The year 2025 was a mixed bag for Hollywood. While big-screen spectacles dominated the box office, many low-budget independent films also resonated with the audience. Amidst a flurry of sequels and franchise reboots, the industry delivered original titles that made a strong impact.
Here we pick five standout Hollywood films that released in India this year.
One Battle After Another
Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, One Battle After Another is already considered the frontrunner for the Best Picture award at the 98th Oscars. The film is a smart satire involving a former revolutionary (Leonardo DiCaprio) who is drawn back into conflict when his daughter is kidnapped and an old nemesis (Sean Penn) resurfaces.
Why it works: The film thrives on layered character work, inventive action set pieces, and its signature old-school narrative quality.
Sinners
Ryan Coogler’s genre-bending horror-mythological tale explores colonialism through the prism of music. Set in Mississippi in 1932, it tracks a group of blues-musician brothers, both played by Michael B. Jordan, whose plans for a new life take a supernatural turn when a group of vampires attacks their newly-opened club.
Why it makes a mark: Sinners uses its horror elements as metaphor. The undead threat is a veiled reference to historical exploitation of Blacks. There is one particular scene that became the talk of the town when the film released, tracing the evolution of Black music. As the popular meme goes, it was ‘pure cinema’.
Train Dreams
Directed by Clint Bentley, Train Dreams is a period drama adapted from Denis Johnson’s acclaimed novella of the same name. Joel Edgerton stars as Robert Grainier, a railroad worker whose life mirrors the constantly-changing landscape of America in the early 20th century.
Why it makes a mark: Its lyrical pacing and emotional depth provide a meditative cinematic experience. This is the kind of film that stays with you for its simplicity rather than spectacle.
Bugonia
Directed by Yorgos Lanthimos, Bugonia is a philosophical thriller that mixes Lanthimos’s signature narrative absurdity with nuanced cultural satire. The story follows conspiracy theorist Teddy (Jesse Plemmons) who is convinced a powerful CEO (Emma Stone) is an alien bent on destroying Earth. Teddy abducts the CEO to expose the “truth” but things go south from there on.
Why it makes a mark: This is Lanthimos at his signature best. The film’s surreal tone and commentary on corporate power, human greed and modern belief systems elevate it above ordinary satire.
Weapons
This Zach Cregger-directed horror thriller delivered one of the most unsettling and original premises of the year: after every child in a class mysteriously disappears on the same night, a small community reels under shock, fear, and suspicion.
Why it makes a mark: The narrative structure, psychological tension, and political undertones easily made Weapons as fan favourite. Amy Madigan’s performance as the antagonist Gladys has made her a frontrunner for the Best Supporting Actress Oscar.