Most Anticipated Movie Titles of 2025: Part II
90 FILMS TO WATCH FOR IN 2025
Part Two
DIRECTOR: Oz Perkins (Longlegs, The Blackcoat's Daughter) - CAST: Tatiana Maslany and Rossif Sutherland.
- Just one of two films coming out this year from Oz Perkins, the indie horror auteur who had a huge breakthrough last year with Longlegs (which became his most commercially successful film to date after raking in a whopping $127 million at the box office on a budget for less than $10 million), Keeper stars Tatiana Maslany and Rossif Sutherland as a couple whose idyllic getaway to a remote cabin turns into a full-blown nightmare after they make contact with a malevolent force. Even though Longlegs fell a little short of the expectations I had for it, there is no doubt that Perkins has shown tremendous promise as a filmmaker in the horror genre. I really believe that Longlegs was just a warmup, and he's about to hit a major stride even more so this year with the two films he has coming out. Neon seems to have decided that they want to continue working with Perkins for the foreseeable future after the success they had with his last feature and have gotten behind both of his upcoming films for this year, and hopefully they've devised a promotional marketing strategy that's just as genius and compelling as the one they implemented for Longlegs last year!
RELEASE: October 3.
DIRECTOR: Mamoru Hosada (Belle, Wolf Children)
- Since releasing critically and commercially successful hits such as Wolf Children, Mirai, and Belle, director Mamoru Hosada has cemented his Japanese anime studio, Studio Chizu, as the most likely successor and alternative to Studio Ghibli. And although Hayao Miyazaki seems to be (once again) un-retired and continues to show interest in telling more stories until he literally can't anymore, it's still reassuring to know that there are talented animated storytellers who will continue to build on the legacy that Japan has established through the medium. Not much is known about Scarlet at this time, other than is centers on a princess who is able to transcend time and space and that Hosada plans to release the film sometime this year. One thing is for sure though: If his next feature is anything like his previous offerings, we should all be very excited!
RELEASE: Winter 2025.
- Bart Layton's gift for crafting gripping thrillers is transcendental. After implementing this skill with analytical precision in his documentary, The Imposter (2012), and then again in his sophomore true crime thriller, American Animals (2018), Layton has shown a real knack in the genre which he imbues with sharp intelligence and chilling atmosphere. His next film is an adaptation of Don Winslow's novella, Crime 101, about a detective (Mark Ruffalo) tracking a jewel thief (Chris Hemsworth) who appears to be adhering to the "Crime 101" rules- a strict set of guidelines for executing the perfect heist. It's been over five years since American Animals (a very good film by the way) and I'm so glad to finally see Layton with another film on the way, especially one with such a stacked cast!
57. THE IMMORTAL MAN
DIRECTOR: Tom Harper (Wild Rose, The Aeronauts) - CAST: Cillian Murphy, Rebecca Ferguson, Tim Roth, Stephen Graham, Sophie Rundle, Ned Dennehy, Packy Lee, Ian Peck, Jay Lycurgo, and Barry Keoghan.
- It's not often that a successful television series makes a return in the form of a full-length feature film, and even rarer is when the film manages to replicate the quality of the show and unique experience that inspired audiences at home to make a weekly ritual of returning to its world every time that a new episode aired. Peaky Blinders is a prime example of what many would consider as an "event television series," a full-blown pop culture phenomenon that brilliantly highlights the strengths of television storytelling and has created a lasting legacy with audiences around the world (especially in the UK.) The possibility of a Peaky Blinders movie has been discussed for a few years now, with series creator, Steven Knight, tantalizing fans with regular updates about how the script for the feature film was coming along, and last fall the project finally went into production. Cillian Murphy, who has expressed on multiple occasions that he would only return as the series' lead character (Tommy Shelby) if the story was right and felt justified, will reunite with his other retuning castmates Stephen Graham, Sophie Rundle, Ned Dennehy, Packy Lee, and Ian Peck for the upcoming movie, with Rebecca Ferguson, Tim Roth, and Barry Keoghan rounding out the ensemble as new characters. The film also brings back director Tom Harper (of BBC's War & Peace), who helmed three episodes of the series during its initial first season. Peaky Blinders is one of my all-time favorite television series, and I am both madly excited as well as cautiously apprehensive about how the upcoming film will fare, which is titled, The Immortal Man (a likely reference to the multiple times Shelby has cheated death during the show's six-season run.) I really hope that Steven Knight is able to deliver something truly worthwhile to the fans, who recently divulged some details about the upcoming film and has promised that we're in for a "wild" and "deeply emotional" movie.
RELEASE: TBA.
- Last year, I was just beginning to think that we were due for another film from Derek Cianfrance (the Sundance breakout behind Blue Valentine), and sure enough, as soon as fall rolled around, it was revealed that he had gone into production on a new film, his first in five years since The Sound of Metal premiered at TIFF. The director is set to debut his new film, Roofman, this fall, which tells the true story of Jeffrey Manchester (played in the movie by Channing Tatum), the infamous "rooftop robber" who evaded capture from the police by hiding out in a Toy "R" Us department store. Cianfrance is known for his ability to elevate melodrama by instilling a grounded authenticity to his stories and compelling pathos in his characters, which is only further heightened by consistently strong camerawork and the incredible performances he gets out of his cast. Roofman's crime-drama framework is a perfect fit for the director, especially given the fact that he's already delivered a compelling drama that involved a robber in The Place Beyond the Pines, and I'm sure we'll also see some career-best work from Tatum as well, who (for years it seems) has been trying to land the right role that will get us to take him more seriously as an actor (perhaps this is finally it.) The rest of the cast stacks up really nicely too! Definitely one to keep an eye on during next awards season.
RELEASE: October 3.
RELEASE: Trey Edward Shults (Krisha, It Comes at Night) - CAST: Abel Tesfaye aka the Weeknd, Jenna Ortega, Barry Keoghan, and Gabby Barrett.
- After delivering one of the best and most economical debuts of the last decade with Krisha, Trey Edward Shultz quickly rose to fame as one of the most exciting new directors to emerge in the 2010s. The Texan auteur, who once even interned for Terrence Malick, has since come out with two films, It Comes at Night and Waves, both of which were released through A24 to critical acclaim. His next movie is not produced by the indie studio (although it is rumored that he has a separate project brewing over with them, which may have already wrapped production) and will instead be released through Lionsgate, which recently acquired it after it had been sitting in limbo for a while waiting for a distributor. If that sounds at all like a red flag: trust me, I share those concerns as well. However, the movie's May release shows at least some confidence on the part of Lionsgate in that they would choose this film to basically help kick off the summer movie season, so I'm really hoping for the best here. The pairing of Schults and the Weeknd, who is both a star, producer and writer on the film, is as interesting as it is concerning (if you've seen The Idol, then you may have some idea of what I mean by the latter part of that comment), but it's the rumored premise that has me the most intrigued. Based on an idea by the international popstar that also drew inspiration from his own life, Hurry Up Tomorrow is allegedly about a singer (the Weeknd) who loses his voice and gets himself inadvertently kidnapped by a deranged and obsessed fan (Jenna Ortega.) If the premise sounds familiarly like Stephen King's Misery, that may be precisely the point, but it's also for this very reason- as well as the fact that this film is intended to be a companion piece to the musical artist's upcoming album of the same name- why Hurry Up Tomorrow sounds like one of the more exciting and interesting projects coming out this year (at least conceptually.)
RELEASE: May 16.
- Edgar Wright's singular approach to genre filmmaking, from the kinetic way he blocks action to the genius needle drops he deploys at just the right moments, hardly ever misses a beat. His last film, Last Night in Soho (notwithstanding), may have been a big disappointment, but Wright has been taking his time evaluating his next project with hopes that we'll soon be reminded why he's still one of the best in the business (and if I'm being honest, I'm still riding the high of Baby Driver nearly a decade later.) His next project is a dream come true for him, as well as a match made in heaven for his filmmaking style and aesthetic, which has him adapting Stephen King's dystopian thriller novel, The Running Man. Wright has one of the hottest stars in Hollywood right now (Glen Powell) in the lead as Ben Richards, a man who participates in a reality show in which contestants win money by avoiding teams of murderous hitmen as they're chased around the world. The book has been adapted once already in 1987 with Arnold Schwarzenegger, but to mostly disappointed and mixed reviews, which I think is mainly to do with the movie's lack of inventiveness in its action scenes. I can tell you right now that this will not be a problem for Wright, and on an additional note, the director has stated that his adaptation will be a lot more faithful to the book, which was another minor criticism I had with the last film. There's been a surge of Stephen King adaptations in both film and television over the last 10 years (something I'm not mad about at all) and I'm very excited to see Wright's approach to the iconic writer's work.
RELEASE: November 7.
53. Untitled Jeanine Basinger Documentary
DIRECTOR: Alexander Payne (The Holdovers, Sideways)
- As Alexander Payne begins prepping for his upcoming western that he hopes to begin shooting before the end of the year, which (if greenlit) would reunite the director with Paul Giamatti and his Holdovers scribe, David Hemingson, the director has also simultaneously been working on a documentary concerning a certain figure in film that he really wants the rest of the word to know about. Her name in Jeanine Basinger. She is a film historian who was the Corwin-Fuller professor of film studies at Wesleyan University, where she was also the founder and curator of the university's cinematic archives, and she is considered as one of the most important film scholars alive today! Thanks to her tremendous work, the university's film program has actually become quite prominent and is regarded rather highly, having even been cited in major publications such as Vanity Fair and Variety. Payne is clearly a very enthusiastic fan of Basinger and harbors a great deal admiration and respect for her, as he recently helped honor her at the TCM Classic Film Festival in Hollywood where she was bestowed with the fest's Robert Osborne Award. My own personal knowledge of Basinger is very vague (her name has been mentioned and referenced in a few conversations I've had, primarily with a film historian/professor I'm friends with), but I know enough about her that I'm intrigued by the premise of Payne's documentary, and I'm really looking forward to getting to know more about her and the legacy she has built through his film.
RELEASE: TBA.
52. Testa o Croce? (Heads or Tails?)
DIRECTORS: Alessio Rigo de Righi & Matteo Zoppis (The Tale of King Crab) - CAST: John C. Reilly, Nadia Tereszkiewicz, Alessandro Borghi, Peter Lanzani, Mirko Artuso, Gabriele Silli, and Gianni Garko.
- Every now and then, there comes a very obscure film from an inconspicuous director- usually featuring a cast of mostly unknown actors with very limited distribution and a modest budget- and you just know in your gut that it's only a matter of time before this storyteller breaks out in a major way with one of their future films. I knew next to nothing going into my screening of The Tale of King Crab, an epic odyssey in the vein of Werner Herzog that makes movie magic out of its indie budget and which I was able to catch at my local art house cinema, but I was left absolutely mesmerized by the entire experience. Directed by Italian-born duo, Alessio Rigo de Righi and Matteo Zoppis, the film made a splash on the international film circuit when it debuted at Cannes' Directors' Fortnight program, where it was received with positive acclaim from critics. I predict they'll return to The Croisette again this year with their latest feature, Heads or Tails?, a historical drama inspired by true events that recounts Buffalo Bill's ambitious endeavor to bring his "Wild West" show to the Italian public during its infamous European tour. Hopefully, the two directors are able to gain more traction with their next film, but I imagine having a household name like John C. Reilly, who headlines the cast as Buffalo Bill, will help give them a useful advantage in finding a wider audience.
RELEASE: TBA.
- As I mentioned in one of my earlier entries, Oz Perkins has TWO films coming out this year. The most well-known of these (at least at this moment) is The Monkey, an adaptation of the Stephen King short story that was first published in 1980. The story revolves around twin brothers, Hal and Bill (played as boys by Christian Convery and then as adults by Theo James), whose discovery of a cursed toy monkey in their attic results in a string of brutal deaths. Years later as adults and after the brothers have gone their separate ways, the horror resurfaces leaving a new trail of bodies in its wake, forcing them to reunite and reconcile if they're to destroy the evil object once and for all. King's hauntingly brilliant source material should provide palpable thrills and terrifying scares in Perkins' very capable hands, and the story's compelling themes around guilt and the inextricable relationship between past and present should bode well for a director who's shown to have more on his mind in his films than just cheap scares and bloody violence. King certainly seemed to imply as much after he recently attended an advance screening of the film, calling it "batshit insane" and "unlike anything he's ever seen!"
RELEASE: February 21.
DIRECTOR: Gareth Edwards (Monsters, Godzilla) - CAST: Scarlett Johansson, Jonathan Bailey, Mahershala Ali, Rupert Friend, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, Luna Blaise, David Iacono, and Ed Skrein.
- I make a regular habit of scoffing at all the blockbuster sequels, prequels, and spinoffs that today's big studios seem to have built there entire business model around and that I feel epitomize the lazy and creatively devoid depths they're willing to sink to score some easy cash at the box office, but every once in a while, there's one that genuinely catches my interest, and 2025 actually has few that look like they could be promising. One such potential blockbuster is Jurassic World Rebirth, the newest entry in the Jurassic Park franchise and the latest offering from director, Gareth Edwards (whose solid credentials helming Godzilla and Rogue One already make him one of the most qualified and reliable choices Universal could've found to excavate new life from the dirt and fossils of a franchise that probably should've stayed extinct about two movies ago.) Not only is Rebirth blissfully free of Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard (whose characters I never found myself caring much for), introducing a host of new characters in the process played by Scarlett Johansson, Jonathan Bailey, and Mahershala Ali (yes, yes, and yes), it was also penned by original Jurassic Park scribe, David Koepp, returning to the series for the first time since The Lost World: Jurassic Park. The new sequel takes place five years after the events of Jurassic World Dominion, when most of the escaped dinosaurs have died off after failing to acclimate to the environment of a modern Earth, following an undercover team of operatives on a scientific mission to extract some dino DNA for a medical research project. Very intriguing premise and not what I would have expected (which is of course very refreshing), and Koepp's involvement is exciting, especially after a recent interview where he disclosed that his focus when writing the new script was to bring the franchise back to its roots by making it a brainy sci-fi adventure centered around "missions and containment' while restoring the vibe and feel of the original film. Perhaps life really does find a way after all.
RELEASE: July 2.
49. Huntington
DIRECTOR: John Patton Ford (Emily the Criminal) - CAST: Glen Powell, Margaret Qualley, Ed Harris, Jessica Henwick, Zach Woods, Topher Grace, Raff Law, and Bill Camp.
- John Patton Ford had one of the strongest directorial debuts of the last decade with Emily the Criminal, an airtight and compulsively watchable crime thriller that centers itself around compelling issues of class politics. His upcoming sophomore feature, Huntington, finds the writer/director returning to this subject with a stellar cast headlined by Glen Powell. Ford's script, which initially surfaced over a decade ago when it made the 2014 "Black List" and was at one point set to be directed by Jon S. Baird, is a modern-set, loose adaptation of Robert Hamer and John Dighton's classic British film, Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949). After Baird's film fell through, Ford took back control of the script and decided to direct it himself. The story follows the son of wealthy aristocrat (Powell) whose mother was unfairly disinherited from the family. Years after her death, he hatches a murderous plot to eliminate the rest of the relatives and position himself as the successor to the family's wealthy inheritance. It will be a challenge to measure up to the original film directed by Hamer, but I'm very confident Ford will be able to meet it. He's a very exciting filmmaker that has more than a few tricks up his sleeve.
RELEASE: TBA.
48. ONSLAUGHT
DIRECTOR: Adam Wingard (You’re Next, The Guest) - CAST: Adria Arjona, Dan Stevens, Alex Pereira, Rebecca Hall, Michael Biehn, and Drew Starkey.
- Just one of many promising directors to have been sucked into studio contracts during the last 10 years, Adam Wingard demonstrated talent early in his career for his handling of genre thrills with action/horror films such as You're Next and The Guest before he was roped into directing the Godzilla vs Kong movies for Warner Bros (which have preoccupied most of his time lately.) But he's taken a break from all that to get back to his indie horror roots and reunited with his longtime collaborator and fellow scribe, Simon Barrett, for their upcoming film, Onslaught. The premise is simple enough, which focuses on a mother living in a trailer park who uses her unique set of skills to defend her friends and loved ones from a dangerous threat that escapes a nearby military base while contracted mercenaries attempt to contain it, but if you know anything about Wingard and Barrett (which I do) then you know it will be so much more. A24 is backing this one, which is exciting given that the studio has built a good deal of its reputation and brand around genre films like this (especially in horror) and are therefore very selective about the projects they greenlight to continue building on that legacy.
47. Árva (Orphan)
DIRECTOR: László Nemes (Son of Saul, Sunset) - CAST: Bojtorján Barabas, Gregory Gadebois, Andrea Waskovics, Marcin Czarnik, and Eliz Szabo.
- Hungarian auteur László Nemes made a huge splash in 2015 when his debut film, Son of Saul, won the Grand Prix at Cannes and was ultimately recognized as one of the most harrowing Holocaust dramas to ever come from a filmmaker, going on to win the Oscar for Best International Film and becoming one of the most decorated debuts in world cinema ever; that it was his first feature length film made it all the more impressive. His sophomore effort, Sunset, was equally ambitious although fell a bit short in its execution when compared to how successful his first film is. He's been MIA for nearly seven years now, but he wrapped production on his upcoming third film, Orphan, after a 10-week shoot last fall, so he should be making a return very soon. Set against the backdrop of Hungary following the 1956 uprising against the communist dictatorship, the story follows the heartbreaking journey of a 12-year-old orphan searching for answers regarding his genealogy. Nemes' attention to historical detail and his unique brand of visceral and cerebral drama are superb, but they wouldn't be brought to life in nearly the same way without the help of his go-to cinematographer, Mátyás Erdély, and sound designer, Tamás Zányi, who both return for the director's latest film in their third collaboration together.
RELEASE: TBA.
46. La Ola (The Wave)
DIRECTOR: Sebastián Lelio (A Fantastic Woman, Gloria) - CAST: Daniela López, Avril Aurora, Lola Bravo, Paulina Cortés, Amparo Noguera, Néstor Cantillana, Enzo Ferrada Rosati, Amalia Kassai, Renata González Spralja, and Florencia Berner.
- One of South America's most acclaimed and influential directors working today, Chilean auteur Sebastián Lelio has built a successful career that has transcended his roots in South American world cinema to high-profile, English-language dramas starring A-list stars such as Julianne Moore, Rachel Weiz, and Florence Pugh. Before the Actors' and Writers' Strikes in 2023, he was supposed to begin production on the Carl Sagan biopic, Voyagers, with Andrew Garfield and Daisy Edgar-Jones, but it has since been put on hold. Luckily, he wasted no time lining up his next project and immediately got to work on The Wave, a Spanish-language musical immersed in the events of "Feminist May"- a series of protests and civil disobedience demonstrations that swept Chile in the spring of 2018 as a response to the widespread abuse and harassment that had surged against women at the time following the #MeToo phenomenon. The movement helped reshape Chilean consciousness around the subject of women's rights and had a reverberating impact around the world. It's wonderful to see Lelio return to the backdrop of Chile with his latest film, and the idea of a political musical is conceptually exciting to say the least, especially given the timeliness of the subject. The fact that the musical sequences are choreographed Ryan Heffington is only the cherry on top, who is known for his award-winning work with Sia and on the hit series, Euphoria.
RELEASE: TBA.
45. Rosebush Pruning
DIRECTOR: Karim Aïnouz (The Invisible Life of Eurídice Gusmão, Firebrand) - CAST: Riley Keough, Callum Turner, Elle Fanning, Jamie Bell, Lukas Gage, Tracy Letts, Elena Anaya, and Pamela Anderson.
- Although he's a veteran in world cinema, Brazilian director Karim Aïnouz finally had his big breakthrough in 2019 when his sumptuous adaptation of The Invisible Life of Eurídice Gusmão took home the top prize in Cannes' Un Certain Regard section. The film received enough acclaim that it got his follow-up feature, Firebrand, into the Competition section when he returned to the festival in 2023, even if the reception ended up being more lukewarm than his previous feature. His next film has him paired with Yorgos Lanthimos' frequent collaborator and fellow scribe, Efthimis Filippou (The Lobster, The Killing of a Sacred Deer), in an adaptation of Marco Bellocchio's classic Italian film, Fists in the Pocket. The original 1965 film is set in a provincial villa and centers around a dysfunctional family, in which most of the members are suffering from different genetic and mental illnesses. Their familial drama takes a sinister turn though when one of siblings hatches a murderous plot to off the rest of his family and inherit the wealthy estate for himself and his new fiancée. Not sure how close Filippou's script hews to Bellocchio's film (which is a masterpiece) but I do think the plot is perfectly fitted to his strengths as a storyteller, and I'm curious to see how he and Aïnouz put their own unique spin on the material with their adaptation.
RELEASE: TBA.
44. A Big Bold Beautiful Journey
DIRECTOR: Kogonada (Columbus, After Yang) - CAST: Margot Robbie, Colin Farrell, Calahan Skogman, Lily Rabe, Jodie Turner-Smith, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Lucy Thomas, Billy Magnussen, Sarah Gadon, and Hamish Linklater.
- I've been a fan of Kogonada (the video essayist-turned-filmmaker) ever since his debut film, Columbus, blew me away and went on to become one of my favorites movies from 2017, and although I thought his sophomore feature, After Yang, may have been slightly undermined by its own grand ambitions, it's still a mostly successful film that solidifies the auteur's strengths behind the camera. It's hard to say at this point what we can expect from his next film, A Big Bold Beautiful Journey, which will mark his first feature where he's directing someone else's material rather than adapting his own. That person would be Seith Reiss, the writer behind 2022's The Menu, which is yet another factor that's given me reason to pause (as my feelings regarding that film are quite mixed.) Furthermore, test screenings have also reportedly been quite mixed as well, so although I'm trying to remain cautiously optimistic, I must admit that I'm still fairly firm in my skepticism. That being said, the cast is certainly spectacular, which is led by Margot Robbie and Collin Farrell as star-crossed lovers whose chance encounter takes them on a fantastical GPS-driven journey that is said to incorporate elements of time travel and magical realism. It certainly sounds like something unique and entirely imaginative, but it also sounds like something that could just as easily deviate into mawkishness at any moment. However, Koganada is very gifted at keeping his stories grounded in real human emotions and feelings, and if anyone could reign the material in and keep it centered its him.
RELEASE: September 19.
- After seven movies and countless takes of performing some of the most ambitious and death-defying stunts to ever be put on film, Tom Cruise may finally be about to retire Ethan Hunt for good with the franchise's eight installment, Mission: Impossible- The Final Reckoning. Opening Memorial Day weekend (the first film in the series to do so since Mission: Impossible II) and just a week before Cruise's 63rd birthday, the movie can't help but already feel like the swan song to Cruise's nearly 30-year legacy as the character, even despite talks that he's said he's still open to reprising his role in the franchise for any future installments. Whether he means in the capacity of a cameo or that he's still interested in leading one of these physically demanding productions, who knows, but what is clear is that it takes a tremendous amount of work to make one of these movies and what Cruise had achieved through them (in addition to what must be an incredible toll on his body) is nothing short of extraordinary. The upcoming film, which serves as the second part of the series' last installment, Dead Reckoning, began production all the way back in March 2022 (which was temporarily halted in 2023 due to the actors' strike) and only wrapped its final stages of filming a few months ago in November, so to call this a labor of love would be an understatement. As far as the plot goes, it basically picks up where Dead Reckoning left off, with Hunt and co. beginning their search for the high-tech Russian submarine after they successfully secured the key to one of its vaulted chambers at the end of the last film. Of course, the trailer (which was released back in November not long after filming had wrapped) teases all kinds of adrenaline-inducing stunts that are sure to blow audiences minds and leave their brains splattered against the wall, and a recent test screening that occurred has basically confirmed as much after one of the audience members allegedly "almost had a heart attack" while watching one of the film's action set pieces. A clever and contrived marketing tool from Paramount or a genuine reaction? I'm honestly not sure it matters either way, but they can take my money opening weekend regardless!
RELEASE: May 23.
- I'm still surprised to this day that Julian Schnabel has only directed three films since The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, which became internationally embraced by critics and audiences alike when it was released in 2007, winning of slew of awards and receiving numerous nominations (including 4 from the Oscars for Best Director, Adapted Screenplay, Cinematography, and Film Editing). The film has ultimately been recognized as one of the best movies of the 21st century, and its popularity and acclaim for how Schnabel successfully balanced his arthouse approach with mainstream accessibility seemed to indicate that the auteur would have no difficulty in attracting interest from bigger studios for his future projects. Alas though, the director's subsequent films, which have all been independently funded, have struggled commercially as well as with financing and distribution. That being said, his next film could be just the big break that he needs to showcase his talents on a wider international stage that could once again transcend into more mainstream appeal. Boasting the starriest cast of any film in his career and based on the eponymous novel by Nick Tosches, In the Hand of Dante finds Oscar Isaac playing a fictionalized version of the author [Tosches] who is asked to authenticate a manuscript of Dante's The Divine Comedy after it is stolen from the Vatican library and eventually lands in the hands of a New York City mob boss. The story jumps between past and present, shifting between its modern-day setting in New York to Italy and Sicily during the 14th century as it traces the creative process of how Dante (also played in the film by Isaac) completed his magnum opus and how his work sends Tosches on his own personal journey of exploration and creation. Schnabel has long been fascinated with the creative process of the artist, and the themes of Tosches' book which are centered around the creation of art and how it is often recreated/reborn through its influences on other artists represents of wealth of ideas for the director to play with and explore.
RELEASE: TBA
- Another sequel I'm really looking forward to (in addition to Jurassic World Rebirth) is the long-awaited third installment in Danny Boyle's apocalyptic zombie series that began with 2002's, 28 Days Later. After handing the directing reins over to Juan Carlos Fresnadillo in 2007 for the sequel, 28 Weeks Later, Danny Boyle returns to the franchise after a whopping 13-year hiatus, directing his first film since 2019's, Yesterday. 28 Years Later is once again penned by Alex Garland and is supposedly the first in a new trilogy of films, taking place nearly three decades after the events of the first film and focusing on a group of survivors who have quarantined themselves on a remote island whose only connection to the mainland is a heavily defended causeway. But when one of the members of the community flees the island on a personal quest that takes them into the dark heart of the mainland, it ignites a series of shocking discoveries about the world they left behind, revealing secrets, wonder, and horror. The first trailer for the movie was released on December 10 and made waves on the internet after it amassed over 10 million views in just 48 hours! Clearly the hype is very real for Boyle's threequel, and after having seen the trailer (which delivers a brilliant and visceral tease of what's to come set to Holmes's spoken word recording of "Boots"), it's easy to see why.
RELEASE: June 20.
40. O Agente Secreto (The Secret Agent)
DIRECTOR: Kleber Mendonça Filho (Bacurau, Aquarius) - CAST: Wagner Moura, Udo Kier, Gabriel Leone, Maria Fernanda Cândido, Hermila Guedes, Alice Carvalho, Thomás Aquino, and Isabél Zuaa.
- If you haven't seen Bacurau yet, Kleber Mendonça Filho's violent, batshit-crazy political satire/spaghetti western (which he co-directed with Juliano Dornelles), then I honestly don't know what you're doing with your life. The Brazilian film, which had its premiere at Cannes in 2019 (where it won the Jury Prize) before it was officially released in 2020, was one of the few cinematic joys I was able to delight in during a year that didn't produce many, and it solidified Mendonça's status as an international filmmaker to watch after his brilliant and powerful second feature, Aquarius. His next film is a political thriller set in Brazil circa 1977 during the final throes of its military dictatorship, with Narcos and Civil War breakout, Wagner Moura, as a father on the run trying to evade capture as he travels across the country with hopes of being reunited with his son. The story is said to blend political intrigue with the Brazilian folklore and legends that felt palpably real for the people during a time when everything felt scary and uncertain. For Mendonça, The Secret Agent is a passion project he's been trying to get made for a very long time, and I'm sure he's crafted an impressive feature that balances his sharp political commentary with strange genre thrills!
RELEASE: TBA.
39. ANN LEE
DIRECTOR: Mona Fastvold (The World to Come) - CAST: Amanda Seyfried, Thomasin McKenzie, Lewis Pullman, Christopher Abbott, Tim Blake Nelson, Stacy Martin, and Matthew Beard.
- Mona Fastvold has been very busy the last 12 months. In addition to helping promote The Brutalist, which she co-wrote and produced with her domestic partner and artistic collaborator, Brady Corbet (who also directed), she also wrapped production on her next film, Ann Lee, a period musical-biopic about the eponymous Lee and how she founded the Shaker Movement. For those in need of a history brush up, the Shakers are a millenarian restorationist Christian sect that first emerged during the mid-1700s and were known for their utopian values centered around pacifism, gender and racial equality, and the belief in opportunities for artistic and intellectual advances within society. Amanda Seyfried takes her acting chops and musical vocal skills center stage as the influential figure herself with a fantastic ensemble of supporting actors backing her up. Just as Fastvold contributed to The Brutalist, Corbet is also a chief collaborator here as well, who produced and co-wrote the film with his partner. Lee is an extremely fascinating figure in history, and I can't wait to see how Fastvold tells her story. I'm especially intrigued by the film's musical and dance approach (which not only sounds brilliant on a conceptual level but is the perfect foil to represent the community's cultural eccentricities), and I know both her and Corbet's attention to historical detail will add a rich textural component to the whole production. I really liked Fastvold's last feature- the lushly sensual romance-western, The World to Come- and I'm looking forward to seeing how well she fares with her third directorial effort.
RELEASE: TBA
38. CHOCOBAR
DIRECTOR: Lucrecia Martel (Zama, The Headless Woman)
- Perhaps the leading and most prominent voice in the New Argentine Cinema wave and one of the most celebrated and acclaimed auteurs in world cinema, Lucrecia Martel is a filmmaker and storyteller who is anything but conventional. The Argentinian director's films have frequented the likes of Cannes, Venice, Berlin, and Toronto, and her work is rooted in intellectualism with a careful (almost painstaking) attention to details and layers that create a rich and transportive atmosphere. Indeed, her meticulous editing process is similar to Malick in some respects, but the results are always wholly and uniquely her own while still carrying traces of her distinctive cinematic influences, such as Bergman and Almodóvar. Chocobar, which will mark the director's fifth feature length film and her first documentary, will continue to showcase how the filmmaker is always evolving and challenging herself. In 2023, she was on version four of her edit, so she's definitely been taking her time with this one, but I'm predicting the project is nearly complete. A huge part of why the film has been such an intense labor of love is perhaps to do with Martel's exciting ambition concerning the story and the cinematic language she's been carefully honing to translate it. The documentary chronicles the life and murder of indigenous activist and photographer, Javier Chocobar, who used is talents and voice to advocate against the removal of his indigenous community from their ancestral land in Argentina. If Martel's last feature, Zama, was an exploration of the structural violence that is embedded in colonialism, then Chocobar looks to continue on that subject, but with an even more intuitiveness and incisive interrogation. Supposedly, Martel hopes to create a cinematic language in the documentary that will convey the 500-year history of colonialism in the country, underscoring the spoken and unspoken language between the colonizer and the oppressed while debunking the mythos and fantasies the oppressor uses to manufacture their own personal narrative of history. It's an undeniably audacious undertaking and sounds like it will be absolutely brilliant. Can't wait for this!
RELEASE: TBA.
- The humanism that is the beating heart of the Dardenne Bros' films is nothing short of a gift in today's cinematic landscape, and I'm so glad to see that they're both still continuing to make movies, even as the market for independent cinema continues to shrink. The Belgian auteurs have a prolific reputation in the international film circuit and a filmography that spans over four decades. Rooted is realism and authentically human emotions, their work reflects the harsh realities and oppressive systems contained by the barriers of race, gender, and class, but does so with compassion, optimism, and a lingering power. Their next film takes place in a shelter for young mothers, tracing the individual struggles of five women in particular and their pursuit of a better life for them and their children. Supposedly, cameras began rolling back in August on the upcoming feature, but unfortunately there haven't been any updates yet as far as casting announcements or production status, so hopefully it's actually in the can and ready for a Cannes premiere in a few months. The last film to come from the two directors was Tori and Lokita (2022), a really strong addition to their oeuvre that came close to rivaling some of their best work and was even singled out by Martin Scorsese as one of the most devastating films he had seen in a long time, strongly making the case that the Dardennes are still two of the most compelling and indispensable storytellers working today.
RELEASE: TBA.
- As one of America's most singular cinematic artists and storytellers, Spike Lee's powerful voice has only grown in both its relevancy and urgency, all while maintaining his status as one of today's most exciting auteurs. His next film, a remake (or as Lee has insisted, "a reimagining') of Akira Kurosawa's High and Low (itself an adaptation of Ed McBain's police procedural novel, King's Ransom), is perhaps one of the most ambitious undertakings of his career. The lingering power of Kurosawa's film, which centers around a wealthy businessman forced to choose between a lucrative investment or paying the ransom of a kidnapped victim who was mistaken for his son, has only exponentially increased over time, and it is now considered one of the most essential and indelible works from one of history's greatest filmmakers. No doubt Lee is aware of this and realizes the tremendous expectation that will be riding on his version. The influence of Kurosawa has been present many times throughout Lee's career, who has often cited the Japanese auteur as one of his chief inspirations, but it's also precisely because of this factor that I believe Lee has strived to create something that can stand comfortably and respectably on its own merits and identity while still being remaining reverently indebted to the adaptation that came before it. I'm especially excited that the movie reunites the director with Denzel Washington for the first time since Inside Man (2006) and that it was also lensed by Oscar-nominated cinematographer, Matthew Libatique, both of which are major selling points for me.
35. Materialists
DIRECTOR: Celine Song (Past Lives) - CAST: Dakota Johnson, Chris Evans, Pedro Pascal, Zoë Winters, Dasha Nekrasova, Louisa Jacobson, Marin Ireland, and Fernando Belo.
- Celine Song had one of the best debuts of any director this past decade with Past Lives, which became one of the most critically acclaimed films of 2023, making dozens of end-of-year best lists and even scoring a Best Picture nod at the Oscars the following year. A24 once again got behind the director to finance and distribute her sophomore feature, Materialists, a romantic comedy set in New York City about a matchmaker (Dakota Johnson) whose lucrative business becomes jeopardized when she falls into a love triangle involving her ex-boyfriend (Chris Evans) and a wealthy businessman (Pedro Pascal). I'm surprised the studio got behind a romantic comedy, as it's a genre they're not particularly known for, and the fact that they have clearly shows they have a lot of faith in Song's filmmaking career that they would take such an unconventional risk with her next project. Hopefully, its one that pays off for everyone involved. Having three charismatic leads like Johnson, Evans, and Pascal will certainly be an advantage.
RELEASE: June 13.
★34. ELLA McCAY★
DIRECTOR: James L. Brooks (Terms of Endearment, As Good as It Gets) - CAST: Emma Mackey, Woody Harrelson, Jamie Lee Curtis, Ayo Edebiri, Spike Fearn, Albert Brooks, Kumail Nanjiani, Jack Lowden, Rebecca Hall, Troy Garrity, and Erica McDermott.
- It just wouldn't have sat right with me if a listless rom-com like How Do You Know had ended up being the final statement from such a venerable filmmaker as James L. Brooks. Thankfully, the gods of cinema had other plans for us (and for him), but for a while there some of us weren't so sure we'd ever see anything from him again. The three-time Oscar winner was 70 when his last film came out, which tanked so hard that it was even declared as one of the biggest box office flops of all time by the Los Angeles Times. No doubt, this business can definitely be brutal, so its perhaps not all that surprising that How Do You Know fell so short that it was enough to keep Brooks' career in radio silence for nearly 14 years (Oscar wins be damned.) But after a long hiatus, Brooks is set to finally return next year with a new film. Ella McCay is comedy-drama about young politician (Sex Education breakout, Emma Mackey) who must balance work and family life after she takes over as Governor of her state. The supporting cast is dynamite, and the premise sounds promising, so I'm seriously hoping that Brooks is able to knock this out of the park.
RELEASE: September 19.
33. Father, Mother, Sister, Brother
DIRECTOR: Jim Jarmusch (Paterson, Coffee and Cigarettes) - CAST: Cate Blanchett, Vicky Krieps, Adam Driver, Mayim Bialik, Tom Waits, Charlotte Rampling, Indya Moore, and Luka Sabbat.
- Getting a film made and then seen by a wide audience is extremely difficult already, and that goes almost triple for indie films (with or without distribution.) It's a process that has only been exacerbated in a post-pandemic industry, which is perhaps why Jim Jarmusch, one of America's most idiosyncratic auteurs, has hinted several times over the last five years that he may never make another film again. If you're a fan of Jarmusch's work (like I am), these sorts of hints are devasting to hear, and if you're not familiar with his work then you're really missing out; he's a truly original cinematic voice whose films can best be described as a "mood." His characters are typically loners at odds with the rest of the world and their surroundings, and yet their flaws are portrayed with such a sensitive comprehension of the human condition that we find ourselves succumbing to their charisma and charm. Jarmusch's comments about quitting the film industry were thankfully short-lived though. During the fall of 2023, it was reported that he had begun production on a new film with Cate Blanchett. Over the course of production, more details about the film and cast began to trickle out. What we now know is that it's an anthology (the director's first since Coffee and Cigarettes) that focuses on the bonds and relationships between family members. The director describes his new film as very quiet and minimalist, but perhaps the most surprising detail that he divulged is that it won't contain any music! If you're familiar with any of his films, then you understand how much of a shock this is, as Jarmusch (who is a musician himself) is known for his needle-drops and his knowledge and love of music is such an integral element to the "moods" he develops in his work (he's even been known to incorporate his own compositions into the soundtrack as well). No doubt, he's clearly challenging himself with this new movie to see if he can create his signature aesthetic within different constraints than he's used to, and I'm very curious to see how the results will fare.
RELEASE: TBA
- She's one of the most distinct voices in American cinema and a prominent figure of the indie filmmaking scene here in the US. Realist in style and minimalist in her approach, her films observe and explore the kind of characters in American society that are often ignored or left behind and living within the margins of the underprivileged working class, but with a delicate touch that underscores the power of unspoken feelings, the existential mystery of our place in the world, and the grounded authenticity of her characters. Her next film, set against the backdrop of the Vietnam War, finds John O'Connor as a man trying to orchestrate an elaborate art heist. The Vietnam War marked a cultural and political turning point in American history, and Reichardt has stated that the film explores those shifting dynamics and the way they influence and impact her characters' actions and decisions. O'Connor has been very selective about the auteurs he's chosen to collaborate with, and I'm excited to see the pairing of him and Reichardt. As for the film itself, it's an intriguing premise that finds the director operating within crime-thriller territory for the first time since Night Moves, which is also promising in and of itself.
RELEASE: TBA.
31. Sentimental Value
DIRECTOR: Joachim Trier (The Worst Person in the World, Thelma) - CAST: Renate Reinsve, Inga Ibsdotter, Stellan Skarsgård, Elle Fanning, and Cory Michael Smith.
- Coming off the most universally acclaimed film of his career with The Worst Person in the World, Norwegian auteur, Joachim Trier, is poised to return to Cannes this year with his latest feature, Sentimental Value, which if selected would be his fourth film to compete at the international film festival. The movie reunites the director with his Worst Person in the World leading lady, Renate Reinsve (her own career having skyrocketed since her breakout performance in the director's last film won her the Best Actress prize at Cannes), and stars her and Elle Fanning as sisters (Nora and Agnes) mourning the loss of their mother, with the return of their estranged father, Gustav (Stellan Skarsgård), only complicating matters further when he approaches Nora to star as the lead character of his latest film and she refuses. Conceptually, it sounds pretty simple enough and I imagine it probably goes that classic route of art-imitating-life-imitating-art (not too unlike another film Reinsve was just seen in, A Different Man), but I also assume that Trier will bring his own unique stamp to it. In other words: it sounds promising, and I've got my eye on this one.
RELEASE: TBA.
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