15 New Movies You Can Watch at Tribeca 2025

It’s officially summertime, which can only mean one thing — it’s time to head to New York for the highly anticipated 2025 Tribeca Festival. The lineup has been announced, and this year’s selection promises to delight movie lovers. Usually, it’s easy to narrow down the must-watch movies to add to your list, but there are simply too many good options. You’re not going to wanna pass up Patricia Arquette’s directorial debut, Gonzo Girl, a nostalgic fever dream inspired by the actual events of an assistant working with the pioneer of Gonzo journalism. But you don’t want to miss Mariska Hargartay’s My Mom Jayne: A Film by Mariska Hargitay, documenting the life and times of her mother, Hollywood legend Jayne Mansfield. You’ll also need to squeeze in the true crime thriller, Sham, about a teacher accused of inciting violence among his students and the repercussions that followed. And we can’t even begin to dive into the short films or episodic offerings. Once again, Tribeca has set out a buffet of cinematic delights, and we simply do not have the time to devour each and every item. The festival, which takes place from June 4 to 15, showcases up-and-coming talents from around the globe alongside renowned industry leaders. You can find the full lineup on the Tribeca website. For now, here are just a few of the films that are at the top of our watchlist.

After His Death

While hiking alone in the woods, Isabel (Mía Maestro; The Strain) encounters the enigmatic and alluring Elliott (Lee Pace; Foundation), a mysterious musician whose sudden presence transforms a remote cave into the stage for a dangerous dance of longing, attraction, and lust. What begins as a fleeting affair soon spirals into something heart-ripping, until Elliott abruptly disappears, leaving Isabel to navigate the haunting aftershocks of their vanished love. As she struggles with obsession, toxic fandom, and fractured ideals, Isabel is forced to confront her hidden desires and the shifting boundaries of her own identity.

Barbara Walters Tell Me Everything

This gripping documentary charts the groundbreaking journey of Barbara Walters, the first woman to break into network evening news and redefine journalism for generations to come. From her early days on The Today Show to co-creating The View, Walters shattered glass ceilings with poise, intellect and relentless curiosity. Known for her fearless interviews with world leaders, celebrities and controversial figures, Walters redefined broadcast journalism with her unique blend of empathy and tenacity that had millions of people watching. 

Gonzo Girl

Patricia Arquette makes a strong showing with her directorial debut, Gonzo Girl, adapting Cheryl Della Pietra’s novel of the same name loosely inspired by her experience as Hunter S. Thompson’s assistant. After a chance encounter at a book reading, Alley (Camila Morrone; Daisy Jones & The Six) is offered her dream job — working as a writing assistant to Walker Reade (Willem Dafoe; Nosferatu), an aging journalist and author whose drug and alcohol use have worn him into a fading legend. Tasked with getting Reade to finish his newest book, Alley struggles not to be consumed by his drug-soaked lifestyle while ensuring the job gets done by any means necessary. 

Horesgirls

As her mother, Sandy (Gretchen Mol; American Gigolo), grapples with an uncertain diagnosis, autistic 22-year-old Margarita (a revelatory Lillian Carrier; As We See It) must reluctantly grow up. Bogged down by the demands of her new job at a Halloween store and the complications surrounding her mom’s illness, Margarita discovers a competitive hobby horse dance team — a sport in which young athletes mimic equestrian activities such as jumping and galloping by utilizing a stick horse — and throws herself into training. Encouraged by her coach (Jerod Haynes; 61st Street), her mom, and her community, Margarita begins to gain confidence as she grows into her independence and looks forward to her next chapter.

Kites

Duvo has lived all of his 25 years in the favelas of Rio de Janeiro. His young life has been complicated, marked by the inherent violence of the gangs he’s been involved with. But his world is also a magical one — a world where you can speak with your guardian angel, where your guardian angel not only looks out for you but uses their experience to counsel. Duvo’s guardian angel is Phil, a young man not unlike Duvo, who was a victim of police violence. As Phil sees Duvo’s sincere desire for peace, change and redemption from his crime bespotted past, an opportunity arises when a community kite festival in the favela is cancelled and Duvo steps up to revive the event. Redemption is on the horizon for Duvo — as is his understanding of himself and the world around him.

Lemonade Blessing

John (Jake Ryan; Asteroid City) has been the perfect boy for his devout mom, Mary (Jeanine Serralles; Apples Never Fall), since he left the womb. Freshly tossed into a private Catholic high school by his mother, he falls head over heels for a devious young girl named Lilith (Skye Alyssa Friedman), a rebel with a hatred of her strict religious upbringing. She’s ready to push his morals and faith to the brink with a series of uncomfortable actions and increasingly sacrilegious dares, all in the name of her love. 

Relay

Like a ghost gliding invisibly through the bustling streets of Manhattan, reclusive fixer Ash (Riz Ahmed; Sound of Metal) lives a lean, solitary existence, covertly protecting corporate whistleblowers from threats to life and livelihood using a phone-to-text relay service — all while struggling to quell the internal demons that once nearly destroyed him. When research scientist Sarah Grant (Lily James; The Iron Claw), armed with a dossier exposing a highly carcinogenic biotech product about to hit the global market, reaches out to Ash for protection, fixer and client soon find themselves caught in an increasingly deadly game of misdirection and sleight-of-hand against a slick, ruthless team of corporate mercenaries led by Sam Worthington (Under the Banner of Heaven) and Willa Fitzgerald (Strange Darling). As a simmering connection develops in the silent spaces between Ash and Sarah, time quickly runs out, leading to a breathless pursuit across the city in this riveting, pulse-pounding thriller.

Rosemead

Set in the heart of the San Gabriel Valley and based on a harrowing true story, Rosemead is a gripping, emotionally charged portrait of a mother’s love pushed to its limits. Lucy Liu (Presence) delivers a transformative performance as a terminally ill Chinese immigrant who uncovers her teenage son’s disturbing fixation with mass shootings. As her health deteriorates, she takes increasingly desperate — and morally complex — measures to protect him and confront the darkness he’s drawn to.

She Dances

On the verge of a major deal to sell the small distillery he runs alongside longtime best friend Brian (Ethan Hawke; Raymond & Ray), harried co-parent Jason (Steve Zahn; Silo) lives apart from ex-wife Deb (Rosemarie Dewitt; Smile 2) and teen daughter Claire (a magnetic Audrey Zahn in her feature debut), all while bearing the weight of the loss of his son, Jack. When lifelong dancer Claire and her best friend Kat (Mackenzie Ziegler; Let Us In) are invited to compete in the Southeastern Regional Dance Finals, Jason finds himself an unwitting and unprepared chaperone, thrown head-first into the world of crazed dance moms, cheap motels, and a terrifyingly accomplished competitor nicknamed Dolph. Yet as Claire advances through the ranks, she and her dad find themselves truly discovering one another for perhaps the first time — a perfectly imperfect duo still in sync — in this sharp, heartfelt slice-of-life comedy also co-written and produced by Steve Zahn.

Sham

From superstar auteur Takashi Miike comes this searing true crime thriller, an indictment of groupthink and the class and educational systems of contemporary Japan. Miike, iconic director of over 60 films — including Ichi the Killer, 13 Assassins, and Audition — brings tremendous formal rigor and aching empathy to this tale, based on a 2007 book by journalist Masumi Fukuda, of a young teacher accused of inciting terrible violence among his middle school students and the shocking repercussions that echoed through the country as a result.

The Wolf, the Fox and the Leopard

Jessica Reynolds (Kneecap) delivers a career-defining performance as a feral girl raised by wolves. When she’s discovered by humans, she’s whisked away to a repurposed offshore oil rig by a couple of ecologically-minded preppers. Raised as their daughter for a future in which most of humanity will be wiped away by a climate apocalypse, the girl is forced to confront moral dilemmas beyond her comprehension and navigate her own exploitation by a human world seemingly beyond redemption.

Twelve Moons

In this haunting and evocative tale from provocateur Victoria Franco, a middle-aged woman grapples with infertility as her deepening addictions pull her further into chaos, unraveling both her near-complete architectural vision and her marriage. Written and directed by Franco and produced by Michel Franco, the film takes a wild turn when Sofia returns from a rehabilitation center, only to spiral even further into chaos, drifting aimlessly through the city in a haze of uncertainty and turmoil.

Twinless

Two very different young men meet at a twin bereavement meeting and form a strong but complicated bromance in this heartfelt and hilarious dramedy. The film wears its heart on its sleeve, with a quirky charm, and also leaves you dying of laughter.

Tow

Inspired by the true story of Amanda Ogle, this inspiring drama follows Amanda (Rose Byrne; Spy), an unhoused woman living in her blue 1991 Toyota Corolla as she seeks employment in Seattle. Her precarious situation escalates when her car is stolen and later impounded, with the towing company demanding exorbitant fees she can’t afford. Refusing to accept this injustice, Amanda confronts the broken system, engaging in a year-long legal battle to reclaim not only her vehicle but also her dignity. Along the way, she forms meaningful connections with other women in similar circumstances, gradually rebuilding her life and sobriety through community and persistence.

We Are Pat

Pat, the evasive, androgynous SNL character played by Julia Sweeney, was a ubiquitous presence in the pop culture ether of the 1990s. As a kid, filmmaker Ro Haber grappled with a strange obsession with Pat — a character whose popularity hinged on them making others wildly uncomfortable with their refusal to adhere to strict gender lines. Both time and their identity moved forward and yet, even as an adult, Haber’s preoccupation remained.

So many films and so little time. This is only the beginning. The 2025 Tribeca Festival takes place from June 4 to June 15. You can see the full lineup on Tribeca.com