The Best & Worst Of 2025

 

Well, another year, another introductory paragraph about what the year was like. It's nothing new, but I do love it. 2025 was definitely interesting. I can't say for certain what exactly it was, but there felt like change in the air.

Truth be told, there were fewer outstanding films than normal. It took until at least mid-April for the first truly great film of the year. Great films, whenever they hit though, were phenomenal. That much can't be taken for granted and it seemed like the terrible films were relegated to very limited releases, streaming, or on demand. 

This year will follow roughly the same pattern as all years previous: best performances, best songs from films and the best and worst lists. Removed this year, for the first time, are my choices for the most overrated and underrated films of the year. I simply didn't see anything this year that differed drastically from the majority's opinion. I also didn't have any memorable theatergoing experiences to divulge this year. Oh, well. At least 2026, as of this writing, seems to be turning the wheels a bit better, so we shall see!

The Best Performances Of 2025 - Best Highlighted In Red

Best Actor
Tom Blyth - "Plainclothes"
Austin Butler - "Caught Stealing"
Timothee Chalamet - "Marty Supreme"
David Corenswet - "Superman"
Leonardo DiCaprio - "One Battle After Another"
Peter Dinklage - "The Toxic Avenger"
Joel Edgerton - "Train Dreams"
Taron Egerton - "She Rides Shotgun"
Colin Farrell - "A Big Bold Beautiful Journey"
Michael Fassbender - "Black Bag"
Ben Foster - "Sharp Corner"
Brendan Fraser - "Rental Family"
Tom Hardy - "Havoc"
Paul Walter Hauser - "The Luckiest Man In America"
Cooper Hoffman - "The Long Walk"
Tom Hiddleston - "The Life Of Chuck"
Dwayne Johnson - "The Smashing Machine"
Michael B. Jordan - "Sinners"
John Leguizamo - "Bob Trevino Likes It"
Liam Neeson - "The Naked Gun"
Bob Odenkirk - "Nobody 2"
Robert Pattinson - "Mickey 17"
Joaquin Phoenix - "Eddington"
Brad Pitt - "F1"
Jesse Plemmons - "Bugonia"
Glen Powell - "The Running Man"
Jack Quaid - "Novocaine"
Tim Robinson - "Friendship"
Sean William Scott - "Bad Man"
Bill Skarsgaard - "Dead Man's Wire"
Cody Steele - "Meat"
Channing Tatum - "Roofman"
Denzel Washington - "Highest 2 Lowest"
Jeremy Allen White - "Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere"

Best Actress
Ana De Armas - "Ballerina"
Jessie Buckley - "Hamnet"
Cynthia Erivo - "Wicked: For Good"
Elle Fanning - "Predator: Badlands"
Barbie Ferreria - "Bob Trevino Likes It"
Julia Garner - "Weapons"
Sally Hawkins - "Bring Her Back"
Chase Infiniti - "One Battle After Another"
Diane Lane - "Anniversary"
Emma Mackey - "Ella McCay"
Tatiana Maslany - "Keeper"
Keke Palmer - "One Of Them Days"
Florence Pugh -"Thunderbolts*"
Daisy Ridley - "Cleaner"
Margot Robbie - "A Big Bold Beautiful Journey"
Julia Roberts - "After The Hunt"
Amanda Seyfried - "The Testament Of Ann Lee"
Emma Stone - "Bugonia"
Anya Taylor-Joy - "The Gorge"
Sophie Thatcher - "Companion"
SZA - "One Of Them Days"
Eva Victor - "Sorry, Baby"
Samara Weaving - "Eenie Meanie"

Best Supporting Actor
Josh Brolin - "The Running Man"
Josh Brolin - "Weapons"
Miles Caton - "Sinners"
Anthony Covatta - "Meat"
Anthony Dain - "Meat"
Aidan Delbis - "Bugonia"
Peter Dinklage - "Roofman"
Colman Domingo - "The Running Man"
Alden Ehrenreich - "Weapons"
Jay Ellis - "Freaky Tales"
Jason Eno - "Meat"
Andrew Garfield - "After The Hunt"
Mark Hamill - "The Long Walk"
Hussein Hassan - "Meat"
Nicholas Hoult - "Superman"
Matt Kane - "Meat"
Delroy Lindo - "Sinners"
John Carroll Lynch - "She Rides Shotgun"
John Carroll Lynch - "Sorry, Baby"
Ben Mendelsohn - "Freaky Tales"
Dylan O'Brien - "Anniversary"
Jack O'Connell - "Sinners"
Tyler Okonma - "Marty Supreme"
Pedro Pascal - "Eddington"
Sean Penn - "One Battle After Another"
Paul Rudd - "Friendship"
Brandon Sklenar - "The Housemaid"
Benicio Del Toro - "One Battle After Another"
Russell Tovey - "Plainclothes"
George Tutie - "Meat"
Mark Wahlberg - "Flight Risk"


Best Supporting Actress
Marisa Abela - "Black Bag"
Naomie Ackie - "Sorry, Baby"
Pamela Anderson - "The Naked Gun"
Odessa A'zion - "Marty Supreme"
Jodie Comer - "28 Years Later"
Kerry Condon - "F1"
Jamioe Lee Curtis - "Ella McCay"
Kirsten Dunst - "Roofman"
Phoebe Dynevor - "Anniversary"
Ayo Edebiri - "After The Hunt"
McKenna Grace - "Anniversary"
Ariana Grande - "Wicked: For Good"
Regina Hall - "One Battle After Another"
Margaret Harper Jenkins - "Meat"
Jayme Lawson - "Sinners"
Lucy Liu - "Presence"
Amy Madigan - "Weapons"
Amber Midthunder - "Novocaine"
Wunmi Mosaku - "Sinners"
Katelynn Newberry - "Meat"
Jenna Ortega - "Hurry Up, Tomorrow"
Gwenyth Paltrow - "Marty Supreme"
Haley Lynn Rose - "Meat"
Amanda Seyfried - "The Housemaid"
Hailee Steinfeld - "Sinners"
Emma Stone - "Eddington"
Teyana Taylor - "One Battle After Another"

Best Vocal Performance
Jason Bateman - "Zootopia 2"
Ginnifer Goodwin - "Zootopia 2"
Mark Hamill - "The Spongebob Movie: Search For SquarePants"
Yonas Kibreab - "Elio"
Ke Huy Quan - "Zootopia 2"
Sam Rockwell - "The Bad Guys 2"
Zoe Saldana - "Elio"

Best Songs Made For Film

"Baby"
Lindsay Lohan
"Freakier Friday"

"Dangerous"
Hailee Steinfeld
"Sinners"

"Drive"
Ed Sheeran
"F1"

"Golden"
HUNTR/X
"KPop Demon Hunters"

"Hand That Feeds"
Halsey & Amy Lee
"Ballerina"

"HIM"
Denzel Curry
"HIM"

"How It's Done"
HUNTR/X
"KPop Demon Hunters"

"I Lied To You"
Miles Caton
"Sinners"

"Just Keep Watching"
Tate McRae
"F1"

"Messy"
ROSE
"F1"

"Takedown"
HUNTR/X
"KPop Demon Hunters"

The Worst Films Of 2025

Dishonorable Mentions: A Breed Apart; Alarum; Altered; Another Simple Favor; Borderline; Brave The Dark; Champagne Problems; Crush; Desert Dawn; Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale; Duplicity; Eden; Exit Protocol; Frozen: The Hit Broadway Musical; HIM; House On Eden; I Know What You Did Last Christmas; Into The Deep; Juliet & Romeo; Piglet; Saint Clare; Shadow Of God; Smurfs; Sneaks; Splitsville; Summer Of 69; The Empire; The Unbreakable Boy; The Woman In The Yard; Trainwreck: P.I. Moms; Trainwreck: The Real Project X; Until Dawn; Uppercut; War Of The Worlds; You're Cordially Invited

10. "The Home"

Max (Pete Davidson) is a perennial screw up and is facing a few months in jail for graffiti. In order to avoid facing jail time, his dad arranges for him to help out at a retirement home for a little bit. The problem? Everything is creepy AF. “The Home” is the latest from “Purge” originator James DeMonaco, and as such, it’s his worst film yet by a mile. The script for this movie is absolute dogshit that’s testing its laurels on one thing: old people are creepy. They’re not, and I’m kinda sick of seeing that trope in horror used so much. Pete Davidson is at least trying here in a role brand new to him, but he is consistently let down by how often his performance resorts to low energy effort, especially given the absolutely insane goings on here. Mean spirited and jus plain sloppy, the film adds a useless performance from Bruce Altman as a doctor not to be trusted and an absolutely careless and nonsensical twist that renders the whole thing from beyond stupid to flat out ridiculous. This is a film made by people who just do not care. The actors don’t care. The writers don’t care. The caterer’s probably didn’t care (although more than likely had good food). Why should we care? “The Home” is dreadfully sloppy dreck, as appealing as a soiled Depends.

9. "A Very Jonas Christmas Movie"

The Jonas Brothers, that would be Kevin, Nick and Joe, are the exact people that try desperately to seem interesting, when factually, they are some of the most boring people on the planet. In their newest venture, which I have to believe is a giant money laundering front, “A Very Jonas Christmas Movie” follows the three walking talking cardboard husks of humans as they plan on heading home for the holidays, but when a spell put on by a random bystander (Jesse Tyler Ferguson, supposed to be a facsimile of Santa but so inconsequential to the plot, it doesn’t matter) keeps them grounded, they have to work together to get home. I don’t know how it’s possible to screw up both a road trip movie and Christmas movie at the same time, but they did. First of all, again, the Jonas bros are not interesting, and the films attempts at self-deprecating humor just comes off as “oh wow, they’re rich and I’m not, who gives a shit?” The first scene they’re in, they’re shown getting ready to head onstage. They head onstage, sing one verse of a Christmas song, and then promptly end the concert. The following scene has them discussing how big the concert was, leaving the viewers baffled. As the three bicker and snip at each other, they very casually engage in not so subtle product placement (“TripAdvisor says this!” Joe exclaims at one point; “Santa has Spotify” is said early on) and dispel facts about themselves onto the audience. Did you know Kevin and Nick are married with children? Doesn’t that make them unique? These three Jonas’ cannot act, and they don’t even make an effort to try; they simply stand, talk monotonously and give no emotion. Their performances are not preferable to watching an elevator reaching the top floor of a shack. Every other actor here, and let’s face it, they’re here for name value and nothing else, are wasted. Billie Lourd is stuck behind a travel agency desk, Ferguson might as well not even have shown up, Andrew Barth Feldman is unctuous, Kenny G shows up to blow the sax and Will Ferrell is irritating, and not in a fun way, as a creepy fan of the trio who needs to be on several lists. The film doubles as a musical, and wouldn’t you know it, the songs are all dreadful. They’re not fun, they’re painfully lip-synced within an inch of their lives and they stop the films pace with a screeching halt whenever one arrives. Stuck in the woods (really a set) in the dark? Sing a ballad about how much you love your bros. Being a comedy, there are only two gags that work here: one is a line delivered by a daffy uber driver (“I hope I don’t get pulled over because the picture on my license isn’t me!”) and a visual gag in which they find themselves in a dilapidated hotel where the door lock is two tiny pieces of string. The rest of the film is painful to endure; it’s not funny, it’s not charming, it is grating on the nerves. By the time the Jonas brother get home, their family is all smiles, and really, that’s the message being conveyed loud and clear: “A Very Jonas Christmas Movie” is strictly for the Jonas brothers to enjoy. Everyone else? Sorry, sucks to suck.

8. "Stealing Pulp Fiction"

Something I really hate in movies is when characters speak about movies as if they’re above everyone, know more than the viewer and have nothing substantial to say on the subject. This is a recurring dialogue stance from “Stealing Pulp Fiction” a dreadfully tedious and unfunny film. Running just 78 minutes (and it’s a LONG 78 minutes) the film follows two people, Jonathan (Jon Rudnitsky) and Steve (Karan Soni). These two are insufferable for two different reasons; Jonathan is the suffocating film buff who loves movies and needs the audience to know it in every scene he’s in. He wants to have the swagger, cadence and charisma of Christian Slater, but Slater is likable in everything he does. Steve, on the other hand, talks and acts like a complete child, so much so that Jonathan treats him like one without a passing glance. These two want to steal a 35 millimeter print of “Pulp Fiction”. Why? Your guess is as good as mine. Jonathan mentions he wants to steal it just because, Steve goes along with whatever Jonathan does because that’s the depth of his character, Elizabeth (Cassie David), the friend they include because she has a car, wants to burn it, and their therapist (Jason Alexander), wants to sell it off for money. For an hour, we just watch as these nothing people make jokes that aren’t funny, sit at a restaurant or diner and chat endlessly about nothing, and then bungle their way through stealing the print. What’s interesting is that, after Tarantino sees them stealing the print (Seager Tennis portrays a wildly unfunny imitation of Tarantino complete with an embarrassingly fake chin), Jonathan changes his tune to say the plan was always to return the print after stealing it, even though no mention of that occurred anywhere in the movie. It’s also icky that Jonathan has a crush on a random woman and the way he plans to hit on her is to illegally get her file from his therapist and stalk where she likes to go to eat. Performances are stagnant and flat, humor is nowhere to be found and the whole thing comes off as embarrassing and anticlimactic. I always appreciate independent cinema. I appreciate people that can get out there and make a feature length film. That being said, if the movie completely sucks, then what was the point? Sure, people might like it, others may not but pretend they do to appease their friends. If anyone in Cleveland made this, I would absolutely stand by my opinion that this is rancid, but I would still love them. 

7. "Everyone Is Going To Die"

Home invasions are nothing new in film. Done right, you get stuff like “Funny Games” or “The Strangers”. Done wrong? You get stuff like this. “Everyone Is Going To Die” is a very on the nose title for a film that treats its audience like feral hostages. When two people invade the home of Daniel (Brad Moore), things get ugly real fast. Really, they don’t so much as invade it as they do walk right in. It’s embarrassing how much of a fight Daniel never puts up through the entire duration of this sad, pathetic endeavor. Brad Moore seems to be an actor incapable of making any facial expression other than one of confusion mixed with  disgust and he emotes about as well as a wall. Donning Comedy and Tragedy masks, the woman playing Comedy, Jaime Winstone, is outrageously awful, delivering one of the worst performances in a film this year. She’s shrill, obnoxious, unfunny and horrible. Tragedy is asked not to speak much, which is too bad, considering that once she does, she’s not too bad. Aggressively unpleasant and vile in its treatment of assault victims and repugnant as it is, “Everyone Is Going To Die” runs on empty almost the entire time. Then we get to the twist ending. Believe it or not, in the grand scheme of things, it’s actually smart compared to the rest of the film, but the film ends once that revelation is given, thus doing nothing of note with it. By the end, I halfway wished to be put out of my misery. 

6. "Kinda Pregnant"

“I’m a really good person” Lainy (Amy Schumer) states at one point. This couldn’t be further from the truth. In reality, Lainy has just had her heart broken and is having some jealousy after her best friend (Jillian Bell) gets pregnant. What does she do? Strap on a maternity stomach and pretend she’s pregnant. Why? Because she likes the attention. This is the plot for Netflix’s latest “Kinda Pregnant”, a mean-spirited, ugly and soulless attempt at a feature length comedy in awhile. There’s a nasty mean streak through the whole film that keeps any character from being likable. In fact, every character is written to be as completely stupid as possible. Several times, Lainy falls flat on her front, causing the maternity stomach to flatten with her, and everyone around her thinks nothing of it. Whenever they speak to her, she fumbles almost every time she has to come up with a lie. This would make a normal person casually suspicious, but in the world of this film, she’s just quirky! It doesn’t help that Lainy is the most hateful protagonist to follow. After breaking it off with her boyfriend (Damon Wayans Jr.), she proceeds to go to her job the next day (as an English teacher), berate the students and start a fire. A lot of the humor, particularly with scenes involving Lainy at her job, are very cruel for no reason. A guidance counselor, unctuously played by Urzila Carlson, spends half her dialogue calling these children names and insults. As for the plot of Lainy trying like hell to keep the lie alive, it’s incredibly tasteless. Several scenes will start to have tinges of serious discussion, but because the movie was written by people with the IQ of a peanut, ends quickly with a dumb joke or someone screaming. Amy Schumer, who so effortlessly brought us “Trainwreck”, “Snatched” and “I Feel Pretty”, absolutely flounders here. Considering she co-wrote the film, it’s kind of shocking she’s written someone for herself that’s as appalling as this. The Issue of Lainy doing this in spite of women out there who’ve had miscarriages or fertility issues is never once broached. Is “Kinda Pregnant” any good? The answer is No, obviously, but it saves itself from a zero star rating because it had two good laughs in it; one from the sight of Will Forte on a Zamboni in slow motion as Juvenile’s “Slow Motion” plays briefly, and an old woman at a Butterfly garden who threatens the guidance counselor if she disrupts the butterflies. Other than that, “Kinda Pregnant” is kinda worthless, kinda offensive, and kinda awful.

5. "Bride Hard"

Sam (Rebel Wilson) is a super spy, but her friends don’t know that. After her best friend’s (Anna Camp) wedding goes from bad to worse after bad guys infiltrate the ceremony, it’s up to Sam to save the day. I think it should be stated that no one sets out to make a bad movie. It should also be stated that no one sets out to willfully watch a bad movie. It should also be stated that “Bride Hard” is, perhaps, one of the worst comedy films I’ve ever seen. Every scene contains a lot of jokes and one liners that all, and I mean ALL, fall flat with no sense of effort, timing or wit. The script that has been brought to the screen is extremely atrocious and completely uninvolving. The cover that Sam gives to her friends, that she’s a cat show entrepreneur, is wildly ridiculous, and her friends are so slow into catching on to her real profession that it’s a wonder they’re able to function as adults. Three of the four seemingly hate Sam, so why they’re here is anyone’s guess. Every performance from the cast is terrible, with everyone performing as if they’re in a sitcom, or a lost TV movie from 1999. Not a good TV movie, mind you; something ridiculous like, I don’t know, a porn parody of “Almost Famous”. Wilson can be a charming performer, as can Camp, but they are drowning fast in a script that does them no favors  As for the action scenes, they are all unanimously awful; badly choreographed and executed poorly, it’s a shock that this came from director Simon West; the man did “Con Air” and “The Expendables 2” for gods sake. There is, however, one saving grace. It doesn’t save the film completely, but it does narrowly save it from a Zero star rating. Stephen Dorff. I love that man as an actor with all my heart. He is one of my favorites. He arrives as the villain of the piece, looking for a vault of untold riches. Yes, this isn’t his best performance, as he looks a bit disinterested (and who the hell can blame him?), but he can charm the scales off an alligator, he’s so good. He also gets the films only laugh; during a conversation with Anna Camp’s character, as she tries to bribe her way to get food for the hostages, he insists that one of his men go with her. After she brushes this off and acts awkward, without hesitation, he says “TWO of my men will accompany you.” Not a big laugh, but it was something. One tiny laugh in a 105 minute slog of dreadful action and comedy, “Bride Hard” (an unctuously annoying title) that wastes its cast (including Anna Chlumsky) and its audiences brain cells. “Time is valuable. You don’t waste mine, I won’t waste yours!” Dorff exclaims adressing the hostages at one point. My time was more wasted than any of the booze bags you see on “The Real Housewives of Who Gives A Fuck?”

4. "Marked Men: Rule + Shaw"

“Marked Men: Rule + Shaw”, not to be confused with “Fast And Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw”, is, surprise, an adult contemporary romance that is based on a popular series of novels by Jay Crownover. We didn’t learn our lesson from all five “After” films, did we? Unbearably stupid and horribly put together, this is a film that manages to be almost as bad, if not worse, than those aforementioned films. First, for as much as he defends tattooing to a random woman at the bar at the beginning, he is very rarely seen doing this very thing. Rule is such a walking, talking cliche that it’s alarming. He has a brother who died, he has family issues and his voice never raises above a smoky whisper. He is as about as uninteresting as it gets. Sure, he might say he loves Shaw, but he never acts like it; during a second act scene where he’s informed his friend is in the hospital from falling down a building after not going up with the proper equipment, Rule instead tells Shaw that the reason his friend got hospitalized is because she took him to a party and he should’ve been with the friend. Nevermind the dude ignored Rule telling him to wait until he got the right gear and it’s all his own doing. Shaw’s also a blank slate. Her only purpose is to pursue Rule and not have any other traits. Sure, she has a mother who’s a total C U Next Tuesday, but that literally all gets resolved with a ten second throwaway line near the end. The chemistry between Rule and Shaw is laughably nonexistent. After a first half hour or more that sees them bantering back and forth, Shaw and Rule end up having a night of passion… after Shaw almost forces herself onto him. He’s very resistant to the idea, but eventually relents. It could’ve been Shaw climbing onto his pool table and, very awkwardly, meows at him. Once the two are finally together, they go through a montage of being together, to her mom’s christmas party to deciding that they “need a break”, all in the span of about 25 minutes. I have never been so turned off in my life. It’s also explained that Rule’s mom has been having substance issues sustaining from her son dying, but this is never satisfactorily explained nor dealt with appropriately. There’s also a dude named Gabe that Shaw’s mom sets her up with, but once he’s revealed to be a complete piece of shit, she very dismissively tells her daughter “don’t rule him out as a husband!” Acting across the board is awful. Chase Stokes and Sydney Taylor are one note and dull as dirty ass dishwater, not typical dishwater, but the nasty shit you see Jon Taffer flip out over on “Bar Rescue”. They are not pleasant people to watch and have all the personality of an unflushed toilet filled with diarrhea. Ella Balinksa, usually so good, is unctuous and horrible here as Shaw’s friend and roommate. Alexander Ludwig is usually a warm presence, but he’s dulled out by the ridiculous script. Melodramatic in the extreme and ungodly inept, “Marked Men: Rule + Shaw” is complete and utter horseshit. I’ve found more sexual stimulation in reruns of “Judge Judy”.

3. "Oh, Hi!"

Iris (Molly Gordon) and Issac (Logan Lerman) are a young couple on a romantic getaway. After a night of passionate loving, Issac lets slip that he doesn’t want a full blown relationship. This sets Iris off into a full blown psychotic breakdown that leaves both of them into a situation they might not recover from. “Oh, Hi!” Is a very interesting title for a film, and it’s one that’s certainly unique. What’s also rather unique is how unexpectedly and unusually repugnant this film is. Skin-crawling in its story beats and performances and agonizingly ridiculous the longer it goes on, this film is trying to be a dark comedy with a plot sort of along the lines along this years earlier (and much better) film “Companion” (the fact that both films feature a protagonist named Iris aids the comparison along a bit), but fails miserably. Not a single line of dialogue, joke or scenario plays out as funny and reeks of desperation with every passing moment. As the story changes gears and switches to Iris trying desperately to take control of everything to prevent it from getting worse, the film goes from merely awkwardly weird, to incredibly misguided and horrifically tone-deaf. Iris’ rather obvious mental health issues are never seriously addressed and played for laughs, leaving an increasingly acrid taste in one’s mouth. The usually reliable Molly Gordon is left hopelessly adrift by the film’s unctuous script that makes her look like a complete nut-job that is just “boy crazy”. It’s insulting. Logan Lerman is also given nothing to do as the stuck Issac, which is also a shame. Offensive in its treatment of these characters and just flat out unfunny beyond the third degree, “Oh, Hi!” Is a hateful and repulsive film. By the time it was over, I was relieved, but also was in a rather foul mood. It’s definitely not for everyone, and it certainly isn’t for me. 

2. "Fixed"

Sometimes, there is no other option but to come out and say it, so here goes: “Fixed” is total dogshit. It is by far the worst film of the year so far and one of the absolute worst films I’ve ever seen. An animated adult “comedy” following Bull (voiced by Adam DeVine) as he sets out to have one last night on the town after learning that he is set to be neutered by his owners. The 2D animation is intentionally done in the style of something you’d see in the ‘90’s, a la “Ren & Stimpy”, but it’s so grotesque and unpleasant to look at most of the time, that whatever charm there could’ve been wears off incredibly quickly. How any of these actors, including DeVine, Katherine Hahn, Beck Bennett and Idris Elba, willingly came onto this project, which is a nonstop onslaught of nothing but gross out humor, I’ll never know. Instead of having anything remotely insightful to say about dogs, their way of life or any glimpses into their mind is pushed to the gutter as we make way for dogs vigorously humping, about as many dog buttholes as you could imagine, a dog chewing on and swallowing cat shit for a solid minute, streams of piss, visuals of bouncing dog nuts, and more where that came from. The film has no funny gags whatsoever and is a constant current of repetitious gangs involving genitals and poop. About two minutes in, Bull has been knocked over from humping his Nana’s leg. She doesn’t have her glasses on and reaches for her lipstick on the floor. You can guess where that heads. After all, why have sense? We have a doggie whorehouse to get to! Filled with doggie orgies set to 50 Cent’s “Candy Shop” and Nelly’s “Hot In Herre”. When the film runs out of whatever fumes it was running on, it steals scenes from other dog centric films. A trip to the pound ends with the dogs peeing and making a mess of the guards, a minor variation from the dogs in “Strays” pooping all over the place. The film even ends with a montage to Bill Withers’ “Lovely Day”, exactly how “The Secret Life Of Pets” ended. “Fixed” is supposedly a passion project from director Genndy Tartakovsky. If the passion was to piss people off as much as possible, he’s succeeded. This film is an ugly, vile trainwreck. 

1. "Ebony & Ivory"

Stevie Wonder (Gil Gex) arrives on a rowboat to Paul McCartney’s (Sky Elobar) Scottish Cottage to discuss a possible collaboration between the two. 1982’s “Ebony And Ivory” is a very cheesy product of its time, and while whether or not it’s a good song is up for debate, it’s at least enjoyable and catchy. What’s not up for debate is Jim Hosking’s 2025 film “Ebony & Ivory” is a massive piece of two week old, discarded, abandoned dog shit on the sidewalk that has started developing its own ecosystem because it hasn’t been properly disposed of. This movie is so aggressively unfunny and so agonizing to deal with; considering that this came from the same person behind “The Greasy Strangler” (which I haven’t seen) and “An Evening With Beverly Luff Lynn” (which I loved) is surprising. Nothing at all happens here. These two simply sit around, smoke marijauana (which McCartney repeatedly, and I mean repeatedly, ad nauseam, keeps referring to as a “Doobie Woobie”), and talk about absolutely nothing. They discuss vegetarian food. They ask for hot chocolate in an unctuously long and unfunny way. There’s a solid ten minute interlude where the two get naked (with huge, fake, long dongs), dance on a beach and then go back home. The two main actors are like nails on a chalkboard here; it’s unknown or unaware if the filmmaker thinks Stevie Wonder isn’t actually blind, as no mention is made of the several times he stares McCartney in the eye and follows him via line of sight. He is in a sour mood the whole time, repeating the phrase “Scottish Cottage” an unholy number of times and occasionally cursing. McCartney, for no reason, will stick his thumb up, make an O with his lips and wobble back and forth like an asshole. If this movie had a script going into filming, I’ll be absolutely shocked. The less said about an extended sequence of the two dressed as sheep, ba-ing at each other and then pissing, the better. “Ebony And Ivory” is the very worst film of last year, a film so rotten and vile, it puts a big stain on everyone involved. The audience, whoever they may be, will only walk away insulted beyond belief.

The Best Films Of 2025

Honorable Mentions: 28 Years Later;  After The Hunt; Anniversary; Ballerina; Becoming Led Zeppelin; Black Bag; Black Phone 2; Bob Trevino Likes It; Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy; Bring Her Back; Captain America: Brave New World; Caught Stealing; Cleaner; Dead Man's Wire; Den Of Thieves 2: Pantera; Dog Man; Eenie Meanie; Eephus; Elio; Ella McCay; Eternity; Final Destination: Bloodlines; Five Nights At Freddy's 2; Flight Risk; Freaky Tales; Friendship; Happy Gilmore 2; Havoc; Heart Eyes; Hurry Up, Tomorrow; It's Never Over, Jeff Buckley; Jurassic World: Rebirth; Keeper; Kiss Of The Spider Woman; KPop Demon Hunters; Last Take: Rust And The Story Of Halyna; Lilo & Stitch; Materialists; M3GAN 2.0; Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning; Nobody 2; Not Just A Goof; Novocaine; On Becoming A Guinea Fowl; One Of Them Days; Plainclothes; Predator: Badlands; Predators; Presence; Rental Family; Roofman; Sharp Corner; She Rides Shotgun; Sisu: Road To Revenge; Sorry, Baby; Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere; Superman; The Accountant 2; The Amateur; The Bad  Guys 2; The Conjuring: Last Rites; The Housemaid; The Long Walk; The Naked Gun; The Perfect Neighbor; The Phoneician Scheme; The Smashing Machine; The Spongebob Movie: Search For SquarePants; The Testament Of Ann Lee; The Toxic Avenger; Train Dreams; Warfare; Weapons; Zootopia 2

10. "F1"

Sonny Hayes (Brad Pitt) used to be one of the best Formula One racers there was, until an accident rendered him out of the game. Thirty years later, he’s been roped back into the game by old pal Ruben (Javier Bardem) to drive for his team and help out rookie driver Joshua Pierce (Damson Idris). “F1” is directed by Joseph Kosinski, the man who brought us the 2022 phenom “Top Gun: Maverick”, and he brings the exact same energy here as he did there. This is an astoundingly entertaining film, and at a hefty running time of 156 minutes, it never once drags its feet or feels long at all. The racing sequences, which take up about 50% or more of the film, are spectacular to behold (especially in IMAX), and the cinematography and sound design are so rich and impeccably done, that I sincerely hope they’re up for nominations at the next Oscar’s. Brad Pitt, still a handsome looker as he enters his 60’s, is ace as Sonny. Cocky, but reserved, he delivers one of his best turns yet, and every time he flashes his smile, reminds audiences why he’s a movie star in the first place. As Joshua, newcomer Damson Idris is extraordinary. He holds his own with the acting veterans onscreen and runs away with the film. Supporting work from Kerry Condon and Javier Bardem are also sweet and warm here. Filled with a soundtrack of new songs (including a soundtrack being released this week containing the utterly addicting tunes “Drive” by Ed Sheeran and “Just Keep Watching” by Tate McRae) and classics (“The Stroke” by Billy Squier is forever in my top five favorite songs), this is a film bursting with entertainment and respect for audiences coming to see it. At the risk of sounding trite: “F1” is wickedly awesome.

9. "Wicked: For Good"

Having now seen “Wicked: For Good” (because “Wicked: Part II” wouldn’t have worked?), I can emphatically confirm that it is just as wonderful and spectacular as the first film. Production and tech specs continue to be first rate. From the practical effects, such as the extensive makeup adorning Erivo to faithfully and capably transform her into Elphaba, to the exquisitely divine color palette, every cent of the film’s $150 million budget has effectively been used to the fullest extent. The cinematography as well as the splendid production design is transcendent and nothing short of lovely.  Over two films, two actors have given 110% to their roles and never looked back. Cynthia Erivo is absolutely stunning as Elphaba, showing confidence and tenacity while still expressing fears and doubts. Erivo transcends her makeup and fully morphs into this iconic character with aplomb. I remember comparing Ariana Grande to the late, great Brittany Murphy is the first film and that comparison still stands here. Grande is mesmerizing as Glinda, more humane and stripped of her mask as the film goes on. It’s a turn Grande fully turns into her own and runs with it. Jeff Goldblum is magnificent as the Wizard, his facade fully exposed and his powers rendered moot. Supporting work from Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero, Ethan Slater as Boq, Marissa Bode as Nessa Rose and Michelle Yeoh as Madame Morrible are absolutely terrific. A bit of a big deal was made announcing the amazing Colman Domingo as the voice of the Cowardly Lion, but why such a deal was made is lost on me as the Lion barely speaks in the film. Then again, I adore Domingo and he was more than welcome here.I more than wish a special release were to be made and take place, splicing both films together into one, five hour long tapestry. I’d have no problem sitting there and absorbing everything. “Part I” and “For Good” form a cohesive whole, that, if anything, more than proves Director Jon M. Chu was more than the perfect choice to put everything together. “Wicked: For Good”, much like its masterful predecessor, is not only one of the best films of the year, but also one of the best movie musicals, period. These two films are absolute masterpieces, a word I try to avoid using as best as I can, but it’s more than warranted here. By the end of the film, the both of us had been changed… for good. Chu, Erivo, Grande and company have made an indelible impact onto the world of cinema. Isn’t that something? 

8. "The Life Of Chuck"

Mike Flanagan’s “The Life Of Chuck” has a plot with three acts told in reverse, going 3, then 2, then 1. Because of this, a summation of the plot seems too foolish. What isn’t foolish? “The Life Of Chuck”. Very rarely has a film, if ever, captured the exact nuance of the ways of life and the intricacies of holding onto smaller moments and creating memories, while striving towards becoming something more meaningful. Dancing in the street with a stranger, because you can. Watching musicals with your grandma, because you can. Pursuing your passion, because that’s the pursuit of happiness. Boosts of confidence and energy when you think you don’t have it. This is a film that gets these feelings and details exactly right, and it’s immaculate in its execution. Performances from the sprawling cast do not fail, and Tom Hiddleston, as Chuck himself, is phenomenal in his best turn yet. Every year there come hundreds of films of all sprawling shapes and sizes. There are very few films that have the power to shape the mold of stories being told for years to come. Along with its ingenious use of Steve Winwood’s “Gimme Some Lovin’”, “The Life Of Chuck” is one of these very films. It’s bold, it’s bittersweet and finally lovely. You’ll never see anything like it anytime soon, and that’s a high compliment.

7. "Meat"

Slasher films have existed since breads been sliceable. They come in all shapes and sizes. Now, look at the slashers made for the LGBTQIA+ crowd. It seems limited in comparison. There’s stuff like 2005’s “Hellbent”, there’s the “Chucky” tv series, and some films with subtext but not full on about these people. Although, last years “I Saw The TV Glow”, which is an LGBTQIA+ variation on “Donnie Darko”, worked extremely well, that it felt like you were discovering something new. And that’s what it feels like when you’re watching “Meat”, a new, independent slasher made for this community and its allies that feels revolutionary and game changing. This is a film made by people with love for the genre and adoration for the communities they represent. Directed by Roger Conners and co-written by him and Zach Shildwachter, “Meat” is a film that shows undeniable and unending love for its characters and its LGBTQIA+ community, that it’s entirely difficult to imagine anyone else helming the same story and executing the same landing. Roger’s handling of every facet of this film is truly amazing; his hands firm and his talents completely evident in every frame. From the stylish opening credits, reminding of ‘70’s and 80’s Grindhouse style films, to the immaculate cinematography and color grading from DP Mick Kunz, this is a film where every ounce is filled with passion and every frame is oozing talent. The writing is also very well done. This is a script that not only shows intense love for the slasher and horror genre’s, but also care, love and respect for the LGBTQIA+ community. This is a film for them, relishing in how diverse everyone is and lovely they can be. They deserve their time in the spotlight, and with the script’s handling and care, they shine brighter than ever. These are some of the best characters out to screen in a long while. These performers are all fantastic in general, but goddamnit, they are perfect here. Filled to the brim with utterly stunning special and visual effects, and fantastic music (not only are the soundtrack selections utterly divine, but the original score by Joshua C. Love is awesome) and love and care, this is a film that means something. At 131 minutes, the film flies by (its pacing is incredible) and never once dull, “Meat” is everything you could ever want from a LGBTQIA+-centric slasher film and more. At a time when our current climate is horrifying for these people, this film is the giant middle finger to all of those opposed to them and it bites with visceral furiosity. As an ally, myself, viewing the film was not only a breath of fresh air, but also another gaze into how this world works. It’s more fun to be in with the fun than weirdly opposed to it. I mean this when I say this: this is not only the best indie film I have seen thus far come out of Cleveland, but it’s also one of the best films of 2025, period. It’s a stunning achievement, and everyone involved should be so proud. At the time of this writing, "Meat" is not officially out, as it's in the middle of a passionate festival run, but I saw it in 2025, and as such, it makes it on this year's list.

6. "The Running Man"

He doesn’t want to, but in order to make sure his family gets the money they desperately need, Ben Richards (Glen Powell) signs up for reality competition series “The Running Man”. Survive 30 days while being hunted by anyone and everyone, and if he wins, he gets $1 billion. It won’t be easy. An adaptation of the Stephen King novel and remake of the 1987 Arnold Schwarzenegger film (and his face is on the currency they use in this version), this is probably, without hyperbole, the most fun I’ve had at the movies this year, and incredibly great. Righteously entertaining, incredibly fast paced (at 133 minutes, too, it feels no more than an hour), this is an action film that carries an excellent amount of action, fundamentally understanding what makes these movies exciting to watch. Captivating, director Edgar Wright has made a terrific film, one that bests the ‘87 film in spades (a very good movie in its own right). Glen Powell is a mothereffin’ movie star, and he’s proved that very well here. His Ben is sympathetic and courageous, standing up to an authoritarian government that cares nothing for people that aren’t rich. Powell is simply excellent. Supporting work from Josh Brolin as the network executive that puts Ben where he is, Colman Domingo as the wonderfully effervescent host of the show and Michael Cera as a radical that helps Ben, the film is enveloped with terrific turns. “The Running Man” is significantly entertaining, incredibly well made and a wild amount of fun. Honest to God, watching this made me feel like a kid again. It’s also one of the best films I’ve seen all year. 

5. "Eddington"

Eddington is a sleepy town in New Mexico. At the center of it is Sheriff Joe (Joaquin Phoenix), a man so disillusioned by the newly ongoing COVID pandemic that he seeks to usurp mayor Ted (Pedro Pascal) to make his town return to normal. It’s way easier said than done. “Eddington” is the latest film from writer/director Ari Aster, and it’s another home run for him. Quite possibly the most accurate depiction of the pandemic five years ago, it gave flashbacks to the doomscrolling, the conspiracies, the politics and the insanity that was withheld in that time period is effectively recaptured here. As for the main story, it’s incredibly engaging. Helped immensely by all of the performers bringing their A-game (Phoenix continues to be wonderful, Emma Stone is great as Louise, Joe’s wife, Austin Butler is terrific as a mysterious figure/cult leader, and Pedro Pascal is charming as Ted), the film is a heavy neo-western with moments of comedy and dread at the same time. It’s a triumph that at 149 minutes, the film is consistently engaging and wonderful, never once flagging in momentum or interest. In the past, I was wary of Aster and his filmmaking; I had found “Hereditary” overrated and “Midsommar” horrible. Yet, after seeing “Beau Is Afraid”, and loving that film, I became intrigued and awaited his next project (re-visiting his first two films is on my list). “Eddington” is terrific, plain and simple.

4. "Marty Supreme"

Marty Mauser (Timothée Chalamet) is an avid table tennis player. The year is 1952 and he is desperate to win any kind of money he can. Problem is he is so far deep in so many holes, he doesn’t know which one to dig out of first. He’ll do it though, because failing doesn’t even enter into his consciousness. “Marty Supreme” isn’t the first film to display its opening credits against images of sperm racing to fertilize an egg (“Seed Of Chucky” came first there, and yes, pun intended), but it is an adventurous, wild and purely wonderful film; one of the absolute best of 2025. Timothée Chalamet has turned in his absolute best performance yet as Marty, a man who can wheel and deal as good as anyone but has the trouble of backing it up. Chalamet has always been a reliable and terrific actor, but here? He’s beyond mesmerizing. Sure, he might remind of Adam Sandler’s Howard from “Uncut Gems” (directed by the Safdie brothers; brother Josh directs this film here), but damn it, he’s just as awesome. The rest of the very sprawling ensemble, including Gwenyth Paltrow as fading movie star Cay; Kevin O’Leary as her business magnate husband; Tyler Okonma (Tyler, The Creator) as Marty’s friend Wally; Odessa A’zion as Marty’s longtime friend Rachel; Abel Ferrara as his uncle; they are all fantastic here, not one person hitting the wrong beat. And that soundtrack! Including “Everybody Wants To Rule The World” and “Forever Young” were sublime choices. “Marty Supreme” is anything but “Marty Normal”. It more than lives up to its title and is a masterful 150 minute tapestry that reminds die hard movie lovers just why the hell they love movies to begin with. Supreme indeed.

3. "Bugonia"

Teddy (Jesse Plemons) wants nothing more than to protect himself and his cousin Don (Aidan Delbis). To do this, and to help his sick mom (Alicia Silverstone), he kidnaps powerful CEO Michelle (Emma Stone) for answers. He fully believes she’s an alien from another galaxy, and there’s nothing in his heart that can change his mind of that. “Bugonia” carries some of the dark humor director Yorgos Lanthimos is well known for, but unlike his previous films, like 2023’s best “Poor Things” and 2024’s “Kinds Of Kindness”, this is a bleaker toned film, yet is just as engaging as anything he’s ever done. Thrilling and evocative, the film always keeps the viewer at just enough distance so they can discern for themselves what is real, what is not. A big part of that is both Plemons and Stone. Jesse Plemons is so great as the meager Teddy, someone who fully believes what he believes so much so that we as the audience can’t help but put themselves in his shoes and see things how he sees them. On the flip side, Emma Stone is so brilliantly transcendent in how she subtly plays mind games (or is she?) with Teddy, that her performance, one of the absolute best of this year, is eerily fantastic. Aidan Delbis is terrific in his debut role, as Don, rounding out our central three characters beautifully. Culminating rather beautifully on a thematic level, “Bugonia” is a triumph, a wildly experimental exercise that continues Lanthimos’ incredibly successful run. Really, though, any film that contains any Chappell Roan needle drop (“Good Luck, Babe!”) is a home run. 

2. "One Battle After Another"

Fight the power. Resist the system. Protect your freedom. These people believe that, to the fullest. None more so than Bob Ferguson (Leonardo DiCaprio). He wants what’s best for him and his daughter (Chase Infiniti) after her mom (Teyana Taylor) exited the picture. Once they come under the scope of Col. Steven Lockjaw (Sean Penn), things become ever intense. Paul Thomas Anderson is a director with a very impeccable track record, so it’s no surprise to anyone to say that his “One Battle After Another” is impressively spectacular an as great as early word has been leading on. A paramount achievement, this is an inherently political film that greatly holds a mirror up to our current climate and reflects startlingly well, this is a film so rich with a greatly layered story, perfectly executed characters and ingenious writing. This film has not a flaw in sight, it is completely engaging and emotionally invested and rooted in its characters and themes. The fact that it flies by at 162 minutes is a miracle; I could honestly watch it several more times and not tire of it. Performance wise, everyone is first rate. DiCaprio is phenomenal as the whacked-out Bob, trying to do his best, but fumbling a lot of the way. Chase Infiniti is stunning in a debut performance as Willa, Bob’s daughter. She really comes into her own in the last hour. Teyana Taylor, Benicio Del Toro, Regina Hall, Tony Goldwyn; these are all outstanding performers who absolutely sell their parts and work with the film beautifully. Taylor and Hall espeically bring emotional weight and conviction to their parts. They layer their characters with more personality than you can shake a stick at. Surprisingly, Sean Penn gives what might be the best performance he’s ever delivered. Playing a violently insecure man, his Lockjaw is a mean, uncaring son of a bitch, and Penn has the right amount of grizzle and gruff to sell the part. Filled with a terrific soundtrack, humor that’s delivered when appropriate (and lands very successfully), pitch perfect writing and sharp as a tack character performances, “One Battle After Another” is one of the very best films of 2025, and just one of the best film I’ve seen in general. It’s incredibly fantastic and shouldn’t be missed for anything. If a film can make you think, laugh and provoke the proper emotions out of you while treating you like the proper adult you are, then it rarely gets better than this. The revolution will not be televised.

1. "Sinners"

“You keep dancing with the devil, one day he’s gonna follow you home.”

Georgia. 1932. Twin gangster brothers Smoke and Stack (both played by Michael B. Jordan) have come home from Chicago to open up their own club. A club for their own people, dancing to their own rhythm, home of good, solid, old fashioned blues music. When a mysterious trio, led by a mysterious man (Jack O’ Connell) insist on being invited in, they’re turned away. There’s something to him, though. Could it be his music? His southern charm? Or the red glow in his eyes? “Sinners” is the latest from Ryan Coogler, and given his repertoire up until this (“Fruitvale Station”, “Creed” and both “Black Panther” films), this is not only his best film to date, but one that blows any of its competition, any films that dare share the same space and iota of ideas, out of the water, full stop. For 137 minutes, my eyes were completely drenched in bliss. This is a film that commands your attention, holds it carefully, and rewards you for being patient. Coogler is not only someone who greatly appreciates the art form, but fully respects his audience. He knows the people out there crave original and intelligent filmmaking, and he delivers on it time and again. This is a rich film; rich in its writing, with a rock solid, airtight script; rich in its pacing; rich in its masterful cinematography and divine sound design; rich in its soulful music score and boisterous songs, and rich in its performances. Michael B. Jordan is terrific as both Smoke and Stack. Never faltering and always full of charm and swagger, really the only (extremely minor) critique is that they are pretty similar personalities, and, unless someone says their names, it’s tricky to pick out who is who. Regardless, he is wonderful. Supporting work from Hailee Steinfeld, Delroy Lindo, Jack O’ Connell, Omar Benson Miller and Miles Caton are pitch perfect. Effects, from digital to practical, are ace, and the film, particularly in its second half, is genuinely intense and scary; all the more power to any film worth its weight. “From Dusk Till Dawn” seems to be the obvious inspiration, but as much as I love that film (and it is a terrific movie), this film executes that films premise 10 times better. “Sinners” is top shelf, top notch entertainment. Perfect music. Perfect performances. Perfect execution. I absolutely loved this, and I urge everyone to seek it out.