The year in film 2025 has been one of the best in recent memory. With genres from horror to animation having breakout years, 2025 has had something for everyone. The films have just been that good. Groundbreaking films like ‘Sinners’ found ways to impart valuable lessons while entertaining with epic set pieces and glorious cinematography. The year has been one for the record books, for sure.
Of the vast number of films released this year, I have seen a whopping 125 films. Over the time I’ve spent with these films, I’ve kept an ongoing list of the films I consider to be the best ranging to what I consider to be the very worst films of the year. The complete list can be found over on my letterboxd. This list presents the cream that rose to the top. With genres ranging from documentary to horror, THESE are the top 10 films of year in film, 2025.
10. John Candy: I Like Me
Director: Colin Hanks
Cast: John Candy, Bill Murray, Chris Candy, Jennifer Candy-Sullivan, Rose Candy
Release Date: October 10, 2025
Rating: 9/10
Going into ‘John Candy: I Like Me,’ I was prepared to cry. I was not, however, prepared for how much. A good documentary teaches you something, but it also leaves you with something as well. A feeling, of sorts, that changes your perspective. John Candy from all accounts was one of the best all around humans that has ever walked the face of the earth. This was reaffirming in a world where the armor our heroes wear is so often peeled back by social media or catastrophes of their own making.
The documentary is the archtype of perfect documentary film making. It lets the story tell itself, providing a backdrop of pictures and film to keep you engaged. The interviews were vast and all from very VERY famous people. It made it feel all that much more personal. ‘John Candy: I Like Me’ was a truly astounding film that brought home one of childhood heroes one last time.
9. One Battle After Another
Director: Paul Thomas Anderson
Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Chase Infiniti, Sean Penn, Benicio del Toro, Teyana Taylor, Regina Hall
Release Date: September 26, 2025
Rating: 8/10
‘One Battle After Another’ should feel too soon. The premise of the whole film should give everyone the ick, but it doesn’t because it’s executed so flawlessly that the film works magnificently. The entire cast give career performances. Leonardo DiCaprio is funny in a way we don’t usually see him be on film. Chase Infiniti has an incredibly bright future, holding her own with the likes of DiCaprio, Sean Penn, and Regina Hall. The stand off between Inifiniti and Penn was some of the best film making that we’ve seen all year. She truly held it down.
Paul Thomas Anderson delivered a truly wonderful movie going experience. Unfortunately for myself, I didn’t catch this one in a theater, but I’m kicking myself now for failing at that task. The film was that good. It kept me engaged and on the edge of my seat. ‘One Battle After Another’ was an exceptional experience that we will most certainly hear a lot about once awards season gets into full swing.
8. Superman
Director: James Gunn
Cast: David Corenswet, Nicholas Holt, Rachel Brosnahan
Release Date: July 11, 2025
Rating: 9/10
‘Superman’ had to achieve quite a bit. Coming on the heels of the failed DCEU and under the new direction of James Gunn, ‘Superman’ didn’t have a lot of room for failure. Fortunately for audiences, the film knocked it out of the park, providing one of the best times in a theater this year. The cast perfectly fit their roles and the story was perfectly, for lack of a better word, Superman.
The film worked so well my son and I saw the film four times in a theater and another 2 once it became available at home. ‘Superman’ was transgenerational. We both had a good time obsessing over David Corenswet’s Supes and Nicholas Hoult’s Lex Luthor. The both of us are already prepared to have our butts in a seat when ‘Supergirl’ lands next year.
7. Wake Up, Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery
Director: Rian Johnson
Cast: Daniel Craig, Josh O’Connor, Glenn Close, Josh Brolin, Kerry Washington, Jeremy Renner,
Andrew Scott
Release Date: December 12, 2025
Rating: 10/10
Trilogies are hard to complete. They either run out of gas by the third film or the second film bombs so hard there never was a third. Rian Johnson, however, seems to have perfected his murder mystery recipe. ‘Wake Up Dead Man,’ the third film in his Knives Out Trilogy, is exceptional. Indeed, it is arguably the best of the trilogy.
From the jawdroppingly good performances to the impossible mystery, ‘Wake Up Dead Man’ grabs the audience and takes them on a well rounded mystery joy ride. At no point in my viewing was I not fully entertained. Daniel Craig returning as Benoit Blanc could simply be enough, but the performances from Josh O’Connor and Glenn Close were enrapturing. Let’s hope that it isn’t too long until we get the next installment in the Knives Out franchise.
6. Zootopia 2
Director: Jared Bush, Byron Howard
Cast: Jason Bateman, Ginner Goodwin, Ke Huy Quan
Release Date: November 26, 2025
Rating: 10/10
‘Zootopia 2’ surprised me. I did not expect to get as much from a “children’s movie” as I did from this film. For a Disney film to aim for something as big as gentrification as well as racism in such a meaningful and heartfelt way, well, it’s more than worthy of its position on this list. The film took big subject matter and made it palatable for children. They understood what was happening even if they didn’t understand the political landscape that it occured in.
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Disney once again proved why they are the king of the mountain when it comes to animation. The color and the movement are just so well put together and appealing to the eye. The film had genuine soul and that came through in the performances from the cast. ‘Zootopia 2’ is a beautiful blend of art and fun that turned out to be some of the most fun in a theater in 2025.
5. The Perfect Neighbor
Director: Geeta Gandbhir
Cast: Ajike Owens
Release Date: October 17, 2025
Rating: 10/10
Some films move you, and then some films change you entirely as a person. ‘The Perfect Neighbor’ is the latter. I have never had a film move me as fundamentally as this one did. Told entirely through first-person footage, such as phone records, ring cam, and police cam, ‘The Perfect Neighbor’ recounts the story of the murder of Ajike Owens by her white neighbor. The film is heartwrenching.
The way that the story is presented is what makes the film just so damn good. The audience was able to experience the events as they happened. I will never as long as I live forget the sounds those children made when they found out about their mother. Even writing this now, it’s still with me. Putting the viewer on the scene provides perspective. They are living out the experience of not only the victim, but every single person involved. You feel their heartache. You feel their pain.
‘The Perfect Neighbor’ is more than a ‘must see’ documentary of the week movie. It is a profound piece of evidence of the shortcomings of the system that we have in America. One so often fails, leaving neighborhoods, communities, and families torn apart. ‘The Perfect Neighbor’ should be REQUIRED viewing for every American.
4. Frankenstein
Director: Guillermo del Toro
Cast: Oscar Isaac, Jacob Elordi, Mia Goth, Christoph Waltz
Release Date: November 7, 2025
Rating: 10/10
Some films are meant to be experienced in a theater. Guillermo del Toro’s Gothic Masterpiece, ‘Frankenstein’ is the latest example of that fact. This film was meant to be seen on a giant IMAX screen filled with other theatergoers. I truly loved this film. ‘Frankenstein’ dropped on a Friday, and I had seen it twice by the end of Saturday. ‘Frankenstein’ is truly a breathtaking experience.
Guillermo del Toro’s ‘Frankenstein’ is a marvel. From story to performances to direction and set pieces, the film as a whole was a piece of Gothic art. Jacob Elordi was astounding as The Creature, matched only by Oscar Isaac’s brooding Dr Frankenstein. The sets and cinematography were some of the best we saw in 2025, assuredly tossing the team behind the film’s names in the award season hat.
The care with which ‘Frankenstein’ was made is integral to the quality of the film that we received. Guillermo del Toro cares about the characters and the story that he’s telling. He is invested in it, and it shows in the final product that was played across our screens. Even the slightest detail tells its own story that somehow makes the film far more grand than it already was. Del Toro has created a masterpiece of filmmaking that I look forward to watching take home at least a couple of awards this season.
3. The Long Walk
Director: Francis Lawrence
Cast: Mark Hamill, David Jonsson, Cooper Hoffman
Release Date: September 12, 2025
Rating: 10/10
If there is one thing I say a lot about film, it’s this: a great film will stay with you long after the credits roll. A great film sticks like a thorn that you can’t quite get out or an earworm with an infectious beat. You’ll find yourself going over every little detail over and over again, trying to understand every little idiosyncrasy. ‘The Long Walk’ is one of those films. Indeed, I’d say I’ve probably thought about this one film more than any other this year. That is a testament to the pitch perfect film making of Francis Lawrence and his crew, as well as the brilliant cast. This film will grab you by the throat and make you beg for air. The tension is that tense throughout.
Built on camaraderie, the cast chemistry provides the heart and soul of the film. Mark Hamill is menacing as the Major, the fear from his presence driving the young competitors together. Fresh off an incredible performance in 2024’s ‘Alien: Romulus,’ David Jonsson is the standout. Jonsson stretches the limits of his acting ability and provides what can only be considered a perfect performance. It is truly exceptional.
‘The Long Walk’ is an emotional roller coaster, but if the tracks were burning down behind the cars and the train was heading like a time bomb. The film provides an important look at perseverance and overcoming impossible odds, an important lesson when looking at the landscape that has been the year 2025. Much like when I left the theater, ‘The Long Walk’ will be sticking with us for quite some time, a true masterpiece of filmmaking.
2. Hamnet
Director: Chloé Zhao
Cast: Paul Mescal, Jessie Buckley, Jacobi Jupe
Release Date: December 5, 2025
‘Hamnet’ set very high expectations for itself coming out of the Toronto International Film Festival. Word of mouth was very good, putting the film at the top of my must-see list as 2025 rounded the year out. When ‘Hamnet’ was released in the theater, I made sure I was one of the first in front of a screen. What I found in that tiny theater was a profoundly moving experience about grief, loss, and moving forward.
The film is held down by its spectacular performances. Paul Mescal is exceptional, but Jessie Buckley is transcendent. She will, most assuredly, win many Best Actress statues with a single scream. As we watched the film, my wife and I held hands, emotional anchors for each other. When I tell you, ‘Hamnet’ will affect you like no other film you will see this year, I mean that from the deepest part of my soul. The film is truly one of the best films of the year, possibly the decade thus far.
When the credits hit and the lights went up, no one in our theater moved. No one was waiting for a post-credit scene with Shakespeare writing ‘Macbeth’ for a sequel, but processing what they had just seen. I have been going to theaters for over 30 years, and to this day I’ve never experienced anything like it. For a solid several minutes, no one spoke; had the score not been playing, you could have heard a pin drop. THAT, to quote Scorsese, is cinema.
1. Sinners
Director: Ryan Coogler
Cast: Michael B. Jordan, Jack O’Connell, Hailee Steinfeld, Delroy Lindo
Release Date: April 18, 2025
Rating: 10/10
The terms “15-perf’ and “5-perf” seemed to radiate through society in April. Used to describe film, your average person would have no idea what someone was talking about if those terms had come up in conversation in January, February, or March, but come April, there they were on the lips of theatergoers and spread across social media like wildfire. How does a film school term end up in the public vernacular like that?
Simple.
‘Sinners.’
‘Sinners changed how people watched movies. All of a sudden, the public was concerned with how they were watching ANY film, let alone the film that started the education of the masses. The film was a sensation and a movement. Something that you had to be there to understand, like ‘Star Wars’ in 1977 or ‘Jaws’ in 1975. It changed how people view and think about movies.
That is all, of course, before we get into the movie itself. Ryan Coogler put on a spectacle of filmmaking. The scene in the Juke Joint of music through the decades blew my mind, and I feel privileged to have seen it for the first time on an IMAX screen. It’s why IMAX screens were even made. Michael B Jordan was sensational, pulling double duty as twins, Smoke and Stack, which was no easy task. Jordan gave what can only be considered a performance made for award season. Delroy Lindo was an absolute sensation. Lindo truly gave a career performance. The cast as a whole was remarkable, fully embracing and understanding what the heart of the film was.
‘Sinners’ is an absolutely remarkable piece of filmmaking. Start to finish, it was a rush of adrenaline. Years from now, when studies are done about the movie industry in the 2000s, ‘Sinners’ will undoubtedly be credited with SAVING the film industry at a time when it needed it most. ‘Sinners’ is more than worthy of its position on this list and its place in film history.
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