2025 has been a standout year for cinema, delivering some of the best movies of the decade across every genre. From prestige dramas and boundary-pushing horror to blockbuster sequels and animated hits, this year offered no shortage of films worth watching.
To determine the best movies of 2025, we evaluated critical consensus, audience ratings, box office and streaming performance, awards buzz and overall cultural impact. The result is a comprehensive ranking of the top films of 2025, along with genre-specific highlights and clear guidance on where to watch each movie right now.
Watch the top films from 2025 with DIRECTV! Plus, find out as soon as these movies are available to watch at home with our Top New Movies Out Now guide.
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‘One Battle After Another’
Rotten Tomatoes: 94% | IMDb: 8.2/10
Where to Watch: In theaters or rent on demand (Apple TV, Prime Video, DIRECTV)
Paul Thomas Anderson delivers one of the most ambitious and talked-about films of the year with One Battle After Another, a gripping political action thriller loosely inspired by Thomas Pynchon’s Vineland. Leonardo DiCaprio stars as a former revolutionary drawn back into conflict when he and his daughter become targets of a corrupt military officer, forcing him to confront both his past ideals and the cost of resistance.
Anchored by a potential-career-best performance from DiCaprio and supported by standout turns from Sean Penn, Benicio del Toro, Regina Hall and Teyana Taylor, the film blends large-scale action with deeply personal stakes. Anderson balances paranoia, satire and emotional weight, creating a movie that feels both urgently contemporary and timeless.
More than just one of the best action movies of 2025, One Battle After Another has earned widespread critical acclaim and is Anderson’s highest-grossing release to date. It’s a defining film of the year — and essential viewing for any movie fan.
Related: One Battle After Another Watch Guide
‘Hamnet’
Rotten Tomatoes: 87% | IMDB Rating: 8.1/10
Where to Watch: In theaters
It may be one of the most heart-wrenching films you watch all year, but Chloé Zhao’s adaptation of Maggie O’Farrell’s novel of the plague, Hamnet, is so much more than a sob story. Impeccable performances from Paul Mescal and Jessie Buckley bring to life the story of a family nearly destroyed by grief after the death of their young son, and their individual attempts to survive it.
While O’Farrell’s novel is largely centered on Agnes and her interior thoughts, the film widens its lens to give William Shakespeare a fuller arc of his struggle to process loss—moving from paralysis and guilt toward the act of creation, as he attempts to transform that grief into what would become one of the most influential works of writing of all time.
What lingers long after the credits roll is not just sorrow—though that, too, remains—but a quiet sense of hope. Hamnet suggests that even in the wake of unimaginable loss, there is the possibility of being truly seen by another person, and of finding meaning through connection and creation. It recognizes that grief manifests differently for everyone yet carries a universal weight. The film acknowledges how easily life can fracture, while insisting that those bonds, once formed, can become the very lifelines that carry us through.
‘Sinners’
Rotten Tomatoes: 97% | IMDB Rating: 7.6/10
Where to Watch: HBO Max; DIRECTV
Sinners, directed by Ryan Coogler, is one of the best horror movies in 2025, anchored by Michael B. Jordan’s powerful dual performance as twin brothers, Smoke and Stack. Returning to their rural hometown to escape their violent past, they quickly discover that their troubles have followed them home. Blending sharp social commentary, flashes of humor and a killer score, Sinners is a defining entry in modern Black cinema and one of the year’s most-talked-about films.
‘Train Dreams’
Rotten Tomatoes: 95% | IMDB Rating: 7.6/10
Where to Watch: Netflix
Train Dreams follows Robert Grainier through the rugged Pacific Northwest as he struggles to build a family and a livelihood amid the expansion of the U.S. railroad empire. Beautifully directed and anchored by Joel Edgerton, Train Dreams unfolds as a quiet meditation on the world we’ve built and the nature we built it from.
‘On Becoming a Guinea Fowl’
Rotten Tomatoes: 100% | IMDB Rating: 7/10
Where to Watch: HBO Max; DIRECTV
On Becoming a Guinea Fowl blends dark comedy and drama into a masterpiece of a film. After Shula finds the body of her dead uncle, the family comes back together, resurfacing family secrets that had long been buried.
‘Bugonia’
Rotten Tomatoes: 87% | IMDB Rating: 7.7/10
Where to Watch: Peacock; DIRECTV
Yorgos Lanthimos delivers one of the most unusual and ambitious films of the year with Bugonia, an absurdist black comedy about two men who kidnap a CEO they believe is an alien. Anchored by standout performances from Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons, this genre-bending ride is one of the best sci-fi movies in 2025 for fans of bold, unpredictable storytelling.
‘Sorry, Baby’
Rotten Tomatoes: 97% | IMDB Rating: 7.1/10
Where to Watch: HBO Max; DIRECTV
Eva Victor’ Sorry, Baby is as thought-provoking and profound as it is sharp, ranking it among the best dramas of 2025. The drama follows Agnes, a college professor living alone with just her foster cat, whose reunion with old friends forces her to confront the traumatic moment that shaped her future.
‘It’s Never Over, Jeff Buckley’
Rotten Tomatoes: 98% | IMDB Rating: 7.8/10
Where to Watch: HBO Max
It’s Never Over: Jeff Buckley, directed by Oscar-nominated filmmaker Amy Berg, offers an intimate look at the life and legacy of the late singer-songwriter Jeff Buckley. Using rare archival footage, performance clips and interviews with his mother, collaborators and close friends, the documentary paints a vivid portrait of an extraordinary talent lost at 30. A moving tribute to an artist gone too soon, it’s one of the top movies this year for music and documentary lovers alike.
‘Black Bag’
Rotten Tomatoes: 96% | IMDB Rating: 6.7/10
Where to Watch: Prime Video; DIRECTV
Black Bag, directed by Steven Soderbergh, is a sharp, high-stakes spy thriller led by Cate Blanchett and Michael Fassbender. The film follows British intelligence officers — and married couple — George and Kathryn Woodhouse as they navigate the fallout of a global information leak. Suspenseful, stylish and tightly written, it stands as one of the top movies this year for fans of sleek spy dramas.
‘KPop Demon Hunters’
Rotten Tomatoes: 96% | IMDB Rating: 7.6/10
Where to Watch: Netflix
KPop Demon Hunters is a vibrant, action-packed animated film that follows the world’s biggest K-pop girl group, Huntr/x, who secretly fight demons using the power of music. As Rumi, Mira and Zoey juggle their lives and work, a rival boy band, the Saja Boys, threatens both the charts and the balance between worlds. With catchy songs, plenty of action and clever humor, it remains one of the best kids moves of 2025 and an all-time chart-topper for Netflix.
‘I’m Still Here’
Rotten Tomatoes: 97% | IMDB Rating: 8.1/10
Where to Watch: Netflix
Based on true events, I’m Still Here recounts the disappearance of Brazilian activist Rubens Paiva in 1971 and his wife Eunice’s tireless fight for justice. Anchored by a powerful performance from Fernanda Torres, this is one of the most emotional and compelling best drama movies in 2025.
And now, see some of the best movies across genres that came out in the last year, along with where to watch them:
Best Drama Movies of 2025
- Sorry, Baby – Streaming on HBO Max
- On Becoming a Guinea Fowl – Streaming on HBO Max
- Marty Supreme – In theaters
- The Life of Chuck – Rent On Demand (YouTube, Apple TV, Prime Video, DIRECTV)
- Blue Moon – Rent On Demand as of Nov. 25
- Wicked: For Good – In Theaters
Sorry, Baby, On Becoming a Guinea Fowl & Warfareare also available on DIRECTV!
Best Action Movies of 2025
- Black Bag – Streaming on Prime Video
- The Naked Gun – Streaming on Paramount+
- The Fantastic Four: First Steps – Streaming on Disney+
- F1 The Movie – Streaming on Apple TV
- Ne Zha II – Rent On Demand (YouTube, Apple TV, Prime Video)
Black Bag, The Naked Gun & The Fantastic Four: First Stepsare also available on DIRECTV!
Best Sci-Fi Movies of 2025
- The Long Walk – Rent On Demand (YouTube, Apple TV, Prime Video, DIRECTV)
- Bugonia – Streaming on Peacock
- Frankenstein – Streaming on Netflix
- Mickey 17 – Streaming on HBO Max
- Thunderbolts* – Streaming on Disney+
The Long Walk, Mickey 17 & Thunderbolts* are also available through DIRECTV!
Best Horror Movies of 2025
- Sinners – Streaming on HBO Max
- Weapons – Streaming on HBO Max
- Final Destination Bloodlines – Streaming on HBO Max
- 28 Years Later – Streaming on Netflix
- Bring Her Back – Streaming on HBO Max
Sinners, Weapons, Final Destination: Bloodlines, 28 Years Later and Bring Her Back are all available to watch on DIRECTV!
Best Thriller Movies of 2025
- Companion – Streaming on HBO Max
- Highest 2 Lowest – Streaming on Apple TV
- Caught Stealing – Streaming on Netflix
- A House of Dynamite – Streaming on Netflix
- Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning – Streaming on Paramount+
Companion, Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning & Caught Stealing are also available on DIRECTV!
Best Comedy Movies of 2025
- One of Them Days – Streaming on Netflix
- Friendship – Streaming on HBO Max
- Eddington – Streaming on HBO Max
- Deep Cover – Streaming on Prime Video
- Roofman – Streaming on MGM+ & Paramount+
One of Them Days, Friendship,Eddington & Roofman are available to stream on DIRECTV, too!
Best Kids/Animated Films of 2025
- KPop Demon Hunters – Streaming on Netflix
- How to Train Your Dragon – Streaming on Peacock
- Paddington in Peru – Streaming on Netflix
- The Bad Guys 2 – Streaming on Peacock
- Dog Man – Streaming on Netflix
How to Train Your Dragon, Paddington in Peru, The Bad Guys 2 &Dog Man are also available through DIRECTV!
Watch the Best Movies From 2025 on DIRECTV
Now that you have plenty of movies to add to your watchlists, all that’s left is to get started! If you’re not a DIRECTV customer already, now’s the perfect time to sign up!
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best movies of 2025?
Some of the best movies of 2025 include: One Battle After Another, Hamnet, Train Dreams, Sinners, Bugonia and Sorry, Baby.
What are the best horror movies of 2025?
The best horror movies of 2025 include Sinners, Weapons, Bring Her Back, Final Destination: Bloodlines and 28 Years Later.
What are some of the best sci-fi movies from 2025?
2025's best sci-fi films include The Long Walk, Frankenstein, Bugonia, Mickey 17 and Thunderbolts.
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