10. Weapons (Zach Cregger)

Arguably the most impressive feat at the box office this year was an original horror film grossing nearly $270 million on a $38 million budget. And unlike some other recent hits in the horror genre, Weapons actually feels deserving of its success for the most part. While I do think the film has grown a bit overhyped, it’s a fun and unpredictable ride that never fails to hold your attention.

The story begins with a killer hook – one night, seventeen kids from the same third-grade classroom inexplicably leave their homes at 2:17 AM and disappear into the night. No one has any clue where they are or what could have motivated their actions, so the community’s scrutiny falls on the only two people who appear to be connected: the teacher of the class (an excellent Julia Garner) and the lone boy from the class who didn’t disappear (Cary Christopher).

As it turns out, one of these two individuals actually does know what’s going on and holds the necessary pieces to put the puzzle together, but Cregger withholds that information until very late in the film. The script uses a stop-and-start structure that jumps between various characters’ perspectives, at times replaying previous scenes from a new point-of-view. It’s a choice that’s stylistically engaging, but frustrating at times in the way it undercuts suspense.

The two-hour runtime also feels a bit excessive, making the audience wait too long for answers to the point that almost any reveal would have difficulty living up to the promise of the initial mystery. But Weapons still leaves its mark thanks to haunting imagery, a scene-stealing performance from Amy Madigan, and a bloody riot of a climactic set piece that ends the film on a high note.

9. Good Boy (Ben Leonberg)

This micro-budget horror film told from the perspective of a dog became an indie sensation, grossing almost $9 million at the box office after costing only $70,000 to produce. I was skeptical of the idea initially, but this movie’s success is well-deserved thanks to its visual inventiveness and a surprising amount of emotional depth.

The film focuses on Indy (played by the director’s real dog), who accompanies his owner Todd (Shane Jensen) to a rural home in the woods owned by Todd’s now-deceased grandfather. Todd is suffering from some sort of chronic lung disease, which seemingly killed his grandfather as well, and relocates to the house to isolate himself. But almost immediately, Indy can sense a malevolent presence in the house shadowing Todd and will do whatever it takes to save his beloved owner.

Good Boy isn’t a particularly frightening movie, with most of its scares too generic or tame to leave a visceral impact. It also feels a bit repetitive, with the concept being stretched thin even across a brief 70-minute runtime. However, the film ultimately succeeds thanks to a stunningly natural and charismatic performance from Indy the dog, whose wide eyes and subtle gestures express more emotions than most human actors ever could.

The camerawork also deserves a lot of credit, filming everything from a low angle and rarely showing the human characters’ faces to keep you immersed in Indy’s perspective. Though some might call this a cheap gimmick, it never feels like one due to the sincerity and commitment of Leonberg’s vision. It all builds up to a cosmically unsettling and deeply moving conclusion that features the single most devastating line of dialogue in any film this year.

8. Sorry, Baby (Eva Victor)

Eva Victor’s first film is one of the more impressive debuts in recent memory, showcasing an artist who has a specific feeling they want to translate on-screen and knows exactly how to achieve it. Expertly toeing the line between offbeat comedy and poignant drama, Victor takes on triple duty as the writer/director/star of this movie and proves they’re more than up to the task. The result is a quiet and subtle film that sneaks up on you, alternately hopeful and devastating.

Sorry, Baby is an intimate character study that focuses on Agnes (Victor), an English professor who leads a mostly solitary life in an isolated part of New England. She’s struggling to move on after experiencing a traumatic event that nobody can help her with, and most people would rather not talk about at all. The only exception is her friend Lydie (a terrific Naomie Ackie), who gives Agnes unconditional support but is busy in her own life as she prepares to get married and have a child.

Victor’s excellent script takes a non-linear approach to the story, dividing the film into short vignettes that combine together like puzzle pieces to form the full picture of Agnes’s emotional journey. This technique also beautifully underscores the main theme of the film, how trauma can distort time and create aftershocks that will crash over you in waves when you least expect it.

But instead of focusing on obvious plot beats, Victor wrings an extraordinary amount of emotion from small moments, like when Agnes picks up a stray cat or has a heartfelt conversation with a sympathetic sandwich shop owner (John Carroll Lynch). Best of all, these moments all feel authentic and believable, without falling back on cliches or melodrama.

Though the film deals with sensitive material, Victor takes a light-handed approach that often uses humor to disarm the viewer without undercutting the emotional resonance. And though Victor wisely doesn’t give Agnes a magical resolution that erases her trauma, the film ends with a glimmer of hope – a reminder that sometimes the first step to dealing with an insurmountable problem is simply finding a way to talk about it with someone who will listen.

7. If I Had Legs, I’d Kick You (Mary Bronstein)

Easily the most anxiety-inducing experience I had in a theater last year, If I Had Legs, I’d Kick You is a film that’s tough to watch but unshakeable once you’ve seen it. Writer/director Mary Bronstein maintains a pressure cooker atmosphere throughout the nearly two-hour runtime, heaping endless layers of stress on her embattled female protagonist until she inevitably explodes.

Rose Byrne stars as Linda, a psychotherapist who is struggling immensely with the responsibility of caring for her sick daughter in addition to dealing with her own emotional issues. Her husband is constantly absent and provides no support whatsoever, expecting Linda to handle everything and only calling to criticize her behavior.

As if all that weren’t enough, water damage creates a giant hole in her apartment’s ceiling, forcing her to move with her daughter into a cheap motel. Linda turns to a work colleague (a dryly hilarious Conan O’Brien) for help, but he’s mostly indifferent. She also meets James (an effortlessly charismatic A$AP Rocky), an employee of the motel who tries to connect with Linda, but finds her extremely resistant to any form of companionship.

The screws keep tightening on Linda, as doctors pressure her to take better care of her child while her own patients seem to demand more and more from her. Byrne delivers a tour-de-force of a performance, carrying every scene in the film with the camera often mere inches from her face. She nails the conflicting notes of Linda’s character, making you feel sorry for her and exasperated with her in equal measure.

Bronstein makes some bold stylistic choices with the way she tells this story that I won’t spoil, pushing the film into surreal and even psychedelic territory at times. She also incorporates a lot of dark humor to offset the film’s oppressive atmosphere, peaking with a virtuoso sequence involving a hamster in a car that’s among the most hilarious and horrifying movie moments in recent memory.

It all adds up to a riveting portrayal of motherhood unlike anything I’ve seen, making the case that being solely responsible for another human being’s life is the most terrifying thing in the world. Many audience members will struggle to sympathize with Linda as she neglects and endangers her child, but I saw someone who was trying her best in the face of a world that couldn’t care less about how she feels. It all builds up to an emotionally complex stunner of an ending that hit me like a brick.

6. Sentimental Value (Joachim Trier)

The title of this movie is a clever misdirect, setting you up to expect a feel-good tear-jerker. But in fact, there is virtually no sentimentality to be found in this portrait of a fractured family that never strains to make you cry. Instead, Trier’s wonderful script carefully builds layers upon layers of subtle details that add up to a tremendous emotional impact.

Renate Reinsve stars as Nora, a successful theater actress who suffers from crippling stage fright and carries around heavy psychological baggage that stems from being abandoned by her father, acclaimed filmmaker Gustav Borg (Stellan Skarsgard). When Gustav suddenly reappears and plans to make a semi-autobiographical film starring Nora in the lead role, long-buried tensions and family secrets are exhumed, causing Nora to spiral out of control.

This isn’t the kind of film that can be captured easily in a plot summary. What makes Sentimental Value so affecting and impressive isn’t as much about what happens in the film as it is about how it’s executed. Beautifully shot, perfectly soundtracked, and written with the interior depth of a novel, this film is carefully calibrated to evoke vivid feelings in every moment.

But what’s most impressive of all about this film is the stellar performances from all four of its principal actors. Reinsve is a quiet storm of depression, her facial expressions communicating volumes in every scene despite the fact that she rarely talks. Skarsgard gives a towering performance in possibly the richest role of his career, one that should earn him a long-overdue Oscar. When the two of them are on-screen together, you can feel the dynamic of their entire history just through their body language.

Elle Fanning aces a difficult role as Rachel Kemp, the American star who takes the part that Gustav wrote for Nora after she passes on it. It’s a character who needs to seem credible as a successful actress, but also wrong for the part she’s playing and Fanning pulls this difficult balancing act off beautifully.

But the heart and soul of this movie is Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas, who plays Nora’s younger sister Agnes. She’s tasked with shouldering nearly all of the movie’s emotional weight as she’s caught between Nora and her dad, two immovable objects that refuse to give in. It’s a subtle and graceful performance that feels lived-in without a single false note, much like the extraordinary film that contains it.

5. Marty Supreme (Josh Safdie)

If you’re looking for an adrenaline rush that sends you out of the theater feeling dazed and elated, Marty Supreme is that movie. Shot and edited with the same frenzied pace and manic energy that made Uncut Gems an instant classic, this film never takes its foot off the gas for even a second, forcing the audience to acclimate to the frantic tempo of its titular character’s chaotic existence.

Much like the leads in previous Safdie films, Marty Mauser (Timothee Chalamet) is a bit of a scumbag, all too willing to throw everyone around him under the bus if it gets him closer to his goal. In this case, his goal is a relatively obscure one that others tend to mock him for – he wants to be recognized as the greatest table tennis player in the world. More specifically, after a humiliating loss in the British Open, he’s determined to find a way to Tokyo and redeem himself in the World Championships.

On paper, this sounds like the plot of a formulaic sports movie, but it turns out to be anything but. Ping pong is actually relatively unimportant to the narrative, acting only as a jumping-off point for Safdie to plunge this colorful character into all sorts of high-stakes scenarios, from elaborate con games to robberies and even a bloody shootout. Though the ping-pong sequences are masterfully filmed to elicit maximum suspense, it’s the many seemingly random diversions in Marty’s story that make this movie such a thrilling experience.

Timothee Chalamet gives easily the best performance of his career so far as Marty, overflowing with charisma and confidence while delivering the script’s rapid-fire dialogue without a hitch. He’s ably supported by an eclectic cast that includes Gwyneth Paltrow, Fran Drescher, filmmaker Abel Ferrara, rapper Tyler Okonma, and businessman Kevin O’Leary (a hateful person who is admittedly perfectly cast in a villainous role). Standing out from this group is Odessa A’zion in a breakout performance that lends a much-needed emotional foundation to the film.

Perhaps even more crucial to this movie’s success is the transcendent score by the brilliant Daniel Lopatin, better known as Oneohtrix Point Never. His dizzying synth compositions provide every sequence with propulsive energy and soaring waves of euphoria that lift the film to new heights. Safdie’s expert direction is also aided by top-notch cinematography and stellar production design that flawlessly evokes the story’s 1950s setting.

Although Marty Supreme doesn’t quite reach the heights of Uncut Gems, it’s a beautifully-engineered roller coaster ride of a movie that kept me on the edge of my seat for two and a half hours and left me feeling satisfied at its conclusion. Some viewers may object to spending so much time with such an abrasive character, but to me, Safdie’s greatest trick is forcing us to roll around in the gutter with questionable people until we start to understand why they act the way that they do. Ultimately, Marty isn’t really a hero or a villain – he’s a bit of both and the film is all the better for it.

4. Bugonia (Yorgos Lanthimos)

2025 was the third year in a row that a new Yorgos Lanthimos film made my top five, capping an extraordinary run for the Greek provocateur. All three of those films have starred Emma Stone, establishing the duo as easily the most fruitful director/actor pairing of our time. And while Bugonia may not be the strongest of the three, it’s another ruthless and riveting dark comedy that will linger in your thoughts long after it’s over.

The plot, adapted from a 2003 South Korean film called Save the Green Planet, focuses on Teddy (Jesse Plemons), a basement-dwelling conspiracy theorist with a passion for beekeeping. He lives with and cares for his neurodivergent cousin Don (Aidan Delbis in a wonderful debut), who he enlists to help him kidnap big pharma CEO Michelle Fuller (Emma Stone) under the impression that she’s a member of an alien species responsible for slowly destroying the planet.

It’s immediately clear that Teddy is an unstable person, so deeply immersed in his chosen narrative where he gets to be the hero that he’s incapable of even considering alternate views. But there are also moments when he seems to have a point in spite of himself, especially as Michelle’s cold and manipulative demeanor does little to prove her humanity. The film quickly evolves into a battle of wits between the two of them, with the viewer suspended uncomfortably in between and not knowing who to root for.

As always, Lanthimos brings the story to life with visual splendor, shooting almost every scene on VistaVision cameras that result in stunning widescreen compositions. Will Tracy’s script is clever and deceptive, keeping the viewer guessing about the characters’ motivations and holding some surprising tricks up its sleeve in the final act. Most important of all, Plemons and Stone are both at the top of their game, nailing every nuance and convincingly portraying these heightened individuals as real people.

Even though Bugonia is quite funny at times, don’t expect a laugh-riot like Poor Things. I would actually describe this film as the saddest that Yorgos has made, with a core of existential despair that ultimately outweighs its silliness. The fact that both Teddy and Michelle have moments when they’re right and reveal more sympathetic dimensions to their characters only deepens the tragedy.

Reactions will vary to the wildly audacious conclusion, but I found it to be mind-blowing and unexpectedly moving. All the way through the credits, I could only sit in silence and keep pondering the answer to the question posed by the film’s final music cue – when will we ever learn?

3. No Other Choice (Park Chan-wook)

Park Chan-wook has been one of my favorite filmmakers since I discovered Oldboy when I was a teenager. He’s remained one of the most consistent directors in the world for the last twenty-plus years with several more classics under his belt including The Handmaiden, Lady Vengeance, and the criminally underrated I’m a Cyborg, But That’s OK. Though I wouldn’t quite put No Other Choice in the top tier of his filmography, it’s a morbidly hilarious and gleefully entertaining romp that’s directed with astonishing precision.

Adapted from a 1997 novel called The Axe by Donald Westlake, the plot centers on Yoo Man-su (Lee Byung-hun), an experienced and high-ranking employee at a paper company who suddenly loses his job after Americans take over the business. He vows to find new employment within three months, but over a year later, he remains adrift with only limited job openings available. Faced with the prospect of not being able to provide for his family and losing his home, Man-su concocts a devious plan to eliminate his competition.

The problem is that Man-su couldn’t be less suited to the task he has in mind, clumsily bumbling his way through an elaborate scheme that’s poorly conceived and even more poorly executed. He’s so bad at killing people that early in the film, you may wonder if he’ll ever manage to cross even the first name off his list. I won’t spoil whether he ultimately succeeds or fails, but the film does an excellent job of keeping you guessing where it’s going until it concludes on a perfect note that left me unsure whether to laugh or scream.

Lee-Byung-hun displays an impressive knack for physical comedy as Man-su, with wildly over-the-top facial expressions and gestures that often generate big laughs even during moments that are filled with suspense. Son Ye-jin also does excellent work as his wife Lee Mi-ri, her bubbly and flirtatious demeanor masking a shrewd pragmatism and ruthless devotion to protect her family.

Park flexes his directorial skills throughout, bombarding the viewer with wild camera angles and seamless transitions that often involve images superimposed on top of one another. The whole movie is a masterclass in visual storytelling and cinematic technique. One sequence in particular involving oven mitts, a handgun, and an old Korean pop song playing at absurd volume is the most brilliantly staged set piece in recent memory, both absurdly funny and breathlessly tense.

In this frightening time of living under late-stage capitalism and increased globalization, not to mention the acceleration of technology including AI, the premise of this movie doesn’t feel as far-fetched as it might seem. If faced with the prospect of losing everything that you’ve worked so hard to attain, what lines might you be willing to cross to hold on to what’s yours? No Other Choice poses this potent question to the audience, imagining a not-so-distant future where the only option left is to fight each other tooth and nail for whatever meager scraps remain.

2. Resurrection (Bi Gan)

The third film from writer/director Bi Gan, Resurrection is the most ambitious and overwhelming cinematic experience in recent memory. Packed to the brim with awe-inspiring imagery, it’s as visually dazzling as movies get. The cryptic narrative, built on a foundation of enigmatic riddles and allusions, will wear most viewers’ patience thin long before the story reaches its end. But if you’re up for the challenge, a powerful emotional undercurrent lurks beneath, waiting to sweep you away.

The plot, such as it can be described, takes place in an unspecified future when humans have given up the ability to dream in exchange for eternal life. Those who refuse to stop dreaming are called “Deliriants” and the agents who hunt them down are called “The Other Ones.” When one of these agents (Shu Qi) tracks down a Deliriant (Jackson Yee) on the verge of self-destruction who refuses to stop dreaming, she installs a film projector in his head and watches his dreams play out over the course of one hundred years.

The narrative is divided into five chapters, each one filmed in a different style to emulate various periods of movie history. The first part expertly utilizes the techniques of silent films and German Expressionism, creating a feast for the eyes that left me speechless. From there, the film shifts into a WWII-era mystery/thriller, a contemplative philosophical episode at a Buddhist temple, and a charming con artist plot featuring a precocious orphaned girl.

Best of all is the final chapter, set on New Years Eve in 1999 and focusing on a pair of young lovers beset by a vampire mafia. The couple just wants to survive long enough to see the sunset and their journey takes them down endless dark corridors and rain-soaked alleyways, through a rave in a bustling karaoke club, and finally onto an awaiting ship. The entire sequence is jaw-droppingly filmed as one unbroken take that lasts for nearly forty minutes.

Following through on the exceptional promise and command of craft shown in his first two films (2015’s Kaili Blues and 2018’s Long Day’s Journey Into Night, both of which also feature a stunning forty-plus minute single-take sequence), Bi Gan has firmly established himself in the top tier of modern filmmakers. Operating with no semblance of restraint, he creates a treasure trove of sensory delights. The cherry on top of the experience is a gorgeous score by French electronic musician M83 that conjures powerful swells of raw feeling.

If you’re looking for a movie with a clear story that you’ll fully understand by the end, this isn’t the film for you. I’ve seen it twice now and feel like I’m still only just beginning to unravel its endless thematic threads. But if you’re looking for an unforgettable experience that defies description, Resurrection is that rare film. It’s a stunning work of art that perfectly captures the feeling of being lost in a dream, and much like the tortured Deliriant at its story’s center, I never wanted to wake up.

1. Eddington (Ari Aster)

My favorite film of 2025 is the one that most accurately reflects our current reality. I’m not surprised that this movie struggled to find an audience and received many negative reviews, while One Battle After Another got raves for its more optimistic take on similar subject matter. People want to feel hopeful about the future and that’s understandable. But to me, OBAA feels shallow and inauthentic while Eddington feels chillingly real, perfectly capturing the endless fear and chaos that we’re all living through.

The film is set in the fictional town of Eddington, New Mexico in May 2020, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Democratic mayor Ted Garcia (a shifty Pedro Pascal) implements lockdown orders while running a tech-friendly campaign for his reelection, centered on the construction of a new AI data center in Eddington. Sheriff Joe Cross (a pitch-perfect Joaquin Phoenix) disapproves of the mandates, believing that they’re a violation of personal freedom, and decides to run for mayor as Ted’s opposition.

Joe lives with his mentally unstable, reclusive wife Louise (Emma Stone, erasing herself completely in an unnerving performance) and conspiracy theorist mother-in-law Dawn (an excellent Deirdre O’Connell). After Joe announces his campaign, Louise disapproves and starts spending time with a charismatic cult leader named Vernon Jefferson Peak (Austin Butler, oozing limitless sleaze and charm).

Also factoring into the story are a group of teenage protesters, Joe’s deputies, the Pueblo tribe, and a mentally ill vagrant named Lodge. It’s a lot of characters and subplots to keep track of, and the film takes its time carefully setting everything up to the point that it requires some patience in the first half. But rest assured, Aster’s outstanding script eventually ties everything together, finally erupting into a jaw-dropping burst of violence and destruction at its conclusion.

Even though Eddington is set during the COVID-19 pandemic and deals directly with many of the horrors afflicting us on a daily basis, it’s not torturous to sit through by any means. In fact, the film is frequently hilarious and delivers several thrilling jolts to the point that I would actually call it entertaining, albeit extremely uncomfortable. It’s also magnificently shot and edited, with every frame popping off the screen and not a moment wasted.

The political commentary baked into the narrative feels sharp and earned, astutely recognizing that our problems run far deeper than the current administration. The truth is that both parties are essentially under the thumb of the same influences, so no matter who we vote for, we always lose. Much like the characters in Eddington, we’re all at the mercy of forces beyond our control, desperately clinging to a fragile reality that’s rapidly slipping away from us. It’s a tough feeling to live with, but this film crystallizes it so potently that at least you may feel a little bit less alone.