2025 Five Favorite Films

[SRW1000]

David and I had fun putting together last year’s list, so we did it again this year, keeping the same rules:  The disc had to come out this year, and not be a re-release.  It also excluded streaming-only releases and TV shows, although any of these are fair game for honorable mentions.

We didn’t get a huge number of home runs this year, but lots of movies were stacked up on second and third base, so it was tough whittling things down.  Was this a carryover from the multiple problems that Hollywood has been facing the past five years, between Covid, strikes, inflation, the shift from theaters to streaming?  Or is there just a shortage of fresh ideas getting greenlit and leaning too heavily on franchises and remakes?

On the positive side it was a good year for collectors.  We saw a number of new 4K releases of older titles and physical media is still being produced, despite declining sales.  Will the pending sale of Warner Brothers have an effect on that in the future?  What surprises lie in store?

With that out of the way, here are our favorites for 2025:

Scott’s #5:  Nosferatu
David Eggers created his most accessible story to date, a retelling of the 1922 Nosferatu, which itself is a thinly reworked version of Brahm Stoker’s classic Dracula.  As with his earlier films, production values are off the charts in recreating a specific time period, fully transporting the audience back to the past under a dark cloak of building dread.  The cinematography is outstanding, with beautifully framed and shot scenes that almost compel one to hit the pause button in awe and admiration.  Beneath all of those visuals are deeper themes of love, temptation, desire, and budding conflicts between religion and science.  While a tad too long, viewers are rewarded with a fresh take on an old tale that resonates past its horror story origins.

David’s #5:  Black Bag
Steven Soderbergh's spy thriller stars Michael Fassbender and Cate Blanchett as married British intelligence agents whose loyalty is tested when one is suspected of treason. It's a dialogue-driven intrigue piece with sharp performances with plenty of twists and turns. While not as flashy as some films in the same genre, the marital tension and moral ambiguity make it a smart, adult thriller that just makes the cut.

Scott’s #4:  A Real Pain
The movie that dares to ask the question whether a movie themed around the Holocaust can contain humor.  In this case, it can.  Primarily character-driven, the movie features surprising performances by Jesse Eisenberg and Kieran Culkin that have elevated both of them to creative tiers I wouldn’t have guessed they were capable of.  Eisenberg directs from his own script, giving us a thematically rich story that blends the lighthearted with the serious in a way that is uncommon in today’s films.  It also features a naturally diverse cast that never calls attention to itself on that basis, but is instrumental in telling the story.  Part travelogue, part buddy comedy, part drama, it does a wonderful job of blending varying emotions on top of a family’s far past and recent history without getting dragged down in to a depressing morass that comes to mind with its subject matter.

David’s #4:  Mission Impossible – The Final Reckoning
Tom Cruise caps off the franchise (we think?)  with this high-stakes finale, pitting Ethan Hunt against the rogue AI Entity in a globe-trotting race to avert catastrophe. The action is as death-defying as ever—submarine infiltrations and biplane dogfights push the limits—but the emotional send-off for Hunt and his team adds weight. It's wildly entertaining even though you have to suspend belief throughout the nearly 3-hour film, but it showcases Cruise’s passion for practical stunts.

Scott’s #3:  Weapons
A well-constructed narrative built on the fascinating premise of children that have mysteriously disappeared from their homes in the middle of the night.  The second feature film for Zach Cregger is a tension-filled tale with unexpected twists and developments.  The way the movie develops practically begs for repeat viewings.  Acting in this genre-entry is outstanding, capped off by an unforgettable performance by Amy Madigan.  It’s also aided by a great looking picture and impressive Atmos mix.  It’s one that sticks with you past the initial watch.

David’s #3:  Juror #2
Clint Eastwood's courtroom drama follows a juror (Nicholas Hoult) who realizes he may be connected to the murder case he's judging, forcing a moral crisis that could sway the verdict. It's a tense, thoughtful exploration of guilt and justice with strong performances from Hoult, Toni Collette, and J.K. Simmons. Eastwood keeps it lean and gripping, proving he still knows how to tell a captivating story well into his 90s. Sadly, Warner buried this film’s theatrical release with only 50 theaters and instead moved the title straight to MAX. Eastwood deserved better.

Scott’s #2:  The Ballad of Wallis Island
A true indie gem, this small film scores in all aspects.  The story of a happy-go-lucky man living a simple life that just wants to recapture some past joys through music, it excels in presenting interesting characters with emotional depth and natural humor.  The dramedy/romance genre has almost been abandoned by Hollywood in recent years leaving a void that this entry is happy to fill.  There are twists and turn that keep the viewer involved and a setting that adds a sense of simple comfort that’s easy to long for.  But it’s really the characters and performances that add a special warmth and charm that is so rare in cinema today, welcoming the audience back for a return visit to old friends through future viewings.

David’s #2:  September 5
This gripping historical thriller recreates the ABC Sports broadcast team's real-time coverage of the 1972 Munich Olympics hostage crisis. Peter Sarsgaard and John Magaro lead a tense ensemble as journalists thrust into reporting tragedy live. It's a masterclass in building suspense from a newsroom, blending archival footage with drama that highlights media ethics and human cost—riveting and sobering. If you’re looking for a good follow-up to this, watch Spielberg’s Munich, which shows Israel’s response to the horrific act of terror.

Scott’s #1:  Eddington 
Ari Aster’s films have all been winners for me starting with the horror masterpiece Hereditary going all the way through to the bizarre Beau is Afraid.  In Eddington, he’s presented the most down-to-earth vision of the current world to date.  Even so, the film is infused with his frequent themes of conspiracy theories and mental illness.  To this, he blends current views of tribalism through politics, but never becoming pedantic or preachy, a rarity for Hollywood features.  Likely to frustrate or anger half of its viewers, the other half may find its view of small-town politics battling with an uncertain technological future as both challenging and rewarding.  Textural details abound, leaving the curious a plethora of possibilities to explore and examine.  My hunch is that the film may gain greater recognition in future years as a piece that is remarkably reflective of its time.

David’s #1:  F1 – The Movie
Joseph Kosinski's racing epic tops my list as the year's standout. Brad Pitt plays a retired F1 driver returning to mentor a rookie (Damson Idris) for a struggling team, delivering authentic track action with innovative cameras and practical stunts that put you in the cockpit. The underdog story, sharp banter, and sheer adrenaline make it thrilling even for non-fans like me. It’s rare that I’ll watch a film more than once within the same calendar year, and I liked this one so much I watched it twice in less than 30 days—and was wildly entertained both times—making it my clear favorite of 2025.

Honorable Mentions
Limiting this to just five titles was a tough choice, so we’ve carved out some spots for titles that either couldn’t make the cut or didn’t qualify.

David’s Honorable Mentions: I only reviewed 50 films this year and only 13 of those were new releases. Granted, some studios have cut back on sending review copies—I’m talking to you Disney and Sony—so the sample size isn’t as large as I would have liked. Regardless, here are a few titles that didn’t make the Top 5, but garnered considerable attention: Nosferatu, Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale, Ballerina, and Superman (2025).

Scott’s Honorable Mentions:  This is a long one, since the year was filled with good solid entries that were well worth watching but not quite reaching excellence, or they were disqualified due to being older releases. 

The Andromeda Strain (the 1970s classic pandemic thriller gets a great 4K release), Black Bag (a tight, intellectual thriller), Companion (another thriller, this one dealing with underlying themes of loneliness and technology), F1 (an exciting race movie that even works for non-fans), Final Destination Bloodlines (a new take on the series that isn’t a simple retelling that also offers noteworthy and inciteful extras), Hundreds of Beavers (a crazy blend of live action, animation, and slapstick comedy in a truly original tale), Influencer (a wonderful little thriller in the age of social media), The Alto Knights (a gangster movie with fine dual performances by Robert De Niro), The Nightwatch Collection (two Nordic Noir films set decades apart that offer thrills and compelling characters), Saturday Night (a fictionalized look at the first broadcast of the iconic TV show that perfectly captures the trepidation, excitement, and electricity of a live performance that continuously threatens to go off the rails), The Shrouds (David Cronenberg draws on his wife’s death to create a techno-political thriller revolving around grief and memories), Steppenwolf (a tale of anarchy in a civil-war torn country from the viewpoint of a totally amoral survivor, showcasing just how far small foreign films have come), Together (a couple struggles with companionship and individuality compounded by a freakish, unnatural occurrence), What We Hide (a small film that explores the opioid epidemic from the perspective of two innocent victims), and Sketch (a fun kids adventure film that recaptures some of that 80s magic without feeling like a retread).

What did we miss?  What titles did you particularly love this year that are worthy of watching?  And what surprises are in store for 2026?

[Paul Heroy]

Thanks for doing this, guys. 

I don't watch quite as many as David, much less Scott. I'm not even sure what qualifies that I saw; I'm behind the curve a bit. For example, I just watched Godzilla Minus One and love it, but that's a 2024 release on disc (2023 in theaters).

Of the movies mentioned I saw F1, MI: FR, Superman and Black Bag. They were all enjoyable in their own ways and rights. If reissues are on the list, Master & Commander has to be on there.

[bmoney]

Interesting lists. I guess not
Much to choose from. I was t blown away by a single
Movie this year. 

[SRW1000]

Interesting lists. I guess not
Much to choose from. I was t blown away by a single
Movie this year.

Yeah, it wasn't a spectacular year.  I did a rough breakdown when compiling this list and here's what I came up with:  My wife and I watched over 100 movies this year.  Of that, about 30 were good, 40 average, 20 poor, and 10 were so abysmal that some were unfinishable. 

That's not a horrible average overall but heavily weighed around the center of the scale, with a disproportionate number at the very bottom, compared to only one title that was in the A ranking, which was disappointing.

[David Vaughn]

Thanks for doing the final edits and posting Scott. We started this last year and it was a fun exercise so we decided to do it again. 

For me personally, there was a time when I completely ignored watching TV. My cable subscription was for kids shows (when they lived at home) and sports. We literally only recorded Jeopardy on our DVR for many years. If I did end up watching a TV show, it was on DVD (then Blu-ray) and if we really liked it (say, LOST, BSG, The Big Bang Theory), then we would start recording future seasons and watching those. Back in 2004, I think I reviewed over 250 movies and I kept that pace up for about 12 years or so, but over the past 9-10 years, the number has dropped significantly for a few reasons. 

First, less movies started being released on disc. Second, I started being more choosy on what I requested. At one point, every major studio had me on an auto-distribute list, but as disc sales started to fall, the studios pared back this list. In one way it was a relief because it would be stressful to have a stack of discs staring at me every week! Third, I got promoted at work and was travelling A LOT (100+ hotel nights per year), that made reviewing windows extremely small since I wasn't home every night. Digital copies helped because I could watch films on airplanes and then notate specific timestamps to watch again at home regarding A/V quality.

I almost gave up reviewing a few years ago but Scott convinced me to keep doing it and volunteered to take some of the load off (Thank you again Scott!), which has helped. But the reality is, I've started to enjoy TV shows a lot more than movies these days. I've streamed plenty of them via Netflix/Amazon and find the writing to be a lot better than what we've been getting in movies. Sadly, the amount of "great" movies has dwindled to about 20 per year 20 years ago to less than 10 per year now (maybe even less than 5!). With all of the content, writers are getting stretched across the landscape of the entertainment business, so quantity is being chosen over quality. Will that change? Who knows. 

Anyway, thanks for reading guys and have a Happy New Year! 

[SRW1000]

Thanks for doing the final edits and posting Scott. We started this last year and it was a fun exercise so we decided to do it again.

For me personally, there was a time when I completely ignored watching TV. My cable subscription was for kids shows (when they lived at home) and sports. We literally only recorded Jeopardy on our DVR for many years. If I did end up watching a TV show, it was on DVD (then Blu-ray) and if we really liked it (say, LOST, BSG, The Big Bang Theory), then we would start recording future seasons and watching those. Back in 2004, I think I reviewed over 250 movies and I kept that pace up for about 12 years or so, but over the past 9-10 years, the number has dropped significantly for a few reasons.

First, less movies started being released on disc. Second, I started being more choosy on what I requested. At one point, every major studio had me on an auto-distribute list, but as disc sales started to fall, the studios pared back this list. In one way it was a relief because it would be stressful to have a stack of discs staring at me every week! Third, I got promoted at work and was travelling A LOT (100+ hotel nights per year), that made reviewing windows extremely small since I wasn't home every night. Digital copies helped because I could watch films on airplanes and then notate specific timestamps to watch again at home regarding A/V quality.

I almost gave up reviewing a few years ago but Scott convinced me to keep doing it and volunteered to take some of the load off (Thank you again Scott!), which has helped. But the reality is, I've started to enjoy TV shows a lot more than movies these days. I've streamed plenty of them via Netflix/Amazon and find the writing to be a lot better than what we've been getting in movies. Sadly, the amount of "great" movies has dwindled to about 20 per year 20 years ago to less than 10 per year now (maybe even less than 5!). With all of the content, writers are getting stretched across the landscape of the entertainment business, so quantity is being chosen over quality. Will that change? Who knows.

Anyway, thanks for reading guys and have a Happy New Year!

I'll speak for all of the other members here by saying we're all grateful that you've continued writing reviews for us, despite the dwindling amount of great content.

My path has diverged completely from yours, where TV shows were once the vast source of entertainment for me, I just don't have the patience to sit through multiple seasons only to end up disappointed by the ending. 

The other big factor was completing my home theater, which finally allowed me to (mostly) replicate the movie going experience without the annoyance of audience members with zero regard for their fellow attendees.  Plus, being able to get smaller movies from the library has vastly expanded the range of films I could experience without having to put up with the drive to a larger metropolitan city.

One thing's for sure; there are more entertainment options today than at any other time in history.  

But, Sturgeon's Law still applies. 

[Barry]

But, Sturgeon's Law still applies. 

Except on this page!😵‍💫

[AVSCraig]

My favorite films of 2025 ( in no particular order ) - 

F1 - very well done. Saw it in the theater and bought the 4K disc.

Mission : Impossible - The Final Reckoning. Also saw it in the theater and bought the 4K disc. Liked it better the 2nd time around.

Warfare - very realistic and well done film.

Black Bag - great old fashioned espionage movie. A friend commented " they don't make 'em like this any more ".

Companion - a lot of fun with a great twist or two.

Honorable mention - Ballerina, Nobody 2 - good solid fun action films.

There were several 2025 movies I haven't had a chance to see yet though that I'd like to watch - Roofman, Avatar: Fire and Ash, Marty Supreme, One Battle After Another, Bugonia, Song Sung Blue, Sisu: Road to Revenge, Tron: Ares.

[David Vaughn]

My favorite films of 2025 ( in no particular order ) -

F1 - very well done. Saw it in the theater and bought the 4K disc.

Mission : Impossible - The Final Reckoning. Also saw it in the theater and bought the 4K disc. Liked it better the 2nd time around.

Warfare - very realistic and well done film.

Black Bag - great old fashioned espionage movie. A friend commented " they don't make 'em like this any more ".

Companion - a lot of fun with a great twist or two.

Honorable mention - Ballerina, Nobody 2 - good solid fun action films.

There were several 2025 movies I haven't had a chance to see yet though that I'd like to watch - Roofman, Avatar: Fire and Ash, Marty Supreme, One Battle After Another, Bugonia, Song Sung Blue, Sisu: Road to Revenge, Tron: Ares.

Nice list Craig. A lot of your movies you listed have yet to come out on Blu-ray (or 4K) yet, so they'll be in next year's roundup. I really want to see Song Sung Blue, but I'll wait to see it at home. 

[SRW1000]

My favorite films of 2025 ( in no particular order ) -

F1 - very well done. Saw it in the theater and bought the 4K disc.

Mission : Impossible - The Final Reckoning. Also saw it in the theater and bought the 4K disc. Liked it better the 2nd time around.

Warfare - very realistic and well done film.

Black Bag - great old fashioned espionage movie. A friend commented " they don't make 'em like this any more ".

Companion - a lot of fun with a great twist or two.

Honorable mention - Ballerina, Nobody 2 - good solid fun action films.

There were several 2025 movies I haven't had a chance to see yet though that I'd like to watch - Roofman, Avatar: Fire and Ash, Marty Supreme, One Battle After Another, Bugonia, Song Sung Blue, Sisu: Road to Revenge, Tron: Ares.

Warfare was a really good movie, but tough to watch.  It's almost documentary-style made it extremely realistic and impactful.

I'll echo David's comments about wanting to see some of your honorable mentions once they're available on disc.