I started making this list with the idea that I would only select five. That quickly moved to seven, which quickly moved to ten, and could easily be moved all the way to 15; that’s just how good movies were this year. From ping pong to fast cars, vampires to zombies, forgiveness to forgetfulness, 2025 had everything for a movie fan. Now, first, before I list off my top ten of the year, let me disclose the movies that I didn’t get to see this year.
Now, some of these movies I’m about to list are going to make you mad at me for not seeing them yet, just know I am equally as mad myself.
Eternity: The Miles Teller: Elizabeth Olsen and Callum Turner love triangle, where Elizabeth Olsen’s character has to select between her first love, who died early, or her second partner, whom she married for the rest of her life. It’s on the list, but other movies took priority.
Die My Love: The Jennifer Lawrence and Robert Pattinson love film that came out. I honestly had this on my watchlist all year, and somehow just didn’t notice it came out this year – it completely slipped my mind, but I will watch it soon when it becomes more available.
Bugonia: I know, I know. How did I not watch the cult classic film of the year? Honestly, I have no good excuse, but just know when I get the chance to watch it, I won’t let it slip away.
Avatar Fire and Ash: I won’t be watching this movie. I don’t like Avatar. They’re boring, they’re lazy, and they throw the message in your face in an insulting way. In my humble opinion, the Avatar movies are just James Cameron flexing how good he is at CGI, which he is great at, but still not enough to get my butt in a seat.
Honorable Mention: The Long Walk
I might be higher on this film than most people, but this honestly rivaled Weapons for my favorite horror movie of the year. It was bleak post-apocalyptic in a believable way: the gore was great, and I thought there was good writing that led to not just a horror movie but also a film about brotherhood. Cooper Hoffman was great, but the real steal of the show was David Jonsson as Peter. His upbeat attitude was such an interesting contradiction throughout the whole film, and he really stole my heart, as well as the hearts of other people in the theater, with his performance. Mark Hamill was also great.
10. Hamnet
I had a lot of expectations for this one. I am a big fan of Chloé Zhao’s work on Nomadland, which is one of my favorite movies that has come out this decade. I was also extremely critical of Eternals, which, so far, has been one of my least favorite films of the 2020s. Going into Hamnet, I did not know what to expect, but leaving the film, I learned two things. Chloé Zhao is back, and I now have very high expectations for Dracula. Jessie Buckley, I will watch whatever show, film, or whatever it is until you stop acting. Truly, Jessie Buckley as Agnes was impeccable and left me sobbing at the end of the film, a heart-warming and crushing tale at the same time. I was blown away by Hamnet. Paul Mescal had a very good performance as well, but it was Jessie Buckley through and through that truly elevated the movie.
This seems to be Wes’s last film in this trilogy about death, and for me, this one is by far my favorite. This era of Wes Anderson did not really resonate with me too much; I found Asteroid City rather clunky and thought he went a little too overboard on it, and while I liked The French Dispatch, for some reason, the film didn’t cling to me very well, and my memory of it is a little foggy. The Phoenician Scheme is definitely my favorite out of the three. In a way, it feels as if Wes has come back to reality in some sorts. The dialogue is a lot more straightforward and concise; the themes in this movie are also really straightforward. For me, it’s the performances that truly stick out first. Benicio Del Toro, what a year you had, and you killed it here from start to end, perfection. Mia Threapleton was also fantastic. I loved her very straightforward and almost deadpan delivery throughout the whole film. She, overall, as a character, truly was the centerpiece of the film. Michael Cera was funny, but I did feel as if the shine kinda wore off when his cover was blown and he went back to being a regular American. Overall, the film was great, and also a special shoutout to Richard Ayoade playing Sergio, who was hilarious.
8. Urchin
Where do I start with this one? Urchin is heart-wrenching, you’re left angry at the end, your sympathy is tested throughout the film, and yet you don’t want Mike, played by Frank Dilhane, to succeed; you need him to. Halfway through the film, I felt as if my emotions were tied to Mike’s. His pain hurt me. We were in sync. A directorial debut by Harris Dickinson, most famously known for his performance in Babygirl, Urchin was a heavy watch it was real and attacked on real issues that are around us every day, but that’s what made it special: Urchin wasn’t a film we wanted, it was a film we needed, a blunt, realistic look on homelessness and drug abuse. It wasn’t a fun watch, but I’ll be dammed it was a good one.
7. Weapons
Honestly, I didn’t know where to put Weapons. Was it one of my favorite movies of the year? Yes? Did I find it scary? Not at all. I think Weapons was one of the most unique watches of the year. The run time isn’t too long, but the pace of the movie makes it feel like the movie is an extra twenty minutes longer than it really is. I don’t say that in a bad way. I feel as if Weapons really nailed this uncomfortable and uneasy feeling, which lingered on me a lot longer than a jump scare could ever. Packed that in with one of the best performances of the year with Julia Garner as Justine, and you have one of the best horror movies of the year!
6. Train Dreams
When I turned this movie on, I didn’t expect anything. I have been a major hater of Netflix products for a while. Their shotgun method of content has never truly impressed me, and like I just mentioned, sometimes it feels like Netflix produces content instead of film. So when I sat down and threw on Train Dreams, I had already written my review in my head. Luckily for me, I was pleasantly surprised by this film. The story of Robert Grainer, a logger in the Pacific Northwest, is caught up in an ever-changing landscape of a rapidly industrializing American society. I recommend everyone watch Train Dreams so you can be just as pleasantly surprised as I was.
I think this is one of two movies on this list that I’m a lot higher on than everyone else. I can’t lie, though I really enjoyed this movie; it was fun, intense, funny, had a good romance plot, and was shot in a very pretty way. One of the best films of the summer, and it would be my film for the summer if it weren’t for another selection you will see later. A big shoutout to the coloring team on this one; they really did their thing because the color grading was fantastic. Matt Smith had one of my favorite performances as well. He really killed it as Russ and was probably the funniest character in the whole movie. Bad Bunny was very good in the movie as well, and I really like the last two roles he’s done! Overall, I think this movie has some of the most rewatch potential on this whole list of really fun films!
I didn’t know where to put this, as it just came out. After my first viewing, I knew for a fact it deserved to be in the top five movies of 2025, and as time goes on, it might even move up from four to the top three. But currently, I feel like four is the right spot for it. Marty Supreme, a story loosely based on the real-life professional table tennis player Marty Reisman, is a crime story about facing your expiring youth and still trying to complete your goals. Seriously, while table tennis might be one of the key factors to this movie, the movie is just as much about forcing you to become an adult as it is about becoming the best table tennis player. Timothée Chalamet was fantastic and might be my vote for actor performance of the year. Odessa A’zion, as well, is my vote for best actress of the year.
3. F1
Now, F1 was the most fun I’ve had watching a movie in theaters in a really long time. My first viewing was in a 4XD theater, and seeing how much detail the crew put into that film was amazing. I thought Brad Pitt was fantastic, and Damson Idris is my vote for best supporting actor of 2026. The practical effects are what make Joseph Kosinski’s films truly magical, and F1 did not disappoint. From the very start, you’re thrown into the fast-paced and magical world of racing. With the way they filmed the races, you feel as if you are in the car. This film is also a lot more than a racing film as well. The B plot between Brad Pitt and Kerry Condon is great and holds more weight than the actual racing storyline. The chemistry between Pitt and Javier Bardem was also fantastic. My movie of the summer, and honestly, my favorite movie of the year. This film has exceeded my expectations, and I had massive expectations.
2. Sinners
I think we all knew going into this list that the number one and two movies would be Sinners and One Battle After Another. I think there is a pretty massive jump from every movie on this list and then Sinners and One Battle After Another. Both films truly felt like culture-shifting moments in America. For me, One Battle After Another‘s call to action really put it at the number one spot.
Ryan Coogler’s most impressive feat with Sinners was the amount of time he spent on the dialogue and actually making the characters people you care about. One of my biggest gripes with horror movies is that they lack meaningful stories and often have characters that could be easily replaced and have no difference. Sinners is the complete opposite of that; each main character in the story was well fleshed out, had meaningful lines, and felt that they each served a specific purpose in the story. Not to mention the depth of the story is so fleshed out that while watching, the vampire horror aspect gets kinda pushed to the back until the third act. I don’t mean that as a negative, either; the story and character relationships are just that entertaining. Sinners also has my favorite scene of the whole year – when Sammie is playing the guitar, and we see decades of African American history unravel in front of us, truly beautiful. I also thought the idea of having the vampires be Klan men very interesting, and I think it can relate to the historical relationship between the media that African Americans have gifted the United States and the way that it has been taken in and sometimes stolen from them.
I truthfully don’t know where to start. Do I dare say this movie is perfect? We all know Paul Thomas Anderson is a fantastic director, and in my opinion, has never made a movie that is not great. One Battle After Another feels different from the rest; it felt like it was made for this exact moment in time – the message, the call to action, standing up to the authority that is promoting bigotry and racism. This movie did not just give me faith in cinema; it gave me faith that a nation that has been under so much duress and has had its actions motivated by hate and fear can heal and look to a brighter future.
Does Leo play the same character he has in his previous movies? Basically, is this the best performance out of those movies where he kind of plays a doofus? One hundred percent. Leo’s character was a perfect example of a revolutionary. I thought it was extremely clever to make him “politically incorrect,” such as when he was trying to call home base. The call operator was offended by his words, but also, the call operator was too lazy to actually take action and build up the wall the moment he heard something he didn’t agree with. This was the perfect contrast to Leo’s character, who said a ton of stuff that is considered hateful, but deep down, Leo’s actions did more for the revolution and were more about creating equality and a better future than all the people who were upset with his word choice. I think this mimics modern America perfectly. Del Toro was fantastic and had such an “I’m Him” moment. Sean Penn and Paul Thomas Anderson together are always going to magic, but wow, did Penn really go the extra mile on this one. He needs to be taking home some awards in 2026 for this performance. The cinematography was absolutely stunning. Chase Infiniti is a name you’d better remember, because she will continue to be on our screens for a long time after a performance that great. Overall, One Battle After Another is the movie that should be a requirement for everyone to watch. It was perfect. Viva La revolution, and don’t forget to have a few small beers while you’re at it.
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