2025 isn’t over yet, but that doesn’t mean we can’t start talking about the chaos and brilliance that it’s brought to the big screen. From bold masterpieces to bloated remakes, this year’s movie slate has been all over the place. Some films shook us to our core. Others made us wonder how they even got made. So here it is: my definitive, no-punches-pulled list of the ten best and worst movies of the year.
The Best (1-10)
1) Sinners
Ryan Coogler’s Sinners is an imaginative masterpiece of Afro-surrealist horror, featuring a haunting, beautifully relevant story that’s also so damn cool to look at. The movie is a full-body auditory possession with this mind-bending scoring being featured in a beautifully shot one-take sequence that, upon leaving the theater, I immediately rushed to YouTube to see if I could relive that scene again. Each actor in this film hit their moments as if their lives depended on it, especially Michael B. Jordan, who’s playing two twin brothers who are so believably distinct from one another, I thought bro legitimately had a twin we just never heard about. Michael A. Jordan. Anyway, 10/10, needs more river-dancing vampires.
IMDb: 7.6/10, Rotten Tomatoes: 97%
Where to Watch: HBO Max
2) One Battle After Another
Can’t lie. Saw this yesterday. When I saw the runtime for this film (three hours), I broke into a sweat. That feeling goes out the window within the first few minutes. This movie grabs you with a dystopian imagining of our country through the lens of radical, hyper-partisan political violence, and holds you with a heartfelt, captivating story of hope and heartbreak. Despite its dark, and unfortunately ever-relevant setting, there are moments of humor that will leave you crying from laughter. Do NOT miss this movie.
IMDb: 8.3/10, Rotten Tomatoes: 95%
Where to Watch: Your local theater!
3) Warfare
I’d like to note that I saw this on a plane, and even with FAA regulations prohibiting showing explicit gore and/or violent images, this movie still managed to deliver a clear message: it’s a horror movie, not a war flick. The glory of conflict is stripped back, depicted in this reenactment of an actual soldier’s experiences in Iraq. It’s gritty, resonant, and it doesn’t pull punches. It also excels in its use of sound design- every gunshot, explosion, and scream feels oppressive and claustrophobic, underscoring the sheer horror of modern warfare. Garland’s terrifying use of tension in this dark, honest thriller will leave you shocked that the movie is only a brief hour and a half, and you still have eight hours left on this flight.
IMDb: 7.2/10, Rotten Tomatoes: 92%
Where to Watch: HBO Max
4) Superman (2025)
This movie set my personal benchmark for what the concept of Superman is. Not a power fantasy, but a fantasy of power being in the hands of someone who deserves it. Corenswet plays a lovable, ever-endearing goof that ultimately proves he is worthy of the symbol on his chest. Director James Gunn delivers another electric cinematic experience, punctuated by popping visuals and brilliant scoring that left me smiling from ear to ear.
IMDb: 7.1/10, Rotten Tomatoes: 83%
Where to Watch: HBO Max
5) 28 Years Later
You’re gonna see a lot of dicks in this movie, but don’t let that scare you. Instead, bask in the fear of a world permanently changed by a terrifying, infectious virus that turns people into raging lunatics, and consider how relevant that is to the one we currently live in. Boyle and Garland capture the raw savagery that permeates beneath civilization’s consciousness while delivering an intimate, and at times, pensive look at a society forever changed by global tragedy and isolationism. Brilliant stuff, far from a “by the numbers” plot, can’t wait for the Bone Temple.
IMDb: 6.6/10, Rotten Tomatoes: 88%
Where to Watch: Netflix
6) Caught Stealing
Consider me caught. Aronofsky goes deep into his “Guy Ritchie” bag and pulls out a high-octane thrill ride of pure entertainment. Austin Butler delivers a subtle, cool performance as a refreshing action lead. This movie is a rollercoaster, full of action, wild twists, and humor. A definite must-watch for 2025.
IMDb: 7/10, Rotten Tomatoes: 84%
Where to Watch: YouTube
7) Weapons
Director Zach Cregger follows up on his hit 2024 horror film Barbarian with a terrifying epic that cements him as one of the greatest modern horror directors. This movie is batsh*t crazy. Cinematography and editing combine to make this film a finely paced, tension-filled masterpiece of non-linear storytelling. A true mystery that will leave the viewer on the edge of their seat, trying to piece everything together amidst eerie small-town creepiness and effective jumpscares that remind you why horror is so fun in the first place.
IMDb: 7.5/10, Rotten Tomatoes: 93%
Where to Watch: YouTube
8) The Naked Gun
Raucously hilarious. It’s hard to remember a big-budget theatrical comedy that I’ve genuinely found funny. This film puts in the work. It seems like there’s a joke being told every minute. The Naked Gun is so chock-full of subtle sight gags, I’ve already rewatched it three times just to make sure I clocked every single one. Nobody told me Liam Neeson could carry a comedy like this. You really need to see this one.
IMDb: 6.5/10, Rotten Tomatoes: 88%
Where to Watch: YouTube
9) Kpop Demon Hunters
Saw this accidentally, on a date. Y’know, maybe I’m biased, maybe I’m definitely the target audience for this movie, maybe I’m just a fan of vibrant animation and infectiously catchy tunes, but I really, really enjoyed this. An admittedly simple plot, but delivered alongside spectacular visuals and chokehold-inducing music. This Netflix exclusive is a fun, down-to-earth, honest-to-god bubblegum-pink joyride, and it’s definitely my pick for animated film of the year.
IMDb: 7.6/10, Rotten Tomatoes: 95%
Where to Watch: Netflix
10) The Fantastic Four: First Steps
Marvel delivers its most visually stunning film post-Endgame (there I said it). The first thing I would say about this movie is that it is well-cast. I thought Pedro Pascal was a stretch, but he defied my expectations with a charmingly neurotic Fantastic, as Vanessa Kirby steals the show, disappearing into her role as The Invisible Woman. Joseph Quinn blazes with charisma as the Human Torch. And here’s the thing: Ebon Moss Bacharach rocks in this movie. It’s a solidly crafted, well-written film dripping with spectacle, and a genuine superhero movie that you shouldn’t miss.
IMDB: 7/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 86%
Where to Watch: YouTube
The Worst (1-10)
1) Snow White (2025)
The ugliest movie I watched this year. Nothing in this Disney live-action remake sparks fantasy or whimsy, with its horrendous CGI and terrible art design. Visually offensive to the eyes. An atrocious performance by Gal Gadot, and a dismal display of passionless directing. It tries so hard to tie itself to the original animated film, while at the same time attempting to forge its own path, and the result is a huge waste of time and money
IMDb: 2.1/10, Rotten Tomatoes: 38%
Where to Watch: Disney+
2) Love Hurts
I’m genuinely surprised this film was even shown in theaters. I expected to find it on some streaming site that nobody uses, like Tubi or Paramount+ +. Look, I’ll be the first to say I admire Key Huy Quan, but even I have to admit he’s horribly miscast in this. The action is fun, but there is an innate lack of chemistry that would make any of it enjoyable. The plot is hard to follow, and it seemed to come to a point where even the director gave up halfway through, so I’m going to do the same and
IMDb: 5.3/10, Rotten Tomatoes: 18%
Where to Watch: Prime Video
3) A Minecraft Movie
I’m sorry. I really wanted this to be worthy of the Gen Z cultural phenomenon that social media made it out to be. But it’s really not. I still don’t know why Hollywood insists on turning established video game IPs into something they’re not: repackaged, misunderstood, lazily designed drivel. The only selling points of this film: Jack Black doing his damndest to channel every ounce of charisma to muscle his way through this, and the fact that you might see someone pull out a live chicken in the middle of the theater.
IMDb: 5.6/10, Rotten Tomatoes: 47%
Where to Watch: HBO Max
4. Lilo and Stitch (2025)
This live-action remake of the classic Disney animated film is so 1-to-1 that you’re better off just rewatching that version and throwing your ticket for this one away. Seriously, if there was anything I enjoyed in this film, it was because it was directly taken from the original. I’ve already seen what they’ve stolen, and I hated what they added, and all in all, nothing was gained. It does have Snow White beat when it comes to having halfway decent CGI and a charismatic cast, but it can’t escape the fact that it will never come close to touching the original.
IMDb: 6.7/10, Rotten Tomatoes: 72%
Where to Watch: Disney+
5) How to Train Your Dragon (2025)
Didn’t I just cover this? I hate that I even had to write (2025) in the title because it’s obvious which one I’m mad about. It’s like the third time, but I have to say it: The original movie is better, watch it instead. Stop letting these studios resell the same thing over and over to you. Because it IS the same thing, repackaged and distilled down to its beats. I will say, though, that some of the visual setpieces are quite impressive- but you know what looks even cooler and isn’t bound by the traditional limitations of live action? The original animated film. Watch that one. That one was good. This one is toothless.
IMDb: 7.8/10, Rotten Tomatoes: 77%
Where to Watch: Peacock
6) Highest 2 Lowest
Spike Lee, you really need to stop trying to remake classic Asian films. First Oldboy, now this? It doesn’t work. The pacing is practically crawling. The dialogue is cringy. The plot is half-baked. And I like A$AP Rocky, but whoever invited him to this party needs to be spoken to in private, because he needs to leave. That’s really my bottom line for this movie: it’s full of actors I like, like Denzel Washington, Jeffrey Wright, and Princess flip-phone, but none of them are the least bit entertaining in this slog of a film.
IMDb: 5.6/10, Rotten Tomatoes: 84%
Where to Watch: Apple TV
7) Flight Risk
I don’t even want to be trapped on a flight with Mark Wahlberg in real life, let alone in a poorly conceived, badly written “thriller” with unexciting action sequences and uninteresting characters. I don’t even want to continue writing this review. That’s how much I don’t care for this movie.
IMDb: 5.3/10, Rotten Tomatoes: 29%
Where to Watch: Starz
8) Captain America: Brave New World
It goes to show that Marvel does selectively choose which films they choose to spend money on, and which ones they send out to die on the wire. This is the latter. I barely caught this film; there was almost zero promotion for it, and it left theaters before I could clear my schedule. And then I saw it on Disney+, and was amazed it even went to theaters looking like it did. Where did the money for this movie go? There is nothing “brave” or “new” about this movie. Everything looks cheap and dull. Even the White House setpiece makes it look like the characters are speaking to each other in VR chat. Anthony Mackie deserves better.
IMDb: 5.6/10, Rotten Tomatoes: 46%
Where to Watch: Disney+
9) The Smashing Machine
I didn’t hate it, but it’s admittedly not a good movie. What I will say is that it’s visually appealing; Benny Safdie’s choice to shoot on 16mm film really makes the film stand out from others this year. But the plot is paper-thin. Never mind that it’s almost a one-to-one reenactment of the similarly titled documentary; nothing really happens in this film. Dwayne Johnson’s character barely undergoes any emotional arc. It was fun to look at, and the Rock tried his best, but ultimately it was pretty mid.
IMDb: 6.8/10, Rotten Tomatoes: 70%
Where to Watch: Your local theater!
10) Thunderbolts
You might be surprised to see this on the “worst” list, but I just really didn’t get it. It’s an ensemble film that means well, trying to deliver a poignant message about depression and mental health, but is hamstrung by the fact that the ensemble is forced together without a trace of chemistry between them, and the message is hamfisted. The antagonist is literally a depressive void? Real subtle. Marvel again continues to throw things at the wall to see what sticks, and though it was well-received by most, this writer is planting his foot in the ground.
IMDb: 7.1/10, Rotten Tomatoes: 88%
Where to Watch: Disney+
