Happy New Year folks! As is tradition for my column at this point, in celebration of film in 2025, I will once again be counting down my top 10 picks for the best movies to come out within the past year. While we still haven’t eclipsed the masterful year that was 2023, I think some of the top stuff that released in 2025 was pretty solid. Without further ado, here’s the list!
10. F1 (Formula 1)
Starring Brad Pitt as Sonny Hayes, F1 is the ‘dad’ movie of the year. When I say this, I mean that it’s a high-budget, action-packed blockbuster that your dad would probably love. ’22 had Top Gun: Maverick, ’24 had Twisters, and this year has F1. Largely due to this film’s ability to master intense sports sequences and a standout performance from Damson Idris as Joshua Pearce, F1 barely cracks the top 10.
9. The Long Walk
While Stephen King adaptations are a dime a dozen nowadays, The Long Walk is probably the best one I’ve seen since It. In this case, the film benefits from some excellent pacing and various performances from up-and-coming actors. A commentary about dystopia and how it drives man insane, The Long Walk takes the #9 spot on my list.
8. Mickey 17
Bong Joon-Ho’s first film since 2019’s Parasite, Mickey 17 snags the 8th place spot on my list as one of the most brilliant executions of world-building in sci-fi that I’ve ever seen. While the film isn’t quite as deep or conceptually coherent as Parasite was, it still tells a very chilling tale of the ethical dilemmas that corporations may exploit when the development of technology enables them to do so.
7. Bugonia
I will preface this by saying that Bugonia is not for everyone (as is the case with every Yorgos Lanthimos movie), but if you’re a fan of surrealism, black comedies, or the psychology of conspiracy theories, this movie is for you. Spearheaded by Jesse Plemons and Emma Stone, Bugonia peels the layers of humanity back in a more nonsensical way than you could ever imagine.
6. Weapons
Directed by Zach Cregger, most known for 2022’s Barbarian, Weapons has quickly become a cultural phenomenon amongst those who’ve seen it – and it’s easy to understand why. By utilizing a non-linear plot timeline, playing around with point of view, and one of the most excellent horror scores I’ve ever heard, Cregger’s Weapons is a creepy, fascinating, uber-rewatchable horror flick (and it’s likely getting a sequel!)
5. 28 Years Later
23 years after Danny Boyle brought us 28 Days Later, he’s come back with a bang in the form of 28 Years Later, which we now know will be the first of a 3-film trilogy. Possibly the best film in Boyle’s iconic zombie franchise in terms of world-building and character analysis, 28 Years Later has majorly revitalized the apocalypse genre’s golden boy.
4. Bring Her Back
Off the success of the Philippou brothers’ 2022 film Talk To Me, they’ve now proven that they are certainly not one-hit-wonders in the horror genre. With Bring Her Back, they still flawlessly execute on the shock horror aspects that they’ve perfected in their debut film. If you’re a fan of scary films that will have your jaw on the floor as you continuously wonder if that really just happened, you’ll love Bring Her Back.
3. Marty Supreme
As a fan of Whiplash, I must say that I’m a sucker for a film about a guy who can’t understand how much of a self-entitled scumbag he’s being. Marty Supreme takes this concept and runs with it to the extreme. Featuring Timothee Chalamet as the titular Marty, this movie is about a Table Tennis player in the 1950s who is so caught up on being the best that he treats everyone around him terribly – but it’s also about perseverance and greatness. How justified is he? That’s up to you to decide. But there is a serious case that he genuinely doesn’t understand that what he’s doing is wrong. An absolute must-watch and one that many have called Chalamet’s defining performance.
2. Superman
In a world where the worst sides of Hollywood have continued to mince words about a certain real-life global conflict, James Gunn’s Superman draws parallels to it, paints Superman in the most wholesome, heroic way he’s ever been shown on the big screen, and has him firmly against the genocidal government of Boravia. In what is categorically one of the most uplifting films you’ll ever see, we get classic Gunn charisma and the foundation of DC’s new cinematic universe, all with David Corenswet’s Superman as the poster boy.
1. Sinners
After having already directed the Box Office hits Creed and Black Panther, Ryan Coogler has effectively proven two things with Sinners. Firstly, he’s proven that he’s going to collaborate with Michael B. Jordan forever. But secondly, and more importantly, he’s proven that people will still show up to theatres if the product is good. There’s obviously a whole conversation about recycled IP being the only thing that makes money at the movies now, but Coogler nearly cracked $400m at the Box Office with an R-rated horror that was an unapologetic masterpiece of African American cinema. A story about oppression, love, music, the need for power, fear of death, and so much more, Sinners flawlessly executes on all these themes. Certain scenes within the film have been talked about extensively, and for good reason. If there’s one 10/10 movie in 2025, it’s easily Sinners.
I could talk in circles about this film, but I am confined to the space on this page, so I will instead recommend the video “Sinners and the Death of Black Art” by YouTube video essayist F.D Signifier for a deeper dive on the concepts that Coogler masterfully executes in this movie.
Thank you all for reading, and I hope you all have a wonderful 2026 complete with several 10/10 movie viewing experiences!
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