The 2025 Sundance Film Festival has come to an end, helping jump start the 2025 new movie year by premiering a number of movies that are going to get people’s attention over the course of the next 12 months. While I wasn’t in Park City, Utah, I paid close attention to what movies were garnering some major buzz and keeping an eye on early reviews from critics in attendance, looking to ID some of the potential breakout Sundance movies from this year’s program.
As many movie fans know, Sundance is one of the biggest film festivals in the world, where a number of movies that become eventual hits and award-winners make their premiere. Just look at last year’s offerings, which included Oscar-nominees A Real Pain, A Different Man and Sugarcane, as well as critical darlings like Didi, Love Lies Bleeding and My Old Ass. And of course a few years ago Sundance was where Best Picture winner CODA premiered. Long story short, every year we get a couple of big movies from Sundance, so what 2025 Sundance movies have the chance to be the breakouts?
Only time will truly bear that out, but I’m happy to give you my picks for the five Sundance 2025 movies I’m going to actively keep an eye out for this year. While a number of Sundance movies are going to be coming out within a few months of the festival (Sly Lives!, The Ballad of Wallis Island, The Wedding Banquet and The Legend of Ochi), these picks are movies that either don’t have a release date yet or are coming much later in the year; ones that I and other movie fans are going to be eagerly awaiting to watch for ourselves.
Without further ado, let’s get to my picks (in alphabetical order):
If I Had Legs I’d Kick You
Mary Bronstein’s If I Had Legs I’d Kick You came into Sundance as one of the buzzier titles as it starred Rose Byrne and already had distribution from A24. That buzz was justified when the movie screened to strong reviews. As of February 3, If I Had Legs I’d Kick You has a 90% “Fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with critic Ty Burr describing it as a movie “with the intensity cranked to 11 and stays there for the entire running time,” and the New York Post’s Johnny Oleksinski calling Byrne’s performance “unforgettable.” Throw in rare acting appearances from rapper A$AP Rocky and upcoming Oscar host Conan O’Brien and there’s a lot to be intrigued about in this dark comedy about a single mom’s life crashing down around her.
A24 hasn’t shared any release info as of yet, only that If I Had Legs I’d Kick You is “coming soon.”
Sorry, Baby
Sundance is also a place for brand new filmmakers to emerge, and one of the biggest potential breakouts is Sorry, Baby writer, director and star Eva Victor. Victor stars as Agnes, a graduate-student turned professor that must contend with past trauma while everyone else’s life appears to move on (among the supporting cast is Naomi Ackie, Lucas Hedges, John Carroll Lynch, Louis Cancelmi and Kelly McCormack). In addition to earning rave reviews (as of publication it has a 100% “Fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes), Victor won the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award for her debut movie.
A24 has attached its label to this movie as well, acquiring Sorry, Baby during the festival. However, no info on a potential release date has been shared.
Together
Because of my love last year for The Substance, I’ve become more open to trying out movies in the body horror genre, especially with the credentials that Together has. From writer/director Michael Shanks and starring Alison Brie and Dave Franco, the movie follows a couple as they move to the countryside, resulting in a supernatural incident that alters their relationship, existence and physical form. This is another one of this year’s Sundance movie that scored 100% on Rotten Tomatoes from the critics that saw it at the festival, and it was one of the few movies that received a distribution deal during the proceedings, with Neon picking it up.
Together is officially set for an August 1 release date.
Train Dreams
It's really early to make a call on which 2025 Sundance movies are going to be Oscar contenders at next year’s ceremony, but Train Dreams is definitely one that has to be considered among the favorites. From the team that made the Oscar-nominated Sing Sing, Clint Bentley and Greg Kwedar, this new movie starring Joel Edgerton, Felicity Jones, Kerry Condon and William H. Macy is a period drama set at the start of the 20th century following a man who is helping build America’s railroads, seeing a world “irrevocably transforming before his very eyes,” says the official description. A review from Brian Tallerico of RogerEbert.com says you don’t just watch Train Dreams, “you breathe it in” (the movie’s Rotten Tomatoes score as of publication is 91% “Fresh”).
Netflix acquired Train Dreams, but no details about its release by the streamer have been shared.
Twinless
Whenever you win one of the top prizes at a festival, you’re going to drum up a good bit of interest. Such is the case with Twinless, a dramedy written and directed by James Sweeney, which he also stars in alongside Dylan O’Brien. The two actors play bereaved twins that meet at a support group and form an unlikely friendship. Twinless left Sundance with the Audience Award in the US Dramatic competition and an Special Jury Acting Award for O’Brien, some nice hardware to go along with its 100% Rotten Tomatoes score. Some people not at the fest got to watch Twinless as it was available through Sundance’s online program, however the movie was taken down before the festival ended because there were issues with online leaks.
Despite the notable wins, Twinless has not been acquired for distribution as of publication.
I’m eagerly awaiting the chance to see these Sundance movies at some point this year. Are there any movies that you heard buzz about that you’re excited to watch?
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