Underrated Gems of 2025
By Morgan Roberts
There will never be a shortage of great cinema. Each year, there are a plethora of films which don’t necessarily find themselves in wide release or supported by large studios that make it easier for folks to discover. These are films that not only entertain but are thought-provoking, engaging, and reflective. Before the year comes to an end, here are some under-seen films I think you should consider seeking.
“The Assessment” dir. Fleur Fortuné
In a climate-change-ravaged world, the opportunity to have children is determined through a peculiar assessment process. The film hinges upon and clearly succeeds thanks for performances by Elizabeth Olsen and Alicia Vikander. Vikander in particular gets to make wild and bold choices that are a gift to watch with Olsen maintaining much of the emotional core of the film. “The Assessment” as the best dinner scene in cinema this year. The film is currently available on Hulu.
Alicia Vikander in “The Assessment” | Magnolia Pictures
“Atropia” dir. Hailey Benton Gates
A sardonic and biting inditement on the U.S. military industrial complex. Gates noted Robert Altman’s “M*A*S*H” as an inspiration for her feature directorial debut. You can see the influence, but it certainly takes their great Altman’s scathing portrayal of war to another level, displaying the dangerous farce that is the United States military. The film is currently in limited theatrical release.
Alia Shawkat and Callum Turner in “Atropia” | Vertical
“Bunnylovr” dir. Katarina Zhu
After premiering at Sundance, the film is almost a neo-mumblecore exploration of one Gen Z woman trying to survive in New York City. The film has a reminiscent feel for mid-2010s independent cinema, while feeling entirely revelatory in its viewpoint. A patient interrogation of tech, the life of a cam girl, and how we relate to those in our lives - whether in-person or online.
Katarina Zhu in “Bunnylovr”
“Everything You Have Is Yours” dir. Tatyana Tenenbaum
A documentary I still turn over in my mind. The film follows dancer and choreographer Hadar Ahuvia as she interrogates the Israeli folk dances taught to her by her mother. Hadar embarks on a reckoning with the mythologies of her youth and confronts the romanticized stories of her grandparents who were settlers of Palestine in the 1930s. The film demonstrates how powerful a tool art can be in deconstructing narratives and as a method to express our identities. You can watch the film today on Kinema from 19 Dec 2025 through 01 Jan 2026.
Mor Mendel and Hadar Ahuvia in “Everything You Have Is Yours”
“Happy Birthday” dir. Sarah Goher
Following eight-year-old maid Toha, the film is a heartbreaking journey as one girl tries to make the dreams of her wealthy best friend, and granddaughter of her employer, come true on her birthday. The young actress Doha Ramadan is breathtaking as the lead. The final scene of the film is forever etched in my memory as a gut-wrenching finale. The film was Egypt’s Academy Awards International Feature submission. Despite not appearing on the shortlist, it is a must-see film.
Doha Ramadan in “Happy Birthday” | Foxxhole Productions
“Invention” dir. Courtney Stephens
After the sudden death of her father, Carrie (Callie Hernandez) is bequeathed her father’s invention, an experimental healing device. What struck me so much about this film is the ways in grief is explored throughout the film. To lose a parent first to conspiracy theories, and then in the most permanent way possible, one can’t help but understand the desire Carrie has to maybe try to believe, even just a little, in the all-consuming thoughts that initially took her father away from her. It is also an excellent film about living in the shadow of your parents’ hubris and the surprising holes it leaves in their absence. Available now on MUBI.
Callie Hernandez in “Invention” | MUBI
“Lilly” dir. Rachel Feldman
This film took director Rachel Feldman a decade to make; chronically the groundbreaking fight for equal pay, the film follows Lilly Ledbetter (Patricia Clarkson) and her historic Supreme Court case which would inspire the Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009. At the center of the film is a powerhouse performance by Clarkson, who honors the late activist by displaying her perseverance, her humility, and her drive for justice. The film is available to watch now on Netflix.
Patricia Clarkson in “Lilly” | Blue Harbor Entertainment
“The Love That Remains” dir. Hlynur Pálmason
Iceland’s film for the Academy Awards International Feature category is a tender, thorny, bold, and at times, experimental journey of one family redefining their roles after Anna and Magnús divorce. It’s darkly funny and deeply human, managing to find ways to keep its audience on its toes. Sadly, the film wasn’t amongst the recent shortlist, but it is certainly one to watch. And if it’s in your area, I highly recommend seeing it on the big screen with a crowd.
Þorgils Hlynsson, Grímur Hlynsson, Saga Garðarsdóttir, and Ída Mekkín Hlynsdóttir in “The Love That Remains”
“Messy” dir. Alexi Wasser
This film was recommended to me by a friend and I’m so glad I listened. An uncomfortable, prickly watch, “Messy” follows a love addict whose recent move to New York City after a devastating breakup invites many opportunities to indulge in her desire for connection. Much like Lena Dunham is the only person to write, direct, and star in “Tiny Furniture,” “Messy” is completely Alexi Wasser’s brainchild in all its complicated, outrageous, and spectacular glory. Available now on VOD.
Alexi Wasser in “Messy” | Simone Films
“Year of the Fox” dir. Megan Griffiths
Adopted into a wealthy, illustrious family as an infant, a now 17-year-old Ivy must navigate the fallout of her parents’ acrimonious divorce. The film truly digs into power dynamics, the ways in which wealth and whiteness are weaponized in brutal ways, and finding oneself after the stifling albatross thrust upon them. Even in its darkness and heavy subject matter, the film manages to inject a lot of empathy in. Available now on Prime.
Jake Weber and Sarah Jeffery in “Year of the Fox” | Electric Entertainment
Here’s to discovering more films in the new year!