Today, we start off 2025 with a list of my most anticipated films set to release this year (as of right now).

15. The Monkey

When twin brothers Bill and Hal find their father’s old monkey toy in the attic, a series of gruesome deaths start. The siblings decide to throw the toy away and move on with their lives, growing apart over the years.

From what I have gathered, The Monkey is a horror movie based on a Stephen King short story. While it has a solid cast in Theo James, Tatiana Maslany, and Elijah Wood, the main reason I’m interested in this is because it’s the newest movie from Osgood Perkins, fresh off from making Longlegs last year. I liked his work on that and The Blackcoat’s Daughter and based on the premise and darkly comic teaser, I’m interested in this too.

14. The Accountant 2

The Accountant was a pretty enjoyable action thriller starring Ben Affleck. A sequel was in development in 2017 but after a while I assumed the project was dead, so I was surprised to learn that they were proceeding with it after all. Many of the familiar cast and crew are returning, with Gavin O’Connor as director, and Affleck, Jon Bernthal and J.K. Simmons reprising their roles. I’m not exactly sure what direction it will go in storywise, but it does have me curious at the very least.

13. From the World of John Wick: Ballerina

A young female assassin seeks revenge against the people who killed her family.

Ignoring its given unnecessarily long title, Ballerina is a John Wick spinoff which will take place between Chapters 3 and 4. It’ll be led by Ana de Armas, have supporting actors in Gabriel Byrne and Norman Reedus, but will also have returning familiar faces from the franchise, with Keanu Reeves as John Wick, Ian McShane as Winston Scott, Anjelica Huston as “The Director”, and Lance Reddick as Charon in his final performance. The one thing that might give people pause is that director Len Wiseman is no Chad Stahelski or David Leitch, and it was even rumoured that there were reshoots by Stahelski. That said, Wiseman is still working with the same crew who worked on the main John Wick movies. Not to mention, the trailers certainly look on point, both with the visuals and the action. At the very least, it’s hard to see a scenario in which Ballerina isn’t entertaining on any level.

12. Wolf Man

Blake and his family are attacked by an unseen animal and, in a desperate escape, barricade themselves inside a farmhouse as the creature prowls the perimeter. As the night stretches on, however, Blake begins to behave strangely, transforming into something unrecognizable that soon jeopardizes his wife and daughter.

Leigh Whannell’s last movie was a modern take on The Invisible Man, and now we get to see his take on The Wolf Man. I’ve really enjoyed his directing work on TIM and Upgrade, and with the additions of Christopher Abbott and Julia Garner in the cast, I’m sure he will deliver again. The trailer does look good. I know that there’s some skepticism regarding the design of the actual Wolf Man with it being seemingly and ill-advisedly revealed at a random public event, but I have faith in Whannell that it will work.

11. The Running Man

The Running Man is most known as a sci-fi film starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, which is also an adaptation of the Stephen King novel of the same name. This newest adaptation is to be helmed by Edgar Wright. While I like Wright’s movies, I haven’t really been able to love his movies outside of his Cornetto trilogy. That said, I can see him delivering some great stuff with The Running Man. Add in a solid cast in Glen Powell, Katy O’Brian, Josh Brolin, Lee Pace, Michael Cera, Emilia Jones and William H. Macy, and I think this movie has potential.

10. Eddington

Revolves around a couple stranded in a small New Mexico town during the pandemic. Initially welcomed, the town takes a sinister turn by nightfall. 

With his 3 feature films in Hereditary, Midsommar and Beau is Afraid, I’m not really sure what to expect from director Ari Aster. Still, his latest film is at least intriguing. It has a great cast, with Joaquin Phoenix reuniting with Aster following Beau is Afraid, in addition to Pedro Pascal, Emma Stone and Austin Butler. It is difficult to gauge what sort of movie Eddington is going to be based on the limited information we have. It doesn’t appear to be a straight up horror movie, but Beau is Afraid dabbled in multiple genres (including bits of horror) so that is to be expected. Whatever the case, I am curious to check it out. Anyone bold enough to make and release such a strange and uncompromising film like Beau Is Afraid has my respect and my interest for their next films.

9. The Bride!

In 1930s Chicago, Frankenstein asks Dr. Euphronius to help create a companion. They give life to a murdered woman as the Bride, sparking romance, police interest, and radical social change.

Maggie Gyllenhaal’s follow up to The Lost Daughter is definitely a very different kind of movie, and it happens to be a Frankenstein movie. There are many takes on Frankenstein (in fact it’s not the only one releasing this year), and Gyllenhaal specifically seems to be drawing from Bride of Frankenstein. I’m interested in seeing what she has in mind for this, especially with a great cast including the likes of Jessie Buckley, Christian Bale, Penelope Cruz, Peter Sarsgard, Annette Bening, and Jake Gyllenhaal.

8. Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery

Director and writer Rian Johnson returns with his latest Knives Out whodunit comedy, with Daniel Craig returning to the lead role of detective Benoit Blanc, and a new ensemble cast in Josh O’Connor, Glenn Close, Josh Brolin, Mila Kunis, Jeremy Renner, Kerry Washington, Andrew Scott, Cailee Spaeny and Thomas Haden Church. I loved both Knives Out and Glass Onion and I am curious to see what direction Johnson will take the third movie in this series. While I did enjoy the second movie, I am hoping that Wake Up Dead Man is a little more focused on being an actual whodunnit murder mystery this time.

7. Sinners

Trying to leave their troubled lives behind, twin brothers return to their hometown to start again, only to discover that an even greater evil is waiting to welcome them back.

With Fruitvale Station, Creed and the Black Panther movies, I am interested in whatever Ryan Coogler directs. His next movie is a vampire western, which of course has me very interested, and the trailer looks very exciting. Add on top of that a solid cast with Michael B. Jordan, Hailee Steinfeld, Jack O’Connell, and Delroy Lindo, and this has a lot of potential.

6. Highest 2 Lowest

A remake of a classic Akira Kurosawa film isn’t usually something that’s anticipated. However, the casting of Denzel Washington and Jeffrey Wright and most of all Spike Lee as director does have me interested. I am aware that he did a remake of Oldboy which was largely reviled, but from what I understand, it was largely due to studio problems, and I’m still interested to see what his take on High and Low is.

5. 28 Years Later

I really wasn’t expecting a return to the 28 Days Later franchise but here are. Not only that, but this movie will mark the first entry of a new trilogy, with the second film titled 28 Years Later Part II: The Bone Temple being directed by Nia DaCosta. On top of having a great cast in Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Jodie Comer, Ralph Fiennes, Jack O’Connell, and Erin Kellyman, Danny Boyle and Alex Garland are returning as director and writer, and even Cillian Murphy is reprising his role from the first movie. I’m not really sure which direction they are going in, especially with the plan being to make a whole new trilogy, but I am excited, especially with the great trailer that was recently released.

4. Mickey 17

A disposable employee is sent on a human expedition to colonize the ice world Niflheim. After one iteration dies, a new body is regenerated with most of his memories intact.

Bong Joon-ho has made some amazing movies, and made history with his Oscar winning Parasite. 6 years later he’s returning with his latest movie, Mickey 17. It’s a sci-fi movie with an intriguing premise involving cloning led by Robert Pattinson (multiple versions of him in fact), and co-starring Naomi Ackie, Mark Ruffalo, Toni Collette, Steven Yeun and Holliday Grainger. I already like the look of it from the trailer and based on Bong’s past work, it’s sure to be great.

3. Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning

2023 saw the release of Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One, with the second part intended to release the following year. However, due to the acting and writing strikes, the movie was delayed and now we are finally getting it in 2025. Now titled as The Final Reckoning, this eighth film in the franchise is supposedly its last. Christopher McQuarrie who has been in charge of the movies since the fifth film returns to direct, and we get much of the supporting cast from the last film with Hayley Atwell, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Vanessa Kirby, Esai Morales, Pom Klementieff, and of course Tom Cruise. The recent trailer looks incredible, with big action and stunts, teasing an epic and satisfying conclusion for this series.

2. Frankenstein

The second of the Frankenstein films set for release in 2025 comes from Guillermo del Toro of all people, and the prospect of a del Toro helmed Frankenstein film kind of sells itself. It’s also backed up by an excellent ensemble cast in Oscar Isaac, Jacob Elrodi, Mia Goth, Christoph Waltz, Lars Mikkelsen, David Bradley, Charles Dance and Ralph Ineson. Even without knowing much about the film, I’m excited to see Guillermo del Toro’s take on the classic story.

1. Avatar: Fire and Ash