Best of 2025, Part 2

Things don’t look great for the future of movies, so I keep hearing, no matter who ends up buying Warner Bros. But then again, I also read that the Christmas box office hit a post-pandemic high this year, so who really knows? See 'em while you can. Here are the ten that come to mind for me, in some order:

One Battle After Another - Cinema! The year’s best argument for the theatrical experience had it all—laughs, thrills, contemporary relevance, a scene-stealing Benicio del Toro, a gonzo Sean Penn performance, a one-of-a-kind car chase, and a few small beers.

The Mastermind - Kelly Reichardt’s 70s-set art heist movie feels like it was made in that decade. Josh O’Connor is the feckless title character, whose comically awful plot to steal abstract paintings from a Framingham, Massachusetts museum makes it clear early on that the title is ironic.

Blue Moon/Nouvelle Vague - I’ve lost track of how many of my favorite movies Richard Linklater has made. This twofer gives us the life of the artist at the thrilling beginning and the desperate end.

Caught Stealing - A fun, unpretentious Darren Aronofsky movie? What will they think of next? It helps that Charlie Huston adapts his own first-rate crime novel, and the supporting cast is loaded with surprises.

She Rides Shotgun - First read the superior Jordan Harper novel. Then put it out of your mind and enjoy this adaptation on its own merits—an intense ride building to a crackling conclusion.

Eephus - This affable indie about the last day of a community baseball field moves to the rhythms of its subject—you may think nothing’s happening, but it’s all about the game within the game. Featuring the Spaceman, Bill Lee, as (maybe?) himself.

The Perfect Neighbor - There’s never been a true crime documentary quite like this. Composed mostly of police bodycam footage and interrogation room tape, Geeta Gandbhir’s riveting film traces the conflict that arises when a neighborhood “Karen” continuously calls the police on the kids just trying to play outside, building to a horrific moment of violence and its aftermath.

Sinners - Proof that original concepts can still thrive at the box office and deliver the goods, as Ryan Coogler’s sultry southern crime drama (featuring Michael B. Jordan in a dual role) gives way to blood-soaked vampire mayhem. And it’s a musical? Maybe? It’s a lot, but also a lot of fun.

Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair - Along with One Battle After Another, the year’s best argument for seeing a movie in the theater is greater than the sum of its parts.

TV

Severance - No sophomore slump here, or at least not much of one (since I can always quibble). The twisty tale of office workers mentally severed from their off-duty selves and their joint attempts to unravel the dark doings at Lumon Industries continues to puzzle and dazzle.

The Lowdown - I’m still mad about the title, but I can’t deny that this Tulsa-set outing from Reservation Dogs creator Sterlin Harjo was the crime series of the year, with an able assist from novelists Lou Berney, Walter Mosley, and David Tromblay.

Smoke - I was on board with Dennis Lehane’s Apple+ limited series about an investigation into two arsonists until it went completely off the rails in its finale. Which, admittedly, I sort of admired even as I shook my head in disbelief.

The Chair Company - You got your cringe comedy in my conspiracy thriller! Two great tastes that taste great together, and one bonkers moment after another.

The Yogurt Shop Murders - This turned out to be a timely documentary about a long-cold case, the 1991 yogurt shop killings that shook sleepy slacker Austin. Director Margaret Brown brings us into the lives of the accused killers, the families of the victims, and the city itself, now almost unrecognizable from those days. Not long after it aired, the real killer was finally identified.