As another incredible year of cinema draws to a close, it’s time to reflect on the films that truly captivated us.
This year delivered a fresh mix of cerebral sci-fi, innovative horror, high-octane spectacle, and long-awaited franchise entries.
Here are The Labari Journal’s picks for the 10 best movies we watched this year.
1. Sinners
| Release Date | April 18, 2025 |
| Main Cast | Michael B. Jordan, Hailee Steinfeld, Miles Caton, Jack O’Connell |
Directed by Ryan Coogler (Black Panther), Sinners stood out as a critical darling with an almost perfect Rotten Tomatoes score.
An original concept, this supernatural horror film blends historical drama, music, vampire lore, and action, becoming one of the best movies of 2025.
2. Companion
| Release Date | January 31, 2025 |
| Main Cast | Sophie Thatcher, Jack Quaid, Lukas Gage, Rupert Friend |
This sci-fi psychological thriller redefined the “AI gone wrong” genre.
Set in a remote lake house, Companion follows a young couple whose weekend getaway unravels into chaos after a chilling revelation about one of the guests being a highly sophisticated, and highly volatile, companion robot.
With a fantastic performance by Sophie Thatcher, this movie was an underdog.
3. K-Pop Demon Hunters
| Release Date | June 20, 2025 (Netflix) |
| Main Cast (Voice) | Arden Cho (as Rumi), May Hong, Ji-young Yoo, Ken Jeong |
One of the most energetic and unique animated films of the year, K-Pop Demon Hunters follows a globally famous K-pop girl group who secretly lead a double life as demon-slaying warriors.
Combining infectious music with stylish martial arts, this film is a vibrant, fun ride with a lot of heart. Its success prompted Netflix to push it to movie cinemas, and reports say that a sequel is currently in development.
4. Superman
| Release Date | July 11, 2025 |
| Main Cast | David Corenswet (as Superman), Rachel Brosnahan (as Lois Lane), Nicholas Hoult (as Lex Luthor) |
The Man of Steel soared back onto the screen in a much-anticipated reboot that focused on the heart and hope of the iconic character.
It successfully blended classic superhero spectacle with sincere, human moments, launching a new era for the beloved comic book hero.
5. F1
| Release Date | June 27, 2025 |
| Main Cast | Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem |
Directed by Joseph Kosinski (Top Gun: Maverick) and starring Brad Pitt, F1 delivers the most realistic and electrifying racing footage ever put to film. The sports drama follows a veteran Formula One driver who comes out of retirement to mentor a young star and save a struggling underdog team.
It’s an adrenaline shot of pure cinema.
6. Frankenstein
| Release Date | October 17, 2025 (Theatrical) |
| Main Cast | Oscar Isaac (as Victor Frankenstein), Jacob Elordi (as The Creature), Mia Goth, Christoph Waltz |
Director Guillermo del Toro brought his sweeping, gothic romanticism to Mary Shelley’s classic.
Starring Oscar Isaac, this gorgeous adaptation focuses on the emotional need and psychological complexity of both the creator and his creature, resulting in a horror masterpiece that feels both timeless and new.
7. 28 Years Later
| Release Date | June 20, 2025 |
| Main Cast | Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Ralph Fiennes, Jack O’Connell |
The continuation of the seminal zombie horror franchise successfully recaptured the original’s raw power, thrill, and bite.
Director Danny Boyle returned to deliver a harrowing vision of a world consumed by a new, more terrifying iteration of the Rage virus, making it a must-watch for horror fans.
8. The Fantastic Four: First Steps
| Release Date | July 25, 2025 |
| Main Cast | Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Julia Garner, Ralph Ineson |
Marvel finally nailed the landing with this iteration of their “first family.” The film benefited from pitch-perfect cast chemistry and an appealingly retro-futuristic aesthetic, successfully launching the team into the modern cinematic universe with excitement and wit.
9. Weapons
| Release Date | August 8, 2025 |
| Main Cast | Josh Brolin, Julia Garner, Alden Ehrenreich, Benedict Wong |
From horror auteur Zach Cregger (Barbarian), Weapons is a sprawling horror epic with a deeply unsettling mystery at its core.
When all but one child from the same classroom mysteriously vanish on the same night, a community is left questioning who or what is behind their coordinated disappearance, blurring the line between mass psychosis and dark magic.
10. One Battle After Another
| Release Date | September 26, 2025 |
| Main Cast | Leonardo DiCaprio, Regina Hall, Benicio Del Toro, Sean Penn |
This intense character study, starring Leonardo DiCaprio as washed-up revolutionary Bob, captivated audiences with its raw portrayal of paranoia and survival.
The film masterfully explores the crippling consequences of a past life of radicalism and the emotional battle to reclaim a future.
Honorable Mention: The Long Walk
| Release Date | September 12, 2025 |
| Main Cast | Cooper Hoffman, David Jonsson, Mark Hamill, Charlie Plummer |
Directed by Francis Lawrence (of The Hunger Games fame) and adapted from the harrowing Stephen King novel, The Long Walk is a relentlessly brutal dystopian survival thriller.
It centers on a grueling annual contest where 100 teenage boys in a totalitarian America must walk continuously at a set pace—if they slow down or stop, they are executed.
It’s an unflinching, emotionally punishing look at human endurance and state-sanctioned cruelty.
This article was edited with AI and reviewed by human editors
