by Darian Davis, Staff Writer

The South by Southwest (SXSW) Film and TV Festival kicks off its 31st year on March 7-15, 2025 with a slate of genre-defying debuts, provocative documentaries, and innovative episodic storytelling. With so many amazing premieres lined up, saying I’m spoiled for choice feels like a massive understatement. This year’s lineup promises great documentary selections and genre fare from brand new voices in the competition categories as well as industry veterans. Combing through the slate of my first major film festival was an exciting and daunting task, but I’m thrilled to bring attention to some phenomenal movies I hope to catch and keep my eye on as SXSW approaches.

It Ends
Directed by Alexander Ullom
Premieres March 7

A group of recent grads pile into a Jeep Cherokee and hit the road for one last hang, but a wrong turn leads them down an infinite stretch of asphalt filled with untold horrors. Will the crew succumb to their new reality, or fight to escape it? It Ends is the feature film debut of director Alexander Ullom who shot the film in twenty days, casted his four leads via Instagram, and financed it in part through a VR poker game. This mix of simple horror premise and scrappy filmmaking is enough to get my butt in the seat. Not only that, but considering how much of my youth was spent crammed in an SUV with friends driving aimlessly around my small town, I can totally relate. I love that the title itself seems to tease not only the film's literal conclusion, but the harsh reality we all face when youth gives way to adulthood.

Remaining Native
Directed by Paige Bethmann
Premieres March 7

I’m always a fan of a good underdog story. Director Paige Bethmann’s film promises just that. The movie follows 17-year-old Ku Stevens, an uncoached solo runner at his high school from the Yerington Paiute reservation hoping to get the attention of the University of Oregon. With echoes of his running ability reflected in the daring escape his great-grandfather made from an Indian boarding school at 8-years-old, Ku reckons with his family history while seeking a collegiate qualifying time good enough to reach his dreams. As an entry into this year’s documentary feature competition category, I am excited to see more Indigenous voices making waves across the industry.

New Jack Fury
Directed by Lanfia Wal
Premieres March 7

The kung-fu cop movies of the 80s are back! Making its world premiere in the midnighter category, New Jack Fury (dir. Lanfia Wal) is a send up of all my favorite post-blaxploitation police procedurals. It’s got everything: a disgraced police officer with hyper-hydrated jerry curls (Andre Hall), a tagalong sidekick in the form of a katana-wielding Michael Jackson impersonator (Dean “Michael Trapson” Morrow), perfectly corny VFX spun by the director himself, and all the cliched one-liners I can stand! The film follows officer Dylan Gamble and his eclectic band of R&B parodies as they embark on a mission to save his girlfriend Tanisha (Ally Renee) from the clutches of the nefarious Styles Syndicate. Feed me this midnight madcap in all its synth-pulsing, artificial film grain glory!

Clown in a Cornfield
Directed by Eli Craig
Premieres March 10

There’s nothing that terrified me more as a kid than costumed mascots and clowns. I’m sure there’s exhaustive studies on what causes this common fear, but I’ll distill it for you here: they’re just friggin’ creepy! And yet, I get thrills watching a jester with a thirst for blood terrorize the big screen, especially with Temple Hill (the Smile franchise) and horror-comedy veteran director Eli Craig (Tucker and Dale vs. Evil, 2010) at the helm. Clown in a Cornfield follows a father and daughter who move to the rural town of Kettle Springs that also happens to be menaced by a grinning figure known as Frendo the clown. The film is adapted from Philly local Adam Cesare’s Bram Stoker Award-winning novel of the same name. Knowing Shudder has already nabbed the U.S. rights, suffice to say this flick is gonna be one wild hayride.

O’Dessa
Directed by Geremy Jasper
Premieres March 8

After soaking in the fever dream of Leos Carax’s Annette (2021), I have been starved for another brand-new audacious rock opera to thrash my retinas. Thankfully, I shall hunger no more. Indie-rocker-turned-writer-director Geremy Jasper (formerly of The Fever) is ready to feed the world with O’Dessa, a rock musical set in a post-apocalyptic future about a farm girl (Sadie Sink) who embarks on an epic quest to recover a family heirloom. Through strange and dangerous encounters she meets her one true love, and must use the power of music to save his soul if they’re ever destined to be together. Kelvin Harrison Jr., Regina Hall, and Murray Bartlett round out a cast that has the range to pull off something truly exotic and off-the-wall insane. With original songs written and produced in part by Jasper himself, I fully expect this singular vision to melt some faces, including mine.

Slanted
Directed by Amy Wang
Premieres March 8

Director Amy Wang makes her feature film debut with Slanted, the story of an Asian teen who undergoes a radical racial transformation to become White and win Prom Queen at her high school. The sci-fi premise is daring, and reveals an extremely vulnerable side to the minority experience in America that I personally relate to. The film will approach the heavy material with a satirical lens, so I’m looking forward to seeing how Wang uses comedy to expose the duality of White privilege as both a social ladder and a tool of oppression.

Death of a Unicorn
Directed by Alex Scharfman
Premieres March 8

A24’s massive 2025 release schedule is ready to take the year by storm with the likes of Opus (dir. Mark Anthony Green) and If I Had Legs I’d Kick You (dir. Mary Bronstein) already making waves at Sundance in January. The genre-bending studio hopes to keep the momentum going with Death of a Unicorn, a sci-fi fantasy horror comedy from writer and director Alex Scharfman. The film stars Paul Rudd and Jenna Ortega as a father and daughter who accidentally hit and kill a unicorn while en route to a weekend retreat, where his billionaire boss (Richard E. Grant) seeks to exploit the creature’s miraculous curative properties. Will Poulter, Téa Leoni, and Anthony Carrigan also star as a motley crew of fellow guests grappling with the improbable roadkill. Judging by the trailer, it seems murdering a symbol of purity reveals a more aggressive side to the typically tame fantastic beasts when the dead unicorn’s presumed herd comes to call. I’ve been intrigued by this film’s zany premise since I saw the ominous poster, and look forward to watching Rudd and company run amok.

Support MovieJawn Staff

〰️

Support MovieJawn Staff 〰️

Support Darian Davis

With the death of so much print media and meaningful journalism, it is important now more than ever to support the writers and outlets you love.
If you enjoyed this article, show your support by donating to our writer. All proceeds go directly to the writer. Recommended donation is $5.