My Favorite Movies of 2025
Counting down my ten favorite movies of the year, and some house keeping!
Hello! It’s been a while, I hope everyone is well in this crazy world.
For a while I was making a weekly recap series on this page, where I talked about everything I watched and listened to over the week and in all honesty, I got burnt out pretty fast on that. I might bring it back as a monthly series instead- but going forward I do want to use this platform as a sort of blog to be able to discuss my relationship to media at large. I think the review format leaves me feeling stilted when I do not have a strong opinion on a certain film. For instance, I found it kind of nice walking out of Anaconda recently and knowing I didn’t have to write a critique on a perfectly inoffensive silly movie. What’s the point? At least for me to do that in this point in my life where my final goal is to be making art not necessarily critiquing it.
That being said, I look back at previous posts I’ve made here about films like Eddington, One Battle After Another and Superman- movies I adore that I will be discussing here today on this post and I’m proud of them because there’s substance in those reviews. So for now on, I’m using this platform for when I have a long winded analysis on something- not just film anything at all. I think if I focus my energy on this then I will have more of a drive to write here - and not feel like an obligation.
Regardless, something I love doing this year I also slightly stress myself out about is my favorite movies of the year. 2025 to my shock wounded up being the most important year for movies since 2019. I believe several films coming out this year will be considered classics- studied for years to come and meeting the moment culturally in profound ways.
First off lets so some set dressing before going on with the main list. Each year I like to do honorable mentions and runner ups. Honorable mentions include media that would be included in this list if it was considered a movie. I make a separate list for my favorite albums, but I don’t watch enough television to give it it’s own list. However, this year I did watch more television than in previous years. Nathan Fielder came back with The Rehearsal Season 2, a terrific season that was as poignant as it was hilarious. Seth Rogen brought us The Studio, a hilarious meta comedy about the pit falls of the Hollywood system, Severance season 2 is proof that Apple TV’s hit is shaping to be this generations Twin Peaks’, Adolescence is one of the most powerful looks at the warping social media is having on our next generation I’ve ever seen and Adult Swim’s The Elephant was an amazing artistic statement and one of the coolest passion projects I’ve seen hit the mainstream. Even despite it’s faults, Stranger Things season five ended nicely if not flawed.
However, easily my favorite television series of the year goes to Raphael Bob-Waksberg’s newest show Long Story Short. The Creator of Bojack Horseman once again proved that he could create an engaging and emotional television show. This show is a lot less emotionally devastating than Bojack Horseman, but through it’s slice of life approach shows the complicated dynamics of a Jewish family as they discover their path in life- having you reflect upon your own existence and ponder the moments that mean something to you. It’s a really funny show, it’s a very sweet show and winds up being challenging in the same way Bojack Horseman was. It’s one of the best things I watched this year easily.
Now let’s get into the runner ups. These are films that I considered placing on my favorites of the year that couldn’t quite make it, since I cap off my list at ten. Paddington in Peru, while not as good as Paddington 2 (what is) was still a delightful wrap up to a trilogy that means a lot to me, Zootopia 2 was a pleasant surprise, a great follow up and progression of the first film, If I Had Legs I’d Kick You was a crazy and anxiety inducing experience featuring one of the best performances I’ve ever seen from Rose Byrne, Roofman was one of the most charming movies of the year that was a great representation of the church as a positive role model, Boys Go to Jupiter was a unique directorial debut micro budgeted animated film that perfectly represents what it feels like to live in Florida, The Materialists was a thoughtful examination of relationships and another incredible screenplay from Celine Song, Mickey 17 was a goofy, irreverent and poignant return from the master himself Bong Joon-Ho that features one of the best performances in Robert Pattison’s career, Frankenstein was a terrific outing for Guillermo Del Toro- finally making his monster movie opus and How to Train Your Dragon was a great live action adaptation I believe did the original justice. Seeing it in Imax opening night as a huge fan of the entire franchise was one of the best movie going experiences of the year, however since it is just a shot for shot remake of one of my favorite movies of all time, I almost felt it was unfair to include it on the list.
My number eleven spot would go to Rian Johnson’s excellent Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery. I love the first Knives Out film but was underwhelmed by Glass Onion, I believe Wake Up Dead Man is a return to greatness. This film’s biggest strength is its social commentary on the church’s role in a community, and how it can either help heal and transform or be a force of destruction- making people feel even more alienated and alone. As a murder mystery itself, this is probably the most predictable one of the three and I believe having it have to be structured like a Knives Out mystery does hinder some of the stronger themes that could be delved into even more. With that being said, now with two viewings of the film I can confirm I think it’s really excellent.
Now onto the top ten!
10. Friendship (dir. Andrew DeYoung)
I had to be honest with myself with this pick. Other movies in this list I will say I believe were exceptional and even changed the form when it comes to film in the future. Friendship is just a hilarious movie. I do think Andrew DeYoung does a good job framing the film with directorial flair, making this film feel and operate at some points like a thriller as we see a man descent into his own madness, just because he cannot hang out with other men. In some ways, there is a deep sadness in the forefront of this movie of individuals who simply cannot connect with other human beings. However, this never once compromises this movies humor. I know people who hate this movie because they find it super uncomfortable and I understand this. If the Nathan Fielder, John Wilson and Tim Robinson brand of observational comedy is not for you this will be a tough watch. This is my list however, and I haven’t laughed harder at a movie than this one in years. Simply couldn’t catch my breath in some scenes. I had a great time.
9. Bugonia (dir. Yorgos Lanthimos)
I am normally a Yorgos Lanthimos agnostic. I know he has been set up as being our next Stanley Kubrick in the eyes of several film enthusiasts, but I’ve always had trouble grasping onto the humanity he subscribes to through the deprived nature of his films. Even his most acclaimed film Poor Things is a movie I loved at first but it started to sour on me the more I thought about what it was saying on a broader level. Lathimos teaming up with Will Tracy, who wrote The Menu, a movie I wasn’t a fan of to put it lightly had me hesitant going in. However, when this movie started I knew I was in for a treat. Bugonia plays like a two hour extended episode of the craziest Adult Swim bumper you’ve ever seen. With its bonkers concept of conspiracy theorists kidnapping this CEO they believe to be an alien, it’s Lanthimos’ most stripped down film to date. A lot of the film delves in really thought provoking conversations that keep you on the edge of your seat the entire time. Its visceral violence only happens in spurts, making the film feel all the more invigorating when it needs to be. I also believe the ending is really profound and while some might say Yorgos is once again delving into nihilism here- I believe what he has to say about humanity as a whole is a little more complicated than that.
8. Weapons (dir. Zach Creggor)
I love a good August sleeper and Weapons certainly was that this year. The film, about a bunch of kids who disappear during the night is one of the most entertaining films I saw last year. First off, I knew this film would be for me because I love stories about how people respond to tragedy and what they are doing before and after tragedy so much more than portraying the tragedy itself. Weapons, through it’s invigorating storytelling device, is able to show how an event like this can effect the lives of so many people- directly and indirectly. While it becomes a full fledged horror movie, and a good one, in the last act before then it shows the horror and tragedy of the not knowing so well. It’s an excellent screenplay and the movie I’ve rewatched the most this year.
7. No Other Choice (dir. Park Chan-wook)
Another sub genre of films I love are movies that explore the horrors and complexities of the workforce and no movie does that better than the newest Park Chan-wook epic No Other Choice. The film divulges into one central question “what lengths would you go to for your family and to keep a roof over their heads, for them to live a good life and how far would you go to peruse the work you are passionate about?”, for anyone that’s ever been screwed over by a work system, the feeling of pent up frustration and hopelessness is so palpable here. Lee Byung-hun is excellent in the film, channeling a lot of the emotional catharsis needed in the role of a man at the end of his rope. The film ends up having the pacing and humor of a Saturday morning cartoon, however it never feels tonally off balanced. It feels like the fantastical escapism, but also a tragic tale about what you have to loose in the process of finding success (a common theme in movies this year).
6. Eddington (dir. Ari Aster)
Eddington is interesting, because the film came out to very mixed reactions coming out of Cannes and continued that reputation when it hit theatres and essentially bombed. As the year went on and unfortunate things continued to happen in our country, this films analysis on American culture has aged like fine wine. Eddington does a daring thing and shows us the perspective of the anti-mask sheriff of the town. People at the time wondered if this was Aster sympathizing with conservatives, which is think is the most dense analysis you could have on this movie. The movie does portray the empty activism of the Left as something problematic, but it never states that the Right’s solution to the pandemic was the right one. The sheriff in the film might believe he is a martyr but he is not. It shows that the lengths he takes to stand up for something false forces him to sacrifice everything, including aspects of his own autonomy. This movie works as a terrific satire, a gritty western and a solid unflinching look at what 2020 felt like that no one else has been able to capture this profoundly. Ari Aster is four out of four for me still.
5. Sinners (dir. Ryan Coogler)
Sinners was the success story of the year, no matter how you look at it, this is the film of the year. The one we will look back as the juggernaut. Not only for award season, which it is a major contender for several categories, but the box office as well. The film, which was an original horror film from Ryan Coogler that came out in April ended up making 280 million dollars domestically. This is more than either Fantastic Four or Thunderbolts made for Disney this year. Sinners will go down as a modern day classic and it is a film that continued to grow on me the further we got into the year. I love the way it plays with genre conventions, I love the way it presents a supernatural tale of vampires seamlessly into a powerful narrative about gentrification and I love that it’s a celebration of the power of music and art in general. It feels like the movie Ryan Coogler was born to make.
4. Superman (dir. James Gunn)
I’ve debated where to place the next few movies and overtime they could probably shift around but where I’m sitting at now- Superman was my film event of the year. This was my most anticipated movie of 2026, being a big fan of the character since watching Smallville as a kid and loving the All Star Superman run of the comics. I’m not a Henry Cavil hater in the slightest, but I never attached to him as my definitive Superman. This is to me my Superman movie. This is my favorite of adaptation of the character yet (with all due respect to the legendary Christopher Reeve). David Cornswet captured to me the true essence of this character and the light he can put into this world, especially in this divided era. This is another movie that meets the world at it’s moments, as the international conflict Superman is interfering with can easily be analogized as the Israel and Palestine conflict. The best scene in the movie is a long twelve minute conversation about the ethics of Superman in the city and how his presence as a being as powerful as a nuclear bomb is a threat no matter what way you look at it. These scenes are carried masterfully not only by Cornswet but Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane who is the perfect foil to Clark Kents glossy and optimistic but somewhat narrow view of foreign affairs. This is in my opinion, one of the best superhero movies of all time and a film that has a lot more on its mind than it’s being credited for at this point of the year. It is in many ways the Paddington 2 of superhero movies and is a movie I’ll cherish.
3. One Battle After Another (dir. Paul Thomas Anderson)
One Battle After Another is projected to be our next best picture winner at The Oscars and if that’s the case, it would be one of the coolest wins of all time. Paul Thomas Anderson’s latest is the director at top form, giving us a politically charged action movie that is one of the fastest three hour movies I’ve ever seen. This movie is perfectly paced, it’s hilarious, buzzing with so much life and it’s a profound statement on revolutionaries. PTA isn’t painting a perfect picture of leftists, showing how people can be compromised due to their own emotional baggage, but is showing us that the continued fight against authoritarian regime is an important one. This is also a film that’s central thesis is powerful - maybe it’s time for the next generation to atone for the sins of the past ones and pave a better future for us all. This is of course, while blaring Tom Petty’s American Girl. This is another film that will go down in the history books as one of the most important movies made in this decade and it’s a wildly entertaining one as well.
2. Sentimental Value (dir. Joachim Trier)
This is a movie that has only grown on me since I saw it about a month ago. This is Joachim Trier’s follow up to his acclaimed 2021 film The Worst Person in the World, a movie I liked okay but admittedly need to watch again. This movie caught my attention with its concept, about a filmmaker casting his estranged daughter to be in his film after abandoning her was so tragic. The film has a lot to say about the role film and art plays into our lives and how both can intertwine in ways we don’t expect. I do believe no matter how far someone runs away from their own inner demons, the art they make and latch onto is a reflection of something deep inside of them - a lot of things unresolved. Sentimental Value takes a unique approach to this concept and actually shows the vapidness of this ideology. Sure, it feels romantic to make a sweeping gesture and to atone to your past mistakes to cast your family in your project, but how much is that projecting? Artists risk so much, they sacrifice a lot in pursuit of a dream but is that dream even noble if you sacrifice the actual relationships in your life? This film makes the declarative statement, no. Make time for the real world and the reflections of a lived life will reflect off the art you make. Sentimental Value is a noble movie and a much needed reminder of how a glamorous lifestyle is vapid if there’s no one to share it with.
1. Marty Supreme (dir. Josh Safdie)
What a picture. I think the biggest character development for me is making Marty Supreme my favorite movie of the year after becoming somewhat viral on Letterboxd for my scathing review of the last Safdie Brothers movie Uncut Gems. While I still don’t love that movie, looking back I do find the value in it- my taste has broadened a lot since 2019. What I do lack in Uncut Gems outside of its visual appeal is a lack of interest in the subject matter or the main character. Who knew it would take ping pong to make me emotionally invested in a Safdie Brothers movie but here we are. This film is only directed by one of the Safdie’s, Josh Safdie after his brother Ben went off to direct The Smashing Machine with middling results, but this feels like the movie the duo was supposed to make their entire career. Marty Supreme is the most fun I had watching a movie all year. I was cackling throughout, it also had moments of complete shock and awe for me. I see so many movies in a year- it’s hard to surprise me anymore and this movie went in directions I was not anticipating at all. Timothee Chalamet gives the performance of the decade so far portraying Marty Mauser, a man in pursuit of the American Dream, not wanting to be confined to be just one thing. Marty in the movie is a self proclaimed narcissist, paving the life he believes he deserves, screwing anyone over in the process. This character is hard to root for, he is a bad person and the personification of toxic masculinity presented on the big screen. The miracle of the movie is that it has you sympathize with Marty, someone who would be insufferable to meet in real life. I believe the movies central thesis in the pursuit of greatness is a recognizable and identifiable one to anyone who has ever had a dream. This movie is the nightmarish horror version of that pursuit. It’s a cautionary tale on how grind culture and the hyper fixations of proving your self worth can have you compromising everything else that is important. In that way, it’s the harsher and much more aggressive take on the themes of Sentimental Value. When choosing a favorite movie of the year- I think of a lot of factors but the biggest one is a film that reaches out to me in the time I need it. Movies like last years I Saw the TV Glow, having me confront my own attachment to media and how it had shaped me or The Fabelmans, a movie directly about wanting to make movies to reflect your own inner emotions you haven’t entirely compartmentalized yet. For Marty Supreme, it was to pull back and examine what is truly important. Sometimes, in pursuit of your passions it’s easy to have a narrow lens of the world around you. The final shot of this movie is so poignant and had me shattered sitting in the theatres as the credits rolled, contemplating my own path and the things I hadn’t considered before. It’s an uncompromising ending, one that could be interpreted in so many ways that I dare not spoil. Along with an engaging story comes one of the best scores to any movie I’ve ever seen. The new age Epcot sound of this movie was unexpected and a pleasant surprise. I’m obsessed with the themes of this movie, I’m obsessed with the way it looks and sounds. I’ve never seen anything quite like it, it’s a singular film that will go down as an all time favorite and a movie I think will be discussed for years to come.
That are my ten favorite movies of the year! Comment your favorites below and I’ll talk to you all in the next post!