(This article was updated October 25, 2025). From The Breadwinner (2026) to Sentimental Value (2025), here are 12 indie movies I’m looking out for in 2025, 2026.
During a take on The Breadwinner, Nate Bargatze—deadpan, in character—paused mid-take and asked, “Wait, am I the lead in a movie?” The crew cracked up. First-time nerves, maybe. Or just the strangeness of suddenly finding himself at the center of a film set after years on the stand-up circuit. Either way, that moment beautifully epitomizes the spirit of this new wave of indie films: a little disoriented, more than a little ambitious, and fully intent.
Kelly Reichardt’s The Mastermind feels especially timely amid the Louvre heist headlines, with critics calling it “quietly gripping” and “a reinvention of the heist genre.”
Kristen Stewart makes her first leap into directing. Matt Johnson takes on Anthony Bourdain. A cursed Aztec whistle screams through teen horror. Somewhere in São Paulo, a man disappears into a ruined monastery. Messier truths and stranger stories abound.
Some of these indie films are locked in for release. Others are still orbiting the festival circuit. All are highly anticipated. Here goes:
Indie Movies To Look Out For in 2025, 2026
1. Hamnet (November 27, 2025)
In her first foray into period drama, Chloé Zhao’s Hamnet is adapted from Maggie O’Farrell’s bestselling novel of the same name. Jessie Buckley stars as Agnes Hathaway, Shakespeare’s wife, whose mourning over their son Hamnet’s untimely death is believed to have inspired Hamlet. Paul Mescal plays Shakespeare, supported by Emily Watson and Joe Alwyn. The film premiered at the 2025 London Film Festival on October 11. Produced by industry heavyweights Steven Spielberg and Sam Mendes, Hamnet is scheduled for a limited U.S. release November 27, 2025.
2. The Chronology of Water (December 2025)
Kristen Stewart’s much-anticipated directorial debut, The Chronology of Water, is adapted from Lidia Yuknavitch’s memoir of the same name. The film had its premiere in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival on May 16. It stars Imogen Poots and Jim Belushi in supporting roles, along with Thora Birch and Kim Gordon. It runs for approximately 128 minutes. A limited theatrical run is scheduled for December 2025 in North America, with plans for a wider release in early 2026.
3. Whistle (February 6, 2026)
Directed by Corin Hardy, Whistle is a supernatural teen horror flick that had its world premiere on September 25, 2025, at Fantastic Fest. It stars Dafne Keen in the lead and will follow a group of high school misfits who inadvertently come across an ancient Aztec death whistle that triggers mortal stakes for them. The film is written by Owen Egerton and produced by Screen Gems. It runs for 97 minutes and is slated for a theatrical release February 6, 2026.
4. The Breadwinner (March 13, 2026)
Don’t let the name confuse you—this Breadwinner is a comedy from director Eric Appel, featuring comedian Nate Bargatze in his feature debut alongside Will Forte, Mandy Moore, and Colin Jost. The film revolves around a middle-aged man who, after his wife lands a deal on Shark Tank, is thrust into stay-at-home dad life after losing his job, leading to unexpected domestic chaos. The film is written by Dan Lagana and Nate Bargatze and is set for release March 13, 2026.
5. Tony
Directed by Matt Johnson (BlackBerry), Tony is a biopic on celebrity chef and cultural icon Anthony Bourdain set during the summer of 1976 in Provincetown. Dominic Sessa stars in the title role, with Antonio Banderas and Cailee Spaeny in supporting parts. The film, produced by A24 and Star Thrower Entertainment, has generated significant buzz for its unsparing look at fame, addiction, and legacy. Currently in post-production, the film is set for release sometime in 2026.
6. Wishful Thinking
Wishful Thinking is a romantic comedy written and directed by Graham Parkes. Parkes, known for his acclaimed short Where You Are, makes his feature debut with this film, backed by emerging indie production house Mother Died Films. It stars Maya Hawke and Lewis Pullman as two aimless twenty-somethings who reconnect during a bizarre and borderline supernatural weekend road trip. Although the film’s release date hasn’t been announced yet, it has wrapped production and is being touted as an offbeat crowd-pleaser.
7. The Steel Harp
While not much about the film is in the public domain yet, The Steel Harp is the next feature from Alex Thompson and Kelly O’Sullivan, the Chicago-based duo behind Saint Frances. Currently in post-production, the film reportedly focuses on a 90-year-old woman who guards the Golden Gate Bridge and meets a troubled young woman. The film has yet to announce a festival premiere or release date, but given the team’s previously acclaimed endeavors, The Steel Harp is already quite anticipated on the U.S. indie circuit.
8. Windows
Written and directed by Brazilian filmmaker Andre Fuad Degas, Windows is reportedly a quirky dry comedy set in São Paulo and follows a reclusive woman, Nadeen, a Syrian immigrant single mother, who allows an unconventional FBI officer to use her apartment window for surveillance. Though details on this project remain unconfirmed by major film trade sources, with no official premiere or release date, it’s received production support from Latin American film grants and arthouse labs.
9. The Scout
Chilean filmmaker Paula González-Nasser’s debut feature, The Scout, is reportedly a psychological mystery set in the Andean highlands. The film actually had its world premiere at the 2025 Tribeca Festival on June 6, 2025. The story follows a location scout tasked with finding the perfect interiors for a television pilot. With its early critical interest, The Scout is shaping up to be a festival sleeper hit once it surfaces.
10. Dead Lover
Following her offbeat indie Tito, Grace Glowicki returns with a Canadian horror comedy that had its premiere in the Midnight section at Sundance 2025. The story follows a young woman who resurrects her ex-boyfriend using a homemade Frankenstein device—only to discover that love might not be so eternal after all. Co-written by and co-starring Ben Petrie, the film is set to combine absurdist humor with surreal body horror, positing Glowicki as a voice to pay attention to in genre filmmaking.
11. Sentimental Value (Affeksjonverdi)
Following the global success of The Worst Person in the World, Norwegian filmmaker Joachim Trier returns with Sentimental Value, a dramedy about family, memory, and reconciliation. Renate Reinsve stars as Nora, a stage actress seeking connection with her estranged father, Gustav, portrayed by Stellan Skarsgård. Elle Fanning also makes an appearance in the ensemble. The film premiered at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival to a 19-minute standing ovation—the longest of the festival—and was nominated for the Palme d’Or.
12. The Rivals of Amziah King (March 10, 2026)
Known for the cult hit The Vast of Night, Andrew Patterson returns with The Rivals of Amziah King, a crime thriller following a charismatic beekeeper and musician in rural Oklahoma who gets tangled in personal and business rivalries. Produced on a modest budget of $500,000, the film is set for distribution by Black Bear Pictures. Featuring Matthew McConaughey in the lead role, the film premiered at the 2025 South by Southwest Film & TV Festival on March 10.
The lineup has me fully prepared to be surprised in ways I didn’t anticipate. With titles like these just out of the incubator, how could you not be? And it doesn’t stop there, with equally compelling outings—like Lav Diaz’s Magellan, Mascha Schilinski’s Sound of Falling, and Dominik Moll’s Case 137—expected to follow suit.
Which of these are you most eager to see?
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