Mr F’s Personal (and belated) Top Ten of 2025!
One day, perhaps, I will be one of those film critics who gets to see everything weeks in advance. Alas, I’m not there yet. Hence, the delay in my personal Top Ten list.
January gave me the chance to catch up on many of the bigger titles I hadn’t yet seen. Being a voter for the Film Independent Spirit Awards also allowed me to catch a couple dozen moving, powerful independent films that never got the hype they deserved.
Here we go:
1. Hamnet
If the purpose of art is to make you FEEL something, no other film this year - or perhaps ever - did its job as well as this incredible film. Jessie Buckley’s performance is one for the ages.
2. Sinners
Ryan Coogler does not miss. This film is an absolute miracle. It’s a genre film that pairs well with popcorn, but one that also digs so deeply into the dark corners of our country’s history that it illuminates the beauty, joy, and lifeblood found in the African-American experience for all to see.
3. Sentimental Value
Art is a language. Sometimes, it’s the only one capable of saying the thing that must be said. This may be a “sad” film, but it’s a joy to watch from beginning to end, with its lively storytelling and its four well-deserved acting nominations from the Oscars.
4. Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Story
Benoit Blanc is back, with a bunch of new friends (?) and another impossible case to solve. Is there a more reliably entertaining, whip-smart, and satisfying franchise right now? I don’t think so.
5. Twinless
If a film is a recipe, this one has the tastiest blend of drama and comedy I’ve seen in ages. Throw in a dash of thriller, and what you get is one of the most unique movies in years. It’s a gem of a film - one that people will cite when they want to show the moment Dylan O’Brien jumped from being a good actor to a great one.
6. 28 Years Later
Amidst the murderous infected tearing out human skulls and Danny Boyle’s kinetically electric filmmaking, I dare you to find a more tender coming of age film released in the last few years.
7. Come See Me in the Good Light
A chronicle of Colorado Poet Laureate Andrea Gibson’s terminal cancer journey. She feels and communicates every topic (gender identity, body image, basketball, as well as her impending passing) with unparalleled depth, vulnerability and humor. You can’t walk away from this doc unchanged.
8. The Perfect Neighbor
All but a handful of moments in this 96 minute documentary consist of police officers’ body-cam footage. The effect makes us feel as if we’re in a virtual reality experience, following the year long dispute between a woman and her neighbors that ends in tragedy, sparking protests against “stand your ground” laws.
9. Weapons
The story is great, but the way it’s told is even better. This wackjob of a horror tale’s point of view boucnes around from one character to another. It’s a delight, as is Amy Madigan’s campy, trippy performance as Aunt Gladys.
10. Dust Bunny
Meet the best logline in the history of cinema: a young girl hires a hitman to kill the monsters under her bed. Throw in a production design aesthetic that screams, “Wes Anderson meets Big Trouble in Little China!” and you’ve got everything you need for a great time.
Honorable Mentions:
Bob Trevino Likes It
Bugonia
Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight
Freaky Tales
Friendship
Good Boy
It Was Just an Accident
Kill the Jockey
The Secret Agent
Train Dreams
Notable Omission:
One Battle After Another
Yes, I saw it. No, I didn’t forget about it.
I know it’s one of the most celebrated movies of the year/decade. And for the record, I enjoyed it. I did not love it. I’m shielding my head from the incoming rotten fruits and vegetables hurtling my way as I type this next part: it’s got some flaws!
If I had included a few more honorable mentions, it would likely be there.