I was able to see 160 new releases in the theater in 2025 (which is definitely a record for me) and a lot of them were with my nephew who has become a great movie buddy! Despite the fact that it has been a lackluster year for movies, in my opinion, I still found it very difficult to rank the top five on my annual list of favorites (the top three are pretty much interchangeable at this point) and I had to choose the next five from a list of twenty that could have been included. As always, my list is very eclectic because I base it on how much I enjoyed watching each movie rather than on the critical response or box office performance. So, without further ado, here are the movies I loved in 2025 (click the title to read my original commentary).
10. Nuremberg
One of the most powerful movies I saw this year was Nuremberg. It takes place during the Nuremberg trials of the former Nazi high command after the war with a focus on the relationship that develops between military psychologist Douglas Kelley, played by Rami Malek, and Hermann Goring, played by Russell Crowe, when the former is tasked with determining if the latter is fit to stand trial. It is absolutely riveting with brilliant performances from Malek and Crowe, particularly when their characters interact with each other because they each think that they are manipulating the other. The rest of the cast is also outstanding, especially Michael Shannon when his character interrogates Goring on the stand, Leo Woodall when his character tries to convince Kelley to use confidential information to convict Goring, and John Slattery whenever his character berates Kelley for his lapses in military protocol (he is the source of much comic relief). I loved the verisimilitude in the production design, especially in the recreation of the courtroom, and in the costumes because Goring is known for wearing light blue military uniforms of his own design. This is thrilling and entertaining but it is also an important movie for everyone to see right now.
9. Bugonia
I am a huge fan of Yorgos Lanthimos and I really loved his latest black comedy Bugonia. It is a wild ride in which a conspiracy theorist, played by Jesse Plemons, kidnaps the CEO of a pharmaceutical company, played by Emma Stone, because he thinks that she is an alien intent on destroying the environment. Plemons and Stone give phenomenal performances because he imbues his character with a sadness that makes him sympathetic despite the fact that what he is doing is wrong and she portrays her character as cold, arrogant, and unethical yet you also sympathize with her because of her reaction to her mistreatment. This movie is at its best when the two of them interact, especially a conversation they have about bees, because they are both absolutely convinced that that their version of the truth is correct in an age when it has become increasingly difficult to ascertain the truth. There are many other thought-provoking themes to unpack, such as environmentalism, capitalism, and trauma, but I think the message about misinformation is the most powerful. It is totally bonkers by the time you reach the third act but it is definitely a movie that I am still thinking about!
The movie Sentimental Value is a brilliant exploration of the power of art to heal, one of my favorite themes. It features compelling performances from Stellan Skarsgard and Renate Reinsve (one of her best) as a father and daughter who reconcile after many years of estrangement when Gustav, a celebrated director, writes a screenplay that is ostensibly about his mother but is actually based on Nora, a TV and stage actress, as a way to show her that he has always been a part of her life even when he was absent. I particularly loved the scene in which Gustav first offers Nora the role because there is so much raw emotion simmering under the surface during their seemingly polite conversation (is so riveting) as well as the juxtaposition between the way Nora and a Hollywood actress (Elle Fanning) read from the script because it is shows that it was obviously written for Nora. I also loved the use of the house in which both Gustav and Nora grew up as a metaphor for all of the memories that keep them trapped in a dysfunctional relationship, especially when it is remodeled to represent the possibility of a fresh start. I found this to be incredibly moving and I really loved it.
It Was Just An Accident is another one of the most thought-provoking movies I saw this year! Vahid (Vahid Mobasseri) hears the distinct sound of a prosthetic leg and recognizes the man as the sadistic guard who tormented him while he was blindfolded in an Iranian prison. He kidnaps him but, because he needs confirmation that he has the right man before he can bring himself to kill him, he enlists several other prisoners for confirmation. The man is eventually identified as the guard but they argue over what to do with him leading to a bit of comic relief before an intense confrontation that gave me chills. Writer/Director Jafar Panahi was himself once a political prisoner who was mistreated by his captors and you can definitely feel the weight of his own moral dilemma about justice and revenge through the disparate reactions of his characters. I laughed out loud multiple times at the absurdity of the situation but I was blown away by the aforementioned powerful ending. All of the performances are incredibly compelling but I was particularly struck by Mariam Afshari's rage-filled monologue as a woman who wants nothing more than to move on with her life after a traumatic experience but slowly realizes that she can't. I think this movie is brilliant and definitely worthy of the Palme d'Or at Cannes this year!
Seeing Wicked: For Good was so much fun! I really love the stage musical and, after seeing Elphaba become the Wicked Witch of the West in order to fulfill her destiny in the first movie, I really enjoyed seeing Glinda's journey to become Glinda the Good in this one. Ariana Grande gives a stellar performance with both her acting and her singing, especially in the songs "I Couldn't Be Happier," "I'm Not That Girl (Reprise)," and "For Good" (the scene that follows this song brought me to tears), and I think she will be in strong contention for all of the Best Supporting Actress awards this season. Cynthia Erivo's rendition of "No Good Deed" is absolutely amazing, Jonathan Bailey's portrayal of Fiyero's inner conflict is very affecting (his duet "As Long As You're Mine" with Erivo is one of my favorite scenes in the movie), and, even though her singing is not great, Michelle Yeoh is fun to watch as the villain Madame Morrible. It is not as big a spectacle as the first movie (there are not many big choreographed numbers) but I loved the theme of friendship, the expanded world-building (especially Elphaba's tree house hideaway), the production design, and the costumes (particularly Glinda's bubble dress). I was nervous about dividing the narrative into two movies but this exceeded all of my expectations!
5. Sorry, Baby
I really liked quite a few of the movies I saw at Sundance this year but if I had to pick a favorite it would definitely be Sorry, Baby. It is a meditative, but often very funny, character study about how Agnes survives a traumatic experience and I found the non-linear timeline to be incredibly compelling because the audience sees the effect before the cause. It is a stunning debut for Eva Victor (who wrote, directed, and starred) and I was particularly impressed by a powerful scene which features a long tracking shot following Agnes walking to her professor's house, then a static shot of the house showing the passage of time, followed by another tracking shot of Agnes leaving the house and walking back to her car. Both the direction and the performance are brilliant because you can see that something devastating has happened by just the change in body language alone. I also loved a powerful monologue and the juxtaposition between Agnes and her best friend Lydie (Naomi Ackie). I loved this movie and have not been able to stop thinking about it!
There was a lot of hype surrounding the release of One Battle After Another but, fortunately, it was definitely real! It is an incredible spectacle with lots of twists and turns that kept me completely engaged and fantastic action set pieces that kept me on the edge of my seat, especially a suspenseful chase sequence involving three cars on an undulating road in the desert because you never know where the cars are in relation to each other. It also kept me laughing out loud, particularly the hilarious interactions between Leonardo DiCaprio, as a former revolutionary on the run, and Benicio del Toro, as his daughter's karate sensei. As funny as this is, the relationship between DiCaprio's character and his teenage daughter, played by Chase Infiniti, is really touching and the message about fighting for social justice is very powerful. DiCaprio is always great and Sean Penn really leans into his character's villainy in one of his best performances but I was especially impressed with Infiniti because she delivers on both the emotion and physicality of the role. This is one of Paul Thomas Anderson's most entertaining (and accessible) movies and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
3. Hamnet
My favorite play by William Shakespeare is Hamlet (I loved teaching it to my British literature students) so I was incredibly eager to see Hamnet, a fictionalized version of how he came to write his most famous play. To say that I loved it would be an understatement! As previously mentioned, the power of art to heal is a favorite theme of mine and I had so many tears in my eyes by the end of this movie! Paul Mescal and Jessie Buckley give amazing performances, especially in the scenes where Will processes his grief over his son Hamnet's death by writing and rehearsing the play and the scene where Agnes finds understanding during the performance of it (I love how the communal experience of seeing a play is portrayed). The decision to have two brothers play Hamnet and Hamlet on stage (Jacobi and Noah Jupe, respectively) is absolutely brilliant and I think that Jacobi gives one of the best performances I have ever seen from a child. The visuals, featuring bucolic locations, are gorgeous and the score by Max Richter is incredibly moving. I loved everything about this movie and, now that I have read the book by Maggie O'Farrell, I think it is a lovely adaptation.
2. Sinners
I was absolutely blown away by the movie Sinners and seeing it was an incredible experience that I still think about. I particularly loved the slow build-up in the narrative because you really get to know all of the characters and what they have experienced as marginalized people in America, particularly the oppression of Black people in the south during the Jim Crow era. I loved the use of vampires as a metaphor for assimilation and the juxtaposition between the threat from them and from the KKK is incredibly thought-provoking. I also really loved the way that music is portrayed as a way to connect the stories from generations in the past to those in the future, particularly a blues performance of "I Lied to You" by Miles Caton that was shot in one take and an Irish jig called "Rocky Road to Dublin" performed by Jack O'Connell (both gave me goosebumps). In addition to those two performances, I was incredibly impressed by Michael B. Jordan in a dual role as Elijah "Smoke" and Elias "Stack" Moore because each brother is very distinct. The cinematography, costume design, production design, sound design (especially the memory of a lynching), and score are incredibly immersive and it is one of the most thematically rich movies I have ever seen.
1. Frankenstein
I love the novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelly (I also loved teaching this to my British literature students) so Guellermo del Toro's adaptation was one of my most anticipated movies of 2025. It definitely did not disappoint! It is a bold retelling and, even though I am usually a purist when it comes to adaptations of literature, I think the changes from the novel add to the narrative rather than detract from it and I especially loved the more sympathetic depiction of the Creature. I was impressed by the performances from Oscar Isaac as Frankenstein because his portrayal of a man consumed by obsession is extremely compelling and by Mia Goth as Elizabeth because she is very effective as the moral compass of the story but I was absolutely blown away by Jacob Elordi as the Creature. I loved his physicality as a being with an imposing stature but the development of a newborn as well as his haunting portrayal of both innocence and rage. I also really enjoyed all of the Gothic elements used in the production design and the Baroque-inspired score by Alexandre Desplat. I have always loved this story but I found the movie to be especially moving and I absolutely loved it!
Honorable Mentions: The Phoenician Scheme, F1, Black Bag, Eddington, and The Ballad of Wallis Island.
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