As 2025 unfolds, audiences are treated not only to a wave of new films and shows but also to timeless classics that continue to captivate. With anticipated sequels, new season announcements and beloved favorites, choosing what to watch can be overwhelming. Luckily, students from various communities share their top picks of both new releases and enduring classics to help you navigate this year’s entertainment landscape. Whether you’re in the mood for the latest blockbuster or revisiting a classic that still holds charm, we’ve got you covered with a diverse selection that caters to everybody who might be interested.
According to the article, “32 Movies We Can’t Wait to See in 2025” it mentions many original, as well as sequel films to beloved films. While there are a lot of movies it names, one that I personally look forward to definitely has to be the “Minecraft Movie” (mostly due to sentimental reasons), “The Bad Guys 2” (because the first one was really good in my opinion) and definitely “Zootopia 2” (because I love the cast of characters!).
As for shows, there are plenty of things to see and look forward to. Articles“2025 TV shows we’re most excited about, from the return of ‘Stranger Things’ to the new ‘Game of Thrones’ prequel” and “New and Upcoming Animated Shows in 2025”, offer readers a lot of exciting news. Personally, the one I am looking forward to definitely has to be “The Last of Us” Season Two, premiering on April 13, 2025.
Of course, we can’t forget the many fabulous and amazing animated shows that are waiting to be released! For any indie animation fans, “The Amazing Digital Circus,” is a YouTube 3D animated show about being stuck in a digital world and currently being developed with four episodes posted as of today. For any musical fans, the world of “Hazbin Hotel” is coming back with a season two (as well as Amazon’s confirmation on its season three and four), and, although it has no release date yet, it is speculated to be released late of 2025 based on official announcements and hints from the voice actors. Its sister show, “Helluva Boss,” another animated series on YouTube that takes place in the same world as “Hazbin Hotel,” has just finished releasing Season Two and is already working on Season Three. I have watched each of the shows and I would 100% recommend it to watch! However, there is a lot of violence, suggestive themes, edgy humor and tons of that dark yet funny tone, so be aware of that prior to watching “Hazbin Hotel” or “Helluva Boss.” Also, “Arcane” has just finished up and is up and streaming on Netflix, so make sure to watch that too!
With so many things coming, it can be so hard to even know where to start and what is worth watching. Junior Omar Peña shares a recommendation for a film that he thinks everyone should watch.
“I would a hundred percent recommend watching Avengers: Endgame. It is basically about the avengers fighting Thanos, the main villain and restoring the rest of life in the universe. It is the big finale of the entire arc of the previous stories, which is why I love it so much. I recommend watching this prior to anything because it wouldn’t make sense to watch any new Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) films without watching Endgame,” Peña said.
Heather Matias, a 16-year-old who attends Irvine Valley College, recommends a show that she absolutely adores! She spends her free time binge watching many things and this specific show is one she enjoys the most.
“My favorite show is probably ‘Invader Zim.’ It’s about an Alien that goes to earth because he believes he has a “mission,” but his home planet really just sent him because he was annoying. I recommend it because it is so funny and so silly and dumb somehow. Never fails to make me laugh too,” Matias said.
Finally, senior Isabel Mendez shares her input on her recommendation for a show that, as she describes it, is colorful and fun!
“My favorite show at the moment is “Smiling Friends” from Adult Swim. “Smiling Friends” mainly follows two silly employees of the company Smiling Friends who try to bring happiness to whoever and whenever the situation arises. I would recommend it to anyone who wants to have a good laugh because the entire cast can be so unhinged, it’s beautiful. However, some things people should know before watching are that there is profanity, graphic violence and dark themes,” Mendez said.
It is amazing how diverse entertainment is, and hopefully, this article has prepared you to watch future releases and try something new. If I would recommend something, I would say just any cartoons, since they bring me joy and just something colorful to get my mind off stress. So, with that, it will be exciting to watch and wait upon the upcoming entertainment in this fresh year of 2025!
