Looking for something exciting to watch or add to your list this weekend? This Film Friday features 7 must-watch new films, including fresh releases and upcoming titles that are already creating buzz. From Ryan Coogler’s soulful blockbuster Sinners to the visually thrilling Predator: Killer of Killers and Celine Song’s sharp romantic drama Materialists, this week’s film list offers something for every movie lover. Read on to discover the top new film releases to add to your weekend watchlist now.
1. Materialists (2025)
Oscar-nominated Past Lives director Celine Song’s Materialists offers a mature deconstruction of the conventional rom-com. Dakota Johnson, Chris Evans and Pedro Pascal deliver some of their finest work, with Song once again showing her brilliance in exploring the complexities of love and material desire. At first glance, Materialists might seem like a familiar romantic comedy. A high-end New York matchmaker (Johnson) is torn between her emotionally complicated ex (Evans) and a dazzling new match (Pascal). But the film quickly proves to be anything but conventional. It’s sharp, grounded, and perfectly relatable in the age of Tinder. With a smart supporting cast including Zoe Winters, Marin Ireland, Dasha Nekrasova, Louisa Jacobson, and Sawyer Spielberg, Materialists is a stylish and emotionally resonant film. It’s a deeply intelligent and sharply observed story about love, power, and the tangled relationship between romance and money. It’s definitely one to add to your watchlist. Materialists is now showing in US cinemas and arrives in UK and international theatres on 15 August.
2. Sinners (2025)
Ryan Coogler’s Sinners is a dazzling original blockbuster, pulsing with style, soul, and rhythm. Twin brothers (Michael B. Jordan in a commanding double role) return home hoping for a fresh start, but past sins catch up fast. Coogler weaves their story with slick visuals and a soundtrack that doesn’t miss a beat. More than just spectacle, Sinners is about redemption, identity, and the weight of brotherhood. The cast is electric—Hailee Steinfeld and Miles Caton bring emotional depth, while Jack O’Connell simmers with menace. Coogler’s direction is bold and inventive, turning a simple premise into something mythic. Grounded yet operatic, gritty yet lyrical, Sinners proves Coogler is in full control of his craft. A blazing, unforgettable ride.
3. Predator: Killer of Killers (2025)
A lean, blood-pumping revival of the iconic franchise, Killer of Killers drops the Predator into brutal, time-jumping duels with humanity’s fiercest warriors. From Viking battlefields to samurai duels, each chapter blends historical grit with sci-fi ferocity, boosted by a striking visual style. Directors Dan Trachtenberg and Joshua Wassung keep it tight and thrilling, making every kill count. Lindsay LaVanchy leads with quiet power, while the anthology format keeps the pacing sharp. This is the Predator at its rawest and most imaginative—brutal, beautiful, and a Film to Add to Your Weekend Watchlist.
4. 28 Years Later (2025)
28 Years Later marks a chilling and powerful return to Danny Boyle and Alex Garland’s beloved apocalyptic saga. Set decades after the Rage virus first devastated the UK, the third instalment introduces a haunting new chapter through the eyes of Spike, a 12-year-old boy trying to survive in a world still scarred by infection. With an emotionally complex plot, the film explores themes of survival, grief, and spiritual reckoning in a quarantined Britain as the virus mutates and the threat resurfaces. Jodie Comer, Ralph Fiennes, and breakout Alfie Williams deliver riveting performances, while Boyle’s direction and Anthony Dod Mantle’s cinematography immerse viewers in a landscape where humanity is both the threat and the hope. Featuring eerie religious symbolism, mutated variants, and a mysterious temple made of bones, 28 Years Later expands the universe with emotional depth and terrifying scale. It’s a gripping return to form that reminds us why this series became iconic in the first place.
5. How to Train Your Dragon (2025)
Dean DeBlois returns to the skies with a live-action How to Train Your Dragon that stays true to the heart of the beloved animated original while carving out some fresh, cinematic magic of its own. Set on the Viking Island of Berk, the film follows Hiccup (Mason Thames), a thoughtful young misfit who changes everything when he befriends an injured dragon named Toothless. Their bond challenges generations of fear and tradition, turning an age-old war into an unforgettable friendship. While it may not surpass the original’s emotional legacy, the 2025 remake holds its own with sweeping visuals, well-paced action, and a heartfelt core. Thames brings a grounded vulnerability to Hiccup, with strong support from Gerard Butler, Nico Parker and Nick Frost. Faithful, enchanting, and emotionally rewarding, How to Train Your Dragon (2025) is a worthy reimagining that will stir the hearts of new and longtime fans alike. A must-watch for families and fantasy lovers alike.
6. Ballerina (2025)
Ana de Armas commands the screen in Ballerina, the latest high-octane addition to the John Wick universe. Set during the events of John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum, the film follows Eve Macarro, a former ballerina-turned-assassin, as she seeks vengeance for the murder of her family. With stylish direction from Len Wiseman and fierce action choreography, Ballerina blends elegance with brutality. De Armas brings both vulnerability and lethal precision to the role, supported by familiar faces like Keanu Reeves, Ian McShane, and Anjelica Huston. It’s a sleek, action-packed thriller that earns its place in the Wick franchise and makes for an intense, satisfying weekend watch.
7. Sitaare Zameen Par (2025)
A temperamental basketball coach lands in a vocational centre for young adults with intellectual disabilities after a drunk driving charge. Based on the Spanish film Campeones, Sitaare Zameen Par turns punishment into purpose as Gulshan (Aamir Khan) learns empathy through the spirited team he trains. The film balances humour and heart, steering clear of melodrama while centring its neurodivergent characters with warmth and respect. Aamir sheds his image to play a flawed man on a redemptive path, and the young cast truly shines. Despite occasional heavy-handedness and Genelia’s inconsistent diction, the film stays sincere and grounded. RS Prasanna crafts a feel-good drama that normalises difference without pity. Uplifting and accessible, Sitaare Zameen Par earns its stars—both on and off the court.
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