Sinners, Weapons, One Battle After Another. These films dominated the conversation around film in 2025. But underneath the surface, there are hidden gems which are quietly proving how beautiful the artform of filmmaking is. These types of movies are not loud, they don’t have a heavy marketing campaign, and they aren’t engineered to go viral. Some are messy, some are flops, and some are downright strange. But all of them reminded me of why I love movies of all shapes and sizes.
This isn’t a “best of” list, nor is it a ranking. It’s simply 20 films from 2025 that you probably didn’t see, but definitely should.
Eephus - If you’re looking for an indie darling of all indie darlings, Eephus is the film for you. On the surface, it’s a slow paced slice of life about grown men playing pick up baseball. Under the surface, it’s a meditative and melancholic movie about friendship, aging, and America’s pastime. It’s slow on purpose; it’s an homage to our need to commune together over sports, entertainment, and the like. A great directorial debut for Carson Lund.
Paddington in Peru - Look, it’s no Paddington classic, and it’s by NO MEANS Paddington 2, but to create that would be utterly impossible, right? In a family road trip style, the creative team does everything they can to keep the Paddington magic alive. I don’t hate it by any stretch of the imagination. It still has heart, charm, and plenty of lovely moments. But when stacked against its predecessors, it’s easily the weakest of the bunch. If you’re a Paddington stan, or if you’re looking for a heartfelt whimsical feel-good family film, throw it on!
Elio - Look guys, I liked Elio. There…I said it. It’s not a Disney Pixar classic, but a fun enough spin on a space-alien-meets-boy saga. I will say this though, and that’s the one thing Pixar continues to nail is speaking to everyone in the room: kids, parents, dreamers, overthinkers. There’s a genuine heart behind its message about trying your best, even when you don’t have all the answers. And while there are plenty of meaningful moments sprinkled throughout, the story as a whole struggles to escape the gravitational pull of its own predictability and occasional convolution. The content feels more meaningful than memorable but still a solid entry into the canon with some heart.
The Ballad of Wallis Island - This is my kind of movie, even if it’s not for everyone else. This quaint story of a lottery winner who tries to bring his favorite acoustic duo to his private island despite them being broken up sounds weird, and it is. But man, is it fun. Small in scale, big in emotion. Quiet, contemplative, and yet somehow extremely funny and heartfelt all at once. One of the most slept-on films of 2025 in my opinion.
Sorry, Baby - Eva Victor absolutely nails her directorial debut with some of the most beautiful cinematography of the year, along with a story that subtly rips you to shreds. Sorry, Baby is one of those films that hits you directly in the soul… it’s one that sticks with you long after the credits roll, and forces you to sit in the aftermath to revel in its brutal beauty. One of my favorite films of the year by far.
Black Bag - I’m not sure how this one slipped through the cracks, but damn! Soderbergh knocked it out of the park. In a sleek spy thriller starring Cate Blanchett and Michael Fassbender, Black Bag explores the intricacies of trust in a relationship to no end. Married couples everywhere need to watch this film. Hell, people in any situation need to watch it. I don’t think it will win any awards, it won’t be considered a staple of cinematic history, and it will probably fall to the wayside in comparison to Soderbergh's other films, and I think that’s all a shame. This movie is so smart, so slick, and so special. It’s a thrilling setup with high stakes, while also managing to be extremely fun. It’s not the best movie of 2025, but it is my absolute favorite.
Twinless - Grief is a paradox of intense individuality and universality. We all experience it, and yet we all experience it so differently. Twinless gives us a very smart take on how people of different walks of life process that grief while sharing the same space. It’s extremely subtle, but very successful in how it plays out. An indie sleeper of 2025 for sure!
Nouvelle Vague - While the weaker of the two Linklater films this year, this adaptation of the making of Jean-Luc Godard’s Breathless somehow worked wonders on me. Maybe it was just one of those “right place, right time” movies, but something moved me deeply. Linklater does a great job at making the mundane feel magical and was able to capture the spirit of a creative endeavor perfectly in a premise that totally should have flopped.
Rental Family - If :*) was a movie, Rental Family would be it. I can’t say it’s perfect, and I can’t say that I completely gelled with the premise, but it was fun! There were a handful of moments where I deeply connected and a handful where I was itching for something interesting to happen. Such is life I suppose!There's some rich metaphors buried under the surface here that will probably hit me like a ton of bricks when I rewatch it down the road. On an initial view, I’ll chalk it up as a decent insight into illusion versus reality with some emotional punches, and I’ll consider myself lucky for being alive at the same time as Brendan Fraser.
Steve - As a high school teacher who has struggled with mental health, you can imagine how a movie starring Cillian Murphy as a mirror to a version of myself would hit the spot. If you’re a fan of good acting performances, gnarly cinematography, and pseudo-depressing cinema, Steve will check all the boxes for you.
Lurker - “Being an artist,” whatever that even means, is almost impossible to define. It’s a constant liminal space. Half belief, half bluff. And Lurker nails that awkward, painful territory of faking it til you make it, only to realize you never really can. In a story about a retail clerk who befriends a rising popstar, the film explores the deep themes of relational currency, the incessant need to measure up, and the illusion of chasing fame to no end.
If I Had Legs I’d Kick You - If there's ever been a movie that articulates the fullness of being a parent who is struggling, it's If I Had Legs I'd Kick You. I have yet to find a film that encapsulates the difficulties of parenting and yet the determination to continue soldiering on. Rose Byrne puts on an Oscar-worthy lead performance, making you feel both a deep sense of empathy and anxiety for her character through the entire film. This one was deeply personal to me as a parent, and I think it’s one of the best films of the year.
Train Dreams - Set in early 20th century America, Train Dreams offers us a glimpse into one man’s life as he watches his life pass by. There’s some incredibly moving sentiments about the passing of time, our place in this world, and the longing for a time long gone. It’s visually stunning, deeply poetry, and yet, a bit underwhelming. I think that might be on purpose.
Urchin - Harris Dickinson proves with his directorial debut Urchin that he has more talent than all of us combined. This story of a man battling addiction proves that simple stories about humans still work and work well at that. The lead performance is stellar, the story does its job, and the final result is a refreshing take on an oft-covered trope in filmmaking.
Blue Moon - Remember what I said earlier about Linklater making magic out of mundanity? That he can take a concept that should never work and turn it into something incredible? That’s Blue Moon. Set in a barroom following the premiere of Roger and Hammerstein' s Oklahoma, Ethan Hawke teams up with Linklater yet again to play has-been legend Lorenz Hart in what turns out to be one of my favorite Linklater films to date. This film is so sad, and yet so universal. In one breath, it feels almost detached from our reality, making Hart's loneliness feel devastating. But it doesn't take long before Hawke's character becomes a mirror, holding up our own quiet fears and longings. No one wants to be forgotten. Everyone longs to be truly known. And Linklater gently reminds us that even the most ordinary life is full of cosmic weight…if someone is there to witness it.
Jay Kelly - Are you looking for a break from the Netflix slop pile? Do you want to see Adam Sandler go toe to toe with one of Hollywood’s great movie stars, George Clooney? Are you in the mood for a little exploration of fame, fatherhood, and personal identity? Then look no further, because Jay Kelly is right up your alley. While not one of Baumbach’s top tier films, this part memoir, part drama, part buddy-comedy does its job to highlight what makes both Clooney and Sandler so special to the world of film.
Die My Love - I don’t know about y’all, but I’ve got season tickets for Jennifer Lawrence and Robert Pattinson. In a painful rollercoaster ride of insanity, Lynne Ramsey shows off both Lawrene and Pattinson’s acting chops in a story about postpartum depression. I can’t say that I understood this film completely, but the performances were so strong that I was able to feel this film deeply.
Roofman - Wait, this is one my favorite movies of the year? What? A story about a criminal who escapes prison and hides out in a Toys R Us? Okay, yeah, that checks out. I had so much fun with Roofman. I could have watched an hour and a half more of him running rampant, nearly escaping, and causing chaos. What I’m most surprised about is just how much this got me emotionally. I felt a genuine connection to the characters, no matter how silly it got. Cena is a movie star. Dunst is an all-timer. The supporting cast are great as well. I’m so mad that this didn’t get a proper shot in theaters this year. We all missed out on something very special. Let’s make more fun movies like this, please!
The Mastermind - I really want to make a video one day entitled “Kelly Reichardt Keeps Making The Same Movie, and It Works EVERY Time.” Because that’s exactly what The Mastermind does. If you’ve seen any of her previous work, you know exactly what I’m talking about. She’s somehow able to locate and articulate that longing ache we all feel in the most simple yet spectacular of ways. This iteration of that story follows an art thief on the run. Beautiful stuff.
The Smashing Machine - For the love of all things good and holy, Dwayne Johnson, take more swings like this! You are a STAR! In an adaptation of UFC pioneer Mark Kerr, The Rock and Emily Blunt pack a one-two punch with some great performances. In this film, Johnson shows that he’s not just a movie star. He’s a bonafide actor. In a film wrought with paradoxes, he’s able to find a sweet spot and play into the complexity of it all with so much charm and emotional punch. Give the man an Oscar nomination! Many people had me convinced that this film was a flop. I’m so glad I didn’t listen to them. I thoroughly enjoyed every bit of it.
In the midst of all the current turmoil surrounding Netflix’s probable acquisition of Warner Brothers, it’s difficult not to be a little worried about the future of movies. But, if people keep making great stuff like these twenty films mentioned above, I think we’re gonna be alright in the end. Now, get out there and watch some films!