10 Sundance movies you should know about now

The 2025 movie season is about to begin as the Sundance Film Festival kicks off, bringing a fresh crop of premieres in TV and film. With an online component, you don’t need to trek to the snowy mountains of Park City, Utah, to get in on the fun. But with so many titles being showcased, it can be confounding to know where to begin.

Fret not, movie buddies! Mashable has got you covered, having surveyed the cinematic landscape for the films most likely to have you shocked, awed, and entertained. Whether you relish a probing and poignant documentary, a gnarly horror story, a deeply quirky comedy, or a big, star-studded swing, there’s something sure to intrigue.

Last year, Sundance debuted such gems as I Saw the TV Glow, The Remarkable Life of Ibelin, Kneecap, Thelma, and Will & Harper. This year, what treasures might you find?

Pee-wee as Himself

Paul Reubens in “Pee-wee as Himself” by director Matt Wolf, an official selection of the 2025 Sundance Film Festival.
Credit: HBO

Pee-wee Herman is an icon, not only of children’s television but also of movies, theater, and counterculture performance art. Love him or hate him, everyone knows Pee-wee. But behind the goofy laugh and the signature gray suit, the late Paul Reubens was himself mysterious…until now. Pee-wee as Himself, a two-part HBO docuseries from director Matt Wolf, takes audiences behind the scenes of Pee-wee’s Playhouse and into Reubens’ home and personal life to create the fullest portrait ever seen of this fascinating figure.  

Through extensive interviews with the man himself and his loved ones — including Debi Mazar, David Arquette, and Cassandra Peterson (aka Elvira, Mistress of the Dark) — Pee-wee as Himself charts Reuben’s youth through his rise to fame as Pee-wee, including the tabloid-fodder scandals that threatened to derail his career, his Buffy the Vampire Slayer return, and beyond. While rich with intriguing personal stories and funny anecdotes, the most fascinating element of this doc is how Reubens himself interacts with Wolf, vying for control of the project and its perspective, even though he is its subject. Complex, poignant, and challenging, Pee-wee as Himself is a must-see for fans. The Secret Word is “Outstanding.” 

Pee-wee as Himself premieres in the Episodic section of Sundance on Jan. 23; a release on HBO will follow.

Zodiac Killer Project

A still from “Zodiac Killer Project” by Charlie Shackleton, an official selection of the 2025 Sundance Film Festival.
Credit: Courtesy of Sundance Institute

If you’re addicted to true crime, you’ll want to catch Zodiac Killer Project, a self-reflexive documentary that calls the genre’s tropes into question even as it relishes in them. 

Curiously, this is less a movie about a criminal case, and more a doc about a movie that was not made. Director Charlie Shackleton set out to make an epic true crime documentary about a cop who spent decades trying to convince the world that he’d identified the true Zodiac Killer. But before production began on this would-be film, the late officer’s family declined to sell the required rights. So Shackleton pivoted, making a doc that’s essentially a salty pitch of what his film would have been. Over “evocative b-roll” of desolate landscapes and eerie interiors, Shackleton delivers his own narration on what he would have done, describing production design, graphic treatments, and shot choices. He’ll note how these decisions have been influenced by the standards of true crime docs, unfurling unnerving montages that show no matter how different the stories are, their onscreen tellings are eerily similar. It’s enough to send a chill of recognition down the spine of this true-crime addict. Through it all, Shackleton forces his audience to question what it is we expect — or even demand — from this genre, and how “truth” factors in.

Zodiac Killer Project premieres in the Next section of Sundance on Jan. 27.

Sally

Sally Ride in “Sally” by Cristina Costantini, an official selection of the 2025 Sundance Film Festival.
Credit: Courtesy of Sundance Institute | photo by NASA

You might know that Sally Ride was the first American woman to be launched into space. But do you know who she was beyond the NASA poster girl and role model to millions? Documentarian Cristina Costantini, who previously helmed Science Fair and Mucho Mucho Amor: The Legend of Walter Mercado, explores the life, loves, and times of the groundbreaking astronaut in Sally.

Interviewing the late physicist’s mother, sister, friends, ex-husband, former colleagues, and lesbian partner of 27 years, Costantini pieces together the path that led Ride to space, and to becoming a reluctant LGBTQ+ icon. Archival interviews of Ride clearly show the sexist approach the media took to female astronauts, asking about their beauty routines, how often they cry, and if they plan to have children — all topics Ride discouraged or insisted they ask of her male coworkers. However, the personal interviews with her loved ones reveal a side of Sally that was fiercely private, showing why that was, and how it changed. Informative, heartfelt, and occasionally funny, Sally is a compelling portrait of an American pioneer who proved the stars are for everyone.

Sally premieres in the Premiere section of Sundance on Jan. 28. NatGeo will release the film thereafter.

The Ugly Stepsister

Lea Myren appears in “The Ugly Stepsister” by Emilie Blichfeldt, an official selection of the 2025 Sundance Film Festival.
Credit: Courtesy of Sundance Institute | photo by Marcel Zyskind

You might think you know the story of Cinderella, her evil stepmother, and her ugly stepsisters. But we live in a post-Wicked age, and The Ugly Stepsister is here to hold space for the vilified girl who just wanted a prince of her own.

Writer/director Emilie Blichfeldt takes a hard look at this classic fairytale, re-imagining what Cinderella’s story might have been like for her elder stepsister Elvira (Lea Myren), who isn’t as naturally pretty, graceful, or confident as the future princess. With a mother determined to marry her off to a wealthy man, poor Elvira will be subjected to an array of brutal beauty treatments, from a medieval nose job to a stomach-churning diet hack. Relishing the chance to satirize a beauty industry that thrives on telling girls they’re not enough (or are too much), Blichfeldt employs blistering gore to make her audience not only gag but also really feel Elvira’s pain as if it were their own.

With a dizzying mix of fairy tale fantasy and body horror, it’s little wonder The Ugly Stepsister has secured the coveted Opening Night spot of the Midnight section.

The Ugly Stepsister premieres in the Midnight section of Sundance on Jan. 23; Shudder will release the film thereafter.

The Legend of Ochi

Helena Zengel appears in “The Legend of Ochi” by Isaiah Saxon, an official selection of the 2025 Sundance Film Festival.
Credit: Courtesy of Sundance Institute.

A24 movies are often defined by being visually striking and shocking. But the biggest shock with The Legend of Ochi — which will premiere in Sundance’s Family Matinee section — is that it’s an A24 movie made for kids!

Fantasy with a tinge of horror is promised in the first trailer, where Nosferatu‘s Willem Dafoe is armored up and armed to the teeth to take on some mysterious monster. In a remote village, children are trained to protect their people from the Ochi, colorful primates that rule the wilderness. But when a brave young girl named Yuri (Helena Zengel) crosses paths with a baby of this species, she begins to question the fearmongering of her kinfolk. Could this friendship between girl and beast change the fate their world forever?

From its first look, Isaiah Saxon’s feature-length directorial debut boasts an immersive fantasy world, compelling characters, an adorable fanged monster to love, and Dafoe. What more do you need?*

Starring: Helena Zengel, Finn Wolfhard, Emily Watson, and Willem Dafoe

The Legend of Ochi premieres at Sundance on Jan. 26; The Legend of Ochi opens in theaters Feb. 28.

Bubble & Squeak

Himesh Patel and Sarah Goldberg appear in “Bubble & Squeak” by Evan Twohy, an official selection of the 2025 Sundance Film Festival.
Credit: Courtesy of Sundance Institute

The cast alone was enough to get this Sundance entry on our highlights list: Matt Berry, Dave Franco, Steven Yeun, Himesh Patel, and Sarah Goldberg star in a marital drama about cabbages. Yes, cabbages.

With Bubble & Squeak, writer-director Evan Twohy makes his feature directorial debut adapting his acclaimed comedic play. Patel and Goldberg star as bickering newlyweds whose blissful honeymoon abroad is derailed when they’re accused of smuggling cabbages into a foreign nation in which they are strictly forbidden. If that’s not enough to entice you, what if we reveal that the dogged customs officer on their trail is played by What We Do in the Shadows‘ very own Matt Berry? Yeah. We thought so.

Bubble & Squeak premiers in the U.S. Dramatic Competition of Sundance on Jan 24.

Opus

Celebrity cults are about to get the A24 treatment in Mark Anthony Green’s directorial Opus. Playing in the Midnight section of Sundance, this curious thriller stars The Bear‘s Ayo Edebiri as a young and ambitious journalist who’s given the rare opportunity to interview a legendary pop star (John Malkovich) who disappeared from the public eye 30 years before. But this isn’t some fluffy “where are they now” piece.

As teased in the recently unveiled trailer, Opus plunges its heroine into a sycophantic cult, involving a notorious TV star (Juliette Lewis), blue wardrobes, and the requirement of a shaved “lady garden.” What’s going on in this chic and shady compound? What secrets will be unveiled? What’s the deal with the dolls and the puppets and the promise of this new musical opus? It’s A24, baby. It’s gonna get wild. Murray Bartlett, Amber Midthunder, Stephanie Suganami, Young Mazino, and Tatanka Means co-star.

Opus premieres in the Midnight section of Sundance on Jan. 27; the film opens in theaters March 14.

LUZ

Xiao Dong Guo and Sandrine Pinna appear in “LUZ” by Flora Lau, an official selection of the 2025 Sundance Film Festival.
Credit: Courtesy of Sundance Institute.

Virtual reality is the neon-lit world that binds two stories of parent-child estrangement in LUZ. Written and directed by Flora Lau, this intriguing drama travels from the streets of Chongqing to the art galleries of Paris, chasing the heartache of two very different people.

Wei (Xiao Dong Guo) is a formerly incarcerated family man, looking to get his life back together — including reconnecting with his lost daughter (Enxi Deng), who works as a cam girl. Ren (Sandrine Pinna) is the mournful daughter of a renowned but deceased painter, who pines for him and her far-flung stepmother (Isabelle Huppert). Dealing with regret, grief, and resentment, these families find face-to-face conversation too real. So could the virtual world, where an iridescent deer is endlessly hunted, be their salvation? Pensive and poetic, this family drama is sure to find devotees enchanted by Lau’s unique vision.

LUZ premieres in the World Cinema Dramatic Competition of Sundance on Jan 23.

Touch Me 

Olivia Taylor Dudley appears in “Touch Me” by Addison Heimann, an official selection of the 2025 Sundance Film Festival.
Credit: Courtesy of Sundance Institute | photo by Dustin Supencheck

If you miss the chaotic and caustic comedy of Difficult People, you’ll cherish Touch Me.
Playing in the Midnight section, this sci-fi comedy involves an invading alien who’s all about hooking up with human hotties — in ways that veer swiftly into tentacle porn territory. And yes, because his sexual touch is basically a drug for his Earthling lovers, the visuals get all trippy in the erotica of it all. But at its core, Touch Me is about two codependent friends who bring out the best and worst in each other.

Joey (Olivia Taylor Dudley) and Craig (Lou Taylor Pucci) are roommates and besties; they are deeply devoted to each other but also live for cheap thrills and drama. So, on one hand, they are totally committed to breaking ties with Joey’s man-bunned and muscular ex, who besides being a literal shape-shifting extraterrestrial is also cringingly into self-care spiritualism. But they also want to take advantage of his lush pad, its amenities, and that sensual touch that is basically “heroin.” Gloppy, gory, and goofy as hell, Touch Me is a sublime Midnight Movie, made to be cackled over with friends and give way too-vivid nightmares (or sex dreams?).

Touch Me premieres in the Midnight section of Sundance on Jan 28.

Kiss of the Spider-Woman

Tonatiuh and Diego Luna appear in “Kiss of the Spider Woman” by Bill Condon, an official selection of the 2025 Sundance Film Festival.
Credit: Courtesy of Sundance Institute

One of the most intriguing titles of Sundance 2025 is undoubtedly Bill Condon’s return to cinema. The director behind such heralded dramas as Gods and Monsters, Kinsey, and Dreamgirls, as well as The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1 & 2, offers a fascinating adaptation of Kiss of the Spider-Woman, a Tony-sweeping Broadway musical based on Manuel Puig’s 1967 novel.

Set in Argentina’s Dirty War of the 1980s, this musical centers on a pair of prisoners, one held on political grounds, the other arrested for indecent exposure. They bond as the latter recounts the plot of his favorite musical, painting a world beyond their grim walls. Featuring a star-studded cast of Diego Luna, Tonatiuh, and Jennifer Lopez, Kiss of the Spider Woman is a tale of art and politics that could hit hard in 2025.

Kiss of the Spider Woman premieres in the Premieres section of Sundance on Jan. 26.