Take a look at the upcoming 2025 movies that already have us at the edge of our seats.
As the first quarter of 2025 draws to a close, the world of cinema still has plenty in store. We’ve rounded up 10 of the year’s most anticipated films, so you can start planning your theater visits.
READ ALSO: 6 Must-Watch Films Directed By Women
The Materialists
Director Celine Song follows up the success of her directorial debut Past Lives (2023) with another complicated love triangle in the upcoming The Materialists. The premise is tantalizing: a successful New York City matchmaker (Dakota Johnson) finds herself torn between the perfect match—a wealthy man played by Pedro Pascal—and her imperfect ex, played by Chris Evans.
There’s always more room for a well-done romance; and if the aching longing and complex relationships in Past Lives are any indication, these characters are in good hands with Song. On a less serious note, the director certainly knew what she was doing when she cast internet heartthrobs Pascal and Evans to star in a movie with the effervescent Johnson—that in itself is a match made in heaven.
The Wedding Banquet
The Wedding Banquet (2025) is director Andrew Ahn’s loose reimagining of the 1993 Ang Lee movie of the same name. Lee’s film, one of his earliest, is an earnest, queer romantic-comedy brimming with heart—and a trailblazer in its own right, released at a time when fun LGBTQ+ rom-coms weren’t common (2004’s Saving Face by Alice Wu would be its sapphic, spiritual successor).
In the 1993 film, Wai-Tung, a Taiwanese gay man, and his American partner Simon stage the former’s fake marriage with Wei-Wei, a Chinese artist who’s struggling to make ends meet, in a convoluted attempt to get Wai-Tung’s parents off his back.
The 2025 film makes a few changes to the story, this time centering on two queer couples: Chris (Bowen Yang) and Min (Han Gi-Chan), and Lee (Kelly Marie Tran) and Angela (Lily Gladstone). Wanting to stay in the United States with his partner Chris, the wealthy Min proposes a marriage of convenience with their friend Lee—offering to pay for her IVF treatment so she can finally be a mother with her partner Angela. The only catch? Min’s grandmother (played by the fiery, singular Youn Yuh-jung) gets wind of the union and visits to mount an extravagant, traditional Korean wedding. Joan Chen, who audiences fell in love with in Saving Face, once again plays the role of a mother to a lesbian Asian daughter—and we’re all for it.
Some might think Ahn’s movie has big shoes to fill, but viewers should see it as a unique work in its own right that revisits and redefines the relevant themes of the classic 1993 film within the context of today’s modern queer community.
The Life of Chuck
The trailer of The Life of Chuck was recently released, and while not much else has been revealed about the film, its impeccably-edited and alluringly sparse preview leaves you intrigued. And there’s high hopes that it’ll be one of this year’s more memorable films, since the movie bagged the People’s Choice Award at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival.
This isn’t surprising with director Mike Flanagan at the helm—known for his exceptional Netflix horror series The Haunting of Hill House, The Haunting of Bly Manor, Midnight Mass, and The Fall of the House of Usher. Flanagan has a knack for blending the poignancy of the human experience with the supernatural.
The filmmaker has also made a name for himself with reimaginings and adaptations of works by some of the biggest names in horror, including Shirley Jackson, Edgar Allan Poe, and Stephen King. The Life of Chuck, is based on Stephen King’s eponymous novella, which recounts the life of a seemingly ordinary accountant (played by Tom Hiddleston)—and begins at the end of the world. Though the premise may seem bleak, the story is actually a hopeful, life-affirming one and stands among King’s non-horror works. The trailer even highlights that King is also the visionary behind The Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile, marking Flanagan’s own departure from the macabre.
The Woman in the Yard
Moving into horror territory, we also have The Woman in the Yard, directed by Jaume Collet-Serra. The trailer has made waves, garnering over five million views on YouTube since its release—mainly due to its fresh and frightening concept: a ghost in broad daylight.
It shatters the notion that things only “go bump in the night,” heightening the fear factor by presenting a threat just as menacing in broad daylight. Widow Ramona (Danielle Deadwyler) is struggling to raise her two children, Tay (Peyton Jackson) and Annie (Estella Kahiha), in the wake of her husband’s death. To make matters worse, an unexpected visitor arrives, threatening her family.
Who wouldn’t be scared when an otherwordly woman clad and veiled in black shows up in front of your isolated, rural country home to say “Today’s the daaayy” with an applaudably eerie delivery (thanks to actress Okwui Okpokwasili), before inching closer and closer into your private living space? Yikes.
Some early reviews are in, with many critics praising its ambitious premise yet criticizing some lost potential to carry it further. Still, fans of horror are eager to witness the spectacle themselves—hopefully it’ll at least offer some entertaining spooks.
Frankenstein
Netflix has been pretty tight-lipped about its upcoming adaptation of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, directed by the inimitable Guillermo del Toro, and slated for release later in 2025. Still, there’s a lot to look forward to when del Toro has proven time and time again that he’s capable of digging into the beautiful, philosophical, and existential aspects that lie beneath even the darkest, most grotesque tales.
Shelley’s source material is already rife with depth and commentary about the human condition, so the upcoming feature promises to be a thrilling ride. A powerhouse cast composed of Jacob Elordi (who’ll be playing the story’s man-made Creature), and Oscar Isaac (taking the role of the titular mad genius Victor Frankenstein), and Mia Goth (playing Frankenstein’s wife, Elizabeth) also gives audiences reason to be excited.
One Battle After Another
American auteur Paul Thomas Anderson makes his long-awaited return to the big screen after a three-year hiatus with One Battle After Another, a road film headlined by Leonardo DiCaprio. Warner Bros. Pictures is betting big on the black comedy, backing Anderson with a career-high production budget of $115 million.
Described by IMDb as “the tale of a group of ex-revolutionaries who reunite to rescue one of their daughters,” the film remains shrouded in mystery, but anticipation is high—bolstered by an ensemble that includes Sean Penn, Benicio Del Toro, Alana Haim, and Regina King alongside DiCaprio.
Marty Supreme
Fresh off the success—and Oscar nomination—of A Complete Unknown, Timothée Chalamet will next be seen in Josh Safdie’s Marty Supreme, A24’s prime awards contender for next season. Reportedly the studio’s most expensive production to date, the film transports audiences to the 1950s, following the globetrotting adventure of the titular character, a charismatic table tennis player loosely inspired by Marty Reisman.
Early word describes Marty Supreme as a stylistic blend of Catch Me If You Can (2002) and The Wolf of Wall Street (2013), promising a thrilling mix of charm and high stakes adventure. Chalamet stars alongside Academy Award-winner Gwyneth Paltrow in what is already shaping up to be one of the year’s most intriguing releases.
Bugonia
The acclaimed creative partnership between Oscar-winning actress Emma Stone and visionary Greek director Yorgos Lanthimos continues with Bugonia, a sci-fi comedy that perfectly aligns with Lanthimos’s eccentric sensibilities. It follows two conspiracy theorists who abduct a powerful CEO—played by Stone—under the delusion that she is an alien.
Reuniting after their collaborations on The Favourite (2018), Kinds of Kindness (2024), and Stone’s award-winning turn in Poor Things (2023), the duo’s latest promises to be another cinematic delight for those who have cherished their work from the last seven years. Bugonia is based on the cult South Korean film Save the Green Planet!, released in 2003.
After the Hunt
The names Julia Roberts and Luca Guadagnino appearing together wasn’t on our 2025 bingo card, but to the delight of cinephiles around the world, it’s actually happening. Guadagnino, known for his sensual films about youth and desire, is venturing into a new genre—a thriller.
In the lead role, Julia Roberts plays a college professor whose life is turned upside down when one of her students (Ayo Edebiri) reveals a shocking secret about a fellow teacher. Word on the street is that the script is marvelous, and early screenings suggest that this might just be Roberts’s finest performance to date.
Michael
A Michael Jackson biopic was always going to be divisive, especially given that it’s being made in collaboration with the late singer’s estate. The film has already sparked controversy over its content, with fans defending the King of Pop while detractors refuse to let the world forget the allegations against him.
Still, we remain intrigued. Whether or not Michael does justice to the story—giving nuance to such a complicated individual—it’s sure to be a cultural event. The production also boasts an impressive list of acclaimed talent, including Oscar-winning producer Graham King, renowned screenwriter John Logan, and award-winning cinematographer Dion Beebe.
Early screenings have praised Jaafar Jackson’s uncanny performance in the titular role, with many saying the singer’s nephew has completely disappeared into the part. Good or not, we’ll be seated.
