by Josh Sewell
We’ve finally reached the end of 2025, and it’s good riddance as far as I’m concerned. This has been a brutal year in terms of film-related deaths (you’ll be missed Gene Hackman, Graham Greene, Val Kilmer, Terence Stamp, Michael Madsen, Diane Keaton, Robert Redford, Diane Ladd, David Lynch, Rob Reiner and so many more); violence around the globe; and too many nauseating political developments to mention. When it comes to movies, however, there were plenty of great options for mainstream audiences and arthouse enthusiasts alike. Here are my choices for the year’s Top 10 films, along with 10 honorable mentions.
10. Black Bag
(Now available on Prime Video, VOD rental and physical media.)
Last spring’s sadly underperforming spy thriller proves that a Bond movie directed by Steven Soderbergh would be incredible. Michael Fassbender and Cate Blanchett have scorching chemistry as married intelligence agents, while the supporting cast (Regé-Jean Page, Tom Burke, Naomie Harris, Marisa Abela and former 007 Pierce Brosnan) is sexy, compelling and frequently hilarious.
9. Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery
(Now available on Netflix.)
Writer-director Rian Johnson continues to prove Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) is a character fascinating enough to craft movies around for years to come. This time, he’s investigating a murder that – on the surface, at least – doesn’t appear to have a logical solution. As such, he delves into the supernatural with the help of a flawed-but-kind priest (Josh O’Connor) and engages with aspects of faith that hit home for deconstructed evangelicals like me who still struggle with religious trauma.
8. It Was Just an Accident
(Now available on VOD rental.)
A lot of people think international films are homework, but I promise subtitles won’t hurt you. This thriller/dark comedy from writer-director Jafar Panahi (a former political prisoner who was recently sentenced to another year of prison when he returns to his native Iran) tells the story of a mechanic (Vahid Mobasseri) who has a chance encounter with a stranded motorist (Ebrahim Azizi) he suspects to be his sadistic jailhouse captor. The film explores the long-term toll that authoritarian rule takes on citizens, both physically and psychologically. It’s super accessible and tragically relevant in our own country these days.
7. Hamnet
(Now playing in select theaters.)
This heartbreaking, yet ultimately uplifting story centers on free-spirited Agnes (Best Actress frontrunner Jessie Buckley) and her husband, William Shakespeare (Paul Mescal). The couple experiences a staggering tragedy that goes on to inspire Hamlet, one of history’s greatest works. Director Chloe Zhao (who co-wrote the screenplay with Maggie O’Farrell, the original novelist) takes a story that could’ve felt old-fashioned and makes it relevant for our modern era. The film also has some of the year’s best music and cinematography, courtesy of Max Richter and Lukasz Zal respectively.
6. The Life of Chuck
(Now available on Hulu, VOD rental and physical media.)
Writer-director Mike Flanagan adapts this poignant novella from Stephen King, which is closer to The Green Mile than his typical horror stuff. It shouldn’t work as a movie – for spoilery reasons – but the titular character’s evolution from young kid (Benjamin Pajak) to cancer-stricken adult (Tom Hiddleston) proves ordinary people can embark on epic journeys. The less you know about this one before watching it the better.
5. Weapons
(Now available on HBO Max, VOD rental and physical media.)
2025 was an incredible year for horror (as evidenced by this entry and several others on my list), and writer-director Zach Cregger’s story of a classroom full of kids vanishing combined scares, gore and laughs to craft an exhilarating theatrical experience. The ensemble cast, led by Julia Garner, Josh Brolin, Alden Ehrenreich, Benedict Wong and Amy Madigan – a strong Best Supporting Actress contender – is so phenomenal that I’d be interested in a drama about their characters’ everyday lives.
4. Marty Supreme
(Now playing in theaters.)
Josh Safdie (who directed and co-wrote the screenplay with Ronald Bronstein) crafts this hilarious, anxiety-inducing story of Marty Mauser (Timothee Chalamet), a reckless table tennis prodigy who risks his life to achieve greatness. That premise might sound silly, but Chalamet’s performance (arguably the best of his career); a phenomenal, anachronistic soundtrack; and a terrific ensemble cast including Gwyneth Paltrow, Odessa A’Zion, Tyler Okonma and Kevin O’Leary (yes, the guy from Shark Tank) makes this one a must-see on the big screen.
3. Train Dreams
(Now available on Netflix.)
It doesn’t happen often, but I love when watching a movie feels like reading a great novel. That’s exactly what I experienced with Clint Bentley’s melancholy drama (which he adapted with frequent collaborator Greg Kwedar from Denis Johnson’s novella) about a railroad worker (Joel Edgerton) whose life unfolds across early 20th century America. There are no world-altering stakes, but the story feels immense anyway because of the impact the events have on Edgerton’s character. When you factor in Adolpho Veloso’s gorgeous cinematography and Bryce Dessner’s score, you’ve got one of the year’s most passionate works.
2. Sinners
(Now available on HBO Max, VOD rental and physical media.)
The word masterpiece has become so commonplace that it obscures the original definition. However, the top two entries on this year’s list should remind viewers what the term actually means. Ryan Coogler’s latest is a combination horror/Southern Gothic melodrama with all-timer performances from Michael B. Jordan, Hailee Steinfeld, Wunmi Mosaku, Delroy Lindo and Miles Caton (in his astonishing debut). Vampires have rarely been so charming or seductive, while the deceptively simple plot hides far more complex symbolism under the surface.
1. One Battle After Another
(Now available on HBO Max and VOD rental.)
Paul Thomas Anderson, one of this generation’s greatest auteurs, transforms Thomas Pynchon’s novel Vineland into this comedic action/thriller masterpiece (there’s that word again) which addresses some of America’s greatest threats without being heavy-handed or preachy. Leonardo DiCaprio, Teyana Taylor, Chase Infiniti, Regina Hall and Benicio del Toro play revolutionaries who battle Sean Penn’s twisted military officer as he attempts to destroy their lives. Mainstream audiences will love the laughs and high stakes, while film nerds will appreciate the unsettling subtext.
We’ve finally reached the end of 2025, and it’s good riddance as far as I’m concerned. This has been a brutal year in terms of film-related deaths (you’ll be missed Gene Hackman, Graham Greene, Val Kilmer, Terence Stamp, Michael Madsen, Diane Keaton, Robert Redford, Diane Ladd, David Lynch, Rob Reiner and so many more); violence around the globe; and too many nauseating political developments to mention. When it comes to movies, however, there were plenty of great options for mainstream audiences and arthouse enthusiasts alike. Here are my choices for the year’s Top 10 films, along with 10 honorable mentions.
(Now available on Prime Video, VOD rental and physical media.)
Last spring’s sadly underperforming spy thriller proves that a Bond movie directed by Steven Soderbergh would be incredible. Michael Fassbender and Cate Blanchett have scorching chemistry as married intelligence agents, while the supporting cast (Regé-Jean Page, Tom Burke, Naomie Harris, Marisa Abela and former 007 Pierce Brosnan) is sexy, compelling and frequently hilarious.
(Now available on Netflix.)
Writer-director Rian Johnson continues to prove Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) is a character fascinating enough to craft movies around for years to come. This time, he’s investigating a murder that – on the surface, at least – doesn’t appear to have a logical solution. As such, he delves into the supernatural with the help of a flawed-but-kind priest (Josh O’Connor) and engages with aspects of faith that hit home for deconstructed evangelicals like me who still struggle with religious trauma.
(Now available on VOD rental.)
A lot of people think international films are homework, but I promise subtitles won’t hurt you. This thriller/dark comedy from writer-director Jafar Panahi (a former political prisoner who was recently sentenced to another year of prison when he returns to his native Iran) tells the story of a mechanic (Vahid Mobasseri) who has a chance encounter with a stranded motorist (Ebrahim Azizi) he suspects to be his sadistic jailhouse captor. The film explores the long-term toll that authoritarian rule takes on citizens, both physically and psychologically. It’s super accessible and tragically relevant in our own country these days.
(Now playing in select theaters.)
This heartbreaking, yet ultimately uplifting story centers on free-spirited Agnes (Best Actress frontrunner Jessie Buckley) and her husband, William Shakespeare (Paul Mescal). The couple experiences a staggering tragedy that goes on to inspire Hamlet, one of history’s greatest works. Director Chloe Zhao (who co-wrote the screenplay with Maggie O’Farrell, the original novelist) takes a story that could’ve felt old-fashioned and makes it relevant for our modern era. The film also has some of the year’s best music and cinematography, courtesy of Max Richter and Lukasz Zal respectively.
(Now available on Hulu, VOD rental and physical media.)
Writer-director Mike Flanagan adapts this poignant novella from Stephen King, which is closer to The Green Mile than his typical horror stuff. It shouldn’t work as a movie – for spoilery reasons – but the titular character’s evolution from young kid (Benjamin Pajak) to cancer-stricken adult (Tom Hiddleston) proves ordinary people can embark on epic journeys. The less you know about this one before watching it the better.
(Now available on HBO Max, VOD rental and physical media.)
2025 was an incredible year for horror (as evidenced by this entry and several others on my list), and writer-director Zach Cregger’s story of a classroom full of kids vanishing combined scares, gore and laughs to craft an exhilarating theatrical experience. The ensemble cast, led by Julia Garner, Josh Brolin, Alden Ehrenreich, Benedict Wong and Amy Madigan – a strong Best Supporting Actress contender – is so phenomenal that I’d be interested in a drama about their characters’ everyday lives.
(Now playing in theaters.)
Josh Safdie (who directed and co-wrote the screenplay with Ronald Bronstein) crafts this hilarious, anxiety-inducing story of Marty Mauser (Timothee Chalamet), a reckless table tennis prodigy who risks his life to achieve greatness. That premise might sound silly, but Chalamet’s performance (arguably the best of his career); a phenomenal, anachronistic soundtrack; and a terrific ensemble cast including Gwyneth Paltrow, Odessa A’Zion, Tyler Okonma and Kevin O’Leary (yes, the guy from Shark Tank) makes this one a must-see on the big screen.
(Now available on Netflix.)
It doesn’t happen often, but I love when watching a movie feels like reading a great novel. That’s exactly what I experienced with Clint Bentley’s melancholy drama (which he adapted with frequent collaborator Greg Kwedar from Denis Johnson’s novella) about a railroad worker (Joel Edgerton) whose life unfolds across early 20th century America. There are no world-altering stakes, but the story feels immense anyway because of the impact the events have on Edgerton’s character. When you factor in Adolpho Veloso’s gorgeous cinematography and Bryce Dessner’s score, you’ve got one of the year’s most passionate works.
(Now available on HBO Max, VOD rental and physical media.)
The word masterpiece has become so commonplace that it obscures the original definition. However, the top two entries on this year’s list should remind viewers what the term actually means. Ryan Coogler’s latest is a combination horror/Southern Gothic melodrama with all-timer performances from Michael B. Jordan, Hailee Steinfeld, Wunmi Mosaku, Delroy Lindo and Miles Caton (in his astonishing debut). Vampires have rarely been so charming or seductive, while the deceptively simple plot hides far more complex symbolism under the surface.
(Now available on HBO Max and VOD rental.)
Paul Thomas Anderson, one of this generation’s greatest auteurs, transforms Thomas Pynchon’s novel Vineland into this comedic action/thriller masterpiece (there’s that word again) which addresses some of America’s greatest threats without being heavy-handed or preachy. Leonardo DiCaprio, Teyana Taylor, Chase Infiniti, Regina Hall and Benicio del Toro play revolutionaries who battle Sean Penn’s twisted military officer as he attempts to destroy their lives. Mainstream audiences will love the laughs and high stakes, while film nerds will appreciate the unsettling subtext.
Honorable Mentions (in alphabetical order):
28 Years Later
Blue Moon
Bugonia
Companion
Final Destination: Bloodlines
Freaky Tales
KPop Demon Hunters
A Little Prayer
The Long Walk
Sentimental Value
Reach out to Josh Sewell at joshsewell81@gmail.com or on BlueSky @joshsewell.bsky.social
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