Here Are the 20 Best Movies of 2025 as Ranked by ‘Rolling Stone’

The cinematic landscape of 2025 proved to be a year of bold visions, masterful adaptations, and the triumphant return of legendary auteurs. From sprawling historical epics to intimate, low-budget character studies, filmmakers pushed the boundaries of genre and storytelling to capture the anxieties and hopes of the modern era. This year saw international cinema dominate the conversation, with groundbreaking works from South Korea, Iran, and Zambia standing alongside Hollywood’s most ambitious projects. The following films represent the absolute pinnacle of artistic achievement released over the last twelve months.

‘Weapons’ (2025)

Zach Cregger follows his breakout success with this multi-narrative horror epic that weaves together the lives of high school students, a disappearing father, and a religious community. Josh Brolin and Julia Garner deliver intense performances in a story that examines the destructive nature of secrets in small-town America. The film builds unbearable tension through interlocking storylines that eventually collide in a violent, unforgettable climax. This ambitious project cements Cregger’s status as one of the most exciting new voices in the genre.

‘Frankenstein’ (2025)

Guillermo del Toro returns to his gothic roots with a faithful yet visionary adaptation of Mary Shelley’s classic novel. Oscar Isaac portrays the obsessed Victor Frankenstein, while Jacob Elordi brings a tragic physicality and emotional depth to the Creature. The film explores the profound loneliness of existence and the monstrous consequences of playing god with a level of empathy rarely seen in previous adaptations. Del Toro’s signature practical effects and dark romanticism make this the definitive cinematic version of the tale.

‘Caught by the Tides’ (2025)

Jia Zhangke delivers a sweeping romance that spans the first two decades of the 21st century in a rapidly transforming China. The story follows Qiao and Bin as their love affair is tested by economic shifts, migration, and the relentless passage of time. Using footage shot over nearly twenty years, the film blurs the line between documentary and fiction to capture the ephemeral nature of memory. It stands as a melancholic meditation on how a changing nation reshapes the private lives of its citizens.

‘The Phoenician Scheme’ (2025)

Wes Anderson tackles the espionage genre with his trademark visual symmetry and deadpan humor in this colorful thriller. Benicio del Toro stars as a disgraced spy attempting to unravel a complex conspiracy involving a family business and international intrigue. The narrative unfolds through a series of intricate vignettes that pay homage to classic Cold War cinema while maintaining Anderson’s unique emotional sensibility. The meticulous set design and an all-star ensemble cast create a world that is both artificial and deeply affecting.

‘On Becoming a Guinea Fowl’ (2025)

Rungano Nyoni’s darkly comic drama explores the absurdity of grief and family tradition in modern Zambia. Following the sudden death of an uncle, Shula must navigate the contradictory expectations placed on women during the mourning process. The film exposes family secrets and societal hypocrisy with a sharp, satirical edge that never undermines the emotional stakes. Nyoni masters the balance between surreal humor and the harsh realities of patriarchal oppression.

‘Orwell: 2+2=5’ (2025)

Raoul Peck’s documentary offers a searing examination of George Orwell’s life and the lasting relevance of his political writings. Damian Lewis provides the voice of the author, guiding viewers through archival footage and contemporary parallels to the dystopian world of ‘1984’. The film argues that Orwell’s warnings about totalitarianism, surveillance, and the manipulation of truth are more urgent now than ever before. Peck creates a visual essay that is intellectually rigorous and emotionally stirring.

‘Best Wishes to All’ (2025)

Yûta Shimotsu’s horror satire unnerves audiences with its depiction of a nursing student visiting her grandparents in the Japanese countryside. What begins as a warm family reunion descends into a nightmare involving a bizarre ritual where happiness is bought at the price of another’s suffering. The film uses grotesque imagery to critique the willful ignorance required to maintain social harmony in an exploitative system. It is a chilling fable about the cost of comfort that lingers long after the credits roll.

‘Universal Language’ (2025)

Matthew Rankin directs this surreal comedy that reimagines Winnipeg as a snowy, Farsi-speaking metropolis where cultures collide in absurd ways. The interconnected stories involve two children finding money in the ice and a tour guide leading visitors through brutalist monuments. The film defies easy categorization, blending deadpan humor with a heartfelt ode to cross-cultural connection and cinema itself. Its visual inventiveness and absurdist logic make it a unique and delightful entry in Canadian cinema.

‘Eddington’ (2025)

Ari Aster shifts gears from supernatural horror to a contemporary western set during the height of the pandemic. Joaquin Phoenix and Pedro Pascal star as rival sheriffs in a small New Mexico town divided by politics, paranoia, and a looming election. The film captures the claustrophobia and absurdity of modern American life through a lens of dark comedy and sun-bleached noir. Aster maintains a sense of creeping dread even as he satirizes the polarization of the era.

‘Peter Hujar’s Day’ (2025)

Ira Sachs crafts an intimate portrait of the acclaimed photographer Peter Hujar during a single day in 1980s New York. Ben Whishaw disappears into the role, capturing Hujar’s uncompromising artistic vision and his deep connections within the downtown art scene. The film avoids standard biopic tropes to focus on the textures of daily life and the fleeting nature of creative inspiration. It serves as a love letter to a vanished city and a singular artist who found beauty in the margins.

‘Sentimental Value’ (2025)

Joachim Trier reunites with Renate Reinsve for this poignant drama about an actress navigating a professional and personal crisis. When her estranged father returns to her life, two sisters must confront the legacy of their shared past and the performative nature of their family dynamics. The film balances humor and melancholy as it explores how we assign value to memories, art, and relationships. Reinsve delivers a complex performance that anchors this exploration of grief and reconciliation.

‘Marty Supreme’ (2025)

Josh Safdie directs this energetic fictionalized biopic inspired by the life of ping pong legend Marty Reisman. Timothée Chalamet stars as the flamboyant player who hustles his way through the gritty subculture of 1950s New York City. The film captures the speed and intensity of the sport with Safdie’s signature kinetic editing and chaotic sound design. It is a colorful character study of a man who refused to conform to the gentlemanly standards of his era.

‘Sorry, Baby’ (2025)

Eva Victor writes, directs, and stars in this sharp comedy-drama about a woman rebuilding her life after a traumatic event. Agnes, a literature professor, spirals into eccentric coping mechanisms while her friends attempt to move forward with their own lives. The film handles the subject of recovery with a unique blend of dark humor and raw vulnerability. Victor’s voice is distinct, creating a story that is both deeply personal and universally resonant.

‘No Other Choice’ (2025)

Park Chan-wook adapts Donald Westlake’s novel ‘The Ax’ into a satirical thriller set in the cutthroat world of corporate Korea. Lee Byung-hun plays a desperate man who decides to eliminate his competition physically to secure a job and protect his family’s lifestyle. The film combines brutal violence with pitch-black comedy to critique the dehumanizing effects of late-stage capitalism. Park’s elegant direction turns a grim premise into a stylish and suspenseful morality play.

‘It Was Just an Accident’ (2025)

Jafar Panahi’s Palme d’Or winner is a tense road movie that transforms a minor traffic incident into a gripping revenge thriller. A former political prisoner recognizes a sound that leads him to believe he has found his torturer from years ago. The film gathers a motley crew of characters who debate the ethics of retribution against a backdrop of systemic oppression. Panahi continues to defy censorship with a work that is both a brave political statement and a masterclass in storytelling.

‘Nouvelle Vague’ (2025)

Richard Linklater recreates the production of ‘Breathless’ in this stunning black-and-white homage to the French New Wave. The film captures the chaotic energy of Jean-Luc Godard’s revolutionary approach to cinema on the streets of Paris in 1959. It explores the artistic collaboration and romantic entanglements that defined a cultural movement and launched a new era of filmmaking. Linklater celebrates the spirit of youth and the specific moment when cinema changed forever.

‘Train Dreams’ (2025)

Clint Bentley adapts Denis Johnson’s novella into a haunting meditation on the American West and the march of progress. Joel Edgerton stars as Robert Grainier, a logger whose life is defined by the rapid industrialization of the early 20th century and a tragic personal loss. The film captures the silence and vastness of the landscape as the protagonist grapples with his isolation and the passage of time. It is a visual poem that mourns a vanishing way of life with quiet dignity.

‘Black Bag’ (2025)

Steven Soderbergh delivers a taut spy thriller set in London, starring Cate Blanchett and Michael Fassbender as intelligence agents. The plot revolves around a web of surveillance, double-crosses, and the cold mechanics of modern espionage. Soderbergh strips the genre down to its essentials, focusing on process, dialogue, and the high-stakes chess match between the leads. The film is a masterclass in tension, driven by precise direction and icy, compelling performances.

‘Hamnet’ (2025)

Chloé Zhao brings Maggie O’Farrell’s novel to the screen with a lyrical and devastating exploration of grief and creativity. Paul Mescal and Jessie Buckley play the parents of a young boy whose death inspires one of Shakespeare’s greatest plays. The film focuses on the sensory details of life in Stratford and the quiet, earth-shattering impact of loss on a family. Zhao’s naturalistic style grounds the historical setting in deep, human emotion that feels incredibly modern.

‘One Battle After Another’ (2025)

Paul Thomas Anderson adapts Thomas Pynchon’s ‘Vineland’ into a sprawling, psychedelic odyssey through American history and counterculture. Leonardo DiCaprio stars as a former radical forced to confront his past when his daughter is targeted by a federal agent played by Sean Penn. The film blends stoner comedy, political thriller, and family drama into a singular vision of a nation at war with itself. It is an ambitious, chaotic, and deeply felt masterpiece that serves as the definitive film of the year.

Tell us which of these movies you are most excited to see in the comments.