I Watched 166 New Releases In 2025, And These Are My 15 Favorite Movies

Every January, I set a goal to watch more new movies than I did the year before, and it’s been a successful tradition. I started with 107 in 2021, then watched 128 in 2022, with Everything Everywhere All At Once as my favorite. In 2023, I saw 138 new films, and Poor Things stood out as the best. Last year, 2024, I screened 140 titles, with The Substance being the highlight. This year, 2025, I managed to watch 166 new movies – a mix of films I saw in theaters and those I streamed – and there were so many great ones!

Okay, so everyone’s been asking me what my favorite movie of the year is, and honestly, I’ve been thinking about it all December! My rankings kept changing as I discovered new films I loved. But the year’s ending, so I’ve finally had to pick! I’m not saying this list is set in stone – I might feel differently in a year, or even a month – but here are my 15 absolute favorite movies I watched in 2025.

15. The Monkey

I’m a huge Stephen King fan, so it’s not a shock that several of this year’s movie adaptations ended up on my favorites list—in fact, three of them did! First up is Osgood Perkins’ The Monkey, a wild and fantastic reimagining of the original short story. It’s a complete departure from his previous film, Longlegs, which I ranked highly last year. With its straightforward approach and plenty of gore, it’s exactly the kind of movie I love.

14. The Rule Of Jenny Pen

James Ashcroft’s The Rule of Jenny Pen is more than just scary—it’s genuinely unsettling and even cruel, which I appreciate when it’s executed well. Geoffrey Rush delivers a brilliantly unlikeable performance as Judge Stefan Mortensen—he’d be a perfect villain in almost any other film. However, John Lithgow as Dave Crealy is truly terrifying and steals the show. The relationships between the characters are compelling, and Ashcroft’s direction keeps you on the edge of your seat.

13. Influencers

As this list shows, I was especially impressed by the horror films released in 2025, ranging from big-budget productions to smaller, independent sequels. One standout is Kurtis David Harder’s Influencers, and if you haven’t seen it or the original Influencer from 2022, I highly recommend you do. The sequel immediately throws some unexpected twists at the audience, making it hard to discuss without spoiling anything. However, it’s safe to say that Cassandra Naud returns as CW and continues to expertly create elaborate traps for self-absorbed online personalities.

12. Train Dreams

I watch a lot of movies, so I really appreciate it when one truly surprises me. While this list includes many films with unexpected twists, Clint Bentley’s Train Dreams stands out. It doesn’t rely on complicated plots or predictable storylines. Instead, it beautifully portrays a simple, yet challenging, life in the 20th century. Joel Edgerton gives a deeply moving performance as Robert Grainier, and I was particularly struck by the film’s thoughtful message about finding meaning in life.

11. No Other Choice

Even in difficult times, there’s a bright side: we might be entering a new peak for both horror and darkly funny satire, and Park Chan-wook’s No Other Choice is a perfect example. The film brilliantly shows how far someone will go when desperate, and Lee Byung-hun’s character, Man-su, is hilariously inept as he tries to eliminate his rivals for a job. Beyond the dark humor, the film offers sharp observations about society.

10. Superman

Superhero movies really changed after 2020, which made an already difficult job for James Gunn – who’s building the new DC Universe – even harder. That’s what makes the new Superman movie so impressive. It’s a well-made blockbuster that understands audiences don’t need the same origin stories repeated, offering a rich, detailed world with engaging characters and a story driven by their feelings and motivations, rather than just a series of events.

9. Final Destination: Bloodlines

I was really enjoying the inventive, chaotic violence of The Monkey earlier this year, but honestly, nothing hits quite like the elaborate, chain-reaction deaths in the Final Destination movies. And Bloodlines? It delivers! As a long-time fan, this one is everything I wanted – the kills are unbelievably creative (seriously, a new number one on my all-time favorite death scene list!), and the story manages to both explain the bigger picture and leave enough questions unanswered to keep me hoping for tons more sequels. It’s a fantastic addition to the series.

8. The Life Of Chuck

Let’s talk about Stephen King adaptations again. I’ve been consistently impressed with Mike Flanagan’s ability to bring even King’s most challenging stories to the screen – especially with films like Gerald’s Game and Doctor Sleep. But The Life of Chuck feels different. Instead of heavily adapting King’s complex story – which is told in three parts, moving backwards in time – Flanagan simply lets the source material speak for itself, relying on his strong emotional direction and a fantastic cast. The result is a beautiful film about life and appreciating every moment.

7. Bring Her Back

It’s a big shift in tone from the beautiful film The Life of Chuck to the intensely dark Bring Her Back by Danny and Michael Philippou. However, that doesn’t factor into how I’m ranking these films. Like their first feature, Talk To Me, I really appreciate this movie because of its bold, unflinching style—it can genuinely shock even horror fans—and its clever world-building. The filmmakers trust the audience and avoid over-explaining things, which keeps the horror truly effective. Plus, I’ve noticed Sally Hawkins isn’t getting enough recognition for her incredibly disturbing performance.

6. The Long Walk

This is the third Stephen King adaptation we’re covering, and honestly, given how intense it is and how difficult it must have been to film, I didn’t think it would ever happen. But director Francis Lawrence, who clearly understands large-scale dystopian stories, has done an amazing job with The Long Walk. The film is powerfully emotional and often shocking, dealing with difficult themes in a way that feels very real. What’s truly special is the connection between the characters played by Cooper Hoffman (Ray Garraty) and David Jonsson (Peter McVries)—it’s one of the most moving relationships I’ve seen on screen this year.

5. Marty Supreme

Josh Safdie’s Marty Supreme is a fascinating puzzle, all thanks to Timothée Chalamet’s performance as Marty Mauser. He’s the kind of person you’d actively avoid in real life – incredibly arrogant and self-centered, with a personality that just radiates those traits. But despite that, his ambition and drive are captivating. It’s a strange feeling to strongly dislike a character while simultaneously being completely drawn in by their efforts, but the film is both hilarious and exciting.

4. If I Had Legs I’d Kick You

Watching Mary Bronstein’s If I Had Legs I’d Kick You reminded me of how I felt watching Josh and Bennie Safdie’s Uncut Gems and Jennifer Kent’s The Babadook. All three films create an incredibly intense and overwhelming feeling – a feeling that makes you want to just disappear (and I mean that as a compliment!). Rose Byrne is fantastic, and she perfectly conveys the immense stress her character experiences as things get increasingly difficult. Bronstein’s dynamic and immersive filmmaking style immediately establishes her as a promising new director.

3. Weapons

I left Zach Cregger’s Weapons feeling amazing this summer. The film’s shocking and intense ending had the whole audience cheering, but it also came from truly enjoying the skillfully made movie. The dark characters are fascinating and well-developed—it’s hard to choose a favorite among Julia Garner, Josh Brolin, and Amy Madigan—and the way the film ends each scene at its most exciting moment is playful and completely satisfying.

2. Sinners

I predicted Ryan Coogler’s Sinners would be among my favorite films of the year when I learned he drew inspiration from filmmakers like the Coen brothers, John Carpenter, and Stephen King. Still, the movie completely exceeded my expectations. The incredible musical scene in the bar is destined to be remembered as a highlight of modern cinema, but everything about the film is exceptional – especially the fantastic cast, led by Michael B. Jordan giving a career-best performance in a complex double role, and its masterful combination of crime and horror elements.

1. One Battle After Another

I recently read Thomas Pynchon’s Vineland before seeing Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another, as the film draws inspiration from the book. Honestly, I couldn’t see how Vineland could be adapted into a movie. The solution, it turns out, was to focus on the strongest parts of the book and leave the rest aside – and it works brilliantly. The film feels particularly relevant to today’s world, offering both thoughtful reflection and genuine inspiration. It’s also a unique and compelling mix of a suspenseful thriller and a lighthearted comedy. Seeing Anderson tackle Pynchon was a dream project for me when Inherent Vice came out eleven years ago, and it remains one of my favorites with this new film.

I’m already thinking about how many movies I’ll watch next year – will it be around 175, maybe even 190? There could be so many great films that I end up seeing over 200! I’m excited to find out as we look ahead to the 2026 movie releases.

2025-12-24 22:14