While the California Wildfires have impacted many residents in and around the Los Angeles area, the 2025 Sundance Film Festival has weathered the course and is about to start as scheduled. While I am sure that the California wildfires will be brought up repeatedly throughout the festival, I think many of us, including those in the entertainment industry, are looking forward to Sundance as a much-needed escape. To my surprise, there is still quite a large number of celebrity guests planning to attend to show their love and support of indie films. While the buzz on this year’s festival feels a bit more muted than in recent years, I do think it will be more exciting to see what films and television series become breakout hits.
As always, the reason why I love Sundance is because there is little to no information about the films that premiere here. It’s like rolling the dice and sometimes you see some great films and sometimes you watch a dud that never goes anywhere after the festival. There is something special about a major festival like Sundance that the bulk of its lineup relies solely on discoveries. Sure, some films have distributors like A24 and Focus Features, but there is still something truly unique about watching a film that has no other information besides a plot synopsis and a photo or two.
In no particular order, below are my ten most anticipated films and television series debuting at the 2025 festival:
Rebuilding
I don’t know if there is any other film on this year’s lineup that feels more timely and significant than Rebuilding. Directed by Max Walker-Silverman, the film stars Josh O’Connor, Meghann Fahy, Amy Madigan, and Kali Reis and follows a rancher attempting to move forward after a wildfire destroys his family farm. Rebuilding premieres at the Eccles Theatre on Sunday, January 26 at 3 pm MDT.
By Design
This one just sounds weird. It features a great cast that includes Juliette Lewis, Mamoudou Athie, Melanie Griffith, and Robin Tunney but is ultimately about a woman who swaps bodies with a chair. This could end up being a quirky breakout hit or be one of those films that is so “out there” that it just ends up on streaming a few years from now. I’m hoping for the former. By Design will premiere on Thursday, January 23 at 6pm MDT at the Library Theatre.
The Thing With Feathers
Probably one of the most buzziest of titles premiering at Sundance is The Thing with Feathers starring Benedict Cumberbatch, Richard Boxall, and Henry Boxall. The film follows a young father struggling to process the sudden and unexpected death of his wife who loses his hold on reality as a seemingly malign presence begins to stalk him from the shadowy recesses of the apartment he shares with his two young sons. The Thing With Feathers is directed by Dylan Southern and premieres on Saturday, January 25 at 9:45 pm MDT at the Eccles Theatre.
If I Had Legs I’d Kick You
Each year at Sundance, A24 showcases at least one of their films from their upcoming slate. This year, the beloved indie studio has four titles playing at the festival including The Legent of Ochi, Opus, Andre is an Idiot, and If I Had Legs I’d Kick You. While I plan to see all four of these films at the festival, the one I am most intrigued by is If I had Legs I’d Kick You. The reason why I am so curious about this film is because it sounds like a film that will explore anxiety in a darkly comedic way. If I Had Legs I’d Kick You is directed by Mary Bronstein and stars Rose Byrne, A$AP Rocky, Conan O’Brien, Danielle MacDonald, and Ivy Wolk. It is set to premiered on Friday, January 25 at the Library Theatre at 2:15pm MDT.
Twinless
This is one of those titles that generated some early festival buzz weeks before the festival started. While I don’t know who wound up seeing it prior to the fest, I have heard from multiple people that this is one of the Sundance titles to watch out for. The plot of Twinless follows two grieving men who bond in support group and form an unlikely friendship. The film is written and directed by James Sweeney, who also stars alongside Dylan O’Brien, Lauren Graham, and Chris Perfetti. Twinless premieres at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival on Thursday, January 23, 2025 at the Eccles Theatre at 6pm MDT.
Pee-wee As Himself
As a child of the 80s, I grew up with Pee-Wee Herman. Pee-wee’s Big Adventure and Pee-Wee’s Playhouse had a significant impact on me as I was growing up. The death of Paul Reubens last year was one of those rare celebrity deaths that hit me hard because it was so unexpected. This two part documentary series is likely to be an emotional journey showcasing his greatest strengths and his darkest secrets. Pee-wee As Himself premieres on Thursday, January 23rd at the Ray Theatre at 8pm MDT.
Oh, Hi!
Oh, Hi! is my most anticipated film of the festival simply based on its likable and talented cast that includes Molly Gordon, Logan Lerman, and Geraldine Viswanathan. While the plot description is rather vague, but still I am intrigued given that I believe this will be a dark comedy that will end up shocking audiences in the end. Oh, Hi! premieres on Sunday, January 26 at 12pm MDT at the Eccles Theatre.
