Ten 2025 Movies to Put on Your Watchlist
I have seen the future, and I foresee so many great movies on the horizon. I enjoyed watching many of these at several festivals last year. There are also other films I’ve seen that I can’t discuss due to signed NDAs. However, there are many movies I can recommend that are either slated to come out this year or (hopefully) will come out this year. Think of this list as a guide to the good shit 2025 cinema has to offer. While I’m here at Sundance waiting for movies to be bought, I wanted to discuss the ones that haven’t been screened or not necessarily discussed yet. Here are 10 movies that should be on your watchlist this year.
1) I Wish You All the Best (TBD)
Based on Mason Deaver’s novel, I Wish You All the Best is a unique coming-of-age story. It follows Ben De Backer (Corey Fogelmanis), a non-binary teen kicked out of their conservative home after coming out to their parents. Their sister (Alexandra Daddario) and brother-in-law (Cole Sprouse) pick them up at a convenience store and let them move into their home. They start over at a new school where they make new friends, find romance, and learn to be themselves. The film is directed by model and actress Tommy Dorfman, who approaches the story with thoughtfulness. Their strength lies within the screenplay, wherein she successfully captures every aspect of Gen-Z culture within Ben's new surroundings, which are openly diverse and queer. Even the dialogue and needle drops are so Gen-Z but never come across as pandering. It’s very authentic. Above all, it'll save a lot of queer southern youths, and I hope Lionsgate, which should be distributing it, releases it theatrically sometime this year.
2) Friendship (May 9)
Tim Robinson movie star era, let’s go! Imagine I Love You Man if it were an episode of I Think You Should Leave, which is funny considering that writer/director Andrew DeYoung never helmed an I Think You Should Leave episode. But he did direct episodes of other absurdist comedic gems (Miracle Workers, The Other Two, Pen15). Either way, this dark indie A24-acquired comedy follows an everyday family man, Craig (Tim Robinson) who becomes obsessed with his new next-door neighbor Austin (Paul Rudd) and goes to extreme lengths to secure his friendship. Because the lead is Tim Robinson, you know every effort will be crazier than the last and leave you in stitches. It's delightful to see silly man Paul Rudd play the "even he was weirded tf out" role. Their dynamic is just so damn funny. Also, you get to see Kate Mara, who plays Craig's wife, Tami, in a comedic role and she's hilarious. If you are an ITYSL fan, this should 100% be on your radar.
3) Gazer (April 4)
Ryan J. Sloan's debut Gazer is a micro-budget indie that captures the style and aura of a ‘70s noir with a ‘90s mumblecore flair. Filmed over 2 to 3 years, this Jersey-set thriller follows a young widow and mother Frankie (Ariella Mastroianni) with Dyschronometria trying to scrape up the money to reunite with her daughter, who is staying with her mom-in-law. One night, she witnesses a woman being attacked. Eventually, that woman she saw finds Frankie at a support group meeting and offers her a proposition: $3K for a breaking-and-entering job at her brother's apartment. But things go wrong, and she becomes involved in a criminal plot. The film delivers solid thrills and chills, bolstered by the grittiness of Jersey and its 16mm photography. The film moves into experimental psychological horror areas, for better or worse, but its sense of unease wavers throughout. It's a great example of how to get a lot done with what you've got, and I hope it inspires other filmmakers.
4) The Life of Chuck (June 6)
This TIFF People’s Choice 2024 winner made me bawl and set the precedent for the weirdest awards season considering that it didn’t even have a buyer, and when NEON snatched it, they made sure it was a 2025 release. Mike Flanagan has cemented himself as a new master of horror. The Life of Chuck sees the filmmaker swapping hats for a sincere, life-affirming exploration of what it means to be human and experience joy in the form of an anthology set. Based on Stephen King’s short story, Flanagan goes beyond the material and imposes a surrealist, existential, ghastly, and joyful celebration of life and the people around us. I can best describe it as a Curious Case of Benjamin Button if it went like a Spike Jonze flick, under an anthology lens. It’s one of those movies that evokes a sense of appreciation for movies and inspires one to strive for excellence in their daily lives. I can only imagine the bloody fight the folks at NEON had to do to purchase it. Worth it, though. It's a special film and I can't wait to see it again.
5) On Becoming a Guinea Fowl (March 7)
On Becoming a Guinea Fowl was the first movie I saw at last year's TIFF and one of the heaviest dramas that left me in an existential daze. In particular, I would like to discuss Zambian customs commemorating the worst men ever. Set in Zambia, you have Shula (Susan Chardy) who finds her uncle Fred dead in the middle of the road. She informs her cousin Nsansa (Elizabeth Chisela), who tells the rest of the family. A traditional funeral for him ensues, wherein aunties gather to celebrate and mourn him. But Shula and Nsansa harbor disturbing secrets about Uncle Fred, and the more you learn about him, the more you hope he lands within the pits of Hell. It crafts a rich deconstruction of Zambian culture and the disturbing aspects of the family when put under a magnifying glass. Some haunting scenes have been stuck in my head for months. It’s incredible and infuriating in all the right ways. This is a film you don't want to miss.
6) Jane Austen Wrecked My Life (TBD)
Laura Piani's directorial effort Jane Austen Wrecked My Life would go nicely with a warm brunch on a nice wintry day or a double feature with Bridget Jones’s Diary, especially considering it has a major Hugh Grant lookalike in a rather Mr. Darcy role. The film is about Agathe (Camille Rutherford), a single, depressed writer whose best friend Felix (Pablo Pauly) hooks her up with a writing retreat at the Jane Austen house. Before they depart, they make tf out. Yet, when she gets to the retreat, she has an enemy-to-lovers series of meet-cutes with Oliver (Charlie Anson), a descendant of Austen. While participating in the residency, Agathe soon finds herself wrestling with her imposter syndrome and rekindling her passion for writing, sometimes with Oliver’s encouragement. It has the sense and sensibility (hehe) of the titular author’s novels – with a hint of Richard Curtis-styled writing. It's light, it’s fluffy, it's romantic, it's funny, and a touch of raunchy. It’s also a perfect 90-minuter. Rom-com enthusiasts, this one's for you.
7) Hell of a Summer (April 18)
Billy Bryk and Finn Wolfhard are directors now, and their first feature is a delightful yet gory horror-comedy about camp counselors trying to survive the night when a killer is on the loose. Think Friday the 13th with a classic Scooby-Doo cartoonish edge to it. It poses as a love letter to classic slashers, with its own heart and soul. Although not every joke is successful, the ensemble exhibits remarkable charm, particularly Fred Hechinger, who leads the film as the golly-gee counselor who just wants to have fun. Funny enough, I saw this film in 2023 when it premiered at TIFF and thought, “This Fred Hechinger guy is charming.” Next thing you know, he appeared in every fourth 2024 movie. His agent is doing God's work.
8) Boys Go to Jupiter (TBD)
Listen, I strongly dislike the Tribeca Film Festival. I don't cover Tribeca anymore. The fest has been on a gradual decline for the past decade, and now it's the festival where indie movies go to die. However, there was one Tribeca film that I did see and that delighted me, which was Julian Glander's debut feature, an indie animated comedy called Boys Go to Jupiter. His work has been on my radar since that Summer Camp Island episode “Sea Bunnies.” His geometrical 3D style made via Blender boasts an insane kaleidoscope of color with a surrealist undertone. That signature style is in full force here. It's an Uber-Floridian mystical tale about a hustling teenager who tries to snag $5,000 so he can move, but things get weird when he meets an alien he calls Donut. That's just the jumping-off point. It has the hallmarks of a slacker comedy within its humor, for it's so laid-back and chill, reliant on wide shots to amplify the mundanity of its suburban Floridian environment. Think of that early 2000s Adult Swim energy and the humanistic heart of The Midnight Gospel. Also, the voice cast includes a bunch of indie artists who I adore like Elsie Fisher, Sarah Sherman, Eva Victor, Julio Torres, Chris Fleming, Miya Folick, Janeane Garofalo, and Mr. Letterboxd himself, Demi Adejuyigbe. Whoever is fortunate enough to acquire this will have a real gem, if not a new-age animated cult classic, on their hands. Also, the film's a musical, and the music is pretty friggin' good. I need to hear "Tastes Like Heaven" on Spotify immediately. Julian, please send me the files!
9) Pavements (TBD)
Hey, are you tired of the average movie biopic? Well, so is Alex Ross Perry. Instead, he produced an experimental film about the 1990s slacker band Pavements, which I had never heard of before. It’s a hybrid of documentary and a shitpost middle finger to the Hollywood system that produces biopics. The film documents Pavements’ entire career via archival footage until their breakup while documenting the production of three Pavements-centric projects. The first is a stage musical, the second is a museum, and the third is a biopic starring Joe Keery as frontman Stephen Malkmus. You can only imagine the meta-insanity that ensues. The Range Life (the biopic) stuff is sublime as Keery plays a fictionalized version of himself, going to extreme lengths to capture Malkmus' energy for his performance. It's a grand ol' fuck you to the Hollywood establishment while acting as a loving tribute to Pavements. I'm curious if Perry saw A Complete Unknown and I want to know his thoughts for the hell of it.
10) The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie (Feb 28)
The Looney Tunes have been around for nearly 100 years and I can’t believe it took WB this long to make a fully 2D-animated movie starring some of its most beloved characters. Here’s the kicker: The film isn’t even distributed by them. Isn’t that an inane joke? Whatever. This first Looney Tunes movie follows Daffy Duck (Eric Bauza) and Porky Pig (Eric Bauza) as factory workers for a bubble gum company. Subsequently Daffy learns that the people of earth are turning into monstrous gum-affected zombies and with the help of their co-worker/Porky’s love interest Petunia Pig (Candi Milo), they must suit up and save the world. The film looks spectacular with the expressive storyboarding and in-betweening, painted backgrounds, resulting in a gorgeous animated feature that transports you back to the ‘90s, which was the heyday of 2D feature animation. It’s also insanely funny and surprisingly heartfelt.This extensive bunch of artists poured their souls into revitalizing Daffy Duck and Porky Pig under a medium they never carried on their own until now and the final film is both a celebration of Looney Tunes and a straightforward, side-splittingly funny comedy that we haven’t seen done this well since, say the first Spongebob Movie or The Emperor’s New Groove.
