20 Best Movies Of 2025 (So Far)

It feels like something we say every year, but 2025 has proven to be a pretty fantastic year for movies, and we're just getting started. From original horror hits that broke box office expectations, to capes & tights flicks keeping "superhero fatigue" from ever truly settling in, and everything in between, the films released ahead of what looks to become an explosive Oscar season have been some of the very best of the best. Some of the movies featured on this list are currently playing in theaters, while others are currently streaming or available for rental. But the one thing that every film on this list has in common is that it's worth tracking down, especially if it's a movie that you're hearing about for the first time. We here at /Film watch a lot of movies, and will be updating this list accordingly for the rest of the year. But for now, these are the 20 best movies of 2025, so far. Give them a watch, talk about them with your friends, and maybe you'll get lucky and find your new favorite movie of the year.

I'm not normally a big zombie fan, but "28 Years Later" had me hooked from the moment that incredible trailer dropped last year. The movie itself didn't disappoint, providing a glorious return to the franchise for director Danny Boyle and screenwriter Alex Garland, almost a quarter of a century since they made everyone sit up and take notice with "28 Days Later." They're not simply content to rinse-and-repeat the usual formula, either, expanding the scope of the story to envision Britain as a quarantine zone isolated from mainland Europe where survivors from the Rage virus make do and mend on their island refuge.

The unmistakable Brexit allegory hits especially hard as a British expat watching events unfold in my home country, but, politics aside, "28 Years Later" is an ambitious odyssey that veers from coming-of-age tale to survival horror to something far more meditative and poignant when we finally reach the enigmatic Bone Temple. That's all before Boyle and Garland deliver a controversy-baiting cliffhanger in the final moments — I can't wait to see how that gets resolved in the second part. Such tonal shifts are jarring and audacious, but the cause is helped by committed performances from Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, a scene-stealing Ralph Fiennes, and particularly Alfie Williams in what will surely prove to be a major breakthrough role as our young protagonist. "28 Years Later" isn't a perfect film, but the flaws make it one of the year's most interesting movies, and it's a rare threequel that exceeds its predecessors in terms of imagination and substance. (Lee Adams)

You wouldn't necessarily expect the writer of "Jurassic Park," "Spider-Man," and "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" to deliver a smart, witty, taut spy thriller, but this under-the-radar entry is easily one of 2025's best and most overlooked films. It might even be one of writer David Koepp's best just in terms of the sheer efficiency of the script, which, for a story that involves a lot of hushed talking in desaturated rooms, never once feels like it lets up.

Directed by Steven Soderbergh, this sleek spy thriller stars Michael Fassbender as veteran British intelligence officer George Woodhouse, who's faced with the vertiginous task of identifying a traitor in the service, one of whom could very well be his wife, Kathryn (Cate Blanchett). As such, "Black Bag" is just as interested in interrogating the challenges of marriage as it is in showcasing naturalistic spy craft — both of which it does flawlessly, essentially giving viewers two gripping films in one.

The dialogue is mercilessly efficient, the performances are consistently excellent, and the story is compelling throughout. If that's not enough for you, Pierce Brosnan shows up at one point and steals the spotlight from Fassbender, who's already putting on a masterclass. As such, if you missed "Black Bag" when it dropped, consider it your solemn duty to King and country to watch it as soon as possible. (Joe Roberts)

If you've ever had the paranoid suspicion that everyone online is mad at you, Kiyoshi Kurosawa's "Cloud" wants you to know that yes, yes, they are. With "Cloud," Kurosawa, a master of genre responsible for bone-chilling movies such as "Cure" and "Pulse," has crafted a darkly funny reflection of our modern world where people are obsessed with dealing out retribution for online slights. Yoshii (Masaki Suda) makes a living selling used items online for a high markup. Everything seems to be going pretty well for Yoshii, so much so that he's able to hire an assistant, the committed Sano (Daiken Okudaira). Unfortunately, Yoshii's questionable business practices begin to incur the wrath of his customers, who band together on an online forum to plot revenge. 

Kurosawa's film keeps you guessing from start to finish, as the narrative grows increasingly strange and violent with each twist and turn. "Cloud" hasn't had the most accessible release in the United States, but folks who subscribe to the Criterion Channel will thankfully be able to start streaming it beginning on October 7, 2025. (Chris Evangelista)

For the record, I must say that I haven't had the chance to watch Paul Thomas Anderson's "One Battle After Another" yet, which apparently plays very much in the same league as Ari Aster's "Eddington," but with better results. Still, Aster's uncompromising vision of today's breathlessly raging America through a small-town sheriff (Joaquin Phoenix giving his best) battling COVID — alongside his many personal flaws — is one of the most thought-provoking watches of the year. It's a painstaking character study of ignorance, boiling fury, and social dysfunction that turns as ugly, violent, and intensely engaging as it can get.

Fittingly, "Eddington" flopped at the box office and received mixed reviews from both critics and viewers. No surprise there since the film holds up a mirror to the American people, and what looks back from it is not only unflattering but downright poisonous and rotten. Of course, it's a satire, slightly exaggerating every differing perspective, but the sad truth is that it's not far off from where we are today as a society. It's a relentless deep dive with its two-and-a-half-hour runtime that only comes up for air occasionally, and even then, the relief it allows for its viewer is an uncomfortable laugh at best. I say good because the immoral level we allowed ourselves to sink down to is no laughing matter, but one that requires some serious self-reflection. And the need for movies that remind us of that is at an all-time high. (Akos Peterbencze)

The bittersweet sentiment "this too shall pass" oozes through every frame of director Carson Lund's film "Eephus," and its presence both soothes and aches simultaneously. The movie is a quiet yet surprisingly busy hangout film set on the last day of a small town in Massachusetts' baseball diamond before the land is used to build a new school. Two local teams, Adler's Paint and the Riverdogs, play one final unofficial game, and though the proceedings are friendly, they're not without their own dramatic stakes. Every man present knows that many things are ending forever this day — their pastime, their stats, their passion, maybe even some of their friendships.

Lund, his co-screenwriters, and the film's charming ensemble cast of mostly unknown actors only add to the authenticity of the film, allowing its tenderness to feel that much more relatable and earned. Like the titular low-velocity pitching technique in which the baseball seems to move impossibly slow toward home plate, "Eephus" is part slice-of-life indie dramedy, part myth, even if that myth is nothing more than local legend. The film is the cinematic equivalent of a late-period Springsteen song, an ode to hometown heroes as well as a place that existed once upon a time. As we barrel unstoppably forward into a troubling and uncertain future, it helps to remember to herald these eras' endings. Cinema may be dying, or it may simply be changing, but as long as there are films like "Eephus" out there getting made, we're not in danger of having the little joys in our lives go uncelebrated quite yet. (Bill Bria)

Everybody loves a good underdog story, but "F1" combines that with a "phoenix rises from the ashes" sentiment in the most exhilarating way: by bringing Formula One into the mix. The movie's core appeal is no rocket science, as it pits reckless, down-on-his-luck (but experienced) driver Sonny Hayes (Brad Pitt) against the young, gifted (but conceited) Joshua Pearce (Damson Idris), both in and out of the race track. Throw in charismatic characters like racing team lead Ruben (Javier Bardem) and technical director Kate (Kerry Condon) into the mix, and we have a frenetic story where the unpredictable journey matters more than the destination. Expect melodrama, spectacle, and the glory of motor racing, replete with a climactic Lewis Hamilton cameo that adds to the hype of this sleek racing flick.

"F1" knows how to fine-tune your expectations at every turn — it swerves into subtle interiority right in the midst of a prestigious competition and heightens the stakes when you least expect it. Then there's Sonny, who takes turns to excite and exasperate his coworkers, while indulging in a high-risk, high-reward racing style that extends to every aspect of his personality. Idris Joshua is electrifying to watch as well, as he embodies the hope-laced hubris of youth — watching Joshua mire in jealous frustration while playing Icarus, where he eventually makes a sincerely earned comeback, is the beating heart of "F1." The magic, however, lies in enthused teamwork and camaraderie as the cars whizz past and the crowds cheer. (Debopriyaa Dutta)

Oliver Hermanus' romance "The History of Sound" is subdued almost to a fault. The emotions are large, but the expression of those emotions is understated to the point of mere subtlety. The affection shared by the unassuming music professors Lionel (Paul Mescal) and David (Josh O'Connor) comes out in incidental ways, as when one of them retrieves the feathers that fell out of the other's pillow. Entire complex lives live hidden in those simple a cappella melodies. Every song in "The History of Sound" is a childhood memory, a piece of nostalgia for when your heart throbbed more dramatically. The film is a work of beauty.

Lionel and David meet each other in 1917 and casually fall in love. They have a secret affair (their queerness verboten), and their love comes out in conversation. Their love is a catalyst for music preservation and the key to unlocking the honest memories and peaceful impulses in an otherwise violent, turbulent nation. There are themes of class (Lionel was raised in a remote cabin, David in the city), and the horrors of war lurk underneath everything. The ending is a real heartbreaker, but it proves what a stellar, emotional work the film is. (Witney Seibold) 

2025 has been a great year for original films becoming sensations, but few have come out of nowhere to completely dominate pop culture conversations quite like the most-watched Netflix Original film of all time, "KPop Demon Hunters." The film centers on a K-pop girl group called HUNTR/X, comprised of pop idols Rumi (Arden Cho/EJAE), Mira (May Hong/Audrey Nuna), and Zoey (Ji-young Yoo/Rei Ami). The trio is not only one of the most popular musical acts in the world, but they're also the latest in a long lineage of demon hunters tasked with using their musical talent to maintain the Honmoon barrier that seals demons — and their leader, Gwi-Ma ("Squid Game" villain Lee Byung-hun) — from the human world.

The music has become a phenomenon heading toward awards contention, with the lead track "Golden" even becoming one of the new go-to CPR songs. Given the streaming popularity of both the movie "KPop Demon Hunters" and its accompanying soundtrack, it's clear that South Korean pop culture remains a force to be reckoned with. The combination of imaginative animated visuals, hit songs, and a four-quadrant story has been an unparalleled recipe for success. (BJ Colangelo)

If the popularity of "Battle Royale," "The Hunger Games," and "Squid Game" have taught us anything, it's that there's something grimly fascinating about stories where you know almost all of the characters are going to die. Stephen King's last-man-standing novel "The Long Walk" predates all of the aforementioned stories by several decades, but it has one key difference that makes it feel fresh in a now well-worn genre: the boys in "The Long Walk" don't have to kill each other to survive. They just have to walk, and keep walking, until one is left walking alone.

The book was written in the aftermath of the Vietnam War, and that real-world influence carries over into director Francis Lawrence's movie adaptation — from the teenagers approaching the horrors ahead like a fun game, to the bandanna-headed character snapping moody black-and-white photos, to the Beat Generation-coded kid optimistically taking notes for a book he plans to write. Buthe theme of youth being sacrificed for the benefit of their elders is, sadly, pretty timeless.

Despite all this, "The Long Walk" isn't a downer movie. When the bodies start dropping, the remaining walkers don't respond by turning on each other, but by knitting their camaraderie together into even tighter loops. When one falters, the others become a very literal support system, determined to keep everyone moving towards the non-existent finish line. Because when you're walking through hell and there's no hope on the horizon, optimism is the ultimate act of defiance.

"The Long Walk" isn't just one of the best movies of the year. It's also one of the best Stephen King adaptations ever — and that's a category with a lot of competition. (Hannah Shaw-Williams)

Most went into Akiva Schaffer's "The Naked Gun" expecting a pointless remake that could never hold a candle to David Zucker, Jim Abrahams, and Jerry Zucker's original trilogy. We were wrong. "The Naked Gun" is one of the best comedies in years — and as a reboot of the classic Leslie Nielsen-starring flicks, it is more than worthy.

The best thing about "The Naked Gun" is that it's delightfully stupid, a talent that requires a high level of comedic genius to pull off. The dialogue and visual gags come thick and fast, with the most absurd moments delivered with straight-faced bravado, allowing Liam Neeson to spoof the action roles he is known for. Neeson portrays the dim-witted Lieutenant Frank Drebin Jr. with the sincerity of a "Taken" movie, only this time around, he is more interested in discussing the Black Eyed Peas than he is in bragging about having a particular set of skills. Pamela Anderson is also a treat as Beth Davenport, aka "Cherry Roosevelt Fat Bozo Chowing Spaghetti." The character wouldn't seem out of place in an elegant, old-school noir movie — when she isn't stealing chairs or performing some wacky musical numbers anyway.

Schaffer's movie (which he co-wrote with Dan Gregor and Doug Mand) is unabashedly puerile. There are fart jokes, scenes where grown-up detectives punch children through vending machines, and a gross-out moment involving a dog that turns out to be totally innocent. "The Naked Gun" only has one goal on its mind — to make us laugh — and it succeeds with aplomb. We need more movies like it (Kieran Fisher).

Currently maintaining a 100% on Rotten Tomatoes with over 100 reviews logged from critics, "On Becoming a Guinea Fowl," the second feature by Zambian-Welsh director Rungano Nyoni, is the best film of 2025 that general audiences don't even know exists. The story centers on Shula (Susan Chardy), a woman who inadvertently becomes the home base for her family's grief and a family member's last rites after she stumbles upon the dead body of her uncle down the street from a brothel. Her uncle's passing sparks the traditional funeral proceedings rooted in their Bemba culture, and doing so means Shula and her cousins are forced to unpack the deeply buried secrets of their family head-on, examining the ways silence around these secrets has been able to fester for years.

As the funeral traditions carry on, the women are collectively subservient out of tradition, no matter their emotional turmoil, including crawling around the house on all fours as part of the ritualistic obligation. Nyoni incorporates harsh soundscapes and surrealist imagery to tell a powerful, feminist family drama that dares to ask the question, How do you mourn a man who was unforgivably violent to the most vulnerable members of the family when your culture and family grasps onto the belief that people are inherently good? (BJ Colangelo)

Is "One Battle After Another" 2025's most trenchant political commentary? Is it the action-comedy movie of the year? The Best Picture frontrunner? Living proof that auteur-driven epics still have a place in this otherwise dire studio system? Let's go with "All the above." Writer/director Paul Thomas Anderson has been stewing on this (very loose) adaptation of the Thomas Pynchon novel "Vineland" for the better part of two decades, so it's only fitting that the final result might go down as the jack of all trades and the master of all. Despite so much hand-wringing over an oversized budget and the financial irresponsibility thereof, leave it to one of the finest working filmmakers to render most of those discussions obsolete with what seems destined to stand as a cultural touchstone for years to come.

An incendiary story about revolutionary freedom fighters, a viciously racist (and deeply insecure) military man hoping to join the modern KKK, and the never-ending struggle to secure the rights of the most disenfranchised among us all, packaged within a crowd-pleasing blockbuster in the year of our lord 2025, is nothing short of a miracle. Fiction alone isn't enough to save us from the dystopian horrors of our everyday lives, but it can inspire and motivate us to actually stand up and do something about it. "One Battle After Another" might as well be a thematic manifesto and the timeliest of wakeup calls, wrapped in popcorn thrills. As Benicio del Toro's Sensei St. Carlos calmly informs Leonardo DiCaprio's Bob Ferguson, "You know what freedom is? No fear. Just like Tom Cruise." (Jeremy Mathai)

You know what you're in for with a Wes Anderson joint: pastel set design, rapid-fire comedy from characters who speak with the speed of tongue twisters (with some occasional bursts of undignified physical comedy), etc. I don't think that's a bad thing, though. Anderson is a confident artist who knows his element and how to work perfection within it. Wherever there's a new Wes Anderson movie, I know what to expect — including that I'll probably have a lot of fun watching it. "The Phoenician Scheme" is no exception.

Anatole "Zsa-Zsa" Korda (Benicio del Toro) is a tycoon who sees age (and assassins) catching up to him, leaving him concerned about his legacy. He's currently engaged in a scheme to revitalize the fictional country of Phoenicia (it's right there on the poster!), and he also tries to mend fences with his estranged daughter, the nun-in-training Liesl (Mia Threapleton).

The two-hander mentor and mentee leads (and fictionalized 20th century) calls to mind Anderson's greatest triumph, "The Grand Budapest Hotel." This one, though, is a story of redemption, not nostalgia. In his last three films, Anderson has interspersed color and black-and-white scenes. Here, the black-and-white scenes are Zsa-Zsa's visions of the afterlife; he's thinking about how he'll be remembered and what awaits him. Beyond that, "Phoenician Scheme" has an episodic structure of Zsa-Zsa and Liesl traveling the world to visit their investors. Bryan Cranston and Tom Hanks' cameo as basketball-playing Sacramento businessmen brothers is especially funny. (Devin Meenan)

Thanks to podcasts, Netflix, and media at large, true crime has a massive fanbase. But in some cases, that can result in a morally and ethically questionable approach to bringing criminals to justice. The 2025 documentary "Predators" aims to scrutinize a sect of true crime that became a TV sensation thanks to the series "To Catch a Predator," a spin-off of Dateline NBC that featured host Chris Hansen (seen above) leading a sting operation that confronted adult men who attempted to engage in sex with underage children after talking with them in online chatrooms.

"Predators" will undoubtedly make some viewers uncomfortable, as it points out the ethical question of turning what should be justice and rehabilitation for pedophiles into a dopamine rush of entertainment that they gleefully enjoyed. While the documentary doesn't ask audiences to dismiss or forget the potentially heinous actions of men trying to have sex with minors, it points out that we shouldn't be clapping and cheering at how these crimes were exposed for profit, especially when there's such a lack of follow-through in effectively prosecuting and rehabilitating them in any meaningful or helpful way."Predators" does what any good documentary should do, by opening your eyes to a perspective that you might have never considered yourself, and it paints a thorough portrait of a complex issue that deserves more scrutiny, analysis and care. (Ethan Anderton)

The death of David Cronenberg's wife directly inspired "The Shrouds," the latest work from the Canadian master of body horror. That makes the events of the film all the more profound, as the film follows the story of a man grieving the death of his wife. Played by Vincent Cassel, this lead character even has more or less the same exact hairstyle as Cronenberg, just to hammer home the autobiographical elements. Cassel's character Karsh is the inventor of GraveTech, which is essentially a live webcam placed inside a grave that allows people to watch their deceased loved ones decay in real-time. It's a delightfully ghoulish concept, and "The Shrouds" has a twisted sense of humor. 

But there's a deep well of loss and sorrow at play here, as Karsh grapples with the death of his wife (played by Diane Kruger) while grappling with his attraction for her sister (also played by Diane Kruger) and dealing with a duplicitous AI assistant named Hunny (played by, you guessed it, Diane Kruger). I've seen some folks claim that "The Shrouds" is a lesser work from Cronenberg, but nothing could be farther from the truth. This strange mix of horror, comedy, drama, and mystery finds the 82-year-old filmmaker still very much at the top of his game, creating a deeply personal film full of haunting longing. (Chris Evangelista)

Despite only having five features to his name, Ryan Coogler has proven himself to be one of our finest filmmakers. He is adept at making blockbuster movies full of spectacle that also contain layers of mature themes and offer some poignant commentary, and in many ways, "Sinners" feels like the culmination of that. This is a crowd-pleasing blockbuster movie with a killer soundtrack, a phenomenal cast, memorable characters, thrilling action, some legitimately good scares, plenty of gore, and also a surprising amount of social commentary that plays on real history and vampire movie lore.

Coogler crafted a movie that can be seen from a multitude of angles and perspectives, always finding something to love and something to learn. It is also just a masterclass in genre-switching, much like the original "Predator," with the movie going from a small-scale drama about a community to a full-blown siege thriller, both halves connected by the power of music and its importance to African American history. We have seen horror blockbusters do big in recent years, but the explicitly adult approach to "Sinners," from its themes to its open sexuality, makes it a bit of a miracle — one that Coogler expertly executes. (Rafael Motamayor)

Eva Victor made an unforgettable entrance into feature filmmaking with "Sorry, Baby," a debut as emotionally raw as it is sharply funny. Victor, who not only directs but also writes and stars in the film, brings a deeply personal lens to a story that shifts seamlessly from disarming humor to emotional devastation, anchored by an intimate honesty that resonates into something more universal. At its heart, "Sorry, Baby" is a meditation on grief, friendship, and the strange limbo of life continuing in the aftermath of personal catastrophe, told through a non-linear narrative that feels reflective of the way trauma disrupts time.

Rather than leaning on melodrama, the film finds strength in quiet moments and unresolved emotions, capturing the complexity of platonic love between Agnes (Victor) and Lydie (Naomi Ackie) — two PhD candidates whose bond is unshakable even in the wake of unfathomable hardships — and the endurance it requires. "Sorry, Baby" has become one of the standout releases in A24's catalog, and Victor's voice as a filmmaker is already so assured that it's almost hard to believe this is a debut. (BJ Colangelo)

James Gunn's "Superman" has a whole lot riding on its broad, caped shoulders, serving as the first big tentpole film in Gunn's DC Universe and establishing his version of Superman and his many allies and enemies. Starring David Corenswet as the titular hero, who hides out by day as bespectacled Daily Planet reporter Clark Kent, "Superman" is everything a superhero movie should be and more. It's a heartfelt crowd-pleaser that's willing to get silly with a phenomenal supporting cast that includes Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor, Nathan Fillion as Green Lantern Guy Gardner, and Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane. There are plenty of deep-cut references and killer comic book cameos to satisfy even the most hardcore DC Comics fan while also telling a story about identity and family that's pretty darn universal, whether you're from Kansas or Krypton.

Gunn made the smart decision not to tell "Superman" as an origin story, but it does feature a lot of Superman processing his own origins; "Superman" is a story about an immigrant who loves America even when it's hostile to him and claims him as an enemy. It's a potentially controversial story that's told with a lot of heart and humor, and it's exactly the Superman story that we need right now. There's also a ridiculously cute super-dog, a phenomenal soundtrack, and some truly exciting action sequences, making it so "Superman" has a little something for everyone. (Danielle Ryan)

It's always a pleasant surprise when a movie toes the line between several different genres, making it difficult to pin down. Such is the case with "Twinless," a psychological thriller that's also a dark comedy and a drama about grief that lets "The Maze Runner" star Dylan O'Brien prove that his career can take the same compelling turns as fellow young adult cinema breakout star Robert Pattinson. In "Twinless," Dylan O'Brien plays Roman, a young man grieving the death of his identical twin brother Rocky after a tragic car accident. When he stumbles upon a support group for twinless twins, he meets a man named Dennis (James Sweeney, who also makes a confident directorial debut with the film), and the two strike up a warm friendship that lets them both find solace in each other's presence. 

However, what makes "Twinless" particularly excellent and unique lies in a surprising turn that the story makes, one that we don't want to spoil here. But let's just say that it creates a total tonal shift in the movie that is absolutely riveting. Sweeney does a magnificent job playing a pathetic sort of friend, and O'Brien shows incredible range, playing dual roles in a story that lets him show many different sides to his talent."Twinless" is funny, heartbreaking, shocking, and easily one of the best movies of the year. (Ethan Anderton)

Three years after making his feature directing debut with the surprising, scary, and, at times, darkly funny "Barbarian," Zach Cregger delivered a sophomore effort that, in terms of second movies, belongs to a rarefied class that includes masterpieces like "Raising Arizona," "American Graffiti," and "Boogie Nights." Speaking of Paul Thomas Anderson, "Weapons" is essentially "Magnolia" reimagined as a horror movie, an ensemble piece that brings disparate characters together in unexpected ways. The difference here is that there's a single tragedy tearing these characters apart: at 2:17 AM on a school night, all of the kids from a single elementary classroom, save for one (Cary Christopher), ran out of their houses and disappeared into the night. 

It's an inexplicable, seemingly unsolvable mystery, one that Cregger investigates by plunging us into the sadness and anguish of those directly impacted by the loss of the children. From Julia Garner's demonized teacher to Josh Brolin's angrily obsessed father, determined to find his missing child and so on, Cregger paints a portrait of a fractured community that's pretty clearly a microcosm of the unceasing hostility that has polluted our lives.

Cregger's a natural born crowd-pleaser, so he gives a hissable (if wildly eccentric) villain in the form of Amy Madigan's dying witch. She's sapping the children of their lifeforce and using them to carry out her nefarious whims. This battle for the control of these kids' minds reflects another conflict being waged in our world, and, in Cregger's film, breaking the spell (and literally tearing Madigan's witch apart) might not fix these kids. It's like young people born after 9/11. The world has been at war for their entire lives. The idea of living in a sane, peaceful world is unthinkable. (Jeremy Smith)