2025 was filled with major directors releasing career-defining films, between Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another and Ryan Coogler’s Sinners. In an era where the future of movie theaters feels uncertain, this year proved that word-of-mouth still travels fast when it comes to art — and that people still care about the human creatives behind them all. 

Here are my favorite movies of the year.

10. National Theatre Live: Dr. Strangelove (Dir. Sean Foley)

I had to give this a mention on my year-end list as a 2025 release. I’m still absolutely kicking myself that I didn’t get the chance to see this live (or the fact that it got zero nominations for theater). The quick costume changes and shifts between four different characters, a step up from Peter Sellers’ three roles in the film, kept my jaw dropped on how well he was able to pull this off. I would love to pay to see Steve in a Broadway play, but I’ll also settle for The White Lotus for now.

9. Ella McCay (Dir. James L. Brooks)

The viral social media pose challenge aside, Ella McCay was just a cute film. Sometimes it’s just nice to have an easy watch now and again. And I loved this one.

8. Mr. Burton (Dir. Marc Evans)

I can’t lie, the main reason I watched this initially was for Harry Lawtey — which tracks for me. I’m probably the only person I know who has actually seen this. Yet, I actually enjoyed it more than I thought I would, and learned a bit from the biographical drama. The dynamic between Harry and his older mentor turned me into a puddle.

7. Marty Supreme (Dir. Josh Safdie)

I really wanted to like this a lot more than I did. All the performances are top-notch. However, the ending didn’t quite hit for me and felt weirdly out-of-character for the carefree and careless Marty. Is it too late to get the vampire cut?

6. Black Bag (Dir. Steven Soderbergh)

Electric. Hot. Spies. Enough said.

5. After the Hunt (Dir. Luca Guadagnino)

After catching After the Hunt at a festival in the fall, I was shocked to find out that everyone at the screening hated it. I think Julia Roberts gives a fantastic performance. I love a film with complicated dynamics, comparable to her previous role in 2004’s Closer. Was the execution slightly messy and the sounds jarring at times? Sure. But it left me thinking a bit about all of the characters for a while after watching it.

4. Hedda (Dir. Nia DaCosta)

‘Hedda Gabler’ is one of my all-time favorite plays. After previously watching the National Theatre revival, I was excited to see another spin on the text through Nia DaCosta’s Hedda. Tessa Thompson taps into the character’s delightful taste for chaos, setting up the tension between . The costumes are absolutely stunning.

3. One Battle After Another (Dir. Paul Thomas Anderson)

One Battle After Another was fittingly the summer blockbuster. The action never stalls and the ensemble brings their best performances to the film. Hell, my dad even watched it — and even if he didn’t understand it fully, it’s nearly impossible to say it’s not compelling.

2. Blue Moon (Dir. Richard Linklater)

I love going to grab a drink at Sardi’s before a Broadway show, watching the bartenders in their white tuxedos waltz around the room and entertaining the other professionals in the upstairs area. Blue Moon captures that old-school nostalgia, transporting viewers to a time where the patrons smoked at the counter and men like Ethan Hawke’s portrayal of Lorenz Hart were on top of the world. However, we find Hart at the start of his downfall, trying to cling to everyone and anyone who just might love him. 

1. Jay Kelly (Dir. Noah Baumbach)

While it proved to be a big year for films about complicated dynamics between parents and their kids, Jay Kelly has stuck with me a lot more than Sentimental Value did. George Clooney is cluelessly unaware of his failures throughout life, resulting in a heartbreaking finale where he is practically alone at his grand career retrospective. Riley Keough and Billy Crudup are also two of my favorites — allowing the film to showcase the trail of destruction that Jay left behind.