Avery’s picks:
5: “Thunderbolts*”
“Thunderbolts*” takes a deeper dive into confronting your inner demons to avoid becoming a shame-hungry monster, literally. The film follows a group of people, some with genetically altered abilities, who try to forget their traumatic pasts by becoming a team of beat-down superheroes. I think this is one of the best Marvel movies of the year, granted, there were only three. Although I don’t really agree with the *New Avengers alias, any movie with Florence Pugh and Sebastian Stan is one worth watching. Although superhero movies aren’t as popular as they once were, I still love a classic, save-the-world tale like Jake Schreier’s “Thunderbolts.”
4: “Superman”
James Gunn really outdid himself with this one. This Superman is like nothing we’ve seen before, exploring important topics like immigration, war, peace and humanity. Superman decides his destiny on Earth is to protect it, not to destroy it, despite his parents sending him to Earth to be a tyrannical ruler. David Corenswet delivers an inspiring and funny Superman while teaching us how to change our destinies even if they may be written in stone, or perhaps, Kryptonite.
3: “Frankenstein”
Mary Shelley’s novel has been turned into many films, over 400 in fact, and while a “Frankenstein” movie isn’t something new, this rendition’s originality blew my mind. Guillermo Del Toro’s legendary directing, along with Oscar Isaac’s authentic performance, stirred excitement in the air months before the movie’s release. Jacob Elordi portrays Frankenstein’s Monster uncannily, making the story behind The Creature even more disturbing. The film really made me feel for Frankenstein’s creation, as he is forced to live forever with no one by his side. Even so, the movie ends pretty inspiring, with The Creature looking out into a new horizon of his everlasting life.
2: “The Long Walk”
Directed by Francis Lawrence, this movie delivers critical messages based on the dystopian Stephen King novel. The story mainly follows two young boys who have been selected to represent their home states in a deadly competition for life-changing money and one infinite wish. The competition: walk until you die. The boys form heartbreaking friendships with each other that lead them to bond even in the face of death. With our government in shambles and humanity falling to pieces, this movie represents only part of what our world may come to if we continue down this deadly path, even if it may be fiction. “The Long Walk” is beautiful, tragic and too close to home as our world gets closer and closer to the dystopian films we never thought might come true.
1: “Sinners”
A film of utmost originality, “Sinners” creates a new subgenre of horror, horror in the Black South. Full of twists and turns with vampires, African and Irish ancestry, reality-bending music and a transcendent take on the Black struggle, this movie is by far one of the most cinematic and meaningful movies of the year. To dance with the devil is to open gateways to supernatural worlds and make music so powerful that realities are changed forever, which is exactly what “Sinners” demonstrates. Another fantastic tale of Black revenge, this movie is definitely my favorite of the year, and I can’t wait to see what Ryan Coogler does next with his unique and unconventional mind.
Tyler’s picks:
5: Eddington
Ari Aster’s “Eddington,” is easily one of 2025’s most polarizing, divisive and intentionally controversial movies of the year. “Eddington” watches as the pandemic, social unrest, social media, paranoia, AI and politics all collide in a small town over the course of two and a half hours. “Eddington” pushes each and every one of these issues to their breaking point and beyond. It expands what could’ve been a realistic drama into something extreme, absurd and surreal. A wild ride through a point in time that many of us would rather not revisit, “Eddington” still manages to make it thoroughly entertaining and totally enjoyable.
4: It Was Just an Accident
It’s not hyperbole when I say that “It Was Just an Accident” has one of the best endings in any movie I’ve ever seen. “It Was Just an Accident,” directed by visionary Jafar Panahi, follows Vahid, who was once imprisoned by Iranian authorities and tortured along with several other people. After Vahid believes he recognizes his captor, the line of morality begins to blur as he reassembles his fellow captives in an attempt to identify the perpetrator of their shared past trauma. Now, this movie moves very slowly and, admittedly, drags in the middle. However, the careful, omniscient directing, heartbreaking acting and razor-sharp writing make “It Was Just an Accident” a haunting experience that offers lots to chew on.
3: Sirāt
“Sirāt” is a real odyssey, kicking off with a rave and ending hundreds of miles away, stranded in the desert. Throughout this insane journey, “Sirāt” remains consistent, with the pounding of the bass at the beginning mirroring the pounding of your heart at the end. Exhilarated, exhausted and emotional after what is equally draining as it is entertaining, “Sirāt” follows a father who, along with his son, searches for his missing daughter through a series of raves in the desert. “Sirāt” plays God, and no one is safe. With a third act that’s so stressful it’s almost unbearable. Make sure you build in time to catch your breath afterwards.
2: Sentimental Value
This is a really special movie. Now, honestly, I saw this movie at a really hard time in my life, which I think also means I saw this at the perfect time in my life. “Sentimental Value” has the power to make a bad day better and a good day even brighter. Raw, emotional, sweet and endlessly charming, this is one of the most beautiful movies that came out this year. The movie is about a theater actress whose estranged film director father comes home to try and make a movie with her. “Sentimental Value” shows both the difficulties in producing the film and the relationship between father and daughter. Director Joachim Trier’s style ranges from subtle and intimate to abstract and complex. There are shots in this that genuinely made my jaw drop in the theater. “Sentimental Value” feels like magic, and there’s no other movie like it this year. I think there are very few like it…ever. I’ve seen “Sentimental Value” twice now, and I recommend it to everyone I bump into, so maybe go check it out. It is truly breathtaking.
1: Marty Supreme
“Marty Supreme” is like an EpiPen to the leg. Both in the sense that it is a refreshing, full-body relief from bad movies this year, and in the sense that it is an absolute shot of adrenaline that’ll send you sprinting out of the movie theater. “Marty Supreme” documents an action-packed week of Marty Mauser, a professional ping pong player in pursuit of greatness—no matter the collateral. “Marty Supreme” is visceral. The sheer kinetic energy in this is enough to gawk at without also being masterfully directed by Josh Safdie, who also co-wrote and co-edited the film. Even at its most intense moments, “Marty Supreme” has an undercurrent of warmth and humor that breaks up the stress and recontextualizes the wild rides within the bigger picture of life, purpose and family. What is already being touted as the next “literally me” movie would be severely misinterpreted if regarded as such. What makes “Marty Supreme” great is the way it brings up questions regarding greatness and what to sacrifice in the pursuit of it. Marty Mauser’s answer to this question in the movie is not meant to be the blueprint, it’s a cautionary tale. Even at his most villainous, Marty is constantly fascinating and entertaining to watch. “Marty Supreme” is a perfect movie and a must-see.
