2025 has already produced a mix of celebrated big-budget movies and smaller-scale, indie flicks, and many have immersed audiences, captured our imaginations, and included incredible performances from some of the biggest actors on the scene. After a lull in the wake of disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, 2025 has been a banner year for theaters, with filmmakers branching out into more experimental and niche stories. Alongside these more intimate projects, some of Hollywood’s biggest franchises have also grown in 2025, producing some of the most exciting movies of the year so far.
Videos by ComicBook.com
While there are only a few months left of the year, these are expected to be jam-packed with brilliant upcoming movies. This includes the likes of Freakier Friday, A Big Bold Beautiful Journey, Tron: Ares, Predator: Badlands, Wicked: For Good, and Avatar: Fire and Ash, among others, and these likely hits will be joining some of 2025’s best movies so far. With entries from filmmakers Danny Boyle, Alex Garland, Ryan Coogler, Matt Shakman, James Gunn, Michael Shanks, and more, these are ten of the best movies of 2025 so far, though there are many more that have also excelled.
10) Companion (January 31, 2025)
Written and directed by Drew Hancock, Companion stars Jack Quaid and Sophie Thatcher as boyfriend Josh and companion robot Iris, respectively. After Josh informs Iris of her true nature as a robot, she escapes from his control, boosts her own intelligence to 100%, and begins a killing spree. Companion received positive reviews following its release, and got praise for its originality, convincing performances, and thrilling twist on what could have become an overdone narrative. Companion is a strong feature directorial debut for Hancock, who won the Directors to Watch award at 2025’s Palm Springs International Film Festival.
9) Lilo & Stitch (May 23, 2025)
Disney has remade several of its classic animated movies into live-action flicks in recent years, but few have been as successful as 2025’s Lilo & Stitch. A remake of the original 2002 movie, which saw the extraterrestrial experiment Stitch arrive in Hawaii, where he’s adopted by the young Lilo and finds a family, Lilo & Stitch stands as the second-highest-grossing movie of 2025, grossing $1.02 billion at the global box office, only falling behind the Chinese-produced Ne Zha 2. The remake pays homage to the original beautifully, while also paving its own path which can be developed further in an already-confirmed sequel.
8) Superman (July 11, 2025)
While not universally beloved, James Gunn’s first feature film in the rebooted DC Universe, 2025’s Superman, has marked a strong start to the new franchise. Starring David Corenswet in the titular role, opposite Rachel Brosnahan, Nicholas Hoult, Nathan Fillion, Edi Gathegi, and more, Superman is a thrilling return to vibrancy and color for the Man of Steel, who faltered under the weight of his darker persona when in Zack Snyder’s control. Superman has achieved an 83% critics score and a 91% audience approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, making it a clear success story for 2025 and for the superhero genre.
7) The Fantastic Four: First Steps (July 25, 2025)
Narrowly beating out Superman’s scores on Rotten Tomatoes, Marvel Studios’ The Fantastic Four: First Steps has achieved a critics score of 87% and an audience rating of 92%, making it the clear winner of 2025’s superhero summer – despite not faring so well at the box office. Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, and Joseph Quinn bring a new version of the Fantastic Four to life in First Steps. Matt Shakman has brought color and entertainment to the Fantastic Four’s retro-futuristic, alternate universe setting, and the depiction of Galactus (Ralph Ineson) has received praise, making this adaptation every Marvel fan’s dream.
6) Black Bag (March 14, 2025)
Steven Soderbergh’s spy thriller starring Michael Fassbender and Cate Blanchett somewhat fell under the radar, despite boasting an impressive cast and receiving high praise from critics. Black Bag underperformed at the box office, much to Soderbergh’s dismay (via The Independent), and the movie clearly deserved more. Stylistic, witty, and original, Black Bag sees Fassbender and Blanchett deliver brilliant performances in an espionage story that includes prestige, tension, and a grounded character-driven narrative. It’s a shame more viewers didn’t turn out for Black Bag, as it’s certainly one of the best movies of 2025.
5) Sorry, Baby (June 27, 2025)
Written, directed, and performed by Eva Victor in their directorial debut, A24’s Sorry, Baby sees Victor’s Agnes embark on a journey of healing and self-discovery after a visit from her pregnant friend, Lydie (Naomi Ackie), and a traumatic event. Sorry, Baby delivers heartfelt and heavy-hitting subject matter with wry humor and authenticity, making it easy to fall in love with Victor’s grounded and hopeful story. The movie only had a limited theatrical release, but received critical acclaim from its festival run at Sundance and Cannes, and it could become more prominent after being showcased at August’s Norwegian International Film Festival.
4) Together (July 30, 2025)
Real-world married couple Alison Brie and Dave Franco star in Michael Shanks’ feature directorial debut as a couple who encounter a mysterious force that causes horrific changes in their bodies after their relocate to the countryside. Together debuted on Rotten Tomatoes with a perfect score (this has since decreased slightly), setting a high standard for Shanks’ future career and raising excitement for the body horror spectacular itself. Original and hauntingly real, Together is a co-dependency horror movie that will stick with you long after watching, cementing it as one of the most poignant and thrilling movies of the year.
3) Sinners (April 18, 2025)
Taking a break from developing Marvel Studios’ Black Panther franchise, Ryan Coogler turned to his own 1932-set vampire horror movie, Sinners. Michael B. Jordan excels in his dual role as World War I veterans Smoke and Stack Moore, who team up with the latter’s ex-girlfriend (Hailee Steinfeld) and their 17-year-old cousin (Miles Caton) to battle a supernatural evil in their hometown of Clarksdale, Mississippi. Coogler’s visually-spectacular storytelling and use of a powerful soundtrack make Sinners one of the clear movies of the year, receiving critical acclaim and expanding his own formidable repertoire into some exciting places.
2) Warfare
Written and directed by Alex Garland and former Navy SEAL Ray Mendoza, Warfare’s script was formed from the testimonies of Mendoza and his platoon members and is told in real time. The movie depicts Mendoza’s experiences during an encounter with enemy forces in November 2006 after the Battle of Ramadi, and does so in a brutally real way, taken from the memories of the soldiers themselves. This is a change in pace for Garland, whose more dreamy stories in Ex Machina, Annihilation, Devs, and Men are replaced by the all-out, guns-blazing story of Warfare, enhanced with Garland’s trademark filmmaking style.
1) 28 Years Later (June 20, 2025)
Another Alex Garland epic, re-teaming with 28 Days Later’s original director, Danny Boyle, 28 Years Later was one of the most highly-anticipated movies of the year, and became one of the year’s most memorable instalments. 28 Years Later picks up almost three decades after the original Rage Virus outbreak, and focuses on the young Spike (Alfie Williams), who embarks on a journey away from his island sanctuary on his first trip to the mainland. Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Jodie Comer, and Ralph Fiennes deliver incredible supporting performances in this emotionally-resonant and high-octane post-apocalyptic horror, which beautifully sets the stage for more intense character work in the upcoming sequel, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, which will likely become one of the best movies of 2026.
What have been your favorite movies of 2025? Let us know in the comments!
Most Viewed
-
Image courtesy of Starz
