Ranking films is an imperfect science, but curation is a practice, one that we are good at. This list, assembled by ODDCRITIC editors, is not wholly about “the best” in any universal sense, it’s about conviction. For us, these are the films from 2025* that felt intentional, exciting, and worth arguing over. Taste will always be subjective, obviously, but we’re not hedging here. These movies earned their spots.
featuring some original doodles by jenn maxwell
*only films with an officially listed 2025 release year count. no 2024 festival premiere bullshit
TOP 10
10. IF I HAD LEGS I’D KICK YOU (dir. Mary Bronstein)
Humour is often the last defence against despair and this movie understands that tenfold. Rose Byrne for Best Actress or actually die. Watching this was as anxiety fuelled as you’d expect from a script written by a Bronstein, but its tenderness will stick with you. And it truly wouldn’t be a top 10 list if it didn’t include a movie with Ivy Wolk in a tiny but scene stealing role.
9. EDDINGTON (dir. Ari Aster)
Lots of movies this year (and on this list) tackled the dark irony of capital M Modern capital S Society, and Eddington was one of best but not the best. It definitely takes the cake for being the definitive Covid-era work of art. Highlights from the film include the Antifa plane sequence, Austin Butler’s wig, and Brian’s arc from BLM protestor to Kyle Rittenhouse.
8. AFTER THE HUNT (dir. Luca Guadagnino)
No one liked this movie because it didn’t tell them who to root for 🙁 Julia Roberts spends the entire film delivering psychic damage by reminding her liberal student body (and the audience) that “not everything is supposed to make you comfortable.” Andrew Garfield’s hair transplant was on full, beautiful display. Michael Stuhlbarg was riveting. Chloë Sevigny’s rant about how kids these days won’t even listen to Morrissey was genius. Obsessed with how confrontation and allergic to clean moral takeaways the film is. It’s no Tár but it’s still great.
7. OBSESSION (dir. Curry Barker)
It’s not heady. It’s not political. It’s not a surrealist meditation on postpartum depression. It’s just the most fun and brilliantly fucked up movie we have seen all year. In May 2026 you will all understand what we’re talking about. If you want a teaser now, our article summed up everything you need to know.
6. BUGONIA (dir. Yorgos Lanthimos)
This is what happens when a movie commits fully to being gross, funny, and psychologically invasive. Bugonia’s place in the rank is largely due to the performances by Jesse Plemons and Aidan Delbis. Everything else is gravy.
5. OUR HERO, BALTHAZAR (dir. Oscar Boyson)
Remember like two minutes ago when we said Brian’s arc in Eddington was one of the highlights of the film? This is kind of like if we got a full movie about Brian, but better!? I don’t know if or when Our Hero, Balthazar will get a wide release, but just trust us when we say it’s great. We already have an in depth article on why—you can read our full review of it here.
4. SORRY, BABY (dir. Eva Victor)
So many movies this year felt like overstimulation nation (not always a bad thing) but Sorry, Baby was quiet, essential relief. Despite the subject matter having an innate upsetting darkness, the movie feels like a tight hug, wool mittens, warm soup or something similarly comforting. Easily our favourite script of the year, plus we love to see Lucas Hedges employed.
3. FUCKTOYS (dir. Annapurna Sriram)
Rage bait for prudes, what a beautiful thing. Fucktoys is sharper, visually inspired, and more honest about sex and control than most “serious” films dare attempt. It contains everything we love about movies and the cherry on top is that it embraces counterculture. It should be required viewing for anyone clutching their pearls about cinema being dead. If you want to get inside the brilliant mind of director extraordinaire, read our interview with Annapurna here.
2. ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER (dir. Paul Thomas Anderson)
This one feels obvious, but if you’re wondering why its not number one, blame Paul Thomas Anderson. Sure, OBAA is better than most films that came out this year, but it’s mid-tier at best in PTA’s own filmography. One Battle is an all-timer for sure, but it’s not timeLESS… It’s not like a vampire born in 1601…
1. MARTY SUPREME (dir. Josh Safdie)
Yeah, I mean, just doesn’t really get much better than this in the scheme of things! To quote a great mind of our generation, “My favourite thing about this movie is that it feels like a movie, it feels like a real like—you go to the theatre film, movie, you know? The kind of reason why you go to watch something on the big screen.” And I live by that. Read more waxing poetic on why Marty Supreme was the triumph of the year.
STILL IN ROTATION
a.k.a. Honourable Mentions
Not everything can make the Top 10, but that doesn’t mean they don’t matter! These are the films that stuck around, hovered just outside the rankings, and could easily crack the list on a different day, in a different mood. Just the brutal math of curation.
BLACK BAG
DIE MY LOVE
IT WAS JUST AN ACCIDENT
THE MASTERMIND
NIRVANNA THE BAND THE SHOW THE MOVIE
SINNERS
SCHRÖDINGER’S MASTERPIECES
a.k.a. Haven’t Seen Yet But We Know Ourselves
We haven’t gotten to see these yet, and that’s the failure of the distribution system. Based on what we know about the films, and the opinions of trusted sources, the odds are high they would have made the ranking.
FATHER MOTHER SISTER BROTHER
LEFT HANDED GIRL
PETER HUJAR’S DAY
PILLION
THE PLAGUE
THE TESTAMENT OF ANN LEE
TASTE ISSUE (NOT OURS)
a.k.a. Seen Them, Didn’t Like Them
We watched them. We considered them. We moved on. These aren’t bad movies perse, a la Minecraft or War of the Worlds, but like those films, they are also just phenomena. The culture seems to be in some sort of mass psychosis to collectively praise them with such vigour. We recognize the artistry and value, but remain unconvinced.
FRANKENSTEIN
HAMNET
MATERIALISTS
NO OTHER CHOICE
SENTIMENTAL VALUE
WEAPONS
This is the ODDCRITIC truth for the cinematic landscape in 2025. The rest is discourse.