We’re halfway through the year, but it’s not a bad spot to be in when so many options are there to choose from when arranging a mid-year top ten list. Along with one notable blockbuster, there’s plenty of good stuff to choose from when it comes to indies and surreal thrillers, thanks to the variety of films I’ve seen during the first half of 2025. So, it’s the end of June 2025, and I’ve put together a list of features indicating my favorites the year has had to offer cinematically, thus far. Most were released theatrically; others could be found on various streaming services. The focus is on movies released in the U.S. from the start of January to the end of June, excluding films that have yet to be released, as well as those screened during the Sundance and Santa Barbara International Film Festivals, which I attended both virtually and in person.
Favorite Films of 2025 So Far:
(Full Reviews Linked When Applicable)
10. The Surfer
“Dehydrated, boiling in the sun, losing his grip on reality by the minute, the heavily tanned Nicolas Cage is put through the wringer in this film, as he is made to feel isolated and trapped in a predicament spurred on by bad luck, his own actions, and the trials and tribulations that stem from toxic masculinity and the collision of different social classes. The film has a lot on its mind, and in juggling it all, perhaps certain revelations feel a bit too easy compared to what a true 70s filmmaker may have done with this same material. However, it didn’t stop me from feeling utterly absorbed by this committed Cage performance, the choice to make this film as gross as possible, while still admiring the mythic nature of the beach Cage wishes to return to. Sun-soaked and gripping from start to finish, the surf was up for this one.” (Now on VOD)
9. Jane Austen Wrecked My Life
“Jane Austen Wrecked My Life is the feature-length directorial debut of writer/director Laura Piani, and she shows plenty of promise here. While this is a French film, setting it mainly in England and balancing both French and English languages demonstrates the precision required for the comedy to work as well as it does. While there are never too many instances of characters getting lost in translation, we get a sense of the various types of comedies Piani was influenced by in putting this film together. Sure, this is a romantic comedy, but there are plenty of screwball elements, lots of fun wordplay, and even a dash of raunchiness to balance it all out. This movie may be focused on the turmoil of being a writer and romantic, but it’s also frequently funny.” (In select theaters)
8. Night Call
“As a movie set during one long night, excellent work is done to keep up the suspense at play and the momentum of the film. Discovery is key to how this movie functions, as Feltre’s Mady learns about his insane predicament…On top of all this, the film is not shy about adding a layer of social commentary. The story takes place during a Black Lives Matter protest in Belgium. Not just using that aspect as topical flavoring, the way we see Mady and the other characters must contend with the presence of protesters and police drives up the complications for all involved while also speaking to what other daily forms of danger Mady, among others, already have to deal with before ever having to contend with mobsters.” (Now streaming on Hulu)
7. Sly Lives! (Aka The Burden of Black Genius)
“A rush of familiar faces speaking about what Sly and the Family Stone meant to them and some out-of-context quotes open the film before we settle down. That said, director Questlove presents many interviewees with a specific question about the nature of Black genius. It’s a complicated thing to consider, as he’s getting to the core of what the film intends to explore – whether or not it’s inherently better for a Black person to be looked at and seen as a genius in American society…The film makes a great effort to provide context for the time in which Sly existed, the popularity of that group, and the challenges of being a human being who didn’t make the best choices as the years went by. (Now streaming on Hulu)
6. Mickey 17
“There’s much to like here in terms of just being a comedy set in a sci-fi world. Robert Pattinson is key to it all. Between his running narration and choices for portraying different versions of the same person, there’s so much to admire about an actor confident enough to let himself look ridiculous… Shot by Darius Khondji, there’s a strong grasp of what director Bong Joon-ho is going for when it comes to the different layers of the interiors and the vast expansiveness of the greater planet these characters arrive at. Adding further to this are the terrific visual effects, which allow us to see seamless shots of cloned Mickeys moving around each other, as well as some wonderful alien creations that manage to take up a lot of screentime and often feel pretty tactile in their depiction.” (Now streaming on HBO MAX)
5. Friendship
“Working with a cast of great comedic talent, headed by Tim Robinson, and enriched by a tone only a few degrees away from becoming a full-on psychological thriller, Friendship is the funniest film I’ve seen so far this year. The movie gains significant mileage from establishing a very specific setting and the people occupying it, with a true benefit coming from how this movie fleshes things out and tells a real story, rather than feeling like a series of sketches edited together. These elements combined make way for a truly bizarre yet incredibly funny 90 minutes of joy.” (Now playing in theaters)
4. The Phoenician Scheme
“As it stands, The Phoenician Scheme is another Anderson tale that entirely fits in line with his other features while still pushing into new directions. It has comparatively less heart than his previous feature, Asteroid City, but while that surprisingly emotional, Russian-doll-like structured film kept audiences contained in a summer-colored predicament, The Phoenician Scheme is an adventure lark with eyes on what happens when materialism and enlightenment collide. It’s also very funny and allows star Benicio del Toro to speak more lines in a row than I can ever remember.” (Now playing in theaters)
3. Bob Travino Likes It
“It’s watching that bond grow, seeing the stages of life these characters go through, and going along with where the plot eventually takes them all that continually drew me into this story. I wasn’t ready to feel as invested as I was with the people involved here, and yet Bob Trevino Likes It managed to pull off something special in the way it allowed characters to grow and subvert certain expectations while maintaining a proper tone to balance this all out. Similar to something like last year’s Ghostlight, there’s a deeply felt movie here that I was more than happy to be a part of while it lasted.” (Now on VOD)
2. Black Bag
“Black Bag is a film that plays things so cool yet off-center that one could forget that co-star Pierce Brosnan once starred as the world’s most famous secret agent. The movie is just that comfortable, letting the audience in on information when necessary but otherwise entertaining everyone with its slick yet efficient style. Having the film sacrifice action-packed theatrics in favor of squabbles stemming from inter-office relationships makes the film all the more playful as well as adult. The results are another quick burst of solid entertainment from a director who makes it look easy.” (Now streaming on Peacock)
1. Sinners
“Sinners is only the fifth film from the Oakland-born director, but after the small indie that launched his career (the terrific Fruitvale Station), Ryan Coogler has carved out a place for him to deliver big-screen entertainment that welcomes all audiences, whether its franchise fair or not while pushing a for recognition of Black culture in each of his movies. Between these choices and his way of matching heartfelt stories with grand filmmaking techniques such as using IMAX cameras, it’s a unique sort of success that has carried over into this period/supernatural film. Stylish, sexy, scary, and full of horror violence, Sinners is a wild feature with plenty on its mind, further showing what Coogler can accomplish at the height of his powers. However, I’m not even convinced that he’s reached the peak of his capabilities.” (Coming soon to HBO Max)
***
Runners Ups (Alphabetical): 28 Years Later, The Ballad of Wallis Island, Bring Her Back, Dangerous Animals, Eephus, Freaky Tales, Grand Theft Hamlet, The Life of Chuck, Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, Presence, The Prosecutor, Sew Torn, The Wedding Banquet
Most Anticipated for the Rest of 2025: Superman, One Battle After Another, The Fantastic Four: First Steps, The Bad Guys 2, The Naked Gun, Nobody 2, Him, Frankenstein, Roofman, Good Fortune, Tron: Ares, Bugonia, Predator: Badlands, The Running Man, Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, Wicked: For Good, Zootopia 2, Avatar: Fire and Ash, Mary Supreme, Highest 2 Lowest, The Smashing Machine, Hedda, Father Mother Sister Brother
Bonus – Favorite Non-2025 Films Seen For The First Time (Alphabetical): The Adventures of Priscilla – Queen of the Desert, The Annihilation of Fish, The Day the Earth Caught Fire, Don’t Look Back, Downhill Racer, Feast of the Seven Fishes, I’ll See You in My Dreams, Johnny Guitar, Jo Jo Dancer – Your Life is Calling, Lake Michigan Monster, Little Murders, The Outlaw Josey Wales, Sniper: GRIT, The Three Musketeers (1973), The Four Musketeers, Sunshine (1999), The War of the Roses, Winchester ‘73
