Top 10 Best Films of 2025

 

Copyright © Beijing Enlight Pictures, Chengdu Coco Cartoon, A24

  2025 became one of the most phenomenal years of cinema! Sure, The Electric State and A Minecraft Movie (to a much lesser extent) did make it a rocky start, but later films such as KPop Demon Hunters, Weapons, and Zootopia 2 saved it from disappointment. As for our journey, I wrote 39 reviews of 2025 movies, 9 revisits of pre-2025 movies, 1 revisit of a pre-2025 special, and this Top 10 list, which equals 50 posts made for this year! Up above is Ne Zha 2, the highest-grossing film of the year ($2.22 billion), but is it truly #1 on this list? Let's run down 10 movies from our blog until we reach which one deserves our crown!

10) Paddington in Peru (Sony/StudioCanal)

Copyright © Sony Pictures, Columbia Pictures, StudioCanal, Stage 6 Films, Marmalade Pictures

  We're starting off strong with a threequel featuring the iconic marmalade-loving bear! This one makes Paddington's adventures more exciting with a wholesome trip to the Peruvian islands. For the third round, Paddington and his adopted family go to Peru to save Aunt Lucy. How cool is that? Putting aside the amusing passport adventure, it introduces new messages that tie into family, the central theme of Paddington. In this movie, family is defined by love and support rather than blood relations, and it ultimately matters more than treasures. Thanks to Sony Pictures' increased budget, the storybook visuals are back to deliver the family-friendly aesthetic of the movie series. The only flaw of this movie is the villain twist that felt unjustified. Comprehensively, this movie is an all-ages adventure that politely (in Paddington's style) respects its audience, and we must feel appreciative of that. StudioCanal will be given props for maintaining the spirit of the little British bear.
    Score: 9.5/10

9) The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie (Warner Bros.)

Copyright © Ketchup Entertainment, Warner Bros. Animation

  Now we're talking when it comes to the first perfect film here! While a lot of the animated films coming out are using CGI, this one dares to be different by using 2D animation. This film can seamlessly fit into theaters because its fluidity and movements equal a wacky Saturday morning cartoon. Surprising, huh? Well, the animation is not the only reason why this movie is here. Other than gorgeous 2D animation, it has a "War of the Worlds"-style plot without relying on rehashed formulas, like when planning another Space Jam sequel. Even better, it feels like the original Looney Tunes because of the many references and humor it makes for the OG fans, including the iconic "That's All Folks!" sequence used at the ending. Looney Tunes fans are not going to be the only ones who will fall in love with this movie. Animation fans would love it as well. By letting 2D animation go back into movie theaters, it resurrects the Looney! That's all, folks!
    Score: 10/10

8) Good Boy (IFC/Shudder)

Copyright © Independent Film Company, Shudder, What's Wrong With Your Dog?

  This is our first horror movie on the list! Among other unique horror movies like Smile, this one has a fresh take on who the main character should be. This time, it tells the story from the dog's perspective, in which the dog can exceptionally deliver emotion without dialogue. Supported by a human cast, Indy's acting is really expressive, from his tail wags to his high-pitched crying. The performances were not the only thing that shone bright, though. Well, it is a basic 73-minute haunted house story, but it is a heartbreaking one about a dog saving his owner from demons. It even has meaningful themes like loyalty, emotional support, grief, and instinct to show how dogs truly care about their owner's well-being. If more people had posted more hype for this incredible underrated horror movie, it would have been a hit at the box office.
    Score: 10/10

7) Bring Her Back (A24)

Copyright © A24, Stage 6 Films, Causeway Films

  Well, this one is also underrated, but at least it did find its audience of horror and cinema fans! A24 made an excellent decision to rehire the Philippou brothers this year! Unlike many other horror movies, its scares are derived from either psychological terror or disturbing VHS footage, which are enhanced by amazing gore with makeup and production work. Besides impressive gore, the acting felt genuine and relatable. The child actors, along with Sally Hawkins, did a wonderful job to make the occult experience seem like a supposed nightmare from your sleep. At its core, the poignant story tackles the occult and child loss, which shows that the Philippou brothers are brave enough to tackle problematic ideas. That risky decision is what defines this movie as truly macabre. It may take time to understand the story, but you will understand the emotional stakes if you look back. Again, it would have been a box office hit if it got more hype.
    Score: 10/10

6) 28 Years Later (Sony)

Copyright © Sony Pictures, Columbia Pictures, DNA Films, Decibel Films

  Who would love an incredible zombie movie to get on this list? This movie did not only have one of the best trailers of the year, but it surprisingly became my second-best horror movie of the year! Mixing the eerie tone from 28 Days Later and the emotional depth from 28 Weeks Later, it makes for a perfect trilogy entry that fits in the current era of film, along with passing the perspective to a child character. Its gore and deaths have been elevated to foreshadow the story, but now that Danny Boyle is back, he improved the nightmare fuel with the Teletubbies scene and the iconic "Boots" poem muttered out. Digging deeper into the story, we have a sympathetic child protagonist venturing on Scottish land this time around, along with the expansion of the mythology behind the zombies. The characters, like Spike and Isla, have compelling arcs and development throughout the survival, which make the film emotional and well thought out. Let's hope that Sony will excel with 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple next year.
    Score: 10/10

5) Weapons (Warner Bros.)

Copyright © Warner Bros. Pictures, New Line Cinema

  Nothing's going to stop this from being the best horror movie of the year! This movie definitely deserved the hype anyway! Out of this year's horror movies, this one is the most unique for its concept of 17 kids disappearing at the exact same time, which is enhanced with a twisty, nonlinear narrative focusing on 6 different characters. Imagine Companion, but with greater unpredictability and more unsettling scares. Additionally, each character struggles with their personal lives while working to find the 17 missing kids, which adds a big chunk of realism to the story. As part of Zach Cregger's direction, it has humor that is way funnier than Barbarian, and it also has crazy symbolism to show how innocence can be ruined by society. Warner Bros. may not be the best company, but this movie deserved success and love. From this movie and forward, I would love to see Zach Cregger come back as a director for more projects.
    Score: 10/10

4) Ne Zha 2 (Beijing Enlight/A24)

Copyright © Beijing Enlight Pictures, Chengdu Coco Cartoon, A24

  Out of nowhere, a Chinese animated sequel smashed the box office to become the highest-grossing film of the year. Apparently, those moviegoers who saw it were right all along! I know, it’s way longer than the previous movie, but it is an incredible improvement. The story just keeps on going with unpredictable twists until it unravels its messages about established authorities and oppressive systems, while still staying true to themes of accepting yourself, changing fate, sacrifice, and even love. Pretty much everything in the story is engrossing, including the character arcs of Ne Zha and Ao Bing, which is what makes this film special in China. Although the animation studio behind it is obscure, it managed to step up using more detail, movement, and colors, and the action choreography improved so much it would rival other epic fantasy. Therefore, I gave this film a giant spot here. Jiao Zi may have come from nothing, but he has gotten everything after releasing this sequel to his incredible epic!
    Score: 10/10

3) The Bad Guys 2 (Universal/DreamWorks)

Copyright © Universal Pictures, DreamWorks Animation

  Let's admit that The Bad Guys is a special franchise from DreamWorks Animation. In this sequel, The Bad Guys would need to use their past skills to stop a new group called the Bad Girls. Like Ne Zha 2, this film is a significant improvement from the previous entry, and it proves it with twists and a plot that stays true to the books. The story uses a message of second chances after controversial pasts, while it also keeps the themes of addressing stereotypes and hope, which shows greater storytelling depth than its predecessor. As for characters, the returning stars (like Mr. Wolf and his crew) are given personal and tactical upgrades, as well as the Bad Girls being awesome new additions to this movie. Heck, DreamWorks upgraded the animation with more cinematic action and even 2D anime-style flair, even if they are not working entirely in-house anymore. In short, it's funnier, deeper, and badder. This film will gain bonus points for being a sequel to an already incredible film from 3 years ago. Great job to DreamWorks for making it in the Top 3 for yet another time!
    Score: 10/10

2) KPop Demon Hunters (Netflix/Sony)

Copyright © Netflix, Sony Pictures Animation

  Of course, this list would be crazy without the most-watched Netflix title of all in fantasy! The idea of a K-Pop girl group fighting demons is as fascinating as it can get. Surprisingly, the final product turned out spectacular because of two things: an inner self arc and the celebration of K-Pop. Through Rumi's character arc, it has multiple meaningful messages, such as accepting our "demon" parts, music uniting us, manipulation of idolization, and girl power. Thanks to hundreds of kids watching it over and over again, its colorful animation shines, thanks to the same studio behind the Spider-Verse films. The best part, however, would be the songs. The songwriters did most of its soundtrack, especially "Golden" and "Your Idol," with both plot importance and sizzling songwriting. Let's give a big golden round of applause for making this masterpiece land as a runner-up! Now this is what Netflix sounds like!
    Score: 10/10

    Let's mention some honorable mentions for this year, too! The ones who did not make it to the list are...

• Frankenstein (Netflix)
• Companion (Warner Bros)
  
• Together (Neon)
• Sketch (Angel Studios)
• In Your Dreams (Netflix)

1) Zootopia 2 (Walt Disney)

Copyright © Walt Disney

  The crown goes to the movie that aces depth, emotion, and everything in-between to make the best cinema experience of 2025. Zootopia is a critically special movie (and the best one from Disney) because it teaches about social commentary in an animal world. This one does not just expand on the prejudice theme, but it also uses new messages, like being different from your family, challenging intimate differences, and using empathy as a solution, plus chunks of girl power. While the first movie was about mammals, this incredible sequel is about reptiles, which is a genius way to expand the world-building. It has a lot of the characters you need, like the iconic duo (Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde), the feared "villain" (Gary), the guide (Nibbles), the twist villain (Pawbert), and everyone else that played their parts in the predecessor. Instead of Maya, Disney animated the movie using their tool, Presto, which upgraded the animation up to an 11. For the smaller parts, the humor, voices, soundtrack, and everything else improved to appeal to audiences of all ages. Yes, Disney is not a good company with their OpenAI deal, but I'm going to give it a pass because Jared Bush is against using AI for creating movies. Thank you, Jared Bush and Byron Howard, for summoning the cinematic peak of 2025!
    Score: 10/10

Conclusion

   In the end, 2025 was an extraordinary year for cinema. The movies in here are either animation or horror, but those are the two genres that are our favorites. For this list, many other movies were originally considered for the #1 spot, like KPop Demon Hunters and The Bad Guys 2. After a few weeks, Zootopia 2 officially won for making the best experience for me, but the other two were so close to getting it! As we look forward to 2026, this year will be remembered as an adventure, except greater and bolder than last year because I decided to take risks on my movie choices. Anyway, thank you to the films that came to this list, and congratulations to Zootopia 2! Stay safe and have a happy New Year! Goodbye!