Oh, Memorial Day. That blessed American tradition where we all solemnly remember those who served by... watching genetically-enhanced superspies jump off cliffs, weeping at animated space dogs, and trying to figure out what Cate Blanchett’s accent is this time. The movie industry’s idea of “honor” is apparently best expressed through explosions, nostalgia bait, and the obligatory Netflix release with an algorithmically generated title.
But buried under the bombast and CGI barf-fests lies something a little weirder, a little smarter, and a whole lot more interesting. The New York Times, doing the Lord’s work, gave us a handy list of 2025’s best films you probably didn’t know existed—because their trailers weren’t forcibly jammed into your pre-YouTube video scroll like digital herpes.
Let’s wade into the deep end, past the floating corpses of overhyped blockbusters, and take a snark-soaked look at the real must-watch movies of 2025.
1. “Sinners”: Come for the Vampires, Stay for the Existential Crisis in the Mississippi Heat
Two Michael B. Jordans in one film? Take my money and my emotional stability. In Sinners, he plays Smoke and Stack, twin bootleggers who return to Mississippi from Capone-era Chicago to start a juke joint. Because of course they do. But plot twist: an Irish vampire shows up. Because again, of course he does.
Ryan Coogler directs this fever dream, which sounds like Boardwalk Empire had a baby with Interview with the Vampire while high on absinthe and racial commentary. According to Manohla Dargis, it’s “genre-defying.” Translation: You’ll spend the first hour wondering what the hell is happening, then the next hour trying to pretend you totally got it.
Also, there's dancing. And a lot of “ideas about love and history.” That’s your cue to either feel deeply intellectual or quietly Google “Jim Crow Mississippi” while pretending you knew the reference all along.
2. “I’m Still Here”: Brazil’s Answer to ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ With Less Cloaks, More Dictatorship
Set during Brazil’s real-life 1970s military dictatorship, this one’s all about Eunice Paiva, a woman trying to raise her kids after her husband is disappeared by the state. Because nothing says “family drama” like fascism.
Fernanda Torres gives a “double-layered” performance, which is critic code for “crying without mascara while staring into the middle distance.” And while it won Best International Feature, you won’t hear a peep about it from your coworkers who think “international cinema” means Emily in Paris.
This one’s for those who want their holiday weekend served with a side of global injustice and award-worthy tears. Also, helpful hint: bragging about watching this film at brunch will earn you three virtue-signaling points and a complimentary eye roll.
3. “Black Bag”: If Marriage Counseling Were Conducted by MI6
Cate Blanchett and Michael Fassbender play married spies investigating each other. We’d make a joke about trust issues, but this entire film is essentially one long gaslighting session with a British accent and a tailored suit.
Critics call it “glorious grown-up nonsense,” which is their polite way of saying the plot’s a hot mess but the people are hot enough to distract you. It’s espionage foreplay, with every sexy glare hiding a flash drive full of betrayal and deeply repressed childhood trauma.
In short: it’s like Mr. & Mrs. Smith, but with actual acting.
4. “Friendship”: Paul Rudd and Tim Robinson Walk Into a Suburb, Punch Social Norms in the Face
Imagine needing a friend so badly that your only option is a guy who acts like he escaped from a deleted Twilight Zone episode. That’s Craig (Robinson), and the new neighbor (Rudd) isn’t here to help—he’s here to ruin Craig’s sanity in 90 beautifully awkward minutes.
“Funny and distressing” is the critic’s verdict, which should be the tagline for any interaction involving white men and artisanal lawn chairs. If your soul isn’t already curled into the fetal position from daily life, this cringe comedy might finish the job.
5. “Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl”: The Chicken Is Back and He’s Pissed
Feathers McGraw, the mute penguin from your childhood nightmares, returns to menace Wallace and Gromit. This time he’s got... a garden-gnome robot?
What kind of acid trip does Nick Park take before making these movies, and can we get a dose?
Still, it’s stop-motion comfort food: charming, British, and just weird enough to make you question your grip on reality. Think James Bond but if Bond had a cheese addiction and was sabotaged by poultry.
Also: it’s 2025 and Gromit still hasn’t spoken. At this point, we suspect he’s silently judging all of us.
6. “Eephus”: Baseball, But Make It Poetic and Depressingly Nostalgic
A small-town baseball game is about to be replaced by a school. Yes, the drama is literally “education vs. beer league softball.” But Eephus makes it art.
This is the type of film where characters stare meaningfully at cornfields, whisper about “the old days,” and everyone pretends they’re not crying over a beer-stained glove.
It’s the baseball movie you watch not for the action, but to feel something other than existential dread for 100 minutes. And really, isn’t that the American dream?
7. “The Annihilation of Fish”: James Earl Jones Has an Imaginary Enemy Named Hank, and We Are Here For It
Jones plays Fish, a man tormented by an invisible demon. He then meets a woman who also has an imaginary friend. Welcome to When Harry Met Schizo.
This one was filmed decades ago but shelved for 26 years. Honestly, it’s probably more coherent than most 2025 releases made this year. Deeply humane and weirdly endearing, it’s like a hug from someone who forgot to take their meds but really means well.
Watch this if your idea of romance includes invisible companions and gentle piano music that tells you “everything’s fine,” even though it absolutely isn’t.
8. “Caught by the Tides”: A Film Made From Leftovers That Somehow Feels Like a Michelin Star Meal
Director Jia Zhangke stitched together scraps from other films and somehow made a masterpiece. It’s basically the cinematic version of “fridge tapas.”
Spanning 20 years, the film is a haunting look at love, crime, and the evolution of low-rise jeans. It’s the kind of movie that makes you reflect deeply on your own choices, then panic-Google “how to move to rural China and start over.”
If you want a film that’s part love story, part time machine, part therapy session, this is your jam.
9. “Presence”: Soderbergh’s Second Entry on This List, and This Time It’s Personal (and Paranormal)
Because one Steven Soderbergh film isn’t enough, he gives us a ghost story told from the ghost’s POV. Groundbreaking? Yes. Comforting? Hell no.
Critics call it “unsettling.” Translation: you'll be triple-checking that shadow in the corner of your room and making peace with your own haunted past.
There’s a traumatized daughter, a suspiciously perfect suburban home, and a ghost who is either misunderstood or a total jerk. It's basically Hereditary, if Ari Aster had a Red Bull and a sense of humor.
10. “The Last Showgirl”: Pamela Anderson Is Aging Gracefully, and You're Going to Deal With It
Vegas retires her. Her daughter avoids her. Society sidelines her. But Shelley (Pamela Anderson) is not going down without a feathered, glittery fight.
Directed by Gia Coppola, this is the kind of movie that critics call “tender” and men call “boring” because there aren’t enough car chases. But Anderson apparently acts in it, like full-on emotes and everything.
It’s about beauty, age, and the strange void where relevance used to be. So, basically, it’s your 40s wrapped in sequins.
Final Thoughts: This Is Your Brain on Cinema That Doesn’t Suck
So this Memorial Day, maybe don’t see the ninth reboot of a superhero franchise whose only power is making your popcorn cost $17. Maybe do check out a film with heart, history, and the kind of surreal plot that makes your group chat explode with “WTF did I just watch?”
The real cinematic gems of 2025 aren’t shoved in your face. They’re whispering from the indie theaters, the corners of Netflix, and the cracks of your uncle’s Kanopy subscription. So skip the content. Skip the site index. Skip the ad.
Just don’t skip these films.
Because once in a while, a vampire-infested juke joint or a baseball elegy for a condemned field might just be exactly what your soul needs.
Now excuse me while I go emotionally recover from a penguin committing Bond-level crimes.
