Yahoo Lifestyle The 13 Best Films Out of the 2025 Sundance Film Festival
If there was an overarching theme to the slate of offerings at this year's Sundance Film Festival, it would be how to make the most of it all. Some of our favorite films that debuted at the event this year, including Bill Condon's Kiss of the Spider Woman, James Sweeney's Twinless, and Eva Victor's breakout feature Sorry Baby, are all stories that showcase their characters dealing with the cards life has dealt them and navigating grief, identity politics, and unrequited love.
As always, the fest also delivered a well-rounded array of striking performances, from Josh O'Connor as a reserved rancher to Molly Gordon as an unhinged, clingy girlfriend. It also featured a set of documentaries recounting the lives of two gone-too-soon real life figures: Selena Quintanilla and Jeff Buckley—these all being films that are likely to stick with us throughout the year. Ahead, take a look at our 13 favorite debuts out of Sundance.
Twinless
Dylan O'Brien has never been more funny, charming, and vulnerable in this upcoming black comedy from writer and director James Sweeney. O'Brien portrays Roman, a hyper-masculine 20-something man grieving the death of his twin brother, Rocky (also played by O'Brien). After participating in a twin grief group, he meets Dennis, a gay illustrator, and the two develop a bromance of sorts wherein they bond over their shared twin loss. All is not what it seems with Dennis, however, and the film's plot twist is guaranteed to make your jaw drop.
Selena Y Los Dinos
One could argue that there isn't more to say about the life and career of Selena Quintanilla, the late Tejano musician who changed the face of Latin pop before her untimely death at the age of 23. In director Isabel Castro's new documentary however, Selena's family share their most precious memories and recollections of life on the road and on the rise with the powerhouse singer. While the film doesn't necessarily teach us anything new about the star, it's worth watching for the never-before-seen footage that provides a deeper look at Selena the person, rather than the pop star.
Kiss of the Spider Woman
Jennifer Lopez has never been better than in Bill Condon's upcoming adaption of the queer romance musical, Kiss of the Spider Woman. The feature is both a dazzling old-style musical and a raw and moving depiction of a romance between a gender fluid window dresser, who is incarcerated in an Argentinian prison, and their new cellmate—and it's easily Condon’s most radical film offering yet. Lopez, along with newcomer Tonatiuh and Latin film icon Diego Luna deliver unforgettable performances.
Bunnylovr
In Katarina Zhu's directorial debut, she herself stars as Rebecca, your average Bushwick-dwelling New York 20-something who is yearning for connection in an increasingly isolating world. She works by night as a cam girl for extra money, and one day, a mysterious suitor gifts her a rare breed of bunny that ends up helping her find a sense of purpose while her life falls apart around her. Rachel Sennott also stars.
It's Never Over, Jeff Buckley
In this moving documentary helmed by director Amy Berg, viewers revisit the life and legacy of musician Jeff Buckley through the lens of the women that loved him. His cut-too-short career is often overshadowed by the mysterious nature of his death, but Berg manages to piece together who the man behind the music really was via archival footage and intimate narration from Buckley himself.
Oh, Hi!
In this indie comedy, Molly Gordon (Theater Camp, The Bear) and Logan Lerman (The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Percy Jackson) portray new couple Iris and Isaac, who are enjoying their first vacation together—until it quickly goes awry, thanks to their constant miscommunication and mismatched expectations of each other. Determined to keep their relationship intact, Iris goes to increasingly unhinged lengths to keep her beau. The film is being described as a hilarious—if not a bit unsettling—commentary on the blurred lines of modern dating.
Sly Lives! AKA The Burden of Black Genius
So many bonafide musical greats wouldn't exist if it weren't for the bold audacity of Sylvester Stewart aka Sly Stone. In a new documentary helmed by another musical maestro, Questlove, fellow acclaimed artists like D'Angelo, Andre 3000, Jimmy Jam, Terry Lewis and more analyze the impact of Sly and the Family Stone and how their music continues to unknowingly inspire.
Rebuilding
Josh O'Connor as a western cowboy? We're intrigued. Thirst aside, beloved director Max Walker-Silverman delivers a moving portrait of a reserved rancher who loses his home in a wildfire. Forced to temporarily reside in a trailer park, he reconsiders what "home" really looks like in the aftermath of tragedy. Meghann Fahy, Kali Reis, and Lily LaTorre also star.
Seeds
In her directorial debut, Brittany Shyne highlights a trio of generational Black farmers stretched throughout the American South. Seeds is quite literally a quiet documentary—often the only sound that backtracks any on-camera conversation is the calm hum of farm life itself—like oinking pigs and rooster calls—but it's pared back style speaks to the often lonely environment of life on the land. The film also reminds viewers of what once was: at one point, Black farmers owned 16 million acres of land across America, a number that has dwindled to much less.
Sorry Baby
In writer-director Eva Victor's debut, she portrays Agnes, a grad student-turned-professor who is on a years-long healing journey following the sexual assault she experienced while in college. Unlike most films that center around sexual trauma, Sorry Baby doesn't center the worst thing that happened to it's protagonist. Filmed in a set of out of order "chapters," Sorry Baby celebrates the little triumphs that arise we're trying our hardest to move on. A24 has already acquired rights to the film.
Unzipped
While technically not a new release, the 2025 festival reminded us of one of our favorite—and most formative—fashion documentaries. Douglas Keeve's Unzipped is a relic of it's time—the '90s when fashion was really fashion—and the cameos in this 73-minute feature really speak to the film's star quality. Isaac Mizrahi, Cindy Crawford, Naomi Campbell, Kate Moss, and Linda Evangelista all appear—need we say more?
Together
If the success of The Substance has proven anything, it's that body horror is back in a big way. In this feature from writer and director Michael Shanks, real-life couple Dave Franco and Alison Brie portray a husband and wife who are feeling increasingly isolated after their recent move to the countryside. Eventually losing contact with their friends and sense of self and home, the film takes a freaky turn as it explores the perils of codependent relationships. Notably, it was the first film to get bought out of this year's festival.
Atropia
Starring Alia Shawkat, Callum Turner, Chloë Sevigny, Tim Heidecker and more, Atropia is an off-kilter commentary on American war culture. Shawkkat and Turner are two actors in a "military war playing facility" who fall in love and threaten the success of their "show" due to their forbidden romance.
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