There’s no better way to spend summer than at the movies: diet soda and giant popcorn bucket in hand, AC blasting, and the premieres of everything from big blockbusters to early Oscars bait.

This year, we consulted our editors and staff writers for their most-anticipated films hitting theaters from May to August. From horror franchise installments to indie dramas and everything in-between, here’s our list of must-see movies for summer 2025.

Friendship (May 9)

This is a comedy about male friendship and that sounds sweet. But, this is also a comedy about male friendship starring Tim Robinson (I Think You Should Leave) and that sounds uncomfortable, unhinged, and very funny. Friendship, which staff writer Ziah Grace covered at SXSW, follows the story of two middle-aged neighbors (Robinson and Paul Rudd) who become friends, have a falling out, and then totally fall apart. Some early reviews have called this a full length ITYSL sketch, and, depending on who you are as a person, that will either excite or upset you. — Hannah Dubbe

Final Destination Bloodlines (May 16)

After 25 years and four sequels, the Final Destination franchise returns to remind us that none of us can escape death—whether it be by natural causes or malfunctioning tanning beds. If the first, septum piercing-based trailer is any indication, audiences are in for another nauseous series of escalating Rube Goldberg deaths that will make us rethink just how fragile and ridiculous life really is. Steady your nerves and maybe take out any piercings that might snag before you see this one. — Hannah Dubbe

Bring Her Back (May 30)

From A24 and Danny Philippou and Michael Philippou comes their horror followup to Talk to Me. Bring Her Back centers on two siblings who sense something sinister afoot in their new foster home. There’s not a lot of details available for this one, but it does star international treasure Sally Hawkins (The Shape of Water, Paddington) as the unsettling foster mom. I would watch Sally Hawkins watch paint dry. Fortunately, it seems like she will be doing much more than that in this new thriller. — Hannah Dubbe

Materialists (June 13)

Celine Song’s sophomore followup to Past Lives, which topped our 2023 Best Movies list, promises another gently devastating story of contemporary romance. The cast is stacked in terms of talent and hotness—everyone’s favorite millennial Dakota Johnson, Pedro Pascal, Chris Evans—and like Past Lives, cinematographer Shabier Kirchner shot the film on 35mm, imbuing Song’s muted cityscapes and detailed set designs with a classic look. Can’t wait to cry at the movies this summer! — Alix Mammina

28 Years Later (June 20)

Danny Boyle (28 Days Later) is back in the zombie game with 28 Years Later. Which, you guessed it, takes place 28 years after a viral outbreak caused the zombie apocalypse that took place in the first film of this franchise. Will it be worth checking in with the survivors almost three decades after the initial outbreak? That is yet to be determined, but with a cast that includes Ralph Fiennes, Jodie Comer, and Aaron Taylor-Johnson, I am ready to have my nerves shredded once again in this zombie infested wasteland. — Hannah Dubbe

M3GAN 2.0 (June 27)

She’s back! Has it really been three years since audiences were blessed with M3GAN, the sassy super doll with viral dance moves and murderous tendencies? Time flies when the world is falling apart. There aren’t many details available about this movie yet, but we do know that Girls alum and Get Out scream queen Allison Williams will be back, along with producer James Wan. It’s easy to be worried about the rise of AI, but when it serves CVNT the way M3GAN does, I feel a little more at peace about our techno future overlords. Slay queen. — Hannah Dubbe

Sorry, Baby (June 27)

Eva Victor’s feature debut, which she starred in, wrote and directed, was one of my favorites from this year’s Sundance Film Festival. It’s a perfect fit for A24’s lineup: a story about healing from past trauma that never feels cloyingly sentimental, balancing a hard topic and big emotions with Fleabag-esque wry humor. The small cast is rounded out by Naomi Ackie, excellent as ever, and her and Victor make their characters loveable and relatable as they muddle through a very realistic portrayal of adulthood. — Alix Mammina

Eddington (July 18)

Ari Aster’s followup to his monumentally weird Beau Is Afraid was originally rumored to be a post-apocalyptic zombie film. It’s now understood to be a Western set in a small Texas town during the chaotic onset of COVID. That may sound like a letdown compared to the zombie flick; the tagline, “Hindsight is 2020,” practically begs people to run the other way and not re-traumatize themselves with the dumbest year in modern human history. Still, I wouldn’t bet against Aster’s unique vision, blockbuster-grandiose with a disconcerting strain of punk nihilism. How will he (and by extension his characters) deal with the emotional extremities of the time? Screenplay leaks and set photos preview a potent melding of the filmmaker’s macabre world-building with the apocalyptic roughness of No Country For Old Men, and a showdown between Joaquin Phoenix (the town’s sheriff) and Pedro Pascal (its mayor) may be the boss battle to look forward to this summer. Also featuring recent Best Actress-winner Emma Stone and the fourth-best Elvis, Austin Butler. — Matthew K. Seidel

Together (August 1)

Another favorite from Sundance, Together stars real-life couple Dave Franco and Alison Brie as romantic partners whose regular relationship trials (codependency, resentment, a cringeworthy rejected proposal) are eclipsed by some truly gnarly body horror after a hiking mishap. The movie doesn’t take itself too seriously or get bogged down in unnecessary explanations of its horror, instead just building out Franco and Brie’s characters before throwing them off the deep end. The practical effects are grotesque, the jumpscares are earned, and the comedy at the heart of the movie brings it in line with campy ‘80s predecessors like Society and The Blob. — Alix Mammina

The Toxic Avenger (August 29)

The official release date for this splatter-comic Troma remake is 2023, when it premiered and was covered by our staff writer Blake Williams at Fantastic Fest. Unfortunately, it became lodged in distribution limbo until at least last December, when director Macon Blair screened Blue Ruin (in which he starred) at Hyperreal Film Club. Responding to an audience question, he admitted he wasn’t involved with those discussions but expressed optimism it would find its way into the world. Insiders reported the film was considered just too weird and gross to release, with some fearing it would be dumped to streaming. It was finally picked up by Cineverse, which made bank with Terrifier 3 last year, adding to speculation the film isn’t for the faint of heart. Blair displayed real filmmaking chops with his debut, I Don’t Feel At Home In This World Anymore, so I’m looking forward to his take on the Toxie mythos when it returns to the big screen this summer. — Matthew K. Seidel

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