Another year has gone by in the blink of an eye. As we head into 2026, hoping for positive changes, there’s always a sense of satisfaction in creating a Best of the Year list. It’s a wonderful opportunity to reflect on the films that have truly resonated with me. For those who have followed my reviews, I haven’t been as consistent as I’d like, but I am grateful for your continued support and the time you take to read them.

While 2025 offered some promising films, from major blockbusters to potential Academy Award contenders, I wouldn’t characterize it as an outstanding year overall. The combination of disappointing box office results and movies that didn’t meet expectations meant I didn’t find myself particularly enthralled by many releases this year, when compared to previous years. Surprisingly, I haven’t been to the cinema much this year. Out of the 104 new releases (excluding the three December films I haven’t seen), only 33 were seen by me in theaters. Perhaps, this context makes the standout films even more impressive: In a year when the industry faced challenges, the movies that excelled seem all the more deserving of recognition.

Deciding it would be good for me to take a step back from reviewing/film criticism after feeling I need to reset, I do love taking part in this list, where I get to share my personal favorites and they are the ones I’m confident in recommending to everyone out there. With that, let’s dive into my top ten favorite movies of 2025!

Honorable Mentions: Sentimental Value, Companion, Is This Thing On?, Jay Kelly, KPop Demon Hunters, Superman, The Life of Chuck

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10. ‘Weapons’

Following Barbarian, directing a horror film didn’t seem like an easy feat for writer-director Zach Cregger. Yet, he came through admirably with his second horror flick, Weapons, which keeps its mystery simmering. For so long, nobody would have ever guessed what had happened to the disappearance of these children from the same class in this small town, but it takes us on different viewpoints, leading to what happened and heart-wrenching dealing with loss. Weapons gets under your skin, yet delivers countless unintentional comedic moments of confusion and an unforgettably creepy performance from Amy Madigan as Aunt Gladys, where her ambiguous actions keep the answers fresh. It also remains the craziest, most laugh-out-loud movie I’ve seen all year, showing that Cregger hasn’t left his comedy roots behind and further establishing him as a director to watch in the genre. Full Review—> RIGHT HERE

9. ‘Train Dreams’

Before tuning into Train Dreams, I anticipated a rather mundane drama that found its audience at Sundance. However, this adaptation of Denis Johnson’s novella is a beautifully meditative film, far more watchable and appealing than anything Terrence Malick has made. Following logger Robert Granier as he navigates early 20th-century America, it’s not a film to unwind with before bed. But the time spent watching Joel Edgerton’s captivating performance as a man who undergoes life’s unexpected shifts that shape who he is provides an emotionally resonant experience, thanks to Clint Bentley’s direction and his screenplay, alongside Sing Sing‘s Greg Kwedar. The cinematography, courtesy of Adolpho Veloso, evokes a sense of immersion in the lush beauty of the forest. It’s a profound and emotional two hours that encourages reflection. Highly recommended, especially if Train Dreams slipped by as a blind spot on Netflix.

8. ‘Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery’

Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery is another worthy addition to the Rian Johnson franchise, although it shouldn’t come as a surprise, as the previous two entries are equally great on their own. However, this third installment truly shines the more you think about it, and it’s thanks to what is possibly Benoit Blanc’s most personal case yet. Aside from another stellar ensemble, with Josh O’Connor and Glenn Close as the scene stealers, Wake Up Dead Man examines how we deal with our own faith and causes us to question the relationships we organize in our lives. It’s another unpredictable and fun film from Johnson’s brilliance, leaving fans of Daniel Craig’s detective wanting more of what’s to come. Full Review—> RIGHT HERE

7. ‘The Naked Gun’

Studio comedies released theatrically rarely capture attention since the start of the decade. Thankfully, Akiva Schaffer’s reboot of The Naked Gun proves they can thrive with the right audience. It’s easily the funniest and most surprising movie of the year. This works alongside the rest of the procedural parody franchise, with laugh-a-minute jokes that are dead-on dumb yet hilarious. Having Liam Neeson play the son of Leslie Nielsen’s Frank Drebin is spot-on, especially seeing the aging action star take the slapstick antics seriously, along with Pamela Anderson. Show this to someone, and if they aren’t on the ground from the weirdest snowman montage ever or getting trapped in a car with balloons and bees, question their taste. For now, The Naked Gun is the joy we needed in a rather depressing year for the country. Full Review—> RIGHT HERE

6. ‘Marty Supreme’

Between the two movies the Safdie brothers released as solo projects, there was no competition that Josh won the battle with Marty Supreme. You’re not just going into an expected, atypical sports drama with table tennis; it’s a wild time capturing Timothée Chalamet’s career-defining performance of an ambitious hustler on a chase for greatness in all the wrong places. Despite how despicable this protagonist can be, you weirdly want him to succeed in his dream. Is it better than Good Time and Uncut Gems combined? Yes, controversially, and it could be the case for calling it the Catch Me If You Can of the 2020s. But Marty Supreme gives the energy of their tension-filled dramas, and you want more of it after it’s finished. Between Chalamet’s performances and the ensemble’s brilliant acting, and a story that leads to an unforgettable journey, what a win for A24. Full Review—> RIGHT HERE

5. ‘The Long Walk’

In the years where we’ve had a fair share of good and bad adaptations of Stephen King’s work, we’re mentioning The Long Walk as one of the very best in this captivating thriller. A premise that could have been uninteresting – boys compete in a walking contest for hundreds of miles with the last one standing – but the stakes get real once they realize it results in death if you stop. Through the lens of our society’s mirror, shocking entertainment and escapism, Francis Lawrence captures this brutal world without shying away from the violence. You’re constantly rooting for these characters to keep going, driven by the camaraderie they share to maintain their strength, with unforgettable performances from Cooper Hoffman and David Jonsson. Tense and devastating, leaving me in tears a few times (Jeremiah Fraite’s music piece “Olson” is terrific), The Long Walk brings one of King’s most unflinching works to full effect. Full Review—> RIGHT HERE

4. ‘F1’

No other blockbuster impressed me this past summer like the old-school adrenaline rush that F1 brought to the theater experience. Just seeing how director Joseph Kosinski amazed me and everyone else with Top Gun: Maverick in the air, it transported you inside the fast-moving cars, showing Brad Pitt’s aging racer Sonny Hayes and Damson Idris’s rookie driver Joshua Pearce proving they’re a team that won’t fail in Formula One. Some fault it for relying on familiar beats, but that doesn’t diminish the enjoyment of the thrills and a man’s or a team’s self-redemption in getting a win. F1 just gave me what I needed from a racing drama I haven’t had in years: its incredible sound design, a score by Hans Zimmer, and an underdog story worth cheering for. And it’s weird to call it underrated since it’s one of the few Apple-produced movies that crush at the box office, but it is. Full Review—> RIGHT HERE

3. ‘Hamnet’

Chloé Zhao’s adaptation of Hamnet will leave you feeling somber after it’s done, yet you’ll admire the ways of life and those around you. I knew I’d love this, but you know it’s great when you get emotionally overwhelmed just thinking it up. This fictionalized story of William Shakespeare and his wife Agnes, is nothing short of tragic, following the death of their 11-year-old son, and you’re in touch with this grief-stricken abandonment while watching Hamnet. Zhao’s direction is lush and gives us a journey full of love and despair, only to channel it into something magical. With Jessica Buckley giving the best performance of the year, worthy of a Best Actress win, and her irresistible chemistry with Paul Mescal, anyone who comes out of this cold and emotionless clearly won’t understand why it’s a powerful drama that stays with you after it rips your heart out. Full Review—> RIGHT HERE

2. ‘Sinners’

2025 will be remembered as the strongest year for the horror genre, and nobody could have predicted it. Writer/director Ryan Coolger, who’s a frontrunner to win the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay, wowed everyone with the most original vampire story out here with Sinners, the first great film of the year. But what makes gothic horror a hit among filmmakers is that, beneath a slick vampire tale, lies a deep, thematic resonance: the struggle to survive the evil forces within and the idea of how music will remain transcendent decades later. Michael B. Jordan gives a career-best performance in his dual leading roles as twins, Smoke and Stack, perfectly distinguishing which is different from the other with some of the best work Coogler has done, from the action, blues-infused soundtrack, to the now legendary one-take sequence of music from the past to now. Equal parts beautiful and frightening without sacrificing generic genre tropes, Sinners is one of those horror blockbusters we won’t get again anytime soon. Full Review—> RIGHT HERE

1. ‘One Battle After Another’

Every acclaimed filmmaker has that one film that lets fans realize it’s their moment. Paul Thomas Anderson managed to outdo himself throughout his 30-year career with One Battle After Another, one of his very best. Weird enough, this is the second time a DiCaprio epic has beaten out Ryan Coogler/ Michael B. Jordan (The Wolf of Wall Street and Fruitvale Station were my two favorites from 2013). His loose adaptation of Thomas Pynchon’s novel Vineland was a risky endeavor, taking on his largest budget yet from Warner Bros., one that’ll appeal more to his fans. Thankfully, it paid off with a film that kept the scale of a big-budget blockbuster, never slowing down. His most contemporary drama in over two decades, following five period pieces in a row, it tells the unforgettable story of ex-revolutionary Bob Ferguson’s mission to save his daughter from falling into the hands of Col. Steven J. Lockjaw, while he recalls his training.

One Battle After Another shows PTA at his finest, telling an engaging story about how people on the inside of history know the world is full of corruption, but understand why leaving the past of rebellion behind to save those we love is always frightening. It’s unexpectedly funny, from Bob’s frustration of remembering a password over the phone to now quoting “having a few small beers.” Seeing it twice in IMAX to capture the feeling I haven’t had in one of his films in a long time, leaving the same impression as watching Boogie Nights or There Will Be Blood. Leonardo DiCaprio, Benicio Del Toro, Sean Penn, Teyana Taylor, and the breakout star of the year, Chase Infiniti (Fellow Hoosier represent), form an impressive ensemble with every performance fantastic. If One Battle After Another doesn’t win Best Picture, let alone Best Director, I will be shocked when Paul Thomas Anderson is firing on all cylinders on a thrilling, comedic, and near-high-octane cinematic experience that makes this the absolute best film of 2025. Full Review—> RIGHT HERE