OUR MOST ANTICIPATED FILMS PREMIERING AT VENICE FILM FESTIVAL 2025
words by SONNY NGO
The Venice Film Festival has unveiled the full line up for their 2025 edition and cinephiles are in for an absolute treat. With heavy-hitters like Luca Guadagnino and Yorgos Lanthimos returning to the circuit, as well as a directorial debut from Taiwanese sweetheart Shu Qi, the festival might be rejoicing in this season’s pole-position. And with all eyes set on the prestigious Golden Lion, the Oscar race has slowly begun already. As Alberto Barbera, artistic director of the festival, admitted: it’s going to be a busy year. Over a hundred films are set to debut over the week, but we got you covered. Here is a list of our most hotly anticipated films premiering at the 82nd edition of the festival.
“After the Hunt" by Luca Guadagnino
Following Guadagnino’s insane Bones and All, Challengers, Queer run, the auteur’s next film follows Julia Roberts as she plays a college professor grappling with her own secretive past after one of her colleagues, portrayed by Andrew Garfield, is faced with a serious accusation. The film is supported by Ayo Edebiri and Chloë Sevigny, and features a score by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross (Challengers).
“Marc by Sofia” by Sofia Coppola
Fashion lovers, we are so back. The longtime friends are collaborating once more for Coppola’s first-ever documentary. The title is a winking nod to the now-discontinued Marc by Marc Jacobs line, and although the film’s details are still under tight wraps, we are sure that the personal and professional connection between the two will result in a compelling and visually alluring film
image credit a24films.com
“No Other Choice" by Park Chan-Wook
Adapted from Donald Westlake’s horror novel The Ax, the film follows Man Soo, portrayed by Squid Game star Lee Byung-hun, as he desperately attempts to find re-employment after being fired from a position he has held for 25 years later. In true black comedy manners, nothing says horror more than a distressed job hunt in this economy!
“The Testament of Ann Lee” by Mona Fastvold
In this historical drama musical, we follow Amanda Seyfried as the titular Ann Lee who founded and led the religious Shakers movement in the late 18th century. Shot on 70mm film, Seyfried is supported by Lewis Pullman, Thomas McKenzie, and Christopher Abbott. Besides directing, Fastvold has also co-written the movie, collaborating once again with her partner Brady Corbet (The Brutalist)
“Bugonia” by Yorgos Lanthimos
The Greek filmmaker reunites again with Emma Stone (Poor Things) and Jesse Plemons (Kinds of Kindness) for another comedy, this time imbued with full on paranoia. In this remake of the South-Korean cult classic Save the Green Planet!, we follow two conspiracy theorists who are convinced that a corporate CEO, played by Stone, is a conniving, Stanley Cup-flaunting alien, hellbent on destroying the Earth. It is Lanthimos, so be prepared for a bizarre rollercoaster ride.
“Frankenstein” by Guillermo del Toro
After a monstrously long wait, we will finally be able to see Jacob Elordi as Frankenstein’s monster at Venice. We all know the story of Frankenstein by now, but we can’t wait to see del Toro’s retelling of Mary Shelley’s classic, featuring Oscar Isaac and Mia Goth.
“The Smashing Machine” by Benny Safdie
From powerhouse studio A24 comes a biographical sports drama starring none other than Dwayne ‘the Rock’ Johnson playing former American wrestler and MMA fighter Mark Kerr. It is the second time the Rock is accompanied on screen by Emily Blunt – who were both last seen together in Disney’s 2021 Jungle Cruise – and who here channels Kerr’s then-wife Dawn Staples. Lensed by Safdie, the film showcases Kerr's personal struggles amidst the early 2000s.
image credit imdb.com
“Girl” by Shu Qi
One of Taiwan’s most celebrated actors, having starred in the iconic Hou Hsiao-hsien’s Millennium Mambo, Three Times, and the Assassin, Shu Qi is debuting her very own feature film with Girl. Set in 1988 Taiwan, the film is an intergenerational drama revolving around a shy and withdrawn girl as she is caught in shadows of past familial lives.
“Father Mother Sister Brother” by Jim Jarmusch
Talk about a stacked cast: Cate Blanchett, Indya Moore, Adam Driver, Tom Waits, Charlotte Rampling, and more. In this self-proclaimed anti-action film, we follow the complex relationships between “somewhat distant” parents and their children. The film spans across the Atlantic and is designed like a triptych. We expect the focus to be on subtle filmmaking, melancholy, and room for both characters and audiences to breathe.
image credit mubi.com
“A House of Dynamite” by Kathryn Bigelow
Bigelow is going to do her big one – returning to the circuit with a star studded cast consisting amongst others of Rebecca Ferguson, Idris Elba, Greta Lee, Anthony Ramos, and Gabriel Basso. This political thriller follows a group of politicians dealing with the immense high-stakes pressures of deadly missiles being launched at the United States.
