In this episode, Alex is joined by film critic C.J. Prince of Acquired Cinema to discuss the best films of 2025 that are coming to cinemas in the next few months.

Now that the Oscars are over, the best movies of the year are heading to cinemas in the next 3-4 months. This theatrical window has historically been when the majority of the year’s best films get released, which we discussed in episode 161.
Today on the podcast, film critic C.J. Prince of Acquired Cinema joins Alex to preview four of the best films of 2025 so far, which are coming to cinemas this spring. These films come from France, Canada, and China.
Although not a representative sample of the kinds of films you might find when you look beyond the Oscars (see ep. 161 for that), the episode previews four must-watch films of the year.
This episode is an addendum to our two-part series on how the Oscars affect what international films you hear about:
160. How the Oscars impact the international films you hear about (feat C.J. Prince)
161. Beyond the Oscars: Your gateway to world cinema (feat. C.J. Prince)
To join Reel Ruminators: A Movie-of-the-Month Enrichment Experience in March, get on the waitlist at https://email.seventh-row.com/reelruminators .
Show Notes: More to explore on films mentioned on the podcast
Read Alex’s interview with Philippe Lesage about Who by Fire
Podcast Credits
This episode was edited, produced, and recorded by Alex Heeney.
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Follow Alex Heeney on Bluesky, Twitter and Instagram.
An AI-generated transcript for the episode is available on Apple Podcasts.