We are already getting deep into the 2026 movie season but I wanted to make sure I wrapped up on catching up on the 2025 movies I wanted to see before putting together my yearly list. 2025 had a ton of great hits and one of the best summer seasons we've seen in years! There were high point movies, and low point movies, and from everything that came out that I managed to see either in theater or at home on streaming these are the top 10 films of 2025 that in my humble personal opinion are my favorites of the year.
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Honorable Mentions: Last Breath and Revenge of the Sith rerelease
Last Breath was a movie that came out pretty early in the year and I heard virtually no one talk about it. It was a tense, small film with a great line up of actors capturing an incredible true story that has to be seen to be believed! While it doesn't make my top ten, I had to mention it simply to bring up more conversation about this great film many seem to have overlooked. My other honorable mention goes to the theatrical rerelease of Revenge of the Sith, my favorite Star Wars film and an absolute spectacle to finally see on the big screen! After growing up on Order 66, the battle on Mustafar, General Grievous, it was safe to say I wasn't going to miss seeing it in a theatrical setting and it did not disappoint.
10. The Naked Gun
Getting into my top ten proper. I am a hyena for the classic outlandish zany comedies like Airplane and the original Naked Guns, so seeing a new Naked Gun movie coming out helmed with Liam Neeson in the lead role had me hooked. The movie itself was a modern day gut buster in keeping with the style of those older comedy films and I loved to see it, with laughs in every single scene.
9. Fantastic Four
I have been wanting Marvel to hit a positive consistency with film output for years now since their self-admitted mishandling of the Multiverse saga (to the point that Deadpool even mentions it in-universe!), and Fantastic Four in my eyes was the hit I've been waiting for! I loved Guardians of the Galaxy 3 and Eternals, and Fantastic Four ranks up there as well for the Multiverse saga. It felt so fresh and open giving these characters their own world to exist in with their lore and story building, their relationship to the people of Earth, and the vintage aesthetic can't be looked over! Galactus was an exhilarating foe and a perfect adaptation of the character, with Silver Surfer aura farming every scene she flew through, and the essence of these characters finally bringing critical acclaim to the team.
8. Companion
One of the first films I saw of the year was one I wasn't going to miss after hearing it was from the same creators as Barbarian. True to form, the plot twist in this film was one I didn't see coming and after its reveal the movie went hard with its concept and world, with the whole thing unraveling in a way I never could have guessed and this film is truly one that you should go into knowing absolutely nothing! That fact makes it hard to discuss the movie without spoiling anything, but just know it easily made its spot on this list.
7. Predator: Killer of Killers
This is one of the last 2025 films I actually saw, having watched it recently. I wasn't expecting too much from it, even though Prey and Badlands both impressed me very much. I assumed I would just be catching up on the Predator franchise offerings if anything, so I was more than surprised with the emotional depth the story of the characters brought, the clean and clever choreography of the fight scenes, and that each of the vignettes were brought together for a climactic fourth act! The final shot of the movie and the resultant post credit scenes also had my jaw dropped and a sequel can't happen soon enough!
6. Primitive War
I am a massive dino-nerd. I love Jurassic Park, I love Mattel's Dinosaur figure line, and I love learning more and more about dinosaurs each day with each new discovery. The Jurassic Park franchise's stranglehold on the dinosaur brand loosened a bit with the release of Primitive War last year which pit Vietnam War-era American soldiers against Dinosaurs in a bloody and menacingly fun R-rated Dinosaur outing. The CGI was surprisingly stellar, the Dinosaurs themselves looked great and lovingly accurate, and they've already confirmed a sequel is in the works which brings a big therapod smile to my face.
5. Sinners
A hit with no doubt was Sinners, and I contend to that conclusion. The movie has a splendid pace and rhythm to it, with outstanding musical scores, great cast performances, and a tight, confined setting that makes one night feel like it lasts a lifetime. The concept of vampires and ancestry in this movie were a nice spin that made things feel fresh, and this movie really helped horror films hit more of the mainstream audiences.
4. Train Dreams
The last 2025 movie I have seen and one that resonates in your body and soul. The way it explores the main character's life through uncertainty, love, loss, pain, and self-exploration is such a quietly executed journey that feels emotionally draining and by the end fulfilling and hopeful. I'm not sure if that made any sense at all, but the story of life told in this movie and the people he interacted with on his journey were enthralling and has stuck with me since my viewing.
3. Mickey 17
Anyone who still looks down on Patterson for his Twilight days (I personal have a lot of fun with those films still) are at this point not giving him a chance. Between Good Times, The Devil all the Time, The Batman, and now Mickey 17 he has established himself as a decorated and capable actor who continues to impress. Seeing him playing multiple roles in this film was only half the fun, and the basis of this whacky sci-fi tale has so many oddities, unique characters, not to mention the adorable Creepers, that it was a delight to watch from start to finish.
2. The Long Walk
Walking into this movie and then walking out was an experience like no other in terms of seeing films this year. This movie sets a steady pace and at no point does it feel like it slows down, at no point did I feel like things were dragging or getting boring, and for a movie about watching characters walk the whole time that is a sure feat. I've mentioned a few times how characters in movies have been distinct, but watching this movie I truly felt like I was watching a group of living, breathing characters even to the point of the secondary and tertiary characters walking in the Long Walk. It hurt to see characters shot down, delve into madness, and the losses only become harder as the movie goes on until the last gut wrenching scenes. I absolutely *love* this movie, and haven't stopped thinking about it since.
1. Superman
I am a huge fan of Superman as a character, I have been since high school, ever since I saw Man of Steel. Seeing a new Superman movie come out and not only be good, but to be universally accepted by the world as good is one of the most refreshing things in years as a Superman fan! James Gunn's new DC universe has started off immacutely with a movie that feels torn straight out of classic DC Comics. It felt like a fleshed out DC world from the get go with no need to explain every little detail, no sense of reality lost when things happen like Lex creating a Kaiju or Krypto simply existing. Corenswet's Superman is a worthy new holder to the role, and out of the entire rest of the cast the special mention has to be given to Hoult's Lex Luthor who won the entire internet with his performance. I saw this movie three times in theaters, and each time I saw Superman soar.
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