From Sinners to Winners: The 9 Movies I Didn’t Hate in 2025

The thing is, the Top 10 Movies of the Year list used to be a Big Deal. I remember practically running to the TV on Sunday mornings throughout the 90s to see Siskel & Ebert and whether these two middle-aged Chicago critics would agree on their picks. (Schindler’s List received a rare joint win in 1993.) And what did the movie critics at Entertainment Weekly deem the best? I couldn’t wait to get that “Best of” issue in the mail. Alas, Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert are long gone (RIP). Entertainment Weekly is digital-only, and I’m not even sure the outlet has a movie critic anymore. And, ugh, every would-be critic and their cousin ranks their Top 10 list all over social media and Letterboxd. They’d write it in the sand if they could. The thrill is gone.

I admit that I too had big plans to join the list of lists. I’d compiled one for Us Weekly every year since 2011 — when I foolishly ranked The Descendants over Moneyball. (But I did put Bridesmaids at No. 5, thank you very much). But my editor ixnayed it. At first I was miffed and stunned: I was all primed to write long-winded superlative prose about One Battle After Another and Sinners. Then I realized it may be for the best. We’ve all been there, done that. What could my voice possible add to this never-ending conversation and think piece extravaganza? Besides, if I’m being honest — and I always try to be — One Battle After Another bugged me on a few levels. I don’t even consider it to be Paul Thomas Anderson’s best movie (Boogie Nights) or second-best movie (Magnolia). But it’s likely to win a Best Picture Oscar anyway.

So instead of a Top 10 Movies of 2025 list, I’m going to compile a list of movies that I didn’t hate. This is still a big deal! I see hundreds of films a year . . . I’d estimate that 90 percent are just fine. Fine = I would never pay to see it again and I likely checked my phone several times throughout the screening. Quality-wise? Predictable, 20 minutes too long, slightly incoherent and not enough “moments.” That leaves 10 percent that I would instantly recommend to my friends and family who regularly ask me if I’ve seen anything good lately. Yes, I actually have! Here are 9 movies that made the cut. Why 9? Why not! And I’m putting them in alphabetical order too. It’s fun making your own rules.

Hamnet

There are tearjerkers, and then there is Hamnet. A gorgeous adaptation of the bestselling novel, the film imagines the heartbreak of William Shakespeare (Paul Mescal) and his wife, Agnes (Jessie Buckley), after the death of their son, Hamnet (Jacobi Jupe).

Why I didn’t hate it: With its moving exploration of love, loss and artistic creation — capped by a cathartic climax that puts the phrase “ugly cry” to shame — the adaptation is a lock to be nominated for Best Picture for good reason. And though he’s offscreen for wide swaths of the film, Mescal maximizes every moment:

Except . . . Why oh why did co-writer and director Chloe Zhao decide to include Max Richter’s overused “On the Nature of Daylight” musical cue during her climactic moment?! It totally took me out of the moment.

Trailer here!

If I Had Legs I’d Kick You

Despite a bustling 20-plus year career, Rose Byrne has never quite found a movie role that utilizes her full range of talents. But with the superbly off-kilter effort , she’s finally hit the motherload playing a much put-upon wife/therapist/mom. Everyone wants a piece of her even during the best of times; this is not the best of times.

Why I didn’t hate it: This is a dark comedy and festival favorite plays like a suspenseful thriller, with the most mundane moments of domesticity — a dropped pizza box, an agitated pet hamster, a barking parking attendant — causing squirmy anxiety. And Byrne, in a tour-de-force performance, expertly captures the unhinged desperation and despair. When she screams into a pillow in her office, it’s a tension release for all.

Except . . . This is a visually dark movie too. And I could have done without all the weird imagery of the damaged ceiling. We get it! The metaphor isn’t necessary!

Trailer here!

Jay Kelly 

What would George Clooney be like if he never met Amal? Co-Writer/director Noah Baumbach won’t admit it, but that’s essentially the story we get in this dramedy. His Jay Kelly is an A-list movie star set to receive a lifetime achievement award in Italy. He takes the opportunity to reflect on his past mistakes. Adam Sandler is his loyal manager who has a annoying tendency of calling loved ones “puppy.”

Why I didn’t hate it: I get it. This movie has its flaws. Chiefly, it’s very very very inside-Hollywood and the self-obsessed Kelly isn’t exactly the most sympathetic of heroes. And yet the message resonates no matter where you are on the food chain: We must all live and die by our decisions. Try to make good ones. I also want to note that the tense scene between Clooney and Billy Crudup (playing Jay’s onetime acting school pal)— which sets the whole plot in motion — is a conversational masterwork. He should get the nomination over Sandler, TBH.

Except . . . The European train ride goes off the rails in the hurry. Do we really need Jay to chase after a purse snatcher on top of everything else?! That’s a rhetorical question.

Trailer here! 

Materialists

A rom-com featuring a love triangle can be a seriously fun treat. So it’s important to underline that this movie was seriously mis-marketed. Sure, Dakota Johnson is torn between two appealing and handsome suitors with opposing characteristics (Chris Evans and Pedro Pascal). But her moment of clarity only happens after she bonds with the survivor of a sexual assault.

Why I didn’t hate it: For all my mixed feelings on the latest from Celine Song, I must admit that I am entranced by it every time it plays on HBO. Song knows that we know the right match for Lucy. So she uses the familiar rom-coms tropes and a New York City setting to explore the relatable and occasionally devastating realities that come with the modern dating scene. Lucy isn’t just picky; she broke up with the soulful John because he’s too poor to live on his own. And while Harry woos her, he’s a personality dud.

Except . . . Ugh, that sexual assault storyline just doesn’t fit in this dreamy story. I wish Song had thought of a different narrative device to get Lucy moving and thinking.

Trailer here! 

One Battle After Another

Leonardo DiCaprio’s washed-up revolutionary must sober up in a hurry when his wily teen daughter (Chase Infiniti) goes missing. Benicio de Toro’s sensei is on his side; Sean Penn’s hard-nosed Colonel Steven L. Lockjaw most certainly is not.

Why I didn’t hate it: I saw this movie on a Monday morning at 10 AM after nearly staying up all night crashing a story about the Emmys. I was so riveted by what I was watching on the screen that I didn’t even think about closing my eyes. This really is an epic adventure, enhanced by strong performances. But I maintain this is a movie to appreciate and not to love

Except…. I loathed Penn’s character and his performance. Don’t be fooled by all those awards citations — this villain is a one-note looney and more of a caricature. I didn’t care a bit what happened to him.

Trailer here! 

Marty Supreme

In the 1950s, New Yorker Marty Mauser (Timothee Chalamet) will do anything and screw anyone en route to becoming a world-champion table-tennis player. The impressive ensemble includes everyone from Kevin O’Leary to Fran Drescher to Penn Jillette. The pace is so fast and furious and I didn’t even ID the magician.

Why I didn’t hate it: Granted, I’m a sucker for any movie with a New Wave 80s soundtrack. But Josh Safdie’s opus is a rollicking good time — and even though Marty is deeply self-centered to a fault, you can’t help but root for him to triumph. And for all the frenetic pacing, Safdie actually manages to land the plane. Special shout-out to O’Leary: He’ll never get a nomination but his scenes with Marty are highlights.

Except…. The entire find-the-dog subplot could been jettisoned. I found it unnerving and distracting for all the wrong reasons.

Trailer here!

Roofman

Meet Jeffrey Manchester (Channing Tatum), a cash-strapped dad and army veteran who robbed 45 McDonald’s restaurants in the 90s and 00s by drilling through its roofs. He got caught and jailed, only to escape in 2004 and find refuge within the walls of a suburban Toys “R” Us. The narrative focuses on his fleeting, fascinating six months of freedom.

Why I didn’t hate it: By now, we’re trained to know that any movie “based on a true story” will take some creative liberties. But Roofman (in theaters October 10) is so bonkers that even the premise seems like fiction. It’s not. Here’s the other surprise: At the heart of all the craziness is a sincerely heartfelt and crowd-pleasing adventure. And on a pure entertainment level, this one was hard to top.

Except . . . It’s very easy to see where director Derek Cianfrance decided to take his creative liberties. Guessing Jeffrey didn’t actually get as far as the airport freeway exit in his plan to escape.

Trailer here! 

Sinners

Deep in the Mississippi delta in the 1930s, Twin brothers Smoke and Stack (both played by Michael B. Jordan) return to their hometown to start again. Except that during the grand welcome back, an evil spirit comes knocking on the door literally.

Why I didn’t hate it: On paper, an American period vampire film horror film is soooo not my jam. But writer/director Ryan Coogler delivered a pulsating mix of captivating storytelling and soul-soothing music. His first original blockbuster shows that his imagination knows few limits. The film also features the most poignant mid-credits scene I’ve ever seen — not only does it provide closure, it puts a marvelous button on the whole endeavor.

Except. . . . The narrative takes forever and a day to get going. Those blood-sucking vampires don’t even show up until the second hour!

Trailer here!

Weapons

Why did all but one child same classroom mysteriously vanish on the same night at exactly the same time? A  community is left questioning what happened — including the classroom’s teacher (Julia Garner), a parent (Josh Brolin) and a local cop (Alden Ehrenreich). And if you went into this spooky mystery totally cold, there is no way on Earth you’d ever guess the answer. That’s the beauty of a movie with no IP.

Why I didn’t hate it: Yes! Zach Cregger’s boldly original Twilight Zone-like tale is a masterclass in how to unfold a story without giving too much away. I especially liked how he unraveled the mystery using several points of view — and refused to deliver a happily-ever-after. (If anything, I find it more disturbing with each watch.) And yes, Amy Madigan as an Aunt Gladys is a wonder to behold. I’ll never think of her as the plucky wife from Field of Dreams again.

Except… There’s a difference between a happy ending and a satisfying one. Give the build-up, I still expected a bit more juice in the closing moments.

Trailer here!