The Best Movies Of 2025 (So Far)

Don Shanahan

By Don Shanahan

With it being July, the summer blockbuster season is in full swing, and a majority of the films that are earmarked as awards contenders are held until the fall and winter seasons.

Nevertheless, there’s been some good quality films in the first half of the year, and July is a nice juncture for sharing my picks for the ten best movies of 2025 so far.

Where possible, I’ve included a link to my full published review from my outlets—Film Obsessive or Every Movie Has a Lesson. My reviews also link to the JustWatch website, where you can see what movies are available for streaming, rental, or purchase on various platforms and services. (It’s a convenient app and a must for couch potatoes!) 

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1. ‘Sinners’

“Black Panther” and “Creed” director Ryan Coogler has made, by all accounts of crossover appeal out there, the movie of the year (so far). People flocked to this genre mashup that takes a period piece tale, with twin brothers played by Michael B. Jordan in a both roles, a raucous musical blues odyssey, and a treatise on racial dynamics, and slingshots the audience into a vampire horror movie. The steamy style, bloody intensity, and musical creativity are off the charts. The best place to find “Sinners” is on HBO Max. [Full Review]

2. “Black Bag”

Staying in the style department, few people make movies as polished and cool as Steven Soderbergh, the man behind “Out of Sight” and the “Ocean’s” trilogy.” With an all-star cast led by Michael Fassbender and Oscar winner Cate Blanchett, “Black Bag” is a slick espionage thriller where a British intelligence agent is tasked by his superior (former James Bond himself, Pierce Brosnan) to find a mole in the department. The rub is that the list of suspects includes two couples in the office and his own wife (Blanchett), which opens the movie up to many twists and turns. Seek out “Black Bag” on Peacock.  [Full Review]

3. “The Life of Chuck”

Here’s the movie on my list with the biggest heart. Adapted from a Stephen King short story and told in reverse from the apocalyptic end of the world to a child’s formative inspirations, “The Life of Chuck” is a challenging, odd, and life-affirming drama starring Marvel movie villain Tom Hiddleston. Centered on a decorum-breaking dance in the streets, it strolls through what would lead a man to do that and why life’s little moments are everlasting. At the time publication, this film is still in theatres. [Full Review]

4. ‘F1: The Movie’

Strapped behind the wheel and driving actual Formula One cars beside his co-stars and real racers, Brad Pitt flexes his charm as a pure movie star in “F1: The Movie.” It very much plays like a formulaic sports movie. The filmmakers also were responsible for “Top Gun: Maverick,” and they launch both the characters and you down the asphalt straightaways and turns with pure excitement and a sensory overload for the big screen. “F1” is still playing in theatres. It’s worth every penny spent on premium picture and sound quality upgrades. [Full Review]

5. “Superman”

Okay, I’m cheating just a little bit by putting an early July release onto this list for the first half of the year, which ended in June. But I couldn’t resist the Man of Steel. Playing in theatres, the brand new “Superman” stars newcomer David Corenswet and is directed with dazzling fun by James Gunn, who was behind the “Guardians of the Galaxy” trilogy. The movie is a bright and vibrant comic book adventure. After many different incarnations over the years since the classic Christopher Reeve, this Superman is a storytelling success that folks will enjoy for a long time. [Full Review]

6. “Warfare”

My list shifts from two huge blockbuster spectacles to three stern and sobering films that are far from family-friendly. The first is “Warfare” from “Civil War” director Alex Garland and former Navy SEAL Ray Mendoza. The thriller is based on Mendoza’s own 2006 rescue mission operation on Iraqi streets, where wounded American forces are surrounded and pinned down by civilian forces. Edited to unfold in real-time, “Warfare” is a harrowing and white-knuckle combat film that leans on precision and procedure more than grandstanding heroics. At the time of publication, the movie is only available for digital rental or disc purchase at the moment. [Full review] 

7. “Eddington”

The second of three darker movies on my list is “Eddington.” This brazen movie, starring Joaquin Phoenix, Pedro Pascal, Emma Stone, and Austin Butler, is a bold satire of jealousy and escalated outrage set during the tumultuous days of the COVID-19 pandemic and Black Lives Matter protests in a fictional New Mexico town. Though “Eddington” wowed international audiences in the spring, the response among American critics and viewers suggests this is a polarizing film.  The film opens in the United States on July 18. [Full Review]

8. “Magazine Dreams”

The last difficult watch on my list is “Magazine Dreams,” a movie with a complicated history. Two years ago, actor Jonathan Majors was a rising star after bad guy turns in “Creed III” and “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.” But then tabloid allegations of assault led to his ostracization in the industry. Majors has since cleared his name, allowing for “Magazine Dreams” to finally be released. The film follows the perilous tailspin of a bodybuilder losing touch with himself and reality. Majors, despite all of his external baggage, is amazing in a tragic role that is shades of1975 Robert De Niro in 1976’s “Taxi Driver.” “Magazine Dreams” is available for digital rental on several platforms. [Full Review]

9. “The Wedding Banquet”

I’ll end the list with two lighter movies. The romantic comedy “The Wedding Banquet” stars “Saturday Night Live” cast member extraordinaire Bowen Yang. He leads a pair of LGBTQ couples experiencing different types of parental pressure to finally get married. The quirky trouble is that one set of parents doesn’t know their son is gay, leading to a hilarious swap of friendly partners to try and hide the truth. This remake and update of the 1993 comedy of the same name is currently only available for digital rental.  [Full Review]

10. “The Legend of Ochi”

My last movie is my “Little Engine That Could” pick. In this age of tech-savvy kids and teens who hide inside and avoid touching grass, a movie like “The Legend of Ochi” is a wide-eyed adventure that dares to shove a kid outside to get dirty and chase a fantasy. In this independent movie, a teen girl has been taught all her life by her father (the headlining Willem Dafoe) to fear the mythical “ochi” creatures outside her village. Yet she finds herself rescuing and befriending a baby critter. The rustic journey to get the ochi home plays very close to the heart of classics like “E.T.” Give it a try. It’s available for rent on digital platforms. [Full Review]