By Mahnoosh Arsalan
Correspondent
2025 has been a powerful year for cinema, with movies like “One Battle After Another” and “The History of Sound” shaping and redefining the boundaries of film.
Iconic filmmakers like Park Chan-Wook, Guillermo del Toro and Gus Van Sant have each made their promise to return to the silver screen this year, along with filmmakers such as Kelly Reichardt and Lynne Ramsay, who have recently gained a great deal of cinematic recognition.
Though there are so many films in the future of the film industry, there are a select few gaining rave reviews and critical acclaim, posing the argument of which film will be this year’s Oscar-sweeping masterpiece.
Chan-Wook’s newest film “No Other Choice” is said to be a blood-soaked thrill. It follows a man recently laid off from his job attempting to reclaim every ounce of his dignity, no matter how violent and extreme.
After being presented at Venice Film Festival, The Guardian refers to Chan-Wook’s film as the “sensational state-of-the-nation satire” of the year, mixing comedy with tragedy and crisis, and ultimately leaving the audience stunned. Despite his lack of Academy acclaim for his previous films, I would not be shocked to see the iconic director of “Oldboy” and “The Handmaiden” win an Oscar for this film.
Ramsay’s “Die My Love” starring Jennifer Lawrence and Robert Pattinson is one of the most talked about thrillers coming out this year.
The story follows a pair of newlyweds struggling in the early stages of marriage, going on a sinister journey, and has been compared to a previous film starring Lawrence titled “Mother!”
Time is detailing the film as Lawrence’s “best performance yet,” and the story as “complex” and “unsettling”. This is my most anticipated film of the year, just from early looks at the visuals, cinematography and snippets, the film seems to encapsulate my personal favorite things about film.
Maggie Gyllenhaal is returning to her director title this year with “The Bride!” a film following the chaos behind the reimagined story of Frankenstein’s bride. The film seems to incorporate influences from “Bonnie and Clyde” and “Young Frankenstein” according to Fangoria.
There is one final film you can expect to see in your local theater in the next few months, and that is Emerald Fennel’s adaptation of Emily Brontë’s “Wuthering Heights.” The film has gotten very degrading and unpromising opinions since its announcement, due to the problematic nature of Fennel’s casting.
Brontë’s story details the racial prejudice of the 19th century and the hardships of love and family, and Fennel’s retelling seems to highlight none of those themes. Fans complain that Fennel will turn Brontë’s love story into a story driven by pure lust, especially due to her previous film “Saltburn,” which was a lust-filled retelling of “The Talented Mr. Ripley”.
Ultimately, this year holds promise for film. These are just some of the many films to look out for in the foreseeable future. Keep the cinematic future alive—go to a local theater to see these films and more!
