This year has certainly been a memorable one when it comes to movies. We saw long awaited sequels like “Wicked: For Good” and “Zootopia 2.” We also saw the return of outstanding original films that took the world by storm like “Sinners” and “KPop Demon Hunters.”
Throughout the year, people have come together to watch and celebrate these movies, creating global shared cinematic experiences. Here are my personal top five movies of the year.
5. “Zootopia 2”
When reflecting back on movies I’ve seen this year, I realized this is one of the films I would want to rewatch the most.
I’m a huge fan of the original “Zootopia” (2016), and I was nervous going into this film that it would suffer the same fate as most Disney sequels, where they end up being so bad it then ruins the original.
To my surprise, I really enjoyed this sequel. I think it managed to keep the original film’s same spark while also further building the world and adding new interesting characters. And of course, I loved all the moments Nick (Jason Bateman) and Judy (Ginnifer Goodwin) had together throughout the film, and I’m glad the filmmakers decided to make their relationship a focal point of the movie.
I will say, this is the spot in my list I had to ponder over the most. I ultimately settled on “Zootopia 2” because of how enjoyable it was to watch. I wasn’t able to see every film that came out this year, so who’s to say if a more critically acclaimed film like “One Battle After Another” or “Sentimental Value” would have taken this spot instead, but as of right now, I think “Zootopia 2” feels the most right out of my movie watching this year.
4. “Frankenstein” (2025)
I know many people had looked forward to this film all year, but for me, I was never really too excited about it. I never read the book and assumed the dark-toned, two and a half hour long film would just be long and boring. But when I sat down to watch the movie, I instantly fell in love with it.
Guillermo del Toro brought this story to life so beautifully and perfectly displays to audiences the true meaning of humanity while also commenting on generational trauma and parenting.
Everything from the writing to the set design to the costumes and acting was phenomenal, with Jacob Elordi somehow making me fall in love with a stitched together creature who gifts a girl a leaf.
3. “Superman” (2025)
This is another film that surprised me this year. I’ve been a Marvel fan for a while now but never really got into DC, so this film wasn’t even on my radar. When it started receiving good reviews, I decided to give it a try, thinking it would at least be better than the movies Marvel has been releasing in recent years, like “Captain America: Brave New World” and “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania”.
Not only was it better than those films, I think it is one of my favorite superhero movies of all time. I loved all the characters, and it balanced all the aspects of superhero movies so well. There was action and epic moments, comedic moments and heartfelt moments that all worked together to make this movie soar.
I also enjoyed that the film didn’t shy away from using the superhero medium to make important social commentary, as I think this is a really important part of the superhero genre that has been left behind way too often.
2. “KPop Demon Hunters”
This film instantly took the world by storm, and the moment I watched it, I knew it was for good reason. Not only are the songs all absolute bops, but the plot itself is rich and engaging with characters that feel real and vulnerable.
This movie really reminded me of animated films I would watch during my childhood that all felt original and inventive, only with a more modern setting and themes. I think movies like this, and others that have been coming out recently like “The Wild Robot” and “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse,” prove animation as an art form is not dead and that they aren’t just movies for children. I love that these films are making more people appreciate animated movies, and I hope their success encourages studios to keep producing rich and inventive animated films.
1. “Sinners”
When I first watched this film, I instantly knew it was a cinematic masterpiece. It has gorgeous cinematography, amazing songs and score and phenomenal acting. But I also think what makes this movie stand out is how original it is. I personally have never seen vampires used as an allegory for colonialism, and I thought it was a genius way to reinvent an often-used trope.
I got the chance to see the film in IMAX 70mm film, and it further cemented my awe for the movie. While I know its chances of winning big during the upcoming awards season might be low, I’llstill be rooting for the film. I would especially love to see Ryan Coogler be recognized for his amazing directing and writing as well as the cinematographer, Autumn Durald Arkapaw, because the cinematography throughout the whole film was jaw dropping.
2025 films: What’s the takeaway?
While 2025 brought forth many great films, I think a big takeaway from this year is the value in original storytelling. Last year, the top 10 highest grossing films of the year were all sequels and adaptations, which displayed a concerning trend in the film industry of favoring these films over original ones due to the predictability of the market. While the 10 highest grossing movies of this year continue to be sequels and adaptations, I think this year proved that original stories can be just as successful.
While “KPop Demon Hunters” only had a limited theatrical release and thus cannot compete with the highest grossing films of the year, I think this film arguably had the biggest impact globally, becoming the most streamed Netflix film of all time. Fans were also constantly engaging with the film online outside of just watching it.
Before the release of the film, no one even really knew about it coming out; there was no anticipation built up to it, and yet it still managed to take the world by storm purely thanks to the brilliance of its storytelling.
To me, the success of films like “KPop Demon Hunters” and “Sinners” shows original movies are indeed still needed in Hollywood and these are the films that will really stand out and stick with audiences for years to come.
