As much as it feels like the basic answer, Sinners has been my favorite this year. It's got a great blend of impressive film technique, fun performances, and a fairly simple plot to follow that makes for a great blockbuster. I also love to see a horror movie get so much praise and love by the masses.
Wade McCormick - 6 months ago
Of films that have been released theatrically, it's Sinners for me so far. However, I saw a few films at Cannes that would contend for my actual favorite of the year so far. It Was Just an Accident, Sentimental Value, and Eddington are great and I'm excited for everyone else to see them.
Alfredo Maldonado - 6 months ago
I watched about five minutes of Civil War and just hated it. So many people talking and sharing their opinions—nothing wrong with anybody opinionating or thinking about what might be, but the movie just sucked.
Anyway, when I heard Warfare was coming out, that was something I actually wanted to see. I don't know why exactly. I guess I'm an Iraq War veteran myself, but what does that have to do with anything? Maybe nothing. Still, I went to see this movie, and you know, I couldn't help but appreciate it.
Ultimately, I think warfare—and war in general—can offer grounding. It grounded me. You’re looking at the American warfighters, and yeah, they’re tough, but so is the other side. That’s what I mean by grounding.
I’d encourage anyone who’s interested to find a theater that’s still showing it and see it on the big screen. With the sound and the atmosphere, it’s really something else.
Dione Anderson - 6 months ago
I voted for “28 years later” which IS my favorite (and the best IMO).
But I need to also acknowledge my second favorite—Mike Flanagan’s “the life of chuck”. What a life-affirming film. I actually saw both these movies in the same week; I found it astounding that both their themes—we contain multitudes and memento mori—embraced the idea we need to live our lives fully. It was kind of an overwhelming week
Look, of course it's Sinners. But I'm kind of bored of the Sinners talk already so I'm going to give my vote to the 3rd movie on my list - Friendship. Maybe it'll finally get some Filmspotting attention!
I voted for Sinners, but my actual favorite (by a tiny margin) that I want to shout out is Soderbergh’s other 2025 film, Presence. I love the high concept technical idea of the ghost POV. For one it was just fun & new. But even more than that, it was the perfect medium for that sort of cathartic expression of ecstatic emotion that in real life would be over the top, but in film feels like a pure, inexplicable expression of emotion (the ending is the best example but it happens throughout). It’s one of my favorite things that films can do (that I think David Lynch captured more than anyone else), and it’s one of those things that just happens to you as you watch (as opposed to you “seeing it in” or “reading it from” the content). It happened to me with this one, and I get that it was a very subjective experience. Nonetheless, it was experience. Plot and story mechanics aside, I can’t deny what it did to me. Plus, the POV concept was a cherry on top.
Eric Braband - 6 months ago
Other! The Ballad of Wallis Island. A special film featuring one of the best performances (comedic or otherwise) of the year from Tim Key. It’s a film conceived by nostalgia that manages to leave you looking toward your future with renewed optimism.
Steven - 6 months ago
I have to choose VERMIGLIO, a quiet film that centers around a family in rural Italy during the final days of WWII. What seems like a straightforward love story proves to be just one piece of a carefully crafted mosaic. The film is also a masterclass in how to use a gorgeous setting as an arrow in your quiver rather than a crutch. Get around to this one if you have the Criterion Channel!
From this list, Sinners is my favorite, but if it's still my favorite by December 31st, I'll be a little disappointed in the year. REALLY liked all the others on the list other than the Wes Anderson joint.
Trent Robb - 6 months ago
I know Sinners will win. For me, I wish it was scarier. Kind of felt like an episode of True Blood as far as how scary it was. The music aspects of the movie were the best part. Also I agree with Dan Wessler on Tendaberry. Kind of thought Tendaberry was a 2024 movie. But it is excellent. Mickey 17 seems underrated here. I didn't enjoy Materialists and Phoenician Scheme very much.
But I vote for Black Bag. Great movie stars playing interesting characters with a fun plot and sizzling dialogue.
Michael McCourt - 6 months ago
I had to go with the glaring omission in this poll which is of course: Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning. I'll always show up on opening night for Wes and I love what a refreshing surprise Sinners has been but in terms of pure cinema thrills, MI takes it. For my money the underwater sequence is the most thrilling and creative action set piece I've seen in many years.
Jonathan Anderson, Denver CO - 6 months ago
I haven't seen Mickey 17 and did not enjoy The Phoenician Scheme, but the remaining named options are in my top five so far rounded out by Thunderbolts* which I liked a fair bit but would probably not be in the running for a top anything list if the sample size was bigger.
Jordan - 6 months ago
Sinners was also the best theater-going experience I've had in a long time! I saw it twice in theaters, which I never do, and the audience was a blast both times!
Greg Watterworth Jr. - 6 months ago
For me it’s the little seen Freaky Tales, which plays like a mixtape of a film. Not only in the way it presents four intertwining stories but because it also is clearly homages to other filmmakers. It also features the most insane cameo considering how huge a star the actor is in comparison to how small the film is. Absolutely loved it.
Dan Wessler - 6 months ago
"Tendaberry," the debut feature by Haley Elizabeth Anderson, punched me right in the gut and is currently my fave of the year. It's the story of a young woman living in Coney Island; on the surface it's a slice-of-life, first-person portrait of this individual trying to make it in the city. Underneath, it has serious "American Honey" vibes, as it explores the broadest themes of human connection, of the value of existence, of the passing of time (especially in a setting as dynamic as Coney Island), of why and how we go about living in the moment, whether things are crumbling around us, and whether or not we feel we add anything to society. To me, it even rivals Charlie Kaufman's "Synecdoche, NY" in its exploration of individual consciousness vs. shared human experience. I truly hope you guys catch up with this one, because I think it belongs on the Golden Brick ballot.
Rick Slama - 6 months ago
What’s really clear here is that 2025 has been an excellent year for high profile movies. I voted Sinners, but I’ve got a lot of appreciation for the rest of the movies on this list I’ve seen and several others to boot, notably Bring Her Back and Thunderbolts.
Chris - 6 months ago
other Friendship
Zack - 6 months ago
I can't believe we are halfway through the year and my favorite film is an MCU movie. The last time that happened was maybe X-Men First Class? Regardless, Thunderbolts* took me back to a time when Marvel was provocative, set pieces were practical, and performances actually felt human. I enjoyed every film on this list but none of them surprised me like Jake Schreier did with Thunderbolts*.
I'm behind on my 2025 movies (of the suggested choices, I've only seen 28 Years Later and the "just okay" Mickey 17), but my favorite movie of the year so far is the corny high concept action film Novocaine. The equivalent of extra butter on your theater popcorn. Not good for you, but just so satisfying.
Matt - 6 months ago
Friendship, fo sho. "I love you toad boy".
Casey Linzmeier - 6 months ago
Eephus is the best baseball film since Moneyball. A beautiful elegy to baseball lovers young and old who are not ready to leave the game.
Daniel - 6 months ago
Probably Friendship. Though The Phoenician Scheme comes pretty close
JP Aguirre - 6 months ago
Had to go with other for Ne Zha 2. After I heard about this movie making a billion dollars in its first 11 days in China (and is now the 5th highest grossing movie of all time) I had to see what the hype was. What I got was one of the greatest animated spectacle's I have ever seen and even went as far as seeing it about 4 times in theaters. Not only is the animation gorgeous but the story is also so well done amd emotional while also putting on spectacular fight scenes and childish humor that somehow all works well. If you haven't seen it yet, do yourself a favor and try to find a way to see this animated cinematic achievement.
Joel Rackel - 6 months ago
This is the year of SINNERS (or at least the half year)
But overall horror is winning the year, as most of my favorite films of the year are horror: Sinners, 28 Years Later, Companion and Bring Her Back
Dave Allen - 6 months ago
At the risk of severe chastisement, I'll share that my Letterboxd account indicates my top movie of the year so far is Thunderbolts. For the record, I have indeed seen all the options above (except 28 Years Later). I found this latest Marvel movie to be both entertaining and thoughtful. A lot of these other films felt empty in spite of high technical talent. My favorite of the options provided is Black Bag.
As much as it feels like the basic answer, Sinners has been my favorite this year. It's got a great blend of impressive film technique, fun performances, and a fairly simple plot to follow that makes for a great blockbuster. I also love to see a horror movie get so much praise and love by the masses.
Of films that have been released theatrically, it's Sinners for me so far. However, I saw a few films at Cannes that would contend for my actual favorite of the year so far. It Was Just an Accident, Sentimental Value, and Eddington are great and I'm excited for everyone else to see them.
I watched about five minutes of Civil War and just hated it. So many people talking and sharing their opinions—nothing wrong with anybody opinionating or thinking about what might be, but the movie just sucked.
Anyway, when I heard Warfare was coming out, that was something I actually wanted to see. I don't know why exactly. I guess I'm an Iraq War veteran myself, but what does that have to do with anything? Maybe nothing. Still, I went to see this movie, and you know, I couldn't help but appreciate it.
Ultimately, I think warfare—and war in general—can offer grounding. It grounded me. You’re looking at the American warfighters, and yeah, they’re tough, but so is the other side. That’s what I mean by grounding.
I’d encourage anyone who’s interested to find a theater that’s still showing it and see it on the big screen. With the sound and the atmosphere, it’s really something else.
I voted for “28 years later” which IS my favorite (and the best IMO).
But I need to also acknowledge my second favorite—Mike Flanagan’s “the life of chuck”. What a life-affirming film. I actually saw both these movies in the same week; I found it astounding that both their themes—we contain multitudes and memento mori—embraced the idea we need to live our lives fully. It was kind of an overwhelming week
Look, of course it's Sinners. But I'm kind of bored of the Sinners talk already so I'm going to give my vote to the 3rd movie on my list - Friendship. Maybe it'll finally get some Filmspotting attention!
(2nd on the list is Thunderbolts)
I voted for Sinners, but my actual favorite (by a tiny margin) that I want to shout out is Soderbergh’s other 2025 film, Presence. I love the high concept technical idea of the ghost POV. For one it was just fun & new. But even more than that, it was the perfect medium for that sort of cathartic expression of ecstatic emotion that in real life would be over the top, but in film feels like a pure, inexplicable expression of emotion (the ending is the best example but it happens throughout). It’s one of my favorite things that films can do (that I think David Lynch captured more than anyone else), and it’s one of those things that just happens to you as you watch (as opposed to you “seeing it in” or “reading it from” the content). It happened to me with this one, and I get that it was a very subjective experience. Nonetheless, it was experience. Plot and story mechanics aside, I can’t deny what it did to me. Plus, the POV concept was a cherry on top.
Other! The Ballad of Wallis Island. A special film featuring one of the best performances (comedic or otherwise) of the year from Tim Key. It’s a film conceived by nostalgia that manages to leave you looking toward your future with renewed optimism.
I have to choose VERMIGLIO, a quiet film that centers around a family in rural Italy during the final days of WWII. What seems like a straightforward love story proves to be just one piece of a carefully crafted mosaic. The film is also a masterclass in how to use a gorgeous setting as an arrow in your quiver rather than a crutch. Get around to this one if you have the Criterion Channel!
From this list, Sinners is my favorite, but if it's still my favorite by December 31st, I'll be a little disappointed in the year. REALLY liked all the others on the list other than the Wes Anderson joint.
I know Sinners will win. For me, I wish it was scarier. Kind of felt like an episode of True Blood as far as how scary it was. The music aspects of the movie were the best part. Also I agree with Dan Wessler on Tendaberry. Kind of thought Tendaberry was a 2024 movie. But it is excellent. Mickey 17 seems underrated here. I didn't enjoy Materialists and Phoenician Scheme very much.
But I vote for Black Bag. Great movie stars playing interesting characters with a fun plot and sizzling dialogue.
I had to go with the glaring omission in this poll which is of course: Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning. I'll always show up on opening night for Wes and I love what a refreshing surprise Sinners has been but in terms of pure cinema thrills, MI takes it. For my money the underwater sequence is the most thrilling and creative action set piece I've seen in many years.
I haven't seen Mickey 17 and did not enjoy The Phoenician Scheme, but the remaining named options are in my top five so far rounded out by Thunderbolts* which I liked a fair bit but would probably not be in the running for a top anything list if the sample size was bigger.
Sinners was also the best theater-going experience I've had in a long time! I saw it twice in theaters, which I never do, and the audience was a blast both times!
For me it’s the little seen Freaky Tales, which plays like a mixtape of a film. Not only in the way it presents four intertwining stories but because it also is clearly homages to other filmmakers. It also features the most insane cameo considering how huge a star the actor is in comparison to how small the film is. Absolutely loved it.
"Tendaberry," the debut feature by Haley Elizabeth Anderson, punched me right in the gut and is currently my fave of the year. It's the story of a young woman living in Coney Island; on the surface it's a slice-of-life, first-person portrait of this individual trying to make it in the city. Underneath, it has serious "American Honey" vibes, as it explores the broadest themes of human connection, of the value of existence, of the passing of time (especially in a setting as dynamic as Coney Island), of why and how we go about living in the moment, whether things are crumbling around us, and whether or not we feel we add anything to society. To me, it even rivals Charlie Kaufman's "Synecdoche, NY" in its exploration of individual consciousness vs. shared human experience. I truly hope you guys catch up with this one, because I think it belongs on the Golden Brick ballot.
What’s really clear here is that 2025 has been an excellent year for high profile movies. I voted Sinners, but I’ve got a lot of appreciation for the rest of the movies on this list I’ve seen and several others to boot, notably Bring Her Back and Thunderbolts.
other Friendship
I can't believe we are halfway through the year and my favorite film is an MCU movie. The last time that happened was maybe X-Men First Class? Regardless, Thunderbolts* took me back to a time when Marvel was provocative, set pieces were practical, and performances actually felt human. I enjoyed every film on this list but none of them surprised me like Jake Schreier did with Thunderbolts*.
I'm behind on my 2025 movies (of the suggested choices, I've only seen 28 Years Later and the "just okay" Mickey 17), but my favorite movie of the year so far is the corny high concept action film Novocaine. The equivalent of extra butter on your theater popcorn. Not good for you, but just so satisfying.
Friendship, fo sho. "I love you toad boy".
Eephus is the best baseball film since Moneyball. A beautiful elegy to baseball lovers young and old who are not ready to leave the game.
Probably Friendship. Though The Phoenician Scheme comes pretty close
Had to go with other for Ne Zha 2. After I heard about this movie making a billion dollars in its first 11 days in China (and is now the 5th highest grossing movie of all time) I had to see what the hype was. What I got was one of the greatest animated spectacle's I have ever seen and even went as far as seeing it about 4 times in theaters. Not only is the animation gorgeous but the story is also so well done amd emotional while also putting on spectacular fight scenes and childish humor that somehow all works well. If you haven't seen it yet, do yourself a favor and try to find a way to see this animated cinematic achievement.
This is the year of SINNERS (or at least the half year)
But overall horror is winning the year, as most of my favorite films of the year are horror: Sinners, 28 Years Later, Companion and Bring Her Back
At the risk of severe chastisement, I'll share that my Letterboxd account indicates my top movie of the year so far is Thunderbolts. For the record, I have indeed seen all the options above (except 28 Years Later). I found this latest Marvel movie to be both entertaining and thoughtful. A lot of these other films felt empty in spite of high technical talent. My favorite of the options provided is Black Bag.
Black bag was great