The best movies of 2025 so far

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The best movies of 2025 so far

As is often the case, movie releases in 2025 have included some serious highs and lows. There were major box-office hits, like "A Minecraft Movie," which brought in more than $423 million at the box office and set the record as the most successful game-to-film adaptation of all time, along with some colossal disappointments, like Disney's universally panned live-action "Snow White," which is expected to lose the studio $115 million. And for every critically adored film like "Sinners," there was an unmitigated disaster like "Bride Hard."

As we move toward awards season, plenty of buzz-worthy films are getting ready to hit screens in the last quarter of the year. "Hamnet" (Nov. 27), "Marty Supreme" (Dec. 25), and "Wicked: For Good" (Nov. 21) are all being tossed around as possible Oscar contenders, while deeper cuts like "Train Dreams" (Nov. 7) and "The Secret Agent" (Nov. 26) have garnered some serious buzz.

Several family-friendly movies are also on the way, including "The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants" on Dec. 19 and "Zootopia 2" on Nov. 26. And who could forget hotly anticipated sequels like "Avatar: Fire and Ash" on Dec. 19?

While there's much to look forward to, we shouldn't overlook the gems that have already hit theaters. Stacker rounded up the best movies of 2025, ranked by Metacritic scores.

To qualify for the list, these movies must have been released and distributed in the United States by Oct. 17, 2025, and have at least seven reviews by critics. Metacritic's internal weighting system broke any ties. IMDb user ratings are provided for a popular reception context.

From timely documentaries to indie comedies to gripping foreign films, these are the films from 2025 (so far) most deserving of your attention.

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#20. Eephus

- Director: Carson Lund
- Metascore: 83
- IMDB user rating: 6.7
- Run time: 1 hour, 38 minutes

Set in the '90s, "Eephus" centers on two amateur baseball teams playing their final game in their home stadium before it is demolished. Subtle, slow-moving, and without the overtly emotional arc central to most sports films, the movie still manages to be a touching and funny tribute to America's national pastime.

Writing for WBUR, Sean Burns called it "the best baseball movie since 'Bull Durham'—or maybe 'Bad Lieutenant'—because it explores this sport's peculiar ability to bend and distort time."

Maya Dehlin Spach // Getty Images

#19. Predators

- Director: David Osit
- Metascore: 83
- IMDB user rating: 7.5
- Run time: 1 hour 36 minutes

In the early 2000s, "To Catch a Predator" was among NBC's more popular offerings. The show used actors to lure adults seeking to have sexual encounters with children into the hands of police, who then arrested them. This David Osit documentary examines the rise and fall of the series, as well as the impact it had on those involved in its creation. The New York Times' critic Ben Kenigsberg called it a "probing, troubling [look] at the sociological implications" of the hugely successful show.

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#18. Universal Language

- Director: Matthew Rankin
- Metascore: 84
- IMDB user rating: 6.9
- Run time: 1 hour 29 minutes

"Universal Language" is an absurdist comedy set in a reimagined Canada where Persian and French are the official languages. The film contains three separate and seemingly unconnected narratives. Reminiscent of the Iranian New Wave cinematic movement, the movie may be too bizarre for some (the action is interspersed with asides, like a faux '80s-style commercial selling turkeys). But for those willing to get on its wavelength, the film delivers a story that is "familiar and strange to us, welcoming but odd, funny, and tender," per RogerEbert.com critic Monica Castillo.

Eamonn M. McCormack/Getty Images for The Red Sea International Film Festival

#17. To a Land Unknown

- Director: Mahdi Fleifel
- Metascore: 84
- IMDB user rating: 7.3
- Run time: 1 hour 45 minutes

"To a Land Unknown" follows two Palestinian refugees as they attempt to make their way from Greece to Germany, acquiring money in any way they can. Gritty and tense, the movie doesn't shy away "from the lasting damages that exile can cause, whether one makes it out or not," Hollywood Reporter contributing film critic Jordan Mintzer writes.

Alci Rengifo, CounterPunch film critic and filmmaker, said the movie "is one of those enveloping cinematic experiences that feel so real as to transcend the idea that it is fiction," an assessment that makes perfect sense when you consider that this is documentary director Mahdi Fleifel's first narrative feature.

Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images for Warner Bros. Pictures

#16. Sinners

- Director: Ryan Coogler
- Metascore: 84
- IMDB user rating: 7.6
- Run time: 2 hours 17 minutes

Michael B. Jordan plays twins in this horror movie in the Mississippi Delta in 1932. "Sinners" follows the two brothers, Smoke and Stack, as they return to their hometown hoping for a fresh start, only to find that a supernatural evil lurks in the shadows.

Variety film critic Owen Gleiberman said the movie was "vibrant and richly acted," calling it a "rare mainstream horror film about something weighty and soulful. " Its thematic depth and stunning aesthetic are two reasons it's made over $365 million worldwide, making it the biggest original horror movie since 2018's "A Quiet Place."

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#15. I'm Still Here

- Director: Walter Salles
- Metascore: 85
- IMDB user rating: 8.2
- Run time: 2 hours 17 minutes

Based on journalist Marcelo Rubens Paiva's memoir of the same name, "I'm Still Here" tells the story of a mother and activist trying to cope with the forced disappearance of her husband amid Brazil's military dictatorship. Starring Oscar nominee Fernanda Torres, the movie was nominated for Best Picture and won the Academy Award for Best International Film. The urgency of the story, as well as the quietly emotional performances, are among the driving factors behind the film's acclaim.

Samir Hussein/WireImage // Getty Images

#14. Black Bag

- Director: Steven Soderbergh
- Metascore: 85
- IMDB user rating: 6.7
- Run time: 1 hour 33 minutes

Cate Blanchett, Michael Fassbender, and Pierce Brosnan lead the cast of this spy thriller, which follows a British intelligence officer tasked with investigating a list of possible traitors. One of the names on that list? The wife he's deeply devoted to. "Black Bag" shares tonal similarities with a James Bond movie, but with a subtler, more darkly comedic approach.

RogerEbert.com's Monica Castillo called the Steven Soderbergh effort "absolutely delicious, a svelte piece of entertainment that feels like a vintage yarn yet very much represents our own anxieties, questions of sustaining trust in relationships and high-stake careers."

Jason Mendez/Getty Images for Netflix

#13. The Perfect Neighbor

- Director: Geeta Gandbhir
- Metascore: 85
- IMDB user rating: 8
- Run time: 1 hour 36 minutes

This Netflix documentary relies entirely on police body cam footage to follow the frequent disputes between two Florida neighbors, which eventually reach a shocking and violent conclusion.

The film has been described as "unflinching and urgent," with critics praising the way director Geeta Gandbhir examines "race, power, and the legal systems that shape our lives." Gandbhir won the Directing Award at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival, where the film originally premiered.

Tristan Fewings // Getty Images for BFI

#12. A Nice Indian Boy

- Director: Roshan Sethi
- Metascore: 85
- IMDB user rating: 7.4
- Run time: 1 hour 36 minutes

In this rom-com, an Indian American doctor brings his fiancée, a white man adopted by Indian parents, to meet his ultra-traditional family. Karan Soni and Jonathan Groff star in roles played with "exceptional heart and sensitivity," as RogerEbert.com contributing editor Nell Minow described. The movie is heartwarming as it engages with classic genre tropes, but it has also earned praise for its gentle wisdom and the tender way it treats family and community.

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#11. Afternoons of Solitude

- Director: Albert Serra
- Metascore: 85
- IMDB user rating: 7.2
- Run time: 2 hours 5 minutes

RogerEbert.com's Glenn Kenny called "Afternoons of Solitude" "visually beautiful, emotionally unnerving, and—arguably—intellectually confounding." Director Albert Serra's first feature-length documentary follows Spanish bullfighter Andrés Roca Rey. There is no commentary, narration, or interviews with those involved. Instead, the film offers a two-hour observation of the sport in all its gore and glory.

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#10. April

- Director: Dea Kulumbegashvili
- Metascore: 86
- IMDB user rating: 6.5
- Run time: 2 hours 14 minutes

In this timely drama, a Georgian obstetrician who provides abortions to her patients despite the country's prohibitions must defend herself after being accused of negligence. Gripping and, at times, unbearably tense, the movie is a must-watch in the current political climate. Be aware that it may leave you unsettled, as IndieWire Reviews Editor David Ehrlich calls it a "remarkable and shudderingly unresolved film."

John Lamparski // Getty Images

#9. A Little Prayer

- Director: Angus MacLachlan
- Metascore: 86
- IMDB user rating: 7.3
- Run time: 1 hour 31 minutes

"A Little Prayer" had its world premiere at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival, but didn't get a wider release until 2025. For RogerEbert.com, Matt Zoller Seitz called the family drama about the crises of adult children "a beautiful hand-wrought sculpture" that's "perfect just as it is."

Per the glowing critical response, the movie shines in the way it focuses on the humanity of its characters, not forcing viewers to determine who's right and wrong in complicated situations, but instead allowing them to see just how nuanced life and love can be.

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#8. Caught by the Tides

- Director: Zhangke Jia
- Metascore: 87
- IMDB user rating: 6.7
- Run time: 1 hour 51 minutes

During the pandemic, Chinese director Jia Zhangke began sorting through the decades of archival documentary footage he had captured. The result of that project was "Caught by the Tides," a fictional drama about a driven woman who lives for herself. It is composed almost entirely of the director's existing footage, interspersed with silent scenes featuring Zhangke's frequent collaborator (and real-life wife) Zhao Tao.

An actual arthouse project, NPR film critic Justin Chang praised the movie's portrayal of a country and its film industry in flux.

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#7. On Becoming a Guinea Fowl

- Director: Rungano Nyoni
- Metascore: 87
- IMDB user rating: 7
- Run time: 1 hour 39 minutes

"On Becoming a Guinea Fowl" opens with the main character stumbling across the body of her dead uncle, lying on the road in the middle of the night. As her extended Zambian family prepares for Uncle Fred's funeral, long-held family secrets come to light, forcing a reckoning. A mix of dark comedy and serious drama, the movie has plenty to say about the challenges of processing complex emotions and the temptation to live in denial.

ALBERTO PIZZOLI/AFP via Getty Images

#6. Familiar Touch

- Director: Sarah Friedland
- Metascore: 87
- IMDB user rating: 7.2
- Run time: 1 hour 30 minutes

In "Familiar Touch," we follow an octogenarian as she enters an assisted living facility, contending with the loss of her independence and the arrival of cognitive decline. The Santa Barbara Independent's Josef Woodard called it "a sensitive, moving, humor-speckled, and ultimately humane portrayal of the transitional process." Because aging is so infrequently addressed in cinema—at least not with this level of frankness and optimism—"Familiar Touch" is a must-watch.

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#5. 2000 Meters to Andriivka

- Director: Mstyslav Chernov
- Metascore: 88
- IMDB user rating: 8.9
- Run time: 1 hour 47 minutes

Filmmaker Mstyslav Chernov and journalist Alex Babenko follow a Ukrainian platoon as they set out to liberate the Russian-occupied village of Andriivka in this documentary. Called "bruisingly intimate" by New York Times writer Alissa Wilkinson, the film features real helmet-cam footage from the soldiers involved in the mission, alongside talking head reflections. The must-watch documentary is equal parts a treatise on the futility of war and a conversation about how we depict war for pure entertainment in video games and on TV.

Arturo Holmes // Getty Images

#4. Sorry, Baby

- Director: Eva Victor
- Metascore: 89
- IMDB user rating: 7.1
- Run time: 1 hour 51 minutes

A dark comedy-drama, "Sorry, Baby" follows a college professor as she wrestles with the aftermath of a sexual assault. Told out of chronological order, the movie works to dismantle many of the assumptions around how victims of sexual violence should react to the trauma they've endured.

NPR film critic Justin Chang wrote that the movie's thesis—"that pain and healing come in many different forms [so] our stories should, also"—is made all the more poignant by Victor's thoughtful performance and sharp writing.

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#3. It Was Just an Accident

- Director: Jafar Panahi
- Metascore: 90
- IMDB user rating: 7.7
- Run time: 1 hour 45 minutes

In this Persian-language thriller, a group of former Iranian political prisoners decides whether or not to enact revenge on their past tormentor. The film, which was secretly shot in Iran, won the Palme d'Or at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival. For RogerEbert.com, critic Robert Daniels raved about how controlled the film is despite its difficult subject matter, with nary a wasted shot or moment.

Jamie McCarthy // Getty Images for FLC

#2. My Undesirable Friends: Part I - Last Air in Moscow

- Director: Julia Loktev
- Metascore: 93
- IMDB user rating: 7.9
- Run time: 5 hours 24 minutes

Emerging at the top of the list is this grim but urgent documentary, which follows a group of independent journalists in the lead-up to Putin's invasion of Ukraine. Rolling Stone critic David Fear calls the "marathon-length" film—"My Undesirable Friends," which clocks in at 5.5 hours—a warning about totalitarianism and the suppression of free speech, demonstrating how stealthily these forces can operate.

Director Julia Loktev is currently working on a follow-up that will track the journalists as they deal with the aftermath of their work and the repercussions of challenging a regime as powerful as Putin's.

Dave Benett/WireImage // Getty Images

#1. One Battle After Another

- Director: Paul Thomas Anderson
- Metascore: 95
- IMDB user rating: 8.3
- Run time: 2 hours 41 minutes

Inspired by "Vineland," a 1990 novel by Thomas Pynchon, "One Battle After Another" follows an ex-revolutionary who returns to his old ways after a corrupt military officer begins pursuing his teenage daughter. Chicago Tribune critic Katie Walsh called the movie "a searing indictment of this American moment" for its portrayal of authoritarianism. The Hollywood Reporter critic Richard Lawson echoed that sentiment, noting that the film is "richly engaging" and "bracingly timely."

The all-star cast of "One Battle After Another," which includes Leonardo DiCaprio, Sean Penn, Benicio del Toro, Regina Hall, Teyana Taylor, and newcomer Chase Infiniti, makes the movie an easy watch, along with Paul Thomas Anderson's stunning direction.

Story editing by Louis Peitzman.

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