2025 in Film: The Year in Review
- Rob Cain
- Dec 28, 2025
- 4 min read
2025: A year of great variety for the industry. The usual franchise follow-ups were all over our screens, but there were just as many earnest and committed productions that excelled massively across a wide range of genres. Drama and horror were certainly the biggest winners with plenty of brilliant films to take in. There were also some unique efforts that took new directions alongside the return of long-dormant properties. Most of the films I saw were decent, but the ones that stood out pushed their central ideas or franchises forward. Here are my top picks for the year.
Films That Just About Made Par
James Gunn kicked off the new DC Universe with a capable effort, though the tone and direction did diminish some of its impact for me.
Bong Joon-Ho’s latest effort features his trademark satire and themes alongside good performances, but it felt too quirky and light-hearted for my liking.
Harrison Ford’s performance was a big saving grace for the fourth Captain America, a very pedestrian effort that fell short of its predecessors.
Most Underappreciated Release
Darren Aronofsky went for a crime film with lots of black humour along the way, but its success was cut short by a narrow theatrical run.
2nd: Roofman
Roofman was somewhat overshadowed by the likes of Tron: Ares, Frankenstein and Bugonia; a shame as this earnest drama easily trumps all of them.
The musical biopic genre is quite crowded, but this effort from Robbie Williams was very well-executed. It’s too bad barely anyone went to see it.
Most Disappointing Film
This seventh entry in the long-running franchise was a big let-down and further proof that Jurassic Park has no fresh ideas and nowhere left to go.
Biggest Audience To Critic Split
Audiences generally enjoyed the supposed final entry for Mission Impossible, myself included, but many critics weren’t impressed by efforts to tie the whole franchise together.
Paul Thomas Anderson’s latest production has achieved high acclaim from most mainstream reviewers, but its political narrative drew much ire from some viewers.
The long-awaited return of the rage virus took a different, more emotional direction. This didn’t sit well with some audiences who wanted the same intensity as previous films.
Best And Worst Trends
Best: A solid round of adaptations, standalone stories and sequels
While the box office is still dominated by sequels, remakes and reboots, 2025 had its fair share of original efforts that were embraced by audiences through word of mouth. Sinners, One Battle After Another, Warfare and Better Man embraced their individual genres and for the most part, made the most of their smaller budgets. Even Disney had a couple of wins this year with Thunderbolts and Zootropolis 2, even if the former wasn’t all that successful. There’s no doubt that the biggest studios can still win audiences back if they’re willing to take things in a different direction, but there’s also enough room for smaller-scale titles in-between.
Worst: The continued monopolisation from streaming services
Arriving at the end of 2025, the biggest story in the industry is also the most damning. Netflix’s acquisition of Warner Bros (or Paramount if they get their way) speaks volumes of where things are heading; further monopolisation of cinema with some negative side effects on the way. Netflix is now a streaming juggernaut able to absorb the biggest Hollywood studios; what does this mean for physical media, the theatre experience and filmmaking in general? Could all three be degraded over time? We’ll have to wait and find out, but the death of the movieplex and Blu-Ray collections is a bad outcome for everyone.
My Top 5 Best Films Of The Year
The Predator franchise continues a knockout resurgence with the most ambitious sequel yet. As a big fan of the creature, Dan Trachtenburg knows exactly what he’s doing with the IP and I can’t wait to see more.
The most sincere and genuine drama of the year; it strips away all superficiality and the takes the viewer back to a simpler time, allowing the characters and their close bonds to latch on to the viewer.
A towering drama in both length and substance, The Brutalist told a deep and involving story that spanned multiple decades. Every performance, especially those from Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones and Guy Pierce were fully deserving of their acclaim.
Easily supplanting the 1992 Coppola film, Nosferatu is now my personal favourite adaptation of gothic horror. Robert Eggers never misses a beat with a foreboding tone, immersive cinematography and creepy sound design.
A masterful title from Ryan Coogler that weaves in detailed music and history, superb performances and a brilliant atmosphere. It’s everything an original production should be while also putting a great spin on the horror genre.
That closes out 2025; next year we’re getting large-scale adaptations like Wuthering Heights and Project Hail Mary, more sequels to long-dormant properties The Mummy and The Devil Wears Prada and high-end blockbusters like The Odyssey, Avengers: Doomsday and Dune: Part 3. See you there...
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