2025 has been a stupendous year for cinema, whatever your tastes.

For action fans, Tom Cruise dazzled in Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning. The MCU returned with Captain America: Brave New World and Thunderbolts*, respectively. Martial arts movie legends Jackie Chan and Ralph Macchio joined forces with Ben Wang in the rousing Karate Kid: Legends. Jack Black’s A Minecraft Movie has action scenes so bonkers it drove audiences absolutely wild. Then Paul Thomas Anderson awed critics and audiences alike with his epic action thriller One Battle After Another.

Horror movie fans were spoiled for choice when it came to excellent scares and sinister twists. With Mashable’s best horror films of 2025, we celebrated the 25 best, ranging from eerie indies like Shelby Oaks and Good Boy to studio stunners like Bring Her Back, Weapons, and 28 Years Later.

When it came to comedy, stars like Keke Palmer, Ben Affleck, Keanu Reeves, Benicio del Toro, Pedro Pascal, and Liam Neeson had us howling with One of Them Days, The Accountant 2, Good Fortune, The Phoenician Scheme, The Materialists, and Naked Gun. Meanwhile, dramas like Hamnet, The Life of Chuck, Hedda, and Marty Supreme had us cheering and tearing up. And lovers of musicals got to swoon over Song Sung Blue, KPop Demon Hunters, Sinners, and Wicked: For Good.

And yet these genre labels fall short of properly capturing all the sensationally surprising things 2025 cinema brought us. As Mashable’s entertainment team looked over the movies hitting so far this year, we found a lot of our favorites didn’t snugly fit into one genre. They could best be described as post-apocalyptic rom-com, espionage family comedy, body horror fairy tale, political thriller/screwball comedy, and vampire historical drama/musical. But no matter how you categorize them, these films are absolutely awesome.

So with no further ado, here are the 25 best movies of 2025, and where you can watch them.

25. Die My Love

You know that thing where a fiery — even feral — romance turns sour? That’s the story at the center of Die My Love, the latest from We Need to Talk About Kevin helmer Lynne Ramsay. And as you might expect from this fantastic filmmaker, this drama pulls no punches as it explores domestic discomfort churning into fiery loathing.

Jennifer Lawrence and Robert Pattinson star as Grace and Jackson, a pregnant couple settling down in a fixer-upper home in a rural part of America. At first, Grace relishes her role as mother and the forest surroundings, which speak to her animalistic passions. But as her husband’s work pulls him away, she grows lonely, resentful, and angry. While this film takes some dramatic turns, it works best as a showcase for Lawrence, whose performance shows her early fire still burns, but with a mature intensity.

In my review, I declared, “Grace’s journey will make you squirm, perhaps cackle. But in her messy quest for something beyond being boxed in, she offers a radical freedom to her audience. In the discomfort of watching her bicker, battle, and act out, an excitement of possibility burns. Where could this lead, not just for her — but for us? Will you walk away from Die My Love rattled? Feeling recognized? Or dared to be reborn?” — K.P.

Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Robert Pattinson, LaKeith Stanfield, Nick Nolte, and Sissy Spacek

How to watch: Die My Love is available for rent or purchase on Prime Video.

24. Mickey 17

As follow-up to his Best Picture-winning Parasite, Bong Joon Ho delivered a scathing and silly political satire with Mickey 17.

Robert Pattinson stars as the eponymous protagonist, a low-level criminal who flees earth by taking a pretty brutal gig on a colonizing spaceship. He’s an expendable, meaning a human test dummy who dies over and over only to be human printed again to, well, die again. Despite all these deaths, Mickey makes a cozy life for himself on the ship, falling for the tough-as-nails Nasha (Naomi Ackie). But their love life is thrown into a spin when human error leads to two Mickeys — 17 and 18 — existing at once. That’s a threat to the snarling rich folk (Mark Ruffalo and Toni Collette) who rule the ship. And, man, we haven’t even gotten to the “creeper” aliens who live on the surface of the humans’ new home world!

A film rich in plot and twists, Mickey 17 is a rollicking ride, mainly because its celebrated writer/director refuses to be predictable. The movie shifts tones and genres freely, reflecting the tumultuous life (or lives) of Mickey. And it’s an absolutely mind-blowing blast. As I wrote in my review for Mashable, “The journey Mickey goes on is winding and wild, bucking the conventional flow of a sci-fi action movie by being only gently sci-fi and barely action. Instead, Mickey 17 plays as a political comedy with cross-genre flare, ultimately urging the audience to see the similarities, and perhaps find our own inner Mickey 17.” — Kristy Puchko, Entertainment Editor

Starring: Robert Pattinson, Naomi Ackie, Steven Yeun, Toni Collette, and Mark Ruffalo

How to watch: Mickey 17 is now streaming on HBO Max.

23. Arco

French director Ugo Bienvenu’s animated film Arco is part fanciful tale of rainbows, time travel, and childhood friendship, part climate change fable. It all kicks off when 10-year-old Arco (voiced by Juliano Valdi in the English-language dub) steals his sister’s time-traveling cloak and journeys from 2932 to 2075. There, he becomes fast friends with young Iris (voiced by Romy Fay), and the two endeavor to get him home. The pair’s efforts play out against a sobering backdrop of ecological disaster, creating a poignant portrait of a world in crisis, and the hopeful young souls who will inherit it.

With its climate change angle and unlikely friendships, Arco recalls two of 2024’s animated standouts:  Flow and The Wild Robot. But it also forges an identity of its own thanks to its stunning 2D animation, which plays like a combination of the styles of Jean Giraud (aka Mœbius) and the films of Studio Ghibli. As I wrote in my review, “In a mainstream animation landscape dominated by 3D-animated films, Arco‘s visuals are a testament to the enduring power of 2D work, as well as French filmmakers’ commitment to the medium. If you love animation, run, don’t walk — or better yet, fly by rainbow — to catch it.” — Belen Edwards, Entertainment Reporter

Starring: Romy Fay, Juliano Krue Valdi, Natalie Portman, Will Ferrell, Andy Samberg, Flea, America Ferrera, and Mark Ruffalo

How to watch: Arco is coming soon to Apple TV.

22. Black Bag

Black Bag marks the third collaboration between director Steven Soderbergh and screenwriter David Koepp, the first being the riveting techno-thriller Kimi, and the second being the superbly unique haunted house movie Presence. Both creators relish the opportunity to shake up a genre. With this movie they do that to the espionage thriller, with Cate Blanchett and Michael Fassbender.

When UK intelligence tells agent George Woodhouse (Fassbender) that his wife Kathryn (Blanchett) might be a turncoat, he does what any master spy might: He throws a dinner party, inviting all the suspected double agents. While Black Bag offers espionage standards like globe-trekking, covert surveillance, and lie detector tests, it’s Koepp’s dialogue over dinner that makes this movie absolutely electrifying. Soderberg’s direction of a crackling cast makes the most of every cutting line.

In my review for Mashable, I was especially elated to see a portrayal or marriage that didn’t fall into the tedious cliches of stagnation. I wrote, “As soon as Black Bag was over, I felt that dizzying high one gets from a proper spy thriller, the rush of vicarious adrenaline from the case cracked and the day saved. But I also had the deep urge to see this movie again immediately. Because as generous as the filmmaker and stars are with slathering this story in George and Kathryn’s mutual attraction, I couldn’t get enough. I wanted to go back to feel the thrill of their love for each other all over again.” — K.P.

Starring: Cate Blanchett, Michael Fassbender, Marisa Abela, Tom Burke, Naomie Harris, Regé-Jean Page, and Pierce Brosnan

How to watch: Black Bag is available to rent or purchase on Prime Video.

21. The Mastermind

A story in two acts, Kelly Reichardt’s autumnal art heist film The Mastermind is as far from Ocean’s 11 as the genre can get. Set in Massachusetts in the ’70s and based on the Worcester Art Museum robbery, the film leans on realism instead of glitz and action to explore why a person might decide to pluck a masterpiece from the wall of a public cultural institution. Here, the film’s true gem is Josh O’Connor, whose magnetic, understated leading performance feels as worn-in as his character’s collection of cozy sweaters. 

The Challengers star plays middle-class family man and carpenter J.B. Mooney, whose unemployment weighs heavily on his conscience and his ability to provide for his wife Terri (Alana Haim) and young sons (Jasper and Sterling Thompson). So, he cases his town’s main art gallery in order to steal four works by American modernist Arthur Dove, with his family in tow. However, it’s just the first chapter in J.B.’s tale, as he’s set for a rambling road trip through America amid the constant presence of the Vietnam War.

The Mastermind has been celebrated by critics, including myself, for Reichardt’s ability to thread this tense historical context through the heist and comedy genres. As I wrote in my review, “There are no heist movie archetypes here, only crunchy leaves, modernist art, and bumbling realism. It’s a combination worth the steal.” — Shannon Connellan, UK Editor

Starring: Josh O’Connor, Alana Haim, Jasper Thompson, Sterling Thompson, Hope Davis, Bill Camp, John Magaro, Gaby Hoffmann, Cole Doman, Eli Gelb, Javion Allen

How to watch: The Mastermind is available for pre-order on Prime Video.

20. Song Sung Blue

“Sometimes you just need a feel-good movie and a good tearjerker, and writer/director Craig Brewer delivers both with Song Sung Blue,” I wrote in my review.

Based on the incredible true story of Lightning and Thunder, a Neil Diamond cover band out of Milwaukee, Song Sung Blue tells a story of love, music, and how both can help us overcome incredible tragedy. Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson star as the married musical couple at the film’s center. Together they craft electric chemistry, rousing song numbers, and a love story that hits with the force of a runaway car.

As I concluded in my review, “All this makes for a feel-good movie that can be jarringly intense, because the bad times can come out of nowhere. (C’est la vie!) But like a great Neil Diamond song, Song Sung Blue will find its way into your heart, where it will linger.” — K.P.

Starring: Hugh Jackman, Kate Hudson, Michael Imperioli, Ella Anderson, King Princess, Mustafa Shakir, Jayson Warner Smith, Hudson Hensley, Fisher Stevens, and Jim Belushi

How to watch: Song Sung Blue opens in theaters on Dec. 25.

19. KPop Demon Hunters

Officially the most popular Netflix original movie of all time, KPop Demon Hunters delivers a little bit of everything: romance, action, comedy, and a totally addictive soundtrack that’s gone platinum.

Directors Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans begin their enthralling musical with K-pop trio HUNTR/X, who, when they aren’t making bops like “Golden,” are battling demons to protect the very souls of their fans. But just as the girl group thinks they’re on the verge of building an impenetrable barrier with their songs, the demons fight back with a boy band of their own.

The Saja Boys are comically hot, delivering smooth moves, devious plans, and plenty of slapstick. Plus, they’ve got a tiger who is cute, creepy, and silly to boot! Whether it’s the martial arts action sequences, the swoon-worthy song-and-dance numbers, or the cheeky sense of humor that’s grabbed fans of all ages, KPop Demon Hunters is sure to thrill again and again. And hey, there’s a sing-along version too. What more could we ask for? How about a sequel?* — K.P.

Starring: Arden Cho, Ahn Hyo-seop, May Hong, Ji-young Yoo, Yunjin Kim, Daniel Dae Kim, Ken Jeong, and Lee Byung-hun

How to watch: KPop Demon Hunters is now streaming on Netflix.

18. It Was Just an Accident

Iranian director Jafar Panahi’s It Was Just an Accident picked up the Palme d’Or at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, and it’s not hard to see why. Part revenge odyssey, part oddball road trip, the film is a unique rallying cry against authoritarianism.

It Was Just an Accident introduces mechanic Vahid (Vahid Mobasseri), who kidnaps a customer of his (Ebrahim Azizi), believing him to be the soldier who tortured him in prison. He’s not entirely sure he has the right man, though, prompting him to reunite with his fellow prisoners in order to determine whether he’s correct. The ensuing investigation proves darkly funny and unnerving, as Vahid and his motley crew ponder what to do with the man who caused them so much pain — if he even is the right man. And if he is, what then? Would their vengeance be justified, or would it be more of the same kind of cruelty they endured in prison?

The story behind It Was Just an Accident is just as remarkable as the film itself. The Iranian regime has arrested Panahi in the past and banned him from traveling and making movies, although he continued to do so in secret. It Was Just an Accident is his first film following the lifting of the ban, but even then, he shot it covertly, adding an extra layer of urgency to the film’s blistering portrayal of how authoritarianism stifles the lives of everyone living under it. — B.E.

Starring: Vahid Mobasseri, Mariam Afshari, Ebrahim Azizi, Hadis Pakbaten, Majid Panahi, Mohamad Ali Elyasmehr, Afssaneh Najmabadi, and George Hashemzadeh

How to watch: It Was Just an Accident is available for pre-order on Prime Video.

17. No Other Choice

Boasting a corporate jargon title long-deployed to evade responsibility, Park Chan-wook’s anti-capitalist parable No Other Choice might feel a little too real to those burned by the job market. This wicked social commentary is one of the director’s most comedic films to date, but that doesn’t mean it’s not dark as hell. 

Based on Donald E. Westlake’s 1997 novel The Ax and written by Park, Lee Kyoung-mi, Jahye Lee, and Don McKellar, the film follows hardworking paper company employee Yoo Man-soo (an outstanding Lee Byung-hun), who gets the chop in a merciless company restructure. With his family to provide for, including his wife Mi-ri (Crash Landing on You‘s Son Ye-jin) and two kids, Man-soo scrambles to find a job — and when the perfect opportunity comes along, he takes drastic measures to ensure he’ll land it.

Critics praised No Other Choice for its moral ambiguity and biting social satire. As I wrote in my own review, “As a viewer, we’re simultaneously rooting for Man-soo and unnerved by his capacity for calculated manipulation and murder. No Other Choice poses the question: Would you kill for the life you want? In fact, the film doesn’t even ask it, instead presenting a man believing himself forced into making such a decision due to cold, hard corporate strategy. It’s out of his hands.” — S.C.

Starring: Lee Byung-hun, Son Ye-jin, Park Hee-soon, Lee Sung-min, Yeom Hye-ran

How to watch: No Other Choice opens in theaters on Dec. 25.

16. The Ugly Stepsister

2025 is proving a great year for great horror movies, kicking off with The Ugly Stepsister out of the Sundance Film Festival. This twisted fairytale plays like the grubby baby of Wicked and The Substance. Hear me out.

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This gnarly body-horror movie reimagines Cinderella by focusing on the heroine’s much-maligned stepsister Elvira (Lea Myren). Writer/director Emilie Blichfeldt delivers not only a deeply empathetic tale of a young girl grappling with a princely crush, sibling rivalry, and crippling societal pressures to conform to cruel beauty standards, but also the grisly scenes to back up its social critique. This one isn’t for the faint of stomach.

In my review for Mashable out of Sundance, I cheered, “The Ugly Stepsister is a deranged and dizzying achievement, folding in a classic story with a bitingly modern satire and bold body horror. Blichfeldt weaves these elements together to make a film that feels both of this moment and aesthetically nostalgic… And yet, her journey, as gross and grim as it is, is threaded with a ribbon of exhilaration, rebellion, and even defiant joy. Simply put, The Ugly Stepsister is savagely brutal and yet strangely beautiful.”* — K.P.

Starring: Lea Myren, Thea Sofie Loch Næss, Ane Dahl Torp, Flo Fagerli, Isac Calmroth, and Malte Gårdinger

How to watch: The Ugly Stepsister is now streaming on Hulu and is available for rent or purchase on Prime Video.

15. The Life of Chuck

When people think of the works of Mike Flanagan (The Fall of the House of Usher, Midnight Mass) or Stephen King, they don’t usually think life-affirming stories. But The Life of Chuck will change that.

Based on a King novella, this genre-bending wonder is post-apocalyptic thriller meets feel-good coming-of-age drama meets ghost story. And yet, it’s more! Tom Hiddleston stars as Chuck Krantz, whose life, at a glance, might be considered average. But in this rapturous movie, filled with a wonderful ensemble cast, King and Flanagan weave a tale of love, loss, and dance that’s sure to enthrall audiences.

In Mashable’s review out of the film’s Toronto International Film Festival premiere, I cheered, “The Life of Chuck is masterfully told. Like King’s most moving adaptations, it doesn’t play by standard rules of structure or audience expectations. It demands we follow the winding road through playful dialogue, painful lows, and rollicking highs to an unknown beyond. It’s surprising and upsetting, funny and profound. I laughed hard, cried ’til my eyes ached, and once gasped so loud that I heard it echo across a theater struck silent by a moment both shocking and tender.”* — K.P.

Starring: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Tom Hiddleston, Annalise Basso, Benjamin Pajak, Karen Gillan, Mia Sara, Matthew Lillard, Carl Lumbly, Samantha Sloyan, Harvey Guillén, Jacob Tremblay, Kate Siegel, and Mark Hamill

How to watch: The Life of Chuck is available for rent or purchase on Prime Video and Apple TV.

14. Bunny

After Hours. Do the Right Thing. In the Heights. When Harry Met Sally. They’re movies with very different plots and vibes, and yet all are definitively New York. Now the canon of exceptionally New York movies has grown, thanks to Bunny. 

The directorial debut of Ben Jacobson, Bunny centers on an East Village tenement resident (Mo Stark) whose very bad birthday is a tapestry of chaos, community, and characters that are undeniably the fabric of New York City. Like the iconic cinema listed above, Bunny channels the energy of this great city, while also embracing its funkier elements. This fantastic, funny, and surprising indie is also an unapologetic and unsentimental love letter to New York.* — K.P.

Starring: Mo Stark, Ben Jacobson, Liza Colby, Anthony Drazan, Linda Rong Mei Chen, Genevieve Hudson-Price, Eleonore Hendricks, Kia Warren, Richard Price, and Henry Czerny

How to watch: Bunny is available for rent or purchase on Prime Video.

13. Jay Kelly

“George Clooney delivers one of the best comedic performances of his career in Jay Kelly,” I wrote in my NYFF review of Noah Baumbach’s latest.

In a bit of masterful casting, Baumbach has Clooney play a world-famous movie star who is unflappably charming and a bit of a buffoon. Thus, when Jay Kelly (Clooney) is faced with a mid-life crisis, he orders his entourage to follow him on an impromptu European tour, where he hopes to find solace in his cinematic legacy while reconnecting with his daughters. This makes for an ensemble comedy that’s as hilarious and smart as it is star-stuffed. As I concluded in my review, “In the end, Jay Kelly is a clever crowd-pleaser, guaranteed to amuse and make you think.” — K.P.

Starring: George Clooney, Adam Sandler, Laura Dern, Billy Crudup, Riley Keough, Grace Edwards, Stacy Keach, Jim Broadbent, Patrick Wilson, Eve Hewson, and Greta Gerwig

How to watch: Jay Kelly is now streaming on Netflix.

12. Sorry, Baby

Since its debut at Sundance last January, critics have been raving about Sorry, Baby, championing the uniquely bristling comedy of writer/director/leading lady Eva Victor in her debut feature.

The internet-famous comedian reinvents herself with a touching tale of a grad student named Agnes (Victor), who’s struggling to cope after a bad thing happens to her. What’s the bad thing? And how does it shape this challenging but charming movie? In my review out of Sundance 2025, I dig into all that, so check that article for trigger warnings/spoilers.

What you need to know now is: “Bittersweet, brilliant, and heartwarmingly funny, Sorry, Baby is a movie that is sure to find an audience beyond Sundance. And not just because A24 is a master of marketing offbeat cinema, but because Victor has a voice that is strong, strange, and demands to be heard.”* — K.P.

Starring: Eva Victor, Naomi Ackie, Louis Cancelmi, Kelly McCormack, Lucas Hedges, and John Carroll Lynch

How to watch: Sorry, Baby is now streaming on HBO Max.

11. Bugonia

The dynamic duo of Yorgos Lanthimos and Emma Stone reunite with their tin foil hats on for Bugonia, a brilliant, complex conspiracy caper that will put you in a perpetual state of flux and doubt. 

A remake of Jang Joon-hwan’s Save the Green Planet! with a script by The Menu‘s Will Tracy, Bugonia sends us into the conspiracy theory twilight zone with Teddy, a bike-riding beekeeper played by Stone and Lanthimos’ Kinds of Kindness collaborator Jesse Plemons. His theory? The world’s pitiful state is due to a covert alien race living among us, one of which is buzzword-dropping big pharma CEO Michelle Fuller (Stone). So, Teddy ropes in his young cousin Don (Aidan Delbis) to kidnap Michelle and extract the truth. From here, the film plunges Teddy and Michelle into a brutal, uncomfortably timely tête-à-tête about humanity, capitalist greed, class politics, and whether the human race is actually worth saving. 

Critics have been divided on Bugonia, especially around the bleak barrage of topics the characters wade through. Mashable entertainment editor Kristy Puchko writes in her review, “Bugonia, despite having a sensational cast and clear vision for its world, lacks profundity in its smorgasbord of hot topics. Environmentalism, oligarchy, the manosphere, healthcare for profit — all of these make for a dizzying brew from which Teddy and Michelle arise on opposing sides.” Thankfully, Stone and Plemons deliver such subjects with formidable, hilarious, and dark performances and an ample helping of Chappell Roan. — S.C.

Starring: Emma Stone, Jesse Plemons, Aidan Delbis, Alicia Silverstone, Stavros Halkias

How to watch: Bugonia is available for rent or purchase on Prime Video and Apple TV.

10. Marty Supreme

Timothée Chalamet is on fire in Mary Supreme, which at first glance might look like a sports drama. But under its greasy and gritty surface, it’s much, much more.

Co-written and directed by Josh Safdie, Marty Supreme takes the true story of a charismatic ping-pong player and makes it the stuff of New York legends. Chalamet stars as Marty Mauser, a skilled pro table tennis player whose mouth is regularly writing checks his ass can’t cash. Though set in the 1950s, Safdie chooses an ’80s soundtrack of synth pop that makes Marty feel like an anti-hero ahead of his time, with a hustle and frenetic energy better suited to an era of big egos and bigger ambitions. Chalamet and an incredible ensemble build on this energy to the point where at times, as in Safdie’s Uncut Gems, Marty Supreme can feel like a masterfully orchestrated panic attack.

As I roared in my review, “This zinging dialogue, racing score, and electric cast collide to create cinema that celebrates New York, while recognizing its warts with a bleeding grin. All of this makes Marty Supreme an unusual crowdpleaser. Full of wild humor and shocking turns, it has its audience in a chokehold of tension and surprise, rarely letting up for us to breathe. And yet, what a thrill to be breathless.” — K.P.

Starring: Timothée Chalamet, Gwyneth Paltrow, Odessa A’zion, Kevin O’Leary, Tyler Okonma, Abel Ferrara, and Fran Drescher

How to watch: Marty Supreme opens in theaters on Dec. 25.

9. Hamnet

Academy Award–winning director Chloé Zhao finds herself back in the awards race thanks to Hamnet, an exquisite historical drama that offers up a different look at the life of William Shakespeare (Paul Mescal). Based on the novel by Maggie O’Farrell, who co-wrote the screenplay with Zhao, Hamnet‘s focus isn’t really on the Bard. Instead, it’s on his wife Agnes (a stellar Jessie Buckley), whose connection to nature and strange visions defy convention. But when Agnes and her husband lose their youngest son Hamnet (Jacobi Jupe), the pair weather their grief in vastly different ways, resulting in the kind of film the word “heart-wrenching” was invented for.

Poised to wring every last ounce of water from your tear ducts, Hamnet charts its own bold course away from other Shakespeare-adjacent films. As Mashable Entertainment Editor Kristy Puchko wrote in her review, “Not only does Zhao reject the temptations of glossy Hollywood biopics, but also the regal romance or cerebral theatricality of a barrage of Oscar-adored Shakespeare adaptations, from a handful of intense Hamlets to The Tragedy of Macbeth to the winsome Shakespeare in Love. Her Shakespeare and company are more feral, bringing this historic tragedy fresh blood and true grit.” — B.E.

Starring: Jessie Buckley, Paul Mescal, Emily Watson, and Joe Alwyn

How to watch: Hamnet is now in theaters.

8. The Baltimorons

No movie this year has hit me quite like The Baltimorons. A scrappy indie written by director Jay Duplass and the film’s star Michael Strassner, this is a comedy that offers a masterful blend of feel-bad and feel-good. Because to truly appreciate the sweet, you need the salty.

Strassner stars as Baltimore native Cliff Cashen, an improv comedian who’s having a comically bad Christmas Eve. It all begins with a broken tooth that sends him on a hasty quest for a dentist who’ll work a holiday. That’s how he meets Dr. Didi (Liz Larsen), a no-nonsense DDS who doesn’t find Cliff’s constant jokes nearly as funny as he does. But as the holiday delivers blows to both these strangers, they begin to form a beautiful bond. Shenanigans silly and sometimes lightly criminal will follow. And along the way, Strassner and Larsen shine, an odd couple hilarious and humane.

In my review out of SXSW, I proclaimed, “The feel-good movie of 2025 has arrived.” And I stand by it. — K.P.

Starring: Michael Strassner, Liz Larsen, and Olivia Luccardi

How to watch: The Baltimorons is available for rent or purchase on Prime Video.

7. The Ballad of Wallis Island

You might have missed this feel-good movie when it hit theaters, but don’t sleep on the chance to enjoy it at home. Perhaps while wearing a cozy sweater to be lavish in comfort.

Written and starring Tom Basden and Tim Key, this Focus Features gem imagines what would happen if a lonely but lovely folk-rock fan won the lottery. In The Ballad of Wallis Island, Charles (Key), who lives on the remote island, uses heaps of cash to reunite his favorite band, McGwyer Mortimer. There’s just one problem. This folk duo — made up of Herb McGwyer (Basden) and Nell Mortimer (Carey Mulligan) — weren’t just a band, but also a couple, who broke up hard. So, this reunion concert is socially awkward, to say the least.

Adapted from an award-winning short film Basden and Key made with director James Griffiths, The Ballad of Wallis Island creates an enveloping village atmosphere. Then it plops down a flailing rock star and his chipper ex to create some sparks and lots of laughs. In my review out of SXSW 2025, I cheered, “The Ballad of Wallis Island is not only deeply charming and laugh-out-loud funny for all its social foibles and comedy duo banter, but it’s also cathartic….as Basden and Key strike their final chord of this masterfully charted comedy, you feel it reverberate warmly in your heart, carrying you out of the theater with a song still playing there.” — K.P.

Starring: Tim Key, Tom Basden, Sian Clifford, Akemnji Ndifornyen, and Carey Mulligan

How to watch: The Ballad of Wallis Island is available for rent or purchase on Prime Video.

6. 28 Years Later

23 years ago, director Danny Boyle rewrote the rules of zombie movies with his hit thriller 28 Days Later. This year, he reteamed with the first film’s screenwriter, Alex Garland, to resurrect this frightening franchise with a sequel that basically shrugs off Juan Carlos Fresnadillo’s schlocky follow-up 28 Weeks Later. And we’re elated for it.

28 Years Later evolves this film series in ways both epic and gloriously horrifying. Centered on the coming-of-age of an adolescent boy named Spike (Alfie Williams) in a post-apocalyptic Scotland, this sequel delivers heart-wrenching family drama, intriguing lore, and a harrowing evolution of the infected persons, including monstrous beasts known as Alphas. Perhaps the scariest single sequence of 2025 is when this towering terror races after Spike and his desperate dad (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), while a gorgeous twilight shines behind them. Its beauty in contrast to their peril reflects the indifference of the wider world, which has left the UK to fend for themselves against these marauding monsters.

Rich with earnest and intense performances, jaw-dropping gore, and nerve-shredding tension, 28 Years Later isn’t just an epic horror film — it counts as cardio. — K.P.

Starring: Alfie Williams, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Jodie Comer, Ralph Fiennes, and Jack O’Connell

How to watch: 28 Years Later is now streaming on Netflix.

5. Pee-wee as Himself

Between Pee-wee’s Playhouse and Pee-wee’s Big Adventure, Pee-wee Herman was an ’80s icon adored by kids and grown-ups alike. But a scandal in 1991 brought Paul Reubens, the man behind the children’s show, into a cruel tabloid spotlight. Since then, Reubens had rebuilt his reputation and broadened his career, appearing in movies like Mystery Men, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Matilda. But the scorch of scandal kept Reubens reluctant to be open with the public about his life and loves — that is, until documentarian Matt Wolf began collaborating with the comedian for Pee-wee as Himself.

Though Reubens died of cancer before the film was wrapped, Wolf has built an empathetic and comprehensive portrait of the man, the artist, and the enigma. Told in two parts, this HBO documentary explores not only Reuben’s inspirations for his most popular character, but also his queerness, and why he chose to go back into the closet to pursue a career in Hollywood.

In my review out of Sundance, I wrote, “Pee-wee as Himself is not a simple love letter to the iconic character or Reubens. That would suggest Wolf goes easy on either, fawning over them without reservation. This is something greater…Thought-provoking, boldly funny, and emotionally riveting, Pee-wee as Himself is [Reuben’s] gift to us as grown-ups, as it reveals how hard that lesson can be, and how we must keep pushing ourselves to learn it.” — K.P.

Starring: Paul Reubens, Lynne Marie Stewart, Laurence Fishburne, Natasha Lyonne, Cassandra Peterson (aka Elvira: Mistress of the Dark), Debi Mazar, and David Arquette

How to watch: Pee-wee as Himself is now streaming on HBO Max.

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4. Frankenstein

Frankenstein is the monster movie Guillermo del Toro was born to make. The heralded filmmaker behind Pan’s Labyrinth, Pacific Rim, Crimson Peak, and the Oscar–winning wonder of The Shape of Water poured his heart and soul into this stirring adaptation of Mary Shelley’s landmark 1818 novel. Pulling from his passion for monsters and from his personal life, del Toro makes this not just a story of mankind and monsters but also fathers and sons.

Oscar Isaac stars as the titular doctor, a mad scientist determined to overcome his childhood trauma of losing his mother (Mia Goth) by resurrecting an exquisite corpse (Jacob Elordi). However, this creature proves more than a science project or a pet. He yearns to grow, to learn, and to love. But in a world that cannot understand him, his quest will be violent and heartbreaking.

In my review out of TIFF, I proclaimed, “As a whole, del Toro’s Frankenstein is a marvel. His vision is clear and mesmerizing. His ensemble is electrifying. His adaptation is unique, soulful, and unforgettable. The man who loves monsters has just made his masterpiece: It’s rich, rapturous, and ruthlessly interrogates what it means to be human, with all of our glory and our flaws.” — K.P.

Starring: Oscar Isaac, Jacob Elordi, Mia Goth, Felix Kammerer, Lars Mikkelsen, David Bradley, Charles Dance, and Christoph Waltz

How to watch: Frankenstein is now streaming on Netflix.

3. Hedda

We fell hard for Hedda. Writer/director Nia DaCosta reimagined Henrik Ibsen’s classic anti-heroine Hedda Gabler as a queer Black intellectual, enraged by the confines of a predominantly white, straight, and patriarchal society in 1950s England. Tess Thompson, who’s previously worked with DaCosta in Little Woods and The Marvels, is not just radiant in the title role, but burns so ferociously with passion, rage, and regret that it’s a mesmerizing marvel to watch her Hedda sow chaos and social carnage.

Nina Hoss, as Hedda’s gender-flipped love interest Eileen Lovborg, is entrancing from her first entrance. Their chemistry is not only captivating but also volatile. Even if you know where Ibsen’s story goes, DaCosta’s bold take reveals new angles, fresh energy, and a lustiness that is almost smothering. Cheers to composer Hildur Guðnadóttir, who fuels this fevered atmosphere with a score made up of human groans and heavy breathing.

As I raved in my review out of Hedda‘s TIFF premiere, “Sumptuous, hot, and challenging, this is a drama of love, sex, and regret that burns like a shot of whisky, so good you’ll want to go at it again.” — K.P.

Starring: Tessa Thompson, Imogen Poots, Tom Bateman, Nicholas Pinnock, and Nina Hoss

How to watch: Hedda is now streaming on Prime Video.

2. One Battle After Another

Paul Thomas Anderson returned to theaters with a truly epic father-daughter story. As I wrote in my review, “One Battle After Another is sure to be one of the most critically heralded movies of the year. On paper, that might seem obvious. This film is written and directed by 11-time Academy Award nominee Paul Thomas Anderson, maker of Boogie Nights, Magnolia, There Will Be Blood, Inherent Vice, Phantom Thread, and Licorice Pizza. True to Anderson’s form, it boasts a compelling ensemble cast that includes big names like Leonardo DiCaprio, Regina Hall, Benicio del Toro, Sean Penn, and Teyana Taylor, as well as incendiary new talent Chase Infiniti. And on some level, it’s inspired by a dense novel, Thomas Pynchon’s Vineland. But don’t let the wild praise make you think you know what to expect.”

Beyond being a political thriller about a former revolutionary (DiCaprio) flailing to protect his teen daughter (brilliant newcomer Chase Infiniti) from a menacing military antagonist (Sean Penn), One Battle After Another is also a comedy about parenthood. Action scenes that are truly dizzying are followed by slapstick and almost vaudevillian banter between rebels and a shady white supremacists called the “Christmas Adventurers.” The result is a film that, even at two hours and 50 minutes, flies by, thrilling audiences while tugging at our heartstrings and giving some sharp satire to our current socio-political climate. Rarely has a movie with so much to say been so damned entertaining. — K.P.

Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Sean Penn, Benicio del Toro, Regina Hall, Teyana Taylor, and Chase Infiniti

How to watch: One Battle After Another is available for rent or purchase on Prime Video.

1. Sinners

Not just one of the best horror movies of 2025, but one of the best movies of 2025 full stop, Sinners is a celebration of genre and cinema. Writer/director Ryan Coogler reimagined vampire lore as a way to explore what it means to be young, Black, and gifted in America.

Michael B. Jordan stars as the Smokestack Twins, Black gangsters turned juke joint proprietors whose opening night is crashed by a vicious white vampire (Jack O’Connell) thirsty for the blood of their magical bluesman, Sammie (Miles Caton in a jaw-dropping debut). The character-building in this 1932-set period piece is rich, developing emotional plotlines of love, loss, and injustice. Supporting cast like Hailee Steinfeld, Wunmi Mosaku, Omar Miller, and Delroy Lindo had audiences cheering — in packed 70mm IMAX theaters and online. So, by the time O’Connell shows up, you might have been so entranced by this deep Southern drama you’d forgotten vampires were even going to be a part of it. But he proves to be a unique and mesmerizing monster, earning awe and screams in equal measure.

Critics praised the epic scope Coogler applied to his genre-fluid drama — which might be a horror musical. In my review of the film, I wrote, “Sinners is more than a hell of a thrilling vampire movie. Like Black Panther, it expands beyond the expectations of its genre to become a magnificent film, emanating with spirit, power, and purpose. Smoothly blending vampire horror into a unique tale of regret, resilience, and redemption, Coogler and Jordan have made a cinematic marvel that is terrifying, satisfying, and unforgettable.” — K.P.

Starring: Michael B. Jordan, Hailee Steinfeld, Miles Caton, Jack O’Connell, Wunmi Mosaku, Jayme Lawson, Omar Miller, Li Jun Li, Yao, Lola Kirke, and Delroy Lindo

How to watch: Sinners is now streaming on HBO Max, and available for rent or purchase on Prime Video and Apple TV.