The 2025 Sundance Film Festival is just around the corner, and that’s good news for cinephiles. There are highly anticipated movies that would be sought out at almost any festival (Bill Condon’s “Kiss of the Spiderwoman”), mini-major fare that could be art house breakouts (Mark Anthony Green’s “Opus”), and new voices ready for the spotlight (Eva Victor’s “Sorry, Baby”). All just happening days after a new presidential administration comes into office that a large majority of Park City attendees aren’t thrilled about(sadly, no protest rallies like in the Great Park City Blizzard of 2017). But, hey, art perseveres right?
READ MORE: Elijah Wood, Daniel Kaluuya and Celine Song Among 2025 Sundance Film Festival Jury Members
Before we run down the 25 features, er, narrative features we’re most excited about, a few docs to pay attention to. Andrew Jarecki and Caroline Kaufman chronicle a corrupt prison system in “The Alabama Solution,” Questlove’s music doc, “Sly LIVES! (aka The Burden of Black Genius),” a portrait of one of the most enigmatic and reclusive music genius: Sly Stone from Sly and the Family Stone, Matt Wolf’s two-part HBO documentary “Pee-Wee as Himself” about the late Pee-Wee Herman/Paul Reubens which is already universally adored, Nyle DiMarco and Davis Guggenheim’s “Deaf President Now!” is supposed to be a crowd pleaser, Mstyslav Chernov’s “2000 Meters to Andriivka” is reportedly just as noteworthy as the team’s “20 Days in Mariupol,” David Borenstein’s “Mr. Nobody Against Putin” may soon be too close to home and Violet Du Feng’s “The Dating Game” sheds a new light on Chinese singles’ desperate for love. There are also individual documentary portraits of 90’s Latin pop sensation Selena, Marlee Matlin, and former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. Are they necessary? We’re about to find out!

And, last but not least, this is a very, very LGBTQ+ Sundance and we’re not mad at it. “Plaincothes,” “Jimpa,” “Spiderwoman,” “The Wedding Banquet,” “Touch Me,” “Peter Hujar’s Day,” “Pee-Wee,” “Enigma,” “Come See Me In The Good Light,” “Sauna,” “SALLY,” “Twinless,” “Move Ya Body: The Birth of House,” and “Sorry, Baby,” among others all feature queer characters or subject matter. And, yes, that’s quite a lot for even Sundance.
With that out of the way, here are 25 titles to keep an eye on all of which will be reviewed on The Playlist throughout the festival. Sign up for The Playlist Newsletter to get a daily update of our coverage.
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“Kiss of the Spiderwoman”Director: Bill CondonCast: Diego Luna, Jennifer Lopez, TonatiuhPremiere Date: Sunday, January 26Lowdown: Are you ready for a Jennifer Lopez comeback? Don’t worry. She is! The buzz keeps building for this version of the 1993 Tony Award-winning musical (as opposed to the 1985 Oscar-winning film). Word is the movie is not very “Sundance-y” (well, duh) but it’s the sort of high-profile acquisition selection that can make headlines and help get the festival back on the map. Acquisition Title
“Lurker”Director: Alex RussellCast: Théodore Pellerin, Archie Madekwe, Havana Rose Liu, Sunny Suljic, Zach Fox, Daniel ZolghadriPremiere Date: Tuesday, January 28Lowdown: Russell won an Emmy for writing “Beef” and was also a writer on seasons 2 and 3 of “The Bear.” This original concept follows a retail employee (Pellerin) who finds his way into the posse of an up-and-coming pop star (Madekwe). It’s got original songs, looks way more expensive than it likely cost, and is going to have a lot of people talking. This movie might be debuting “late” on Tuesday l, but you won’t want to miss it. Acquisition Title 

“East of Wall”Director: Kate BeecroftCast: Tabatha Zimiga, Porshia Zimiga, Scoot McNairy, Jennifer EhlePremiere Date: Friday, January 24Lowdown: A rare docu-fiction title with Zimiga playing herself alongside recognizable actors such as McNairy and Ehle. A widower, Zimiga has turned her ranch into a refuge for a collection of wayward teenagers (who play themselves). This is Beecroft’s feature directorial debut and she spent five years making it happen. Acquisition Title 
“The Legend of Ochi”Director: Isaiah SaxonCast: Helena Zengel, Finn Wolfhard, Emily Watson, Willem Dafoe.Premiere Date: Sunday, January 26Lowdown: A rare family foray for A24, the imaginative “Ochi” is a visual wonder from Saxon, a puppetry and animation savant, who made his name directing music videos for Bjork and Grizzly Bear, among others. A24, Opens In Theaters February 28.

“Rabbit Trap”Director: Bryn ChaineyCast: Dev Patel, Rosy McEwen, Jade CrootPremiere Date: Friday, January 24Lowdown: Produced by NEXT juror Elijah Wood, this thriller finds Patel and Ewen as a couple whose lives take a turn after moving to Wales. This is the feature debut for Chainey who has written and directed six shorts over the last 19 years. A textbook example of why you should never give up on your filmmaking dreams. Acquisition Title