Top Ten Films of 2025: A Retrospective

I like to leave it a few months before taking a look back at the previous year’s releases and picking my Top Ten films of the year – partly because it gives me some extra time to catch up with films I missed, but mainly because often the real test of a film is how well it ages in the months after you first see it.

With that in mind, it’s now time for my retrospective Top Ten review of 2025 – although as usual, there were a lot films that I really loved that still narrowly missed out on a spot in my Top Ten.  So, in no particular order, I did want to give “Honourable Mentions” to the films that made up numbers 11-20 in my overall Top 20:

Predator: Badlands – an inventive sci-fi action adventure that takes the Predator film series to new heights, telling the story (for the first time) from the Predator’s perspective.

The Electric State – a family-friendly dystopian sci-fi that brings a touch of the classic Amblin tone to the Russo Brothers’ brand of epic, character-based, ensemble action.

Warfare – a gripping reenactment of a real-life miliary engagement that delivers arguably the most realistic portrayal of what it’s like to be in an armed conflict.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps – a standalone Marvel adventure that’s a fun and vibrant breath of fresh air.

Companion – a dark comedy that works as both a satirical commentary on modern relationships and as a gripping sci-fi/horror thriller in its own right.

Mickey 17 – a delightfully weird sci-fi black comedy, which combines great performances from an all-star cast with absurdist comedy and an exploration of various philosophical, sociological and ecological ideas.

Novocaine – a darkly humorous action-comedy that’s a tonne of fun … provided you have a strong stomach!  It’s like an R-rated Home Alone, but it also has a sweet character arc at its heart.

Deep Cover – this entertaining independent British comedy/crime thriller is a simple idea executed well by talented people.

The Long Walk – this bleak dystopian story of an America that’s descended into totalitarian rule is counterbalanced by the portrayal of camaraderie and human spirit in the face of hopelessness.

Anaconda (2025) – a meta-comedy that’s both a spoof about rebooting the Anaconda series, and a fun (and surprisingly sweet) knockabout action/comedy about friendship and unfulfilled childhood dreams.

But without further ado, here’s my (totally subjective and personal) Top Ten of 2025 (with links to my full, spoiler-free, reviews):

10) Avatar: Fire & Ash: I know there were some who felt that Fire & Ash was just more of the same (and there is some basis for that argument), but I thought it delved more deeply into the characters and their complex relationships in the aftermath of the last film.  It was also still my best cinematic experience of 2025, delivering visual spectacle, immersive world-building and epic action unlike anything else out there – plus Quaritch and Varang were my favourite villains of the year.

9) The Housemaid: Paul Feig’s second darkly comic thriller of the year (after Another Simple Favour) took me completely by surprise, but Sydney Sweeney’s and Amanda Seyfried’s performances made this psychological thriller an unexpected delight.  If you can embrace the heightened tone and enjoy the film for what it is, this is the cinematic equivalent of a page turner that you just can’t put down.

8) Frankenstein (2025): Admittedly, Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein” is one of my all-time favourite novels, but Guillermo del Toro’s passion for this project shines through into every aspect of the movie.  A gothic masterpiece, boasting immersive cinematography, lavish production design, and emotionally impactful performances from Oscar Isaac and Jacob Elordi, this is a must-watch examination of humanity and hubris from a filmmaker who finally got to work on his dream project.

7) Thunderbolts*: The best Marvel movie of 2025, this film’s main strength is its ensemble cast, who expertly balance the tone between comedic camaraderie and some (surprisingly) mature and darker themes, including touching on mental health issues in a sensitive and empathetic way.  Also, Florence Pugh continues to demonstrate why she’s arguably been the best addition to the MCU since Avengers: Endgame.

6) Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning: It’s probably fair to say that the Mission: Impossible series peaked with Mission: Impossible - Fallout, but The Final Reckoning brings the series (potentially) to a suitably climatic final note, providing a satisfying blend of jaw-dropping practical stunts and well-earned character moments.  Surprisingly emotionally charged from the outset, with a real sense of foreboding, you really get the sense that the stakes have never been higher.  As well as giving the characters that we’ve spent the last 29 years with an emotional send off , it also delivers some of the series’ best stunt sequences, serving as a well-deserved victory lap for the series.

And now, on to my Top Five...

5) Wicked: For Good: Because I’d not seen the stage musical, I had no idea what to expect from the second half of this big screen adaptation – and it absolutely blew me away.  I was surprised by how much the stakes were raised in this emotionally stirring conclusion, with much of the comedy and playfulness of the first instalment replaced with character development and (surprisingly nuanced) explorations of themes of rebellion, oppression and the power of propaganda.  It gave me everything I could have hoped for from the second half of this adaptation, and it brought the characters’ stories to an emotionally satisfying conclusion.

4) F1: The Movie: Leave your cynicism at the door and just embrace this joyful, immersive movie-watching experience.  Yes, it flirts with the usual sporting movie cliches, but it literally puts you in the driving seat of the world’s most powerful cars while never losing sight of the characters and emotional arcs at the centre of the redemptive, underdog story.  I was also very impressed by Damson Idris, who I thought gave the Best Breakthrough Performance of 2025.

Which brings us to my Top Three...

3) Superman (2025): It’s probably fair to say that, at least in some respects, Thunderbolts* had more to say (in terms of its depiction of mental health struggles) and offered more surprises (the final act went in a direction I was not expecting) than James Gunn’s Superman movie.  And yet ... there’s something about Superman that is so joyous, so uplifting, and so heartwarming, that the movie’s crept into my Top Three.  James Gunn puts the character’s kindness, earnestness and optimism at the centre movie, which not only makes this a more emotionally relatable Man of Steel, but it also feels like a much-needed breath of fresh air in a world beset with toxic, loudmouthed bullies telling everyone that empathy and compassion are bad things.  Even in the reality of the movie itself, there are other powerful “metahumans” - but none of them have Superman’s heart, and what makes him so special here is his compassion and empathy, not his physical strength.  You’ve believed a man can fly; now you’ll believe a man can care.

2) Weapons: I really don’t consider myself to be a “horror fan”, so the fact that this is my second favourite film of 2025 really says something.  This is one of the most original, innovative and unpredictable films I’ve seen in a long time, and I loved how the slow-burn mystery unfolds in unexpected ways.  I went into this film knowing very little about it, and that’s definitely the ideal way to let the twists and turns take you by surprise.  The script is incredibly well-structured in terms of its character development, plot revelations and mounting tension, while Zach Cregger’s direction expertly balances the shifting tones between moments of genuine drama, tense thriller, and out-and-out horror – all run through with a touch of dark humour.  I was also glad to see Amy Madigan deservedly win the Oscar for her memorable supporting role in this movie.  And given tha this is only Zach Gregger’s second film (after 2022’s Barbarian), I can’t wait to see what he does with his Resident Evil reboot later this year.

Film of the Year 2025 - Sinners: It’s not often that Oscar-voters and I see eye-to-eye, but Sinners really was something special that deserved its awards success.  Managing to walk the line between blockbuster entertainment (there’s no question that this is a fun film, not simply a “worthy” one) and award-winning drama (it has something real to say about music being a way to escape the oppressions of the world and reconnect with your past and your future), this is both “elevated horror” and a down-and-dirty vampire flick in the tradition of From Dusk ‘Til Dawn (one of my all-time favourite guilty pleasures).  The cast are universally great, but Michael B. Jordan thoroughly deserved the Oscar win for his dual performance as the “Smokestack Twins”.  If you’re a fan of vampire films (like I am), this is a must see – but the themes and layers which Ryan Coogler has weaved into the story mean that it has plenty to offer viewers who don’t normally enjoy horror films or vampire stories.

At a time when so many movies are either sequels or adaptations of existing material, it’s heartening to see that my top two films of 2025 were both original concepts executed by visionary directors.

For more recommendations, you can also check out the earlier rundown of my Cinematic Highlights of 2025, which includes my nominations for categories such as “Best Score”, “Biggest Cultural Impact” and “Person(s) of the Year”.