The 25 Best Films of 2025 (By Ciaran Duff)

While 2024 will be known as the year the industry struggled to get back on its feet after the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, 2025 was the make-or-break year for the industry, and luckily, I believe it made it. Less defined by polish than by audaciousness, the release calendar was smattered with messy masterpieces, sincere blockbusters, abrasive comedies, and genre films that smuggled in big, uncomfortable ideas under the guise of entertainment. Horror thrived by being both populist and personal, comedy leaned hard into discomfort, farce, and humiliation, and even studio tentpoles found renewed energy when they embraced sincerity over irony. When spectacle worked, it wasn’t because it was louder or bigger, but because it believed in itself. This year, performances mattered. Endings mattered. So did pacing, tone, and a filmmaker’s ability to modulate between humor, terror, and tenderness without collapsing under the weight of their own ambition. Some of these films were divisive, others overlooked, and a few were embraced immediately- but all of them felt authored. These are the 25 best films of 2025.

25. The Mastermind

Kelly Reichardt’s The Mastermind is a hilarious and almost cruel experiment: a period art heist film in which its titular “Mastermind” makes idiotic, thoughtless decisions at every possible turn. Josh O’Connor presents a subtly farcical performance in the role of this Mastermind, bringing both charisma and dweebiness to the character and somehow making the trouble he gets into completely believable. It’s a fantastic exercise in both genre and style, making it one of the most unique films put to screens this year.

24. Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning

Easily the weakest of the McQuarrie films, Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning still manages to be a triumph in a landscape of sterile, fruitless action filmmaking. We, the devoted audience, have had the honor of seeing Tom Cruise’s Ethan Hunt go in eight films from a human spy to perhaps an immortal messiah, surviving the most impossible setpieces the series has seen yet. And setpieces they are: both the crushingly tense submarine sequence and the jaw-dropping analog biplane duel sequence are ultimately enough to overshadow the ridiculous self-importance and heaps of exposition thrown at the audience. Tramell Tillman and Pom Klementieff are the highlights of the supporting cast, with Tillman bringing some much-needed silliness to the grandiosity of Cruise’s performance and Klementieff serving as a perfect foil to the oldest members of Ethan’s team. The Entity wants you to hate this movie.

23. Mickey 17

Bong Joon Ho’s early-year commercial flop Mickey 17 did not deserve its fate of lukewarm reception and subsequent burial. Its unique brand of action, speculative sci-fi, satire, and romance culminates in one of the most unique blockbusters of the year. Robert Pattinson gives a weird performance, Mark Ruffalo does his best to remind his American audience of Trump, and Bong Joon-Ho’s directorial hand and sensitivity remain as sharp as ever, even on an inflated scale (compared to his previous features). Bong’s unique brand of strange sci-fi feels fresh in the American studio system, and I forecast that Mickey 17 will be looked upon fondly with age.

22. Is This Thing On?

Bradley Cooper has been trying to prove himself as a writer-director-actor triple threat for about seven or eight years now, and this year he finally cracked it. A common criticism of his sophomore directorial effort, Maestro, is that the fantastic direction is undercut by a distracted self-cast lead performance by Cooper as Leonard Bernstein (a criticism that I share). Is This Thing On? sidesteps that issue entirely, with Cooper focusing on his behind-the-camera work by taking a supporting role in the comic relief character “Balls.” This change is revolutionary, as it proves Cooper to be a truly special directorial talent, getting fantastic lead performances from Will Arnett and Laura Dern. The result is a film that feels deeply personal, raw, and mature, taking a graceful look at the hardships of human relationships in the backdrop of the NYC stand-up scene. The film is something truly special, which I expect will be overlooked far more than it deserves to be.

21. It Was Just An Accident

Shot illegally on location in Iran on a budget of just $9 million, director and political prisoner Jafar Panahi’s It Was Just An Accident is a thrilling and humorous refutation of authoritarianism in narrative, conception, and execution. Panahi pulls from the influences of his personal experiences suffering in prison under the Iranian regime to shape an ensemble thriller centered on the kidnapping of a torturer by his former torturees. The film is brilliantly paced, darkly funny, and extremely well-acted. The ending is one of the most shell-shocking things put to film this year.

20. Die My Love

Lynne Ramsey’s psychological drama Die My Love is unquestionably one of the most intense theatrical experiences 2025 had to offer. A story of the common yet isolating experience of early motherhood, Ramsey’s adaptation of Ariana Harwicz’s novel is told through pure abstraction and sensation. It stars a ferocious Jennifer Lawrence in an endless battle with herself, her burgeoning family, and her husband, who is played appropriately strangely by Robert Pattinson. The result is a disorienting, frantic, exhausting experience that truly captures primal expressions only capable of being conveyed in cinematic language.

19. Roofman

Every year, there’s one great, pleasant film that you feel like you could show your whole family at Thanksgiving, principally because it isn’t outwardly provocative enough to sow division and start arguments. In the past few years, I think of The Holdovers, The Fabelmans, and Licorice Pizza. This year, that film is Roofman. A crime-dramedy from Derek Cianfrance, seemingly plucked from another era of studio filmmaking, Roofman catches you off guard with its sentimentality and empathy for all featured characters, while managing to fully serve all three of its major genres. That, combined with wonderful cinematography from Andrij Parekh and lovely leading performances from Channing Tatum and Kirsten Dunst, makes this the movie that just might get your grandfather to talk to you again.

18. Avatar: Fire and Ash

James Cameron’s Avatar films are not for everyone, even if most end up going to see them. They pride themselves on being jargon-heavy, corny, structurally clunky pieces of sci-fi. But, to the people that they are for, Fire and Ash is a worthy addition to Cameron’s blue people hair sex saga. It’s filled to the brim with trademark Jim-isms, from its stunning visuals, high frame rate 3D presentation, and dual Sigourney Weavers to its space whale councils, silly military technologies, and obsession with large bodies of water. This is what we go to the movies for, so it’s no wonder that this franchise is one of the most lucrative put to film.

17. Friendship

Tim Robinson’s cinematic comedic debut Friendship does not have a single recognizable human being in it, and yet both it and the rest of Robinson’s body of work connect with plenty of human beings. His characters are vessels through which repressed human desire, irritance, fatigue, and confusion with societal norms are expressed with maximal energy and minimal verbosity. Director Andrew DeYoung captures this lightning-in-a-bottle cringe comedy through a sterile observing lens, unceasingly focusing on the grounded suburban setting rather than the insane supporting performances and cameos of Paul Rudd, Kate Mara, and Conner O’Malley. It’s far wilder than the new Marvel, and I heard that one’s supposed to be nuts!

16. Bugonia

Going into Bugonia as a Lanthimos virgin, it is hard to know what to expect from the Greek Freak himself. Quickly, it becomes clear that his science-fiction black comedy, while a shade too misanthropic, is a bleak blast of entertainment reflecting on what it feels like to be alive right now, all in glorious Vistavision. Jesse Plemons and Aidan Delbis shine as brothers with different approaches to a deeply broken world, and Emma Stone thrills as the unassuming agent of its brokenness. The ending, which would be a travesty to spoil, ties an absurdist bow on top of a bloody, nihilistic nightmare of a third act. Fun for the whole family!

15. Eddington

Ari Aster’s Eddington has been both revered and despised by audiences this year for its often close-to-home themes (being a pressure-cooker Western taking place during the pandemic) and its seemingly mixed messaging. However, upon further reflection, it seems to have been a lot more intelligent and intentional than many initially thought. Filled with a cast of recognizable satirical figures from our political landscape, each vying for power in their own way, Aster’s two and a half hour behemoth of a film manages to succinctly capture the separation from reality algorithms bring in our internet age. Though Eddington is at times messy, it gets things right about being alive in America right now that no film has gotten right before. The world may not have been quite ready for Eddington, but in due time, we’ll see that it was ready for the world.

14. Superman

James Gunn’s Superman is a miracle of studio IP filmmaking in the same echelon as Greta Gerwig’s Barbie. It’s a film that’s bright and fast and fun and colorful, but also manages to never sacrifice what people love about these characters in the first place. Metropolis feels vast and full of life, David Coronswet brings a vulnerable kindness and sincerity to the role that feels fresh in an age of snarky, ironic heroes, and the supporting cast richens the film as an isolated object — making one cautiously excited for Gunn’s new direction with the DC IP. It’s a breezy, fun summer superhero blockbuster, y’know, like the ones we got ten to fifteen years ago!

13. Splitsville

Splitsville takes a premise found somewhat commonly in the real world (“two heterosexual couples try polyamory completely unprepared for and incompatible with the implications of such polyamory”) and blows it up to glorious, indulgent farcicality. The result is unequivocally the funniest comedy of the year. With absurd plot turns, 10-minute slapstick sequences, and frequent full-frontal male nudity, this farce refuses to let its audience catch their breath for the 100-minute runtime. It’s hard not to pin Michael Angelo Covino and Kyle Marvin as faces in comedic filmmaking to look out for after this one.

12. Materialists

Another romantic comedy starring Dakota Johnson, Celine Song’s Materialists has proven to be one of the most divisive releases of the year. Billed as a rom-com but feeling, in practice, like a rigorous therapy session, Song’s second love triangle put to film has the distinct clunkiness of a blank-check sophomore feature while never losing its sincerity and heart. The strangely cast three leads (the aforementioned Johnson, Chris Evans, and Pedro Pascal) manage to have great chemistry, and the subplots tonally complicate the film in a way that feels natural and in character for Song. The film is ultimately one highly contingent on personal taste, but for those who get on its wavelength, it’s yet another compelling cinematic romance from Celine Song.

11. Weapons

This summer, Zach Cregger’s Weapons served as an ultimate crowdpleaser- scratching audiences’ itch for a scary, entertaining film while refusing at every turn to insult their intelligence, avoiding both obnoxious pretentiousness and tasteless cheapness. Driven by powerful performances, an incredibly personal screenplay, and well-placed moments of hilarity, Cregger proves that populist horror has a place at the theater, and that it has to be neither an obscure, pretentious A24 psychological slow burn nor the tenth installment in a Cinematic Universe. Cregger has now twice proven himself a master of tonal balance and showcased his Spielbergian understanding of building out a sequence for tension. One of the best endings of the year!

10. The Phoenician Scheme

Wes Anderson’s body of work in the 2020s has been his most existential and arguably his most emotionally resonant, weaving complex philosophical crises about life and the existential into his established dollhouses in Asteroid City and The French Dispatch. To an appreciator of this recent run, The Phoenician Scheme, billed as a return to form for him, doesn’t seem nearly as appealing. Fortunately, Anderson’s return to a more conventional narrative structure has not come at the expense of his trademark off-the-wall philosophical offshoots (the film includes an appearance by Bill Murray as God). It’s easily the most accessible of his recent films, but that is far from a detraction. Benicio del Toro’s character is the closest Anderson has had to a leading man since Steve Zissou, and his performance is totally phenomenal, with a perfect balance of humor and sincerity within the dryness of the style. Michael Cera is a highlight in his suspicious supporting role, offering levity and texture to the film. Another 2025 film for people who love talking about religion!

9. The Life of Chuck

Mike Flanagan’s sincere adaptation of Stephen King’s novella The Life of Chuck is not for everyone. It is at times overly sentimental and sincere, never wavering in intensity and self-importance, and yet compelling all the same. The film is a transcendentalist tale of the divinity of life and love, told through the eyes of Chuck as we learn of the meaning and impact of his life. A bright, sappy, kind story, The Life of Chuck is filled with fun and clever little performances from a giant, star-studded supporting cast that doesn’t overstay its welcome and leaves its audience feeling refreshed and hopeful.

8. Hamnet

Chloe Zhao’s tearjerker Hamnet seems like it was bred in a lab for awards-season buzz, but that doesn’t stop it from being compelling. Based on Maggie O’Farrell’s Shakespeare fan-fiction novel, the film follows Jesse Buckley and Paul Mescal (Mescal playing William himself) as they start a family and suffer great losses. To go into detail about the narrative here would be to spoil the conceit that makes the film so powerful, but the narrative isn’t the only compelling aspect; the sweeping, floaty, wide-angle cinematography makes one feel like a fly on the wall, and the precise, immersive sound design cues the audience, right from the start, to listen for details. It’s a truly sensitive, human film.

7. No Other Choice

Park Chan-wook’s dark comedy No Other Choice is a frenetic, witty exploration of class, tonally calibrated to comment on the modern contexts of high competition and the looming threat of automation. Centered on a father who is laid off in a corporate merger and wrecked by the crisis that ensues when he can’t provide for his family, Chan-wook explores desperation and the lengths to which one will go to feel sweet, but ultimately hollow, validation from blue-collar middle management. The result is a thrilling, hilarious, and extremely entertaining time at the movies that never lets up in its ambition nor falters in its execution.

6. Wake Up Dead Man

There’s an undeniable allure to writer-director Rian Johnson’s films: each topping the last in cleverness but never at the expense of sincerity. Johnson makes a huge, critical swing in his third Benoit Blanc mystery by letting the incredible Josh O’Connor co-lead and centering the narrative on religion, offering a balanced and gracious approach to the subject that feels refreshing in a political and social climate that is so hostile to empathy. Daniel Craig is giving his usual, hokey performance as Blanc, with other standouts being Josh Brolin as a cult-of-personality radical conservative priest and Cailee Spaeny in a small, subtle role as a former cellist who turns to the church in hardship. The final reveal and message is my favorite of the series, hitting very close to home for me (as someone with a complicated relationship to religion) and proving that Rian Johnson has no interest in resting on his laurels.

5. Sentimental Value

As Joachim Trier’s follow-up to the excellent The Worst Person in the World, Cannes Grand Prix winner Sentimental Value brings to the screen a powerful and complex meditation on familial relationships and art that feels directly in dialogue with the rest of his filmography. To discuss the events of the film is to spoil the process of revelation and growth depicted, which is easily the most compelling part of the film and offers perhaps the best drama of the year. Stellan Skarsgård and Renate Reinsve’s powerful lead performances, coupled with the development of their family home throughout, truly draw you into the characters’ lives. But the real scene-stealer is Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas, who carries the film through to its most difficult emotional moments and offers a much-needed tenderness amidst the fraught familial relationships that Trier’s film centers on.

4. Sorry, Baby

Eva Victor’s star-making debut as the writer, director, and lead of Sorry, Baby is the most exciting showcase of a new talent since Jane Schoenbrun. The Sundance dramedy hinges on the balancing of its heavy subject matter and themes with a cozy, lived-in atmosphere. This insurmountable challenge appears frictionless in Victor’s hands, who treats every moment with maximal generosity and tenderness, and finds humor in little things, just as people do in real life. The film includes some of the most realistic onscreen explorations of trauma and believable interactions between characters of this year. It also has a kitten, and the kitten is very cute.

3. Marty Supreme

In the past year or so, audiences have time and time again been promised a reinvention of the sports film. From the sleek IMAX polish of Joe Kosinski’s F1 to the intimacy of Benny Safdie’s shot-for-shot remake of The Smashing Machine, starring the Rock, many of these attempts have struggled to fully capture the potential the sports narrative has for moving cinematic propulsion (aside from perhaps Luca Guadagnino’s Challengers). From minute one to the closing credits, Marty Supreme refuses to let you look away. The Chalamet-led, hyperkinetic table tennis epic throws thing after thing at its audience to the point of near exhaustion, yet never lets up in its complex explorations of the American Dream, ambition, and finding one’s humanity. Besides Chalamet’s fine-tuned, extremely personal performance, an incredible supporting cast of Odessa A’zion, Gwyneth Paltrow, Tyler Okonma, and Kevin O’Leary prove themselves not only incredible performers but also prove Josh Safdie a true actor’s director. Dream big!

2. One Battle After Another

I’ve written an extensive, in-depth essay on why One Battle After Another is so brilliant, so I won’t retread any ground covered in that piece. Since writing that piece, I have had an opportunity to share the film with my mother, who went to see it a second time independent of my influence, and had the privilege of catching its reissue on IMAX 70mm film. One Battle is so rewarding, so human, so entertaining, and so of our time. Its universal, unambiguous yet unalienating call to arms is indicative of the needs the American people have for their media to speak to them. The River of Hills sequence astonishes more and more with every viewing. It’s hard to believe this film exists.

1. Sinners

There isn’t much to say about Ryan Coogler’s masterwork Sinners that hasn’t already been said. It’s brilliant, crafted carefully by hundreds of auteurs, put to the screen by a cast of standout performers, and filled with rich detail, making for endless rewatchability. Not a line is wasted, a performance misplaced, or a tone misjudged. It is extremely personal, funny, scary, emotional, timeless, and exhilarating; Coogler builds a blood-soaked, operatic fable of echoing pasts and prophetic presents, drenched in countless influences across mediums and generations. Sinners is an apex of cinematic achievement.