Yes, it’s time once again to look back on the year that was. I know it comes out a bit late every year, but I want a chance to catch the films that get a token awards-qualifying limited run in late winter and don’t see a wide release until January. It sucks, but such is the nature of the game.
I know it’s become standard doom-and-gloom to talk about how box office grosses are shrinking, fewer films are getting made and released, and blah blah blah. And sure, I’m worried about the upcoming Netflix/WB merger as the latest example of what awful things happen when conglomerates grow “too big to fail” and inevitably succumb to gravity. On the other hand, I humbly disagree with the notion that the health of the movie industry or our culture at large is dependent on how many movies crack the billion-dollar mark. If anything, we should aspire to a movie industry that continues to thrive without so many films breaking a billion dollars.
Also, I’ll keep on saying what I’ve said for years: If you think there aren’t enough good and original movies getting made and released, you’re not paying attention.
Anyway, for those just tuning in, this is how the year-end review works around here: We’ve got three separate lists, dividing movies into the Masterpieces, the Disappointments, and the Wild Rides. Each list is comprised of eight categories, with a “best of” selected from each one. Each category and each list has its own criteria, but they all follow the same basic rules.
1. Only movies that I’ve seen will be considered. Of course I didn’t get around to seeing every movie that came out this year — nobody did. And there were many, many noteworthy movies I didn’t get around to seeing for one reason or another. A partial list includes Ne Zha 2, Nobody 2, The Unbreakable Boy, The Electric State, The Alto Knights, A Working Man, The Woman in the Yard, Juliet & Romeo, The Old Guard 2, Happy Gilmore 2, War of the Worlds (2025), Freakier Friday, Fixed, The History of Sound, Anemone, Roofman, Kiss of the Spider Woman, If I Had Legs I’d Kick You, Blue Moon, The Hand That Rocks the Cradle (2025), Regretting You, Shelby Oaks, Christy, Keeper, Ella McKay, Anaconda (2025), and others that might have made one list or another had I gotten around to them.
I didn’t see Snow White (2025) or Lilo & Stitch (2025) because I’m done with the Disney live-action remakes. I deliberately passed on The Conjuring: Last Rites, Another Simple Favor, Smurfs, The Strangers: Chapter 2, Now You See Me: Now You Don’t, Five Nights at Freddy’s 2, Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale, and The SpongeBob Movie: The Search for SquarePants because of apathy or outright loathing for their respective franchises.
2a. Only movies released in 2025 will be considered. It really does break my shriveled heart that the Paddington films don’t make it to the USA until several months after their UK premieres. Alas, Paddington in Peru is another delightful film in a series that should consistently make my year-end lists, but it’s not a 2025 film. Sorry!
On the other hand, The Death of Snow White went from pop-up theatrical screenings to on-demand streaming release in record time, so I’m putting that film in contention.
2b. Festival premiere dates don’t count. Because movies have been known to change in post between festival screenings and public release, I don’t consider a movie to be truly completed while it’s on the festival circuit. For instance, The Toxic Avenger (2025) made its debut at Fantastic Fest 2023 — do you really want to assume the movie that screened back then is the exact same movie that hit wide release two years later, without a single tweak or edit?
3. Only one award per film, and one award per category. I don’t want a situation in which one movie wins everything, and I don’t want to call any ties. That would be too easy, and frankly boring.
The Masterpieces list will be online shortly. Stay tuned!