Top 10 Best Films of 2025

ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER (dir. Paul Thomas Anderson)

Paul Thomas Anderson’s magnificent epic is a breezy, hilarious, provocative, pulse-pounding thriller as much as it is an ode to parenthood and the road we wave forward for the next generation. An instantly memorable ensemble of characters, loathsome villains, a nerve-wracking score by Jonny Greenwood, and a car chase sequence for the ages, Anderson packs a full-course meal’s worth of movie into one of his more personal works to date. A narrative that swings from immigration raids to kidnappings to white supremacist secret societies all at its core being a heartwarming story about a father trying to connect with his daughter and the evolved world at large. About passing your mantles down to your kids when the world doesn’t need you anymore. How the world’s problems are a cycle that will always come back around to the next generation, but must keep being fought for. One Battle After Another is one of those rare movies that feels like a classic on first watch, that will continue to grow in admiration through time. A film to be discussed in college film courses for decades to come as much as one that will be rewatched by the masses (perhaps with a few small beers) for its pure enjoyability factor. The perfect package. “Ocean waves, ocean waves.”

2. MARTY SUPREME (dir. Josh Safdie)

Josh Safdie’s fascinating, hilarious, anxiety-inducing, and boldly original pseudo-biopic loosely based on the life of Marty Reisman (in the film, Marty Mauser) is a mighty directorial achievement, starring Timothee Chalamet in his greatest role to date. Chalamet’s career has been the stuff young actors can only dream of, and as much in the pursuit of greatness as his character, he fully disappears into Mauser and commands the screen with immense charm and motormouth persuasion despite delving into truly despicable behavior. The entire ensemble is filled with players that could not be more unexpected and inspired, yet perfect (Kevin O’ Leary, Tyler the Creator, Fran Drescher, Emory Cohen, Gwyneth Paltrow, Odessa A’zion) and the rollercoaster of a storyline veers all over the place but somehow still comes perfectly together. Darius Khondji’s cinematography and Jack Fisk’s production design give everything a gargantuan scope. Not for the faint of heart, Marty Supreme is a mighty epic that pulls no punches in its strive for perfection and earns every second of it.

3. SENTIMENTAL VALUE (dir. Joachim Trier)

Of the two big “exploring therapy through art” films, Joachim Trier’s snuck up on me the hardest through its impressively-detailed “so many stories happened in this one house” setting and its quieter character moments. Fractured family narratives often provide excellent baggage to the traditional adult drama, and Trier’s nuanced script and superb cast understand that the usual “shouting feelings” approach doesn’t cut as deep as what isn’t said at all and what has to be deciphered through literal storytelling. Stellan Skarsgård gives career-best work as the filmmaker father unsuccessfully attempting to reconnect with his adult children.

4. 28 YEARS LATER (dir. Danny Boyle)

Fully misunderstood by many upon its release, Danny Boyle’s return to the zombie franchise breathes new life into the genre while also reinvigorating himself as a filmmaker. Finding new, exciting techniques to capture the horror and intensity of survival mainly through the eyes of his youthful protagonist Spike (the impressive Alfie Williams), Boyle and writer Alex Garland suddenly pivot from the horror of death to the beautiful inevitability of death and appreciating life as we still have it. The blood-soaked, operatic trailers do little to prepare you for the heartbreaking story at the center of a young boy who will risk everything to save the life of his ailing mother. Young Fathers’ music is electrifying, levitating, and life-affirming. Memento Mori, Memento Amoris.

5. THE SECRET AGENT (dir. Kleber Mendonça Filho)

Kleber Mendonça Filho’s 1970s paranoid thriller is incredibly dense in its balancing of characters, side plots, and allusiveness of the truth, but running deep in its veins is the beautiful theme of preservation. A slow-burn but riveting narrative injected with a gorgeous use of 1970’s cinema techniques. Wagner Moura is an alluring and magnetic lead. A fascinating comparison, exploring the preservation of historical truth through fiction with a medium that is always begging for preservation.

6. SINNERS (dir. Ryan Coogler)

Michael B. Jordan may be the face (or two faces) of this Jim Crow South-set 1930s vampire film, but director Ryan Coogler is the star. Ambitiously filmed in 65mm on IMAX and Panavision formats, Coogler’s untethered vision juggles a large thematic plate and makes a meal out of it. It’s brilliantly assembled ensemble cast gets to have a ball floating through its mashup of genres, some even put to work musically. Ludwig Goransson’s soundtrack is one for the ages, an exemplary collection of sound that encompasses entire centuries worth of music into one harmonious celebration its historical importance and the strong bonds of community throughout time. As much a live-wire concert as it is a soulful exploration on brotherhood, cultural empowerment, and true appreciation of freedom.

7. HAMNET (dir. Chloe Zhao)

Among the few narratives this year about processing grief through art, Chloe Zhao’s adaptation of Maggie O’Farrell’s novel Hamnet, the supposed story of William Shakespeare and his wife Agnes grieving the loss of their young son, is undoubtedly the saddest, and yet the most healing. Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal give towering performances as our two leads, whose seemingly-unshakable love suddenly strains after unimaginable circumstances. Buckley is the main focus here, breathtaking, emotively complex, and carrying most of the heavy weight of the film on her shoulders. Zhao’s direction is beautiful, empathetic, and languid paired perfectly with Lukasz Żal’s lush camerawork. While its open-heartedness may be an eye roll for the more stoic viewer, Hamnet will leave many in a puddle of tears by the end but also comforted in the intense, forgiving power of love. The rest is silence…

8. WEAPONS (dir. Zach Cregger)

Zach Cregger’s startlingly original thriller wowed audiences back in August, the tale of an entire classroom of children missing overnight and the various perspectives within the community attempting to piece everything together. Cregger’s script is filled with goosebump-inducing horror as much as it is unexpected laughs. A plot that is hiding much more under the surface than it leads on while surprising you at every corner. Cregger uses the horror genre as a starting point to tell a wildly entertaining mystery that works cinematically as a tribute to his informative cinematic influences and, thematically, a self-processing of his own struggles with personal grief and loss. Also, Amy Madigan’s Aunt Gladys has been instantly added to the pantheon of great horror movie villains.

9. BLACK BAG (dir. Steven Soderbergh)

Steven Soderbergh best film in years is a taut but deliciously entertaining spy thriller with an air-tight, brilliantly-designed script from David Koepp. Reminiscent of 60s spy thrillers and John le Carre novels, Soderbergh’s elegant yet groovy direction keeps everything tense, sensual, funny, and suspenseful. Fassbender and Blanchett make for an alluring couple in a film that shines a spotlight on the sexiness of marriage and the rewards of perfect companionship. A modern spin on “Agatha Christie meets Ian Flemming” with all the Soderbergh coolness attached.

10. BLUE MOON (dir. Richard Linklater)

Richard Linklater’s best of two great films in one year (the other, Nouvelle Vague) is a deeply touching ode to songwriter Lorenz Hart, the admired but often forgotten original partner of Richard Rodgers of Rodgers and Hammerstein. An incredibly wordy, play-like script stays almost entirely contained to the soothing, warmly lit interiors of Sardi’s impressively details the wide variety of conflicts, passions, and reflections in Hart’s life through highly entertaining conversations. Ethan Hawke is flawless as Hart, brash and enchanting, holding your attention in every moment, always keeping you locked in with every word.

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