Top Ten 2025

How to pick a Top Ten–and what does “Top Ten” mean, anyway? I’m in no position to pick the “best” movies; so my choices must be personal favorites and, on a further level of subjectivity, on the particular day I saw them. Some would question how I could pick Americana., a film that was barely noticed and poorly reviewed, but not Sentimental Value, the kind of quiet, interpersonal film I usually champion, with award-worthy performances throughout.  Here’s my explanation: I had heard so much positive chatter about SV before I saw it, and I had so loved Joachim Trier and Renata Reinsve’s previous collaboration that I was somewhat disappointed that the film was much quieter and smaller than The Worst Person in the World. Conversely, I went to see Americana. after reading reviews that weren’t terribly promising but made it sound quirky enough to check it out on at Metro 4 on a Tuesday afternoon. Low expectations, big payoff vs. high expectations, no fireworks.

The one common test I applied to all the movies vying for a spot on the list is, Do I heartily recommend it to others? Conversely, again, however “good” the film is, if I walk away thinking more about my reservations than overall quality, then it’s off the list. One Battle After Another is clearly one of the most ambitious films of the year, with a serious message, brilliant directing and worthy acting Oscar nominations; but I left thinking how much I disliked Leonardo DiCaprio’s acting or character (not sure which) and how absurd the chase-scene ending was. F1 and Song Sung Blue were far less original, but the action scenes were entertaining and the chemistry of the romantic leads was convincing, making both totally enjoyable nights at the cinema.

Then there are points for originality and artistry: if a director has a vision, successfully executes it and, also important, I get it, it deserves a spot. Richard Linklater’s twin bill of Blue Moon and Nouvelle Vague makes it largely on those grounds. While I had a good time with both, there was more admiration than rapture. What ideas and how did he pull them off! Sirat falls in this category as well. I was amazed at how the director combined music, setting, characters and plot that were all new to me into a unified whole. If I Had Legs I’d Kick You was another unusual vision-driven film that just missed inclusion on my list.

Zombie and horror pictures aren’t my usual Top Ten fare, but both Sinners and Weapons were sufficiently tethered to reality that I could accept them on their terms and go along for the ride without internal protest. By the time the story went crazy I was settled in their worlds. Same for The Housemaid, another film, like Americana., that will be forgotten in awards season but also, like Americana., gave me new respect for Sydney Sweeney.

Jay Kelly also gets little critical respect, but it was made up of fun moment after fun moment, and seeing it before reviews with Noah Baumbach to explicate gave it a head start. As for Part One of Billy Joel: And So It Goes, whether it qualifies as a “movie” matters less than the fact it provided the most fun two hours we had in front of a screen all year.

There weren’t a lot of important films this year, which is fine, but this made The Teacher stand out even more than it would have just for its artistry. Other than daily Trump and his destruction of a country that was doing so well for 250 years, Israel’s genocide of the Palestinian people was for me the defining issue of the year; and while this movie predated October 7 it captured that environment in language that was not at all foreign. More than recommend, I would urge people to see it and only regret that it hasn’t been around to watch.

1. The Teacher
2. Billy Joel: And So It Goes
3. Americana.
4. Sinners
5. F1
6. Blue Moon/Nouvelle Vague
7. Song Sung Blue
8. Weapons
9. Sirat
10. Jay Kelly