Opinion: The top ten movies of 2025

The cinematic landscape of 2025, as assessed by film enthusiast crossie, reveals a striking trend: a fascination with the darker side of storytelling. A recently published list of the year’s top ten films highlights a prevalence of horror, thrillers, and murder mysteries, alongside animated features. This selection, shared via Letterboxd, offers a unique perspective on the year’s offerings, even including titles with limited 2024 releases.

A Year of Gothic Themes

The list’s top spot is claimed by Zootopia 2, recognized as the best “furry” movie of the year, a designation crossie applies annually despite the list’s broader scope. However, the overall selection leans heavily into what crossie describes as a “Gothic” theme. This isn’t limited to traditional horror; spy thrillers and even animated adventures are viewed through this lens, exploring themes of the past, deception, and the unsettling undercurrents of seemingly normal worlds.

Did You Know? The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie, while released in 2024, qualified for consideration on this 2025 list due to a limited awards run.

Notable Selections and Recurring Franchises

Among the ten films highlighted are Final Destination: Bloodlines, a continuation of a franchise known for its nihilistic approach to storytelling, and Frankenstein, a new adaptation that surprisingly resonated with the list’s author. The list also includes Night of the Zoopocalypse, a horror-parody with a unique visual style, and Weapons, a dark story centered around missing children. Wes Anderson’s The Phoenician Scheme, despite its stylistic divergence, also earned a place, though described as less “thrilling” than typical for the genre.

Expert Insight: The emphasis on established franchises like Final Destination and adaptations of classic Gothic literature, such as Frankenstein, suggests a trend toward revisiting familiar tropes and narratives, potentially offering audiences a sense of comfort or a framework for exploring contemporary anxieties.

The Appeal of Darkness and Deception

Crossie notes a recurring element in many of the selected films: a sense of artifice or deception. This is particularly evident in Wake Up Dead Man, where the Gothic setting itself is revealed to be a modern construction, and in Sinners, the list’s top pick, where the power of a magical performance simultaneously captivates and endangers. This fascination with the constructed nature of horror and the enduring appeal of classic Gothic themes appears to be a defining characteristic of the year’s cinematic landscape, according to this assessment.

Frequently Asked Questions

What criteria were used to create this list?

The list represents the personal preferences of crossie, with a focus on films that resonated with them throughout the year. A “furry” movie is included annually, despite the list not being exclusively focused on that genre.

Is there a common thread connecting the films on this list?

According to crossie, a strong “Gothic” theme unites many of the films, exploring themes of the past, deception, and the darker aspects of human nature.

What is the significance of including a film released in 2024?

The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie was included because it had a qualifying awards run in 2024, making it eligible for consideration despite its initial release date.

Given the prevalence of horror and thriller elements in this year’s selections, do you think audiences are increasingly drawn to stories that confront darker themes, or is this simply a reflection of personal preference?