The best movies of 2025 so far
ALBERTO PIZZOLI/AFP via Getty Images
The best movies of 2025 so far
As is the case every year, 2025 has had some serious highs and lows. There have been major box-office hits, like April's "Sinners," which fast became one of the highest-earning horror movies of the past decade, along with some colossal disappointments, like Pixar's "Elio," which hit theaters in June with the worst opening in the studio's history.
While we're nearing the end of the summer movie season and have already seen several major releases, plenty of notable films are still on the horizon. Moviegoers will be treated to a ton of hotly anticipated sequels in the coming months, most notably "Wicked: For Good" on Nov. 21, as well as "Tron: Ares" on Oct. 10 and "Avatar: Fire and Ash" on Dec. 19.
Several family-friendly movies are also on the way, like Disney's "Zootopia 2" on Nov. 26 and the only-in-theaters TV spinoff "The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants" on Dec. 19. And who could forget surefire hits like "The Smashing Machine" on Oct. 3, "The Running Man" on Nov. 14, and "Anaconda" on Dec. 25?
While there's much to look forward to, we shouldn't overlook the gems that have already hit theaters. Stacker rounded up the best movies of 2025 so far, ranked by Metacritic scores. To qualify for the list, these movies must have been released and distributed in the United States by Aug. 15, 2025, and have at least seven reviews by critics. Metacritics' internal weighting system breaks any ties. IMDb user ratings are provided for popular reception context.
From timely documentaries to unconventional comedies to gripping foreign films, these are the movies from 2025 (so far) most deserving of your attention.
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#20. Misericordia
- Director: Alain Guiraudie
- Metascore: 83
- IMDB user rating: 6.8
- Run time: 1 hour 44 minutes
At the start of "Misericordia," a man arrives at a village in rural France to attend the funeral of his former boss. The widow, vaguely aware of the man's affair with her late husband, invites him to stay, only to see tensions arise between her new houseguest and her son.
RogerEbert.com's Simon Abrams described the thriller as "a morbid comedy of errors" and "a metaphysical, character-driven drama about the mysteries and absurdities of human attraction." It's precisely the Hitchcockian rollercoaster for which writer-director Alain Guiraudie, who made 2013's "Stranger by the Lake," has become known.
KHALED DESOUKI/AFP via Getty Images
#19. From Ground Zero
- Directors: Aws Al-Banna,
- Metascore: 83
- IMDB user rating: 7.9
- Run time: 1 hour 52 minutes
One of the most urgent works on this list, "From Ground Zero" is a collection of 22 short films, ranging in style from documentary to animation, shot by nearly two dozen Palestinian directors over the past year in Gaza. Through true stories, the movie does a powerful job of humanizing the people of Gaza as they witness the destruction of their homes and the killing of their loved ones by the Israeli military.
"From Ground Zero" was shortlisted for Best International Feature at the 2025 Academy Awards, though it didn't make the final cut. RogerEbert.com critic Matt Zoller Seitz called it "a rare work for which superlatives are not only inadequate but useless," writing that the film "shows that, after a catastrophe, art is not only still possible but necessary—and that digital technology makes it possible for people to continue to preserve and share their stories even after they've lost almost everything else."
Stefania D'Alessandro/WireImage // Getty Images
#18. Love
- Director: Dag Johan Haugerud
- Metascore: 83
- IMDB user rating: 7.3
- Run time: 1 hour 59 minutesIn the concluding installment of director Dag Johan Haugerud's "Sex, Dreams, Love" trilogy, a chance encounter between a doctor and a nurse leads them to explore the idea of unconventional relationships that buck societal norms.
The Guardian sang the film's praises, with critic Peter Bradshaw writing, "It is a thoroughly grown-up and absorbing drama, acted with such sympathy and warmth, a ruminative and exploratory movie of ideas, and one that pays its audience the compliment of treating them as intelligent beings." "Love" was also nominated for both the Golden Lion and the Queer Lion at the 2024 Venice International Film Festival.
Jason Mendez // Getty Images for Tribeca Festival
#17. Jazzy
- Director: Morrisa Maltz
- Metascore: 83
- IMDB user rating: 6.1
- Run time: 1 hour 26 minutes
Set in the same universe as director Morrisa Maltz's debut film, "The Unknown Country," "Jazzy" is a coming-of-age drama that follows a young Oglala Lakota girl. The movie is based on the real-life experiences of Maltz's goddaughter, Jasmine Bearkiller Shangreaux, with the narrative following Jazzy and her best friend over six years as they navigate crushes, life's twists and turns, and the challenges of friendship.
Variety's Tomris Laffly called the film "scrappy," "loose-limbed," and "meditative." It beautifully encapsulates those messy adolescent years.
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#16. Viet and Nam
- Director: Minh Quy Truong
- Metascore: 83
- IMDB user rating: 6.3
- Run time: 2 hours 9 minutes
Two coal miners dream of a better future in this LGBTQ+ romantic drama. Banned in its home country of Vietnam for its "gloomy, deadlocked and negative" views of the nation and its people, the movie wrestles with the effects of the Vietnam War, the difficulties of immigration, and the realities of being in a same-gender relationship in a country where that is still widely regarded as taboo.
Chicago Reader Assistant Managing Editor Savannah Hugueley described the expressionistic movie as "abstract" and "dreamlike."
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#15. Eephus
- Director: Carson Lund
- Metascore: 83
- IMDB user rating: 6.8
- Run time: 1 hour 38 minutes
Set in the '90s, "Eephus" centers on two amateur baseball teams playing one last game in their home stadium before it gets demolished. Subtle, slow-moving, and without the overtly emotional arc central to most sports films, the movie still manages to be a touching and funny tribute to America's national pastime.
Writing for WBUR, Sean Burns called it "the best baseball movie since 'Bull Durham'—or maybe 'Bad Lieutenant'—because it explores this sport's peculiar ability to bend and distort time."
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#14. Universal Language
- Director: Matthew Rankin
- Metascore: 84
- IMDB user rating: 6.9
- Run time: 1 hour 29 minutes
"Universal Language" is an absurdist comedy set in a reimagined Canada where Persian and French are the official languages. The film contains three separate and seemingly unconnected narratives. Reminiscent of the Iranian New Wave cinematic movement, the movie may be too bizarre for some (the action is interspersed with asides, like a faux '80s-style commercial selling turkeys). But for those willing to get on its wavelength, the film delivers a story that is "familiar and strange to us, welcoming but odd, funny, and tender," per RogerEbert.com critic Monica Castillo.
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#13. Afternoons of Solitude
- Director: Albert Serra
- Metascore: 84
- IMDB user rating: 7.3
- Run time: 2 hours 5 minutes
RogerEbert.com's Glenn Kenny called "Afternoons of Solitude" "visually beautiful, emotionally unnerving, and—arguably—intellectually confounding." Director Albert Serra's first feature-length documentary follows Spanish bullfighter Andrés Roca Rey. There is no commentary, narration, or interviews with those involved. Instead, the film offers a two-hour observation of the sport in all of its gore and glory.
Eamonn M. McCormack/Getty Images for The Red Sea International Film Festival
#12. To a Land Unknown
- Director: Mahdi Fleifel
- Metascore: 84
- IMDB user rating: 7.4
- Run time: 1 hour 45 minutes
"To a Land Unknown" follows two Palestinian refugees attempting to make their way from Greece to Germany, and acquiring the money in any way they can. Gritty and tense, the movie doesn't shy away "from the lasting damages that exile can cause, whether one makes it out or not," Hollywood Reporter contributing film critic Jordan Mintzer writes.
Alci Rengifo, CounterPunch film critic and filmmaker, said the movie "is one of those enveloping cinematic experiences that feel so real as to transcend the idea that it is fiction," an assessment that makes perfect sense when you consider that this is documentary director Mahdi Fleifel's first narrative feature.
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#11. Sinners
- Director: Ryan Coogler
- Metascore: 84
- IMDB user rating: 7.6
- Run time: 2 hours 17 minutes
Michael B. Jordan plays twins in this horror movie set in the Mississippi Delta in 1932. "Sinners" follows the two brothers, Smoke and Stack, as they return to their hometown hoping for a fresh start, only to find that a supernatural evil lurks in the shadows.
Variety film critic Owen Gleiberman said the movie was "vibrant and richly acted," calling it a "rare mainstream horror film that's about something weighty and soulful. " Its thematic depth and stunning aesthetic are two reasons it's made over $365 million worldwide, making it the biggest original horror movie since 2018's "A Quiet Place."
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#10. Souleymane's Story
- Director: Boris Lojkine
- Metascore: 84
- IMDB user rating: 7.6
- Run time: 1 hour 33 minutesIn "Souleymane's Story," we follow an African immigrant in Paris who delivers food on his e-bike by day and prepares his asylum application by night. The lead role is played by a non-professional, Abou Sangaré, and his performance makes the film shine.
The Berkshire Edge's Leonard Quart called the movie "an unexpected discovery," praising its refusal to idealize the global migrant experience and instead examining it through a raw and unfiltered lens.
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#9. I'm Still Here
- Director: Walter Salles
- Metascore: 85
- IMDB user rating: 8.2
- Run time: 2 hours 17 minutes
Based on journalist Marcelo Rubens Paiva's memoir of the same name, "I'm Still Here" tells the story of a mother and activist trying to cope with the forced disappearance of her husband amid Brazil's military dictatorship. Starring Oscar nominee Fernanda Torres, the movie was also nominated for Best Picture and won the Academy Award for Best International Film. The urgency of the story, as well as the quietly emotional performances, are among the driving factors behind the film's acclaim.
Samir Hussein/WireImage // Getty Images
#8. Black Bag
- Director: Steven Soderbergh
- Metascore: 85
- IMDB user rating: 6.7
- Run time: 1 hour 33 minutes
Cate Blanchett, Michael Fassbender, and Pierce Brosnan lead the cast of this spy thriller, which follows a British intelligence officer tasked with investigating a list of possible traitors. One of the names on that list? The wife he's deeply devoted to.
"Black Bag" has tonal similarities to a James Bond movie but with a subtler, more darkly comedic approach.
RogerEbert.com's Monica Castillo called the Steven Soderbergh effort "absolutely delicious, a svelte piece of entertainment that feels like a vintage yarn yet very much represents our own current anxieties, questions of sustaining trust in relationships and high-stake careers."
Tristan Fewings // Getty Images for BFI
#7. A Nice Indian Boy
- Director: Roshan Sethi
- Metascore: 85
- IMDB user rating: 7.4
- Run time: 1 hour 36 minutes
In this rom-com, an Indian American doctor brings his fiancé, a white man adopted by Indian parents, to meet his ultra-traditional family. Karan Soni and Jonathan Groff star in roles that are played with "exceptional heart and sensitivity," as described by RogerEbert.com contributing editor Nell Minow. The movie is heartwarming as it engages with classic genre tropes, but it has also earned praise for its gentle wisdom and the tender way it treats family and community.
Matt Winkelmeyer // Getty Images
#6. April
- Director: Dea Kulumbegashvili
- Metascore: 86
- IMDB user rating: 6.5
- Run time: 2 hours 14 minutes
In this timely drama, a Georgian obstetrician who provides abortions to her patients despite the country's prohibitions must defend herself after being accused of negligence. Gripping and, at times, unbearably tense, the movie is a must-watch in the current political climate. Just be aware that it may leave you unsettled, with IndieWire Reviews Editor David Ehrlich calling it a "remarkable and shudderingly unresolved film."
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#5. Caught by the Tides
- Director: Zhangke Jia
- Metascore: 87
- IMDB user rating: 6.7
- Run time: 1 hour 51 minutes
During the pandemic, Chinese director Jia Zhangke began sorting through the decades of archival documentary footage he had captured over the years. The end result of that project was "Caught by the Tides," a fictional drama about a driven woman who lives for herself. It is composed almost entirely of the director's existing footage, interspersed with silent scenes featuring Zhangke's frequent collaborator (and real-life wife) Zhao Tao.
A true arthouse project, NPR film critic Justin Chang praised the movie's telling of the story of a country and a film industry in flux.
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#4. On Becoming a Guinea Fowl
- Director: Rungano Nyoni
- Metascore: 87
- IMDB user rating: 7
- Run time: 1 hour 39 minutes
"On Becoming a Guinea Fowl" opens with the main character stumbling across the body of her dead uncle, lying on the road in the middle of the night. As her extended Zambian family prepares for Uncle Fred's funeral, long-held family secrets come to light and force a reckoning. A mix of dark comedy and serious drama, the movie has plenty to say about the challenges of processing complex emotions and the temptation to live in denial.
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#3. Familiar Touch
- Director: Sarah Friedland
- Metascore: 87
- IMDB user rating: 7.1
- Run time: 1 hour 30 minutes
In "Familiar Touch," we follow an octogenarian as she enters an assisted living facility, contending with the loss of her independence and the arrival of cognitive decline. The Santa Barbara Independent called it "a sensitive, moving, humor-speckled, and ultimately humane portrayal of the transitional process." Because aging is so infrequently addressed in cinema—at least not with this level of frankness and optimism—"Familiar Touch" is a must-watch.
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#2. 2000 Meters to Andriivka
- Director: Mstyslav Chernov
- Metascore: 88
- IMDB user rating: 8.5
- Run time: 1 hour 47 minutesFilmmaker Mstyslav Chernov and journalist Alex Babenko follow a Ukrainian platoon as they set out to liberate the Russian-occupied village of Andriivka in this documentary. Called "bruisingly intimate" by The New York Times, the film features real helmet-cam footage from the soldiers involved in the mission, alongside talking head reflections. The must-watch documentary is equal parts a treatise on the futility of war and a conversation about how we depict war for pure entertainment in video games and on TV.
Arturo Holmes // Getty Images
#1. Sorry, Baby
- Director: Eva Victor
- Metascore: 89
- IMDB user rating: 6.7
- Run time: 1 hour 51 minutes
A dark comedy-drama, "Sorry, Baby" follows a college professor as she wrestles with the aftermath of a sexual assault. Told out of chronological order, the movie works to dismantle many of the assumptions around how victims of sexual violence should react to the trauma they've endured.
NPR film critic Justin Chang wrote that the movie's thesis—"that pain and healing come in many different forms [so] our stories should, also"—is made all the more poignant by Victor's thoughtful performance and sharp writing.
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