Last year, I began by saying that 2024 followed up on 2023’s incredible runs wonderfully, and this year, history is repeating itself once again. Reflecting on this year, it’s clear that 2025 will be a year for movie lovers to look back on fondly. From original films like Sinners and Sorry, Baby to adaptations like Frankenstein and Hamnet, it’s been a treat to watch the majority of films released this year, with only a few trips not being worth the price. Needless to say, it’s always difficult to dwindle down so many choices to just 10, especially when logging well over 100 new releases. But here’s a shot at showcasing 10 of my favorite films from 2025, and here’s to an even more entertaining year next year!
Outside of the films featured here, some of those that just missed it are: One Battle After Another, Cloud, Red Sonja, Sirāt, 28 Years Later, Die My Love, and Friendship.
10. It Was Just an Accident – Jafar Panahi
There isn’t a film this year that has a final scene as effective as It Was Just an Accident; it’s enough to make your neck hairs stand up. Admittedly, this is my first time watching a Jafar Panahi film, and I couldn’t be more moved by his work. It Was Just an Accident is a thriller that weighs the impact trauma has on victims, and how memories are awakened by sights, sounds, and smells. Panahi’s Palme d’Or–winning film centers around a man who crosses paths with someone he believes is his former abuser, until the weight of doubt sets in. Surprisingly, the film has funny moments laced throughout and carries a powerful anti-imperial message. A brave film from an equally brave filmmaker.
9. The Shrouds – David Cronenberg
Films from the beginning of the year are usually touted as lesser by audiences, especially the months ramping up to summer blockbuster season. But David Cronenberg’s film The Shrouds has been on some variation of my top list since seeing it. A morbidly romantic piece of filmmaking, it explores how grief evolves with technology, and how it’s hard to heal with constant connection to those memories. With our current society fixated on reviving lost loved ones through AI, Cronenberg perfectly captures a possessive longing to never truly say goodbye. And not to mention Diane Kruger, who plays three separate roles—a performance that doesn’t nearly get the attention it deserves.
8. The Testament of Ann Lee – Mona Fastvold
If you had told me last year that a song from a film about a group of Quakers—specifically the Shakers—would be stuck in my head, I definitely wouldn’t have believed you. But this year has been surprise after surprise, and I have been totally transfixed by Mona Fastvold’s praiseworthy film The Testament of Ann Lee. Films about religion often don’t appeal to me, but seeing this through the life of Ann Lee was fascinating. Learning about the reasoning behind her beliefs—a utopian society where those who believe sing and dance—was captivating. Seyfried delivers one of the best performances of the year, a truly dedicated portrayal of a woman using her lived experience to strive for a better world through her vision.
7. If I Had Legs I’d Kick You – Mary Bronstein
As a child, I had to watch my mother deal with having a sick child—how much of a toll it took on her, and how she never complained. It’s a unique experience to witness, but If I Had Legs I’d Kick You gives a window into the hardships mothers go through daily. It shows how moms are expected to handle everything, including sick kids, household repairs, doctors’ demands, and maintaining a career. Bronstein shows how overwhelming the world can be, and that everyone could benefit from showing mothers more kindness. Rose Byrne is undeniably talented, but her work in this film is unlike anything I’ve seen from her before, and it’s moving to witness.
6. No Other Choice – Park Chan-wook
It’s safe to say that this year has brought a lot of insecurity when it comes to basically anything involving basic human needs, like having a stable job. So while watching No Other Choice from legendary filmmaker Park Chan-wook, the unease was at an all-time high. It’s a story that starts out with an unfortunately common premise: a man who has dedicated a quarter century of his life to his job is suddenly laid off. But that’s not where No Other Choice leaves Yoo Man-su (Lee Byung-hun), as he devises a plan to become the most desired candidate in his field of work. It’s best not to watch this film with a toothache—you’ll thank me later!
5. Frankenstein – Guillermo del Toro
Going into 2025, Frankenstein was my most anticipated film. Whenever my mind wandered during whatever current film I was watching, I was thinking to myself, “Man, I just want to be watching Frankenstein instead.” Thankfully, Guillermo del Toro delivered a film that lived up to my expectations. Beautifully crafted in every way, with Jacob Elordi giving a career-best performance as the Creature, del Toro captures a sense of yearning for life and humanity that was needed this year. Living in a world where del Toro makes art is a treat, especially when that art is a project he was born to adapt.
4. Resurrection – Bi Gan
If there were ever a film this year to remind me of the utter magic that movies can be, it’s Bi Gan’s time-traveling film Resurrection. Would life be as vivid and filled with joy if we were no longer able to dream? And if we lived in a world without dreams, would it even be worth it? The film spans decades with its lavishly designed sets, silent-film opening, and extensive one-shot action moments. Those are just a sampling of what Resurrection has to offer audiences willing to get swept up in it. Bi Gan isn’t interested in telling a story that is easily consumable or has a simple pace to follow, and his love for all walks of cinema is felt in a way that makes me feel romantic about cinema.
3. Marty Supreme – Josh Safdie
This year, two sports dramas that partially take place in Japan were released, both helmed separately by each of the Safdie brothers. But for me, Marty Supreme from Josh Safdie stands above, with the help of an all-star cast led by Timothée Chalamet. Taking place during the 1950s in a post–WWII world, it follows a young Jewish man whose dreams stretch beyond his imagination. Everyone in their life has, at one point, known a Marty Mauser—someone who will do whatever it takes to succeed, with a win-at-any-means-necessary mindset. It’s intoxicating to watch, especially the matches between Marty and Koto Endo (Koto Kawaguchi), a real-life ping-pong star. However, the women of Marty Supreme, specifically Kay Stone (Gwyneth Paltrow) and Rachel Mizler (Odessa A’zion), impressed me the most, as they both remind and introduce audiences to the talent they possess.
2. Sinners – Ryan Coogler
Another film that has stuck with me since watching it is Sinners, the first original film from Ryan Coogler. There’s so much to be said about this film that a single paragraph can’t capture; it’s a profoundly layered piece that explores generations of culture from around the world and the hardships endured. An impressive dual role of twins Smoke and Stack (Michael B. Jordan) guides audiences through the 1930s Jim Crow South. The music by Ludwig Göransson and cinematography by Autumn Durald Arkapaw are among the best work done in film this year. We should all be thanking Ryan Coogler for standing his ground when it comes to the making of Sinners, because it’s a masterpiece through and through.
1. Sorry, Baby – Eva Victor
It’s always refreshing when a film with such dark moments as Sorry, Baby is handled with immense care and perspective. Sexual assault is used far too often in films to give a female character some kind of story without showing how these moments impact someone in every aspect of life. Eva Victor’s directorial debut was a healing experience for me, using humor, shame, guilt, passion, and friendship to explore what it feels like to be violated in such a dehumanizing way. One of the best moments of the film reflects on how the guilt that victims feel never goes away, but evolves into something different, always there in your mind. Needless to say, after the film ended, my shirt was drenched with tears—not because I was sad, but because Victor’s film reminded me that the beauty of life continues, and it’s begging for us to join in.
