It’s that time of year again: the season in which we are inundated with a never-ending stream of lists ranking 2025’s top releases. Cherwell, however, will not attempt to tell you which films were the best. What follows instead is a list of less-discussed new releases that are still very much worth your time.
- Mirrors No.3, dir. Christian Petzold
Laura (Paula Beer) escapes the car crash that kills her boyfriend, miraculously unscathed. A local woman, Betty (Barbara Auer), who witnesses the accident, takes her in while she recovers from the shock. As Laura continues to stay with Betty and her family, it becomes clear that something is strange about the nature of their connection.
The German auteur’s newest film premiered at the Quizaine des Cinéastes at Cannes, a section usually associated with the discovery of new filmmakers rather than veterans like Petzold. While Mirrors No.3 is simpler and smaller in scope than most of his other films, and was quickly labelled a “minor Petzold”, it remains a deliciously subtle and psychologically complex exploration of grief and identity. Paula Beer steals the show as usual, endlessly enigmatic and elusive in the lead role.
Mirrors No.3 was screened at the BFI London Film Festival in October 2025, and is scheduled for cinema release in Spring 2026.
- Where to Land, dir. Hal Hartley
Where to Land follows Joseph Fulton (Bill Sage), a middle-aged filmmaker (a kind of Hartley alter ego), who suddenly decides he wants to work for his local cemetery. At the same time, he resolves to have his will drawn up. As a result, his girlfriend (Kim Taff) and niece (Katelyn Sparks) become convinced that he is dying. As the news spreads, neighbours, family members, and friends gather in his apartment to say goodbye.
American independent film legend Hal Hartley returns to the cinema with his first feature in over a decade. While decidedly weaker than some of his previous work, Where to Land is still infused with a charm and originality that puts much of recent indie American cinema to shame. Although not all of the cast are equally convincing at delivering his highly stylised dialogue, Hartley proves that he is still a master of the awkward comedy. Reflective and funny while remaining unpretentious, if nothing else, this surprisingly optimistic film will put a smile on your face.
With a tragically limited cinema release, you can rent the film directly from the director’s website.
- In the Land of Brothers, dir. Raha Amirfazli and Alireza Ghasemi
Divided into three parts spanning three decades, In the Land of Brothers follows a family of Afghan refugees in Iran and their struggle for integration.
The film boasts a series of very impressive performances from first-time actors, Mohammad Hosseini giving a particularly moving and nuanced turn as Mohammad. In the Land of Brothers sheds light on an underdiscussed issue through powerful vignettes each centred on a different facet of the struggle. Amirfazli and Ghasemi clearly get across their social and political message – the exploitation of Afghan refugees in Iran – while never allowing the characters to be purely defined by their suffering. This is a film which will not leave you unmoved.
- The Blue Trail, dir. Gabriel Mascaro
In the near future, the Brazilian government commits anyone over 80 to isolation in a remote colony in an effort to increase the productivity of the working population. When the age limit is unexpectedly lowered, 77-year-old Tereza (Denise Weinberg) refuses to be taken away and escapes into the Amazon, beginning a journey of self-discovery.
At a time of great success for Brazilian cinema worldwide, Gabriel Mascaro’s The Blue Trail has been largely overlooked. The film takes a rare approach to old age, giving us an elderly protagonist whose narrative is not about death, illness, or the past, but is instead an unusual twist on the coming-of-age film. In Mascaro’s clever, funny, and moving new feature, Tereza is the driving force of the film, a woman still very much capable of desire, renewal, and hope for the future.
The Blue Trail was screened at the BFI London Film Festival in October 2025, and is scheduled for cinema release in April 2026.
- Winter in Sokcho, dir. Koya Kamura
Based on Elisa Shua Dusapin’s eponymous novel, Kamura’s debut film follows Soo-Ha (Bella Kim), a recent graduate working at a small hotel in the town of Sokcho. The arrival of a French artist, Yan Kerrand (Roschdy Zem), at the guesthouse leads her to reevaluate her life and ask new questions about her estranged French father.
While far from being a perfect film, Kamura’s debut is definitely promising. Certain aspects of Yan’s tortured artist persona veer dangerously close to cliché, but a quietly stunning lead performance by Bella Kim earns the film its sincere, tender quality. The animated watercolour interludes, along with their sound design, are very affecting, as are the moments when Kamura’s visuals seem to capture something of Yan’s illustrations. These choices elevate the film above your run-of-the-mill narrative about feeling lost in your 20s.
Winter in Sokcho is currently streaming on MUBI.
- On Falling, dir. Laura Carreira
Probably the most discussed film on the list, Laura Carreira’s feature-length debut follows Aurora (Joana Santos), a Portuguese immigrant working in an online shopping warehouse in Scotland. On top of her long working hours, Aurora’s job seems designed to minimise contact with other employees and she finds herself falling into an overwhelming loneliness.
Carreira renders the alienation and isolation forced upon Aurora by her dehumanising job heartbreakingly palpable. Joana Santos gives a brilliant performance as Aurora, at her best when conveying the character’s longing and repeated failure to achieve human connection. Given the growing power of corporations like Amazon, whose mistreatment of workers just like Aurora continues to go unchecked, this is an incredibly important and timely film.
On Falling is currently streaming on BFI Player and available to rent on Apple TV.
