Berlinale 2025 Festival Highlights: 14 Notable Films to Watch This Year
Struggling to navigate the endless sea of movies at the 2025 Berlinale? Let's help you sort 'em out. From mind-bending dramas to restoration classics to groundbreaking documentaries, here's our top picks for this year's Berlinale!
Magic Farm
Starring Chloe Sevigny and Alex Wolff, this biting satire exposes the shady practices of modern journalism. A film crew from an edgy new media company lands in the wrong country while hunting for a viral-trend musician in South America. In a desperate move, they decide to create a fake documentary, resulting in a hilarious commentary on how Western media portrays Latin America.
- Magic Farm (d. Analia Ulman), Feb 16-22, various venues
Hot Milk
Fiona Shaw and Emma Mackey deliver scorching performances in this drama based on the Booker-shortlisted novel by Deborah Levy. In a Spanish coastal village, a mother-daughter pair are on a mission to find a maverick healer to cure Rose's mysterious illness. While Rose is under treatment, Sofia experiences her first taste of independence, putting pressure on their already strained relationship. This year's it-movie was selected for the prestigious Berlinale Competition!
- Hot Milk (d. Rebecca Lenkiewicz), Feb 14-21, various venues
One or the Other of Us
Exploring themes of deceit and manipulation, this gripping drama features aJobless university dropout who discovers a renowned sociology professor is a fraud. The dropout then uses this information to blackmail the professor for financial gain. Based on Wolfgang Petersen's first-ever feature film, “One or the Other of Us,” this 1974 classic plays as part of the Retrospective Program, highlighting films from the 1970s FDR and GDR.
- One or the Other of Us (d. Wolfgang Petersen), Feb 14 & 17, Akademie der Künste
Timestamp
A captivating documentary by Kateryna Goronstai lets the footage shed light on how war affects everyday life. The only documentary chosen for this year’s central competition, "Timestamp" offers an intimate look at the impact of war, with footage captured at several schools across Ukraine.
- Timestamp (d. Kateryna Gornostai), Feb 20-23, various venues
If I Had Legs I'd Kick You
Tense and terrifying, this competition-selected dark comedy follows Linda, a mother dealing with a sick child, a feckless husband, a disgruntled therapist, and a hole in her ceiling. Starring Rose Byrne, A$AP Rocky, and Conan O'Brien, this film is already generating buzz for its depiction of the horrors of motherhood.
If I had Legs I'd Kick You dir. Mary Bronstein, Feb 17-23, various venues
All I Had Was Nothingness
In honor of the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, this film is a tribute to the monumental documentary "Shoah" and its director, Claude Lanzmann. Using only Lanzmann's words and unseen footage from "Shoah," this documentary celebrates the power of storytelling and the legacy of one of the most significant Holocaust films.
- All I Had Was Nothingness (d. Guillaume Ribot), Feb 17-22, various venues / Shoah (d. Claude Lanzmann), Feb 16, Akademie der Künste
The Message
Join us for the world premiere of this thought-provoking road film. As Argentina experiences an economic downturn, a girl works as a pet medium, raising questions about exploitation and truth. Filmmaker Ivan Fund masterfully explores family fractures and the blurred line between reality and illusion as the girl and her family travel through the countryside in a motorhome.
- The Message (d. Ivan Fund), Feb 18-23, various venues
The Paradine Case
Prepare for suspense as you delve into this courtroom thriller! A happily married lawyer finds himself in a dangerous predicament when he develops romantic feelings for the murderer he is defending. Featuring an all-star cast including Gregory Peck, Ethel Barrymore, and Alida Valli, this lesser-known Hitchcock gem is being shown in a new digitally restored version for the first time.
- The Paradine Case dir. Alfred Hitchcock Feb 15-22, various venues
Paul
Meet Paul, a man who confronts his depression and anxiety by cleaning the apartments of dominatrixes and sharing his unique routines on social media. This non-judgmental documentary offers a fascinating glimpse into the lengths people will go to achieve well-being. Don't miss out on director Denis Côté's innovative take on this intriguing story!
- Paul (d. Denis Côté), Feb 15-22, various venues
Friendship's Death
Travel back to 1987 as Tilda Swinton plays an extra-terrestrial android in this touching film. Friendship lands in war-torn Jordan and strikes an unlikely friendship with a boozy British journalist. This compelling early-career performance by Swinton showcases why she is the spark that sets off countless unforgettable roles.
- Friendship's Death (d. Peter Wollen), Feb 14, Zoo Palast
Scars of a Putsch
Based on the personal experiences of director Nathalie Borgers, this documentary delves into the hidden stories of those affected by a military coup in Turkey. Following her search for other victims, Borgers unearths the lasting impact of this historic event.
- Scars of a Putsch (d. Nathalie Borgers), Feb 19-21, various venues
The Wife of Seisaku
Experience the combined forces of poverty, prejudice, and militarism in this 1965 romantic melodrama. When a soldier begins a relationship with a woman shunned as a witch, the local community questions the sanctity of their values. Yasuzō Masumura's visually stunning film illustrates the tragic consequences of blind allegiances.
- The Wife of Seisaku (d. Yasuzō Masumura), Feb 19-23, various venues
Dressed in Blue
Get ready for an emotional journey as you watch this little-known documentary about six trans women in 1980s Madrid. As they bravely share their experiences, we learn about the struggles and triumphs of living in post-Franco Spain.
- Dressed in Blue (d. Antonio Giménez-Rico), Feb 15-23, various venues
Shennü
Set in 1934, "Shennü" follows a single mother who resorts to prostitution to support her son. A tragedy of the streets, this beautifully-restored film from visionary director Wu Yonggang leaves a lasting impact on viewers.
- Shennü (d. Wu Yonggang), Feb 20-23, various venues
Movies-and-tv and entertainment are well represented in the 2025 Berlinale spectrum. For instance,Magic Farm, a biting satire about modern journalism, and Hot Milk, a drama based on Deborah Levy's Booker-shortlisted novel, are both part of the Berlinale Competition, showcasing their entertainment value and artistic merit.
