Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 2 2024
Pulled from theaters six weeks before release; played Venice with no reviews, still undated. Chapter 1 hit No. 1 on Netflix and Sean started getting texts calling it a masterpiece.
The Big Picture · Awards · Discussion · Roundtable
The 25 Most Anticipated Movies of 2025
January 14, 2025/ 108 min/ Sean Fennessey · Amanda Dobbins
Back in Los Angeles as the fires still burn, Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins get through the SAG and DGA nominations, wonder aloud if three movies will ever actually come out, then count down their 25 most anticipated films of 2025: 12 apiece, plus a 25th they pick together from a very long honorable-mentions list.
85 films across 5 segments.
AI-generated This episode was transcribed and analyzed with AI models. The matches aren't perfect — expect the occasional misheard title or a link to the wrong film.
The SAG Award Nominationsannounced by email as the fires spread
Outstanding Cast (Film Ensemble)
Male Actor in a Leading Role
- The Brutalist Adrien Brody
- A Complete Unknown Timothée Chalamet
- Queer Daniel Craig
- Sing Sing Colman Domingo
- Conclave Ralph Fiennes
Male Actor in a Supporting Role
- Wicked Jonathan Bailey
- Anora Yura Borisov
- A Real Pain Kieran Culkin
- A Complete Unknown Edward Norton
- The Apprentice Jeremy Strong
Female Actor in a Supporting Role
- A Complete Unknown Monica Barbaro
- The Last Showgirl Jamie Lee Curtis
- The Piano Lesson Danielle Deadwiler
- Wicked Ariana Grande
- Emilia Pérez Zoe Saldaña
Female Actor in a Leading Role
- The Last Showgirl Pamela Anderson
- Wicked Cynthia Erivo
- Emilia Pérez Carla Sofía Gascón
- Anora Mikey Madison
- The Substance Demi Moore
Outstanding Film Stunt Ensemble
The DGA Award Nominationsalso announced by email
Theatrical Feature Film
- Emilia Pérez Jacques Audiard
- Anora Sean Baker
- Conclave Edward Berger
- The Brutalist Brady Corbet
- A Complete Unknown James Mangold
First-Time Feature Film
- All We Imagine as Light Payal Kapadia
- My Old Ass Megan Park
- Nickel Boys RaMell Ross
- Armand Halfdan Ullmann Tøndel
- Dìdi Sean Wang
Is This Even Happening?three titles they're not sure will ever come out
Ella McCay 2025
James L. Brooks's first film since 2010's How Do You Know, believed in production, starring Emma Mackey.
The Way of the Wind
Terrence Malick's Jesus film, shot years ago. Géza Röhrig as Jesus, Matthias Schoenaerts as Peter, Mark Rylance as Satan. 'It's all a continuum.'
The 25 Most Anticipated Movies of 2025 Sean picked 12, Amanda picked 12, and they chose the 25th together
Picked by Sean Fennessey
Eddington 2025
No. 12. Ari Aster's black-comedy Western: Joaquin Phoenix, Pedro Pascal, Emma Stone, Austin Butler, shot by Darius Khondji. A New Mexico sheriff with higher aspirations.
Picked by Amanda Dobbins
M3GAN 2.0 2025
No. 12. Akela Cooper writing again, Allison Williams back, dated June 27. 'It's Ma-toogan to me.'
Picked by Sean Fennessey
Mother Mary 2025
No. 11. David Lowery's epic melodrama: Anne Hathaway as a pop star, Michaela Coel as a fashion designer, songs by Jack Antonoff and Charli XCX.
Picked by Amanda Dobbins
Hamnet 2025
No. 11. Chloé Zhao's adaptation of the Maggie O'Farrell novel, with Paul Mescal as Shakespeare and Jessie Buckley as Agnes. Only this low because Amanda knows how sad it is.
Picked by Sean Fennessey
A Big Bold Beautiful Journey 2025
No. 10. Kogonada's follow-up to After Yang: Margot Robbie's first lead since Barbie, opposite Colin Farrell. The kind of star-driven original Sean keeps asking studios to make.
Picked by Amanda Dobbins
Die My Love 2025
No. 10. Lynne Ramsay's first film since You Were Never Really Here: Jennifer Lawrence and Robert Pattinson, postpartum psychosis, relocated from France to Montana.
Picked by Sean Fennessey
Superman 2025
No. 9. James Gunn's, out July 11, with David Corenswet. Sean wants to be inspired and doesn't care about the suit discourse.
Picked by Amanda Dobbins
Blue Moon 2025
No. 9. Richard Linklater on Lorenz Hart and the opening night of Oklahoma!, with Ethan Hawke as Hart and Andrew Scott as Oscar Hammerstein II. Rumored for Cannes.
Picked by Amanda Dobbins
Nouvelle Vague 2025
No. 9 (the other half). Linklater's second 2025 film, the making of Breathless, with Zoey Deutch.
Picked by Sean Fennessey
The Mastermind 2025
No. 8. Kelly Reichardt's art-heist movie set against the Vietnam War: Josh O'Connor, John Magaro, Gaby Hoffmann, Bill Camp, Alana Haim.
Picked by Amanda Dobbins
Paper Tiger 2026
No. 8. James Gray's two-brothers crime story with Adam Driver, Jeremy Strong, and Anne Hathaway. Hasn't shot yet, likely 2026.
Picked by Sean Fennessey
Sentimental Value 2025
No. 7. Joachim Trier reunites with Renate Reinsve and co-writer Eskil Vogt after The Worst Person in the World. Stellan Skarsgård, Elle Fanning, Cory Michael Smith.
Picked by Amanda Dobbins
Mickey 17 2025
No. 7. Bong Joon-ho's Parasite follow-up with Robert Pattinson, finally landing March 7 after countless date moves.
Picked by Sean Fennessey
Highest 2 Lowest 2025
No. 6. Spike Lee remaking Kurosawa's High and Low for Apple and A24: Denzel Washington, Jeffrey Wright, Ice Spice, A$AP Rocky.
Picked by Amanda Dobbins
After the Hunt 2025
No. 6. Luca Guadagnino's campus MeToo drama: Julia Roberts, Ayo Edebiri, Andrew Garfield, Michael Stuhlbarg, Chloë Sevigny, score by Reznor and Ross.
Picked by Sean Fennessey
Sinners 2025
No. 5. Ryan Coogler's period vampire movie, Michael B. Jordan as twins. Coogler negotiated to own the film after 25 years.
Picked by Amanda Dobbins
The Phoenician Scheme 2025
No. 5. Wes Anderson's espionage comedy: Benicio del Toro, Michael Cera, Bill Murray, Tom Hanks, Scarlett Johansson, and the usual sprawling ensemble.
Picked by Sean Fennessey
28 Years Later 2025
No. 4. Danny Boyle and Alex Garland's return to the trilogy, out June 20. Someone told Sean it's the best script they'd read in five years.
Picked by Amanda Dobbins
Black Bag 2025
No. 4. Steven Soderbergh's spy thriller: Cate Blanchett and Michael Fassbender, married spies, written by David Koepp. Out March 14.
Picked by Sean Fennessey
Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning 2025
No. 3. Sean never abandoned the franchise and never will. The trailer made Amanda cry in a theater at 10 a.m.
Picked by Amanda Dobbins
Materialists 2025
No. 3. Celine Song's follow-up to Past Lives: a matchmaker between Chris Evans and Pedro Pascal, with Dakota Johnson.
Picked by Sean Fennessey
Marty Supreme 2025
No. 2. Josh Safdie's first feature since Uncut Gems: Timothée Chalamet as a 1950s ping-pong hustler, with Gwyneth Paltrow. Dated for Christmas.
Picked by Amanda Dobbins
Opus 2025
No. 2. Mark Anthony Green's A24 horror debut with John Malkovich and Ayo Edebiri, premiering at Sundance. Amanda's very good friend directed it.
Picked by Sean Fennessey
The Battle of Baktan Cross 2025
No. 1. Paul Thomas Anderson's new film, out August 8: Leonardo DiCaprio, Regina Hall, Sean Penn, Teyana Taylor, Benicio del Toro. Maybe a Vineland adaptation.
Picked by Amanda Dobbins
F1 2025
No. 1. Joseph Kosinski and Brad Pitt's $350M racing spectacle, June 27. Amanda plans to catch it at Cannes.
Picked by Sean & Amanda
The Drama 2025
The 25th, chosen together from the honorable mentions. Christopher Borgli's new film with Robert Pattinson and Zendaya: movie stars and an original story they don't know much about.
The Honorable Mentionsthe long list they mined for the 25th pick
Caught Stealing 2025
Darren Aronofsky's, with Austin Butler as a former ballplayer, plus Zoë Kravitz, Regina King, Matt Smith. A real fight for Amanda, who thinks his movies are 'full of shit.'
The Running Man 2025
Edgar Wright's remake with Glen Powell and Colman Domingo as the host, from the Richard Bachman novel.
The Monkey 2025
Osgood Perkins's follow-up to Longlegs, with Theo James. Very violent, very bloody trailer.
No Other Choice 2025
New Park Chan-wook. Bobby's vote for the 25th slot.
Avatar: Fire and Ash 2025
James Cameron's third Avatar, almost certainly a parable that lands hard in the year of the LA fires.
Roofman 2025
Derek Cianfrance's old-school character piece: Channing Tatum, Kirsten Dunst, Peter Dinklage, Ben Mendelsohn, LaKeith Stanfield, Juno Temple.
Honey Don't! 2025
Ethan Coen's next, with Margaret Qualley.
Elio 2025
Pixar's original, pushed out of a crowded 2024. Zoe Saldaña voices a role.
Bugonia 2025
Yorgos Lanthimos and Emma Stone, the one she shaved her head for.
The Life of Chuck 2024
Mike Flanagan's TIFF audience-award winner with Tom Hiddleston, from a Stephen King story.
The Bride! 2025
Maggie Gyllenhaal's take on Bride of Frankenstein, starring Jessie Buckley.
Frankenstein 2025
Guillermo del Toro's, with Jacob Elordi as the monster.
Friendship 2024
The Paul Rudd and Tim Robinson A24 comedy, reportedly the funniest studio comedy in a decade.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps 2025
Marvel's reboot, set in a 1960s space-race world: Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, Ebon Moss-Bachrach. Directed by Matt Shakman.
Tron: Ares 2025
The third Tron, from Joachim Rønning (Young Woman and the Sea).
The History of Sound 2025
Oliver Hermanus's film with Josh O'Connor and Paul Mescal.
Also mentioned raised along the way
Comparisons and back-catalog they invoked After YangYou Were Never Really HereThe BatmanTwistersBreathlessMe and Orson WellesThe Newton BoysEverybody Wants Some!!Pulp FictionArmageddon TimeThe Worst Person in the WorldSaturday NightMay DecemberParasiteHigh and LowNosferatu28 Days Later28 Weeks LaterPresenceMr. & Mrs. SmithThe Black WindmillThe Holcroft CovenantMission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One21 Jump StreetPast LivesUncut GemsThe Smashing MachineBoogie NightsTop Gun: Maverick
In the honorable-mentions orbit Dream ScenarioSick of MyselfBlack SwanThe Wrestlermother!Last Night in SohoDetroitBlue ValentineThe Place Beyond the PinesInside Out 2Oh, CanadaOn Swift HorsesWuthering HeightsCannibal! The MusicalOrgazmoSouth Park: Bigger, Longer & UncutTeam America: World PoliceBASEketballAnchorman: The Legend of Ron BurgundyA Quiet Place: Day OneApollo 13Sleepaway CampSilent Night, Deadly NightFuriosa: A Mad Max SagaChallengers
Oscar history and odds and ends Everything Everywhere All at OnceStar WarsDeath on the NileEmilyBarbieHorizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1September 5Den of Thieves 2: Pantera
Not films filtered out: TV, games, ads
TV Sex EducationSaturday Night LiveThe CurseCowboy BebopCopenhagen CowboySouth Park
Podcasts The McShea ShowThe WatchThe TownThe Rewatchables
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