The 15 Best Movies of 2025

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Even when things are difficult, like they were in 2025, the movies always offer an escape. They let us share a unique experience with others – sitting in the dark, lost in a world of sights and sounds. The best films of 2025 were incredibly creative and fun, and they didn’t shy away from tackling important issues in America today. They were exciting, made us think, and sometimes even moved us to tears. These films brought us together to reflect on the divisions in our society, surprised us with unexpected twists, and breathed new life into familiar genres.

It’s really hard to pick just 10 best movies of the year, so we expanded our list to 15 – and even then, it feels like we’re missing some great ones! We also want to give a shout-out to these films: Train Dreams, Frankenstein, Is This Thing On?, The Testament of Ann Lee, The Secret Agent, Sentimental Value, and No Other Choice.

15. ‘Splitsville’


Neon

Despite being a little-known film, Splitsville is a gem that deserves attention. Directed by Michael Angelo Covino, who also co-wrote the script with Kyle Marvin, the movie is consistently funny, charming, and surprisingly thoughtful about love, relationships, and what makes us tick. Covino and his talented cast, including Dakota Johnson and Adria Arjona, skillfully tell a meaningful story in a concise and engaging way. In a year filled with large-scale movies, Splitsville demonstrates that a truly great film doesn’t need to be grand – just well-written, with relatable characters and an original idea. – Charlie Papadopoulos

14. ‘Hamnet’


Focus Features

Following her work on the Marvel film Eternals, Chloé Zhao returns with Hamnet, a deeply personal story about William Shakespeare and his wife, Agnes. Unlike many Shakespeare films that focus on his fame, this one portrays him as a relatable man, husband, and father. It explores how personal tragedy—specifically, the loss of their son—affected his life and art, and how art, in turn, can offer solace. Hamnet is a heartbreaking film about death and grief, but ultimately, it’s a powerful celebration of life, love, and the enduring legacy we leave behind.

Jessie Buckley delivers a standout performance, highlighted by a powerfully emotional scene featuring an unforgettable scream that quickly turns into a deeply sorrowful cry. The film’s score, composed by Max Richter, is exceptionally beautiful, and combined with Łukasz Żal’s stunning visuals and Zhao’s sensitive direction, creates an epic that feels both personal and incredibly moving. Hamnet is a deeply affecting film that will stay with you. – Richard Fink

13. ‘Friendship’


A24

Tim Robinson had a breakout year in 2025. Best known as the creator of the comedy series I Think You Should Leave, he’s shown that comedy can be a serious art form, both on television and in film. His movie Friendship, co-starring Paul Rudd, is funny, but it’s also surprisingly thoughtful. It takes awkward, ‘cringe’ comedy to a new level, using a strange main character to explore the painful side of social interactions. Ultimately, the film is a moving portrayal of grief, anxiety, and the feeling of being alone. –CP

12. ‘Sorry, Baby’


A24

The movie Sorry, Baby deals with a difficult subject – a graduate student’s sexual assault and her journey to heal – and it’s understandable if that makes some viewers hesitant. It’s a tough time for everyone, and watching something so upsetting can be draining. However, Eva Victor’s first feature film is a remarkable achievement, finding a delicate balance between despair and optimism, much like the character Victor portrays. Sorry, Baby is a beautifully personal story about recovering from a deeply traumatic experience, focusing on the protagonist Agnes’s internal process rather than sensationalizing the assault itself. As Britt Hayes puts it, it’s a surprisingly tender film about something awful that has affected many women.

11. ‘Weapons’


Warner Bros. Pictures

Zach Cregger’s film Barbarian was a surprisingly big hit, partly because people weren’t expecting much from the comedian known for Whitest Kids U’Know. After Barbarian’s success, there was a lot more anticipation for his next movie. And with Weapons, Cregger managed to surprise audiences again.

The filmmaker shared that they wrote Weapons as a personal way to cope with the confusing and unpredictable experience of death, a theme that runs throughout the movie both directly and symbolically. The film centers on a town trying to understand why a group of third-graders ran into the woods at night, and the director often changes viewpoints. This allows the audience to feel both immediate scares as the town deals with the tragedy, and a broader understanding of how trauma affects the entire community.

Beyond its deeper themes, the movie Weapons was genuinely unsettling. Amy Madigan’s character, Gladys, quickly became a viral sensation online, sparking a lot of questions that many viewers were almost afraid to have answered. While a movie’s success isn’t solely based on its meme potential, Gladys’s strange and terrifying presence gives us a glimpse into the unique and imaginative mind of director Zach Cregger. – Patrick Cavanaugh

10. ‘The Phoenician Scheme’


Focus Features

It’s common for great artists to revisit the same themes throughout their careers. As we gain life experience, our perspectives shift, and we begin to appreciate art in new ways. Similarly, artists often find fresh and unexpected angles when revisiting their own stories, revealing different layers of meaning with time.

Wes Anderson frequently explores complicated fathers in his films, like Royal Tenenbaum, Steve Zissou, and Mr. Fox, continuing with Auggie and Stanley in Asteroid City. His latest, The Phoenician Scheme, might be his best yet. It’s a funny and touching movie that uses a broken family as a starting point to think about what we leave behind and how hard it is to get big projects funded. The film centers on a rich businessman (Benicio del Toro, in a standout performance) trying to convince people to invest in a morally questionable international plan – a clever stand-in for the challenges of financing a movie. With strong supporting roles from Mia Threapleton and Michael Cera, The Phoenician Scheme finds a sweet spot between the styles of The Royal Tenenbaums and Asteroid City; it’s emotional without being overly sentimental, insightful without being preachy, and sharp-witted but never cruel. – BH

9. ‘It Was Just an Accident’


Memento Distribution

Filmmaker Jafar Panahi faced arrest and a 20-year filmmaking ban in Iran for allegedly creating propaganda, and his film It Was Just an Accident reflects this personal experience. Shot secretly without government permission, the film is a particularly powerful thriller, especially considering it was filmed in crowded public spaces. While clearly critical of the Iranian government and unchecked power, the film also explores universal questions about justice and what it means to be human. It asks whether seeking revenge truly brings relief, or if it simply perpetuates a cycle of harm. Ultimately, the film contemplates whether it’s possible to maintain one’s humanity in an unfair world, and if those who inflict injustice deserve compassion.

“It Was Just an Accident” is a truly captivating thriller. Director Janahi masterfully balances the serious subject matter with moments of genuine humor, created through the interactions of diverse and well-developed characters. The film avoids being overly dark while still acknowledging the protagonist’s painful history. The entire cast delivers excellent performances, particularly Mariam Afshari as Shiva. And the film’s ending is a stunning and unforgettable conclusion, easily one of the best of 2025. –RF

8. ‘Die My Love’


Mubi

Hollywood often calls directors “visionary” as a marketing tactic, especially for expensive but mediocre blockbusters made by those who’ve had many opportunities. But Lynne Ramsay, the director of Die My Love, truly deserves that title.

Jennifer Lawrence delivers a stunning performance as Grace, a new mother struggling with postpartum psychosis, reminiscent of Gena Rowlands’ best work. After moving to rural Montana with her husband, Jackson (Robert Pattinson), Grace feels increasingly alone and unsupported. Her husband is largely unhelpful and thoughtless – bringing home a small, noisy dog at such a stressful time is a prime example – and Robert Pattinson’s quiet performance allows Lawrence to powerfully portray the complex and often hidden emotions and instincts that many women experience and men often fail to understand.

We’re seeing a discouraging trend: a return to old-fashioned values and traditional gender roles, which is unfortunately impacting progress in Hollywood. There are fewer opportunities for women filmmakers, and fewer films that center on women’s stories, or when they do exist, they’re often made by men. That’s why directors like Lynne Ramsay and Mary Bronstein are so important – they’re creating bold, honest films about what it means to be a woman. While the experiences may resonate particularly strongly with those who have lived them, you don’t need to be a mother to connect with the frustration of having women’s anxieties and pain dismissed, misinterpreted, or simplified by those who claim to be allies. Die My Love is a powerful, emotional film that finds freedom in a woman’s breakdown. – BH

7. ’28 Years Later’


Sony Pictures

Danny Boyle and Alex Garland revolutionized the zombie genre with their 2002 film, 28 Days Later, sparking a wave of similar movies in the years that followed. Their recent return to the story with 28 Years Later shows they haven’t lost their touch. The new film is just as scary as the original, but also offers a deeper, more thoughtful exploration of its themes.

I was really captivated by this new film. It takes place years after the first one, and even after the less successful 28 Weeks Later, people have found a way to coexist, sort of, with those who are infected. The beginning is pretty direct, but then the movie – and the way it’s made – takes some incredibly surprising turns. It feels just as daring and inventive now, in 2025, as 28 Days Later did when it first came out in 2002. Boyle and Garland really swung for the fences with this one, and I think they hit it!

With everything from terrifying creatures to filmmaking using iPhones, and even a character played by Ralph Fiennes rediscovering his zest for life amidst chaos, 28 Years Later surprised and challenged audiences who expected just another zombie film. – PC

6. ‘Marty Supreme’


A24

Josh Safdie’s first solo film as director is Marty Supreme, and it delivers the same intense, character-driven storytelling as his other work. The film, set in the 1950s world of competitive table tennis, centers on Marty Mauser (Timothée Chalamet) and his determined, often stressful, climb to become a world-class ping pong player.

After Timothée Chalamet’s acclaimed performance as Bob Dylan last year, his new film Marty Supreme could easily have been a typical underdog story. However, director Josh Safdie delivers something much more chaotic and uncomfortable as we watch Marty’s increasingly desperate journey. Safdie avoids clichés by casting Chalamet—one of today’s biggest stars—in a complex role: a character you simultaneously root for and cringe at, all set against the backdrop of 1950s New York. While Chalamet is central to the film’s success, Safdie also assembled a wonderfully quirky supporting cast including Gwyneth Paltrow, Odessa A’zion, and Shark Tank’s Kevin O’Leary, with cameos from Fran Drescher, Penn Jillette, and director Abel Ferrara, all playing significant parts.

The Safdie brothers previously impressed audiences with films like Good Time and Uncut Gems, but Marty Supreme suggests that Josh Safdie is truly hitting his stride as a director. –PC

5. ‘If I Had Legs I’d Kick You’


A24

After a 17-year hiatus following her first film, Mary Bronstein is back with a remarkable new thriller, If I Had Legs I’d Kick You, which many are calling one of the year’s best. The film firmly establishes Bronstein as a talented, yet often overlooked, director. Rose Byrne delivers an outstanding performance as a woman pushed to her breaking point. She’s juggling the demands of a daughter struggling with an eating disorder, challenging therapy patients, and a frequently absent husband. Just when she can’t handle any more, her apartment ceiling collapses, causing a flood.

This film is a raw and emotional take on the familiar story of a woman falling apart, offering a deeply relatable, and potentially freeing, experience for those who struggle with anxiety – though it might be overwhelming for others. It’s a powerful and unforgettable movie, and features a surprisingly great performance by Conan O’Brien as a frustrated therapist. –BH

4. ‘Bugonia’


Focus Features

This year, many talented filmmakers tackled important issues facing our society, reflecting on the last five years – including the pandemic, the rise of extremist ideologies, setbacks in social progress, climate change, and a growing sense of isolation among men. Yorgos Lanthimos returned to the darkly comedic, character-focused stories that made him well-known, once again working with Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons. Their new film, Bugonia, is inspired by the South Korean movie Save the Green Planet! and features Plemons as a frustrated warehouse employee who believes his company’s CEO (Stone) is an alien intent on destroying the planet, leading him to kidnap her.

Jesse Plemons delivers his best performance yet, brilliantly portraying the all-too-common mindset of someone lost in conspiracy theories, fueled by feelings of being overlooked and exploited. Emma Stone is equally captivating as a calculating CEO who has to convince Plemons—and us—that she’s not a heartless alien intent on planetary destruction, which is no easy feat even for a billionaire. Newcomer Aidan Delbis also shines as Plemons’ cousin, providing a welcome source of warmth and empathy in Yorgos Lanthimos’ typically unsettling film. –BH

3. ‘Eddington’


A24

Ari Aster’s Eddington seems to answer two questions: how long does it take to create meaningful art about a shared difficult experience? About five years, apparently. And what would an Ari Aster-directed western be like? It’s a gripping, often darkly humorous look at the people of a small town, focusing on a strained relationship between an insecure sheriff (Joaquin Phoenix) and a self-absorbed mayor (Pedro Pascal) who’s pushing a mask mandate while campaigning for re-election. But the film is about more than just that conflict. It also explores how the pandemic increased our tendency to isolate ourselves, leading us to rely more on the personalized content we see online. It highlights how our morals and social issues have become a form of entertainment, fueled by a culture where everyone – from politicians to everyday people – is trying to build a personal brand. Ultimately, Eddington suggests that important issues are often ignored when we’re busy fighting amongst ourselves. Oh, and it’s surprisingly funny, too.

Both Emma Stone in Eddington and Jesse Plemons in Bugonia deliver incredibly moving performances that perfectly enhance each other. I’ve been captivated by these characters long after seeing the films. –BH

2. ‘Sinners’


Warner Bros.

Ryan Coogler and Michael B. Jordan first gained widespread recognition with the film Fruitvale Station. While they’ve continued to work on interesting projects since then, they’ve mostly been involved with large franchise films. Sinners represents Coogler’s first completely original story since Fruitvale Station, and fans will be hoping they don’t have to wait another decade for the duo to create another film that isn’t based on existing material.

In Sinners, Ryan Coogler didn’t try to create a completely new vampire story—many similar movies focus on victims trying to survive a night of attacks. However, he aimed for more than just simple scares. Like the parasitic vampires in the film, Coogler used the story to examine how white communities often exploit Black communities, while also celebrating the importance of music, stories, and cultural heritage.

It’s unusual to find a film that tries to accomplish so much, and even more rare to find one that not only meets expectations but exceeds them. –PC

1. ‘One Battle After Another’


Warner Bros.

Both One Battle After Another and Sinners stand out as the most captivating and satisfying films of 2025. Paul Thomas Anderson’s newest work stars Leonardo DiCaprio as a former revolutionary facing off against a ruthless Army colonel (played by Sean Penn, who is practically begging to be parodied on Saturday Night Live). It’s a thrilling and thought-provoking movie with incredible performances from Teyana Taylor, Benicio del Toro, and newcomer Chase Infiniti. One Battle After Another explores the tension between personal desires and what’s best for the group, the reasons behind our compromises, and the limitations of even powerful protests in the long fight for a better society.

Though the film boasts an incredible car chase and a truly memorable line delivery (“A few small beers”), the most impactful moments in One Battle After Another are its quieter, more thoughtful scenes. Leonardo DiCaprio’s character, Bob, frantically searches for his daughter while evading the police, while Benicio del Toro’s Sergio St. Carlos calmly and consistently helps immigrants escape danger through a secret network, approaching this heroic work with the same routine dedication as any factory worker. We could all learn a lot from someone like Sergio. – BH

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2025-12-17 18:43