The Cinescape

The Cinescape: Best of 2025 I was lucky enough to see 323 new releases films over the course of 2025. Here is a rundown of the top 25 movies I saw between theaters, festivals and at home viewings. Check out what the Cinescape en...

While I haven’t been active on Bluesky lately, the remainder of 2025 was a great one for #TheCinescape
Filled with excellent cinema, and great discussions of the art so many of us enjoy, I’m kicking off 2026 by sharing a look back at the 25 best films I saw in 2025.

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A ★★★★½ review of One Battle After Another (2025) A brilliant modern American epic bolstered by it’s incredible direction, incisively funny but sensitive writing and a dynamite ensemble cast, Paul Thomas Anderson’s action-thriller One Battle After An...

A modern American epic that soars on the strength of Paul Thomas Anderson’s writing & direction and the electric ensemble cast, #OneBattleAfterAnother is a strong contender for best film of 2025. Check out my review of the film, now in theaters! #CinescapeReview

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A ★★★ review of The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025) An ambitiously scaled and cosmically charged superhero adventure, Kevin Feige and Matt Shakman’s Fantastic Four: First Steps stumbles a bit here and there due its miscast leading man, thin writing and...

An ambitious, cosmically charged super-hero adventure, Matt Shakman’s #FantasticFourFirstSteps stumbles due to a miscast leading man, thin writing and pedestrian direction, but is nevertheless entertaining enough to recommend. #CinescapeReview

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A ★★★½ review of Eddington (2025) A sharp and darkly hilarious examination of the absurdity, discontent, and division of the early days of pandemic-era America, Ari Aster’s neo-western Eddington is a film that is bound to polarize aud...

A sharp examination of the absurdity, discontent and division of the early days of pandemic era America, Ari Aster’s Eddington is bound to polarize but may be one of 2025’s films to stand the test of time. #CinescapeReview

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A ★★★½ review of Friendship (2024) A brilliant piece of absurdist comedy that manages to mine some pathos in its exploration of the desire for acceptance within relationships, Andrew DeYoung’s Friendship manages to be hilarious, distur...

A brilliant piece of absurdist comedy that manages to mine some pathos in its exploration of the desire for acceptance within relationships, Andrew DeYoung’s #Friendship manages to be hilarious, disturbing and even touching all at once. #CinescapeReview

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A ★★½ review of Final Destination Bloodlines (2025) A horror-thriller that is thin on storytelling but full of fun and gory thrills, Zach Lipovsky and Adam Stein’s Final Destination Bloodlines certainly isn’t the best entry into this decades old franch...

A horror-thriller that is thin on storytelling but full gory thrills, Zach Lipovsky and Adam Stein’s #FinalDestinationBloodlines certainly isn’t the best entry into this decades old franchise but there’s no arguing against it as a worthy addition. #CinescapeReview

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A ★½ review of Hurry Up Tomorrow (2025) An exhaustingly experimental and formless album companion piece in the shape of a film, Trey Edward Shults’ psychological thriller Hurry Up Tomorrow is a piece of cinema that contains multitudes, most...

An exhaustingly experimental and formless album companion piece in the shape of a film, Trey Edward Shults’ well made psychological thriller #HurryUpTomorrow is a piece of cinema that contains multitudes, most of which unfortunately don’t work. #CinescapeReview

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A ★½ review of Clown in a Cornfield (2025) Cliche ridden and empty headed fun, Clown In A Cornfield feels more suited for a direct to VHS display stand in 1999 than it does for modern theaters. Despite being poorly written, full of flat perfor...

Cliche ridden and empty, #ClownInACornfield feels more suited for a direct to VHS display stand in 1999 than it does for modern theaters. Despite not being an especially well made film, it still manages to serve as mindless fun. #CinescapeReview

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A ★★★½ review of The Ballad of Wallis Island (2025) A charming and hilarious though simply and effectively drawn story, James Griffiths’ comedy The Ballad of Wallis Island is a feel-good watch that deftly balances its quirky humor with a sincere charac...

A charmingly hilarious though simply and effectively drawn story, James Griffiths’ #TheBalladofWallisIsland is a feel-good watch that deftly balances its quirky humor with a sincere character study, making for an uplifting film that is easy to enjoy. #CinescapeReview

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A ★★ review of Another Simple Favor (2025) A contrived and altogether unnecessary sequel to 2018 comic-thriller A Simple Favor, Paul Feig’s Another Simple Favor fails to improve upon its predecessor in terms of storytelling and performances de...

A contrived and altogether unnecessary sequel, Paul Feig’s #AnotherSimpleFavor fails to improve upon its predecessor’s storytelling and performances despite the sardonic tone and a romantic Italian setting that is perfect for a murder-mystery. #CinescapeReview

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A ★★★ review of Thunderbolts* (2025) An imperfect though spirited action-adventure movie from Marvel Studios, Jake Schreier’s Thunderbolts* works best when it’s exploring the psychological and interpersonal dynamics of its titular team, ...

An imperfect but spirited action movie from Marvel Studios, Jake Schreier’s #Thunderbolts* works best when it’s exploring the psychological and interpersonal dynamics of its titular team, though feels a bit too familiar at times to past MCU efforts. #CinescapeReview

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A ★★★½ review of The Surfer (2024) A hypnotic and sun-beat psychological thriller, Lorcan Finnegan’s The Surfer is an entertainingly deranged look at one man’s obsession causing him to come unraveled. While it is a bit too intense to r...

A hypnotic psychological thriller, Lorcan Finnegan’s #TheSurfer is a deranged look at one man’s obsession causing him to unravel. While a bit intense for some, the filmmaking on display and Nicolas Cage’s unhinged performance make for a great movie. #CinescapeReview

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A ★★★ review of The Shrouds (2024) A cold though strangely heartfelt meditation on grief from David Cronenberg, The Shrouds is a solid movie that explores the human desire to find meaning in endings and the new beginnings that spring f...

A cold though strangely heartfelt meditation on grief from David Cronenberg, #TheShrouds is a solid movie that explores the human desire to find meaning in endings and the new beginnings that spring from them. #CinescapeReview

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A ★★★ review of The Legend of Ochi (2025) A simple but exceedingly well made adventure-fantasy, Isaiah Saxon’s The Legend of Ochi is a welcome spin on its genre that features some of the year’s best cinematography and direction of a family fi...

A simple but exceedingly well made adventure-fantasy, Isaiah Saxon’s #TheLegendOfOchi is a welcome spin on its genre that features some of the year’s best cinematography and direction of a family film. #CinescapeReview

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A ★★★★ review of Sinners (2025) A southern-gothic epic that defies genre lines, Ryan Coogler’s Sinners is a bold cinematic experience that soars on the vision of the director and his collaborators both in front of and behind the cam...

Proudly flaunting its cinematic, cultural and folkloric influences in the service of telling a story both thrilling and touching, #Sinners is one of the year’s best films so far and as such easy to recommend. #CinescapeReview

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A ★★½ review of On Swift Horses (2024) A well intentioned but somewhat underwhelming melodrama, Daniel Minahan’s On Swift Horses lacks the fire and passion you might expect from a story like this. It is well made, with some decent performa...

A well made, but unfortunately underwhelming romantic melodrama, Daniel Minahan’s #OnSwiftHorses fails to make it out the gate despite its solid ensemble and period production. #CinescapeReview

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A ★★★½ review of Warfare (2025) A violent and visceral Iraq war thriller drawn from the memories of one of its co-director’s own time in combat, Alex Garland and Ray Mendoza’s Warfare is a gripping film that is among the most intens...

A violent and visceral Iraq war thriller, Alex Garland and Ray Mendoza’s #Warfare is a simple but gripping film that is among the most intense of the year so far, grabbing hold of the audience and refusing to let go. #CinescapeReview

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A ★★★ review of Drop (2025) A tightly constructed and entertaining thriller, Christopher Landon’s Drop feels like a callback to simpler times with its brevity and smartly placed tonal shifts that are navigated with aplomb thanks...

A tightly constructed and entertaining thriller, Christopher Landon’s #Drop has great brevity and smartly placed tonal shifts that are navigated with aplomb thanks to the effective writing and a surprisingly strong lead performance from Meaghann Fahy. #CinescapeReview

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A ★★★★ review of The Friend (2024) A beautifully understated comic-drama about grief and companionship, Scott McGehee and David Siegel’s The Friend is a wonderfully relatable film that boasts exceptional performances from Naomi Watts, ...

A beautifully understated comic-drama about grief and companionship, Scott McGehee and David Siegel’s #TheFriend is a wonderfully relatable film that boasts exceptional performances from Naomi Watts, Bill Murray and its canine star, Bing. #CinescapeReview

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A ★½ review of A Minecraft Movie (2025) Another IP misfire that forgets to tell a compelling story that allows audiences to invest in it for more than its qualities as an adaptation, Jared Hess’ A Minecraft Movie seems less interested in it...

An IP misfire that forgets to tell a compelling story that allows audiences to invest in it, Jared Hess’ #AMinecraftMovie seems less interested in its narrative than it is in shoving references to the source material down viewer’s throats. #CinescapeReview

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A ★★½ review of Hell of a Summer (2023) A horror-comedy that somehow manages to be both derivative and entertaining all at once, Billy Bryk and Finn Wolfhard’s Hell Of A Summer takes a story that feels almost too familiar and finds ways to ...

A horror-comedy that somehow manages to be both derivative and entertaining all at once, Billy Bryk and Finn Wolfhard’s #HellOfASummer finds ways to inject enough humor to keep its familiar slasher story enjoyable throughout. #CinescapeReview

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A ★★★ review of The Luckiest Man in America (2024) A solid character drama with an entertaining dive into the showbiz world of daytime game shows, Samir Oliveros’ The Luckiest Man in America features a terrific cast led by a fine lead turn fromPaul Wa...

A solid character drama, Samir Oliveros’ #TheLuckiestManinAmerica features a terrific cast led by a fine lead turn from Paul Walter Hauser that captures its time period without feeling cheesy. #CinescapeReview

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A ★★★ review of Sacramento (2024) A haphazardly shaggy comic-drama, Michael Angarano’s Sacramento does a nice job of combining elements of buddy comedy and road-trip movies to deliver a quietly enjoyable watch with some solid performa...

A shaggy comic-drama, Michael Angarano’s #Sacramento is a quietly enjoyable watch with some solid performances, especially from Michael Cera. While the film ends up feeling a bit slight, there is enough to appreciate that makes it easy to recommend. #CinescapeReview

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A ★★★½ review of The Actor (2025) An atmospherically melancholic mystery-noir, Duke Johnson’s live action directorial debut The Actor is a solid film thanks to the elliptical nature of its storytelling and the ensemble cast led by an ...

An atmospherically melancholic noir, Duke Johnson’s #TheActor is a solid film thanks to its elliptical storytelling and an excellent André Holland. While its melodramatic cinematic stylings may not appeal to all, this is an easy film to recommend. #CinescapeReview

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A ★★★ review of The Rule of Jenny Pen (2024) A disturbing horror film about the helplessness and indignities of old age, James Ashcroft’s The Rule of Jenny Pen is an often unsettling watch with its visceral cinematography and sound, but also boa...

A disturbing horror film about the helplessness and indignities of old age, James Ashcroft’s #TheRuleofJennyPen is an often unsettling and visceral watch, but also boasts a pair of excellent performances from Geoffrey Rush and John Lithgow. #CinescapeReview

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A ★½ review of A Working Man (2025) A cliche heavy action-thriller that overstays its welcome, David Ayer’s A Working Man does little to elevate its contrived premise beyond the level of mid 2000s straight to video fare with its poor wr...

Check out my review of David Ayer’s cliche ridden and over long action-thriller, #AWorkingMan, now in theaters! #CinescapeReview

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A ★★½ review of Death of a Unicorn (2025) An uneven and tonally challenged exercise in comedic horror, Alex Scharfman’s Death of a Unicorn is a film whose whole is lesser than the sum of its parts. Never quite knowing what kind of movie it wa...

An uneven exercise in comedic horror, Alex Scharfman’s #DeathOfAUnicorn is a film that never quite knows what it wants to be or what kind of story it’s telling, making for a moviegoing experience that is less than magical. #CinescapeReview

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A ★★½ review of Locked (2025) An effective though heavy handed and punishing thriller, David Yarovesky’s Locked is an economical low budget genre exercise that is high on masochistic storytelling, featuring a solid performance fro...

Check out my review of David Yarovesky’s Locked, a heavy handed new thriller led by an effective and make-up free performance from Bill Skårsgard, now in theaters!

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A ★½ review of Snow White (2025) The latest in Disney’s uninspired line of live action adaptations of their classic animated films, Marc Webb’s Snow White is a cliched and mawkish effort that fails to live up to its iconic source mat...

Check out my review of Disney’s latest uninspiring live action remake, Marc Webb’s Snow White, now in theaters!

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A ★★★½ review of Borderline (2025) A live wire romantic comedy-thriller that is carried by the electrifying lead performances of Ray Nicholson and Samara Weaving, Jimmy Warden’s Borderline is an unheralded charmer that manages to be hi...

Check out my review of Jimmy Warden’s surprisingly engaging comic thriller, Borderline, starring Ray Nicholson and Samara Weaving, now in theaters and on demand!

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