Here we are, my old friends. The entire point of the year! We need to count down our top ten, we got to. I know my cinephilia is diminishing, I really didn't get to watch that many 2025 films and the ones I did I largely did not like. Efforts I was pysched for like Friendship and Sinners I thought kind of sucked. But there is still a pretty good crop so here we go!
KPOP: Demon Hunters
I haven't seen this on too many lists, I think folks just feel like they're too good for it. You're not. All the songs were bops and when was the last time a song from a movie became a genuine hit? But not only is the animation really intricate and enticing but the film establishes its deal really early on, while also carefully revealing bits about its characters that have great pay offs and enhance the experience, and is also a ton of fun. It is full of coherent and powerful themes, too, like accepting who you are, flaws and all, combating destiny, and maybe, just maybe not being so racist. What more could you want?
The Naked Gun
It's really important to boldly note that the original Naked Gun movies were not all that great. I re-watched them a few years ago and they rely on a shocking amount of racism and lazy jokes but get away with it because Leslie Nielsen is insanely good. They degrade as they go, mostly because Nielsen leaned into mugging rather than being an unreal straight actor, but that's that. I never totally go for these sort of parody movies because you can start to see the jokes coming like any turn of phrase is going to be some literal gag. Angie Tribeca did a lot of this and it became unwatchable. The Naked Gun pulls it off, though, with a ton of bits that genuinely work, really game performances, and a compelling contemporary commentary that isn't a sledgehammer. It's no surprise it was directed by the Lonely Island's Akiva Shaffer and has some heart and integrity to it. In an era where comedy is largely dead, it's a huge win.
On Becoming a Guinea Fowl
Alright, here is my real pick for the year. This has such a jarring opening and then slowly confronts and unravels its themes throughout a meager run time, but it operates with such bold character it can't be ignored. It's more subtle than you'd think and doesn't spell everything out but you need to really read into what is happening for it to really hit you over the head with some powerful messages of how families and communities deal with abuse, in pain both shared and private, but also ignorance, willful or not. It is a phenomenally shot movie and it is not always easy to make the mundane look this compelling.
Predator: Killer of Killers
I am actually not a huge fan of what this does to the lore of Predator, like Arnold and that Indian chick should have beaten their predators fair and square. But I do really dig the ideas of Predators just showing up and fighting random warriors over the years. It's the kind of fantasy we always had in the 90s come to life on screen. Each story is well told, especially the initial Viking lady and the fighter pilot. There is a great efficiency in motivation, execution, and action. Dan Trachtenberg can have the reins to Predator forever, he is doing great after Prey (2022) and this. He just doesn't have a lot of fluff or pretention going on. I did not get a chance to see Badlands yet but I feel like it would find a spot on my list as well.
Train Dreams
I balled my eyes out watching this movie. It really hit me hard and I feel like it will be one that will stick with me for a long time, forever on this Top List. It is gorgeous to look at with a unique 3:2 aspect ratio, big shots of woods and prairie, and a fully immersive natural lighting. I really identified with Robert Grainier, who maintains this sadness throughout his life but keeps searching for meaning. It isn't full of false or understated hope, nor is it entirely bleak. It just is. It literally helps me be a better man, father, and husband. Joel Edgerton and William H. Macy stand out but this is really well cast film.
Weapons
I was really debating these two, ultimately I think I have to put the obvious pick first. I just think it will have more staying power and has quickly become 2025's definitive film. We'll talk more when we get there, but rarely do we see a film so hyped up actually earn and even go beyond its hype. Weapons is full of mystery and twists, but earns it in a natural way with a pay off that makes sense for the story. It's awesome. It plays with time and expectations with its character cards and absolutely nails the ending, which you just never see anymore. It is also a film you can actually see with rich contrasts, which is amazing.
One Battle After Another
Yep. You guessed it! This ought to be Paul Thomas Anderson's year, and as this is the third film I placed on my Top 25 films of the past 25 years list, it does deliver. PTA doesn't have a single Academy Award or Golden Globe to his name, only a single BAFTA for Original Screenplay for Licorice Pizza (2021). This ought to get him a well-deserved recognition. I do somewhat think VistaVision is doing some of the heavy lifting in making this film look so damn good, but there is quite a bit of substance here. You've got Leonardo DiCaprio fulfilling his idiot trilogy of Don't Look Up (2021), Killers of the Flower Moon (2023), but really having a lot of heart in his doofiness. Sean Penn is unreal and unrecognizable, filling his character with all sorts of ticks and quirks. Teyana Taylor ends up not being in it for too long but is a fiery initiator. Benicio del Toro is chillin and Chase Infiniti is engaging of a presence to fit along all these legends and ought to have a good career on her own. It has a ton of narrative momentum, irony, a deft hand with themes, and a really thrilling climax. It's everything you want.
I had some interest in but didn't get a chance to see the following films, and they could all appear on future lists:
Eddington
Life of Chuck
Predator: Badlands
Honey Don't
The Long Walk
Black Bag
The Running Man
Not all these got spectacular reviews, but they all peaked my interest. As I said at the start, there were plenty that disappointed me this year so whatever.
