The Cinemasters Staff's Favorite Films of 2025

2025 was a great year for film. Every other week it seemed like a new genre-defining project was playing in theaters, and that did not go unnoticed. So as this banner year of movies comes to a close, all our writers at Cinemasters have compiled a list of their top five favorite releases of 2025! So without further adieu, let's celebrate all that 2025 had to offer.

Rua's Picks:

#5. The Long Walk dir. Francis Lawrence

The Long Walk was one of the most hyped movies of 2025 but after being released in September, it came and went, barely making any noise despite Lionsgate's aggressive marketing rollout. This is a real shame as it ended up being one of the most thought-provoking and emotionally resonant films of the year. Not only is it one of the best Stephen King screen adaptations, it also serves as a grim warning about the dangers of fascism. Not to mention an immensely talented cast full of stars-in-the-making. Make sure you don't miss out on The Long Walk!

#4. Bugonia dir. Yorgos Lanthimos

Coming from one of my favorite living directors, Bugonia was my most highly anticipated watch of 2025 and boy, did it deliver. With striking visuals, provocative writing and a downright explosive score, Bugonia is an absolute feast for the senses. It is an incredibly sharp, focused film with one central plotline and a plethora of modern messages for audiences to take to heart. Whether it be online echo chambers, wealth disparity, or environmentalism, Bugonia has something for the paranoid conspiracy theorist in all of us. I hope Yorgos Lanthimos never makes another film without Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons.

#3. Hamnet dir. Chloé Zhao

Chloé Zhao's Hamnet is simply put, filmmaking done right. Telling the story of William Shakespeare's inspiration behind his most famous play, co-leads Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal bring a timeless tale of love and grief to life. Hamnet is a slow-paced period piece that rewards patient audience members with the single best ending of the year, bar none. Make sure to bring a box of tissues when you sit down to watch this truly life changing piece of cinema.

#2. The Plague dir. Charlie Polinger

This year's Cannes International Film Festival was one for the books, seeing the premieres many high-profile projects from the world's most famous filmmakers. But to me, the best thing at the festival this year was Charlie Polinger's feature debut, The Plague. A film that can best be described as if Ari Aster directed Diary of a Wimpy Kid, The Plague is a beautifully shot piece that shows just how brutal growing up can be. It will make you shudder as much as it will make you feel seen.

#1. Twinless dir. James Sweeney

No project exemplifies how great of a year 2025 was for original film than Twinless. Written, directed, produced, and starring James Sweeney, the movie is a deeply heartfelt commentary on grief and belonging, with a good balance of scenes that will make you laugh and cry. From the way it starts, you'd think Twinless would be predictable enough, but after some astonishing twists and turns, you will leave this film a different person than you were going in. Simply put, I love whatever is wrong with James Sweeney.

Zach's Picks:

#5. 28 Years Later dir. Danny Boyle

It’s been a hell of a year for original horror movies both critically and commercially, but it’s actually the latest installment in Danny Boyle’s flagship zombie franchise that’s taken the horror gold for me in 2025. 28 Years Later brings the reliable thrills of the Days Later franchise and continues its trend of bold, experimental horror/action filmmaking. Anthony Dod Mantle’s frantic camerawork that he started in the original film is expanded with hideous and kinetic action sequences and some of the most unexpectedly stunning shots of the year. Bolstering all of Boyle’s formal invention is a robust story with an effective family unit, a beating heart in the centre of an impressively gnarly corpse of a film.

#4. Dead Man's Wire dir. Gus Van Sant

Gus Van Sant continues his meditations on fame and television that began at To Die For with 2025’s Dead Man’s Wire. Soaked in a grainy 70s vibe, Van Sant's docu-drama approach to the real life hostage situation involving Tony Kiritis and his mortgage broker provides heart-thumping popcorn action with a signature meshing of mediums. Van Sant deconstructs his action scenes with freeze frames, film grain, and medium-bending sound which refracts the film’s bizarre story through fact, fiction, and myth. With Dead Man’s Wire, Gus Van Sant gave us not only one of 2025’s most exhilarating films, but one of its most thoughtful.

#3. Friendship dir. Andrew DeYoung

Tim Robinson’s formerly fringe comedy has found itself in the epicentre of the comedic world in 2025, and Friendship is an excellent example of why. Robinson and director Andrew DeYoung’s upside down version of the suburban midwest is chock full of off kilter humour and surrealist imaginings of capitalist mundanity. It’s difficult to parse out the punchline in Friendship’s ridiculous setpieces, but that doesn’t mean it’s not funny, it’s the funniest movie this year, just cut from a different cloth than your average studio comedy. With the immediate pop culture boom and strong box office receipts, it’s clear that Friendship is just the beginning of the reign of Robinson.

#2. The Mastermind dir. Kelly Reichardt

With its mumbling protagonist, glacial pace, and a pale, washed out landscape, Kelly Reichardt makes it clear that her 2025 art heist caper The Mastermind  is a far cry from Ocean’s 11. Josh O’Connor’s incompetent thief slowly stumbles through disastrous heists and even more disastrous relationships with just enough charm to make his incompetence magnetic. Reichardt’s stylish unravelling of the macho bad boy isn’t for everyone, but in the dry patience of the Mastermind is a truly one of a kind crime film.

#1. Sentimental Value dir. Joachim Trier

Above all else, Sentimental Value feels like a very present film about art. In an era where art is so quickly aestheticized and commodified, Sentimental Value’s exploration of the intersection between artistic expression and relationships grounds art back into both the personal and the abstract. Each character inhabits a unique space in the narrative, and the way the grooves and dents in each character shape and influence one another makes for a fascinating watch and one that rewards further engagement. It’s an art film that bares its soul without sacrificing difficulty for tenderness and it's bound to become an international classic of the decade.

Eric's Picks:

#5. The Voice of Hind Rajab dir. Kaouther Ben Hania

It’s difficult to put into words the emotions that The Voice of Hind Rajab elicits. It’s almost as rage inducing as the world at large’s cowardly reaction to its incredibly honest, and real-time depiction of the current Palestinian genocide. You will be hard pressed to find a film this year that is more difficult to stomach and absorb, but in turn you likely won’t find one more important and necessary. 

#4. Charliebird dir. Libby Ewing

Charliebird might not be getting a wide theatrical release until February of this year, but it remained the most powerful film I saw at the Tribeca Film Festival this year. It took home the top prize, and cemented the filmmakers behind it as real forces of the medium that are about to have a major moment. Its attention to detail and accuracy, and the voice that it gives to the unsung heroes of modern life is more than deserving of all of our praises. Put it on your radar for this year immediately. 

#3. Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery dir. Rian Johnson

Benoit Blanc’s third outing is by far my favorite of the three. The most thematically dense, visually rich, and profoundly, unexpectedly moving by a landslide, this is a film that I can only see aging even finer with age. I loved it the first time, and the second time I was even more blown away. In a year of phenomenal final scene needle-drops, this one might take the cake. 

#2. Sinners dir. Ryan Coogler

 Sinners took me by complete surprise. Not that I was expecting below top tier from Ryan Coogler, but it came at an exponentially busy time in my life, and my lack of exposure to the plot and promotional material led to one of the most organic viewing experiences of the year for me. The 70mm IMAX showing at Universal City Walk was absolutely electric, and it’s really gratifying to see that the film plays almost just as well at home. An absolute powerhouse achievement in blockbuster cinema. 

#1. One Battle After Another dir. Paul Thomas Anderson

 In a year of cinema that was defined by its hopeful depictions of rebellion and disobedience, One Battle After Another stands on top as one of the defining depictions of not only what it means to be an activist, but a present and influential family member amidst it all. The most infectious score of the year, powerhouse performances across the board, an ingenious blend of comedy, action, and drama, and Paul Thomas Anderson’s signature direction cements One Battle After Another as one of the titans of modern cinema. 

Matt's Picks:

#5. The President's Cake dir. Hasan Hadi

The night before seeing The President’s Cake at the Cannes Film Festival, I had seen a restoration of an Iraqi film from the 1950s called Said Effendi. It was quite an extraordinary film, preparing me for the emotional journey of Hasan Hadi’s audacious debut. Taking pointers from Kiarostami’s Where Is The Friend’s House, Hadi’s film is a moving neorealist tale of childhood and poverty amidst an authoritarian regime. The President’s Cake, along with the restoration of Said Effendi, is a sign to me of a growing new national cinema in Iraq, one that I look forward to seeing blossom.

#4. It Was Just An Accident dir. Jafar Panahi

There’s an eerie feeling in Jafar Panahi’s Palme d’Or winning film that danger is always around the corner. A complimentary feeling given Panahi’s history of arrests and this film’s making conducted in secret. What comes out of such tension is one of the best thrillers of the decade. The most narrative-forward Panahi film in a while, and though I do enjoy Panahi in his more overtly self-reflective films (No Bears, This Is Not A Film), the success of a film like It Was Just An Accident cannot be understated.

#3. Presence dir. Steven Soderbergh

The technical achievement of Steven Soderbergh’s Presence still impresses me and moves me months after seeing it for the first time. The perfect combination of Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s Pulse and Michael Snow’s Wavelength, this film is one of the most moving ghost stories I have seen put to film. A horror film if you want it to be, an emotional character study if you want it to be; overall, I found Presence incredibly moving. Never have I been so invested in the camera as a character.

#2. Marty Supreme dir. Josh Safdie

Josh Safdie and Ronald Bronstein create the B-Side of Uncut Gems in Marty Supreme. Both films are in conversation with each other. Howie and Marty: two men in the pursuit of greatness. Two men in the pursuit of money. One has money, one doesn’t. Both win in

the end. One film ends in death, the other ends in life. As vital a film as any right now, Josh and Bronstein create another all-time classic with Marty Supreme.

#1. Nouvelle Vague dir. Richard Linklater

What is essential to unlocking the greatness of Richard Linklater’s Nouvelle Vague is not to view it as a Godard biopic, nor as a historical recreation of the early French New Wave. Nouvelle Vague is simply a film about filmmaking, and it is one of the best to take on that subject. Linklater, a titan of indie filmmaking, is not only telling Godard’s story, but his own story as an indie filmmaker. This could easily be about Slacker, or any indie film, for that matter. I made a film over the summer; living in this film was reliving that experience all over again.

Eli's Picks:

#5. Jay Kelly dir. Noah Baumbach

Amongst the fame and fortune of the many celebrities who exist, Jay Kelly takes an interesting path to dissect one of them in the back of his career. Some heartwarming performances by Adam Sandler and Laura Dern are the gems attached to the grand sentimental role that George Clooney plays for the fictional actor Jay Kelly. Bouncing between his present life and his memories to tell an honest reflection of all that he equally cherishes and regrets, it was a memorable film that speaks to the certainty of our choices in life. We can’t change what we do, even if we’d like to go again.

#4. Materialists dir. Celine Song

Celine Song’s romantic drama, from the moment it started, paints both the modern day and universal definition of what we consider love to be. Amongst its trio star-studded cast, there’s an awe to visually perceive how value (whether in material, wealth, status) can so easily be mistaken as a sign of romantic connection towards a person, even if Pedro Pascal has all the wealth and looks one could ever wish for. Ultimately, I found that the yearning life which stirs inside of Dakota Johnson’s character throughout the film, as a worker who artificially paints love for a living, brings a sweet journey toward her own belief in true love. The one that lasts a lifetime.

#3. It Was Just An Accident dir. Jafar Panahi

With one of the most tense endings of the year, Jafar Panahi’s film shares a stark reminder of the consequences of a nation torn by governmental instability. Alongside a tone that jolts between absolute sincerity and harrowing fear, there’s a chilling reminder of the power of revenge amongst people who simply want to feel human again. Although this film will take you alongside even higher stakes, the band of unique characters who stretch across all of Iranian society echo the necessary moral ambiguity of what it means to have a fair society. How do you gain what you have lost without becoming morally wrong?

#2. Sentimental Value dir. Joachim Trier

Every great artist finds her influence, often through someone, that in a spiritual sense, guides them throughout their life and appears in their work. This film asks how that guidance travels to both parties, but never in the same manner or impact. I was moved to see a story of a broken family and a cracked household that reminds us of how our insecurities as well as our fears drive us from making the important decisions. Art can be a chain that binds us to our sorrow but it can also be the same tool that breaks it in order to liberate ourselves.

#1. Blue Moon dir. Richard Linklater

Richard Linklater directed one of the most emotional films of the year, crafting the life of Lorenz Hartz while simultaneously depicting the tragedy of his chaotic personality. Attached to his value as an artist, the love he wants reciprocated, as well as his need to make others happy, Blue Moon showcases the burnout of lying for others and lying to yourself. Alongside wonderful character work, a gorgeous score and some of the best dialogue of the year, this film will remain in my mind forever.

From everyone here at Cinemasters, we wish all our readers a happy new year, give a sincere thank you for all the support, and promise to keep delivering you the word on new and exciting film for all of 2026! Thank you for tuning into Cinemasters.net and remember to never stop watching!