The conclusion of the year brings with it many critic’s best and worst lists and the Sounds of Cinema year end wrap up is forthcoming. For now, here are some films of 2025 that may have flown under the radar but deserve your attention.
100 Nights of Hero
Set in a fairytale world, the prince propositions his friend to seduce the princess, thereby creating cause for a divorce. The princess’ attendant tries to foil the plot by telling stories. Julia Jackson’s feature film directorial debut was an impressive and politically-inflected feminist fantasy. Read the full review.
Dead of Winter
A widow attempts to save a young woman who has been kidnapped. Dead of Winter is a thriller that balances efficient storytelling with complex characterization. It’s smart and keeps up the tension while allowing for some emotional gravitas. Emma Thompson is great in the lead role but Judy Greer is ferocious and frightening as one of the kidnappers. Read the full review.
Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight
Alexandra Fuller’s memoir was adapted into an exceptional historical drama. In 1980 Zimbabwe Rhodesia, a family of white British farmers await the outcome of the election following the end of that country’s civil war. The picture recaptures a historical moment from a specific point of view in a way that suggests larger and challenging questions about identity, home, and power. Read the full review.
Dust Bunny
An eight-year-old girl believes that a monster lives in the floorboards of her apartment and has eaten her parents. She hires the neighbor, a hitman, to kill the monster. The feature film directorial debut of television producer Bryan Fuller, Dust Bunny is stylish and entertaining. It’s not a great movie but it is gleefully weird with some great imagery. It wasn’t marketed very well (that title was regrettable) and didn’t play in theaters very long but Dust Bunny could become a cult favorite. Read the full review.
Freaky Tales
Directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, Freaky Tales is an anthology film set in 1987 Oakland, California in which the lives of an alternative punk community, a neo-Nazi group, a debt collector, and a professional basketball player intersect over the course of a day. This is popcorn entertainment with a political edge. Read the full review.
Magazine Dreams
Magazine Dreams stars Jonathan Majors as an up-and-coming body builder who is consumed by his commitment to the sport. Majors was the film’s greatest asset and its biggest liability. He gives a great performance but Majors’ personal problems and bad press derailed this movie and maybe his career. Nevertheless, Magazine Dreams is an extraordinary movie and Majors is exceptional in it.
My Dead Friend Zoe
An Afghanistan war veteran is haunted by the memory of her deceased friend. She visits her grandfather who is in the early stages of dementia. My Dead Friend Zoe has a trio of great performances by Sonequa Martin-Green , Natalie Morales, and Ed Harris. It’s deeply empathetic and deals with heavy subject matter but the filmmakers approach the material with a sense of humor. Read the full review.
Nuremberg
This dramatization of the Nazi war crime trial was positioned for awards season consideration. That may not have worked out but this is a well made movie that deserved more attention than it got. Russell Crowe was particularly impressive as Reichsminister Hermann Göring. Read the full review.
The History of Sound
Set in the early twentieth century, Lionel and David cross the country documenting folk songs. Their relationship turns romantic and years after they go their separate ways Lionel searches for David. Although it owes a lot to Brokeback Mountain, there is a lot to admire in The History of Sound especially the lead performances by Paul Mescal and Josh O’Connor. Read the full review.
Queens of the Dead
In her feature film directorial debut, Tina Romero (daughter of George A. Romero), channeled her father’s legacy into a fun zombie romp. It’s more funny than scary but Queens of the Dead demonstrated the interest in character and politics that distinguished George Romero’s films while articulating a voice and perspective of its own. Read the full review.
Rental Family
A struggling American actor living in Japan is hired by a company that provides performers for real life situations. He gets involved in the client’s lives, blending his professional and private identities. Rental Family is beautifully made and Brendan Fraser is terrific in the lead role. The movie is a thoughtful dramatization of power of imagination but also the limits of art and fantasy. Read the full review.
Silent Night, Deadly Night
The original Silent Night, Deadly Night was one of the most controversial horror films of the 1980s. The remake made not have gone as hard as its predecessor but it was a much better movie. Re-imagining the premise as a bloody love story, 2025’s Silent Night, Deadly Night mixed psychological horror with dark humor to be one of the better horror remakes of recent years. Read the full review.
Sisu: Road to Revenge
This sequel to the 2023 film sees Finnish military veteran Aatami Korpi pursued by the ruthless Soviet commander who killed his family. The best action movie of 2025, Road to Revenge is comparable to the better Mad Max films but it is distinguished by Jorma Tommila’s savage but soulful performance. Read the full review.
Sorry, Baby
Written, directed, and starring Eva Victor, Sorry, Baby is about a graduate student who has become an English professor at her alma mater following an assault by her thesis advisor. Sorry, Baby deals with difficult subject matter in a way that’s both empathetic and funny. Read the full review.
The Surfer
In the past few years, Nicolas Cage has turned out some career-best performances. The Surfer has Cage playing an American who returns to the Australian beach where he grew up. He finds the beach is controlled by an aggressive group of surfers who will not tolerate outsiders. The Surfer is a trippy exercise is paranoia and a relevant interrogation of masculinity. Read the full review.
Violent Ends
Set in the Ozarks, a junior member of a crime family seeks revenge when his fiancé is murdered in a robbery. Violent Ends is well crafted and has some good performances especially by Billy Magnussen in the lead role and James Badge Dale as the chief villain. It’s a well made revenge thriller but Violent Ends also possesses a pathos appeal that elevates the material. Read the full review.