Everyone may be talking about the death of movie theaters, but having watched a ton of great films in ‘25, and looking at these upcoming releases on the schedule, I’m confident movie-going isn’t going anywhere with all this great art to admire.
Here are my five that may have fallen through the cracks for you, and the five that you shouldn’t miss next year.
‘25 movies you may have missed
“Splitsville” dir. Michael Angelo Covino
While everyone bemoans the death and/or return of the romantic comedy, I’ve been yearning for a new entry in the canon of that genre’s subgenre: the screwball comedy. A screwball comedy is a satire of a traditional romance with fast-paced dialogue, zany slapstick, and absurd scenarios. “Splitsville” channels the humor of that genre’s staples like “The Lady Eve”, “Some Like It Hot”, and “Bringing Up Baby” while hitting on entirely new and modern elements like polygamy. When the main character befriends the men and women his ex leaves in the wake of finding herself, I was laughing and touched. I’m bummed only a lucky few in the coastal cities got to see this gorgeous, hilarious, and sweet movie with a crowd on the big screen.
—Catch up and stream the movie on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, Apple TV or Plex - Kostenlose Filme & TV on your Roku device.
“Presence” dir. Steven Soderberg
As a scaredy cat, I was nervous to even watch “Presence”, but with Steven Soderberg (the director of “Ocean’s 11”, “Erin Brockovich”, “Magic Mike”, and more) and David Keopp (the writer of “Jurassic Park”) behind it, I couldn’t stay away. This haunted house story shot entirely from the ghost’s point of view is an 86-minute slow burn that culminates in a moment that left me with full body chills. It’s a bummer that lead actor Chris Sullivan won’t get any awards attention because I haven’t stopped thinking about his performance since the movie’s release back in January.
—Catch up and stream the movie on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, Vudu, YouTube, and Google Play
“Good Fortune” dir. Aziz Ansari
When I told my parents that “Good Fortune” was about a guardian angel that grants a struggling gig worker’s wish to be wealthy to show it won’t solve all his problems and it solves all of his problems, they laughed and immediately joined me on my trip to the theater. It’s a great premise that the movie gets everything out of. Keanu Reeves is in top form, and Seth Rogan, Aziz Ansari, and Keke Palmer are not far behind. The film tackles the imbalance of wealth and disastrous job market with the weight they deserve without ever pumping the breaks on the humor, and it’s just so nice to see a studio comedy not shot like a State Farm commercial.
—Catch up and stream the movie on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV+, Fandango at Home, and Google Play
“Peter Hujar’s Day” dir. Ira Sachs
After being blown away by 2023’s “Passages”, I’ve been waiting with bated breath for a new film from Ira Sachs, and he delivered with “Peter Hujar’s Day”. It adapts a 1974 conversation between the photographer Peter Hujar and the writer Linda Rosenkrantz about how Hujar spent his previous day. It shows you that there is no such thing as wasted time and that even unfinished projects add value to the world. For a movie about two people chatting in a room, it has some of the richest cinematography I’ve ever seen. The costume and production design welcome you into these two people’s world even if you don’t know whom they are referring to most of the time. If that doesn’t sell you, the fact that it’s only 73 minutes with credits should.
—Catch up and stream the movie on Hulu and Fandango Online
“Universal Language” dir. Matthew Rankin
Set in an alternate Canada where everyone speaks Farsi, Matthew Rankin creates an off-kilter world that mixes deadpan humor with a great depth of feeling. I felt stupid coming out of the theater, but in an encouraging way where I kept rolling the events of the film over in my head until I found my meaning in it. There is a moment late in the film that I shalln’t spoil here that proved to me that we are still learning what can be done with the language of filmmaking.
‘26 movies not to miss
“We Bury The Dead” dir. Zak Hilditch
Daisy Ridley burst onto the screen a decade ago in “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”, and outside of Star Wars movies, she’s starred in and produced a variety of movies that show off her range from the incredibly maudlin and funny “Sometimes I Think About Dying” to the twisty “Magpie” to the (failing to be) thrilling “Cleaner”. She is a performer I’ll follow anywhere, and I am excited to see her new zombie movie “We Bury The Dead” that premiered earlier this year at South by Southwest and arrives in theaters January 2nd.
“In the blink of an eye” dir. Andrew Stanton
You may not know Andrew Stanton’s name, but you know his movies. He’s the director of “Finding Nemo” and “Wall-E”. He has two new movies out in 2026, and there’s a good chance you’ll be seeing one of them as it’s “Toy Story 5”, so I want argue why you should see his other movie too. “In the Blink of an Eye” tells 3 stories spanning thousands of years and is Stanton’s second live-action feature. He is one of my favorite directors and writers of this generation so I’m excited to see him try live-action again after the disaster of “John Carter” and the success of directing episodes of “Stranger Things” and Apple TV’s “For All Mankind.” The film streams on Hulu February 27th, but I’m hoping it comes to theaters too.
“Send Help” dir. Sam Raimi
Sam Raimi helmed two of the most impactful film franchises ever with Evil Dead and the original Spider-Man films, and it’s a shame he makes movies as infrequently as he does. His camera work and sense of humor is electric, so I’m thrilled to see him directing a new horror movie with a great premise (when an employee and her awful boss get stranded on an island, she finally rises to the position of power) and cast (Rachel McAdams and Dylan O’Brien). Every time I have to sit through the trailers at the theater (which is very often), it’s always a delight to see “Send Help’s.” It arrives in theaters January 30th.
“I Love Boosters” dir. Boots Riley
“Sorry To Bother You,” Boots Riley’s earlier effort, is the one of the boldest directional debuts I’ve ever seen. It is teeming with ideas, great performances, visual effects, and energy. It was a shame we lost Boots Riley to the world of prestige television for a few years, but I’m so glad he’s back with “I Love Boosters”. It’s about a crew of professional shoplifters who take aim at a cutthroat fashion maven, and I can’t wait to see it in theaters on May 22nd.
Coyote Vs. Acme dir. Dave Green
This is probably the movie I am most anticipated for. After David Zaslav wrote this movie off on Warner Brothers Discovery’s taxes, I worried it would never see the light of day. With a script by James Gunn and the incredible premise of Wile E. Coyote suing the ACME corporation for all the pain their products have caused him in his attempt to catch the Roadrunner, I just knew I needed to see it. The leaked practical effects reels that came with the film’s initial cancellation look incredible and I’m so glad Ketchup Entertainment is giving this the wide release it deserves. It crashes into theaters August 28th.
