Carl’s Top Ten Movies Of 2025

As the 2025 movie year draws to a close, I take a look back and present my top ten films of the year. Is your favourite among them?

Stick a fork in it, the movie year of 2025 is almost over. And what a year it has been. From big-budget box office blockbusters like Jurassic World: Rebirth, F1: The Movie, Superman, and The Fantastic Four: First Steps. The return of horror movies to the summer schedule in Sinners and Weapons. The most successful movie based on a game in The Minecraft Movie. And to finish off the year, great films in Avatar: Fire & Ash, The Housemaid, and The SpongeBob Movie: Search For SquarePants. Certainly, there have been some decidedly bad movies over the past twelve months (my worst five movies of the year will come up later). Overall, though, it has been an enjoyable year in general.

A BUMPER YEAR FOR ACTING PERFORMANCES

This year has been a bumper year for acting performances. In any other year, any of Jessie Buckley, Rose Byrne, Jennifer Lawrence, Sydney Sweeney, Amanda Seyfried, Tessa Thompson, or Renate Reinsve could take home the Oscar for Best Actress. As it is, some big names are going to miss the cut with the nominations.

Best actor, too, is a tough one to call. Leonardo DiCaprio, Oscar Issac, Ethan Hawke, Brendan Fraser, Stellan Skarsgård, Joel Edgerton, Robert Pattinson, Paul Mescal, and Timothée Chalamet should all be in the mix. Still, again, some will miss out on the nominations.

SUPPORTING PERFORMANCES

Best Supporting Actor is a three-way race between Sean Penn for One Battle After Another, Jacob Elordi for Frankenstein, and Josh O’Connor for The History Of Sound. While I believe it’s between Chase Infiniti and Teyana Taylor for Best Supporting Actress, there could be a few surprises in the mix yet.

It isn’t a spoiler to reveal that only one of the above movies features in my top ten of the year. That’s not taking anything away from their quality or enjoyment. It is simply that incredible movies have been abundant. Many of them will go on to earn award nominations and take home trophies. With apologies to Ballad Of A Small Player, If I Had Legs I’d Kick You, Is This Thing On?, and Hedda, that in a different year, could easily have fit inside my top ten of the year, they just about missed the cut.

As did a film I can’t review or speak about yet in 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple. Next year, that particular film could have a high chance of making the cut, seeing as it isn’t released until January 14th. Also, some of my top ten haven’t been released yet or haven’t crossed the Atlantic to the USA yet. But with that in mind, let’s start my top ten rundown of 2025.

(10) WAKE UP DEAD MAN: A KNIVES OUT MYSTERY

After the disappointment of Glass Onion, Rian Johnson returned to form with Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery. Josh O’Connor stole the show out from under some of Hollywood’s biggest heavyweights, even managing to upstage Daniel Craig, returning for the third time as Benoit Blanc. It wasn’t all plain sailing, with the identity of the murderer or murderers blatantly obvious. But that didn’t take away from the enjoyment to be had with the film, from drama to some outrageous comedy at times. A real crowd pleaser.

(9) TRAIN DREAMS

I laughed, I cried, the incredible Train Dreams moved me. A logger leads a life of quiet grace as he experiences love and loss during an era of monumental change in early 20th-century America. Clint Bentley’s extraordinary movie gave us a truly award-worthy performance from Joel Edgerton as Robert Grainier, with superb support from Felicity Jones and William H. Macy. This is the kind of film to sit down with on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon and just be amazed by.

(8) JAY KELLY

Wow! Just Wow! The film is set inside the film world; this is possibly George Clooney’s finest hour. A comedy/drama that has us laughing, hooked, and featuring a devastating final line, Jay Kelly was a real highlight. Adam Sandler proves he is a genuine actor, not simply a comedian, in his supporting role as Jay’s manager. Featuring some terrific support from some of Hollywood’s familiar faces, this is simply divine.

(7) BLUE MOON

Forget the rest, this is the movie for which Ethan Hawke will rightly win his first Oscar as Best Actor. On the evening of March 31, 1943, legendary lyricist Lorenz Hart confronts his shattered self-confidence in Sardi’s bar as his former collaborator Richard Rodgers celebrates the opening night of his ground-breaking hit musical “Oklahoma!”. Hawke is simply unbeatable in Blue Moon. He delivers an acting performance that astounds everyone. With incredible support from Margaret Qualley and Andrew Scott, and an amazing performance from Bobby Cannavale, this is possibly Richard Linklater’s masterpiece.

(6) TWINLESS

This one is a real surprise. Going in to see the film, I had no idea what I was in for. A brilliant comedy/drama that ranks amongst the year’s best. Twinless tells the story of two young men who meet in a twin support group and form an unlikely friendship. Roman and Dennis both search for solace and an identity without their other halves and soon become inseparable outside the group. James Sweeney pulls triple duty as director, writer and star of the film, with an equally superb co-leading performance from Dylan O’Brien in a dual role. The film isn’t scheduled for release until February, but I can highly recommend it as one not to miss.

(5) RENTAL FAMILY

Again, I laughed, I cried, I was blown away and moved by Rental Family. An American actor in Tokyo struggles to find purpose until he lands an unusual gig: working for a Japanese ‘rental family’ agency, playing stand-in roles for strangers. As he immerses himself in his clients’ worlds, he begins to form genuine bonds that blur the lines between performance and reality. Brendan Fraser delivers a charming and heartfelt performance, with incredible support from Takehiro Hira, Mari Yamamoto, and Akira Emoto. One to watch, savour and love from start to finish.

(4) I SWEAR

Again, a film that took me by surprise with its charm, comedy, drama, and heartfelt storytelling. I Swear is an absolute revelation. Diagnosed with Tourette’s Syndrome at 15, John Davidson navigates his way against the odds through troubled teenage years and into adulthood, finding inspiration in the kindness of others to discover his true purpose in life. Based on Davidson’s true story, Kirk Jones’s movie hits us from all sides. Robert Aramayo delivers a sensational performance as Davidson, one that should rightly be rewarded with awards across the board. An inspirational, charming, comedic and uplifting comedy/drama.

(3) LATE SHIFT

An incredible and genuinely brilliant Swiss drama. Floria, a devoted nurse in an understaffed ER somewhere in Switzerland, manoeuvres through the demanding late shift and her numerous patients. Despite the pressure, she meticulously tends to a critically ill mother, an elderly patient awaiting a diagnosis, and a high-maintenance private patient. However, a grave error brings her to the brink of collapse, threatening to derail everything. Featuring an incredible performance by Leonie Benesch, Late Shift is a superb example of a film not in English. And it contains a final image that haunts us as we leave the cinema.

(2) FRANKENSTEIN

In any normal year, this would have easily taken the top spot. It came ever so close to taking it, however. Dr Victor Frankenstein, a brilliant but egotistical scientist, brings a creature to life in a monstrous experiment that ultimately leads to the undoing of both the creator and his tragic creation. Guillermo del Toro delivers his masterpiece with Frankenstein. A passion project of the director for years, he delivers the quintessential adaptation of Mary Shelley’s novel. Oscar Issac is incredible as Victor, as is Mia Goth in the dual role as Elizabeth / Claire Frankenstein. But Jacob Elordi gives an Oscar-worthy performance as the creature, bringing him to life as we have never seen before. This is spectacular; this is a true epic; and this is a masterpiece of filmmaking.

MY TOP FIVE TURKEYS OF THE YEAR

Oh, Gal Gadot and Rachel Zegler, count yourselves lucky. Despite Snow White being awful, other movies manage to beat it for sheer rottiness. Julia Roberts, you ALMOST made the top five with After The Hunt. Despite Oscar buzz, Amanda Seyfried came close with The Testament of Ann Lee. However, none of them could match the badness of my top five turkeys of 2025. In reverse order:

(5) THE CHRONOLOGY OF WATER

While I applaud Kristen Stewart’s directorial debut with her adaptation of Lidia Yuknavitch’s novel, The Chronology Of Water, based on her true-life experiences, it’s a two-hour mess.

(4) UNTAMABLE

Thomas Ngijol’s crime thriller, Untamable, was nothing more than an eighty-one-minute waste of time. An interesting but ultimately flawed film that doesn’t hit any real height it aims for.

(3) HAMLET

I’m sure many people will enjoy the new contemporary version of Hamlet. Sadly, I’m not one of them. While Riz Ahmed and Morfydd Clark try hard, they are hampered by a version that leaves a lot to be desired. While I applaud the makers for trying something new and cultural, it is a real letdown and not one to remember.

(2) SMURFS

Oh my god, hold your nose for this complete stinker. Smurfs is a woeful attempt to bring the classic Peyo characters into the 21st century. Playing more like an extended music video for Rihanna and James Corden, kids may love it, but adults will roll their eyes. Despite a few fun moments, the film falls flatter than a squashed Smurf’s mushroom.

(1) BALEARIC

What? Just WHAT? What on earth was this garbage? Three ferocious dogs keep a group of young people prisoners in the pool of a luxurious house they have snuck into, while neighbours gather at a nearby villa to celebrate the start of summer. Ok, can someone tell me the point of this film? I’m lost and confused—style over substance. If you can explain it all, then please let me know.

Now that the garbage has been taken out, it is time to reveal my favourite film of the year. And, I can honestly say it is a surprise that this film hit me in the way it did. It came out of nowhere, completely destroyed me, and is a surefire Oscar winner at next year’s ceremony. It really is the best film of the year. And that film is:

(1) HAMNET

I’m sorry for the other films released in 2025. The truth is, you never stood a chance. Hamnet isn’t only the best film of the year; it is also one of the finest ever made. It is something that you need to prepare for, something that you’d never expect. From a simple, light opening to its final scene, the audience will go through the emotional wringer. Joy, happiness, desperation, sadness, anger and devastation. It is one of those rare films that come along, take you completely by surprise, and leave its mark on you forever.

Jessie Buckley gives the performance of her life here as Agnes, one that surely must lead to the actress taking home her first Oscar for Best Actress. As does Paul Mescal as Will, who will get a nod for Best Supporting Actor. The powerful story of love and loss that inspired the creation of Shakespeare’s timeless masterpiece, Hamlet, is also Chloé Zhao’s masterpiece.

BASED ON THE NOVEL

Based on the novel of the same name by Maggie O’Farrell, the film is exquisite. With a supporting cast that features Emily Watson, Joe Alwyn, Bodhi Rae Breathnach, Noah Jupe, and Jacobi Jupe, the film grabs us and never lets go. With a final sequence that wrenches the heart, the film stuns us all. Take tissues-a lot of tissues. By the time the film ends, it has also wrung every last tear out of us. A complete triumph.

We now look forward to 2026 and what it may bring. Could we see a year like this one, with so many films vying for the top ten spots? It’s possible, but it will have to go a long way to trump this year.

So, there you have it, my top ten films of the year. You may agree or completely disagree with my choices. Hey, I hope you do. Films speak to people in different ways. One person’s favourites could be another’s disappointment. But this is my personal list out of the hundreds of films I have seen over the past twelve months. There’s been Oscar-worthy films, excellent films, great films, good films, middling films, poor films, and bad films. However, we can’t say we haven’t been spoiled for choice. So, it is now over to you. What were YOUR favourite movies of 2025?

 

 

 

 

 

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