The 50 Top Films of 2025 You May Have Overlooked

      The awards season and end-of-year lists often highlight films released in the last few months, causing many noteworthy titles to be overlooked. For our annual feature showcasing the 50 best films you may have missed—arriving prior to our overall top 50—we’ve made a dedicated effort to uncover those gems that deserved more recognition at their initial release but have largely been excluded from year-end discussions. With many of these films now available on various streaming platforms, we hope they will reach a wider audience.

      While numerous documentaries could have made this list, we focused solely on narrative films; readers can refer to our roundup of the top documentaries separately. We also excluded any films from 2025 that only had awards-qualifying screenings this year.

      Below is the list of U.S. releases, presented in alphabetical order.

      **The Accident (Giuseppe Garau)**

      It's refreshing when a film doesn’t linger longer than necessary, as writer-director Giuseppe Garau captures in *The Accident.* In just 65 minutes, Garau immerses us in the life of Marcella (Giulia Mazzarino), a single mother experiencing a day filled with misfortunes: she's late picking her daughter up from school, loses her job (to her ex-husband's father, the grandfather of her child), gets into a minor car accident, and ultimately loses custody. Utilizing a clever formal technique that confines the narrative to a single perspective, *The Accident* becomes a dynamic, inventive, and surprisingly humorous journey as we witness Marcella endure one humiliation after another, dragging herself through hardship just to make it through. – C.J. P. (full review)

      **April (Dea Kulumbegashvili)**

      Similar to *Beginning,* *April* embodies a sense of mediated reality. The director draws inspiration from fictionalized accounts rooted in real-life experiences, especially those from her hometown at the foot of the Caucasus mountains in Georgia. The sparse dialogue, prolonged takes, and palpable atmosphere of escalating violence surrounding the protagonist—a Jehovah's Witness pastor's wife played by the lead, Ia Sukhitashvili—create an intense, immersive experience. In *April,* Arseni Khachaturan’s measured and persistent camera reveals a simultaneously familiar and uncanny world, rife with violent storms, captivating sunsets, and a decaying patriarchal society that stifles women's independence. Nina (Sukhitashvili), an OB-GYN, faces the grim reality of reporting a newborn's death stemming from an unregistered pregnancy, as the local woman’s husband pushes for an investigation, aware of the rumors about Nina performing illegal abortions—a stance the patriarchal system cannot tolerate. – Savina P. (full review)

      **The Balconettes (Noémie Merlant)**

      The stylish balconies of Marseille provide a visually appealing backdrop for Noémie Merlant’s sophomore film, *The Balconettes,* especially captured through a sweeping crane shot. As the camera glides across the façades and their blue window blinds, comparisons to *Rear Window* come to mind. Yet, we glimpse small figures of men and women grappling with the heat as we gain an intimate view into their lives. On one balcony, a woman endures yet another beating, but this time she fights back. This marks the beginning of a film that intricately combines comedy and supernatural horror elements to explore the various ways women can support each other in the face of violence. – Savina P. (full review)

      **The Ballad of Suzanne Césaire (Madeleine Hunt-Ehrlich)**

      Madeleine Hunt-Ehrlich’s debut feature, *The Ballad of Suzanne Césaire,* attempts to foreground its literary and historical context but often highlights its dreamlike qualities and environmental themes—the metaphorical “wind in the trees.” The titular figure, along with her more recognized husband Aimé Césaire, played a crucial role in the négritude movement, which sought to connect Francophone literature from colonized peoples with their African heritage, weaving this narrative in a surrealistic manner. Drawing from extensive research, collaboration with academic specialists, and consultations with the Césaire descendants, Hunt-Ehrlich's ambitious formal approach complicates our understanding, as “feeling” tends to eclipse our comprehension. The vibrant Caribbean music and torch songs on the soundtrack reinforce that this is a ballad, rather than a didactic lecture about Suzanne Césaire. – David K. (full review)

      **The Baltimorons (Jay Duplass)**

      A delightful return for Jay Duplass, who makes his solo-directing debut with *The Baltimorons,* this film evokes the spirit of the low-budget indies he co-directed with his brother Mark. Written and starring robust stand-up comedian Michael Strassner, the film is set in Baltimore and chronicles the mishaps of an unlikely romantic pair: Strassner’s Cliff, a stand-up comedian six months sober, and his older,