2025 was an odd year for cinema.
Indications of a struggling box office plagued the industry, disregarding hits like “Wicked: For Good” or “Avatar: Fire and Ash,” theaters failed to bring in over $9 billion in domestic gross as previously predicted.
In addition to a difficult year financially, news broke on Dec. 5 that Netflix would acquire Warner Bros. studios. This news drastically changes the landscape of movies, potentially eliminating the cinematic experience from movie-going in the near future.
So before theaters are out of business, here are the five best films that a tumultuous 365 days had to offer film fans, (plus five more that almost made the top five!)
5: “Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery” – Directed by Rian Johnson
The third film in Rian Johnson’s “whodunnit” franchise is a complete departure from the previous adventures of Benoit Blanc; gone is the cozy atmosphere of “Knives Out,” and the isolation of “Glass Onion’s” tropical island is nowhere to be seen.
Instead, “Wake Up Dead Man” is the colder, more thoughtful and faithfully devoted member of Johnson’s “Knives Out” family. Built around an implausible death inside of a secret room in an ancient church, the murder at the center of this mystery is the most enthralling and perplexing of the franchise.
As Daniel Craig’s Benoit Blanc comes closer to solving the crime and more answers are revealed, the film remains sharply unpredictable. But the cornerstone character of this series is nowhere near the most important figure, Craig’s flashy and comedically southern detective is sidelined for much of this film in favor of Josh O’Connor’s Fr. Jud Duplenticy.
“Wake Up Dead Man” is placed on O’Connor’s shoulders and he carries it to the most success that the series has seen yet with his standout performance as a deeply complex character.
4: “Sinners” – Directed by Ryan Coogler
After kickstarting the “Creed” franchise and helming two “Black Panther” films within the Marvel Cinematic Universe, audiences were treated to Ryan Coogler’s return to original stories in the endlessly entertaining “Sinners.”
Coogler somehow managed to weave vampiric folklore into a story of racial injustice within the deep south, combining substance and thrills for an explosive final product.
But the film’s secret weapon isn’t Ludwig Göransson’s score, the impeccable production design of 1930s Mississippi or even two Michael B. Jordans, but Miles Caton’s acting debut as Sammie. Entrusted with multiple musical sequences and being placed as the emotional crux of the film, Caton rises to the occasion in a star-making performance.
“Sinners” should become a watershed moment in big-budget filmmaking, there has not been a more soundly made or well-rounded blockbuster released in recent years.
3: “No Other Choice” – Directed by Park Chan-wook
Maestro filmmaker Park Chan-wook’s “No Other Choice” is the latest in a long career of masterpieces. Most known for his hyper-violent “Vengeance Trilogy” or the twisted fairytale “The Handmaiden,” Chan-Wook chooses to examine the rapidly disappearing middle class in this darkly comedic familial drama.
After a paper mill is acquired by an American company, family man “Man-su” is laid off from his job of 25 years, leaving his comfortable way of life in turmoil. To keep his family’s material happiness, Man-su decides to do whatever it takes to secure a position at a rival paper company.
Man-su’s ambitions turn sinister, and with him the film contorts into a thrilling game of cat and mouse between him and his own family.
Lee Byung-hun excellently portrays Man-su in his second collaboration with Park Chan-wook, he is asked to play the comedic buffoon in some scenes but a cold-blooded killer in others, all while maintaining this character as a desperate but sympathetic father.
Shifting from moments of graphic brutality to unnerving hilarity, “No Other Choice” manages to effortlessly change its tone in each moment and keep the audience guessing at every turn while flaunting one of the defining lead performances of the year.
2: “Weapons” – Directed by Zach Cregger
One of 2025’s biggest commercial surprises was the genre blending horror film “Weapons,” eclipsing nearly $270 million compared to a $38 million budget. “Weapons” success can be attributed to clever marketing, but the immense quality of the film speaks for itself.
Splicing horror elements seen in director Zach Cregger’s previous film “Barbarian” with a sprawling ensemble cast of characters reminiscent of the 1999 character drama “Magnolia” results in a solely unique cinematic experience and polished sophomore film from Cregger.
While conversations of the film usually surround Amy Madigan’s magnetic performance as the antagonist of this story, Aunt Gladys, the cast around her is just as noteworthy.
Industry veterans Josh Brolin, Julia Garner and Alden Ehrenreich are as steady as ever, but smaller roles by up-and-comers like Cary Christopher and Austin Abrams are the real highlights of an exceptional cast within an impressive showing of what the horror genre can offer.
1: “One Battle After Another” – Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson
Is it the boring choice to proclaim the current Best Picture frontrunner as the best movie of 2026? Maybe. But the bountiful praise that Paul Thomas Anderson’s “One Battle After Another” has received is warranted, and then some.
Despite its absurdities, the film’s comments on activism and political ideology are grounded in reality. Through characters like Leonardo DiCaprio’s comedic turn as “Bob Ferguson,” a retired revolutionary and now full time stoner, or Chase Infiniti’s breakout role as his daughter “Willa Ferguson,” the unbreakable spirit of revolution and the need for a fight for good can be seen throughout the film.
On the other side of the Ferguson’s fight, Sean Penn’s villainous “Col. Steven Lockjaw” serves as a reminder of what happens to a country fully engulfed in hate.
While being one of the most timely and thematically rich films of the year, it is also the most complete film of the year, standing on par with Anderson’s previous masterworks such as “There Will Be Blood” or “Boogie Nights.”
From Jonny Greenwood’s score, to Michael Bauman’s cinematography and every actor in this large cast of characters, everyone involved in this film excelled within their role.
“One Battle After Another” may be immortalized on March 15 at the 2026 Oscars, but it shouldn’t take a golden statue to realize it’s the best film of the year, and one of the best this decade.
Just Missed the Cut:
“Hamnet” – Directed by Chloe Zhao
“28 Years Later” – Directed by Danny Boyle
“The Secret Agent” – Directed by Kleber Mendonça Filho
“Bugonia” – Directed by Yorgos Lanthimos
“Sorry, Baby” – Directed by Eva Victor
