Best of 2025: Film
If I had to pick a theme for 2025 in film, it would probably be, “OK, what’s next?” A slew of much-hyped projects came and went, and while some of them were successful — James Gunn’s Superman reboot, the long-gestating Zootopia sequel, the third Avatar and fourth Jurassic World films that presumably someone was asking for — none of them seemed to hold any staying power in the cultural conversation. Even Wicked: For Good, with its exhaustive PR campaign, seems like a distant memory just a month after its release.
The 2025 movies that are the most likely to resonate into the future are the smaller, more interesting films that few people saw coming. You could argue that’s true for any year, but this year in particular audiences and critics seemed drawn more to projects with perspectives and something to say instead of tentpoles and IP farming. At a time when AI is seemingly all anyone is talking about, maybe we just want to see actual intelligence and creativity on the big screen.
Read on for the Great Pop Culture Debate panelists’ personal picks for the best movies of 2025. Did we forget your favorite? Drop it in the comments below.
Check out our OTHER Best of 2025 listicles by clicking here.
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Jafar Pinahi’s Palm d’Ore-winning film is thought provoking, and sometimes funny, look at Iranians processing their past experiences with the government. Pinahi was in fact convicted to one year in prison from the Iranian government the day he won Best Director, Screenplay, and International Feature at the Gotham Awards. This film is a bold and heartbreaking, and has the best film ending of the year. — KEVIN DILLON
This year saw the release of new editions from several massive IPs, including the Avatar, Marvel, and Superman films. I would argue that none of them could match the pop-culture penetration of this little-hyped animated musical. KPop Demon Hunters bowed on Netflix in the middle of the year, but retained an impressive, multigenerational grip all the way to the bitter end. Halloween 2025 was basically HUNTERX and Saja Boys cosplay, “Golden” remained the No. 2 song on the Billboard Top 100 all the way through November, and a sequel has already been ordered (but won’t debut until 2029 — who knows what shape the Weave will be in by then). The film is accessible to global audiences, briskly paced, and a delight. Exactly what we needed in this dumpster fire of a year. — ERIC REZSNYAK
I happened to see this on the second day of a “masculinity examining psychological thriller” double-feature weekend. And folks, it doesn’t look like the boys are OK. Whereas Twinless somehow found some lightness in the male loneliness epidemic, Lurker felt a bit more despondent about it. Yet, I loved it. It was unsettling and engaging to watch and just a little funny (thanks to Zack Fox). It’s the harder to find of the two films — it is currently streaming on MUBI — but it’ll be worth your time on the hunt. — AMMA MARFO
This was a fantastically fun trip to the movies, with Liam Neeson filling the shoes of Leslie Nielsen in a way that genuinely took me aback. Similarly, Pamela Anderson -- and I hesitate to use this phrasing — understood the assignment that comes with a Zucker-inspired comedy, and ran with it for rightfully deserved extra credit. Put more broad comedies in theaters, you cowards. Put more broad comedies with leads over 50 in theaters, you cowards. Put more broad comedies with leads over 50 that somehow perfectly needle-drop Fergie, you cowards. — AMMA MARFO
When Kleber Mendonça Filho makes a film, I am seated. And boy, does this film succeed. The film centers on Wagner Moura’s character, Marcelo, who is on the run from a mysterious past in 1977 Brazil. This film plops you down in a place of fear and uncertainty, not only for Marcelo, but many others. This film resonates with so much happening in the world today, and it’s beautiful. — KEVIN DILLON
I mean, yes, of course. But there’s more! I’m not a horror girlie, and yet I holed up till sunrise with Smoke and Stack three times in theaters. Sinners is emotional and thoughtful and gorgeous and beautifully acted and, while likely not going for the Golden Globes Musical/Comedy, both musical and comedic. Take that, The Martian. Anyway, I will follow Coogler and Jordan anywhere they want to go, while also never following anyone into a barn in a clearing ever again. — AMMA MARFO
This film is Eva Victor’s feature debut. WOAH! Victor also stars in and wrote this film, and again: WOAH! This film is literary, matter of fact, funny, sad — it is flawless, and hands down one of the best films of the year. Victor is the breakout creative voice of 2025 for me. — KEVIN DILLON
I went into Zach Cregger’s newest horror movie with as little information as possible. I recommend you do the same — if that’s still possible at this point, given how much this movie was talked about over the summer. You do not have to be a horror fan to appreciate Weapons. It gets gory in parts, and disturbing for sure. But it never feels exploitative or transgressive in its brutality. It simply shows the human body for the machine that it is, and the effects of what happens when that machine is hotwired, broken down, or deliberately destroyed. Julia Garner is excellent as the lead, but it is longtime character actress Amy Madigan who delivers a career-defining performance as the instantly iconic Aunt Gladys. The number of drag acts that will be inspired by this character…far too much. — ERIC REZSNYAK
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