SXSW 2025 is about to start, and we made a list of movies to watch at the festival! Here are 10 films you don’t want to miss at South By Southwest this year!
The wait is over: SXSW 2025 is about to begin! The Loud and Clear Reviews team will be in Austin this year, and we made a list of 10 movies to watch at the festival! If you’re going to South By Southwest and don’t know which films to look out for, check out these recommendations of anticipated world premieres and hidden gems! SXSW will take place on March 7-15, 2025, and these 10 movies are picked by our writers Joshua Stevens and Wesley Hunt, who’ll be at the festival this year. So without further ado, keep scrolling to rad the list, in alphabetical order, and you’ll find more movies at the end!
1. Ash
Headliner
Director: Flying Lotus
Country: United States
Flying Lotus is a concept artist in every medium, and continues his foray into film with a grand space opera. As a mysterious astronaut (Eiza González) wakes to find she is the sole survivor of a grand tragedy, she must piece together the events of the accident herself. This stunning mystery appears to be a new experiment in a different area of study from the visionary mind of Flying Lotus. (W.H.)
2. Creede U.S.A.
Documentary Spotlight
Director: Kahane Corn Cooperman
Country: United States
Creede U.S.A. is a small documentary that probably isn’t currently on many people’s radar, but it should be. Set in the titular, tiny mining town, the film explores political polarization by examining a town that seems split right down the middle. The town no doubt serves as a microcosm for all America, and this doc from director Kahane Corn Cooperman will hopefully shed some light on maintaining coexistence even in the midst of tribulated times. (J.S.)
3. Death of a Unicorn
Headliner
Director: Alex Scharfman
Country: United States
Anchored by familiar faces such as Jenna Ortega, Will Poulter, and Paul Rudd, Death of a Unicorn looks to be a fun, weird headliner at SXSW this year. The film promises both laughter and shocks, following a man and his daughter after they accidentally hit a unicorn with their car. Mixing horror, comedy, and fantasy, director Alex Scharfman (aided by a score by John Carpenter) hopes to offer a unique experience for viewers. This will be a potential crowd pleaser to kick off the festival. (J.S.)
4. Friendship
Festival Favorites
Director: Andrew DeYoung
Country: United States
Paul Rudd and Tim Robinson star in A24’s Friendship, described as “a hilariously unhinged nightmare comedy.” Director Andrew DeYoung looks to mix Rudd’s and Robinson’s signature sense of humor in this film about male bonding and, well, friendship. When Craig (Robinson) attempts to make friends with his new neighbor, things quickly go sideways. The sheer starpower of the two leads should be enough reason to check this one out. (J.S.)
5. It Ends
Narrative Feature Competition
Director: Alexander Ullom
Country: United States
They say this movie ends…but this is just the start. As some recent graduates decide to go on one final road trip together, they find a neverending trail spread before them. They can run away, or embrace the supernatural. Such a unique premise promises much while telling us little, which piques curiosity. If anything, this is worth a watch just to see where it will go and what will happen. Of all the films on the SXSW slot, this one seems the most mysterious. (W.H.)
6. Mermaid
Narrative Feature
Director: Tyler Cornack
Country: United States
Aquarium worker Doug (Johnny Pemberton) works to keep custody of his young daughter while dealing with withdrawal from drugs. Things take an interesting return when he discovers an injured mermaid washed ashore. Doug uses the care and nurturing of this mermaid to turn his life around. Using magic to convey all too real ideas of suffering, it manages to have broader personal appeal. While possibly not the “feel good story” of the year, it looks to be inspirational and may help someone in recovery learn what it takes to survive. (W.H.)
7. My Uncle Jens
Narrative Feature Competition
Director: Brwa Vahabpour
Country: Norway
I saw the words “young literature teacher” in the description, and I was hooked (it hits a little close to home). This Norwegian film, the feature length debut for director Brwa Vahabpour, follows this young literature teacher, who is living peaceably in Oslo until his distant uncle makes an appearance. Exploring family dynamics and societal expectations, My Uncle Jens sounds heartwarming and humorous, and has the potential to be a light, crowd-pleasing hit. (J.S.)
8. O’Dessa
Narrative Spotlight
Director: Geremy Jasper
Country: United States
This “post-apocalyptic rock opera” is sure to be one of the festival’s most memorable films. Starring Sadie Sink (Stranger Things, The Whale), O’Dessa follows a farm girl on a quest to retrieve a family heirloom. On her journey, she meets her one true love and must then attempt to save him with the power of music. Brought to screens via Searchlight Pictures and also starring Regina King and Kelvin Harrison Jr., the film looks to be an epic, eccentric adventure from Geremy Jasper. (J.S.)
9. Reeling
Narrative Feature Competition
Director: Yana Alliata
Country: United States
Ryan (Ryan Wuestewald) is still recovering from a tragic surfing incident. In yet another case of a repressed trauma film, what attempts to be a party celebrating his trauma actually makes him relive the moment that changed his life forever. Stories about repressed memories and reliving awful moments are common, but the premise and the idea of having it happen at a hula party offer a unique setting if nothing else. Reeling is sure to be a gut punch of a film. (W.H.)
10. Surviving Earth
Narrative Feature Competition
Director: Thea Gajic
Country: United Kingdom
Thea Gajic makes her feature film debut with this biopic about success in the face of danger. Vlad (Slavko Sobin) escapes from Yugoslavia to the UK and brings his harmonica with him. After immigrating, he starts a band and performs his music for the masses, but cannot quite shake the trauma of escaping his war-torn homeland. It is sure to be a brutal but rewarding watch. This film looks like a new perspective on musical biopics and about adjusting to a new environment. (W.H.)
SXSW 2025 – More Movies to Watch at the Festival:
- 40 Acres
- The Accountant 2
- American Sweatshop
- Another Simple Favor
- Asco: Without Permission
- The Astronaut
- The Ballad of Wallis Island
- Corina
- Drop
- The Dutchman
- Glorious Summer
- Hallow Road
- Holland
- Magic Hour
- New Jack Fury
- Odyssey
- The Rivals of Amziah King
- $POSITIONS
- The Surfer
- The Surrender
South By Southwest 2025 will take place on March 7-15, 2025 in Austin, Texas.
