The Movies of 2025
Even though I did hit “100 movies released in Toronto” status and then some this year, there is still a chance I didn’t see your favourite movies. So, in the interest of having FEWER people get angry at my top 20, let me share what I watched (and what I rated it) for every month of 2025 before I get into the list! This way, if you don’t see something you liked in the top 20, you can see if I even saw it. You can also double-check my Letterboxd!
January
What I Watched:
The Last Showgirl (4/5)
Hard Truths (4/5)
Companion (4/5)
Dog Man (4/5)
I’m Still Here (4/5)
Nickel Boys (3/5)
Nightbitch (3/5)
Wolf Man (2.5/5)
Just a heads up, this is the year I fully embraced that I’m a “the performances were strong” guy when it comes to film appreciation. Having said that, I went into The Last Showgirl thinking I owed it to Pamela Anderson for some reason. What I walked away loving about the movie was how her character came to the realization that she was done apologizing. I didn’t think she was right, but it made sense emotionally, and that’s all I can ask for in a movie like this.
Hard Truths is ALL ABOUT the performances. Marianne Jean-Baptiste and Michele Austin were robbed of awards, but at least I’m here to remind you that the cast as a whole brought it.
I did end up rewatching Companion and enjoying it a lot, but there is no doubt that my enthusiasm for it was mostly because I didn’t know anything about it before sitting in the theatre that first time and being blown away by the reveal. Or at least what I thought was a reveal, even though it seems the trailers and posters didn’t allow for much of a reveal.
I went to Dog Man to waste time with my kid and found myself appreciating the joke-to-minute ratio way more than I thought I would. Given how flat I thought Captain Underpants was, I wasn’t expecting to laugh as much or be as invested as I was.
I don’t know if it’s offensive or dismissive to say I LOVED the music in I’m Still Here, but I really do think it is a real strong element of the movie, in addition to the performances. I did, however, feel a bit of whiplash during the last few time jumps, and that took the film out of “Great” territory for me.
There’s been a lot of pushback against Black people not wanting to see “Black Trauma” anymore but I’m going to push back against that pushback and say that artistry aside, Nickel Boys contained too much Black Trauma for my taste.
I loved Marielle Heller’s Mr. Rogers movie and thought Nightbitch was a concept that her style would flourish in. Maybe it did for others, but not for me. It felt tepid. Conversely, it may have tapped into things I could never truly empathize with, even though I could sympathize with them.
Wolf Man is the second time in the last 15 years that I was left thinking, “I guess this character just isn’t for me.”
February
What I Watched:
Captain America: Brave New World (4/5)
Flow (4/5)
Heart Eyes (3.5/5)
The Monkey (3.5/5)
Love Me (3/5)
Love Hurts (2.5/5)
There is so much to hate about Captain America: Brave New World, and yet I found myself being drawn to what it seems like director Julius Onah and original writer Malcolm Spellman were trying to get at. I liked that the movie continued the threads of Sam needing to fix the issues in his own country before looking outward. The final battle involved trying to disarm the American military force instead of attacking the Japanese combatants. Anyway, episode 323 of Spoiled Rotten Podcast has more of my thoughts.
Yeah, Flow looks great, and I am surprised that it kept my attention without cool voice acting from actors I know… or any voice acting at all.
I have been really into Dropout TV this year, so maybe I unfairly put higher expectations on Josh Ruben’s latest, Heart Eyes. It’s got a surprisingly fun performance from Jordana Brewster… something I never thought I’d write. So… there’s that.
As a lowkey hater of Longlegs, I’m as surprised as you are to say I dug The Monkey. It is uneven but really funny and fun. I also liked reading about Osgoode’s relationship to his parents’ deaths and how that played into how he approached this movie.
I wasn’t expecting as much of the movie to play out with Bitmojis, and ultimately, that’s why I couldn’t fully commit to Love Me, even though I loved the idea of the movie.
To be fair to Love Hurts, the trailers did a great job of letting me know I wasn’t going to like it. But I needed to give it a try for Ke Huy Quan and Ariana DeBose. Hopefully, everyone forgets this happened, and all involved can move on to bigger and better things.
March
What I Watched:
The Day the Earth Blew Up (4/5)
Batman Ninja vs. Yakuza League (4/5)
Magazine Dreams (4/5)
Opus (3.5/5)
Novocaine (3.5/5)
The Electric State (2.5/5)
Death of a Unicorn (2.5/5)
I’m so glad I got to see The Day the Earth Blew Up in theatres. As a lifelong Looney Tunes fan, it was great being reminded that Daffy Duck can be truly wacky! I also appreciated the movie forcing us to roll with Porky and Daffy being brothers and putting their relationship on the line.
I am equally glad I covered Batman Ninja vs. Yakuza League on episode 350 of Spoiled Rotten Podcast. The movie is so fun and looks great. I said anything smart I have to say on that episode.
Jonathan Majors being a great actor doesn’t excuse what he did… or how he responded to being caught, for that matter. BUT, it does mean that Magazine Dreams is a movie with a truly compelling performance at the center of it. Let’s move on now.
I felt let down by the resolution of Opus but was enjoying the ride while I was watching it. I’ll also double down on feeling a major disconnect between John Malkovich’s caracter and the music he was supposed to be singing.
Novocaine was the second Jack Quaid movie that I was surprised by because of a story element being revealed that I wasn’t expecting. At least this time I know it was supposed to be a big REVEAL. I also give the movie points for making me genuinely dread someone taking a bite of a pie.
I liked the look of some of the characters in The Electric State, a completely forgettable movie. Oh and Anthony Mackie had funny moments.
I don’t know why I didn’t connect with Death of a Unicorn. I just didn’t.
April
What I Watched:
The Accountant 2 (4/5)
A Minecraft Movie (3/5)
Warfare (3/5)
Sacramento (3/5)
Havoc (3/5)
The Legend of Ochi (3/5)
G20 (2.5/5)
Drop (2.5/5)
I get the sense I’m not supposed to like The Accountant, let alone The Accountant 2, but here we are. I’m all in for this Ben Affleck performance and in addition to loving the moments with him and Jon Berenthal, I thought Ben was great with any scene partner he had.
I saw A Minecraft Movie with my son, who dragged me back to see it in theatres for a second time and watched it many times when it hit Crave. I don’t remember much about it, but I love Rachel House’s final moment, and that’s not nothing.
I just felt like I was hanging out with a bunch of friends, telling old war stories without caring if I could follow or not, while watching Warfare. Unfortunately, I couldn’t fully follow, and as a result, I felt alienated. That doesn’t make this movie bad. It just made it a movie that I couldn’t hang with.
I was put off by Michael Cera’s character in Sacramento. As a result, I didn’t enjoy it as much as others.
I think I liked some action scenes in Havoc, but please don’t ask me to tell you what happens or why in this movie.
Not even seeing The Legend of Ochi with my kid could get this movie over the hump. It’s fine but not for me, I guess… or my kid, for that matter.
Viola Davis is a great actor. Maybe THE great actor. She deserves to make movies I assume she has fun making that give her an opportunity to look cool on the poster. It doesn’t mean I have to like them. And so goes the story of G20.
I don’t think Drop ever got to be the fun action thriller I am convinced it was aiming to be. There were, however, there are some interesting ideas buried in there.
May
What I Watched:
Karate Kid: Legends (4/5)
The Phoenician Scheme (4/5)
Friendship (4/5)
Final Destination: Bloodlines (4/5)
Bring Her Back (3.5/5)
Summer of 69 (3.5/5)
Mountainhead (3/5)
Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning (3/5)
Lilo & Stitch (2.5/5)
Another Simple Favor (2.5/5)
Fountain of Youth (2/5)
I’ll be the first to admit that Karate Kid: Legends is objectively a bad movie. My review likened it to writing something and realizing you don’t have enough space so you start writing smaller to try and fit everything in. Yet and still, I like Karate Kid and sports movies in general, plus Ben Wang is CHARMING!
I’m in the bag for Wes Anderson films, and The Phoenician Scheme centred around the great Benicio del Toro, Kate Winslet’s daughter, Mia Threapleton, and a much better character for Michael Cera to play, so I dug it.
I can’t remember if I’ve had time to say that I’m seated for anything featuring Tim Robinson or Sam Richardson, so yeah I was going to see Friendship, the A24 comedy starring Tim and yes… I liked it a lot!
I only saw Final Destination: Bloodlines because I had time to go see a movie, but boy howdy, was this a worthwhile trip to the movie house. I think I like the original Final Destination, and I’m aware of the logging truck scene, but this movie had me pumping my fist and loving all of Death’s kills.
Bring Her Back was a proper bleak horror film. My mainstream bozo ass was over here missing the FUN of Talk to Me, though.
Summer of 69 is a true, “it does what it says on the label” movie. You won’t be surprised, really, so if the trailer looks like it’s up your alley, then give it a try. But if it doesn’t look like you’d enjoy it, you’re probably right. As a Jillian Bell fan, I had to see the movie.
With all the talent around Mountainhead, I expected something more. Maybe I shouldn’t have. I just found it flat for the most part.
I see people showing love to Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning, and I’m happy for those people. Me, on the other hand, I had to sit there with a worried look on my face as this movie seemed insistent on being anything other than a solid Mission: Impossible movie.
My kid dragged me to Lilo & Stitch in theatres twice. I did not like this version, but it’s a good thing my kid had a movie he really liked, even though we both agree the original is way better.
I really liked the original Simple Favor movie, but didn’t see how a sequel would work. Turns out Another Simple Favor found a way to make it work with a lot of the original cast returning. I just didn’t vibe with it like the first movie.
Fountain of Youth was not good. I don’t get why anyone other than Krasinski said yes to this, but I hope they had a lot of fun making it. That would make this all worth it.
June
What I Watched:
Predator: Killer of Killers (4/5)
KPop Demon Hunters (4/5)
F1 (4/5)
Ballerina (3.5/5)
The Life of Chuck (3.5/5)
Elio (3.5/5)
M3GAN 2.0 (2.5/5)
I was not expecting two Predator movies in one year, and for the animated straight to streaming one to have me so excited while watching. After that Predator: Killer of Killers post-credit scene, I say, Keep ‘em coming, please!
You better believe I’m on double-digit viewings of KPop Demon Hunters with a kid at home, and I’m not mad at it. I liked the music and the action. I cared about the three leads and the cast was fly. Not much else I could ask for.
I told you I like sports movies, right? F1 makes some odd choices and stars someone who should be getting the Jonathan Majors treatment (legally speaking - at the very least), but I couldn’t help but I was sucked into the narrative and relationships. Oh yeah, and the driving scenes… definitely the driving scenes.
When Ballerina introduced a city where everyone was strapped up and ready to go to war at any moment, I knew I couldn’t say it was a boring movie. I even liked the deployment of John Wick, even though they should have left that out of the trailers.
I think I’m missing something about The Life of Chuck. I like what the movie had to say, but I don’t think it elevated the idea the way others seem to think. My loss, I guess.
Elio is fun but definitely not GREAT, which is a shame coming since they slapped Domee Shi on it without enough time to produce another Turning Red.
I think we can all agree M3GAN 2.0 missed whatever it is that made people think we needed this sequel in the first place.
July
What I Watched:
40 Acres (4/5)
The Fantastic Four: First Steps (4/5)
Oh, Hi! (4/5)
Together (3.5/5)
Jurassic World: Rebirth (3/5)
The Old Guard 2 (2.5/5)
Heads of State (2.5/5)
I Know What You Did Last Summer (2.5/5)
Happy Gilmore 2 (2.5/5)
Eddington (1.5/5)
Danielle Deadwyler and Michael Greyeyes are so good in this movie. I also enjoyed all the daughters, and I’m so glad the Son won me over by the end. I feel like if this is the first time you’re hearing about 40 Acres, just go in cold and enjoy the ride. Otherwise, let’s all give the opening its flowers for properly establishing the main family as not to be messed with!
The Fantastic Four: First Steps is easily the best Fantastic Four movie while still proving you’ll never truly be able to please the majority of people with this property. For more of my thoughts on this movie you can listen to episode 346 of Spoiled Rotten Podcast.
Oh, Hi! was just as fun as I hoped it would be based on Molly Gordon and Geraldine Viswanathan’s involvement and it felt like a fresh take on a comedy about relationships.
I think Together was able to be a fun ride, even with a bit too much lore to get through for its runtime. Speaking of time management, why couldn’t we see the parents scene play out?
If Mahershala Ali wasn’t in Jurassic World: Rebirth, the rating would be much lower. That’s how much I love seeing him in movies.
I don’t even think the people who made or star in The Old Guard 2 would argue that it’s a full movie.
I’m not sure what I was expecting from Heads of State, but it was more than I got from the final product.
In addition to having the same name as the 1997 original, even though it very clearly is a continuation of that story, I Know What You Did Last Summer makes another baffling choice that even the post-credit scene couldn’t salvage for me.
Another legasequel, another baffling choice! Happy Gilmore 2 already had to deal with the deaths of some important actors for the series so the choice they make early on the movie really didn’t make sense to me and meant I couldn’t enjoy the movie like others.
2025 had a lot of white men ruminating on how destructive they can be. That is my generous reading. Eddington, however, seems to forget to protect the one Black character it gives much screen time to and plays with fire when mocking white people who sided with BLM. In other words, of all the movies rightfully getting hate for how they portrayed marginalized people, I wished Eddington got more hate.
August
What I Watched:
Weapons (4/5)
Highest 2 Lowest (4/5)
The Naked Gun (3.5/5)
The Pickup (3.5/5)
Honey Don’t! (3.5/5)
Caught Stealing (3.5/5)
The Roses (3/5)
Once upon a time, Weapons was in my top 20! That’s how effective I think it is as a movie! When I was supposed to laugh, I laughed; when I was supposed to be scared, I was scared. I just kept watching movies, though and now it is more of an honourable mention!
I watched Kurosawa’s High and Low, what feels like years ago, in anticipation of Spike & Denzel’s take, Highest 2 Lowest. I think the experience of watching Spike’s version made me like Kurosawa’s more, but it helped highlight what made Spike’s version different and worth making, and I truly appreciated that, odd choices and all.
The Naked Gun was funny in one of my favourite ways for movies to be funny, but that’s about it.
I think I like Eddie Murphy more than I should because I shouldn’t let most people get away with what happens in The Pickup, BUT IT’S EDDIE!
I’m told Honey Don’t! is the weaker movie out of the two Ethan Cohen and Tricia Cooke offerings we’ve had in the last couple of years, but I disagree, and I don’t want to rewatch either one of them. I do hold space for the possibility that I just had the bar lowered so low, and this movie cleared it, so I think I like it more.
If Regina King wasn’t in Caught Stealing, I don’t think I’d like it as much. I was also tickled by casting two people who have played Kingpin as brothers who you should be afraid of.
Honestly, I thought The Roses was going to be a much different movie. I liked a lot of elements, but I felt like the movie, I was afraid it was going to be kept creeping in making it feel way too uneven. Olivia and Benedict were great at selling the relationship though, I did find myself rooting for them at various times.
September
What I Watched:
Him (2.5/5)
The Man in My Basement (2.5/5)
Yikes! Him was asking a lot of its audience without laying the proper groundwork to earn a “it’s a movie you need to lean into” type vibe. I liken it to Midsommar, but that’s the Ari hater in me!
I don’t even know who The Man in My Basement is for, but I hope they find it and enjoy it because I shouldn’t have been checking the time as much as I was while watching this less than 2 hour movie.
October
What I Watched:
The Smashing Machine (4/5)
Roofman (4/5)
John Candy: I Like Me (3.5/5)
A House of Dynamite (3/5)
Bugonia (3/5)
Tron: Ares (2.5/5)
After the Hunt (2.5/5)
Play Dirty (2/5)
I unironically feel that Dwayne Johnson can be a good actor. The Smashing Machine proves that I think. I found his early roles benefited from his lack of ego and willingness to use his talents in the service of the story as opposed to his image. I feel we can agree that’s what’s going on in this movie.
I don’t know what to say other than, if a movie about a guy, played by Channing Tatum, on the lamb, hiding out in a Toys R Us and falling in love with a woman played by Kirsten Dunst and her daughters sounds good to you, then you should watch Roofman! It delivers.
I have always liked John Candy and I enjoyed my time with the documentary, John Candy: I Like Me. However, I felt like I wanted more.
Like most people, the goodwill of the first segment of A House of Dynamite did a lot of heavy lifting when it came to my feelings about the movie as a whole. I appreciated the idea more than the execution.
The ending of Bugonia undoes the amazing performance from Emma and solid tension and exploration of socio-political themes throughout. I will not be convinced otherwise.
Tron: Ares had a great score, and it’s the first movie my kid didn’t leave for a bathroom break, so it’s got those two things going for it!
Julia Roberts is great in After the Hunt. Otherwise, it’s a shame so many people put genuine effort into telling THIS story THIS way.
I don’t want to have to relive Play Dirty. I liked a lot of the cast, I guess.
November
What I Watched:
Sentimental Value (4/5)
Predator: Badlands (4/5)
Being Eddie (4/5)
Wake Up Dead Man (4/5)
The Running Man (3.5/5)
Zootopia 2 (3.5/5)
Wicked: For Good (3/5)
The best thing about Sentimental Value is that even though I felt a bit lost while watching the movie, I never lost interest in trying to unpack what was being presented. That’s a sign of a well-made movie, for sure. I’d like to think I understood what was being said about this father and his daughters by the end, but who knows?
I was not expecting to like BOTH Predator movies this year so much. But Predator: Badlands showed that Killer of Killers wasn’t just a fluke. Dan Trachtenberg is locked in with this franchise.
Seeing Eddie Murphy be happy and wanting to share stories made me feel happy, and so Being Eddie was a great watch.
Wake Up Dead Man is weird since I feel it’s a great movie, just not a great Knives Out movie. It lacks the life I felt from the first two, while still being undeniably a great film. I just couldn’t get over how different it was, and that’s a me problem, I guess.
Remember when Edgar Wright said he didn’t want to make the MCU version of his Ant-Man movie? I feel like he made whatever version of that movie he was afraid of with The Running Man. I would probably argue with someone if they showed me this movie in a vacuum and told me it was an Edgar Wright movie. I don’t think he’s ever had a movie so devoid of his flair before, but here we are. And like Wes Anderson, Edgar found a better way to deploy Michael Cera!
I’m on an island in saying that I like Zootopia more than Zootopia 2. I’m fine with that because I still liked the movie.
Wicked: For Good proved me wrong. I thought the filmmakers understood the power of casting a Black Woman as Elphaba and someone who abandoned Black culture to progress in their career as Glinda. Turns out no. That’s not at all what they were going for. Oh well.
December
What I Watched:
Avatar: Fire and Ash (4/5)
Marty Supreme (4/5)
Is This Thing On? (4/5)
Jay Kelly (3.5/5)
Avatar: Fire and Ash is the third time I had a great EXPERIENCE watching an Avatar movie. I saw it in theatres the way James Cameron wanted me to, on a projection personally (according to the guy who came out before my screening) calibrated by Jimmy C. I am aware of the people who do not like these movies for genuine reasons and I’m sorry that my mainstream bozo brain can’t lock in with you.
I can admit that both Safdie brothers made movies this year that I enjoyed. However, I also need to reiterate that I just don’t align with their sensibilities in that way. Marty Supreme plays like a Scorcese meditation on the evils of man but without that (ironically enough) MARTY touch. I may also just be getting soft in my old age, as I found myself thinking, “This is way too mean-spirited” a lot.
Conversley, I’m all in on Bradley Cooper as a director. Is This Thing On? is just a good, solid watch with some interesting camera work and some REAL moments in terms of relationships.
I can’t believe how much I liked Billy Crudup in Jay Kelly! I don’t think I’ve really cared about the amount of time Billy got in something until this movie when his energy and presence was sorely missed in the back half of the film. I’m also just a sucker for a George Clooney performance, so there’s that.
My Top 20
Rank: #20
Movie: One of Them Days (4/5)
Why: It’s come to my attention that Keke Palmer has a problem reading the room when picking people to guest on her podcast. I didn’t know all that back in January when I saw One of Them Days, a true gem of a comedy. Yes, the story is great, but SZA and Keke Palmer working off of each other was amazing, and I feel underutilized in the trailers. It was great being able to sit in a theatre and laugh with an audience at an out-and-out comedy!
Rank: #19
Movie: The Long Walk (4/5)
Why: I was not expecting to care about any of the characters in The Long Walk, if I’m being honest. The fact that I teared up anytime it was someone’s time to go means I can’t deny how effective this movie is. If you’re in for a story about people walking until only one person is left, then you’ll dig this.
Rank: #18
Movie: Materialists (4/5)
Why: Apparently, Materialists is broke boy propaganda. I saw it as a call for people to stop looking at each other as bingo cards. The movie starts with what I assumed was a glaringly obvious thesis statement, but people I respect online say that what Celine Song wanted to say about love isn’t present in this movie, only in her interviews. I disagree, but that’s the beautiful thing about art, right?
Rank: #17
Movie: Hedda (4/5)
Why: My Letterboxd review for Hedda referenced my early days of rooting for the problematic lead of a story. Outside of how stylish the movie looks and my sneaking suspicion that I’m a big Nia DaCosta fan, I truly felt invested in Tessa Thompson’s performance and couldn’t help but be happy when things went her way at other people’s expense. I need to work on that, but I can’t help but love this movie.
Rank: #16
Movie: Mickey 17 (4.5/5)
Why: I’m so happy Robert Pattinson has found the directors who are harnessing his quirkiness just right. In addition to an electric Naomi Ackie performance, Mickey 17 boasts a great message about colonization and R-Patz being able to get jiggy as multiple versions of Mickey!
Rank: #15
Movie: Frankenstein (4.5/5)
Why: Frankenstein is a movie that looks great and has dope performances. Especially from Jacob Elordi. But more importantly, it’s a movie that allows me to start all of my diatribes about why I like it with, “As a father…”
Rank: #14
Movie: 28 Years Later (4.5/5)
Why: While rewatching Danny Boyle’s filmography recently, I realized that I don’t LOVE 28 Days Later like I remember. I saw 28 Weeks Later to prep for 28 Years Later and liked that even less. So imagine my surprise as I sat in the theatre while the credits started to roll, wanting to see the next entry and rewatch this movie all at once! This movie is firing on all cylinders for the type of movie it wants to be.
Rank: #13
Movie: Twinless (4.5/5)
Why: My love for Twinless is rooted in the surprise factor. With that said, I don’t think it makes sense to know anything about it before you see it. Well, except for the fact that it is the movie that made me sit forward in my seat and think, “WOW DYLAN O’BRIEN CAN ACT!”
Rank: #12
Movie: Freaky Tales (4.5/5)
Why: I saw Freaky Tales at the perfect time in my “oh my goodness, the fascists are really taking over” dread this year. I feel like the imagery around it makes it seem like it will be a horror film, but it’s way more Pulp Fiction styles. Also, I’ll always appreciate the fact that the directors who made Captain Marvel and seemingly got left by the wayside were able to put out a movie that features an amazing Blade short film in it, while Kevin and them continue to scratch their heads.
Rank: #11
Movie: The Assessment (4.5/5)
Why: The Assessment is about a world where people need to be assessed before they have a kid together. It is tense, uncomfortable, funny, and always interesting. It also has a certain “as a parent” quality to it.
Rank: #10
Movie: No Other Choice (4.5/5)
Why: Because of Blank Check Podcast, I have learned something new about myself. I am a Park Chan-wook fan. I had high hopes going into No Other Choice, and while I feel the movie is one of the best of the year, I wish I had it in my top 5. The main thing holding me back was that it felt oddly paced. The messaging about how we turn against each other as opposed to the “ruling” class/corporate greed, and performances, however, were amazing! I’m hoping this movie grows on me.
Rank: #9
Movie: Thunderbolts* (4.5/5)
Why: As a HUGE Yelena fan and a fan I was so happy Thunderbolts* wasn’t just a great showcase for her character, but a great meditation on self-love. You can listen to me have much smarter things to say about this movie on episode 334 of Spoiled Rotten Podcast.
Rank: #8
Movie: It Was Just an Accident (4.5/5)
Why: I have one critique of It Was Just an Accident, which isn’t fair to air out to people who may not have seen the movie yet. That aside, I have never thought a movie has nailed an ending better than this film, and I was locked in since, basically, the first second.
Rank: #7
Movie: Presence (4.5/5)
Why: Presence is a haunted house movie from the point of view of the ghost doing the haunting. That’s not even the interesting part of the movie, to be honest. But it does make for a truly unique experience. I saw it early in the year, and it just stayed with me, which is always a good sign.
Rank: #6
Movie: Hamnet (4.5/5)
Why: Hamnet has some great performances. Obviously, Jessie Buckley, but Jacobi Jupe truly stands out. When Agnes goes to see THE PLAY, the movie kicks into perfect filmmaking mode, and I don’t have smart enough words to praise Chloé Zhao and the team she put together to tell this story.
Rank: #5
Movie: One Battle After Another (4.5/5)
Why: Jeeze. I didn’t anticipate this entry being so controversial. I saw One Battle After Another, and Teyana Taylor’s storyline truly bothered me. I guess I have some growth ahead of me because I chalked that up to a movie that wouldn’t let me feel comfortable about all the characters’ actions. Turns out that a lot of people I respect see this movie as an attack on Black women and Black revolutionaries. I thought the movie was more about how PTA feels like a hindrance to himself and others. This felt clear since Chase Infiniti is her own hero in the movie. Not her father. I still get why people are mad, and I’ll have to keep thinking about that as well. At any rate, this is a prime example of impact being more important than intent.
Rank: #4
Movie: Superman (4.5/5)
Why: I keep talking about how James Gunn seems to have made a choice to be responsible with his messaging and Superman isn’t just a movie that made me tear up as Iggy Pop vocals blasted through the IMAX sound system, it is a movie that shows a superhero being on the right side of history and not being afraid of that. Listen to episode 344 of Spoiled Rotten Podcast for more of me gushing about this film.
Rank: #3
Movie: Black Bag (5/5)
Why: There is a scene set entirely at a dinner table in Black Bag that was one of the most thrilling scenes I saw in 2025. That scene alone puts this movie in the top 3 but I have to give it up to the world building in this movie. It is a movie that knows exactly what it is trying to accomplish and it delivers and then some. Be warned, though, it is a TALKIE. Do not expect any major action sequences. Oh, what is this movie about? That’s black bag, baby!
Rank: #2
Movie: Sorry, Baby (5/5)
Why: Speaking of talkies! Sorry, Baby made me fall in love with a friendship. The way Eva Victor and Naomie Ackie could talk about nothing and everything and keep my attention either way needs to be studied. This isn’t just about funny jokes between friends. The movie deals with intense subject matter but the thoughtfulness on display is what makes this movie perfect to me.
Rank: #1
Movie: Sinners (5/5)
Why: You knew Sinners would be here if you read my Music of 2025 list. I think about this movie almost daily. I came for the “NEW RYAN COOGLER” aspect and kept returning for the exploration of art, capitalism, and white supremacy as it pertains to Black people, which felt tailor-made for my sensibilities. Oh yeah the music and vampires are fun too!
-YG