10 Best 2025 Movies, Ranked According to Letterboxd
As conversation surrounding film and the latest releases continues to evolve with the ebb and flow of the modern internet and social media, Letterboxd has largely risen to become the defining platform of film lovers in the digital era. The platform is distinctly much younger than previous film hubs like IMDb, with a larger focus on a love of all things filmmaking and the sharing of cinematic experiences, both widely recognizable and incredibly underrated. Just like with all film platforms, the community of users that make up Letterboxd has its own distinct tastes and perspectives that distinguish the platform from any other hub of film fans.
Going off the average ratings that films have received from Letterboxd users (as well as only counting films watched by at least 50k members), their list of the best films of 2025 is distinctly different from the vast majority of other lists. While it certainly shares similarities and parallels with other lists, it is also distinctly in line with the unique taste and perspective that only Letterboxd users can offer. Also, as a deeply fluid and ever-changing list, what stands today as the highest-rated films of 2025 may be entirely different within as little as a week, but that is the beauty of Letterboxd as a whole.
10
‘Wake Up Dead Man’
Letterboxd Average Rating: 4.04/5
Each of the films in Rian Johnson‘s Knives Out trilogy has been widely well-received by Letterboxd users, yet the latest film in the series, Wake Up Dead Man, currently stands as the highest-rated film in the franchise. The rewatchable mystery film franchise has stood as some of the most prominent and crowd-pleasing whodunits of recent memory, with Wake Up Dead Man amplifying and perfectly executing the strengths of the franchise.
However, even outside the strengths of the previous film, Wake Up Dead Man‘s religious angle, as it tackles the importance of faith and the abuse of clerical power over a community, helps the film stand out from previous entries. It’s much more intelligent than other films that are quick to simply bash the negative aspects of Christianity as a whole, showing the effective lessons of god’s teachings and how these lessons can be abused by bad actors. While its rating on Letterboxd may change after it gets its massive wide release on Netflix, for now, it just barely finds its way onto 2025’s highest-rated films.
9
‘Sorry, Baby’
Letterboxd Average Rating: 4.07/5
A painful yet darkly hilarious story of dealing with trauma and navigating adult life in the aftermath of an abhorrent event, Sorry, Baby is one of the most emotionally palpable and heartwrenching films of 2025 that still manages to get consistent laughs out of its audience. The film follows Agnes (Eva Victor), a young academic who has her life thrown into a chaotic downward spiral after an unspeakable occurrence with a professor she worked under. Now working as a professor at her alma mater, Agnes simply can’t seem to get her life back on track despite her attempts to move past this event.
The topic of abuse is in itself a taboo subject that is rarely ever approached under the guise of comedy, yet Sorry, Baby finds a brilliant balance of finding darkly comedic angles to the topic without underplaying the weight and pain of the situation. It’s a difficult balancing act that the film pulls off seamlessly, thanks especially to an exceptional lead performance by Victor and a wide array of memorable supporting characters that each add their own sense of soul and impact to the film.
8
‘Latin Blood – The Ballad of Ney Matogrosso’
Letterboxd Average Rating: 4.07/5
One of the great things that distinguishes the Letterboxd community compared to the vast majority of other platforms is its ability to be much more open and accepting of groundbreaking international cinema from all corners of the world. Following in the footsteps of numerous other highly acclaimed modern Brazilian films, Latin Blood – The Ballad of Ney Matogrosso, is the uplifting musician biopic Hollywood wishes it could make. Its beautiful true story, LGBTQ+ themes, and captivating lead performance from Jesuita Barbosa as Ney Matogrosso quickly made it a fan-favorite among Brazilian Letterboxd users.
The film follows the rise to fame and stardom of the titular Ney Matogrosso, taking a deeper examination into his career and personal life, akin to many other musician biopics. However, what helps the film stand out from other musician biopics is its ability to delve into the uncomfortable and painful subject matter at hand, not relenting on its LGBTQ+ themes and the hardships Ney faced on his way to the top. The film’s quick release on Netflix further amplified its global appeal, making it one of the highest-rated LGBTQ+ films of the year on Letterboxd.
7
‘Sinners’
Letterboxd Average Rating: 4.12/5
It’s impossible to discuss the absolute best and most impactful films of 2025 without mentioning Sinners, the original horror blockbuster masterpiece that took the world by storm and cemented Ryan Coogler as a modern visionary. Its story of 1932 southern culture, musical brilliance, and blood-sucking vampires acts as a glorious combination of filmmaking conventions old and new. It’s the type of film whose high-flying energy keeps audiences invested throughout its entire runtime, with well-crafted characters and entertaining moments further amplifying the stakes and weight of everything at hand.
Few other horror blockbusters feel as seamless in their storytelling and thematic resonance, telling an impactful and glorious message while not holding back in terms of the raw entertainment value of the film as a whole. This masterful balancing act is so rarely accomplished by modern blockbusters, it makes Sinners all the more deserving of its near-unanimous praise as one of the best horror films of the 2020s so far.
6
‘Ne Zha 2’
Letterboxd Average Rating: 4.12/5
Stylish animation and breathtaking visuals have always been monikers that lead to success and high ratings among Letterboxd users, with Chinese box-office juggernaut Ne Zha 2 arguably having some of the most invigorating and captivating animation of recent memory. It’s a film that largely centers around both the cultural significance and mythos of its characters as well as the masterfully woven animation that makes each action scene a sight to behold and a genuine work of art.
While these attributes were inherently present in the original Ne Zha film, this sequel ups the scale and ante considerably while also telling a genuinely compelling story at its center. It also helps that the film was released at the perfect time, early in the year, when Hollywood blockbuster offerings were middling at best, while Ne Zha 2 offered explosive craft and scale that is still unmatched by any Hollywood animated film. Letterboxd, as a user base, has always had a deep appreciation for well-made animated films, so it’s no surprise that Ne Zha 2 has found such a high rating.
5
‘Train Dreams’
Letterboxd Average Rating: 4.13/5
A beautiful exploration of grief and loneliness amidst the evolution and changes taking place across America in the early 20th century, Train Dreams is a film entirely defined by its somber tone and beautifully tragic melancholy nature. The film follows the life story of Robert Grainier (Joel Edgerton), a logger who leads a relatively quiet and simple life as a logger, fostering a loving relationship with his wife between strenuous jobs. However, as he experiences a wide array of loss, love, and other large changes over time, his perspective and approach to life continue to shift alongside the country as a whole.
Edgerton’s heartbreaking central performance stands as the emotional backbone that the film elevates itself on top of, yet it wouldn’t be nearly as impactful without the exceptional visual storytelling and editing that the film brings to every scene. Train Dreams brings a sense of precision and impact to each scene and frame, with captivating visuals that manage to bring early 20th-century America to life in a way that feels refreshingly beautiful. Its distinct style has touched many Letterboxd users as it has risen to be one of the year’s most celebrated dramas.
4
‘No Other Choice’
Letterboxd Average Rating: 4.16/5
South Korean director Park Chan-wook has a long history of his films being massively acclaimed and celebrated on Letterboxd, with all-time classics like The Handmaiden and Oldboy both having spots on the site’s top 100 highest-rated films. The director’s latest film, No Other Choice, has risen to be one of the director’s most acclaimed films to date, with an ever-growing rating that is slowly becoming one of the director’s highest-rated films.
The film simply speaks to the younger, disillusioned youth that makes up the Letterboxd userbase in a way that only a truly great black comedy satire can. Its premise of a desperate man attempting to kill off his competition to secure a job in a ruthless job market not only feels perfectly in line with the pains of the modern day, but also timeless in its approach to thrills and comedy alike. Park Chan-wook, like always, further elevates the material with his masterful directing prowess, transforming ordinary sequences into sights to behold with pure craft and brilliance. The film will only continue to see its score rise as it enters limited and wide release in the coming months.
3
‘Sentimental Value’
Letterboxd Average Rating: 4.23/5
Sentimental Value‘s story of self-reflection amidst long-lasting familial struggles has massively struck a nerve with critics, audiences, and Letterboxd users alike, making it one of the year’s unanimously praised films and a masterpiece of dramatic comedy. The Norwegian film follows a once-renowned director (Stellan Skarsgård) looking to make a big return to the world of film, offering the leading role to his stage actress daughter (Renate Reinsve) and looking to shoot it in their family home. However, her decline in the leading role results in growing tensions that force the entire family to examine their past and relationship with one another.
Sentimental Value is a film that prides itself on its array of masterful performances, not just from the more prominent roles by Reinsve and Skarsgard, but even Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas and Elle Fanning provide exceptional work that makes the film a feast for dramatic greatness. However, these performances would only be so effective without a striking and beautiful central story that tugs at one’s heartstrings and allows them to feel all the pain and love that a difficult family provides.
2
‘One Battle After Another’
Letterboxd Average Rating: 4.30/5
Considered by many critics to be the absolute best film of the year and even currently standing as the frontrunner for many award bodies, One Battle After Another is the film that many people will look back on as the definitive masterpiece of 2025 in film. It builds upon decades’ worth of mastery and brilliance from Paul Thomas Anderson to create one of his most personal and deeply impactful films to date, amplifying his strengths to a contemporary setting for masterful results.
Letterboxd has not shied away from its overwhelming love of the film in all of its forms, from its striking political messaging to its numerous great performances to even its occasional hilarious moment of dark comedy. It speaks volumes that the film continues to have such a high rating even while being one of the most popular films of the year on the site. As of writing, the film even currently has a spot as the #144 highest rated film on the website, outranking classics like Heat and Terminator 2: Judgement Day.
1
‘Chainsaw Man — The Movie: Reze Arc’
Letterboxd Average Rating: 4.35/5
While One Battle After Another is easily the film that will top many other lists of 2025’s highest rated films, the distinct tastes of Letterboxd have allowed the stunningly animated Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc as the currently highest rated 2025 film. The film acts as a cinematic continuation of the Chainsaw Man anime series, telling the next chapter of the story as its own standalone film of quaint romance turned explosive action and violence.
Anime movies as a whole, especially those attached to an already beloved series, have had a history of high ratings on Letterboxd, as films like The End of Evangelion and Madoka Magica Part III also have massively high ratings on the site. However, a dedicated fanbase alone isn’t enough to secure such an overwhelmingly high rating, as Reze Arc features some of the most high-octane and explosive anime action possible. It utilizes the cinematic scale better than the vast majority of other anime film releases, complete with an emotionally compelling story at its center, which has helped it earn a spot not just as 2025’s highest rated film, but the #100 highest-rated film on the entire website.
