Roll Credits: The Best Films of 2025

By Noah Santiago

Michael B. Jordan, left, and Miles Caton in the movie "Sinners." (Warner Bros. Pictures/TNS)

2025 has been one of the best years for movies in recent history. Every year, we get a mix of huge blockbusters, unexpected bangers, and films that still linger after the credits roll. This year, we were treated to a wide ranger of spectacles that pushed storytelling and performance in different directions. From modern masterpieces such as Sinners to stinkers like Him; Here is my countdown of the best movies of 2025:

Honorable Mentions:

There were so many great movies this year and its hard to put them all in one list. Here are some that just missed the cut in no particular order:

1. The Smashing Machine

2. The Conjuring: Last Rites

3. Caught Stealing

4. 28 Years Later

5. The Phoenician Scheme

The List

And now, let's count down the best films of 2025:

30. Mickey 17

Bong Joon Ho's latest film is a quirky sci-fi comedy that explore themes of class and the government. It is a great and original premise about a spaceship set to colonize a new world and a man on it who dies and is revived over and over again. It is very entertaining although it does drag a bit.

29. Train Dreams

This best-picture nominee is made in a very unique way. It follows log worker Robert Grainier as he experiences love, loss, and life throughout the 20th century. It is one of the most visually stunning movies of the year although I did not enjoy it as much as others did.

28. The Long Walk

Based on the Stephen King novel, The Long Walk is about a sadistic competition in which hundreds of young men have to walk until they die. It explores themes of authoritarianism and friendship. It is wildly entertaining throughout with a good ending.

27. The Naked Gun

A requel of the classic 80s comedy, this spoof is about a nitwit cop who uncovers a big conspiracy. It is committed to cracking a joke every minute and most of them hit the target. It is hilarious throughout.

26. Companion

This sci-fi thriller is filled with twists and turns. This might be the most unconventional movie about AI to date. Jack Quaid and Sophie Thatcher both give great performances as their careers are both on the rise.

25. Thunderbolts*

Although it was a flop in theaters, it won many fans over as people are questioning: Is Marvel Back? After a rough stretch for the studio, they brought this film which is about a ragtag team of misfits that band together to stop a powerful threat. It is one of the more deeper Marvel films as it explores themes of mental health and trauma.

24. Final Destination Bloodlines

By far the best film in the franchise. From a great opening scene to impeccable production design throughout, it doesn't disappoint. Every second you can feel tension as you feel the dread of not knowing what is coming.

23. Freaky Tales

This anthology starring Pedro Pascal is one of the weirdest movies of the year. It showcases four tales that intertwine throughout 1980s Oakland. From basketball samurais to an ominous green glow, this is one you don't forget.

22. Superman

James Gunn's first film of the DCU is Superman. It features very vibrant colors and a good message about hope and compassion. It introduces lots of characters who could be recurring throughout the cinematic universe. I am excited to see what is next for the DCU.

21. The Fantastic Four: First Steps

I thought that Marvel's latest film was excellent. I loved the retrofuturism involved and this has some of Marvel's best visuals. It opens up the gate a lot for the MCU and builds up anticipation for Doomsday which comes out later this year.

20. Ballerina

In the first of many spin offs in the John Wick universe, we follow Eve Macarro - an assassin seeking to avenger her father. This is non-stop action from start to finish and was unexpectedly really good.

19. Drop

A contained thriller that puts its protagonist in a horrible situation. Albeit a bit stupid at times, it does a great job at building tension. A really nerve-wracking films that hits you on all the right spots.

18. Warfare

A war movie that is based on solely the soldiers who were apart of this disastrous event. The entire movie takes place within the span of a few hours and it was snubbed of best sound at oscars. This has one of the best sound designs of a movie you'll ever see.

17. The Life of Chuck

Based on the Stephen King novella, we follow Chuck's life in reverse chronological order. This is one of the most powerful movies of the year and it will stick with you long after the credits roll. Its a beautiful story that shows you how precious life is.

16. Weapons

This takes place in the same universe as Zach Cregger's other film Barbarian. It follows the mystery of 17 missing school children that all disappeared one night at exactly 2:17 A.M. It follows a hyperlink format at we see the same story from the perspective of six different characters until they converge at the climax.

15. Black Phone 2

The sequel to the 2021 horror hit, Black Phone 2 ups the ante - and the gore. It has a different wintery aesthetic and a surreal dream-like feel that immerses you into the story. Although it has some flaws such as character depth, this was one of the best horror films of the year.

14. Eddington

In one might be the most divisive and provocative film of the year, Eddington follows a sheriff in the town of Eddington, New Mexico during the Covid pandemic. It is very political, and makes fun of those on both sides of the spectrum. Although it gets very tense in the end and we are left with an ambiguous ending.

13. The Running Man

Yet another film that is based on a Stephen King novel, The Running Man follows Ben Richards - a desparate man who is forced to play in a barbarous reality game show in order to pay for his daughter's medical help. It is a remake of the 1987 film of the same name although this one is much better. It dives deeper into the themes that the book is trying to potray - those of class and media manipulation.

12. The Bad Guys 2

A sequel to the 2022 film, The Bad Guys 2 has some of the best animation in recent film history. It builds on the story of the first one of how the "Bad Guys" have turned good only to get forcibly swept into the criminal underworld once again.

11. How to Train Your Dragon

This live action remake of the animated film was a shot for shot remake of the original. It keeps the same story, characters, and even score. That being said - it's still a great movie. The first one was good and so was this one.

10. Wake Up Dead Man

The third film of the Knives Out franchise - Wake Up Dead Man might just be one of the best whodunits ever. It has some of the best writing for a murder mystery and one of the best written characters in history in Father Jud. It has great world-building, lighting, and character development.

9. Zootopia 2

This animated sequel comes 9 years after the original and it doesn't disappoint. It has a great story and great world building. It dives into themes such as systemic oppression and prejudice. This is by far Disney's best movie in a while.

8. One Battle After Another

Paul Thomas Anderson is currently one of the greatest directors working today and this film proves why. One Battle After Another follows an ex-revolutionary who gets swept back into the action after his nemesis resurfaces and kidnaps her daughter. It is extremely well made and the acting is impeccable. Don't be surprised if this takes home a couple of Oscars.

7. Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning

The last film of the Mission: Impossible franchise just might be the best one. Although it is a bit slow at the start it quickly picks up the pace and has some of the best stunts of all time. The stakes are higher than ever and it has the most ambitious set pieces of any movie ever.

6. F1

This is an electrifying movie. Hans Zimmer's score makes everything better. From the cinematography to the sound design, this is one wild ride. The racing sequences are super tense and it gets the blood flowing.

5. Bugonia

No one quite really knows what goes on in Yorgos Lanthimos's mind. This film proves no different. It follows two conspiracy obsessed men who kidnap a CEO thinking she's an alien sent to destroy Earth. It has great cinematography and someo twists you'll never see coming. Pair that with incredible acting and a great score, you get an amazing film.

4. Sinners

Sinners is a modern horror masterpiece. The way it connect music across music across time and generations is incredible. It has a built of a slow start but you don't mind it because it has great world-building and amazing visuals. Sinners will go down as a modern classic.

3. The Ugly Stepsister

The Ugly Stepsister is a Norwegian body-horror film that tells a dark side to the beloved Cinderella story. It tells the story of Cinderella through the stepsister's perspective in a rather grotesque and explicit way. It has similar vibes to The Substance. We follow Elvira as she undergoes drastic transformations in order to win the prince's heart. At times this becomes a very hard watch with its claustrophobic shots and macabre imagery. It is disgusting and thrilling at the same times.

2. Frankenstein

Guillermo Del Toro never misses. Frankenstein tells the story of Victor Frankenstein and The Creature. It is an amazing story that showcases the cost of ambition and the thin line between ambition and obsession. It has some of the best costume design and cinematography of the year and it will hopefully be rewarded for that at the Oscars.

1. Marty Supreme

Last but certainly not least - Marty Supreme. Marty Mauser tries to make it big as a table tennis player in the 1950s and we follow him and his misadventures along the way. It is chaotic, thrilling, and moving all at once. I definitely believe that this is the best film of the year.