2025 was a really fascinating year for movies. We got blockbusters, auteur vehicles, and truly sterling international films – it’s no wonder that it took me so long to narrow down this top 10! I am happy to report that with maybe one exception, this was one of the easiest top 10s I’ve ever put together. A bit about the methodology I used here: in order to be in consideration for this list a film needed to be released in the US in 2025, submitted for Oscars consideration, or be a movie I saw at TIFF in 2025. You’ll see a list of films that bridge cultural divides, filmmaking techniques, and above, represent the best in what the form can offer.
Top 10 Movies of 2025
10. One Battle After Another: This is one of those films that felt like it might slip out of my top 10 but the more I thought about it, the more it’s brilliance kept shinning through. Paul Thomas Anderson brings a surety to the film, but does not skimp on the panache. Leo is as good as he’s ever been and the supporting performances from Teyana Taylor, Sean Penn, and Chase Infiniti crackle with energy.
9. Homebound: Among this movie’s many strengths is the incorporation of COVID in a way that feels as real as it did in 2020. Outside of that, this is a heart wrenching drama about two friends in India (one is Muslim and one is a Dalit) who want to become police officers and the journey the go on. Ishaan Khatter and Vishal Jethwa are dynamite as the two leads, I don’t know if I rooted for two people more to get what they wanted than these two. While both are great, I will say it was nice to see Khatter really dig his teeth into juicy dramatic role after watching him in the sudsy Netflix show, The Royals. The script here is solid and I think the editing of this movie is an underrated success weaving the multiple character storylines in a nice way. – Review
8. Sinners: When the movie hits, it really hits. Ryan’s script is quite fascinating to parse through with multiple viewings. In many ways, Sinners is a movie that is defined by its many excesses as it is by its nuances. It’s a sprawling character drama, an American Gialo, a potboiler, and a history lesson. That’s the mark of a good movie and one that I will happily keep rewatching, to see if there’s a new avenue or message that can meet me where I am. Safe inside. With garlic if necessary. – Read Full Review
7. Jane Austen Wrecked My Life: One of the biggest surprises of the first half of the year, this film, directed by Laura Piani, is so sharp in its analysis of Jane Austen’s work, while also being a lovely homage to it. Camile Rutherford, Charlie Anson, and Pablo Pauly are a delight as the central trio.
6. Sabar Bonda (Cactus Pears): The second 2025 release that I saw, it’s one of the movies that has most stayed with me as the year went on. Even now I think on its revolutionary quietness, really lovely direction, and lived in performances. Chronicling a gay man’s return to his home for a funeral and what springs out of that, is a wonderful look at a community in India and an even better glimpse into the humanity everyone deserves to have portrayed on screen.
5. A Normal Family: Do you like mess? Do you want to see phenomenal acting? Well, A Normal Family is here for you. Truly one of the best films of the festival, it chronicles two brothers, their wives, and their kids, as their lives become challenged by their jobs and shocking acts of violence. It’s insane that the inciting incident of this film is maybe like 5% related to what the movie is actually about, and watching the families twist themselves into pretzels over complicated morality was a sight to behold.
4. Kokuho: With a premise like having the son of a yakuza boss and the heir to a kabuki acting dynasty becoming rivals, the movie was sure to intrigue me, but the film directed by Sang-il Lee, eschews really easy wins and goes for the more interesting human moments. Watching these two boys, then men, help and ruin each other’s lives as well as their own, is so thrilling. Kudos to the actors who played the main characters (Ryo Yoshizawa and Ryusei Yokohama as adults and Soya Kurokawa and Keitatsu Koshiyama as teens) who brilliantly ground their characters and let the operatic nature of tale unfold. – Review
3. Black Bag: What a delight it is to live in the same time as Steven Soderbergh. In 2025, we got Black Bag, a taut spy thriller that is a mix between Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and Mr. and Mrs. Smith. Slick, thrilling and brimming with energy, Black Bag is one of the best spy movies in recent memory. – Read Full Review
2. It Was Just an Accident: Yeah, I totally understand how this won the Palme d’Or at Cannes. Just a remarkable movie that manages to be a stern rebuke, a thriller, and one of the funniest movies of the eyar all in one. This is the first film I have seen from Jafar Panahi and what a start to my journey! I love the way Iranian directors pose simple moral questions to their characters and then watch them spin out. – Review
1. Ky Nam Inn: Perfection, thy name is Ky Nam Inn. Like a Cupid’s Arrow through the heart, this movie completely enraptured me with its beautiful story, lush visuals, and heart grabbing emotions. – Read Full Review