I Rank 10 2025 Film Releases!

Screenshot of my full Letterboxd List of new releases I saw last year.

Last year I saw 21 newly released films, both in theaters and on streaming. This year I saw 2 films that technically released last year but got stuck in International Distribution Purgatory but I am still counting them because they are very good. That is 23 films total, which is a lot, so I am going to do my 5 highest, and 5 lowest of the list, alternating between good and bad. I'd also going to have a little bit about the film and my thoughts, which might lean positive or negative depending on what aspect I end up talking about.

One Battle After Another

Paul Thomas Anderson's loose adaptation of Thomas Pynchon's Vineland is two things. First, is a really interesting film about revolution. Second is a defanged and almost sanitized version of Vineland. This film and the book are only really similar in vague circumstantial ways, the plot follows a similar shape but the action and mentalities of Pynchon's character and their politics is really Toned Down. It's difficult to explain without reading out passages of the book so I'll leave it at that. It's still a decent film in my personal opinion, especially since it ranks so high.

Nouvelle Vague

I hated this movie, I don't think there is a film I've hated more than this one. It spends too much time trying to recreate the aesthetics of 1960's France that it forgets to capture the mentality of the French New Wave. It is way to ordinary to be about a film that they literally say in the film "changed cinema forever"

Sinners

I've been a Ryan Coogler fan ever since I'd wanted to be a filmmaker, I'd probably say his work inspired 13 year old me to study film, and that was when he had just done Black Panther. Sinners is very much born from his time working with Marvel but without all that red tape and permissions that come with studios poking their claws into your work. Ludwig Göransson, the composer does an amazing job as well. I definitely recommend seeing this one on the biggest screen possible.

Heads of State

This was some Netflix whatever that my parents wanted to watch, it's about the UK Prime Minister and US President having to fight their way to safety after being stranded and presumed dead. It's like John Wick but bad, which is impressive because John Wick is also very mid.

Chainsaw Man Movie: Reze Arc

Another film I loved! As a longtime Chainsaw Man reader and fan I was so so excited to get another installment in the Anime. Especially since, as good as the first season was, it was kinda bogged down by a "gritty realism" colour pallet which I did not like too much. The Reze Arc movie is so colourful and feels more like the manga to me, which I really liked. I also got to see it a few weeks early at the Chicago International Film Festival, which was a lot of fun.

Jurassic World: Rebirth

This one, like many of my other lowest rated films, was just a whole lot of nothing. I was almost entirely stone faced the whole time, not a single thing happened that felt worthy of a real emotion.

Nirvanna The Band the Show the Movie

Now this movie was worthy of a real Emotion. Based on the show, Nirvanna the Band the Show, this film had so much heart and was honestly one of the most beautiful stories of friendship I'd seen in a while, or at least I watched more of Matt Johnson (the director's) projects. Big shout out to all my friends who told me to go see it, best decision of my life. My love and will for filmmaking has been reawakened because of this film, it's still playing at least till this upcoming Wednesday at Music Box so be sure to catch it it's the funniest film I've seen in a Really Long Time. I totally recommend.

Captain America Brave New World

Again, another whatever blockbuster, I mean look at Sinners, that's a blockbuster and it's good. Like you can make a good Marvel movie or at least you could a decade ago. This one just feels half baked, and looks ugly. It's slop in it's purest form. Horrible to watch, hope to never see it again.

Magellan

My favorite movie of last year and my most anticipated, Lav Diaz's Magellan is one of if not thee best historical epics in the past few years. Genuinely if you get the chance to watch it please do it is an amazing film about Violence and Colonization, I talked about it in length last week. Lav Diaz is another favorite of mine, his slow cinema work is amazing.

Fantastic Four: First Steps

Again, a nothingburger. Actually I realized most of my lowest rated films are just whatever nothingburgers. This one was So underwhelming, it's a whole lot of aesthetics and no heart. All the characters feel like they were written to fit Tumblr archetypes, which they probably where. Pedro Pascal need to get out of the Movie Star zone and start doing indie pictures or something no offense man but between this and Mandalorian and Grogu I have no confidence in you as an actor. That was mean sorry but it had to be said.