2025 was an eclectic year in moviegoing,  for me.  I like casting a wide net over what I see, from big blockbuster movies ( Superman) to the independent films (The Ballad of Wallis Island) and the odd, off the beaten path features in between (Friendship).  I really enjoy seeing classic films brought back to life on the silver screen (Being There,1979), as well.   For better or worse, I like seeing all sorts of films, especially in a theatrical setting.  I hope you’ll find that reflected here, and if you seek out in films on this list let me know what you think of the movie(s).

THE BEST OF THE REST:

Before I reveal my top ten films of 2025, my annual tradition is to feature a few side notes.   These are designed to recognize  additional bits  of film, from this past year.

So here we go . . .

FILMS I LIKED THE LEAST:

(Everything beyond these films I did not enjoy on this portion of the list, is a best of list.)

A MINECRAFT MOVIE, REGRETTING YOU, THE ROSES, SMURFS, SNEAKS, YOU ME & HER

THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY:

(I annually post my top ten list on New Years Eve.  With that in mind, there are still films to see, from the previous calendar year.  The film featured here is a 2024 film that I really loved and would have been featured on last years top ten list):

FLOW

FAMILY FILMS:

THE BAD GUYS 2, FREAKIER FRIDAY, THE GLASSWORKER THE PENGUIN LESSONS (The ladder two  films  are  geared more appropriate for the teenage crowd) 

FILMS THAT ARE JUST FUN TO WATCH:

ANACONDA (2025), FANTASTIC FOUR:FIRST STEPS,  FREAKIER FRIDAY, THE NAKED GUN (2025), WATCH THE SKIES

THE THEATRICAL GOING EXPERIENCE:

(For multiple reasons, the theatrical going experience is a meaningful one to me.  These 2025 releases, I thought were incredible to see on the big screen, this past year):

28 YEARS LATER, F1 – THE MOVIE, MISSION IMPOSSIBLE – THE FINAL RECKONING, WICKED FOR GOOD

FILMS WITH A SOCIAL CONSCIENCE:

EDDINGTON,  HONEY DON’T, JANIS IAN: BREAKING SILENCE, SINNERS, SORRY BABY 

THROW BACK FEATURES:

(This list of  classic films that I saw in 2025 on the big screen, that I loved seeing in theaters):

THE TROUBLE WITH ANGELS (1966), WITNESS (1985), UNFORGIVEN (1992), THE FUGITIVE (1993), HEAT (1995), & THE ROCK (1996)

Drum roll please. 

MY TOP TEN 10 FILMS OF 2025:

10 ROOFMAN

   Roofman is one of these bizarre true stories that I love watching, much like Bernie (2011) and Spike Lee’s brilliant Blackkklansman (2019).  They fit into a category of movies I call truth is stranger then fiction, because who could make this up.  

   I knew nothing about the story told in the film, which made it all that more intriguing, and fun.  I loved it even more because the events happened in my home state.  I enjoy  getting to know stories like these, for the first time, about my home state.  

   The film was widely entertaining. Along the way it had moments that were sweet, but not done overly emotional and a few cringe worthy moments that left me asking why did you do that?  These moments were nice spices, that elevated my enjoyment of the film.

9 HAMNET

   I am a huge fan of director Chloe Zhao.  I loved Nomadland (2020) and The Rider (2017).  I went in to see Hamnet super excited, with that bias.  I walked out with no disappointment what so ever.

   The story was a hard watch.  Combine that with the fact that I am not a fan of Shakespeare. The film challenged me on both counts, and I left the theater thinking that was a huge positive.

   I was intrigued, by the fact that Hamnet was more of a personal story of Shakespeare.   Also it serves as a kind of behind the scenes look into how  Hamlet was created.  I tebdcto enjoy those kind of films.  This is much like 1998’s Shakespeare in Love, expect more personal and a feature film I actually enjoyed. 

8 FREAKIER FRIDAY

    Not all films have to be dramatic, scary, or overly sophisticated.  Some films can just be entertaining and simply fun to watch.  

    That is exactly what Freakier Friday was for me.  I had a blast, sitting back in my seat, enjoying my snacks,   and watching rge movie.  I spent a lot of the film laughing, and the entirety of genuinely enjoying the moviegoing experience. 

7 THE GLASSWORKER 

   I went to see The Glassworker because I like anime films.  I ledt the auditorium unaware that it was the first hand drawn animated film from Pakistan.  That is awesome.  Like anime films before it, the animation is absolutely gorgeous. 

   Naturally, the events of the story tells of the Pakistan culture. To see a political divide, from a culture on the other side of the world, and told from an insiders perspective, was something that fascinated me.  Additionally I found the film had a compelling story, and the story, for me, is the bases, for any good film. 

6  NUREMBERG 

   This was the kind of epic true story that I love, to watch!  I loved the ensemble! I loved the story!  The film is a good vs evil film with stand up and cheer moments. 

    At the heart of the movie is an interesting story, that focuses on trying to understand the mindset of someone who aided in the worst parts of human history. The battle of minds was compelling to watch.

    I also liked, similarly to Oppenheimer (2023), The Messenger (2009), and The Wind Rises (2013), Nuremberg is a war film that shows the devastation of war, without showing combat.

5 JANIS IAN: BREAKING SILENCE 

    Over the past decade and a half I have seen plenty of documentaries about musicians.  So much so, that I have grown weary of them.   This movie stuck out because of how brutally honest it was about its subject.  It was not a fluff piece, like some of the films in genre that have been released before . I loved seeing Janis Ian’s honest participation throughout the feature, and felt I got to know her personally as well as professionally, by the film’s end.  

   I was unfamiliar  with her music going in.  By the time the feature ended some songs became an earwig, for me.  I go on YouTube, from tine to time still, and listen to them.

4 FRIENDSHIP

   Hands down the best comedy of the year.  (It’s a cringe  comedy so it won’t be for everyone). It gets uncomfortable to watch at times, but that’s ok.  It didn’t stop by enjoyment. Plus I like watching Paul Rudd.  

   The film found humor in moments that were uncomfortable for me.  That’s the point, of the style of humor.  At least that’s what I am taking away from it.  In that regard Frienfship did something very unique. It simultaneously entertained and challenged me.

3 SECRET MALL APARTMENT

    Every so often, I see a very unique documentary, one where the subject enthralls and and widely entertains me.  2022’s The Automat was the documentary to do so until this years Secret Mall Apartment.  I had a lot of fun watching it.  The film hit the right balance of fun, unique, and sweet for me.

   I enjoyed seeing the creative process at work, not just in the creation of the apartment but in the unique art the artists were doing. 

   Secret Mall Apartment had a semi espionage film feel to it as well, in the creation of the apartment. This odd blending of genres only enchanted the entertainment of the feature film.

2 WEAPONS

   Horror is one of my two favorite genres.  (Irrelevant side note, spy films is the other). There has been a pleasant uptick in the quality of horror films, over the past few years, with releases such as Immaculate (2024),  The First Onen (2024), and Stopmotion (2023).  I LOVE THAT.  Weapons, not only was the best horror film of 2025, but one the best horror film of the last few years. 

   I love how the movie was told. It was told in chapters.  Each chapter was a change in perspective, which kept me intrigued, and frightened, in a compelling mystery, 

1 THE LIFE OF CHUCK

   The story, this film told, stuck with me well after it ended.  So much so I went back to see it a second time on the big screen.  I don’t do that. For rewatching movie I gave a movie library at home.  I did not want to wait for this one to come to dvd. 

   I have seen this one multiple times now at home as well.  Each viewing I pick up something new from the movie. 

   The Life of Chuck did not land emotionally, the sane way that the film that took this the top spot last year did (National Anthem) but it still has had a lasting impact on me.

  Until next year, I will see you at the movies!