Best of 2025: Films of the Year


As 2025 draws to a close, it’s time to take stock of what we’ve seen on the big and small screen. Over the next few days, I’ll be giving some of my picks in a wide variety of categories. Up today, it’s the best films I saw in 2025.

Before I dive into the top 10, I thought I’d give a couple honorable mentions. These were episodes I liked that just didn’t quite make the cut.

• The Perfect Neighbor: My favorite documentary of the year.
• Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale: A great send-off for this world.
• The Voice of Hind Rajab: A haunting tale.
• Sorry, Baby: A great debut from Eva Victor.
• The Long Walk: This one got to me. Great Stephen King adaptation.
• Frankenstein: I liked the take on this tale.
• Wicked For Good: Doesn’t reach the highs of the first, but a solid finale.
• A House of Dynamite: I thought this was really powerful.
• Warfare: This was a searing portrait of combat.
• Black Bag: Steven Soderberg delivers a great spy thriller.

No. 10: Jay Kelly
About: This film from Netflix and director Noah Baumbach is an interesting exploration of a man looking back on his life. George Clooney shines in the lead role and I found this pensive exploration quite moving. The final sequence is beautiful, but it earns that power and beauty through the haunting story that came before.

No. 9: Weapons
About: Zach Cregger does a great job of weaving these mysterious and creepy stories. The minute you think you know where it’s going, things flip on their head. That was true of Barbarian, and it’s true of this film, which ups the stakes, the craft, and the storytelling. I had a lot of fun with Weapons.

No. 8: Hamnet
About: This film from Chloe Zhao is beautiful, and beautifully constructed. It features an engaging story that includes an incredibly powerful and emotional final act. That really resonated with me even if I struggled a bit with the set up. I like Zhao as a filmmaker, and this one adds to her list of quietly beautiful films.

No. 7: The Testament of Ann Lee
About: Amanda Seyfried is amazing here. This is a beautifully crafted biopic built around some haunting music and a powerful lead performance. I was taken with the craft and the storytelling here. It stuck with me well after I watched it. Seyfried is amazing, but so too is the music and the story as told by Mona Fastvold.

No. 6: Train Dreams
About: This is a quiet film. It’s a pensive film. And it tells a difficult story. But there is incredible beauty in the craft and the story. Director Clint Bentley shoots an incredible film. I love the way it looks and captures this story. In addition, Joel Edgerton gives a powerful lead performance. This is a beautiful slice-of-life.

No. 5: Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery
About: I love Rian Johnson as a director. And I love these Knives Out films. This one is no exception. The third in the franchise, this feels different and takes a long look at faith. Josh O’Connor is great in the lead role and I loved this rich exploration. It was a GREAT year for Netflix films, but this was my favorite.

No. 4: F1
About: What an incredible spectacle. This racing film, from director Joseph Kosinski, captures the action on the track in a real and vibrant way. I enjoyed the performances, but it’s the story and the way you’re transported into these races that stuck out. This film was visually stunning.

No. 3: Sinners
About: From the moment I saw this film from Ryan Coogler, I knew it would remain among my favorites of the year. And it has. Michael B. Jordan is great in the dual role, but this is a moving ensemble. The music is incredible and the visuals keep you hooked into this world. I loved the way this was all put together.

No. 2: Sentimental Value
About: Every year a film jumps up and grabs my heart. This year, it is this film from Joachim Trier. Stellan Skarsgard does a great job as a father trying to reconnect with his kids and his career. But it’s Renate Reinsve that really brings it home. Her incredible back-and-forth with Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas were the heart of the film and among my favorite performances of the year. This one had me swelling with emotion.

No. 1: One Battle After Another
About: This is a crowning achievement for Paul Thomas Anderson, and one that might earn him a couple Oscars. And it should. The story here is incredible, paired with some great performances. But it’s the craft, deftly moving between action and drama, comedy and great tension that helps this soar. It was unlike anything else I saw in 2025. It was the best of the year.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Now Playing

Image
  It was an interesting week for new releases in theaters. Below is my take on the two big theatrical films from the weekend. You can keep up with everything I’m watching by following me on Letterboxd @knighthawk7734. Boy Kills World (Theaters) Starring : Bill Skarsgard, Jessica Rothe, Famke Janssen, Brett Gellman, and Michelle Dockery Synopsis : We have seen a lot of action films this year. Many have featured violent sequences, but some have been more artful than others. The new film, Boy Kills World, provides plenty of violence. It’s right there in the title. But where it falls short is in building something compelling beyond the killing spree. We’re introduced to a Boy (Skarsgard) early in the film. He tells us that his world is ruled by the Van Der Koy family, whose head, Hilda (Janssen) keeps the people in line through an annual Culling, where she kills “enemies.” Our protagonist’s mother and sister were among her victims. The Boy barely survived; saved by the Shaman (Yayan Ru...
Read more

2010 Rewind: The Book of Eli

Image
It's hard to believe, but 2010 was 15 years ago. Over the next few weeks I'm going to be looking at some stand out films from 2010 that are turning 15 in 2025. Today, it's a dystopian story featuring Denzel Washington. Eli: People had more than they needed. We had no idea what was precious and what wasn't. We threw away things people kill each other for now. The Book of Eli Starring: Denzel Washington, Mila Kunis, Jennifer Beals, and Gary Oldman Director: Allen and Albert Hughes About : I have a love/hate relationship with this movie. It's a dystopian tale featuring Denzel Washington in a dark and intriguing story. I have never totally loved it but it has long stuck with me. There's a style to the violence and storytelling that's interesting. The choice of visual tones is interesting. But, mostly, it's the way the film taps into Scripture that has been appealing. Is it perfect? Far from it. In fact, it might be too literal in some of its takes on the ...
Read more

2005 Rewind: The Exorcism of Emily Rose

Image
  It's hard to believe, but 2005 was 20 years ago. Over the next few weeks I'm going to be looking at some stand out films from 2005 that are turning 20 in 2025. Today, it's the start of an animated franchise. Father Moore : Once you've looked into the darkness, I think you carry it with you for the rest of your life. The Exorcism of Emily Rose (2005) Starring : Jennifer Carpenter, Laura Linney, and Tom Wilkinson Director : Scott Derrickson About : We've seen plenty of exorcism films in the past. I break it down into two groups. In the first, the film uses the rite of exorcism as a plot device for a horror film. For the most part, that's how The Exorcist plays out. In the second group, the film is interested in exploring the religious aspects of exorcism. That's the category this film falls into. It was directed by Derrickson, who attended Biola University like me, which is one of the reasons I was interested in seeing it. It plays out like a courtroom dram...
Read more