Must See Films At 2025 Glasgow Film Festival

In just over 2 weeks time , the 2025 Glasgow Film Festival will kick-off it’s 21st edition. Like every year the most important thing is “what films should I see?”. Glasgow is our local festival and here is my annual Must See Films feature.

This years festival  will run from  26th February until 9th March. A  feast which will have  13 World and European premieres, 67 UK premieres and 12 Scottish premieres from 39 countries.

As I say every year, the list below is only a selection of what is on offer. Nor is it set in stone you must see these films, the final choice will be yours.  If we can help you get the ball rolling, it’s job done, however would be awesome you check the films mentioned below.

The 2025 edition was a tricky one, sadly no Pigeon Shrine FrightFest films. You can find out the line up over at this page. For the full line up of what 2025 Glasgow Film Festival has to offer, head over to the Festival’s Official Website.

Bob Trevino Likes It (12) 6th March / 7th March

Everyone enjoys a feel good, uplifting film with a lot of heart and Bob Trevino Likes It ticks all the boxes. This is Tracie Laymon’s directorial debut which feels very much authentic in it’s emotions. It was the Audience award winner at last years SXSW and it stars  Barbie Ferreira, John Leguizamo, French Stewart. Inspired by the director’s own personal journey looking for her father. All beginning with  befriending a stranger she meets  through Facebook. [Book].

Brief History Of A Family (15) 3rd March / 4th March

We do enjoy a twisted psychological thriller and one that teases not all what it seems! This is Lin Jianjie‘s taut and wicked tale of privilege, rivalry and secrets. As a middle-class family’s fate becomes intertwined with their son’s enigmatic new friend in this dark and suspenseful thriller. Charismatic Wei and quiet Shuo became fast friends after an accident at school. Soon Shuo is a frequent guest at Wei’s family home, but as he embeds himself deeper into their lives, cracks begin to show. The perfect family have old wounds and dark secrets that cannot stay hidden. Brief History of a Family stars Zu Feng, Guo Keyu, Sun Xilun and Lin Muran. [book].

The Surfer (TBA) 1st March / 2nd March

We need some ‘Cage Rage’ and Glasgow Film Festival premieres that film, The Surfer. Lorcan Finnegan (Nocebo, Vivarium) directs with Cage as unnamed divorced dad takes his son (Finn Little) on a trip to his favourite childhood surf spot, where he dreams of buying back his beach house. That perfect day is shattered thanks to a local gang with the man humiliated. Love films like Wake In Fright and Cage delirious, sign us up! [Book].

The Luckiest Man On Earth (TBC) 3rd March / 4th March

Is he lucky or is it a scam? The Luckiest Man In America stars Paul Walter Ha, the true story of unemployed ice-cream truck driver Michael Larson who hit a winning streak on popular US game show ‘Press Your Luck’ in 1984. This evokes the 1980s atmosphere to recount this David versus Goliath story as the stakes mount both on and off-screen.This also stars Walton Goggins, David Strathairn and Shamier Anderson. [Book]

Surprise Film [tbc] 5th March
This is a festival favourite and ours too. What will it be? An classic reissue? Indie gem? new release? No one knows and cinephiles love that gamble, only the GFT projectionist knows what it is. Last year was Drive Away Dolls, others years have been Promising Young Woman, Inland Empire, The Novice to name a few. What will 2025 film be? [Book]

Stealing Pulp Fiction 7th March / 8th March

Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction is possibly his most popular film to date, what if you can get your hands on the director’s personal copy of Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction? You would be wealthy! 4 fans of the director’s films decide to plan and steal that copy. Fast packed quirky comedy that will pay homage to Tarantino’s neo-noir classic. [Book]

Ghost Killer (15) 1st March / 2nd March

Action, Martial Arts and comedy Asian are masters at making something highly entertaining. Kensuke Sonomura’s Ghost Killer which stars Akari Takaishi(Baby Assassins: Nice Days) who is dealing with many life issues. When she finds a bullet case shell, she’s unaware it came from an hitman. She soon is haunted by a ghost who promises her vengeance if she lets the ghost possess her. [Book]

McVeigh (15) 5th March / 6th March
1995 Oklahoma City Bombing, was the deadliest act of domestic terrorism in the U.S. Iraq War veteran Timothy McVeigh killed 168 people injuring 600, but what went wrong? McVeigh stars Alfie Allen as Timothy McVeigh, and this tense attempts to dive deep into the radicalisation. Plus all the events that lead up to the tragic events of Oklahoma[Book].

Sew Torn (15) 27th February | 28th February

We do enjoy a good Neo Noir and Freddy Macdonald‘s Sew Torn looks a good one. Eve Connolly is an seamstress walks into the centre of a drug gone wrong. Will she walk away or simply create the perfect crime? Three destinees will cross paths with the other two are ageing sheriff Ms Engel (K Callan) and villainous mobster Hudson (John Lynch). [Book]

Mexico 86 (15) 27th February | 28th February

Starring French actor Bérénice Béjo (The Artist) in a taut thriller that dives deep into mother and son relationships. She is a activist in Guatemala who has a son to an revolutionary gunned down by the corrupt police. 10 years after she had to give up her son for safety he returns pushing both into danger. Will her sense of motherhood or political activism take centre stage? [Book]

Also check out – The Return, Ghostlight, Mr K, Kill The Jockey, My Dead Friend Zoe

Please beware, all the above films had tickets available at time of posting and may now be sold out.

2025 Glasgow Film Festival will take place between 26th February until 9th March.