TheAcademy Awards had a big night on March 2, with multipleOscars records brokenandAnorataking home the grand prize for Best Picture, along with a few other awards, including a Best Actress win for Mikey Madison. Now that the Oscars are over, however, the spring season of movies is upon us. There’s nothing that signals that more than the films debuting at theSXSW Film & TV Festival. The festival, which takes place in Austin and is set to begin on March 7, boasts several indie and studio film selections, with Paul Rudd’sFriendshipamong them.
TheScreenRantteam is headed to SXSW this year and we’re excited for a plethora of films that will have their premieres at the festival before debuting in theaters or on streaming shortly thereafter. Last year, SXSW had a lineup that included the Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt filmThe Fall Guyand Prime Video’sRoad Houseremake. And the lineup for 2025 is shaping up to be just as good, if not better, than 2024, with movies featuring big stars like Nicole Kidman, Ben Affleck, and more.
8Holland
Nicole Kidman has been taking on intriguing roles lately, with the erotic thrillerBabygirlreally making headlines and giving her a meaty role to dive into, andThe Perfect Couplebeing the perfect balance between unhinged and reserved.Hollandis yet another thriller Kidman can add to her filmography.
Holland Trailer: Nicole Kidman’s Husband Might Be Controlling Her Idyllic Small Town In Fresh Director’s Next Thriller
The first trailer for Nicole Kidman’s Holland arrives, previewing her twisty new thriller in which her husband may be controlling her small town.
Directed by Mimi Cave from a screenplay by Andrew Sodroski,Hollandfollows Kidman’s character, Nancy Vandergroot, a homemaker whose seemingly perfect life is turned upside down after she discovers a secret. Though the film is premiering at SXSW, you won’t have to wait too long before you’re able to stream it on Prime Video.Hollandwill be released on the streaming service a few weeks after its SXSW debut on March 27, and we’re all in for a wild ride.
A sequel toThe Accountantwasn’t on my bingo card, but here we are. The 2016 Ben Affleck film followed the titular character, Christian Wolff, an accountant for criminal organizations who must solve a discrepancy on the books of a robotics company. With 285 reviews,The Accountant’s Rotten Tomatoes scorewasn’t exactly the best, but it did much better with audiences. With the latter in mind, a sequel makes sense.
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The Accountant 2raises the stakes and sees Christian having to solve a murder involving the Treasury chief with his illegal methods and skills. Alongside Affleck, Jon Bernthal returns as Christian’s brother, as does Cynthia Addai-Robinson as Marybeth Medina. Following the film’s premiere at SXSW,The Accountant 2will be in theaters a month and a half later on April 25.
6Another Simple Favor
Blake Lively may be in the middle of a legal battle, but that hasn’t hindered any excitement forAnother Simple Favor, the sequel to Paul Feig’s 2018 movieA Simple Favor. Returning star Anna Kendrick’s Stephanie Smothers is off to Capri, Italy for Emily’s wedding. But of course, with anything involving Lively’s Emily, things take a twisted and murderous turn. Feig’s stylish film is still as glamorous-looking as ever and Kendrick and Lively continue to play off of each well based onAnother Simple Favor’s trailer.
Another Simple Favorwill premiere at SXSW on March 7 andwill be followed by its streaming release on Prime Video on May 1st. As was the case with the first film,Another Simple Favoris sure to be the talk of what will hopefully be a memorable spring movie season.
5Ash
Ash
On the mysterious planet Ash, Riya awakens to find her crew slaughtered. When Brion arrives to rescue her, they face an ordeal of psychological and physical terror, grappling with trust and survival.
There can be nothing more terrifying than a horror thriller set in space. So when Eiza González’s Riya wakes up on another planet with her whole space station crew dead, things only get more chilling after that.Ash’s premise alone makes it one of the most intriguing and exciting films to debut at SXSW this year. Luckily, it won’t be long before you can also enjoy this sci-fi thriller, whichwill play in limited theaters beginning on March 21. The film also stars Aaron Paul andHawaii Five-0star Beulah Koale.
4Clown In A Cornfield
Horror is one of the best genres and it’s always a treat when a horror film gets the festival treatment.Clown in a Cornfieldfollows Quinn and her father after they move to the small town of Kettle Springs. The people have fallen on hard times but things take a deadly turn when Frendo the clown, linked to the town’s better days, starts killing members of the community.
Clown in a Cornfieldwill have its premiere at SXSW on March 10 before beingreleased in theaters by Shudder and RLJE films on May 9. This one looks to be genuinely fun and terrifying so it’s a good thing the wait time for its general release is not too long.
3Death Of A Unicorn
Based onDeath of a Unicorn’s trailer, we’re in for a fun fantasy comedy this spring. Starring Jenna Ortega, Paul Rudd, Téa Leoni, and Richard E. Grant among others,Death of a Unicornfollows a father and daughter who accidentally hit a unicorn on their way to a wilderness retreat full of wealthy attendees.
Death of a Unicornalso stars Will Poulter, Anthony Carrigan, Sunita Mani, and Jessica Hynes.
The premise sounds delightfully weird and, like withEverything Everywhere All At Once,Death of a Unicorncould be this year’s A24 hit. It has a buzzy cast and a wild conceit, among other good qualities that could lend to its success. Following its premiere at SXSW,Death of a Unicornwill have its theatrical release on March 28.
2Drop
If a first date sounds daunting and a bit horrific, thenDropis the perfect film to watch this spring. StarringThe White Lotusalum Meghann Fahy and1923star Brandon Sklenar,Dropfollows Fahy’s Violet, a widowed mother, on her first date in a long time. It’s a nice restaurant where she meets Sklenar’s Henry and he seems charming, but Violet’s put off by a series of threatening texts she suspects Henry is somehow sending.
Droplooks intense, thrilling, and brewing with mystery. And while the SXSW audience gets the first look at the film,its theatrical release will come a month later on April 11. The suspense won’t last for long in the lead-up to its release, but I can’t say the same for Violet’s awful night.
1The Surfer
The Surfer
In The Surfer, Nicolas Cage portrays a man returning to his childhood beach in Australia with his teenage son, aiming to reconnect with his past.
It seems like it’s the spring of thrillers. Nicolas Cage is back withThe Surferfrom director Lorcan Finnegan. If you’re looking for something intense and sports-related,The Surferhas everything you need. Cage plays the titular character, who returns to his hometown to surf with his son, only to be humiliated by a local group. This sets the stage for tensions to rise between them, with Cage’s character growing more and more agitated the more the group pushes him.
It’s always a delight to watch Cage onscreen andThe Surfershould be no different, especially as his character is primed to do something after being pushed to his breaking point. The film originally debuted at 2024’s Cannes Film Festival before heading toSXSW.The Surferwill be released in theaters on May 2ndby Roadside Attractions.
