This is some of the top films of 2025 so far
USA Today film critic Brian Truitt has revealed his top films so far for 2025.
Tom Cruise is second-rate and does Daredevil. Brad Pitt drives really, really fast. Dragon, vampire, Killer Toy Zarkie and Dance Tom Hiddleston. And it’s only July, people!
Here in Block Busters season, I have already seen many films worthy of the “Best of” list. We’re still a few months away from the fall film festival and the Oscar season, but there are flicks that make moves for the best photos, like Ryan Coogler’s horror film “Sinners.” The good ones include some Stephen King adaptations, several franchise installments, and one live-action remake of animated classics. (Sorry, “Snow White,” we’re not talking about you.
Here are the best movies of 2025 so far:
10. “monkey”
Like blood buckets, this film deepens the theme of mortality. Osgood Perkins’ gory and a glorious, ridiculous horror comedy, based on Stephen King’s short story, unleash Theo James in dual roles as estranged twins whose childhood is marked with cursed monkey toys. The brothers thought they had destroyed it, but it returned in vengeance, causing creative death, complicating their lives with a story full of highly enlightening and interesting insights.
Where to see: Apple TV, Amazon, Fandango at Home
9. “war”
Effective Hollywood crews (Wil Poulter, Kit Connor, Joseph Quinn, Charles Melton, Michael Gandolfini, etc.) play navy seals on surveillance missions that get caught up in the middle of a disastrous standoff with Iraqi rebels. Director Alex Garland and the former flashy Alex Garland and Ray Mendoza, who form the basis of the film, have moments where viewers feel astoundingly realistic as in other battle stories.
Where to see: Apple TV, Amazon, Fandango at Home
8. “Black bag”
At Steven Soderbergh’s Extrently Cool Spy Striller, the British intelligence agent (Michael Fassbender) is tasked with leaking the finest software programs and stealing the perpetrators who betray their country. It also has a tasty whodunit aspect, as the list of five potentially traitor suspects includes the operative’s own famous wife (Cate Blanchett). The work of a terrible, talented ensemble and great characters makes it a sparkling watch.
Where to see: Apple TV, Amazon, Fandango at Home, Peacock
7. ‘Mission: Impossible – Final calculation’
Who knows if this is Tom Cruise hanging dangerously from the plane or if it’s a quick bump on a submarine, and if this will be the last time? (Perhaps not.) However, this franchise’s installment wraps nicely around the 30-year-old storyline for Cruise’s secret agent Ethan Hunt, who fights villain AI in a high stakes quest to keep humanity from being wiped out. The action scenes are ace, but the film also has a compelling argument about why the world is worth saving at all.
Where to see: In the theater
6. “How to Train a Dragon”
Whether we like it or not, we have turned all animated classics into live action remakes. But this rising adventure actually reaches an astounding original outing height. The Vikings Teen (Mason Thames) becomes a close friend with an adorable dragon, and asks his friends and family to rethink their hatred of the beast in an adult film filled with fantastic flight sequences and all the senses.
Where to see: In the theater
5. ’28 years later’
Don’t call it a zombie movie. Just like “28 Days After,” this horror sequel succeeds in being something more. Almost 30 years after the Rage virus has infected the UK, a young boy (Alfie Williams) on a remote island adventure into the mainland violates a monster figure and meets a strange doctor (Ralph Fiennes) in his quest to help his sick mother (Jodie Kommer). Also a rare, scary film that is a thoughtful quest to remember the family, tribalism, and the dead.
Where to see: In the theater
4. “Magazine Dreams”
A touching and gloomy drama that many people never watch because of Jonathan Majors’ legal troubles. Still, this guy is an exceptional talent, phenomenal and terrifying. Major pain-filled nasty gym rats strive to create a perfect physique on the epic bad paths of protein shakes, steroids, anger issues, idolatry and macho pose downs.
Where to see: Apple TV, Amazon, Fandango at Home
3. “ballerina”
Ana Demas, who tosses a dinner plate and breaks the bone, is a one-female destruction crew in this impressive “John Wick” spinoff. Yes, franchise master Keene Reeves also appears, but the action flick focuses on Delmas dancers/assassins as she is introduced into the dangerous landscape, then becomes rigged on the revenge mission. It’s packed with great brawls, great gunfights, and one unforgettable flamethrower showdown.
Where to see: Apple TV, Amazon, Fandango at Home
2. “sinner”
Is it a gangster movie? yes! Is it a vampire movie? You bet! Is it a musical? That too! Ryan Coogler lifts up this genre-bending, a demonic flick with a set flick in the 1930s. Coogler also tackles racism and cultural appropriation in a fascinating, meaningful, and horrifying festival.
Where to see: Max (July 4th), Apple TV, Amazon, Fandango at Home
1. “Chuck’s Life”
The only Stephen King adaptation that makes you feel better about life, the universe, and everything after seeing it. Mike Flanagan’s soulful three-act character study is a reverse-talked-life in which the chaos caused by the end of the world leads to finding an artistic self after navigating the tragedy. Did you mention a surprise surprise midway through Tom Hiddleston’s dance break? “Chuck” is a must-see film that warms the heart, captures the heart, and blows away conventions.
Where to see: In the theater
