The year movie lovers returned to theaters

Last year, 2025, several stellar films with the potential to win many awards were released. The most popular of the bunch were: Sinners, Marty Supreme, One Battle After Another, Weapons, F1, and Avatar. With a release year this prestigious, it’s only natural that there are mixed opinions and discourse about which movie is the best. When reviewing movies, it’s important to consider actor performances, plot, depth, and cinematography. Among the most acclaimed movies of the year, my personal top three are: Marty Supreme, Sinners, and One Battle After Another. The weakest out of my top three would have to be Sinners. Despite how greatly it was received, I couldn’t see the entire appeal. I appreciated the cast, the cinematography, and the performances, but it wasn’t on par with the other two films. The movie looked visually amazing, the soundtrack was great, and the actors had good performances. I just think the plot falls significantly short in comparison to the other two. The plot in question follows two twins (both played by Michael B. Jordan) seeking redemption back in their hometown after they spent years away. Off the bat, it’s apparent that these two twins contrast each other, and you can see it in their interactions, love interests, and goals. Alongside the twins, the story follows “Preacherboy,” their cousin with a deep passion for music, who comes along in hopes of helping start his music career. The story all takes place in Mississippi during the 1930s, making racism and segregation between communities a prevalent theme throughout the entire movie. For the first half of the movie and what felt like a majority of it, the main characters’ arcs are developed, and we get to know them for who they are. Abruptly, the concept of vampires is introduced into the plot with no information about their background and history, as the main vampire turns two Ku Klux Klan members into vampires. After this major turning point, the vampires end up taking over the second half of the movie. I personally think that the concept of vampires and supernatural themes should’ve been further developed before they were just thrown at us. It felt hard to adjust to the sudden one-eighty that the movie took. Despite my criticism, I believe Sinners is a strong film worth making the top three of 2025. The next movie falls just short of the top spot, and the argument could definitely be made that it deserves it. One Battle After Another is a project that combines political and social commentary with a compelling story to create a really enjoyable film. The story follows an ex-revolutionary and his daughter when an old enemy resurfaces to hunt them down. This movie combines a perfect amount of suspense and thrill with a satisfying pinch of humor and irony. Every starring actor’s performance in it is amazing, further adding to what makes the movie so good. Its political themes are done tastefully and realistically, allowing for its message to be received as such as well. On top of all of this, the production of the movie is also great, and the camera work and lighting feel authentic as it matches the tone of the movie. A movie about revolution is naturally going to be hectic, and how it’s shot greatly complements that. One of the biggest criticisms that I’ve seen for the movie is its length, with a run time of two hours and forty minutes, it is a pretty long movie, however in my opinion it flies by. This movie is a critics’ pick for best movie of the year and I can understand why. My personal pick for best movie of the year has to be Marty Supreme. This movie is often reduced to just, “a movie about pingpong,” but it’s blatantly displayed as more than that. It’s a movie about a guy so committed to his dream, he’s willing to do anything it takes to achieve said dream. Marty as a character is so incredibly narcissistic that it’s almost inspiring, he believes that his purpose on this Earth is to make pingpong a sport that is as well respected in the U.S. as it is around the rest of world. Because of this purpose, he literally believes that his life is more valuable and his purpose is greater than the people around him. What makes this movie my #1 pick is its depth and ability to create several opinions. Good media should get people to reflect and give each viewer a unique perspective, and this movie does a great job at it. The amount of discourse I’ve seen over each of the characters in the movie, and mainly Marty himself, proves that this movie allows for each individual viewer to form their own viewing experience based on their own morals and beliefs. Naturally, this also might be a reason a lot of people didn’t like the movie, with people labeling it “depressing” or “stressful.” Regardless, the film’s ability to create so many differing opinions is what makes it so good. On top of that strong point, the performances from its actors, especially Timothy Chalamet, its great cinematography and aesthetic, and its exciting score all come together to make this movie amazing. The criticism I’ve seen the most about this movie involves the vast difference between the first and second act. The first act is more digestible in comparison to the second act’s intense and chaotic feel. I can understand that point, but I think this contrast makes the film what it is. The first half of the movie focuses more on Marty’s character in the context of pingpong and ego, while the second half of the movie highlights how he manipulates the people around him to get what he wants and the situations that gets him into. Without this deep contrast, you wouldn’t get the real raw, gritty look into his character. The high intensity, chaotic, even stressful feel works really well in typical Josh Safdie fashion.2025 was a strong year for movies after what felt like a long drought for the industry, and I’m excited to see what’s in store for 2026.