Best Movies of the Year - 2025

It's that time again, and now that award season is officially over and you've had your shot at learning which films have the nods, awards, and attention, we'll let you know which ones really stand out. We also babble endlessly about the films that don't quite make our lists, and it was a pretty interesting group there this year.

As awards season wraps up and we get ready to dive into our Best List, we've got one we need to cover, Sentimental Value. By the director of The Worst Person in the World (my pick that year for Best Film), and starring the same actress, this is a slow, conversational film, so it might not be everyone's cup of tea. Tune in find out what we thought. We also have thoughts about the Olympics.

This week we're running through the nominees and winners in the post-CriticsChoice/Golden Globes Awards season, but really we're just walking through the films that were nominated and waxing poetic on how they stack up. Which films deserved to be nominated? Which are worth your time? Which ones, despite being nominated, have you still not heard of?

This week we have another republish episode and it's a blockbuster blowout. One door closes and another hopes to keep itself open as Thunderbolts tries to convince MCU fans to keep showing up through a dozen or so more films. But, do either of these movies really deliver? We'll give you our thoughts.

We're on to a very strange director double play this week as both Anderson and Coen throw us for a loop. One of these films has delusions of grandeur and the other doesn't really seem to believe in itself enough. You'll have to tune in to see which is which.

It's another streaming week as we see big and... well, medium anyway, releases hitting on streaming more and more. Spike Lee and Denzel Washington aren't names you expect bypass theaters, but that's the world we're in now. Meanwhile, The Thursday Murder Club screams of a streaming release, except that the cast there is also rather packed. We'll let you know if you need to catch these as soon as possible.

It's always a good time to look at the worst movies of the year, and if you love lists like we do... well, that's especially true, or something. Due to technical difficulties, we are republishing some episodes... again, so if you've already listened to this episode, listen again! There are some surprises on this one, probably, but if you've managed to miss these films so far, this is as good a time as any to keep up with that.

This week we're looking at Nobody 2, and we have high hopes because we really enjoyed the first one. Is this going to land on the sophomore effort heap, or can a franchise finally keep up the effort? We're also going to check out The Pickup, the Eddie Murphy/Pete Davidson vehicle that screams of utterly unnecessary filler. They are two people who can surprise you, and frequently have, but this one isn't even managing a lot of appeal in promo spots so... We'll let you know everything you need about these and very likely some other interesting things... maybe.

This week we're bouncing things around to bring you a couple of films now (or only) on streaming services. Happy Gilmore 2 might not have been a movie anyone asked for, and there was certainly no sort of need for it at all, but you might find some laughs. The Phoenician Scheme is yet another "most Wes Anderson film ever," and that seems to be a hill with no summit. Full of characteristically deadpan delivery and utterly screwy plot, this is a movie that has something to say... about something. Tune in and get all our thoughts on these polar opposite takes on "comedy."

It's finally The Fantastic Four: First Steps and a big push of hope for Marvel, as strange as that may sound. There are several movies coming up that are going to see Marvel mashing together all their heroes into a super Avengers sandwich and the reintroduction of The Fantastic Four is a big test for making it all work. So, the question is, did we get something that makes it seem like it can all come together into films that people are not only going to see, but champion. You'll have to tune in for our full answer there, but the short answer is that this is a film that screams style over substance in every frame. We're also looking at The Amateur, which is a bit older at this point, but has perhaps been overlooked and is now easier to catch.