The Top Movies of 2025 came out swinging. Embracing genres and going beyond the traditional Academy Award fair, we had to extend the list to 30. Our group looks at every genre, age, range, and international film across the calendar. With so many notable films this year, narrowing it down has been hard.
Still, our staff chose their top movies of 2025 by pulling together lists that featured animation, original stories, astounding sequels, the Mission Impossible you’re not expecting, genre films that swing for the fences, and adaptations of novels that struck a chord.
The top movies of 2025 for our staff didn’t restrict by genre or look to Academy Award shortlists, just the cinema that moved us this year. But there are some stipulations to be included on our top movies of 2025 list.
To make our top movies of 2025 list, a film had to have a release either on streaming or in theaters during 2024 (January to December). This means films that were screened only at festivals cannot be added, but a theatrical run is not required, allowing direct-to-streaming films to be included.
If you’d like to see our specific genre and medium-based lists for action and animation, click the hyperlinks!
Without further ado, here are the top movies of 2024.
The Top Movies of 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020
30. Caught Stealing
Director: Darren Aronofsky
Writer: Darren Aronofsky
“While it may be rough-around-the-edges, that’s kind of the key to Caught Stealing‘s charm. Its blend of anxiety-inducing NYC crime thriller, dark comedy, and tragedy makes a cinematic stew with a little extra zip than American moviegoers are used to. Darren Aronofsky exits his self-serious era by going for marquee entertainment, and Austin Butler cements his all-but-already-guaranteed movie star bona fides.
Caught Stealing is the kind of movie that gets one excited about the power of the movies. Whether this film leads to sequels following Charlie Huston’s sequel novels or not, it’s clear that Caught Stealing brings out the best in its assembled talent. In other words, we need more of what everyone brings to the table here.” – James Preston Poole
Watch now on Hulu and Disney+.
29. 28 Years Later
Director: Danny Boyle
Writer: Alex Garland
“Some moments of 28 Years Later do venture too close to over-sentimentality; however, when violence erupts, it pulls us back from that ledge and manages expectations. This is a brutal film, but it’s not a mean one. Themes like loneliness and losing people aren’t wielded like a sledgehammer.
While some death scenes are shocking and sometimes wander into shock value territory, they never stay there. It interrupts the world and the love, and reminds the viewer where we still are – in a harsh world, with little hope. But it’s what you do in that circumstance that shapes it.
28 Years Later is a beautiful film. It’s also one that looks to be more than what it is, not by shirking its genre but by reinterpreting it in a way audiences haven’t entirely seen before. Tense for almost its entire runtime and yet sensitive as well, this is a horror high for the year, but more importantly, justifies bringing back a franchise 28 years later.” — Kate Sánchez
Watch now on HBO MAX and VOD.
28. Hamnet
Director: Chloé Zhao
Writer: Chloé Zhao, Maggie O’Farrell (based on the novel by)
“The moments where Hamnet enters a less literal world only work at all because of Jupe’s performance in them and in every other scene before them. While the forest that Agnes so loves feels a little empty during the longer first portion of the movie, it at least reflects well the unbearable emptiness that she and William must endure after losing their son. It’s also a reminder that so much life exists outside of the emptiness, as the scenes make the forest feel so much larger than any of the sparse indoor locations could ever be.
Hamnet feels empty and drawn out at times, but in that emptiness is an exceptional display of tragedy and grief that helps demystify Shakespeare’s greatest play. The ways that Agnes and Will show their love and their grief are completely distinct, yet vividly recognizable through the Bard’s works and his deep understanding of emotion. It just takes a few tries to fully grasp the depth of its meaning.” — Jason Flatt
Watch now in theaters.
27. Sirāt
Director: Oliver Laxe
Writer: Oliver Laxe
“With Sirat, Laxe hones in on these feelings with unflinching abandon. After all, in a civilization course-correcting towards self-annihilation, there’s little to say and much to do.
The film takes that mantra to heart, sidestepping dialogue for long stretches to drown audiences in pure sound and vision. It elicits guttural reactions that not only shock and stupefy but also aim to jolt us into action. In its most primal, heart-wrenching moments, Sirat manifests as techno-infused screech into the aether, hoping anyone or anything will heed its call.
Sirat is the rare experience that reverberates within you. Despite its grueling and futile outlook, it’s an energizing work that calls us to action with each pull of the rug. It might be too late to alter our course, but Sirat’s thrills ensure we’re alive and aware enough to try to do something to turn the tide.” — Prabhjot Bains
Watch now on VOD.
26. Bring Her Back
Director: Danny Philippou and Michael Philippou
Writer: Danny Philippou and Michael Philippou
“The scares in Bring Her Back are exceptional and woven so well into the film’s fabric. In fact, the film as a whole feels like one huge continuous scare, with it aiming to unnerve you from jump. The characters’ actions, the music, the setting, and so much more set every scene to keep you glued to your seat in fear. The mystery grips you, even as you wince and feel disgust at the spectacle. The Philippou brothers have played a masterful storytelling game, rife with addictive discomfort.
Bring Her Back is an excellent and unnerving horror film about the terrors of possessive motherhood and what a self-righteous mother figure might do to have her children’s love. With superb performances from the entire cast, excellent direction from the Philippou brothers, a haunting script by Danny Philippou and Hinzman, and a keen focus on terrifying its audience consistently, Bring Her Back isn’t a film horror fans will want to miss. And perhaps in its unique approach, it’ll garner more fans of the genre along the way.” — Swara Salih
Watch now on HBO Max.
25. Rental Family
Director: Hikari
Writer: Hikari and Stephen Blahut
“Rental Family has the premise of something so simple: a lonely man looks for a fake family to fill the void. But its heart is enormous. Brendan Frasier puts in his best dramatic performance yet as the fake father to a young girl whose mother needs his help getting her into a top school.
He’s a Canadian fish out of water in Japan, caked in sadness. But through each of the gigs he takes at the rental family agency, Rental Family becomes a touching movie about how beautiful it can be to decide to be lonely together instead of pretending to be something you’re not.” — Jason Flatt
Watch now on VOD.
24. Come See Me in the Good Light
Director: Ryan White
“Come See Me in the Good Light isn’t a documentary about dying, it’s about living life full of love. When renowned poet Andrea Gibson’s cancer came back, she began filming her everyday life. The documentary captures the horrible sadness that comes with knowing death is around the corner, the weight it puts on the people who love you most, the small joys of decent test results, and the triumph of doing the things you love one last time, despite the odds.
Just as importantly, the documentary captures how Andrea and her partner, Megan Falley, loved each other clearly, calmly, and passionately through the whole experience. This is a powerful documentary that makes it feel like love really can conquer even death.”
Watch now on Apple TV.
23. Fight or Flight
Director: James Madigan
Writer: Brooks McLaren and D.J. Cotrona
“I don’t particularly like describing films by comparing them to others. Still, for those who love action, knowing that Fight or Flight is a cross between Bullet Train, Baby Assassins, and John Wick 3 (specifically) just may make sure that no one sleeps on this action movie.
Fight or Flight is absurdist action violence, making it a top contender for the year’s best action movie. Josh Hartnett’s electric physicality and top-notch comedic timing make every moment he’s on screen a raucous joy, and the chaos bouncing off the walls of the two-story plane is the right kind of over the top. While the film may boast that it has producers from John Wick involved in the project, the reality is that it doesn’t need a pedigree once the boarding doors shut and the seat belt sign turns off.” — Kate Sánchez
Watch now on Paramount+, Showtime, and VOD.
22. The Testament of Ann Lee
Director: Mona Fastvold
Writer: Mona Fastvold and Brady Corbet
“The Testament of Ann Lee doesn’t ask you to agree with the Shaker’s beliefs. It doesn’t even ask you to understand them. There is a seemingly willful ignorance of some of Ann’s philosophies. Many of her tenets are built on a whim in response to her own experiences as a means of self-preservation.
Instead, the movie simply invites you to respect the Shakers. There is a cautionary tale in the repercussions of falling into a cult and the void that one still could never fill. But the movie also appreciates that in the end, the Shakers are only principally interested in being left to build and tend to their community. The movie doesn’t even show off their renowned furniture until the very end, choosing to focus on the heart of their community rather than the physical fruit of their labor.
The Testament of Ann Lee is a complicated text, but it is a passionately beautiful movie that’s dance and song translates everything immaculately. All it takes to appreciate the movie’s splendor is to be engrossed in the passionate movement of its performers. Captured with perfect cinematography, the movie is a stand-out depiction of religious zeal and sincere care for one’s work, community, and land.” — Jason Flatt
Watch in theaters now.
21. Friendship
Director: Andrew DeYoung
Writer: Andrew DeYoung
“Aesthetically, Friendship plays like a parody of the perception of what an A24 movie is. Shot in a gritty fashion by cinematographer Andy Rydzewski that recalls an indie drama more than a comedy, the heavily synth-based score by Keegan DeWitt helps sell this as the type of film that could easily be mistaken for the likes of Saltburn.
Friendship is excellent. Few comedies are this well-conceived, strange, or ambitious. Riding a tour-de-force performance from Tim Robinson, Andrew DeYoung’s Friendship is a powerhouse of dark comedy that will have as many audiences too uncomfortable to continue as it will have fans years from now rewatching every scene obsessively. No doubt about it, Friendship has cult comedy written all over it.” — James Preston Poole
Watch now on HBO Max.
20. It was Just An Accident
Director: Jafar Panahi
Writer: Jafar Panahi
“It Was Just an Accident probably shouldn’t even exist, considering the political pressure and multiple arrests Jafar Panahi has endured at the hands of the Iranian regime over his career. And yet, it is because of this experience that he is able to make such a thrilling, meaningful movie about vengeance and forgiveness.
It would be one thing for the movie to just be a captivating revenge story. Which it certainly is, thanks to its stellar cast. But the movie also dares to wrestle with what it means to forgive the people who have hurt you the most. It feels even riskier than revenge, and elevates the movie to a different level of excellence.” — Jason Flatt
Watch now on VOD.
19. Sorry, Baby
Director: Eva Victor
Writer: Eva Victor
“The final scene of Sorry Baby is the most exceptional piece of writing and acting in a movie blessed with so much of it already. Every thread of dialogue and little moment of characterization culminates in this one scene most unexpectedly.
It’s a testament to love’s place in the healing process and how it may not always look quite how it did before, but it’s essential to rediscover. The conversation at the end is so moving and hopefully portends more standout writing and directing from Eva Victor in the future.
Sorry Baby is as much a phenomenal tome on healing as it is an artistically beautiful, witty, and funny piece of pure filmmaking. Eva Victor is a true force in all of their roles in making this movie.” — Jason Flatt
Watch now on HBO Max.
18. If I Had Legs, I’d Kick You
Director: Mary Bronstein
Writer: Mary Bronstein
“If I Had Legs I’d Kick You made me want to crawl under my seat, it made me want to walk out, it made me want to simply stop existing. I have never felt like a spotlight was pointed so brightly in my direction before.
While the narrative lacks cohesion, its uncommitted ending forces the viewer to decide what Linda has done, making the film feel like it holds back its last punch after pummeling you for two hours. It’s a negative, and yet I can see how it’s Mary Bronstein’s small act of kindness to her protagonist.
So what do we do when a performance is so accurate that it makes our skin crawl and our ears hurt? What do we do with a film whose ability to inflict trauma is so potent that it makes you hate it? More specifically, what do you do when that film stills its balled fist at the last moment?
The truth is that I don’t know what to do with If I Had Legs I’d Kick You. I do know that I would never recommend it, but I also know that Rose Byrne continues to solidify herself as a true talent in dark comedy, tragedy, and visceral relationships.” — Kate Sánchez
Watch now on HBO Max.
17. Mickey 17
Director: Bong Joon-ho
Writer: Bong Joon-ho, Edward Ashton (based on the novel by)
“Bong Joon-ho captures a moment in time, and he does so with a large sci-fi swing at the fences that uses absurdity, humor, and violence to drive its point home. Many American audiences came to Director Bong’s work through Parasite, and if they’re coming to Mickey 17 with that in mind, they will find a complementary theme. However, this film focuses on science fiction, something that the director’s filmography is filled with, from Okja to Snowpiercer. Class is always at the center, and class solidarity is on the menu here.
Mickey 17 may be over the top in parts, but the action is great, the sci-fi tech is interesting, and the acting is superb. Sure to top many end-of-year lists, this bizarre and relevant story will leave some people angry and others ecstatic. This film ultimately continues Bong Joon-ho’s filmography as an inventive and incisive look at how bad everything is right now and how we can improve it. Colonization is captured by its exploitation in this sci-fi take.”
Watch now on HBO Max.
16. Sentimental Value
Director: Joachim Trier
Writer: Eskil Vogt, Joachim Trier
“Sentimental Value is a truly special movie. It will leave you speechless and in tears, with a final scene perfectly culminating everything—the themes, the acting, and the technical achievements. The way that it slowly unwraps the history of the Berg family while its characters slowly unravel themselves is spectacularly constructed.
The haunting hallways of their family home are touched with beauty everywhere, including the deep love between Agnes and Nora and the compassion Agnes begs Nora and their father to have for one another. Even the outsider Rachel Kemp fills the house with something special—a different perspective to help strengthen what makes this family great and point out what they cannot recognize as absurd.”
Watch now on VOD.
15. The Long Walk
Director: Joachim Trier
Writer: Eskil Vogt, Joachim Trier
“This is the most heartfelt, heartbreaking, and harrowing adaptation of Stephen King’s work, and it also feels like the most salient. A coming-of-age horror story, a grief story, a vulnerable story, this is one of the best films of the year. The Long Walk is unafraid to be brutal, to steal youth and innocence, and not hide the violence that the men are going through for the entertainment of their country.
The Long Walk (2025) is a film that, despite its unusual treadmill movie screening marketing, is difficult to watch and even more challenging to sit through. It prompts its viewers to develop empathy for the desperate and see themselves in them. It urges us to understand the burden of the young men before us and the expectations that are breaking under.” — Kate Sánchez
Watch on VOD.
14 . The Bad Guys 2
Director: Pierre Perifel
Writer: Yoni Brenner, Etan Cohen
Animation Studio: Dreamworks Animation, Sony Pictures Imageworks
“A big year for sequels, the bar was set high for The Bad Guys 2 to succeed. By embracing action, adventure, and the art of the heist, it shot past every other American animated film this year. Gorgeously animated, The Bad Guy’s most significant feat is that it somehow winds up being the best Mission Impossible film released in 2025. Yes, I said that.
When it comes to action, Dreamworks animators are students of the genre, making the homage to the classics and trendsetters always feel in conversation with, but never mimicking, them. Instead, this sequel makes the most of its crew, showcasing the power of ensemble casts in animated movies and understanding how to assemble personalities that work across ages.
A good time at the cinema and one of two animated movies from the United States this year that made me excited for what comes next, Dreamworks continues to highlight how to find originality in franchise works and electrify storytelling.” — Kate Sánchez
Watch now on Paramount+ and VOD.
13. Lurker
Director: Alex Russell
Writer: Alex Russell
“What stands out about Lurker more than the rest is the potential it has to inspire conversation. At the heart of Alex Russell’s film is the centering of fame. Fame is an all-powerful drug that can intoxicate, elevate, but also harm.
Feature directorial debuts are a way for artists to give a taste of what they’re all about. With Lurker, Alex Russell gives the audience a full meal to savor and digest for years to come. Anchored by white-hot chemistry between its leads, stunning formal brilliance, and the capacity for vigorous discussion, this film will be a tough act to follow for Alex Russell. For now, he’ll just have to settle for having one of the best films of 2025.” — James Preston Poole
Watch now on MUBI and VOD.
12. No Other Choice
Director: Park Chan-Wook
Writer: Park Chan-Wook, Donald E. Westlake (based on the novel by)
“As Park entwines detailed character motivations and motifs, No Other Choice begins to turn its textured lens inward, inviting audiences to confront the thin, fragile layers separating them from such barbarity. At the centre of this effect lies Lee Byung Hun’s super-articulated performance. It becomes a perverse treat to watch him wince, moan, and curdle at the thought of following through on each heinous act.
No Other Choice sees Park Chan-wook operating at another artistic high, consistently finding method in the madness. Despite how comical its fabric may be, it never relinquishes a tight grip on a prescient social satire. As our enterprising world continues to mechanize, downsize, and automize, human agency is little more than a bearish stock.
So, if everything comes down to an unfeeling algorithm, there’s no other choice but to fudge the numbers and play dirty. Perhaps tricking the corporate machine is the only way to retain some semblance of dignity in a world where humanity is a growing inconvenience.” — Prabhjot Bains
Was screened theatrically in limited release and is scheduled for VOD in 2026.
11. Frankenstein (2025)
Director: Guillermo del Toro
Writer: Guillermo del Toro, Mary Shelly (based on the novel by)
“From a storytelling perspective, Guillermo del Toro highlights a concept that he has long worked into many of his films: empathy for monsters. However, as his directorial gaze shifts, he points out the monstrosities that even humans become. He asks us to empathize with their creators and their creations, and to understand our place among them. Not because they are innocent, but because both the wolf, the hunter, and the sheep all exist as they are, and a violent world cyclically rips through them all.
In many of the moments where we see the cycle from father to son damage the next generation of Frankenstein, it’s hard not to see a life that many men in my life have gone through. And given both Isaac and del Toro’s cultural backgrounds, a story about masculinity and fatherhood takes on a separate lens from those who grew up in Latin households.
There is no absolution in Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein, but there is understanding. Trauma breaks us, and the search for perfection, rejecting the fingerprints it leaves, only makes it burrow deeper. If not for the choices made during the CGI sequences, Frankenstein would stand out beautifully in del Toro’s filmography. Still, it showcases why the auteur is the maestro of monsters. Del Toro has taken Victor Frankenstein from mad scientist back to the tortured soul, and horror is better for it.” — Kate Sánchez
Watch now on Netflix.
10. The Phoenician Scheme
Director: Wes Anderson
Writer: Wes Anderson
Wes Anderson plays with his own repetitive storytelling nature in the Benicio del Toro-led The Phoenician Scheme. Rooted in family drama, political intrigue, and the comedy that can only come from an estranged father and his daughter, who is rejected from a nunnery. There is action, there are highly stylized top-down shots, there are quirky idiosyncrasies that should not work but do, and more importantly, there is humor.
The Phoenician Scheme is a film that somehow manages to propel itself forward every time it doubles back and highlights character growth by changing circumstances, but keeping the core eccentricities that got them into their situation in the first place intact.
The oddity of Wes Anderson’s filmmaking is that his pastel scenery lends itself to screenshots shared on social media, but his dialogue sticks in your brain. Add in an ensemble cast with perfect chemistry and an odd plot that only gets odder the more it develops, and the family drama of it all sings supremely.” — Kate Sánchez
Watch now on Peacock.
9. Train Dreams
Director: Clint Bentley
Writer: Clint Bentley and Greg Kwedar
“Co-writers Bentley and Greg Kwedar have shown their ability to showcase masculinity through vulnerability with last year’s Sing Sing, and that care is rooted deep in Robert’s identity. He is a logger. He is around nothing but men for months out of the year. And yet, none of it diminishes his ability to care deeply for the world around him.
Throughout the film, Robert is shown in a near-stoic stare, but it’s not empty; it’s processing. He is who he is because of who he meets, who he loves, and what he loses. To show a man so deeply in love, longing to be a father, it’s clear that Robert lives for others, not the other way around.
Train Dreams (2025) is a gorgeous story of love and loss and, ultimately, just about life. It’s one man’s journey across the decades, and somehow, despite its simplicity, it moves mountains in your hearts. Joel Edgerton carries this masterpiece in history and intimacy with humility and beauty.” — Kate Sánchez
Watch now on Netflix.
8. Marty Supreme
Director: Josh Safdie
Writer: Josh Safdie, Ronald Bronstein
“Through all of the complicated and intertwined calamities that Marty endures throughout the movie, Marty Supreme completely lands the ending. Everything not only culminates in enormous satisfaction, but every last plot thread is tied up along the way. For a movie with so many subplots, this feels like an outstanding feat unto itself.
Marty Supreme is a lot of fun, with many great supporting performances that rival its lead. It’s as much joy to watch a sports biopic that doesn’t feel like every other one, just as much as it’s a joy to watch a set of unreasonably confident characters pull off twisted capers and intense ping pong matches.” — Jason Flatt
Watch in theaters now.
7. Avatar: Fire and Ash
Director: James Cameron
Writer: James Cameron & Rick Jaffa, & Amanda Silver
“Avatar: Fire and Ash is a cinematic wonder and highlights what can still be done with computer-generated special effects when care and love are poured into it. At a time when this kind of effect keeps getting worse from the small to the big screen, this film gives me hope that there is life in the medium.
Avatar: Fire and Ash is a cinematic wonder and highlights what can still be done with computer-generated special effects when care and love are poured into it. At a time when this kind of effect keeps getting worse from the small to the big screen, this film gives me hope that there is life in the medium.
Still, with epic storytelling and even grander visuals, James Cameron’s work becomes a beacon of hope. Even now, mythologies can still be created on screen, and, more importantly, they can tell us to fight back.” – Kate Sánchez
Watch now in theaters.
6. KPop Demon Hunters
Director: Chris Appelhans, Maggie Kang
Writer: Danya Jimenez, Hannah McMechan, Chris Appelhans, Maggie Kang, Bo Yeon Kim
Animation Studio: Sony Animation Studios
“Kpop Demon Hunter’s animation shines through in how it captures complex movement. This is clear in the action sequences that are absolutely gorgeous. The acrobatics and complexity of scenes that feature Huntrix and hordes of demons are just as fluid and detailed as those where the three of them fight a smaller number of enemies. What sets this animated film apart, however, is the dance choreography.
Kpop Demon Hunters continues Netflix Animation’s winning streak and is yet another film where Sony Animation is able to showcase the diversity that can be found in 3D animation. A film that can pull in all ages and ultimately captures the look, feel, and love of K-pop, this Netflix Original is an immediate must-watch. Beautiful animation that is met with an even more important message, Kpop Demon Hunters is a near-perfect film.” — Kate Sánchez
Watch now on Netflix.
5. Ne Zha 2
Director: Jiaozi
Writer: Jiaozi
Animation Studio: Chengdu Coco Cartoon, Beijing Enlight,, Chengdu Zizai, Jingjie Culture Media, Beijing Coloroom Technology
“The studio understands how to tell a culturally specific story that resonates beyond one country and taps into something we all need right now. The permission to be angry, the permission to not give up, and ultimately, the permission to change things and know that we don’t have to be alone while doing so.
Ne Zha 2 shows the depth and themes of Chinese mythology, and its complexity and large ensemble cast of characters pull it all together beautifully. This is what an epic looks like. This is the best animated film of the year, and there is no competition. ” — Kate Sánchez
Watch now on HBO Max and VOD.
4. Black Bag
Director: Steven Soderbergh
Writer: David Koepp
“Black Bag pulls you into its espionage story, but settles you into a marriage. The best romance of the year, as much as director Steven Soderbergh is focused on building trust through each scene that George (Michael Fassbender) and Katheryn (Cate Blanchett) share, where David Koepp’s script is highly focused on deception. Visually, the body language and chemistry exude trust, while the dialogue shows the couple performing for those around them.
An uncomfortable dinner party and secrets that betray a government’s trust, well, that’s the perfect recipe for a mystery. However, Black Bag is about love, what you do for your spouse, and the small habits we learn from them, and how they build into a larger understanding of who we live with. Without explicit scenes, there is not a steamier couple in film this year, just for how well Kathryn keeps George wrapped around her finger.”
Watch now on Paramount+.
3. Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc
Director: Tatsuya Yoshihara
Writer: Hiroshi Seko, Tatsuki Fujimoto (based on a manga by)
Animation Studio: MAPPA
“Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc continues the series’ ability to subvert expectations, double down on action, and maintain the emotional core of the story. While it’s easy to think audiences are drawn to Chainsaw Man for its intense action or even its moments of fan service, Tatsuki Fujimoto‘s story resonates because it has heart.
Bloodfueled action balanced by romance in a way that captures the very best parts of Fujimoto’s story. While the use of certain manga panels or even covers of volumes is a great callout moment for fans, it’s all about the story in the end. It’s about Reze, Denji, Aki, and Angel. Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc isn’t spectacle, it’s storytelling.” — Kate Sánchezv
Was released in theaters nationwide and will be streaming on Crunchyroll.
2. One Battle After Another
Director: Paul Thomas Anderson
Writer: Paul Thomas Anderson
“One Battle After Another is a mixture of disparate elements that shouldn’t work, but against all odds does. Paul Thomas Anderson brings his requisite toolbox while exploring new territory, buoyed by a series of incredible performances. One Battle After Another is the kind of movie that is essential to the 2025 landscape.
It’s hardly the only big mainstream social commentary this year, nor is it the first example of an auteur stepping outside of their comfort zone, but it has a magnetic appeal in the same way as Sinners does, destined to entice audiences into something out of their comfort zone. One Battle After Another is having one battle after another with itself, and who wins? The audience.” – James Preston Poole
Watch now on HBO Max and VOD.
1. Sinners
Director: Ryan Coogler
Writer: Ryan Coogle
“Coogler is a masterful horror director from jump. From the first scene, we immediately get appropriate and well-positioned jump scares. The terror builds gradually as you anticipate the monsters coming for Smoke, Stack, and their nightclub patrons and team.
While film and TV have done the vampire concept ad nauseam, Coogler is able to make it his own social commentary, with his dialogue incorporating themes of white supremacist domination, appropriation of Black music and culture, capitalism, and much more. While we’re familiar with the monster, Sinners presents them in a new light.
Sinners is Ryan Coogler’s magnum opus to date. With extraordinary direction, writing, social commentary, sound design, cinematography, scares, and music that will command your attention, Coogler once again showcases he is a master filmmaker with original and bold vision. With a superb cast and crew to make his vision even more entrancing, it’s a must-see theatrical experience. Hollywood desperately needs original and bold ideas, and Sinners fits that bill and so much more.” — Swara Salih
Watch now on HBO Max.
With so many movies, dramas like Kokuho, F1: The Movie, and animated movies like Lost in Starlight and Little Amelie or The Character of Rain, just missed the mark to be included on the Top Movies of 2025 list. Did your favorite of the year make the top movies of 2025 list?
Which would you add to the top movies of 2025? Let us know on social media: @butwhytho.net on Bluesky.
When available, the blurbs for The Top Movies of 2024 list were taken from previously posted reviews of the films. Otherwise, they were written for the film by the critic who voted it highest.
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