As 2025 has come to a close and I look back at the 100 movies I’ve reviewed its time to look back and choose my 10 favorite films along with some honorable mentions. As usual, these movies are in no particular order and aren’t necessarily based on my original rating. Instead, these films just left the biggest impressions on me and proved to be memorable for one reason or another. Some films are destined to be awards darlings; a handful are horror films simply because it’s my favorite genre and then there are just some films that took me by surprise.
The Ugly Stepsister
Norwegian film director and screenwriter Emilie Blichfeldt debut film is impressive deconstruction of the Cinderella fairy tale powered by a knockout performance from its star, Lea Myren. The visuals and costuming of the darkly comedic body horror tale are all top notch throughout but the thematic layers underneath all its gruesome ickiness are what really make this import stand out.
Sinners
While I still hold that the basic plotting of Sinners is pretty much a redux of a From Dusk till Dawn you can’t deny the level of craftmanship behind and in front of the camera. Boasting a deeper story than its pulpy predecessor and packed full of strong performances across the board, Ryan Coogler delivers a memorable film that’s exemplified by its time bending musical number that truly a transcendent moment.
Bring Her Back
I was one of the few people who didn’t care for Danny and Michael Philippou’s debut film Talk to Me, so I wasn’t expecting much from their sophomore effort. So, I was shocked at how much more refined and darkly elegant Bring Her Back turns out to be with its heavier emphasis on mood punctuated by moments of brutal horror. The performances are all stellar, but Sally Hawkins keeps the whole thing together with an eccentric and crazed turn that deserves awards attention.
Weapons
I can say that I enjoyed most of Zach Cregger 2022’s Barbarian I did feel like it feel apart in the final act. His Pulp Fictionesque construction of Weapons just stepped up his game as the varying points of view keeps the audience off balance as the central mystery is revealed. By the time the reveal occurs, the film has dug its claws into audience which carries them through its darkly funny, kinetic and memorable final act
The Long Walk
Stephen King’s 1979 novel The Long Walk has always been a personal favorite of mine, so the cinematic adaptation had some high expectations to meet. Francis Lawrence, with a script from JT Mollner, delivers one of the best King adaptations in recent memory that captures the heart and soul of his stories with its heartfelt sentimentally paired with unrelenting horrors. This tale lacks the supernatural elements of his other works with its simplistic plot playing out like a twisted version of Stand By Me and The Running Man powered by excellent turns from its central duo of Cooper Hoffman and David Jonsson.
One Battle After Another
Paul Thomas Anderson’s thematically packed epic is the kind of cinematic journey that grabs you from the start and rarely lets up. At its base, its simplistic story of Leonardo DiCaprio’s burnt-out revolutionary trying to protect and save his daughter from an increasingly chaotic world is instantly relatable and timely. There’s plenty to dissect about the story’s narrative that makes the film feel like the right film at the right time with its deconstruction of extremism carried by excellent turns from its collection of A list talent.
One Battle After Another Review
Better Man
This is one of the more random surprises of the year, a musical biopic about an artist that I’m not terribly familiar with could have been a paint by the numbers snooze fest. Its central gimmick of having the main character be a CGI monkey was enough of a hook to make it a curiosity but the approach to the story which didn’t pull any punches proved to be incredibly engaging and heartfelt making it a memorable experience that very few people saw.
Frankenstein
It shouldn’t come as any surprise that Guillermo del Toro’s adaptation of Frankenstein is an elegant, visually stunning endeavor that finds the emotional center of the story. Oscar Isaac, Jacob Elordi and Mia Goth deliver nuanced turns that give the film a level of refinement that goes hand in hand with its gothic ascetics. Elordi, in particular, makes for a soulful monster who is searching for meaning in his creation from an uncaring, careless “father” in the form of Oscar Isaac’s Victor.
Bugonia
Yorgos Lanthimos and Emma Stone’s 4th collaboration together continues their explorations of their avant guard cinematic taste. This remake of the 2003 South Korean film, Save the Green Planet!, is an actor’s movie with Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons being utterly captivating every second they are onscreen. The plot keeps the audience guessing until the end with Lanthimos playing his cards very close to the vest, which results in a rather electric finale.
Hamnet
Chloé Zhao meditation on love and loss is restrained but engrossing from its opening shot to its close. Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal are excellent together, but this film is a showcase for Buckley impressive depth of talent that just makes you feel every emotional peak and heartbreaking valley throughout with an undeniable sense of veracity.
Honorable Mentions
Eternity
An old-fashioned throwback that takes an inventive conceit to hook you in and have the cast keep you engaged the rest of the way. The central trio of Elizabeth Olsen, Miles Teller, and Callum Turner are all clearly having fun but it’s Olsen who makes this whole thing work.
Black Bag Review
