The Venice and Toronto Film Festivals, two of the biggest film festivals in the world, displayed hundreds of amazing films in August and September. While I haven’t seen any of these films yet, I narrowed down the hundreds of films to the five I believe will be the best to come out of the festivals.

First up, I have Train Dreams, a film written and directed by Clint Bentley and based on the 2011 book by Denis Johnson. Bentley most recently co-wrote Sing Sing which was later nominated for best Adapted Screenplay. The movie follows an isolated man who falls in love before losing his family in a terrible tragedy. The movie stars Joel Edgerton and Oscar-nominated actress, Felicity Jones, with supporting roles from Kerry Condon and William H. Macy. Train Dreams releases in America on November 7 and on Netflix on November 21.

Next up, I have Bugonia, the newest film from one of the greatest directors of the last decade, Yorgos Lanthimos. Lanthimos, best known for The Favorite and Poor Things, is collaborating again with Oscar winner Emma Stone and Oscar-nominated actor Jess Plemons. The movie is a thriller that follows a game of cat and mouse between the characters of Stone and Plemons. Bugonia releases in America on October 31.

The Testament of Ann Lee comes from co-writers Mona Fastwold and Brady Corbet, who most recently wrote and directed The Brutalist, which was nominated for ten Oscars. The film follows the story of Ann Lee, the religious leader of the Shakers, in a musical. With the incredible writers and a cast that includes Oscar-nominated actress Amanda Seyfried, Thomasine Mckenzie, and Lewis Pullman, The Testament of Ann Lee will be one of the best films of the year. The Testament of Ann Lee currently does not have a release date.

Hamnet, based on the 2020 book by Maggie O’Farrell, is the newest movie from Chloe Zhao, most known for Nomadland. The story follows the grief and the challenge of losing a child through the eyes of William Shakespeare and Anne Hathaway. The movie stars Paul Mescal and Jessie Buckley, two stars who have been exceptionally great in the 2020’s with Mescal having notable performances in Aftersun, Common People, and Gladiator 2, and Buckley having notable performances in I’m Thinking of Ending Things, and Women Talking. Hamnet releases in America on December 12.

Sentimental Value is the newest entry from the amazing Joachim Trier, a Danish-Norwegian director most known for Oslo, August 31st, and The Worst Person in the World. Trier is again teaming up with the amazing actress Renate Reinave with supporting roles from Stellan Skarsgard and Elle Fanning. The movie won the Grand Prix at Cannes earlier this year and is already the current nominee for Norway at the Oscars Best International Film Award. Sentimental Value releases in America on November 7. 

While I am most excited to watch these five films, there are many other movies worth mentioning, such as Dead Man’s Wire, Ballad of a Small Player, and No Other Choice. The biggest takeaway from the Venice Film Festival and TIFF is not only that these five films are likely to be some of the best of the year—and possibly the decade—but also that 2025 may be the best year for films of the 2020s.