I’m about to blow your mind: the staff at CinemaBlend really loves movies. I know, the idea that a bunch of people who work for an entertainment news website (one with “cinema” in the name) have an affinity for film seems crazy, but it’s true. Totalling all of the new releases that each of us has individually seen since January, the number is over 1,600, and it rises every day. And when you watch as much as we do, you find that there is plenty to appreciate from what is being produced in the modern age of the artform.
Every year, the CinemaBlend staff makes a point of tracking all of the new films we see and judging them from one (awful) to five (perfect) in half point increments – the same as the star rating system in the site’s review section. Any title that has been seen by five or more people is put into consideration for our end-of-year ranking, with view count and vote distribution as tiebreakers… and the end result is below! Without further ado, and with various voices from our team offering thoughts about some of their favorite titles of the year, here are the 15 best movies of 2025, according to CinemaBlend!
#15. If I Had Legs I'd Kick You
Average Score: 4.1/5
Mary Bronstein's If I Had Legs I'd Kick You is neither an entertaining movie nor a pleasant movie – but it most certainly is a wowing experience. The phenomenal Rose Byrne delivers the greatest performance of her excellent career, and it's stunning how the film continually twists your guts with the protagonist’s palpable and escalating motherhood-induced anxiety.
At no point during If I Had Legs I’d Kick You are audiences left to feel completely at ease, as writer/director Mary Bronstein keeps the focus locked in on the downward spiral of Rose Byrne’s mother-in-crisis Linda, who may or may not be prolonging her largely unseen child’s medical disorder. Tension-easing performances from Conan O’Brien and ASAP Rocky, as well as a flabbergasting arc for Unbelievable vet Danielle Macdonald, complement Byrne’s ever-present vulnerability as a therapist succumbing to (and sometimes embracing) her own mental struggles. Emotionally wrought and surreal in equal doses, this movie does indeed have legs.
Nick Venable, Assistant Managing Editor
#14. Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery
Average Score: 4.139/5
Wake Up Dead Man doesn’t sport the same kind of “fun” that writer/director Rian Johnson instilled in his previous Benoit Blanc mysteries, but what hasn’t changed is the filmmaker’s ability to deliver exciting twists and turns via an exciting ensemble of talented stars. It’s a dark tale of religion, greed, and murder that keeps the series’ winning streak going and again has us waiting with bated breath for the next installment.
We’ve seen twice before that writer/director Rian Johnson and Benoit Blanc actor Daniel Craig can deliver the goods with a Knives Out movie, but I’m especially impressed with how Wake Up Dead Man turned out. Taking on a darker tone than its predecessors and delving into the complexities of religion from both positive and negative stances, the third entry in this whodunit film series is my favorite yet. It’s further bolstered by compelling performances from Josh O’Connor, Glenn Close and Josh Brolin, making me wish we could have spent even more time with these characters.
Adam Holmes, Senior Content Producer
#13. Superman
Average Score: 4.159/5
How do you build a comic book movie universe in the year 2025? Step one is “ask James Gunn,” because his work on Superman demonstrates that he knows exactly what he is doing. The writer/director does a brilliant job world building with the first blockbuster from the new DC Universe, but more importantly, he also has a great story to tell with the last son of Krypton – with the hero forced to question his identity amid major personal revelations and rising global conflict instigated by the genius egoist Lex Luthor.
James Gunn once again proves he's a savant of the comic book genre with Superman. In just one movie, he is able to create a vivid and colorful new world, one with his unique sensibility. The movie has a ton of heart, visual spectacle, as well as the comedic beats the director has become synonymous with. Just like it's title character, Superman is full of hope and wonder and shows what the new DCU will bring to theaters moving forward.
Corey Chichizola, Movies Editor
#12. The Long Walk
Average Score: 4.167/5
In an atmosphere where a vast majority of movies conclude with a happy ending, I think it is downright healthy to watch movies that leave you feeling like you’ve just taken a sucker punch to the gut, and Francis Lawrence’s The Long Walk is arguably the film of the year in that regard. As devastating as the conclusion is, however (and it’s even darker than the Stephen King source material), what you really come away marveling at are the remarkable performances and chemistry between stars Cooper Hoffman and David Jonsson.
Movies based on the works of Stephen King have been nearly as prolific as the author himself. I’ve been a fan of King since I was far too young to be reading his work, so I’m always curious when a new adaptation comes along. The Long Walk is simultaneously one of the best films ever made inspired by his work, and the one I may never watch again. It’s as beautiful, and, ironically, life-affirming, as it is heartbreaking and depressing. I haven’t stopped thinking about it since I saw it, and I’m not sure I’ll ever stop.
Stephen "Dirk" Libbey, Content Producer
#11. Bring Her Back
Average Score: 4.188/5
As is well reflected in this ranking, 2025 was a remarkable year for the horror movies, and brothers Danny and Michael Philippou further demonstrated themselves to be key new voices in the genre with Bring Her Back. The film is far darker than the duo’s feature debut Talk To Me (which made our list in 2023), but it’s equally fascinating and even more nightmare-inducing.
While many horror movies go for the jugular instead of the heartstrings, Danny and Michael Philippou’s second feature Bring Her Back aims at both for a bullseye that’s increasingly disturbing to watch but impossible to look away from. Sally Hawkins’ delivers a genre-defying performance as grieving mother Laura, and co-stars Billy Barratt and Sora Wong are just as impressive as foster children unwittingly entering a nightmare beyond their understanding. Sure, Bring Her Back has one of the most jarring body-horror sequences of all-time, but it deserves its Best Of 2025 placement because its emotional beats are every bit as brutal.
Nick Venable, Assistant Managing Editor
#10. Train Dreams
Average Score: 4.188/5
One of the most moving films of the year is also one of the simplest. Clint Bentley's Train Dreams, based on the novella of the same name by Denis Johnson, doesn't feature any hellacious twists or big action sequences; it’s purely the tale of a man in the Pacific Northwest in 20th century America, working to provide for his family as a logger and coping with the hardships that such a life entails. Simple as it may be, however, it’s both entrancing and powerful, with awesome messages about masculinity and grief.
When I first heard about Train Dreams earlier this year, I didn’t know what to expect. I heard a lot of buzz about Clint Bentley’s Netflix drama about a logger in the Pacific Northwest, but I avoided trailers, reviews, or anything else until pressing play. And I’m glad I did. This meditative and transfixing exploration of loss and grief in a tough and unforgiving world is something that has stuck with me since the credits rolled, and I don’t think I’ll soon forget it.
Philip Sledge, Content Producer
#9. Warfare
Average Score: 4.2/5
As far as visceral cinematic experiences go in 2025, few competed with the power of Alex Garland and Ray Mendoza’s Warfare. Instead of telling any kind of traditional war story, the film is based on Mendoza’s personal experiences in combat and operates by embedding the audience alongside a group of soldiers as they find themselves in violent and desperate circumstances requiring emergency evacuation.
Without a doubt, the most intense movie I saw this year is Warfare, from directors Alex Garland and Ray Mendoza. It tells the true story of Mendoza’s SEAL team occupying a house in Ramadi, Iraq, after the Battle of Ramadi in 2006. The action mostly plays out in real time as the SEALs provide support for Marines conducting operations in the city. The visceral sights and sounds are among the most profound depictions in any war movie I’ve ever seen. It’s raw, emotional, and terrifying. I didn’t stop gripping my seat for the entire 95 minutes.
Hugh Scott, Syndication Editor
#8. Bugonia
Average Score: 4.214/5
I think it’s fair to say that the entire movie industry would benefit if writer/director Yorgos Lanthimos and star Emma Stone continued making films together for the rest of their lives. Their collaboration had already yielded the awesomeness of The Favourite, Poor Things and Kinds Of Kindness prior to 2025, and Bugonia is their fourth artistic victory as collaborators. It’s bold and weird while also still having something vital to say about our modern world.
Bugonia had me at "alien conspirator kidnaps the CEO of a big corporation." But, for some reason I thought this would be the one where Yorgos Lanthimos and Emma Stone finally flew too close to the sun. That's absolutely not the case, given Bugonia is toes a great line of being darkly hilarious and having something really profound to say about the state of humanity. It's haunting, but in the kind of weird way where you make friends with the ghost, and it packs the kind of bite I want more science fiction movies to have.
Sarah El-Mahmoud, Staff Writer
#7. Weapons
Average Score: 4.289/5
Writer/director Zach Cregger impressed us in 2022 with the wild surprises of Barbarian, but that was just an appetizer for the epic that is Weapons. The structure of the movie is brilliant (an anthology with stories set up like carefully placed dominos); the characters are all vivid and delightfully damaged; the horrors are shocking; and the ending alone made it one of the most fun big screen experiences of 2025.
I love when a movie throws a lot of nonsensical events at me, and then by the end of it all, it makes sense. I give all the credit in the world to Zach Cregger for giving us a poignant and acclaimed film that is essentially a modern fairy tale jammed with subtle references to his previous sketch comedy show, The Whitest Kids U Know. Out of every movie I watched in 2025, this is one I desperately wish I could erase from memory and watch fresh all over again.
Mick Joest, Content Producer
#6. Eternity
Average Score: 4.35/5
From Albert Brooks' Defending Your Life to Michael Schur's philosophy-rich series The Good Place, the afterlife has frequently proven to be fertile ground for storytelling, and the CinemaBlend staff has a deep affection for director David Freyne's exploration in Eternity, which finds its deceased protagonist (Elizabeth Olsen) torn between spending the rest of her existence with her first love (Callum Turner) or the man to whom she was married for the majority of her life (Miles Teller).
Eternity is exactly what it sounds like: a touching story of a woman who dies and has to choose to spend her afterlife with either the young love who died at war or the man who sometimes farted in her bed for 40 years. What I didn’t expect was that it would thoughtfully dive into notions of love that are rarely touched on in movies, and to do so with a bunch of irreverent jokes and lovely set design to boot. It’s my favorite rom-com of the last decade, and I hope you get the chance to see it before you kick the bucket.
Jessica Rawden, Managing Editor
#5. 28 Years Later
Average Score: 4.35/5
Fans had to wait patiently for decades hoping that we would someday see the continuation of the story from 28 Days Later and the (underrated) 28 Weeks Later. That’s an atmosphere that can create unreasonable expectations – but thankfully, director Danny Boyle and screenwriter Alex Garland successfully met the challenge. The film is its own special kind of nightmare, with Britain being isolated because of the spreading and evolving Rage virus, but it’s also a powerful coming-of-age drama with an allegory about living in our modern society.
28 Years Later is a gripping, emotional return to a world that was forever changed by rage and survival. It keeps things intense while expanding the story in an interesting way. The movie is visually haunting and does not shy away from the decay and gore that one would expect from a virus-warped society. Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and Ralph Fiennes lead the cast with powerful performances that bring humanity to the chaos. The themes of fear, loss, grief, and never-ending resilience run throughout. I teared up more than once. Fans have waited a long time for more stories from this world, and 28 Years Later is a fantastic addition.
Tiffney Ma, Social Media Editor
#4. Hamnet
Average Score: 4.375/5
Given the breadth, importance and influence of his work, William Shakespeare is a historical figure whom we principally look back on through the lens of his legendary plays and sonnets – but it’s forever a mistake to forget the humanity of an artist, and that’s precisely what Chloe Zhao’s Hamnet does incredibly well. It brings us into the life of the man as his career takes him away from those he loves most, and it explores the immense tragedy that inspired one of his most iconic works.
Between Chloe Zhao's direction and Jessie Buckley's incredible performance as Agnes, Hamnet exceeded my hopes. In addition to the rawness of Buckley's performance, particularly in the scenes where her character's strength, pain and grief are on full display, I appreciate the time spent allowing us to see the bonds of love develop between these characters, which made their loss more painful to watch, but the ending all the more meaningful. Much like Maggie O'Farrell's book, I love how the story focuses on Agnes, while also allowing us to see her famous husband through her eyes, particularly as she seeks to understand him, his work, and his own grief.
Kelly West Assistant, Managing Editor
#3. The Life Of Chuck
Average Score: 4.389/5
With its strict three act structure, reverse chronology, and collection of linked-but-disparate stories, Mike Flanagan’s The Life Of Chuck is one of the more unconventional movies to be released in 2025 – but its unique qualities let it hit on some powerful universal themes, and it culminates as a life affirming cinematic experience. Another winner from the mind of Stephen King, the film is a beautiful exploration of the impact that each and every one of us makes simply by existing.
When the credits on The Life of Chuck were rolling, I was sobbing uncontrollably. That has never happened to me, ever, and months after this experience, I’m still thinking about why that happened. I think it’s ultimately because Mike Flanagan’s adaptation of this Stephen King novella is both existential and life-affirming, and it’s a glorious reminder that even though we’re just one blip in the vast universe, we contain multitudes and “deserve to be wonderful.” Through a reverse-chronological structure, this film kept me on my toes and had me thinking a whole lot about life in brand new ways. And by the end, it reminded me why the short life I get to live is worth dancing through.
Riley Utley, Weekend Editor
#2. One Battle After Another
Average Score: 4.636/5
It’s not every year that one of the greatest voices in contemporary cinema delivers a brilliant blend of revolutionary action film and stoner comedy, but that’s precisely what Paul Thomas Anderson cooked up with One Battle After Another, and it’s hell of a ride. While inspired by a book published 35 years ago, its revolutionary energy is a perfect match for modern zeitgeist, and while it has something to say, it’s also delightfully tongue-in-cheek.
I didn’t know Paul Thomas Anderson had it in him. While he is the director of sometimes frustratingly cerebral movies like There Will Be Blood, and Phantom Thread, One Battle After Another is an engaging, sometimes white-knuckle thriller that deals with everything from white supremacy, to far-left politics, to even fatherhood. The whole cast is spectacular, but Leonardo DiCaprio as a reefer-loving ex-revolutionary, and Benicio del Toro as a neighborhood leader, definitely steal the movie. Sean Penn is also terrifying (and somewhat goofy), and I have high hopes for Chase Infiniti’s future. I thought I’d like this movie; I didn’t know I’d love it!
Rich Knight, Content Producer
#1. Sinners
Average Score: 4.694/5
There is a very small number of filmmakers and stars in 21st century Hollywood who have the power to make a true blockbuster hit without the benefit of established intellectual property, but Ryan Coogler and Michael B. Jordan flexed big in 2025 with the masterpiece that is Sinners. The story may take place over the course of a single day, but that does nothing to take away from its epic scope – introducing a collection of terrific characters, developing an exciting crime story with the establishment of a prohibition-era juke joint, playing some mind-expanding music, and burning it all down with horrifying vampire action. What more can you ask for from a movie?
I’m not the biggest fan of horror movies in the world, but I absolutely loved Sinners. Not only is it CinemaBlend’s pick for the best film of the year, it’s at the top of my personal list, too. Everything about the movie, from Ryan Coogler’s expert direction to the amazing music (the dancing scene is also my favorite movie scene of the year) to Michael B. Jordan’s performance in not one, but two roles is as perfect as a movie gets. My only regret was not seeing it opening night. I’ll be rooting for win a bunch of awards in early 2026.
Hugh Scott, Syndication Editor
What cinematic treasures await us in 2026? We here at CinemaBlend can’t wait to find out, and we hope that all of you reading this will explore alongside us in the new year.
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