With the first quarter of 2025 behind us, it’s time to take stock of the year’s best films so far. The early months of the calendar year are usually a slow period for the industry, but while 2024 delivered unexpected early standouts like Dune: Part Two, Challengers, and Furiosa, 2025 has been a bit more uneven. The year’s biggest studio releases—Mickey 17, Captain America: Brave New World, and The Electric State—have ranged from underwhelming to outright disastrous, leaving filmgoers searching for quality elsewhere.
That said, a handful of films have managed to rise above the pack. There are still a few I haven’t caught yet that could warrant retroactive inclusion (Eephus, Black Bag, Bring Them Down, The Actor, Heart Eyes, The Monkey, Novocaine), but for now, these are the best movies of 2025 so far.
September 5
September 5 is a gripping and thoughtfully constructed film that succeeds in bringing an authentic and engrossing drama to life. It manages to walk the fine line between suspense and introspection, solidifying its place as a standout entry in the journalistic drama genre. The movie is bolstered by a strong ensemble cast that includes John Magaro, Ben Chaplin, Peter Sarsgaard, and Leonie Benesch.
Read our review of September 5
Hard Truths
Hard Truths is an intimate, quietly devastating character study from Mike Leigh, a filmmaker known for his deeply human, observational storytelling. While I haven’t spent much time immersed in Leigh’s filmography, this latest effort—anchored by an Oscar-worthy performance from Marianne Jean-Baptiste—proved to be an absorbing introduction to his distinct, unvarnished style.
Read our review of Hard Truths
One of Them Days
Keke Palmer is undeniably magnetic, and One of Them Days serves as another showcase for her effortless charm and comedic timing. Directed by Lawrence Lamont, the film largely exists to let Palmer shine, and she doesn’t disappoint, carrying the movie’s 97-minute runtime with infectious energy.
Read our review of One of Them Days
Presence
Presence is another fascinating experiment from Steven Soderbergh, a filmmaker who has spent the last decade pushing his own creative boundaries. With films like Kimi and Magic Mike’s Last Dance, he’s proven he can reinvent genres with an auteur’s touch, and Presence continues that trend—this time through a unique first-person POV horror/thriller. While the movie doesn’t entirely stick the landing, its technical craftsmanship and conceptual ambition make it an intriguing entry in Soderbergh’s ever-evolving filmography.
Companion
I went into Companion completely blind, and that’s the best way to experience it. Drew Hancock’s directorial debut thrives on twists, constantly reinventing itself in ways that keep the audience on edge. The film shares DNA with Barbarian (2022), which makes sense given that Barbarian director Zach Cregger serves as a producer here. Both films pull the rug out from under viewers, placing their protagonists in escalating danger with seemingly no way out. But as was the case with Barbarian, discussing Companion without spoilers is nearly impossible—so consider this your warning.
Misericordia
Misericordia, the latest from Alain Guiraudie, is a darkly comic, twist-laden melodrama that revels in the absurd while playing with genre conventions in unexpected ways. Set in the small, eerily quiet fictional village of Saint-Martial, the film follows Jérémie (Félix Kysyl), a former bakery worker who arrives to pay respects to his late boss, only to overstay his welcome at the home of the widow Martine (Catherine Frot). His prolonged presence sparks suspicion from her son Vincent (Jean-Baptiste Durand), whose growing hostility ultimately sets off a chain of events that spiral into a bizarre, darkly funny crime thriller.
Read our review of Misericordia
READ MORE: The Best Movies of the 2010s, Every Bong Joon-ho Movie Ranked