Good day to you. My name is Luis A. Mendez. I’m a film critic based in Central Florida, and these are my PERSONAL top 20 favorites from the year 2025 in film. If a favorite of yours from the year is missing from this list, chances are I probably liked it, I just happened to have liked at least 20 films a little more.
2025 will go down as a turbulent year for the cinematic experience. Netflix and streaming in general continued to erode the theatrical model, the box office staggered along for much of the year before exploding during the holidays, and international cinema did much of the heavy lifting as many American blockbuster tentpoles either disappointed or deeply divided critics and audiences. It was a complete one-eighty from the year prior, when I felt underwhelmed by the international slate and American legacy sequels were making it onto my “Best Of” list.
And yet, the twenty films that ultimately resonated with me the most in 2025 still formed an eclectic mix of massive box-office blockbusters and international cinema. It was also a year in which learning I would become a father, paired with watching the world around me feel like it’s burning to the ground amid encroaching fascism, clearly shaped my tastes; my favorites gravitating toward themes of parenthood, community, and rebelling against authority. Though this ended up being the year with my lowest overall meta score since 2020, there were still plenty of films from it that became new personal favorites.
I should note that this piece will be updated after the 98th Academy Awards have their ceremony, so that I can point out certain awards season milestones that any of these films achieved. I also put together and published my personal awards ballot for this year in film, in case you’re interested to see how I have been voting this awards season in the awards bodies I get a vote in.
Now without further adieu here are my choices:
20. Weapons
Kicking off the countdown is one of the best horror films of the year, Weapons. Telling the story of a neighborhood coming undone after an entire classroom of children mysteriously disappears in the middle of the night, the film watches a community turn on itself; pointing fingers at everyone from the kids’ teacher and the school principal to the father of one of the missing children, a scummy cop, and even a local vagrant. The mystery takes a sharp turn in the second half, shifting into full-blown supernatural horror when Amy Madigan’s Aunt Gladys enters the picture. The result is a genuinely creepy new villain who captured the imagination of mainstream culture and even became a popular Halloween costume for the year. This feels like a true return to eighties horror, and it’s an instant new horror classic.
19. Paddington In Peru
Admittedly a weaker film than its two predecessors, Paddington In Peru nonetheless overcomes the loss of its previous director and lead actress to still deliver a family-friendly, timeless adventure featuring everyone’s favorite marmalade-eating bear. This time around, Paddington and the Brown family travel to Peru in search of his missing aunt, but as you’d expect trouble quickly finds the little bear in the form of Antonio Banderas as a down-on-his-luck treasure hunter. Even if it never quite reaches the heights of the first two films, I still found this to be another great comfort movie, one that works as a warm and worthy companion within the franchise. As I always have to point out with these Paddington movies, this was technically released during the holidays the year before in the UK but we Americans didn’t get it released to our shores until early this year.
18. Elio
One harsh criticism I have of 2025 is that it ended up being an incredibly middling year for animated films. The only animated flick that stood out enough to earn a spot among my favorites was Pixar’s Elio. This small gem of a movie, which was criminally underseen, tells the story of a young boy who feels out of place on Earth and sends a signal into outer space in hopes that aliens might accept him. Instead, he’s discovered by a group of extraterrestrials who mistakenly believe he’s the leader of Earth, setting off an adventure that explores identity, friendship, and the search for belonging. While some dismissed this as “lesser Pixar,” it was the only animated film of the year that truly stuck with me, and frankly it got a few tears out of me.
17. Sentimental Value
2025 will go down as one of the all-time great years for international cinema, and among that standout slate was the Danish film Sentimental Value. Directed by Joachim Trier, whose previous work hadn’t quite connected with me the way this did, the film boasts an all-star cast and centers on an aging director attempting to reconnect with his estranged daughters. He does so by trying to cast one of them, along with the young son of the other, in a film project about his late mother. When one daughter rejects the role, he instead turns to an American actress, setting off a deeply touching story about intergenerational cycles of trauma. What stood out to me most was Stellan Skarsgard’s performance as the director, Gustave, and the quiet devastation in watching him slowly realize just how much of his life has already passed him by.
16. It Was Just An Accident
Continuing with the incredible international slate of 2025, next on the countdown is It Was Just An Accident, perhaps the greatest Middle Eastern film I’ve ever seen. Directed in secret by Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi, the film is a tense thriller about a group of people who were once tortured while in the custody of the Iranian regime and now suspect they may have one of their former torturers in their grasp. What follows is nearly two hours of arguing, bickering, and moral debate over whether they actually have the right person. It all culminates in an astonishing long-take interrogation sequence that stands as one of the best scenes of the year. And somehow, against all odds, the film also finds moments of levity amid the tension, an achievement that turns it into a crowd pleaser.
15. The Secret Agent
This Brazilian film from director Kleber Mendonca Filho, who also delivered one of my top favorite films of 2020 with Bacurau, is set during the military dictatorship of the seventies and follows a protagonist, played brilliantly by Wagner Moura, as he attempts to find passage out of the country. Along the way, he hides out in a home for eccentric refugees that just so happens to house a two-faced cat with two names, while also evading corrupt police officers and a father-and-stepson hit team. The film has plenty of moments of levity amid the drama, but it ultimately delivers a devastating gut punch in its final act, when you begin to fully grasp where the story is headed and what it’s really trying to say.
14. La Grazia
My favorite international film from an incredible year for global cinema is an Italian movie that didn’t even factor into the awards conversation like the previous three I just mentioned, and that film is La Grazia. Directed by Paolo Sorrentino, whom some consider this generation’s Fellini, the film follows a President in the final days of his term as he’s forced to weigh two pardons, confront a euthanasia bill that puts him at odds with his devout Catholic faith, and try to uncover who had an affair with his late wife. All of this unfolds alongside a pulsing, techno-inflected score and moments of unexpected comedy, including a subplot in which the President finds himself oddly drawn to the music of a rap artist. This is ultimately a film about a man in his twilight years coming to grips with his legacy in public service and as a man.
13. Nuremberg
This little gem, which earned some of the best audience scores of the year, comes from the writer behind the Scream rebooted sequels of all people and features an all-star cast. It tells the story of the Nuremberg trials through the perspectives of the Nazis accused of war crimes and the psychologist tasked with studying them, who ultimately comes away with the haunting realization that fascism could one day find its way to America. It’s a true-story film that somehow balances familiar Hollywood flair and moments of levity with harrowing sequences, including the gut-wrenching decision to show real-life evidence of the concentration camp atrocities to the audience.
12. Wake Up Dead Man
Rian Johnson’s 2019 Knives Out left me underwhelmed, and yet his follow-up sequels have done anything but. While the third film in the franchise, Wake Up Dead Man, lacks the propulsive fun and stacked ensemble of Glass Onion, it still delivers; becoming the first film to land on my personal expanded Best Picture ballot of 2025. Wake Up Dead Man doesn’t just offer another Detective Benoit Blanc mystery caper; it uses the genre to deliver a genuinely fascinating examination of faith from multiple angles, the kind I wish faith-based studios actually dared to explore instead of simply preaching to the choir. This comes mainly in the form of Josh O’Connor’s Father Jud, who ended up my favorite film character of the year and his performance is my personal winner for Supporting Actor. Insightful, funny, and consistently entertaining, the film even has me wondering if it’s time to revisit the 2019 original Knives Out after loving both sequels so much.
11. Highest 2 Lowest
Coming in just outside my top ten is Spike Lee’s remix of Akira Kurosawa’s 1963 masterpiece High and Low, aptly retitled Highest 2 Lowest. Swapping a shoe salesman for a record executive, Denzel Washington plays the protagonist in a story that initially seems like a straightforward kidnapping-for-ransom of his son, but quickly becomes an accidental ransom scheme involving the kidnapped son of his chauffeur. Like Kurosawa’s original, the film starts as a tense ransom thriller and evolves into a procedural mystery as the hunt for the kidnapper unfolds. While it earned decent critical reviews, audiences were deeply divided, but I loved this new joint from Spike Lee. He certainly takes liberties compared to the classic, but the film manages to stand on its own, capturing the culture and atmosphere of the streets of New York just as much as it honors one of the most iconic crime films of all time.
10. Marty Supreme
Entering the proper top ten of the countdown is Marty Supreme. Directed by one-half of the Safdie brothers duo, this fifties-set period piece follows the cocky and arrogant Marty Mueser as he hustles and swindles his way toward becoming one of the world’s greatest table tennis players. What you get is an electrifying film packed with underground table tennis matches, armed robbery, exploding gas stations, mobster activity, baby-momma drama, a cameo-filled ensemble that’s a love letter to New York, and pure, unrelenting chaos. Timothee Chalamet delivers an incredible performance, continuing to prove he’s this generation’s newest movie star. And despite the madness, the film lands on a finale that will leave many viewers satisfied, and perhaps even teary-eyed.
09. Is This Thing On?
Bradley Cooper’s third directorial effort wasn’t ever meant to be an awards play, just a small film he quickly put together with some friends. But as far as I’m concerned, he delivered yet another awards-worthy banger from a filmmaker who clearly knows how to tell the stories of long-term relationships in a raw, authentic way. Is This Thing On? follows a couple deciding to separate and head toward divorce. While apart, they each discover new callings in life, particularly our protagonist, Alex, played so well by Will Arnett opposite Laura Dern as Alex’s wife Tess, who finds himself drawn to stand-up comedy. What unfolds is the rawest depiction of long-term marriage struggles I’ve ever seen; the highs, the lows, and the utterly awkward reality of separation, something I know from experience. The result is one of the most unconventional rom-coms I’ve seen in years, and one of my top favorite films from 2025.
08. Hamnet
Chloe Zhao’s Hamnet is an adaptation of the bestselling novel, following the story of how William Shakespeare’s loss of his young son inspired the creation of his masterpiece, Hamlet. But the story is mostly told through the perspective of his wife, Agnes, played brilliantly and devastatingly tragic by Jessie Buckley, who ends up my personal Lead Actress pick of the year. Paul Mescal portrays Shakespeare, and the film moves through various stages that helped it become the big audience award sweeper at festivals. Hamnet blends romance, elements of pagan lore, glimpses of an afterlife, and builds to an incredible finale where we see what Hamlet does for the grieving couple, helping them accept their son’s death. It’s a film that will leave you with happy tears with the cathartic experience it finishes with.
07. F1
The ultimate “Dad Movie” of the year, F1 is director Joseph Kosinski’s follow-up to Top Gun: Maverick. Starring Brad Pitt alongside a stellar ensemble that includes Javier Bardem and Kerry Condon, what I expected to be a pretty standard racing movie with Pitt’s character Sunny Hayes just winning races, turns out to be a true underdog sports story, as Hayes is trying to help a Formula One team win a single race to save his best friend from losing ownership of the team. The film is elevated by one of the year’s best soundtracks and breathtaking racing sequences, along with revealing glimpses into all the behind-the-scenes effort it takes for a team to succeed in this sport. I was thoroughly “sports entertained” by this one, and it stands out as one of the best blockbuster experiences of the year.
06. Avatar: Fire And Ash
Entering the third film in James Cameron’s ambitious and wildly successful financially Avatar franchise, there is a noticeable issue that the sense of awe and wonder he captured so effortlessly in the first two films isn’t quite as potent this time around. And yet, this chapter ultimately becomes the Return Of The Jedi of the franchise; dividing critics more than its predecessors, but offering more than enough for “hardcores” like me to latch onto. Cameron remains a master of blockbuster spectacle, and he proves it once again with Avatar: Fire And Ash. A major reason for that success is the introduction of an intriguing new villain in Varang, leader of the Ash Clan of the Na’vi, the first tribe we’ve encountered that isn’t rooted in peace. What you’re left with is another strong addition to Cameron’s filmography, even if it doesn’t rank quite as high for me as the previous two Avatar films.
05. Frankenstein
Kicking off the proper top five is Guillermo del Toro’s long-gestating dream project brought to life with his adaptation of one of my all-time favorite novels, Frankenstein. I see this as comparable to when Francis Ford Coppola took his own swing at adapting Dracula. Like Coppola, del Toro largely sticks to the source material more than most film adaptations, but he’s also unafraid to make it his own by tinkering with certain elements to add new dimensions and richer character arcs. He even finds ways to weave in plenty of Easter-egg homages to the many prior film adaptations that have shaped this story throughout cinema’s history. The final product is yet another great gothic horror from the mind of one of the medium’s finest directors, and easily one of my top favorites of the year.
04. Sinners
We’ve now reached the point in the countdown where we’re talking about my absolute favorite films of the year. If there’s an argument to be made for what 2025’s big mainstream and cultural film was, I’d make the case for Sinners. This early-thirties period piece fuses musical and horror elements to tell the story of twin bootleggers who return from the North with plans to open a juke joint. Unfortunately, their cousin’s ability to invite spiritual ancestors from both the past and future into the living realm draws the attention of a group of vampires intent on turning the entire guest list. Director Ryan Coogler delivers a new horror masterpiece and an instant classic. With its blend of blues, Black culture, Irish folklore, and even heavy metal woven into the score, this vampire flick stands on its own as something fresh, original, and unforgettable.
03. Wicked: For Good
Last year’s big cultural breakthrough film, and my personal favorite of 2024, was Wicked. Just a year later, director Jon M. Chu and the cast returned to complete the epic musical adaptation with Wicked: For Good, which covers the second half of the Broadway play. As with the source material, Act Two proved to be the most divisive part of this ambitious project. It didn’t receive the same euphoric critical praise or audience scores as the first film, and this time around I felt like I was on an island ranking it so high on my year-end list. Admittedly, that reaction is understandable. Act Two has always been the weaker link of the stage version, with pacing issues and less popular songs (no pun intended). That said, I think this film has received an overly harsh response from some of its detractors. I’ve already rewatched it multiple times now, and I’ve found it more enjoyable, and more rewatchable, with each viewing. Ariana Grande delivers my personal pick for Best Supporting Actress of the year for the second year in a row, while Cynthia Erivo continues to be absolutely dynamite. Viewed as the second half of a double feature with the first film, I still consider this an overall musical masterpiece. Regardless of the discourse or disappointment surrounding this follow-up, these Wicked films will endure for decades, drawing in new generations of young musical fans and serving as a gateway into the wider world of The Wizard Of Oz. By themselves these movies rank differently, but together they might be my favorite cinematic happening of the last two years.
02. Black Bag
It had been a long while since I walked out of a Steven Soderbergh film truly blown away. With Black Bag, a hidden gem of an early-year release, he and writer David Koepp fully immersed me in a world where spies are married, office politics are lethal, and dinner parties can end with someone getting stabbed or shot. Black Bag follows husband-and-wife spy duo George and Kathryn, played by Michael Fassbender and Cate Blanchett, who become entangled in a mysterious web when George is tasked with hunting down a suspected departmental leaker, who may very well be his own wife. George’s intense hatred of liars, paired with his unwavering love for his wife, makes him one of the year’s most fascinating film characters. The end result is a sexy, slick, and stylish thriller; perfect to watch with a date over a glass of bourbon or a fine wine. For a large stretch of the year, this was my favorite film of 2025…and then the master decided to drop yet another masterpiece…
01. One Battle After Another
Paul Thomas Anderson is my favorite director of my lifetime, and with One Battle After Another, the man I call “The Master” has officially elevated himself into the tier of Akira Kurosawa for me. This action comedy-thriller feels like a defining film of its time, taking on the hellscape American politics has become in the Trump era while skewering it with outrageous satire, most memorably by turning a white supremacist group into a collection of oddballs who call themselves the “Christmas Adventurers.” Loosely based on Thomas Pynchon’s Vineland, the film follows Bob Ferguson, an ex–leftist revolutionary played by Leonardo DiCaprio, whose brain has been thoroughly fried by years of alcohol and drugs. When a former fascist enemy, played with such absurdity by Sean Penn, resurfaces with his sights set on Bob and his daughter, Bob is forced to rely on instincts and coded survival tactics he can barely remember anymore. DiCaprio delivers my favorite lead male performance of an already stacked year for the category; Benicio del Toro is a scene-stealer as Sensei Sergio, one of my favorite characters of the year; and PTA’s direction is my pick for the best of the year. This is a funny, wildly entertaining film about the realities of fighting authority and the self-inflicted mistakes that plague revolutionary movements. It’s a crowd-pleaser that feels perfectly tuned to the Trump era during the first year of his second presidency, even though Anderson has been developing this script for decades and the film never explicitly names anyone in power. The final result is an easy choice for my favorite film of 2025. It’s timely, it’s important, and it’s entertaining as hell. All hail Saint Nick.
