It’s been a blah, boring start to the 2025 movie season, with only a handful of features (“Black Bag,” “I’m Still Here,” “Nickel Boys” and “Superboys of Malegaon”) making it worth getting off our duffs to go to theaters.
But the spring promises to yield a plentiful crop of both studio and indie features packed with potential.
Anyone fond of blockbusters should be prepared to get their game faces on for Warner Bros.’ irreverent “A Minecraft Movie” (in theaters April 4) before they flock to “Thunderbolts*” (May 2), a release that looks to shake up the lethargic Marvel empire.
For the stay-at-home crowd, there are numerous streaming options, from nestling up to watch Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively and a parade of fancy hats in “Another Simple Favor” (streaming May 1, Prime).
Or, you might want to hang out with a roughed-up Tom Hardy as he takes matters into his own hands to save a politico’s son in the action-packed “Havoc” (streaming April 25, Netflix) or perhaps see Viola Davis play a president under attack in “G20” (streaming April 10, Prime).
And there’s more, much more, from dramas to comedies to horror and to even a faith-based animated tale with Charles Dickens telling the story of Christ. We’re not joking.
Here’s a look at 18 theatrical releases, and one streamer, coming out through May 9 that pique our interest. Release dates are always subject to change.
‘Bob Trevino Lies It’
Starring: Barbie Ferreira, John Leguizamo, French Stewart
When in theaters: March 28
Why it stands out: We’ve seen it, and simply adore it, especially the heartfelt performances from Ferreira and Leguizamo. A mishap with a Facebook request flings open the door for an unexpected friendship between two lonely, emotionally scarred people. Director/screenwriter Tracie Laymon’s 14-karat indie gem gives you the feels and then some.
‘Holland’
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Matthew Macfadyen, Jude Hill, Gael García Bernal
Streaming date: March 27 (Amazon Prime)
Why it stands out: Mimi Cave’s follow-up to her beyond gross “Fresh” sounds equally as weird, but not as gory. The exhaustingly prolific Kidman stars as a fastidious suburban teacher/wife/mom who suspects her optometrist hubby (Macfadyen) is hiding something from her and enlists the help of a cute high school shop teacher (Bernal) to expose those secrets in the very strange town of Holland, Michigan. “Holland” divided the South by Southwest (SXSW) crowd, but the looney-tunes trailer convinced us we’ve gotta see it.
‘Death of a Unicorn’
Starring: Paul Rudd, Jenna Ortega, Richard E. Grant, Will Poulter
When in theaters: March 28
Why it stands out: Alex Scharfman’s creature-feature snared us with two words: “killer unicorn.” That’s what Elliot (Rudd) and his daughter Ridley (Ortega) confront while on a journey to a retreat hosted by Elliot’s greedy crackpot boss (Grant). Poulter supposedly steals every scene.
‘The Ballad of Wallis Island’
Starring: Carey Mulligan, Tom Basden, Tim Key, James Griffiths
When in theaters: April 4
Why it stands out: Director James Griffiths brews up the cinematic equivalent of a cup of hot tea for our aching souls with a charmer about a lottery winner (Key) persuading his favorite music duo (Basden and Mulligan) to reunite and perform at his pad on a remote island.
‘Freaky Tales’
Starring: Pedro Pascal, Ben Mendelsohn, Jay Ellis, Normani, Dominique Thorne, Angus Cloud and Tom Hanks
When in theaters: April 4
Why it stands out: We’ve seen it and love it. Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden’s nostalgic valentine to 1987 Oakland reflects its creative spirit and wild side through four genre-bending interconnected stories. A couple of East Bay icons — Oakland hip-hop icon Too $hort (who executive produced and has a cameo) and former Golden State Warriors’ Sleepy Floyd (played by Ellis and who also has a cameo) — get involved in trippy face-offs and square-offs. Expect to hoot and holler while watching.
‘The Friend’
Starring: Naomi Watts, Bill Murray, Sarah Pidgeon, Constance Wu, Ann Dowd and Bing the Great Dane
When in theaters: April 4
Why it stands out: We’ve seen it and loved it. David Siegel and Scott McGehee’s adaptation of Sigrid Nunez’s novel is emotionally stirring and intellectually stimulating, with Watts reminding us why she’s one of our best actors. She plays a writer mourning the loss of her literary mentor (Murray) and becoming the de-facto owner of his depressed Great Dane. It’s one of the year’s best films.
‘Warfare’
Starring: D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai, Cosmo Jarvis, Joseph Quinn, Kit Connor, Will Poulter, Michael Gandolfini, Noah Centineo, Charles Melton
When in theaters: April 11
Why it stands out: Positive buzz surrounds Alex Garland’s follow-up to his shattering dystopian thriller “Civil War.” This time he shares directing and writing duties with Ray Mendoza, who uses his own experiences as a Navy Seal in the Iraq War to fuel the A24 feature. The trailer promises a visceral experience that immerses audiences into a treacherous 2006 warzone.
‘Sacramento’
Starring: Michael Angarano, Michael Cera, Kirsten Stewart, Maya Erskine
When in theaters: April 11
Why it stands out: An L.A. to Sacramento road trip leads to some bumps in the road, laughter and a lot of introspection for two friends (Angarano, who also directs, and Cera). While the premise isn’t exactly inspired, we’ll gladly go along for the ride with both leads and Stewart in this dramedy vehicle.
‘Drop’
Starring: Meghann Fahy, Brandon Sklenar
When in theaters: April 11
Why it stands out: A perfect date for a widowed mom (Fahy) takes a horrifying turn when she receives a series of random calls that direct her to kill her new hunky acquaintance (Sklenar). Or else. Christopher Landon’s twisty horror entry impressed nearly everyone at SXSW.
‘The King of Kings’
With the voice talents of: Kenneth Branagh, Oscar Isaac, Ben Kingsley, Pierce Brosnan, Uma Thurman, Forest Whitaker, Mark Hammill
When in theaters: April 11
Why it stands out: Reliable faith-based Angel Studios assembles a top-notch vocal cast for an animated retelling of the Christ story. Charles Dickens (Branagh), yes that Charles Dickens, shares Jesus’ inspirational story with his son who somehow magically follows along with him through his life.
‘Sinners’
Starring: Michael B. Jordan, Delroy Lindo, Hailee Steinfeld, Jack O’Connell
When in theaters: April 18
Why it stands out: Oakland native Ryan Coogler and his “Fruitvale Station” and “Black Panther” star Jordan (playing twins) stake their claim in “Salem’s Lot” territory with a 1930s-set bloodsucker that takes a historical overview of blues music contributions. It looks to be a jump-out-of-your-seat scary experience, with a brain.
‘Hell of a Summer’
Starring: Fred Hechinger, Billy Bryk, Finn Wolfhard, Abby Quinn, D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai
When in theaters: April 18
Why it stands out: If you know in an instant what Camp Crystal Lake refers to (think the slasher film that featured Kevin Bacon in it), expect to be a happy camper watching actors-turned-directors Bryk and Wolfhard first stab at a horror comedy. It’s set, of course, at a summer camp where things go very badly.
‘The Wedding Banquet’
Starring: Bowen Yang, Lily Gladstone, Kelly Marie Tran, Han Gi-chan, Joan Chen and Youn Yuh-jung
When in theaters: April 18
Why it stands out: Using the framework, if not the entire blueprint, of Ang Lee’s delightful 1993 romcom, director Andrew Ahn’s reinvention modernizes elements of the original and also gives San Francisco actor Chen another chance to shine. (We’re all for that.) In the update, a green-card marriage amongst queer friends goes seriously off the rails. Ahn wielded the right touch with his queer “Fire Island” and we expect that he’ll serve us well with this “Banquet.”
‘The Ugly Stepsister’
Starring: Lea Myren, Thea Sofie Loch Næss, Ane Dahl Torp
When in theaters: April 18
Why it stands out: This twisted take on “Cinderella” freaked out the Sundance Film Festival ever so and danced the night away with glowing reviews. It sounds like it’ll follow in the same bloody cinematic footsteps as last year’s acclaimed body horror masterwork “The Substance” as it addresses issues about our insatiable, destructive obsession with beauty.
‘The Legend of Ochi’
Starring: Helena Zengel, Willem Dafoe, Finn Wolfhard, Emily Watson
When in theaters: April 25
Why it stands out: Need to feel like a kid again? Aptos-born filmmaker Isaiah Saxon aims to please with his fantasy adventure involving a young girl trying to reacquaint a very adorable, lost critter with its family.
‘The Shrouds’
Starring: Vincent Cassel, Diane Kruger
When in theaters: April 25
Why it stands out: Born partly out of his own grieving process, director David Cronenberg’s macabre futuristic-tinged mind-gamer ponders big questions about death and technology. In it, a tech innovator (Cassel) sees the software he’s designed for the bereaved get used for unauthorized purposes. It sounds weird, but like it’ll fit snugly into Croneberg’s irresistible surreal canon.
‘The Accountant 2’
Starring: Ben Affleck, Jon Bernthal, J.K. Simmons, Daniella Pineda
When in theaters: April 25
Why it stands out: The first “Accountant” didn’t rack up positive reviews from critics, but audiences thoroughly enjoyed it. The sequel finds the numbers brainiac Christian Wolff (Affleck) teaming up with his brother (Bernthal) and having to get over some bad blood before taking on the bad guys. The presence of Oakland native Pineda elevates it, in our opinion.
‘Thunderbolts*’
Starring: Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan, David Harbour, Wyatt Russell, Olga Kurylenko, Lewis Pullman, Julia Louis-Dreyfus
When in theaters: May 2
Why it stands out: The Marvel Cinematic Universe might not have notched as many losses as the Detroit Pistons did last season, but the franchise’s track record shows it hasn’t been at the top of its game. Enter Berkeley-born director Jake Schreier, who hits a reset with this gathering of familiar MCU anti-heroes, including Pugh’s Yelena Belova — sis of the dead Natasha Romanoff — and Stan’s Bucky Barnes, from the “Captain America” series. Word is “Thunderbolts*” taps the roguish vein that “Guardians of the Galaxy” did so well. We’re encouraged.
‘Friendship’
Starring: Paul Rudd, Tim Robinson, Kate Mara
When in theaters: May 9
Why it stands out: Filmmaker Andrew DeYoung plumbs the dark side of the bromance between two suburban neighbors – one a dad (Robinson) with unresolved issues and the other a gregarious anchorman (Rudd). They hang out till that friendship goes topsy-turvy, and cringeworthy.
Contact Randy Myers at soitsrandy@gmail.com.