Hidden Gems: The Best Indie Movies of 2025 (So Far) [Podcast]

Tired of sequels and reboots clogging the box office? You’re not alone. While the big studios double down on safe bets, 2025 has quietly delivered a wave of original films that slipped through the cracks. From bleak comedy-dramas and tender baseball elegies to surreal Iranian-Canadian mashups, these are movies that remind you why cinema is worth seeking out. Danny and Meara sat down to spotlight five hidden gems you probably missed this year — and why they deserve a spot on your watchlist.

Full Transcript: Hidden Gems: The Best Indie Movies of 2025 (So Far)

Participants:

• Danny Murray - Creative Executive, Kinolime

• Meara Owen-Griffiths - Writer, CE, Kinolime

Danny:
Hey everybody, Danny here, CE at Kinolime. I’m back again — this time with Meara. I think this might be the first time it’s just the two of us chatting.

We’ve been circling one big question lately across all our podcasts: why don’t more great original films get released? Where do they go, and how do we find them?

So today felt like the perfect moment for a spotlight episode. We’re going to highlight some little-known films — mostly from this year — that got theatrical releases in 2025 but slipped under the radar. These are original stories we love and think you need to see.

Meara, how are you doing today?

Meara:
All good over here in Ireland — land of poets, scholars, and also me. Excited to talk movies.

Danny:
Perfect. Let’s dive in. What’s your sleeper pick of the year so far?

1. Sorry, Baby

Meara:
For me, it has to be Sorry, Baby. I can’t believe more people haven’t seen it. It’s a bleak comedy drama, very much in the vein of The Worst Person in the World.

It’s from first-time writer/director Eva Victor, and I believe it’s an A24 release. Theatrical distribution was limited — blink and you missed it — but hopefully it’ll pop up on streaming soon.

It’s such an atmospheric, sharp little film that deserved way more attention.

Danny:
That’s the frustrating part. I live in New York where there are endless theaters, and even here it was impossible to catch — a week or two of 10 a.m. showings and then gone. A24 has been pushing their mid-budget films hard, but smaller gems like Sorry, Baby are getting buried.

Still, I’m dying to see it.

2. Vulcan Isidora

Danny:
My first pick is Vulcan Isidora by Joel Petrius. On the surface it’s a goofy buddy comedy — think Step Brothers or Dude, Where’s My Car? — about two middle-aged stepbrothers who hang out, drink beer, and goof around.

But halfway through, it pivots into something darker: a character study about men who never grew up, stuck in arrested development, and how the world sees them now. It’s hilarious, but also brutally honest about that archetype in 2025.

It’s one of those films that lingers long after you’ve seen it.

Meara:
What a title too — Vulcan Isidora. I’d buy a ticket for the name alone.

3. Meanwhile on Earth (Pendant Saturne)

Meara:
Another favorite of mine this year is Meanwhile on Earth (Pendant Saturne), a French sci-fi drama by Jérémy Clapin. It’s visually stunning, full of atmosphere, and reminds me a little of I Saw the TV Glow.

The story centers on an absent presence — a character you feel should be there but isn’t — which creates this haunting vibe. It technically premiered earlier, but most audiences (myself included) only saw it in 2025, so I’m counting it.

Danny:
Exactly — release dates are always fuzzy. But if it’s eligible for this awards season, it’s a 2025 movie in my book.

4. Ephus

Danny:
I haven’t shut up about Ephus, Carson Lund’s directorial debut. It’s about the last baseball game ever played on a community field before it’s bulldozed.

The film is just that one game: the guys trying to start, play, and finish. But it captures the quiet, tender ways men build community through baseball — how they share emotions without having to say them aloud.

If you’ve ever wondered why people love baseball, this movie makes you understand.

Meara:
That’s your obsession — you’ve pitched this one to me so many times I feel like I’ve already seen it.

But it reminds me of British snooker halls — those smoky, dingy clubs that used to be social lifelines. Someone should make a UK version of Ephus set in a Sheffield snooker hall.

Danny:
I’d be first in line.

5. Universal Language

Danny:
For our fifth pick, I have to mention Universal Language, which premiered at TIFF. It’s like Wes Anderson meets Abbas Kiarostami — playful design, poetic heart, and a surreal Iranian-Canadian setting.

Imagine Winnipeg merged with Tehran in a multi-story narrative full of zany characters and gorgeous, colorful shots. One scene sums it up: a teacher trudges through snow, enters a classroom with an Arabic school sign, yells at kids in French, and one boy is dressed as Groucho Marx. It’s absurd, hilarious, and moving all at once.

Even as someone not usually into Wes Anderson, I loved it.

Meara:
That sounds incredible — I’ll add it to my homework list.

Danny:
And that’s our list. If you watch any of these, drop a comment about what stuck with you. Until next time — this has been Danny.

Meara:
And Meara. See you next time.