Movies & TV / Columns
The Top 30 Films of 2025 (#20 – 11)
Image Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures
Welcome, one and all, to the start of my Movies Year in Review for 2025! I’m your host Jeremy Thomas, and today we’re moving to the next 10 in my top films of the past 12 months in order to examine the best. Keep in mind that this list is meant to be my personal opinion and not a definitive list. You’re free to disagree; you can even say my list is wrong but stating that an opinion is “wrong” is just silly. With that in mind, let’s get right into it!
Earlier this week I kicked off my Top 30 Films of 2025 list with numbers 30 through 21, which had a nice mix of comedy, action, horror and drama. The middle third is keeping that up, though the comedy is more dramedy and there’s a bit of thriller fun in here as well. I could keep teasing it out, but let’s just get down to business, shall we?
Caveat: My criteria for a film qualifying for this list is simple: if a narrative film had its domestic release this past year, either theatrically or on VOD or a major streaming service, then it was eligible. The only other caveat is that I have tried but have not seen everything that was released in 2025, especially factoring in streaming services. The films that I missed that could have likely qualified based on reputation were Sentimental Value, Train Dreams, Sirât, and Little Amélie or the Character of Rain. Other than that, I feel reasonably confident I saw just about every movie that would have likely made the list. For those curious, I saw a total of 192 films that were released in 2025 (down from last year’s 233), 161 of which were narrative films.
Just Missing The Cut
• The Dead Thing
• The Housemaid
• Baby Assassins Nice Days
• 40 Acres
• The Naked Gun
The First Ten
30: One Of Them Days
29: Final Destination: Bloodlines
28: Beast Of War
27: 28 Years Later
26: The Life of Chuck
25: It Was Just An Accident
24: Bring Her Back
23: The Monkey
22: Predator: Killer of Killers
21: Influencers
#20: Is This Thing On?
Stand-up comedians make fertile ground for good narrative films. From The King of Comedy and Funny People to Top Five films about standup are able to tap into that love of the entertainment business — often without seeming pretentious or self-satisfied the way that a lot of films about Hollywood get. Perhaps it’s something about the way stand-up comics are willing to self-deprecate in a more grounded way, or perhaps they’re simply more interested in the comedians than the business of comedy. But whatever the reason, I’m always interested in films about the profession.
Like many of the best stand-up films, Is This Thing On? is less about sets and punchlines than it is about the lives of its performers. Bradley Cooper’s third directorial effort maintains the intimacy of A Star Is Born, telling the story of a man who, as his marriage comes to an end, finds a way to navigate is uncertain future through a chance appearance at an open mic night. Arnett co-wrote the script with Will Arnett and Mark Chappell, loosely based on the life of English comedian John Bishop, and the results are an often funny and touching dramedy about what happens when life puts you on the ropes.
Arnett stars as Alex, our protagonist, and he gives a career-best performance opposite an also-stellar Laura Dern. The story feels authentic; at no point does Cooper give us a scene where we would point and say, “that would never happen.” Arnett’s initial stumblings through Alex’s improvised stand-up sets are endearing in their awkwardness, and it’s actually great that he never becomes a truly great comic (although he does deliver some solid jokes here and there). It’s a wonderful little film about relationships that bristles with maturity from both Arnett as a performer and Cooper as a director. It may not have earned the accolades of his last couple of films, but it’s better than Maestro and more original than A Star Is Born. It’s a strong leap forward for Cooper as a director and one of the best dramedies of 2025.
#19: After the Hunt
Midway through After The Hunt, Julia Roberts’ professor Alma tells her estranged PhD student Maggie, “Not everything is supposed to make you feel comfortable.” That statement describes its film to a T. Luca Guadagnino’s psychological drama doesn’t do what you want it to do, and it’s not interested in what its audience wants from it. The latest film from the Challengers and Suspiria director is audacious in its willingness to risk pissing people off to tell the story it wants to tell. That story is a deeply cynical one, and it’s infuriating in how it doesn’t “take sides” by giving us someone to easily root for in the story, wherein Maggie accuses a colleague of Alma’s of sexual assault.
That frustration is the point. No character comes off great here, but they’re all compelling thanks to stunningly good turns by Julia Roberts, Andrew Garfield, Ayo Edibiri, and Michael Stuhlbarg in a supporting role. I get why this movie doesn’t work for a lot of people; hell, I myself certainly had directions I suspected and hoped that it to go. It didn’t go there. And while that bugged me, I think After The Hunt is a better film for it. A more timid and conventional film would follow a traditional direction in which there are easy lines to form up behind. Nora Garrett’s script is more nuanced and more cynical than that, questioning everyone and never letting any character fully off the hook.
Guadagnino’s direction is on point here, as is the score by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross which sells the intended tone of the film in jaw-dropping ways at times. While the script may get a bit messy at times, that is intentional and Guadagnino always has something interesting happening. Not every turn works out quite how it should, and it gets overstuffed in a couple of moments, but I appreciate how Guadagnino and his cast challenged me. After The Hunt is certainly not for everyone, but I admire its audacity and, in a strange way, it’s cynicism even if I don’t always share the latter.
#18: Weapons
I said it in the first part of the top 30, but horror had yet another very strong year in 2025. There were a number of films that came out of the woodwork to surprise us, but Zach Cregger’s Weapons was already high on the list. Most horror fans were interested to see what Cregger would do following the breakout success of 2022’s Barbarian. It’s hard to follow up a strong solo directorial debut; the hype becomes your own worst enemy and the pressure is on to prove you’re not a fluke.
It’s fair to say that not only did Cregger match Barbarian; he surpassed it and then some. Weapons is a more mature, polished work than Barbarian, but it also doesn’t abandon the madcap horror moments that Cregger brought to the table with the previous film. Weapons takes a story that feels topical — angry school board meetings, kids in peril, a community at each other’s throat — and gives it a wildly entertaining and creepy genre spin. The cast is amazing across the board with special shout-outs to Julia Garner, Josh Brolin and Amy Madigan in their respective roles as the teacher whose class (mostly) vanished, an anguished parent, and the elderly woman wrapped up in the whole situation.
Cregger does wonders with the story here, throwing just enough moments of humor in so that it doesn’t get too overbearing. But this is all about dread, tension and terror, with just a dash of gory fun for good measure. From a nighttime visit to Justine while she’s asleep in her car to a scene involving the parents of Cary Christopher’s Alex at the dinner table, Weapons isn’t afraid to make audiences tense up or get deeply uncomfortable. And the explosion of action in the final act — particularly the climax — is icing on the cake that is one of horror’s best in 2025.
#17: Predator: Badlands
We’re back on the Predator kick with the second of the two films from the franchise to release in 2025. Both Killer Of Killers and Predator: Badlands are fantastic in their own ways. I love the new direction that the animated anthology took the franchise, but there’s something about seeing the series in big, bombastic live action that just elevated Badlands a little higher.
It certainly doesn’t hurt that this entry is just fun, without losing any of its thrills. Making a young yautja the protagonist was an inspired choice, and Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi is able to make Dek compelling without English dialogue. His story travels in narrative archetypes — young man must stand up to his father and prove himself in the process — but it’s well executed, particularly when Thia enters the frame. Elle Fanning is delightful both as the half of a Weyland-Yutani synthetic who partners allies with Dek and as Tessa, the “twin” who stands in their way.
Dan Trachtenberg manages the near-impossible with Badlands: he keeps the film PG-13 without it ever feeling like it’s lost anything by losing an R rating. Sure, there is the cute toy-friendly Bud, but he never feels shoehorned in and fits in perfectly with the film’s themes of found family over blood ties. While Prey revived the franchise and Killer of Killers took an exciting new approach, Predator: Badlands reminded us exactly how good this series can be on the big screen.
#16: Zootopia 2
To be honest, I forgot how good the original Zootopia was before the sequel came around. I did really like the 2016 film, which was one of the more pleasant surprises of that year. But it’s been a long 10 years and I was not prepared for how much I would enjoy the sequel. Zootopia 2 takes the slightly subversive bent of the first one and leans into it more. Much like the first film, it’s skillfully woven in so as not to be on the nose if you don’t want to look for it. But it’s there, as Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde, now partners on the police force, find themselves wrapped up in investigating a mystery around a snake, Zootopia’s founding family, and deep government corruption resulting in the scapegoating of communities.
Gennifer Goodwin and Jason Bateman remain in top form leading a massive (and massively talented) voice cast, while the Disney Animation visuals are all you could hope for. The new characters pop appropriately, but the focus on Judy and Nick is where the story really shines. Directors Jared Bush and Byron Howard to a fine job of reminding even those of us who may have forgotten why we care about these two while leaving plenty of room for humor, heart and smart plotting.
Disney has had a bit of an up and down with its animation efforts over the last few years between Disney Animation and Pixar with Lightyear, Elio, Strange World, and Wish all falling short to various degrees. Even Moana 2 and Inside Out 2, while good (and certainly hits), didn’t quite reach the heights of their originals. Zootopia 2 emphatically reverses that trend by topping its predecessor to a degree. It’s another example of a deeply enjoyable film that works for both adults and children and proves there’s still plenty of juice left in the studio’s animated offerings.
#15: Materialists
Celine Song became an instant must-watch director for me with Past Lives. Her 2023 romantic drama was among my favorite films of that year, a quiet but engaging exploration of themes around the immigrant experience and the complexity that is romantic relationships. I’m also a strong believer that Dakota Johnson gets far too much shit as an actress and is incredibly engaging in the right roles (see also 2025’s Splitsville). So in all fairness, I was already in the right mindset to appreciate Materialists, Song’s sophomore film about a New York City matchmaker who finds a romantic entanglement all her own.
The biggest problem that Materialists had is that it was sold as more of a romcom, and it is very much not that. That’s not to say there isn’t any humor, but this story is a more grounded affair that, much like Past Lives, explores the complexity of relationships in a more mannered and nuanced way. This film has a more cynical edge to its viewpoint; Johnson’s matchmaker Lucy doesn’t have a lot of faith in her own romantic chances, and many of her clients have unrealistic expectations no matter the gender. It is saying a lot in those moments about the modern dating scene without being preachy.
Meanwhile, Lucy is navigating her options in Pedro Pascal’s wealthy bachelor Harry and Chris Evan’s actor/waiter John, the latter of whom is Lucy’s ex. Johnson has great chemistry with both actors and while the script may tip its weight in one direction over the other, neither character feels like an afterthought. It’s a thoughtful, well-made and engaging film that isn’t afraid to go to a couple of darker places in subplots, and one I found myself fully enraptured with.
#14: The G
It saddens me greatly that The G missed most people’s attention, making it the most overlooked thriller of the year. Karl R. Hearne’s latest film had its festival premiere at Fantasia Fest 2024 and was picked up by Dark Sky Films but received a fairly low-key theatrical release in June amid much higher-profile films like F1 and M3GAN 2.0. No shade to Dark Sky, but frankly it deserved better. Dale Dickey, best known for her work as a character actor, gets lead billing here as an Ann, elderly woman who is victimized by the legal guardianship system, only to show them why she was the wrong person to try and screw over.
Elder abuse is a topical issue and Hearne gives it a noir-infused edge, positioning Ann as someone who can fight back against the system and get what’s hers while giving the villains what’s coming to them. Dickey is a big part of its success; she gives Ann not just the hard-edged, take-no-shit exterior that she needs but plenty of empathy. She’s smart, resourceful and ruthless, making the audience cheer for her as we learn more and more why she’s not to be messed with. It’s refreshing to see an older woman get to do what their male counterparts are getting to do, and Dickey makes it entirely believable.
Hearne keeps the oppressive, cruel world of The G evident in every frame with a stark look and a tense, building score. But it’s also not without its humor, exemplified in Ann’s acerbic wit and her banter with her granddaughter and a fellow resident-turned-ally. As a crime thriller, it may lack the pulse-pounding action of more mainstream entries but it’s a badass little neo-noir that more people need to see.
#13: The Ugly Stepsister
My second-favorite film of last year was The Substance, an eviscerating look at beauty standards through a body horror lens. The Ugly Stepsister: looks at Coralie Fargeat’s masterpiece and says, “Hold my tapeworm.” Nothing made me happier than to see this gnarly little period flick from Emilie Blichfeldt earn an Oscar nomination for Best Makeup and Hairstyling, an award that it is as deserved as it is unlikely to win (hello, Frankenstein).
Blichfeldt makes her feature-length debut as the writer and director of this Cinderella-inspired dark comedy about Elvira, a young woman who must try to win a wealthy husband by her mother’s demand in order to save her family from poverty. That leads her down a truly vicious and horrifying downward spiral of beautification rituals. Blichfeldt holds little back in showing the jaw-dropping lengths that Elvira is subjected to, both willingly and not, in order to succeed. It’s one of the most cringeworthy (in a good way) films, filed with medieval processes that serve as allegory for what beauty standards do to women today.
Lea Myren gives a performance that brings to mind Angela Bettis in May, amped up to the nth degree. She’s a sympathetic figure even at her worst, and Myren is stunningly good in the role. The Ugly Stepsister is fairy tale horror at its best, a film that even leaves the horrors of the actual Grimm fairy tales that it takes inspiration from in the dust.
#12: Thunderbolts*
The best MCU movies are about something beyond just the plot. Sure, that’s a no-brainer of a statement – after all, just about every movie is about something more than the story on the page. But the fact is, most MCU films are not the first choices when you want something that delves deep into thematic resonance. And that’s fine, because escapist entertainment certainly has value. I’m a huge MCU fan and I enjoy my popcorn-y entries as much as I do Black Panther and Captain America: The Winter Soldier. But the latter films are the ones that have had far more impact on me.
Thunderbolts is firmly on that side of the MCU field. That’s not to say that it isn’t fun; it very much is. But it’s the appropriate level of fun for what it actually is, which is a story about mental health. Eric Pearson and Joanna Calo’s script isn’t incredibly subtle; the themes of this antihero team-up flick are less subtext than they are flat-out text. As most clearly seen in Yelena (Florence Pugh, once again a delight) and Bob (Lewis Pullman, making a strong MCU debut), our posse is dealing with some heavy topics. Jake Schreier’s debut film in the MCU uses its characters to talk about generational trauma, navigating mental health challenges, and specifically depression and isolation. It works because the cast is more than up to the challenge, but also because the screenplay never undercuts the seriousness of the matter with a quippy joke as the MCU is wont to do in its worst moments.
And yet for all that it takes on those difficult themes, it’s still a really fun MCU film. Pugh, Sebastian Stan, David Harbour, Wyatt Russell, and Hannah John-Kamen make a great team, with Pullman adding a fun dynamic as well as the newly introduced character. Julia Louis-Dreyfus is having an absolute blast here and it shows. They give Schreier all the elements that he needs to assemble what is arguably the best MCU film in years. It’s action-filled without being hollow, fun without being slight, serious without being a drag. It’s exactly the film that Marvel needed to cap off Phase Five and move them toward Phase Six on a serious upswing.
#11: The Long Walk
2025 was a good year for Stephen King adaptations (mostly at least; The Running Man was the epitome of “fine”). We already covered two King-adapted movies in part one with the excellent The Life Of Chuck and The Monkey. We also had HBO Max delivering the surprisingly enjoyable IT: Welcome to Derry. None of those projects hit the mark quite as strongly as The Long Walk, though. The Francis Lawrence-directed take on King’s 1979 dystopian novel took a story long considered unfilmable and made it compelling, suspenseful, and brutally relevant.
Much of the credit can go to the script from JT Mollner, who made a huge splash last year as the writer-director of Strange Darling. Moller invests a lot in the cast of boys who compete in the latest iteration of an annual walking competition, which only one can survive. Using King’s story as a template, Mollner fleshes out some of the characters and uses their bond to add both lightness and heartache to the story. The cast of performers, led by Cooper Hoffman as Ray Garraty, bring the competitors to life while Mark Hamill breathes menace into the ruthless Major who oversees the walk.
Lawrence has always been a competent director, but he’s always been better at spectacle than he is at capturing the quieter, more resonant moments of his films. The Long Walk does exactly that, though. There are big, tense moments to be sure, but the film lives and dies on the connections between the competitors and Lawrence hits those emotional beats well. The cinematography from Jo Williams is starkly beautiful, lending an edge to the grounded feel of the film. The Long Walk gets 2025’s title of “Feel-Bad Film Of the Year” and is all the better for it.
And just like that, we’re done with part two! Join me once again on Sunday night/Monday morning as we conclude the Year in Review with the top ten. Until then, don’t forget to read the many other great columns, news articles and more here at 411mania.com! JT out.
