, but actor-turned-director Maggie Gyllenhaal’s adaptation might be the freshest take we’ve had in years. It helps that it’s not just a straight adaptation; while drawing inspiration from Mary Shelley’s original novel and Universal’s classic films, Gyllenhaal’s tale is ostensibly a brand-new story. It’s worth mentioning that Guillermo del Toro will also be releasing an adaptation of “Frankenstein” this year via Netflix.

“Bugonia.” Yorgos Lanthrimos, one of the most tonally alienating filmmakers working right now, enjoyed massive success with “Poor Things,” and will soon return to the big screen with “Bugonia,” a remake of the South Korean film “Save the Green Planet!” that follows two conspiracy theorists who kidnap a CEO, convinced that she is an alien intent on destroying the planet. It remains to be seen whether or not Lanthrimos’ success will be replicated, but any new project of his has proven to be noteworthy at the bare minimum.

Read reviews and more by Rowan Wood at www.knockonwoodfilm.com.