2025 has been an interesting year for the film industry. With every MCU film underperforming at the box office and Warner Bros. looking to sell to Netflix despite being the most successful film studio of the year, there aren’t many other years that turned out as unpredictable as 2025 was for films. Something that isn’t surprising is that there were a ton of excellent movies released in the calendar year. From blockbuster spectacle to indie dramas, so many films from this year are bound to make an impact on the future of filmmaking. There are some movies that could end up on this top ten list if I had seen them, including The Testament of Ann Lee, Resurrection, and The Voice of Hind Rajab. Out of the 200 movies I’ve seen in 2025, these ten made the biggest impact.

Honorable Mentions (in Alphabetical Order):

• The Ballad of Wallis Island
• Bring Her Back
• Eephus
• Eternity
• Friendship
• Is This Thing On?
• The Life of Chuck
• Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning
• One of Them Days
• Sorry, Baby

10. No Other Choice

Very few filmmakers can match the dynamism of Park Chan-Wook’s films, and No Other Choice is yet another feather in his cap. Fast-paced with the most lively editing of the year, Park’s recent social satire is the perfect blend of popcorn entertainment and thematic density. The film uses comedy as a means to delve into our current climate, expressing the horrors of the job market and the dangers of modern day technology, including AI. Led by a hilarious and potent performance from Lee Byung-hun, the film also delves into masculinity and men’s natural urge to provide for their families. Whether it’s the protagonist scheming to kill someone to get a job or doing a simple interview, the film pokes fun at the lengths that people will go to maintain satisfaction, with the film’s title acting ironic and sincere. With one of the sharpest screenplays of the year, No Other Choice is not only another excellent film from Park Chan-Wook, but perhaps his most accessible film to date.

9. Hamnet

On paper, Hamnet sounds like a lazy attempt at Oscar bait, but the film is much more than the grief drama it lets out to be. Led by two of the best performances of the year by Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal, the film expertly dives into how the arts help maintain and build relationships with those around us. Filled with numerous poignant moments, especially in the film’s climax, it is also littered with the saddest sequences of the year, with Jacobi Jupe’s star-making performance as the titular Hamnet making it impossible to leave the film with a dry face. Chloe Zhao’s previous experience at Marvel Studios allowed her to bring a massive scale to Hamnet, taking what could’ve been a small, intimate drama and making it appear enormous in scope. With a stunning score by Max Richter and beautiful sets, there aren’t many films that are as emotionally charged as Hamnet.

8. It Was Just an Accident

Very few filmmakers had a harder time making a movie than Jafar Panahi, so it’s a miracle that It Was Just an Accident turned out as good as it did. Part kidnapping thriller, part introspective drama, plus a dash of comedy, this dissection of Iranian culture and the regime’s impact was always invigorating. The screenplay skillfully infuses its dark subject matter in a manner that is universal for audiences, allowing for empathy in ways most thrillers aren’t able to achieve. Filming the movie in secret allowed for Panahi to be experimental, using natural lighting and physical environments to refreshingly convey themes of evil and trauma. The entire film is littered with emotionally resonant moments, but it’s the last minute of the film that leaves the biggest impact, using sound design in an eerie and thought-provoking manner that ends the film on a major high. Not only is it an astounding achievement that It Was Just an Accident was even made, but the fact that it’s one of the best films of the year speaks volumes to how impactful the film truly is.

7. Weapons

With Jordan Peele firing people from his production team for not acquiring Weapons, it immediately became one of my most anticipated films of the year, and it did not disappoint. Much like Zach Creggor’s previous film, Barbarian, his latest is constantly subversive, switching viewpoints in a Magnolia-esque manner that brought a completely new perspective to the missing person thriller. The title perfectly captures its themes of using others as objects for personal gain. The film also tackles the complexities of trauma and our responses to it, finding both humor and horror among tragedy, making for one of the most entertaining and unpredictable films of the year. Amy Madigan is worthy of her early awards hype, disappearing into her role as Aunt Gladys in one of the most memorable villains of the decade. Broad in scope, original cinema doesn’t get much better than Weapons.

6. Materialists

Celine Song burst onto the film scene with Past Lives in 2023, and Materialists is more than a worthy successor. Very few filmmakers write their characters as honestly as Song, with the three central protagonists being unabashedly themselves in a nuanced manner. Characters in film rarely have such sincere conversations. While most romance films have their characters hide their true feelings, Materialists sees its characters speak their truths to an effective and engaging degree. Chris Evans’ work post-Avengers: Endgame has been a mixed bag, but his performance as John is easily among his best, exuding true love and passion that will make anyone swoon over him. The film’s depiction of love and worth is dense in all the right ways, showing the complexities of desires while also delving into serious issues regarding the current horrors of dating. While not quite the rom-com most were expecting, Materialists once again proves that Celine Song is one of the best new filmmakers working today.

5. Marty Supreme

The Safdie brothers redefined modern filmmaking with Good Time and Uncut Gems, using anxiety as a tool to push the pace and provide a thrilling experience for the audience, and Marty Supreme is yet another example of their strengths. Although the film is solely directed by Josh Safdie, the film retains the signature Safdie style: vibrant cinematography, loud environments, and a screenplay that is always exuberant. Timothée Chalamet has proven with each role why he is one of the best actors of his generation, but his work as Marty Mauser might be his best work yet. Seeing Marty attempt to make it big in the ping pong world by overpowering everyone that gets in his way is a joy to experience, tackling themes of performance and the American dream that makes it much more than just wild entertainment. Constantly shocking with a surprisingly emotional climax, Marty Supreme delivers on everything a film should accomplish.

4. Sentimental Value

Almost completely opposite of Marty Supreme in terms of execution, Sentimental Value is just as powerful in its emotional resonance. Taking place mostly within the confines of a family home, the film beautifully portrays familial bonds in an extremely touching and nuanced manner. Like Hamnet, the film discusses the importance of art and filmmaking and how it can draw bridges to human connection. The entire ensemble is astounding, with Inga Ibsdotter Lileaas giving a quiet, yet powerful performance as a sister who hides her trauma, while Renate Reinsve conveys her sadness in a louder, but equally emotional manner. Stellan Skarsgard’s performance as a broken father and filmmaker not only ranks as the best in the film, but my favorite acting performance of the year. The way he channels his emotions in loud and quiet forms makes for one of the most rich and complex characters of the year. While the stakes may not be as high, the emotion packs as big of a punch as a $200 million blockbuster.

3. One Battle After Another

Filmmakers rarely put out career-best work four decades into their filmmaking journey, but Paul Thomas Anderson proves otherwise with One Battle After Another; a gripping and timely thriller about the wars that our past generations have set out for the future ones to fight. 160 minutes have never flown by this fast before, with editor Andy Jurgensen meticulously crafting a film with zero moments that drag. The 70mm cinematography perfectly captures the film’s massive scale, with a car chase sequence in the final act standing as one of the most invigorating scenes of Anderson’s filmography. With one of Leonardo DiCaprio’s funniest performances and a stellar supporting cast including Sean Penn and Benicio del Toro, Paul Thomas Anderson shows that he has only gotten stronger with age, delivering his biggest film, and easily one of his best, yet. If One Battle After Another isn’t the film that scores Anderson his first Oscar, I don’t know what will.

2. The Naked Gun

Hamnet may be the saddest movie of the year, but The Naked Gun got the most tears out of me- tears of laughter. The film is a non-stop riot that beautifully captures the magic of the original film while having a style of its own. Akiva Schaffer’s knack for comedy works wonders for the Naked Gun universe, utilizing modern action tropes while coming up with entirely new ways to deliver comedy. Liam Neeson is perfect as the successor to Leslie Nielson, with his previous action film experience allowing him to make fun of the genre in a hilarious but always respectful manner. A scene involving a snowman easily stands as not only one of the best scenes of the year, but one of the funniest scenes of the decade. Studio comedies are extremely rare nowadays, and The Naked Gun proves that there should be more and that they can be just as good as the classics that defined the genre. Out of all the 200 films I’ve seen this year, none have been as fun as The Naked Gun.

1. Sinners

In a world where original, theatrically released cinema is dying, Sinners proved that they can still thrive if the right film comes along. Although the film is clearly inspired by prior vampire and western films, Sinners is a wholly unique experience brought to life by modern auteur Ryan Coogler. After pumping out franchise projects for nearly a decade, seeing Coogler thriving in an original setting was a joy to see; a thematically dense and highly entertaining look at history, music, and what bridges us together through the lens of a vampire film. Michael B. Jordan is captivating in nearly every project he’s in, and seeing two of him in Sinners proves that point more so, delivering a spellbinding performance as two brothers struggling to make it in a world that’s out to get them. The way the film blends horror, drama, western, and musical elements into one film is breathtaking to watch, with a surreal sequence in the film’s midpoint standing as one of the best directed scenes of the entire year. Sinners is not just a movie that stands as a highlight of the year, but as a staple in film; pushing the boundaries of the medium while showing the power of original storytelling. Much like The Matrix and Jaws before it, Sinners is the kind of film that will inspire the future generation of filmmakers, making it an easy choice as my top movie of the year.