Snapshots
This year has seen the release of both quietly anticipated blockbusters and more boisterous streaming offerings. Amidst all that hubbub, a few stellar Indian and Hollywood films that defied conventional marketing wisdom faded into oblivion. This movie is ideal for those who love challenges and the thrill of discovering something new just when everyone else claims to have known it all along. If you were unaware of these top underrated movies in 2025, this is your chance to curate your list for 2026!
The best underrated movies of 2025
Rekhachithram
An unsolved cold case involving a man's suicide after confessing to an unsolved crime provides CI Vivek Gopinath, a fallen-from-grace police officer, with an opportunity to redeem himself in Rekhachithram. As Vivek continues his investigation, he finds himself immersed in a secretive period of Malayalam film history concerning a film from 1985 that was surrounded by artistic rivalry, jealousy, and controversy. This is one of the best underrated movies in 2025!
Frankenstein
Finally tackling the film he was born to make, Guillermo del Toro delivers an interpretation of Mary Shelley's misunderstood monster and the man who created him that lives up to expectations: it's pulpy but tony, tender but perverse, and true to the original while paying tribute to various Gothic and genre influences. Crucially, though, it is a very intimate tale of social exclusion and the fight against destructive parenting patterns that spares no noise or fury. As if Lord Byron and Brian Jones had a genetic experiment, Oscar Isaac's Victor Frankenstein possesses traits of both the 18th-century gent and the cocky Swinging Sixties rock star. His empathetic portrayal of the monster as innocent and vengeful is shocking to those who are only familiar with Jacob Elordi from Euphoria. An underrated movie to watch in 2025 for sure!
Kaalidhar Laapata
In his middle years, Kaalidhar hears his family's heartless choice to leave him at the Kumbh Mela because of his memory loss. He bolts. Instead, they befriend Ballu, an orphaned 8-year-old child. In order to complete Kaalidhar's unfinished bucket list, they set out on an adventure together. An emotional journey of camaraderie and recovery unfolds during their road trip. Sometimes, getting lost is the first step toward discovering who you really are; this movie serves as a reminder of that. This is one of the best underrated Indian movies of 2025!
Weapons
If you've seen Zach Cregger's ambitious sequel to his Airbnb horror film Barbarian (2022), you probably already know the big secret and can appreciate why Amy Madigan, a seasoned performer, is getting a lot of attention this awards season for her performance as an enigmatic, unwanted houseguest. Despite the reveal of every secret in this psychological thriller, the story of 17 children who went missing in the middle of the night continues to terrify viewers. The film uses its many viewpoints—those of a teacher (Julia Garner), a young student (Cary Christopher, fantastic), the father (Josh Brolin) of a missing child, and others—to play tricks on viewers, much like a predatory cat plays with a wounded mouse. The go-for-broke climax is justified, but what really stays with you is how expertly Cregger transitions between tales to set up the kill. This horror film hits all the right notes.
Superboys of Malegaon
The poignant, passionate, and relevant drama Superboys of Malegaon depicts the life and times of young Nasir Shaikh, an amateur filmmaker. The film chronicles his journey from a modest wedding videographer in the late 1990s to the charismatic head of a motley crew of pals who set out to create independent films in Malegaon. Their shenanigans, captured in the film, ranged from impassioned original screenplays to impromptu spoofs. For filmmakers from small towns in India, it's about the highs and lows of friendship and fighting poverty.
One Battle After Another
Paul Thomas Anderson's tumultuous, bewildering epic serves as many things: a father-daughter parable, an ICE-era conspiracy thriller, an ensemble comedy that encourages all-stars to be outrageous, and a spin on Vineland, Thomas Pynchon's 1990 novel, which is less of a faithful adaptation and more of a passing reference to Pynchon's work on the way to delivering its own deep insights. On the whole, though, it's a film that manages to capture and transcend our incredibly charged moment, weaving a timeless tale of revolutionaries tending to their own while inspiring the next generation to embrace the flag. While veteran actors like Leonardo DiCaprio and Sean Penn and up-and-comer Chase Infiniti all have solid performances, guerrilla warfare queen Teyana Taylor almost takes home the MVP trophy.