The Top 10 Best Movies of 2025

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year everyone! The end of this year is absolutely insane for my blog, because I have all of the normal end of year craziness paired with the ending of Stranger Things. I am actually seeing the finale of Stranger Things in the theater tomorrow at noon, so I will begin my coverage of that on New Year's Day, not New Year's Eve. So, because of that, I am pumping out a top ten list of my favorite movies from this past year before I have to dive into the ending of Stranger Things. This was, in my opinion, the best year for movies since COVID. Not only were there some great releases, but so many people went to the theater. Let's keep it up for 2026!

10. Wicked: For Good

The second part of the epic musical adaptation is not as good, but still has lots of strengths

Wicked: For Good was definitely not as compelling or thrilling as the first Wicked, but that's the wrong way of looking at it. This is a different story that isn't really a prequel to The Wizard of Oz. It's more of an alternative version of it. Technically, everything is still spectacular: the costumes, the colors, the sets, the cinematography...all of it is great. Cynthia Erivo still delivers a powerhouse performance, but Ariana Grande gives an even better performance than she did in Wicked. It hits on all of the emotional beats you want it to. The songs, while not as powerful or memorable as Wicked, are still great. And, by the end, I was in tears. Sure, the story is messy and the way it connects to The Wizard of Oz is somewhat questionable, but I still found this to be a good adaptation of one of my favorite musicals.

9. The Naked Gun

This movie was the most I've laughed in a theater in a long, long time

On paper, a remake of The Naked Gun seems stupid, but in execution, it was fantastic. Comedy films are kind of weak nowadays. Oftentimes, they are sent straight to streaming or just don't really make me laugh. The Naked Gun was just so irreverent and hilarious that I could not help but love this film. Liam Neeson plays the role of Frank Drebin Jr. exactly how he plays every other role: dead serious. But that works perfectly for this movie, because it's so ridiculous and really does a great job of bringing the humor of the classic film series to a modern audience. It's not the best movie I've ever seen, but it was one of the most fun theater-going experiences I had this year.

8. F1

A great return to the classic summer blockbuster formula

2025 felt like it got movies back on track a little bit, and F1 was a major part of that. So many blockbusters nowadays are just filled with CGI noise and sky beams and all of that nonsense. So many of these big movies are just sequels or remakes. Joseph Kosinski and Brad Pitt decided to remedy that by giving us a feel-good, fun, fast-paced summer blockbuster that just has the spirit of a movie released twenty years ago. It's got everything you want in a racing movie: amazing practical stunts, charming movie stars, likable characters, and a feel-good story that just gets you excited about movies. Again, F1 is not the greatest movie ever made, but it's just a well-crafted, entertaining movie that I loved going to see in the theater.

7. Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning

Ethan Hunt's supposed swan song is a thrilling way to close out the series (if it really is the last)

A lot of people where underwhelmed by The Final Reckoning. I was not one of those people. I found the most recent Mission: Impossible to be one of the most ambitious and best. This nearly three-hour long sprawling action film is a non-stop thrill ride from beginning to end. Tom Cruise knows what audiences want to see in a Mission: Impossible movie, so he delivers that ten-fold. Every big action sequence was just jaw-dropping. From insane submarine expeditions to hanging off of planes, this movie had it all. And, on top of that, it felt like this big, global threat with truly world-ending stakes. Every single moment is ratcheting up the tension so you feel the weight of every single obstacle thrown in Ethan Hunt's way. This is what I want to see more of in these big franchise blockbusters. I cannot get enough of Mission: Impossible.

6. Marty Supreme

Timothée Chalamet carries an intense, nerve-racking dramedy that is a lock for awards season

Marty Supreme is the final movie I saw in theaters in 2025, and it did not disappoint. From the director of Uncut Gems comes a new insanely stressful film, but this time, it's about ping pong. Timothée Chalamet delivers what might be the best performance of his career (although I have not seen A Complete Unknown) and carries this film as this fast-talking hustler who is trying to prove himself as the best ping pong player the world has ever seen. It's so much fun to watch him worm his way out of a situation but end up in a worse situation because he didn't handle the previous one properly. The tension keeps ramping up as you see things getting more insane and more dire, which leads to a very satisfying climax that cements Marty as one of the most lovable yet terrible people I've ever seen in a movie. I had tons of fun with this one, and I look forward to seeing how many awards it racks up.

5. Thunderbolts*

Marvel's latest team-up leans more on emotion and characters than action...and that's good

Marvel started off the year with a whimper after Brave New World, but quickly found its footing again with Thunderbolts*. Marvel's newest band of misfits work together so well because this movie is focused on themes of depression and purpose. All of these characters have done horrible things. Their lives have not been what they sought them out to be. And, because of that, you see these very broken people struggling to work together. Telling this story from Yelena's perspective makes it even more powerful because you know what she's been through. I love that this movie felt smaller and more personal instead of having world-ending and a big CGI finale. This is a way to set yourself apart from the rest of the MCU. I want them to take more risks like this in the future, because Thunderbolts* paid off beautifully.

4. Frankenstein

Guillermo del Toro's sweeping adaptation of Mary Shelley's novel is simply stunning

I loved Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein when I first saw it in theaters, but it's just stuck in my mind and really made me believe that it is one of the best movies of the year. del Toro delivers an absolutely gorgeous world to set this story in. From the sets to the costumes to the cinematography, everything on the technical front is just gorgeous. Jacob Elordi is probably going to get snubbed for an Oscar nomination, and I am going to be mad about it, because he does an amazing job of playing this creature who is learning how to be human. The film poses so many moral questions that I did not realize were so intrinsic to the Frankenstein story, but it worked so well for me. This movie showed me how little I actually know about this iconic, iconic tale. It was such a beautiful adaptation that really makes you think a lot about the nature of humanity and who the true monster in this story is.

3. Weapons

The year's scariest movie is also one of the best and most memorable

Much like Frankenstein, I loved Weapons when I first saw it. I actually rewatched it in October, and it was even better the second time, thus its placement on the list. This is such an unsettling movie that balances some ridiculously scary moments with a sharp wit and some laugh-out-loud moments. I love how well it builds out the mystery of how these seventeen kids went missing. The way its structured in showing different events from different perspectives to reveal new information is just genius. And, of course, the highlight of the film is Amy Madigan's terrifying Aunt Gladys, who entered my nightmares for the first time in August and has not left them yet. Her seemingly innocent personality masks a truly terrifying villain that is the perfect cherry on top of an already fantastic movie. I can't wait to see what director Zach Cregger does in the future.

2. The Fantastic Four: First Steps

Marvel's first family finally gets the big screen adaptation they deserve

I have been waiting for the Fantastic Four to appear in the Marvel Cinematic Universe for years. And they did not disappoint. The genius decision to set First Steps in an alternate universe away from the main MCU Earth makes this story feel both singular and an exciting piece of the future MCU. In their various film adaptations, the Fantastic Four have not felt like a true family, so this movie takes that and does the opposite. First Steps is all about family. The F4 themselves feel like a family. The movie centers on the birth of Franklin Richards. The whole entire movie hinges on its themes of family and what you are willing to sacrifice to protect the ones you love, and that just makes it feel like a true adaptation of the characters from the comics. On top of that, the retro-futuristic vibes of Earth-828 just give this movie a fun and unique flair. The visual effects, from the 60s-esc sets to the stunning Galactus, are some of the best we've ever gotten in the MCU. All four of our main cast members are great for different reasons. Johnny and Ben feel like the classic Human Torch and Thing, with a great banter and charming personalities. Pedro Pascal gives Reed Richards a likability paired with the awkwardness you'd expect from him. But the real standout is Vanessa Kirby's Sue Storm, the heart and soul of this movie. She feels like the most powerful version of Invisible Woman we've ever seen, but letting this story play out with her as a mother makes it feel more personal and emotional for her. I just loved what they did with this movie and I can't wait to see these characters in Avengers: Doomsday.

1. Sinners

Ryan Coogler's perfect direction and clever screenplay create the best movie of the 2020s so far

2025 was a great year for movies. I gave out ten Sweet ratings this year, which is double my previous record for new releases. And, despite that, no movie this year ever came close to touching Sinners as my favorite film of 2025. I've been pining for more original releases and imaginative movies. Sinners is everything I've wanted packed into one glorious two-hour experience. Ryan Coogler brings 1930s Mississippi to life with an energetic cast of characters, fantastic performances, and one of the best soundtracks of the 2020s. In the first forty minutes, I immediately fell in love with all of these characters and this idea of the night out at the juke joint. And that was before the vampires showed up.

This movie blends horror, drama, action, comedy, music, romance...all of it is meshed into this absolutely perfect film that just blew my mind when I first saw it. I saw this thing three times in the theater. That tells you how much I loved it. Michael B. Jordan gives the two best performances of his career as the Smokestack twins, a pair of incredibly charismatic mobsters who are incredibly compelling leads for this story. The surprise highlight was first-time actor Miles Caton as Sammie Moore, the twins's younger cousin, who is really the heart and soul of the film. The tension, the visuals, the score, the performances, the way the story unravels...God, all of it was just perfect. There have been some good movies in the 2020s. I loved Top Gun: Maverick and Wicked and Oppenheimer. But none of them, none of them, are as good as Sinners.