Here Are the Top 15 Most-Popular Movies on IMDb This Week, with ‘One Battle After Another’ Leading the Pack Again

This week saw a diverse range of new releases – from major blockbuster films and potential award winners to exciting new horror movies. The lineup is really varied, with established franchises alongside true stories, artistic thrillers, and revamped superhero adventures. We’ve put together brief, informative summaries for each film, covering the plot, cast, and production details, so you can easily find something you’ll enjoy.

As you asked, we didn’t rely on the information you sent and instead researched each movie title ourselves. You’ll find a summary of the plot, along with confirmed details about the actors, filmmakers, release date, and how it was made – just the facts, nothing extra.

‘Bring Her Back’ (2025)

Danny and Michael Philippou, Australian filmmakers, directed this scary, supernatural movie. The film stars Billy Barratt, Sora Wong, Jonah Wren Phillips, and Sally Hawkins. Causeway Films produced it, with Aaron McLisky handling the cinematography, Geoff Lamb editing, and Cornel Wilczek creating the music. Sony’s Stage 6 distributed the film internationally.

The 104-minute film was released in mid-2025 and quickly became available internationally thanks to Sony. By early September, it had earned around $40 million worldwide. Audience surveys, like CinemaScore (B+) and PostTrak, showed generally positive reactions, which helped with its distribution.

‘The Long Walk’ (2025)

Directed and produced by Francis Lawrence, this movie is based on the dystopian novel by Stephen King (writing as Richard Bachman). The film stars Cooper Hoffman, David Jonsson, Charlie Plummer, Ben Wang, Joshua Odjick, and Mark Hamill. Lionsgate released it in theaters on September 12, 2025. Jo Willems was the cinematographer, and Mark Yoshikawa handled the editing. The film has a runtime of 108 minutes.

The film follows fifty boys who are relentlessly forced to march under strict, military-style control. It’s a production of Vertigo Entertainment and About:Blank, and after its cinema release, it was expected to become available for rental and streaming on platforms like Lionsgate’s PVOD service and Starz.

‘The Conjuring: Last Rites’ (2025)

The latest installment in the series, directed by Michael Chaves, sends Ed and Lorraine Warren on one last investigation. Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson reprise their roles, alongside new cast members Mia Tomlinson and Ben Hardy. The film was produced by New Line and distributed by Warner Bros., with music by Benjamin Wallfisch and cinematography by Eli Born.

The movie premiered in September 2025 and became available for digital purchase on October 7th, 2025. It will then be available to stream through the studio’s usual channels. Early reports from industry sources and reviewers show it had the best opening weekend of any film in the series and has earned a significant amount of money worldwide.

‘Kantara: Chapter 1’ (2025)

Rishab Shetty is the creative force behind the new Kannada film, ‘Kantara’s’ prequel – he wrote, directed, and stars in it. The movie, which builds on the world established in the original ‘Kantara’, premiered in India on October 2, 2025, and is available in several Indian languages. It was released in theaters and on streaming platforms, and produced by Shetty’s own Hombale Films. The film has a runtime of 2 hours and 45 minutes.

Early box office numbers for the film are very promising, both in India and abroad. Daily reports show it’s quickly reaching significant milestones in its second week of release. The studio has also hinted at plans for a sequel.

‘The Naked Gun’ (2025)

Directed by Akiva Schaffer, the new film stars Liam Neeson as the son of the iconic Lt. Frank Drebin, alongside Pamela Anderson, Paul Walter Hauser, Kevin Durand, and Danny Huston. Released by Paramount on August 1, 2025, the 85-minute movie features cinematography by Brandon Trost and a score by Lorne Balfe. Fuzzy Door, with producers including Seth MacFarlane and Erica Huggins, handled production.

I remember when this film first premiered in New York on July 28th, 2025 – it was a huge event! It quickly expanded across the country the next weekend, and thankfully, it really connected with audiences, eventually earning over $100 million globally. Everything – the cast, the crew, when it was released, and how much it made – is all officially documented by the studio and in industry reports.

‘Psycho’ (1960)

Directed by Alfred Hitchcock and partially based on a novel by Robert Bloch, this classic thriller features Anthony Perkins, Janet Leigh, Vera Miles, and John Gavin. The film’s score was composed by Bernard Herrmann, and the cinematography was done by John L. Russell. Released by Paramount in 1960, it’s renowned for its innovative filmmaking, particularly the iconic shower scene, which remains a standard for film technique.

The film is widely recognized for its significant impact on horror and suspense movies, and film critics and reference books continue to highlight its groundbreaking techniques and lasting cultural influence. Modern sources also detail how the film came to be and where it fits within Alfred Hitchcock’s overall body of work.

‘Caught Stealing’ (2025)

Directed by Darren Aronofsky, this dark and funny crime thriller is based on Charlie Huston’s 2004 novel. It stars Austin Butler as a washed-up baseball player who gets caught up in the New York City criminal world, and features a supporting cast including Zoë Kravitz, Matt Smith, Liev Schreiber, Regina King, Vincent D’Onofrio, and Benito Martínez Ocasio. The film was produced by Columbia Pictures and Protozoa, with Matthew Libatique handling cinematography, Andrew Weisblum editing, and a score composed by Rob Simonsen alongside the band Idles.

Sony Pictures will release the film in 2025. It’s 107 minutes long and features dialogue in English, Spanish, and Russian. Critics describe it as a fun, old-fashioned thriller, a bit of a departure from the typically darker films by director Darren Aronofsky, and emphasize strong performances from the lead actors.

‘Weapons’ (2025)

Zach Cregger is the creative force behind this new mystery-horror film. He wrote, directed, produced, and co-scored it. The story centers around a small town thrown into chaos when 17 children disappear from the same classroom all at once. The film stars a talented cast including Josh Brolin, Julia Garner, Alden Ehrenreich, Austin Abrams, Benedict Wong, and Amy Madigan. New Line Cinema produced the movie, and Warner Bros. will release it in theaters on August 8, 2025.

As a film buff, I was excited to learn that the movie was shot around Atlanta in 2024 – apparently, several studios were really eager to get their hands on the project! Larkin Seiple did a fantastic job as the cinematographer, and Joe Murphy handled the editing. I’ve got it marked on my calendar already – it’s hitting digital platforms on September 9th, 2025, with the physical copies arriving in stores around mid-October.

‘Superman’ (2025)

James Gunn wrote and directed the latest DC Studios film, starring David Corenswet as Superman and Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane. The cast also features Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor, along with Edi Gathegi, Nathan Fillion, Isabela Merced, and Anthony Carrigan. Warner Bros. Pictures released the movie on July 11, 2025. Henry Braham handled the cinematography, with William Hoy and Craig Alpert editing the film, and John Murphy and David Fleming composing the music.

Filming took place in Svalbard, at Trilith Studios in Atlanta, and in various locations across Georgia and Ohio, utilizing IMAX-certified digital cameras. This movie marks the beginning of the DC Universe’s first story arc, called “Chapter One: Gods and Monsters.” It had its world premiere at the TCL Chinese Theatre on July 7, 2025, before being released worldwide.

‘Frankenstein’ (2025)

Guillermo del Toro’s new film is a take on Mary Shelley’s classic novel *Frankenstein*. Oscar Isaac plays Victor Frankenstein, and Jacob Elordi stars as the Creature. The movie also features Mia Goth, Felix Kammerer, Lars Mikkelsen, David Bradley, Charles Dance, and Christoph Waltz. Dan Laustsen handled the cinematography, Alexandre Desplat composed the music, and Netflix will release the film.

The movie first showed at the Venice Film Festival on August 30, 2025. It then had a short run in theaters starting October 17th, before becoming available on Netflix on November 7, 2025. Double Dare You produced the film, with J. Miles Dale as one of the producers.

‘The Smashing Machine’ (2025)

Directed by Benny Safdie, this biographical sports drama tells the story of MMA fighter Mark Kerr, with Dwayne Johnson in the lead role and Emily Blunt playing Dawn Staples. The film also features Ryan Bader, Bas Rutten, and Oleksandr Usyk in supporting roles. Produced and distributed by A24, it was filmed primarily on 16mm film, with some scenes shot on 70mm and VHS. Nala Sinephro composed the score, and Maceo Bishop served as the cinematographer.

Filming took place from May to August 2024 in New Mexico, Tokyo, and Vancouver. A24 is distributing the movie. After premiering at film festivals, it was released in theaters domestically and earned praise for Johnson’s remarkable performance, directed by Safdie.

‘Steve’ (2025)

Directed by Tim Mielants and based on Max Porter’s story ‘Shy,’ this UK/Ireland drama stars Cillian Murphy as a school principal facing difficulties both at work and in his personal life. The film also features Tracey Ullman, Jay Lycurgo, Simbi Ajikawo, and Emily Watson. It first premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, had a limited release in theaters on September 19, 2025, and became available to stream on Netflix worldwide on October 3, 2025.

Big Things Films created ‘Steve’, with Robrecht Heyvaert handling the cinematography, a score by Ben Salisbury and Geoff Barrow, and editing by Danielle Palmer. Netflix highlights the film’s focus on the emotional openness and relationships between its main characters.

‘Play Dirty’ (2025)

Directed and co-written by Shane Black, this action-packed thriller is based on the ‘Parker’ novels by Donald E. Westlake (writing as Richard Stark). Mark Wahlberg stars as Parker, with LaKeith Stanfield playing Grofield, and the film also features Rosa Salazar, Keegan-Michael Key, and Thomas Jane. Released on Prime Video by Amazon MGM Studios on October 1, 2025, the film’s score was composed by Alan Silvestri, and the cinematography was done by Philippe Rousselot.

Team Downey and Toberoff Productions produced the film, with Chris Lebenzon and Joel Negron handling the editing. This new adaptation brings the classic literary character to the screen and received a 15 rating from the British Board of Film Classification just before it began streaming.

‘The Lost Bus’ (2025)

Paul Greengrass directs this intense drama based on the true story of the 2018 Camp Fire in Paradise, California, specifically focusing on the harrowing evacuation of students by school bus. Matthew McConaughey stars as the bus driver, Kevin McKay, and America Ferrera plays the teacher, Mary Ludwig. The film is a production of Apple Studios, Blumhouse, and Comet Pictures, featuring music by James Newton Howard and cinematography by Pål Ulvik Rokseth.

As a film buff, I was really struck by this project. It’s based on Lizzie Johnson’s incredible book, ‘Paradise,’ which details the devastating wildfire. It premiered on Apple TV+, and the way director Paul Greengrass approached it – framing the disaster with this intense, almost horror-movie feel – really made an impact, especially after seeing all the press surrounding its release.

‘One Battle After Another’ (2025)

Directed and written by Paul Thomas Anderson, this action-packed thriller follows a former revolutionary who is pulled back into a dangerous conflict by the return of a past rival. The film stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Sean Penn, Benicio del Toro, Regina Hall, Teyana Taylor, and Chase Infiniti. Warner Bros. released it in theaters on September 26, 2025, in a variety of formats including IMAX and 70mm. Michael Bauman handled the cinematography, Andy Jurgensen edited the film, and Jonny Greenwood composed the music.

The film is a joint production between Ghoulardi Film Company and Warner Bros. Pictures, with Adam Somner, Sara Murphy, and Anderson as producers. It premiered at the TCL Chinese Theatre on September 8, 2025, and then screened in London and Mexico City before its wider release.

Tell us which titles you’re planning to watch next—and why—in the comments!

2025-10-12 18:17