There’s never been a better time to be a movie fan, especially if you love checking out your local movie theaters. From re-releases of classic titles to exciting big-budget spectacles, it seems as if there’s always something new to enjoy while munching on a bucket of popcorn. However, with the popularity of streaming and the arrival of a huge influx of titles in the coming days, how are you supposed to know what the best movies in theaters are?
Thankfully, we’re here to address those concerns. We’ve taken the time to highlight a number of prominent releases that are currently playing in theaters. From terrific dramas to heart-pounding action films, there’s certainly no shortage of things to see whenever you head down to your local cinema. Don’t believe us? Here are just a handful of the best movies currently playing in theaters. We’ll be updating this list periodically to reflect the best of the best movies as they come and go; first up are the most recent films.
Updated November 21, 2025: This collection of the best movies currently in theaters has been updated with brand-new entries.
‘Wicked: For Good’
November 21
Wicked: For Good is the highly anticipated follow-up to 2024’s smash hit and Best Picture nominee Wicked. Adapting the second half of the iconic stage play, Wicked: For Good sees Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) in her quest to break Oz free from control of the Wizard (Jeff Goldblum), all while her former friend Glinda (Ariana Grande) is torn on which side to take. Wicked: For Good will also have the fun twist of acting as a loose Wizard of Oz remake, with the film’s events unfolding simultaneously with the classic story and the identities of the Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Cowardly Lion revealed.
Can ‘Wicked: For Good’ Defy High Expectations?
Expectations are high for Wicked: For Good, as the sequel arrives one year after the first film became a global sensation. Even though Act II of Wicked is often regarded as the weaker entry, the film includes iconic songs like “No Good Deed” and “For Good,” which certainly will match any of the non-“Defying Gravity” moments from the first film. Wicked: For Good is a film fans have been waiting years for, and it is likely going to be one of the biggest movies of 2025 at the box office.
‘Sisu: Road to Revenge’
November 21
Sisu: Road to Revenge follows Aatami Korpi (Jorma Tommila) as he is pursued relentlessly by Soviet Red Army officer Igor Draganov (Stephen Lang). Korpi, a former Finnish commando, is looking to rebuild his life after World War II and the death of his family, and now has the chance to exact revenge on the man who killed his family, the same person who happens to be chasing him. Sisu: Road to Revenge is a sequel to the 2022 critically acclaimed action film Sisu.
For Anyone Who Doesn’t Want To See a Musical
Sisu: Road to Revenge (or SI2U as the poster says) is very much pitched as counter-programming to Wicked: For Good. It is a high-octane action blockbuster with an R-rating that promises plenty of bloodshed and over-the-top violence. Word of mouth has been incredibly positive, with the action compared favorably to the likes of Mad Max: Fury Road and John Wick: Chapter 4.
‘Rental Family’
November 21
Rental Family stars Academy Award-winner Brendan Fraser as Phillip Vandarpleog, an American actor living alone in Tokyo. He takes a job with a Japanese family rental service, where he fills various roles in people’s lives, including father, friend, and husband. Phillip begins forming meaningful connections with the people whose lives he has temporarily joined.
The Feel-Good Movie of the Holiday Season
Directed by acclaimed Japanese filmmaker Hikari, Rental Family has earned positive reviews and strong buzz since its debut at the Toronto International Film Festival. The film features a wonderful cast, including Takehiro Hira (Shōgun), Mari Yamamoto (Monarch: Legacy of Monsters), and Akira Emoto (Dr. Akagi). Rental Family is a heartwarming film that plays best during the holiday season.
‘Running Man’
November 14
Set in the future, Ben Richards (Glen Powell) signs up to take part in The Running Man reality show to get the funds to pay for his sick daughter’s medical bills. Richards must survive 30 days while being hunted by professional assassins, with every move broadcast to the public and each day bringing a more substantial cash reward. When Ben becomes an audience favorite, the stakes rise. His victory could destabilize the entire system, leaving the world torn between wanting him to win and wanting to see him meet his end.
Edgar Wright and Glen Powell Combo
Previously adapted into an iconic 1987 film starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, the new Running Man is being billed as a faithful adaptation of Stephen King’s original 1982 novel. Directed by Edgar Wright, known for the Cornetto trilogy, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, and Baby Driver, Wright knows how to deliver a high-octane action thriller that also works as a relatable drama. Supported by an all-star cast that includes Josh Brolin, Colman Domingo, Lee Pace, Michael Cera, William H. Macy, Jayme Lawson, Emilia Jones, and Katy O’Brian, The Running Man is an enjoyable action film that also functions as social commentary.
‘Now You See Me: Now You Don’t’
November 14
Now You See Me: Now You Don’t is the third entry in the Now You See Me franchise. It sees the original Four Horsemen (Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Dave Franco, and Isla Fisher) reunite to team up with three new illusionists (Justice Smith, Ariana Greenblatt, and Dominic Sessa) for a high-stakes heist involving the theft of the world’s largest queen diamond from a criminal syndicate leader played by Rosamund Pike. Ruben Fleischer, best known for directing Eisenberg and Harrelson in Zombieland, steps into the director’s chair. Other returning cast members include Morgan Freeman and Mark Ruffalo.
Recapturing the Magic
It has been nine years since Now You See Me 2, and over 12 years since the first film became a surprise box-office hit. Using the title many wished the first Now You See Me sequel had used, Now You See Me: Now You Don’t looks to be another enjoyable time at the movies that can close out the original group and set the franchise up for more films featuring its new talented young cast. Ruben Fleischer is already confirmed to return for a fourth film in the franchise.
‘Keeper’
November 14
Keeper follows a couple, Liz (Tatiana Maslany) and Malcolm (Rossif Sutherland), as they head to a secluded cabin for their anniversary weekend. When Malcolm suddenly returns to the city, Liz is left alone and approached by an evil entity that unveils the cabin’s secrets. Keeper, directed by Osgood Perkins and starring Tatiana Maslany, is the duo’s second film of 2025, following The Monkey.
See ‘Keeper’ Before the Ending Is Spoiled
Keeper has been building a ton of buzz thanks to horror directors. Guillermo del Toro, James Wan, Eli Roth, and director Chris Stuckmann of Shelby Oaks have all given glowing endorsements of the film. Much of the marketing has been centered on the mystery behind the movie, promising a shocking ending that shouldn’t be spoiled. While Halloween might be over, there is always an appetite for horror films.
‘Predator: Badlands’
November 7
The latest entry in the Predator franchise, Predator: Badlands follows a young Predator named Dek (Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi) as he finds himself on a hostile alien world looking to hunt the most dangerous creature to prove himself to his clan. Along the way, he meets Weyland-Yutani synthetic Thia (Elle Fanning), and the unlikely duo must team up to survive the hostile planet. This is the third Predator film directed by Dan Trachtenberg. He revived the franchise with 2022’s Prey and followed it with the underrated animated anthology Predator: Killer of Killers earlier this summer. Predator: Badlands is also the first theatrically released Predator film since 2018’s The Predator.
An Action Movie Thrill Ride
Predator: Badlands breathes new life into the Predator formula, offering a T2: Judgement Day-style spin on the franchise that takes the iconic movie monster and makes it the hero. Don’t let the PG-13 rating fool you. Predator: Badlands features all the great gory kills that fans want to see from a Predator movie, but it manages to bypass the censors by having all the blood be green, purple, or milky white goo. Predator: Badlands is both an action movie spectacle and a good movie in its own right, and has been receiving positive reviews from critics, sitting at 86% on Rotten Tomatoes. A Predator movie in theaters is getting great reviews? That alone is worthy of big-screen viewing.
‘Die My Love’
November 7
Die My Love follows Grace (Jennifer Lawrence), a young mother who is suffering from post-partum depression following the birth of her son. She and her partner Jackson (Robert Pattinson) move from the city to his old rural home in Montana, making Grace feel isolated and depressed, with her deteriorating mental state driving a wedge between her and everyone around her. The movie also stars Sissy Spacek, Nick Nolte, Lakeith Stanfield, and Sarah Lind.
The Long-Awaited Return of Lynne Ramsay
Die My Love is director Lynne Ramsay’s first film in eight years, following the release of You Were Never Really Here. Die My Love is a personal drama mixed with psychological terror, whose incredible sound design keeps the viewer always on edge, which is best enjoyed with a theater sound system. Lawrence gives one of the most committed performances of her career, while Pattinson continues to show why he is one of the best actors of his generation. The pairing of Jennifer Lawrence and Robert Pattinson is enough to make anyone who grew up in the 2010s swoon and, by itself, makes the movie worth seeing. Currently, the film sits at 78% on Rotten Tomatoes.
‘Sentimental Value’
November 7
Sentimental Value follows a fractured relationship between Gustav Borg (Stellan Skarsgård), an acclaimed director, and his two estranged daughters, Nora (Renate Reinsve) and Agnes (Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas). Things become more complicated when he decides to make a personal film about their family history, opening up old wounds. Sentimental Value is the latest film from The Worst Person in the World director Joachim Trier.
One of the Best Films of the Year
Since premiering at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival and winning the Grand Prix, Sentimental Value has earned critical acclaim. Stellan Skarsgård, in particular, is earning buzz for Best Supporting Actor in this year’s Oscar race. Not only does Sentimental Value sit at 97% on Rotten Tomatoes as of this writing, but just one month after it premiered, IndieWire ranked it number 21 on its list of “The 100 Best Movies of the 2020s (So Far).”
‘Nuremberg’
November 7
Written and directed by James Vanderbilt, Nuremberg follows psychiatrist Douglas Kelley (Rami Malek) as he is challenged with determining if former high-ranking Nazi officer Hermann Göring (Russell Crowe) is fit to stand trial at the Nuremberg trials. Nuremberg has a stacked cast that includes Michael Shannon, John Slattery, Richard E. Grant, Leo Woodall, Mark O’Brien, Colin Hanks, Lydia Peckham, and Wren Schmidt.
This Year’s ‘Conclave’
1961’s Judgment at Nuremberg is considered one of the greatest movies of all time, so Nuremberg certainly has some big shoes to fill as it looks to tell the historical event from a new angle. Nuremberg scored a 70% critical rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with many noting the film is a polished, well-crafted, and acted movie. Nuremberg aims to appeal to the same audience as 2024’s Conclave, and its trailers make it look like a compelling film worth seeing in theaters.
‘Bugonia’
October 24
Yorgos Lanthimos enlisted the talents of his go-to leading lady, Emma Stone, to headline the absurdist black comedy Bugonia. The Oscar-winner appears as the powerful CEO of a prominent pharmaceutical company who is kidnapped by two conspiracy theorists (Jesse Plemons and Aidan Delbis) after they become convinced she is actually an alien sent to Earth to destroy the planet. Based on Jang Joon-hwan’s South Korean film Save the Green Planet!, the comedy fascinatingly explores themes like paranoia, extremism, and the healthcare crisis.
Lanthimos and Stone Spectacularly Reunite for ‘Bugonia’
Bugonia marks the fourth creative collaboration between Lanthimos and Stone (the pair previously joined forces for The Favourite, Poor Things, and Kinds of Kindness). The black comedy is already attracting acclaim from both critics and audiences after making its premiere at the Venice International Film Festival, where it competed for the Golden Lion and won the Green Drop Award. Bloody Disgusting wrote of Bugonia in their review, “A unique remake that’s both faithful and wildly different from its source material, one that’s unafraid to get even bleaker with its paranoia.”
‘One Battle After Another
September 26
Hollywood’s most elite heavyweights teamed up with famed director Paul Thomas Anderson for his gripping action thriller One Battle After Another. Leonardo DiCaprio, Benicio del Toro, and Sean Penn are just a few talented stars helping bring the big-screen adaptation of Thomas Pynchon’s novel Vineland to life. In the film, DiCaprio appears as ex-revolutionary Bob Ferguson, who sets out to rescue his 16-year-old daughter Willa (Chase Infiniti) after she goes missing following the resurfacing of his sadistic nemesis Col. Steven J. Lockjaw (Penn).
DiCaprio Is Back and Better Than Ever
One Battle After Another marks DiCaprio’s exciting return to the cinema since 2023’s Killers of the Flower Moon. Like most of the leading man’s movies, the thriller has garnered universal acclaim from critics and audiences alike, currently boasting a near-perfect Rotten Tomatoes score with a 98% Tomatometer. Anderson masterfully blends satirical humor, adventure, and familial conflict into an exhilarating storyline to create a captivating original hailed as one of the finest films of the year, with many praising its insightful political and social commentary.