At the end of 2025, we list the top 10 best underseen movies that you might have missed during the year at the theater.
Very little will irk me more, as a cinephile, than the endless discussions about whether this is a “good movie year” or not. This, of course, occurs annually without regard to any kind of truth. The actual truth is that all years are good movie years. Calling it bad tells me that you may be talking about the mainstream movies or the awards movies or some other random categorical group of films. Speaking as someone who watches at least 400 movies a year (I know, it’s a problem), it is not a matter of if there are good movies every year; it is where to find them! But lucky you, that is exactly what you have stumbled upon in this very article. Here are the Top 10 Underseen Movies of 2025!
10. Dangerous Animals
As a lover of genre film, I am literally always in the mood for a great killer shark movie. And Dangerous Animals is both this and something entirely different. Somehow, it is also a really fun, grimy serial killer movie. You see, the film follows Zephyr (Hassie Harrison), a bit of an aimless American surfer who travels to the Gold Coast of Australia. After a one-night stand, she encounters Tucker (a perfectly dastardly Jai Courtney), who immediately kidnaps her about his boat, the perfectly named “Tucker’s Experience.”
As the film unfolds as a survival horror movie, we are treated to not only Zephyr’s attempts to escape, but the revelation that Tucker uses chum to lure sharks to do his dirty, murderous work. Our protagonist becomes easy to root for, showcasing strength, wits, and savvy. Dangerous Animals is lean and extremely mean; director Sean Byrne combines sea survival and serial killer schlock to create something altogether new and bloody exciting.
9. The Ballad of Wallis Island
Nice is not a four letter word. I mean sure, it is in reality, but you get what I am saying. The Ballad of Wallis Island is a nice movie. It is also a movie about adult relationships and how they change shape. The film also, as it should, features some really excellent music. Charles Heath (a half annoying, half adorable Tim Key) sets everything in motion. He is an odd man who happens to be a millionaire. As his wife died a few years back, he has decided to use his money to invite one half of the folk duo McGwyer Mortimer for a private show on Wallis Island.
It is revealed that both he and his late wife were massive fans and used a fair amount of their money traveling the world and attending these concerts. That half, Herb McGwyer (Tom Basden), has become a pop artist after leaving his partner, Nell Mortimer (Carey Mulligan, of Promising Young Woman), but has never come close to the success of the duo. If you have seen a movie of any kind before, it will not surprise you that, very soon, Nell also arrives on the island. The Ballad of Wallis Island can be recommended to just about everyone and does a masterful job of weaving character growth, beautiful music, and more than its share of awkward humor.
8. The Actor
I won’t lie to you. This one won’t be for everyone. It has moments that are borderline inscrutable. This may be Duke Johnson’s solo director debut, but he did co-direct Anomalisa with Charlie Kaufman. And if you know anything about Kaufman…yeah, definitely difficult. The Actor is focused on Paul Cole (the always great André Holland, of Exhibiting Forgiveness) as a struggling actor who just so happens to have amnesia. We know that he is from New York but gets quickly stranded in small town Ohio. He must slowly unravel the mystery of who he is, all while surviving this new life and finding connection, mostly with Edna (Gemma Chan, of The Creator).
This movie is a joy to watch unfold, as Johnson employs no cheats, which is particularly difficult in a movie about memory and amnesia. There are times in which we feel just as lost as Paul, and this is to the film’s great advantage. If you stick with it and allow it to permeate without getting frustrated, there is a great deal of beauty, love, and sorrow to behold. Do yourself a favor and give over to The Actor; you’ll be better for it.
7. Rebuilding
My goodness, Josh O’Connor has had quite the busy year! The Mastermind, Wake Up Dead Man, and The History of Sound would be an excellent year in cinema for any actor. And yet, his best performance just may be in a movie that few saw, Rebuilding. The film is about exactly what the title would lead you to believe. Dusty Fraser, Jr. (O’Connor) has lost his farm due to wildfires and is forced to begin again. This first entails meeting up with his ex-wife, Ruby (Meghann Fahy, in an all-too-brief performance) and their daughter, Callie Rose (Lily LaTorre).
As he struggles to cross emotional divides with his family, he also tries to, you guessed it, rebuild his professional life. But, like in life, nothing is easy for Dusty. He is stopped at every turn by governmental rules and ends up in a camp with other folks who have had similar losses. This is where both Dusty and the film become something new and unexpected.
Rebuilding is not the story of one man defeating the odds. Instead, he must rebuild from the inside out. O’Connor can do nearly anything as an actor, but watching him use the pauses in between the sparse dialogue, you can see the beginnings of one of our best working actors. It is the rare actor who shares the screen well, with no interest in domination. O’Connor lets the work come to him, and it shows.
6. Freaky Tales
Here I am again, begging you to see Freaky Tales. Back in March, I reviewed it for this very site. This is a movie that feels like it belongs in a different time, in many ways. First, it is an anthology film (remember those?). But more importantly, its setting in the Bay Area of the 1980s informs every second of this film. Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, blessedly free of the comic book machine post Captain Marvel, return to their roots, making a funny, action-packed, knowing ode to the Bay.
There are, as you might expect, several overlapping stories, but they are all good enough to stand on their own as short films. Aided by a star-studded cast (Pedro Pascal, Ben Mendelsohn, Too $hort, plus a Tom Hanks appearance), Boden and Fleck set out on a mission to excite their audience and they never fail. These four lightly connected stories will entertain, shock, and enthrall you for the quickest 106 minutes of 2025.
5. Videoheaven
2025 has also been a tremendous year for documentaries, so one definitely had to make the list. Videoheaven is absolutely one for the sickos, especially for those of us of…a certain age. The director, Alex Ross Perry, who had an amazing 1-2 punch of docs, paired with Pavements, takes us on a journey both back in time and emotionally. He eschews the use of the standard talking head documentary style for more of a video essay aesthetic. This allows the film to use countless scenes from movies (both popular and underseen) to underscore the sharply written script.
Narrated by Maya Hawke, Videoheaven explores the rise and fall of our favorite video rental stores, both of the chain and mom-and-pop variety. This is a long documentary, at nearly three hours, and yet, it feels like it raises enough questions to dig into this journey even more. Videoheaven is a hypnotic, illuminating, and deeply engaging documentary about something we all miss and care about.
4. Familiar Touch
For writers, readers, and creatives (and many others), there is perhaps nothing more terrifying than the specter of cognitive decline. It is something that most of us have seen in relatives or, minimally, on screen. Familiar Touch is about this, but it is also about the power of connection and physical touch. Early on in the film, it is revealed that Ruth (Kathleen Chalfant) is struggling with memory and needs to be placed in a home. It would have been easy for this film to focus on her sadness, anger, and confusion, as most films about Alzheimer’s or general cognitive issues tend to.
But this is a much more personal portrayal and, frankly, Chalfant gives one of the best performances of the year. This is a movie that a list like this was made for. There is no chance that Chalfant will be mentioned alongside Byrne, Buckley, Erivo, or Reinsve but she absolutely should. As we move through Ruth’s new reality, thanks to stunning direction from Sarah Friedland, we feel deep empathy for Ruth, her adult son, and the workers at the care facility. This is a truly balanced film that deserves your viewing. I would find it difficult to imagine anyone walking away from Familiar Touch unmoved.
3. Lurker
There are movies that are purely entertaining and there are movies that haunt our brains long after the credits roll. Lurker is absolutely the latter. There are many movies about stalkers, obsession, and fandom. But Lurker is so much more than that. It follows Matthew (Théodore Pellerin), who is working at a clothing shop when pop star Oliver (Archie Madekwe) walks through the doors. Matthew takes his opportunity to manipulate and impress the musician and works quickly to ingratiate himself into his life.
Lurker takes the interesting angle of making the obsessed fan the protagonist of the film, forcing the viewer to attempt to understand. It places us in a role of judgment, of both Matthew and Oliver. This is not a film focused on likable characters or easy choices. No one here is innocent, but as everything unravels, it remains alluring. Who wouldn’t be tempted to stay in the light of fame, by whatever means are available?
2. Eephus
As I get older, I naturally find myself drawn to films about aging and even holding on to youth, in whatever small ways I am able. Eephus is a story of playing for, literally, the love of the game. It is focused on one last game of baseball between teams of aging men, before the field is destroyed to build a school. It wears its themes on its jersey quite clearly. The old men holding on, just before the youth intrude and take over. Plus, the joy (and pain) inherent in our love of any hobby.
Despite Eephus being, at times, a laugh out loud comedy, it has a serious side too. Whether it is engaging with art, playing sports, or adding to your collection, there is a focus and a drive necessary to continue. It is always easier to simply stop and make way for the next people in line. But it still manages a balance between its very serious discussion of the passage of time with (mostly) good-hearted barbs between its characters. Eephus is not a film where you will recognize any of the players, and this is a net positive. It is pleasant to spend time with these sometimes ornery men without the distraction of recognition. This will be us someday, holding on for just one more at bat, even if we must move our cars on to the field for a little extra light.
1. The Ugly Stepsister
So, let’s get it out of the way. This movie is gross, violent, and upsetting. If that isn’t your style, I won’t recommend it. But if you are up for something different, The Ugly Stepsister is, in this writer’s opinion, one of the best movies of the year, underseen or not. As you might be able to tell from the title, it is the Cinderella story, but from the perspective of one of the stepsisters. But please keep in mind, this is much more Brothers Grimm than Walt Disney. Everything you have heard about the violence of the original story will be shown, in excessive detail.
But it is not simply a recounting of an old tale; director Emilie Blichfeldt attacks the horrific beauty standards that women face with an unflinching gaze. As the director begins using torture devices to substitute for plastic surgery and literal tapeworms for weight loss, it is difficult to not flinch away from what Elvira (Lea Myren) is doing to herself for success, marriage, and her relationship with her mother, Rebekka (Ane Dahl Torp), even as it begins to miraculously work.
As the points of the fairy tale become clear, Blichfeldt never paints the “Cinderella” character as pure and perfect, which allows us to relate to the natural villains of the story. But, there are no happy endings here, and she dares us to lean in closer as what we know must occur does. The Ugly Stepsister is top tier horror, fantasy, fairy tale magic and should absolutely be on your watchlist, if you have the stomach!