With Eid Al Adha approaching, anticipation is growing for the films set to be released during the holiday.
This year, Eid Al Adha is expected to fall on June 6. While many of the summer’s biggest blockbusters will be released later in June and July, there’s a nice selection of films coming out this Eid for fans of action and horror.
Here are the major releases coming to cinemas in the UAE for Eid Al Adha 2025.
From the World of John Wick: Ballerina
The John Wick films have grown in popularity with each instalment. As a result, the Keanu Reeves-fronted film series about a skilled assassin has now spawned a cinematic universe. The first spin-off from the series was a television show titled The Continental: From the World of John Wick, which was released in 2023.
The second spin-off is a film titled Ballerina, starring Ana de Armas. Reeves also appears in the film, but the focus is expected to be on de Armas and her character’s journey. Ballerina is directed by Len Wiseman, who previously directed Underworld. The film also stars Ian McShane, Anjelica Huston and Gabriel Byrne.
Project X
Karim Abdel Aziz stars in Project X, an Egyptian action film directed by doctor-turned-filmmaker, Peter Mimi. The film follows a police officer fighting an antiquity smuggling gang in Europe.
Mimi previously directed Abdel Aziz in the 2024 Ramadan series The Assassins. Project X also features other talented Egyptian actors, including Essam El Sakka, Mariam El Gendy, Eyad Nassar and Yasmine Sabri.
Thug Life
Mani Ratnam, considered one of the greatest living directors in India, directs the South Indian film Thug Life. The film stars Kamal Haasan, Pankaj Tripathi, Trisha Krishnan, Sanya Malhotra and Silambarasan TR.
Ratnam, who previously directed the popular Shah Rukh Khan film Dil Se.. in 1998, is known for his profound storytelling and socially relevant themes. Haasan and Ratnam reunite for the first time since their last collaboration in 1987’s Nayakan. The film’s music is composed by frequent Ratnam collaborator AR Rahman.
The Bitter Taste
The Bitter Taste, directed by Guido Tolke, is a horror-action film that follows a retired pentathlete who is captured by the undead Countess Badesky and her cursed followers. The pentathlete must revive her athletic skills to survive a deadly hunt.
The film pays homage to 1980s horror and adventure classics, drawing inspiration from The Evil Dead, The Thing and From Dusk Till Dawn. The Bitter Taste stars Julia Dordel, Nicolo Pasetti, Anne Alexander-Sieder and John Keogh.
Dangerous Animals
Survival horror film Dangerous Animals, directed by Australian filmmaker Sean Byrne, debuted at the Cannes Film Festival's Directors' Fortnight on May 17. The film, which stars Hassie Harrison, Jai Courtney and Josh Heuston, follows a surfer with a troubled past who is abducted by a shark-obsessed serial killer, who films his victims being fed to sharks.
The Monster Beneath Us
Directed by Sophie Osbourne, The Monster Beneath Us is a Gothic horror film set in 1898 Yorkshire, England. The story follows a grieving widow, who returns to her late husband's ancestral home, Doloridge Manor, with her young son. As they settle into the eerie mansion, the son discovers a mysterious creature lurking in the basement, forming an unsettling bond with it. The mother, unaware of the creature's presence, begins to experience strange occurrences that heighten her anxiety and fear.
The Monster Beneath Us stars Becca Hirani, Marshall Hawkes, Nicola Wright and Jennifer Lim.
