These 10 best films floated to the top of the pack in 2025. All are Oscar® worthy on some level, in some category. Watch them in theaters or stream them and you’ll see for yourself.
Hamnet (****)
A woman in a forest has a lot to learn about life and forgiveness. Watching her metamorphosis is transfixing. It becomes a wondrous and increasingly enchanting narrative that segues into one of the most famous plays ever written. Scripted and directed by Oscar®-winner Chloé Zhao. Expertly acted by Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal. Features drama of Shakespearian proportions. A catharsis that will leave audiences spent and in a meditative state.
A House of Dynamite (****)
“Object remains inbound!” Those aren’t the words you want to hear when a nuclear missile is headed your way. Yet that’s the ominous news that bombards government officials in this pulse-quickening thriller. Oscar®-winning director Kathryn Bigelow (The Hurt Locker) skillfully offers three perspectives of the same astounding incident. The sterling, lockstep ensemble cast includes Anthony Ramos, Rebecca Ferguson, Jason Clarke and Idris Elba. Bigelow, Noah Oppenheim’s script and the talented actors take you there. By film’s end you’ll need a stiff drink, some strong weed or a calming walk around the block. That’s the mark of a riveting thriller. That’s what’s coming inbound.
The Lost Bus (***1/2)
It started with a spark, and no one knew how it would end. That’s how the deadliest fire in California history went down on November 18th, 2018, in Butte County, California. School bus driver Kevin McCay (Matthew McConaughey) swings into action and tries to save lives. Meticulously, director Paul Greengrass (United 93) sets up the story, coordinates the genius special effects, places the characters in position and lights a blaze under it all. A sustained chaos lasts for two hours and nine minutes. Dread and fear linger. That’s why your nerves will be frayed long after the final credits roll.
Marty Supreme (***1/2)
He’s reckless and ambitious. A loser who never gives up. Born poor but has big dreams. Ping-pong becomes his way up and out of his low-income Jewish American community on New York’s Lower East Side. Marty Mauser (Timothee Chalamet) tries desperately to become a table tennis champion in the ‘50s and ‘60s. Writer/director Josh Safdie (Uncut Gems) has chosen a worthy subject and the perfect, brassy young actor for the lead. It’s as if every role Chalamet has ever done was a building block to this moment. Kinetic. Chaotic. Continuously barreling towards disaster. Innovative direction. Pretty good script. Koto Kawaguchi, Gweneth Paltrow and Odessa A’zion costar. If only roller coasters were this exciting.
My Father’s Shadow (****)
“May the four colors of the earth bless me. I will see you in my dreams.” Writer/director Akinola Davies has a poetic way with words. Also, a great feel for sensitive and compelling storytelling in this father/son allegory. Two young bickering Nigerian brothers, the extroverted Remi (Chibuike Marvelous Egbo) and introverted Aki (Godwin Chiemerie Egbo), live in a rural town. The day they reunite with their estranged dad Folarin (Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù, Gangs of London) in Lagos, there’s a monumental shift in their father/son relationship. Reminiscent of the Oscar® winning film Moonlight. A touching meditation on fatherhood, political strife and the frailty of life.
On Becoming a Guinea Fowl (***1/2)
Dead uncle in the middle of the road. Do you hit the brakes or accelerate? British writer/director Rungano Nyoni has her own take on the #MeToo movement as it concerns her home country, Zambia. She prefers a modern fable. One in which the protagonist must find her voice to speak her truths. Susan Chardy plays the twentysomething with a lesson to learn and abuse that must be exposed. A mirrored mask with imbedded sunglasses is her headwear, a black balloon-type costume is her garb. It’s an indelible image. One of many in this modern, feminist allegory. Finally, guilt is heaved off the victim onto the perpetrator. It’s a revelation.
The Secret Agent (****)
“I am under a death threat… it’s a dangerous situation.” Marcelo (Wagner Moura, Narcos), a tech research scientist at a university is being hunted. During Brazil’s infamous military dictatorship in 1977, he and throngs of others are fleeing from those who’d kill them. Kleber Mendonça Filho artfully writes and directs this historical political/thriller that blends genres and defies expectations. His thoughtful, intelligent and forewarning script drifts in and out of time periods. Those who’re victimized and those who perpetrate evil will be revealed or exposed. That’s what this masterpiece tells all who will listen.
Sentimental Value (****)
Absentee dads and the repercussions of their behavior drive the storyline in this Norwegian family drama. A large imposing red house in Oslo is the setting. Oscar® nominated screenwriter Joachim Trier (The Worst Person in the World) directs from a poignant script co-written with Eskil Vogt. A wayward father (Stellan Skarsgård) tries to reconnect with his two grown and embittered daughters, Nora (Renate Reinsve) and Agnes (Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas). Expect friction. Be surprised by the ending. Perfectly directed, written, produced and acted. It’s like watching group therapy—and you’re in the group!
Sinners (***)
Writer/director Ryan Coogler digs into the horror genre and brings a formidable production crew with him. Cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw (Black Panther: Wakanda Forever), production designer Hannah Beachler (Oscar®-winner Black Panther), costume designer Ruth E. Carter (Oscar® winner Black Panther) and others. Twin brothers Smoke and Stack (Michael B. Jordan) return to rural Mississippi to open up a juke joint. Vampires won’t leave them alone. Dazzling imagery, audio effects, skilled direction and strong performances. Somewhere in this hefty, 137-minute, audacious supernatural film is a more phenomenal 120-minute movie.
Wicked: For Good (***1/2)
“I’ve heard it said. That people come into our lives for a reason…” Figuring that out is the main task for Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) and Glinda (Ariana Grande). But the Wizard of Oz (Jeff Goldblum) and his henchwoman Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh) are out to destroy Elphaba and stopping them won’t be easy. The narrative gets richer and more fanciful with every frame and swirls to an ending with enough twists to surprise everyone. Jon M. Chu’s direction and the excellent production elements are extraordinary. Though, the film’s strongest elements are the two leads. A touching lesson about friendship gives them both room to shine.
Visit Film Critic Dwight Brown at DwightBrownInk.com.
BEST OF THE BEST 2025
This year’s great performances, smart directing and behind-the-lens talent deserve recognition. Documentaries, animation, first films and honorable mention movies should be lauded too. That’s why they’re in this “Best of the Best” listing. Let it be your guide to the best in film in 2025.
Honorable mention films: 28 Years Later, Black Bag, The Choral, Dead Man’s Wire, F1, Father Mother Sister Brother, Hedda, The History of Sound, Is This Thing On?, Nuremberg, One of Them Days, The Smashing Machine, Sorry, Baby, Superman, Warfare, Weapons
Best Directors: Jon M. Chu (Wicked: For Good), Ryan Coogler (Sinners), Akinola Davies (My Father’s Shadow), Josh Safdie (Marty Supreme), Chloé Zhao (Hamnet)
Best First Films: East of Wall (Kate Beecroft) My Father’s Shadow (Akinola Davies), One of Them Days (Lawrence Lamont), Sorry, Baby (Eva Victor), Warfare (Ray Mendoza)
Best Foreign Language Films: My Father’s Shadow, An Officer and a Spy, On Becoming a Guinea Fowl, The Secret Agent, Sentimental Value
Best Documentaries: Orwell: 2+2=5, The Perfect Neighbor, Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk, Seeds
Best Animation: Arco, K-Pop Demon Hunters, Zootopia 2
Best Actors: Timothée Chalamet (Marty Supreme), Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù (My Father’s Shadow), Joel Edgerton (Train Dreams) Dwayne Johnson (The Smashing Machine), Wagner Moura (The Secret Agent)
Best Actresses: Jessie Buckley (Hamnet), Julia Garner (Weapons), Renate Reinsve (Sentimental Value), SZA (One of Them Days), Tessa Thompson (Hedda)
Best Supporting Actors: A$AP Rocky (Highest 2 Lowest), Delroy Lindo (Sinners) Paul Mescal (Hamnet), Anthony Ramos (House of Dynamite), Leo Woodall (Nuremberg)
Best Supporting Actresses: Emily Blunt (The Smashing Machine), Rebecca Ferguson (House of Dynamite), Amy Madigan (Weapons), Teyana Taylor (One Battle After Another), Mari Yamamoto (The Rental Family)
Best Screenplays: The History of Sound (Ben Shattuck), House of Dynamite (Noah Oppenheim), Marty Supreme (Josh Safdie), My Father’s Shadow (Akinola Davies and Wale Davies), The Secret Agent (Kleber Mendonça Filho)
Best Cinematography: Marty Supreme (Darius Khondji), Sinners (Autumn Durald Arkapaw), The Secret Agent (Evgenia Alexandrova), Train Dreams (Adolpho Veloso), Wicked: For Good (Alice Brooks)
HAPPY HOLIDAYS!