The 10 Movies I Watched for the First Time in 2025 That I Enjoyed the Most

ala Tumblr

This is a throwback to tumblr days when I would do this every year.

I logged 46 movies on letterboxd this year, and 31 of those I watched for the first time. So Let’s get into it.

10. Cloud

I’m really not big into horror so I was hesitant to watch this one but I’m glad I did. It wasn’t horror, it was creepy at times. One scene in particular with a weird encounter on a bus literally made me jump out my seat and feel weird for a few minutes afterwards. The movie itself deals with the way in which we treat each other online, scam culture, not treating others as humans and the protagonist is especially detached and has totally commodified others. It’s unsettling. The second half of the movie also becomes a pretty strange action movie. Overall very enjoyable.

9. Black Bag

When spy movies are good they’re among the most entertaining in the medium. This one was very good. Also super problematic view on therapists. Photography was a little TOO stylized but it’s alright.

8. Wake Up Dead Man

From a purely “this is my type” of movie Wake Up Dead Man is fantastic. An indictment on the religious institutions of America who have lost their ways and become obsessed with the culture war and forgotten the true value of the message they carry, told by the guy who made the best Star Wars movie. The only reason why this wasn’t higher was because the mystery itself was sorta easy? Mila Kunis also seemed miscast, and Benoit Blanc just didn’t hit the same. Still in almost every other year, this movie would have been like top 3. I don’t doubt I’ll come back to watch it again when I feel despair at something horrific done in the USA in the name of God.

7. Sinners

There’s one scene in this that is maybe the most beautiful scene in any movie this year. The power of music transcending time and space. I deeply regret not watching this in IMAX.

6. The Brutalist

For me this movie really is two in one, conveniently split by an intermission in theaters. In the first half, a twisted promise, but a promise nonetheless. The second a destruction of the soul with a disturbing ending. The arrival to America scene still lives in my mind, and the photography throughout this is beautiful. Still, think the ending is problematic.

5. Marty Supreme

After this one and the Rock movie I guess we know who the more talented director out of the two Safdies is. Feels as tense as Good Time and Uncut Gems, with Chalamet playing essentially himself. That being said there’s some very funny lines and of course as with any Safdie movie a perfect ensemble of character actors. My favorite bit is when Chalamet won’t let Mr. Wonderful brag about his son “dying” for a concentration camp survivor.

4. One Battle After Another

You know, it’s hard not to try and frame every movie a director makes as autobiographical in a sense but this one really does sorta feel that way. PTA reckoning with failing in his revolution and entrusting it to his kid. But even if it were just that it’s enough. The displaying of the government dehumanization of immigrants and the banality of the racism in the foundational infrastructure of this country are shown so effortlessly and never feeling preachy. Beautiful cinematography too, which is probably aided by the fact that many scenes feature El Paso.

3. Flow

I’m a sucker for animation, always. Especially animation wielded to tell stories that would be too distracting in live action. Flow is exactly that. If I were to tell you “It’s about a cat surviving a flood” it sounds like the most boring movie of all time, but that’s exactly what it’s about at the surface level and yet as the movie goes on you being to see so much of “human nature” expressed through the various animals portrayed in the movie and you feel and care so much for their wellbeing. Masterful stuff. Capybara the goat. This is what I thought The Wild Robot was going to be.

2. Train Dreams

Maybe if I would have seen this movie last year, or next year it wouldn’t be so high up but I really needed this one. Truthfully, 2025 was a brutal year for me in many ways. Instability all around, changed plans, health issues for family, emotional issues not to mention all the bullshit happening at a societal level. I felt a not unfamiliar profound sadness seeping into my every day. For a large part of the year I felt as if everything would be better if I wasn’t around. Like the darkness I carried with me was too much of a burden on those around. Still, maybe that’s valuable. Maybe that’s needed. Maybe that’s just as much a part of life as the moments of joy. Perhaps as a character in the movie says “A dead tree is just as important as a living one”. The simple quiet, beautiful, devastating life of the protagonist in this movie presented in truly dreamlike photography with a narration that really worked for me truly made me feel like there is space for me in this world. I will forever love it.

1. Sing Sing

Utterly beautiful in every sense of the word. The prison system in this country is a disgrace and has destroyed the lives of an untold number of people, and yet even in that setting one can find people who just refuse to let their souls be crushed. The fact that so many of the actors in this movie played themselves was such a welcome surprise when I saw the credits of it. “We are here to become human again” was such a gut punch. Truly just a beautiful movie, Colman Domingo deserves every award for this movie. Watch this. Watch it again if you already have. Remember how good it was. Also Gred Kwedar and Clint Bentley wrote my top two movies this year with one directing each, so I guess I got two dudes to keep an eye on looking forward.

Honorable Mentions:

One of Them Days: Keke Palmer is amazing.

Tron Ares: Only the soundtrack.

The Colors Within: Really nailed how special it is to make music in a group.