Between our government’s chronic incompetency and the voting populace who have spent the better part of the last 40 years elevating ignorance as a virtue, we all might need a little escapism for the next one to four years. I know I will. If next year might be the USA’s series finale, no better way to go out than to be entertained.
My New Year’s resolution for 2025 is to take more hikes, read more books, and watch more movies. With all the farm work we’ve had over the last seven years, I have not been able to do either as frequently as I’d prefer. I attended the cinema more in 2024 than I have in years and I hope to continue that trend next year. With such goal in mind, here are the top twenty movies coming out in 2025 I am most anticipating - sorted least to most excited to see.
20: Captain America Brave New World (Anthony Mackie, Harrison Ford) Marvel’s next movie, set to release on Valentine’s Day, was higher on my list until rumors of dismal test screenings and reshoots have me nervous. I want it to be good but worried it might be the MCU’s worst.
19: 28 Years Later (Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson) Hot take: I’m not a big fan of 28 Days or 28 Weeks Later. I saw them, enjoyed them, recognize their influence, but have no emotional attachment to them. That said, I’m getting burnt out on zombie movies which used to be my favorite sub genre of monster movies.
18: Karate Kid Legends (Ralph Macchio, Jackie Chan) I understand if people roll their eyes at this. Nobody asked for this movie. But I’m interested to see the karate blended with kung-fu. Ben Wang was phenomenal in American Born Chinese and could help breath new life into the franchise.
17: Elio (Yonas Kibreab, Jameela Jamil) It’s been a while since I’ve been excited for a Pixar movie - probably 2020’s Soul. But this one has aliens. While definitely aimed at kids, Pixar is dipping back into nerd territory. Even if it’s a dud, my girls will enjoy it.
16: The Running Man (Glen Powell, Katy O’Brian) Oh yay, another remake of a mediocre 80s flick. I didn’t hate the original and I’m not sure we really need a new version. However this Stephen King adaptation has one big asset in its favor: Edgar Wright directing it as well as sharing screenwriter and producer credits. My biggest fear is the dystopian premise is more plausible today than it was 38 years ago.
15: The Life of Chuck (Tom Hiddleston, Nick Offerman) I know very little about this movie other than it is about the end of the world told in reverse chronological order based on a recent Stephen King novella. It’s also got a stacked cast that includes Karen Gillan, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Mark Hamill, and Matthew Lillard.
14: Wicked: For Good (Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande) My inner theater geek is showing. The first part of Wicked was brilliant. My whole family enjoyed it and I can’t wait to see the finale.
13: Death of a Unicorn (Paul Rudd, Jenna Ortega) My first knowledge of this A24 movie came in the form of a YouTube add last week and it is absolutely bonkers. Another movie with a stacked cast including Téa Leoni and Will Poulter, this kind of film was made for people like me. Ortega is a little over exposed and I’d be more excited with a different actress playing Rudd’s daughter, but I’m still stoked for this one.
12: Wolf Man (Christopher Abbot, Julia Garner) How long has it been since we got a decent werewolf movie? As much as I enjoyed 1997’s An American Werewolf in Paris, I know it wasn’t a good movie. And subsequent attempts at cinematic werewolf offerings has been lackluster at best. Wolf Man might change the trend as it features a father who got bit trying to protect his kids and his wife trying to save their family.
11: Love Hurts (Ke Huy Quan, Ariana DeBose) Quan is damn near perfect in everything he touches. From Indiana Jones and Goonies as a kid to recent appearances in Everything Everywhere All at Once and Loki. I have zero reason to doubt this action comedy about a former hitman turned real estate agent being hunted by his brother. Adding Marshawn Lynch and Sean Astin to the cast is icing on the cake.
10: The Bride (Jessie Buckley, Christian Bale) / Frankenstein (Oscar Isaac, Jacob Elordi) Here’s a two for one as both movies share source material in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. Both give me reason to be hopeful yet I have reservations for both. The Maggie Gyllenhaal directed offering revises the original gothic setting to 1930s Chicago which is a risky move. The second, directed by Guillermo del Toro, maintains the gothic roots. Del Toro is one of my favorite directors and his previous works with creatures of fairy tales and horror will be evident here as well. My only hesitation with his version is the inclusion of Mia Goth in the cast, one of my least favorite actresses.
9: The Fantastic Four: First Steps (Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby) 20th Century Fox had four shots to get this collection of heroes right and they failed every time. With the film rights restored to Marvel, I have hope this might be the one to properly capture the magic, humor, and disfunction of Marvel’s first family. Pascal as Mr Fantastic wouldn’t have been my choice but I do think Kirby as Sue Storm and Joseph Quinn as her younger brother are perfect castings. I’m also excited to see Natasha Lyonne in an unnamed role as she’s one of my favorite actresses.
8: Thunderbolts* (Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan) This movie could be a hot mess but I don’t care. I’m happy to see David Harbor and Hannah John-Kamen reprise their roles of Red Guardian and Ghost. The trailers so far have given me something to look forward to and even if it’s terrible I have a feeling I’m still going to enjoy it.
7: Novocaine (Jack Quaid, Amber Midthunder) Oh all the movies on this list, THIS one might have the most unhinged premise and reminds me of WTF movies like Guns Akimbo and Crank. Jack Quaid was brilliant in The Boys and I’m thrilled to see him play another lovable loser, but this time as a timid wallflower who can’t feel pain but snaps when his girlfriend is taken hostage in a bank robbery.
6: Mickey 17 (Robert Pattinson, Naomi Ackie) If we could remove the Twilight series from Pattonson’s filmography, he’d be considered one of the greatest of his generation. In this sci-fi outing, he plays a person so desperate to get off earth he accepts an experimental and dangerous position in space. How dangerous? He keeps dying. Every time he dies, a new body is regenerated with his memories intact. But something goes wrong when he survives his 17th death and the 18th Mickey wants to kill him.
5: Legend of Ohci (Helena Zengel, Finn Wolfhard) A24 has a great track record creating thought provoking and visually stunning movies. I suspect this will be more of what I expected from them. It’s a kid trying to rescue a dangerous creature while her family hunts it. I don’t know how to describe it other than throwing The Village, Pan’s Labyrinth, E.T., and Earth To Echo into a blender. The end result looks beautiful and unsettling and I am eager to take my tween out to see it.
4: Mission Impossible - The Final Reconning (Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell) After nearly 30 years, this franchise is possibly coming to an end. Or at least I hope it is. As much as I love the M:I movies, I’m ready to see an epic conclusion to this preposterous series. Dead Reckoning ended with a massive cliffhanger placing every major character in dire situations so they better wrap it up right or I’ll be pissed.
3: Sinners (Michael B Jordan, Michael B Jordan) Jordan takes on double duty portraying a pair of twins returning home to home in the depression Deep South. They find their town consumed by evil - Jim Crow bigotry, vampires, and southern supernatural traditions. Jordan reunites with director Ryan Coogler who also wrote the script and is co-producer. This movie looks like it will be thought provoking and terrifying.
2: Superman (David Corenswet, Rachel Brosnahan) Zack Snyder destroyed any interest I had in Superman. And not just once but FOUR times. My expectations for the DCEU are low but lifted a bit when WB handed full control to James Gunn because he is, as a writer and a director, someone who understands the assignment. I wasn’t impressed by the first look image, even more so for the teaser to the teaser trailer. Everything changed with the full length teaser. Lex, Lois, multiple Green Lanterns, Hawkgirl, Mr Terrific, and Kelex the robot. Oh, Krypto too. Can’t forget the super-powered dog. This might be the best Superman movie since Christopher Reeves first wore the tights.
1: Better Man (Robbie Williams, Jonno Davies) This is an odd choice to be anyone’s most anticipated movie, especially considering how much hate Williams is getting on social media. I don’t care though. I’ve been a fan of his music since the mid 90s, although I did have exposure to his band Take That is years prior. With the movie directed by the same dude that directed The Greatest Showman, and the twist of a biopic’s protagonist portrayed by a CGI monkey, this movie seems like it was made for people like me. I’ll apologize in advance to anyone who watches this with me as I’ll probably be singing along with it.
Let me know what you’re looking forward to and if any of these films are on your must-see list.
