Phoenix New Times’ best movies of 2025

As January marches on and awards season begins, it’s time to recap the past year of cinema. Notably missing high-profile installments of major franchises, 2025 has been a year for mostly original, and some adapted, stories to be brought to the big screen. 

Whether you’re looking for comedies, romances, action flicks, mysteries or dramas, these 10 films were the best of the nearly 50 2025 movies we watched. Honorable mentions include “Train Dreams,” “Rental Family” and “Hamnet.”

10. ‘Good Fortune’

Aziz Ansari’s debut feature starring himself, Keanu Reeves and Seth Rogen is an endearing, meaningful and hilarious comedy that was a quiet surprise of 2025. Keanu Reeves is excellent as bumbling angel Gabriel, and Ansari and Rogen are screwball foils to each other as gig worker and capitalist.

Keke Palmer and Sandra Oh are excellent in supporting roles, and the charm of “Good Fortune” makes it an easy and hopeful watch for any audience. Though it may have flown under the radar for many, and also bears some aesthetic similarities to the recently released “Eternity,” it’s a movie worth watching that will leave you laughing and satisfied. 

9. ‘Splitsville’

This screwball comedy was another under-the-radar surprise of 2025, a movie I attended with no expectations but left feeling endeared by its ridiculous, chaotic runtime. 

It stars two best-friend couples, one of Dakota Johnson (who will make another appearance in this list) and actor-director Michael Angelo Covino, the other of Adriana Arjona and Kyle Marvin. One couple is revealed to be in an open relationship, and lines cross, leading to broken friendships and slapstick violence. 

“Splitsville” is quite unserious at times, but also takes good care to flesh out each of its core characters and leaves the viewer invested despite the novelty. The gags are good, the performances are memorable, and it’s a fresh take on the couple/romance comedy. 

8. ‘Wake Up Dead Man’

The latest of the “Knives Out” franchise from director Rian Johnson, “Wake Up Dead Man” brings a priestly Josh O’Connor into a cult-like congregation that he must navigate with Daniel Craig’s Benoit Blanc. 

This film brings the most depth of the series yet, with a truly compelling take on religion and, specifically, the trials of modern Christianity. O’Connor is excellent as the troubled priest lead, bringing the necessary tenderness to the role across from a manipulative Josh Brolin.

The mystery itself twists and turns as expected, and though the side characters have less to do than in previous installments, each feels appropriate for this small-town world. It’s an easy watch on Netflix, and proves the “Knives Out” franchise to be as consistent as it gets. 

7. ‘Superman’

James Gunn’s DC is a new-look franchise, and “Superman” is an inspiring sign for what it can be. It has the charm and wit of the best of the MCU, but balances relevant themes and serious moments to drive home an important message.

David Corenswet is excellent as both Superman and Clark Kent, and support from Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane and Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor is equally on par. 

Whimsy and action go hand-in-hand in “Superman,” with needle-dropped fights and expected humor from a modern superhero film. It’s a fun time, and a needed colorful revival of a franchise that was, for a while, dim and grayscale. 

6. ‘Materialists’

Though its ratings are divisive, I found “Materialists” to be a rich, engaging and undoubtedly entertaining take on modern dating. Its visuals are airy and beautiful, a comfortable counterbalance to the at-times jagged and ruthless portrayals of dating as it follows the trials of a career matchmaker in New York City. 

Though at times following classic rom-com formulas, there are still engaging enough pieces moving through the story to create a satisfying narrative. The three leads of Dakota Johnson, Chris Evans and Pedro Pascal perform convincing and endearing characters and combine for a quality love triangle.

5. ‘Parthenope’

A film that was played at festivals before but not theatrically released until 2025, “Parthenope” was a beautiful exploration of divinity on the shores of the Italian coast. Starring Celeste Dalla Porta and featuring Gary Oldman, this film is a slow burn of longing and dreaming that spans most of a lifetime. 

It’s a trancelike watch that features a slew of complex characters and their ideas, from love to academia and beyond. Sensual and quiet and captured beautifully, “Parthenope” is a stunning film, a nice moment of peace and contemplation among the action and comedy-heavy year. 

4. ‘Mickey 17’

Bong Joon Ho’s take on sci-fi is a bit of a fever dream, but a well-intended one with quality characters, comedy and romance, all within a mesmerising dystopia in outer space. Robert Pattinson kills as the lead(s), and Naomi Ackie, Mark Ruffalo, Toni Collette and Steven Yeun make the space vessel feel lived-in and very, very American. 

“Mickey 17” is thrilling, passionate, and constantly funny, and is an apt take on fascism creeping as far as one’s own body. There’s a lot to love for anyone who enjoys a space setting and a silly movie, but still one where the message is essential. 

3. ‘One Battle After Another’

In this odyssey of revolution from Paul Thomas Anderson, perhaps the most socially relevant watch of the year, complex freedom fighters meet a military evil across generations. Leonardo DiCaprio stars and is consistent as ever, but the real highlights are from rising star Chase Infiniti as Bob’s (DiCaprio) daughter, and Sean Penn as the antagonist Col. Lockjaw. 

The cast list is stacked from top to bottom, with Benicio del Toro, Teyana Taylor and Regina Hall all playing essential parts as well. It’s funny, fast-paced and constantly whirring through multiple settings and adventures, and at times set against the backdrop of the U.S. southern border. “One Battle After Another” is a nuanced look at revolutions and the humans behind them, and is an important call to action in a tumultuous world. 

2. ‘Sinners’

Ryan Coogler’s latest was atop our list through the first half of the year, and hasn’t fallen far in the second half. “Sinners” stars Michael B. Jordan (twice) and Miles Caton, who both deliver true standout performances that are sure to land significant award recognition. 

“Sinners” was a blockbuster success for a reason: gorgeous visuals, raucous original songs, thrilling action sequences. But through all the excitement, there’s a core of family and music that guides its narrative into satisfying moments and conclusions. 

“Sinners” is a heartfelt ode to the South, blues music, the struggle Black Americans have faced and their escapes. It may be the defining movie of 2025, and if you missed it, it’s absolutely worth a holiday watch on streaming. 

1. ‘Sentimental Value’

I watched nearly 50 movies released in 2025, and of them, Joachim Trier’s “Sentimental Value,” or “Affeksjonsverdi,” possessed the clearest case for the best movie of the year. Renate Reinsve and Stellan Skarsgård are incredibly moving as a daughter and father, and their conflicts emotionally mirror the art they both make. 

The film is a dutiful meditation on the craft of filmmaking and acting, each supporting performance is on par with its stars and the story builds up beautifully to an ending set to Labi Siffre’s “Cannock Chase.” 

“Sentimental Value” is a film that will live on as a modern classic and is worth a watch for anyone looking for an ode to the triumphs, traumas and complexities of art and family.