The 17 Best Directorial Debuts of 2025

Directorial debuts are some of the most interesting films out there. In each, you see the beginnings of a filmmaker’s career, learning in real time about their interests and artistic voice. Directorial debuts can be both invigorating in their quality and fascinating in their imperfections. Some of the year’s best horror, drama and comedy films came from first-time directors.

When looking at the debut films of the class of 2025, one thing quickly becomes clear: we have many strong voices we can’t wait to hear from again.