It Was Just an Accident – Highest 2 Lowest – Train Dreams – Sinners – Eddington – Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning – If I Had Legs I'd Kick You

2025: World Premieres
2025: U.S. Releases
2025: Chicago Festival

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The Movies of 2025: U.S. Releases
 By Title // By Grade // By VOR  (what's this?) // Last update: December 13, 2025

Full Listing of Films Screened
= Full Review   /   = Capsule   /   = Feature or Blog Post   /   = Grain of Salt

⑤  Indispensable to film fans, even if it's flawed

Caught by the Tides Dir. Jia Zhangke. Zhao Tao, Li Zhubin, Chanchu Xu B+
Eddington Dir. Ari Aster. Joaquin Phoenix, Pedro Pascal, Emma Stone B+
Grand Tour Dir. Miguel Gomes. Gonçalo Waddington, Cristina Alfaiate A
Highest 2 Lowest Dir. Spike Lee. Denzel Washington, Ilfenesh Hadera B
If I Had Legs I'd Kick You Dir. Mary Bronstein. Rose Byrne, Delaney Quinn B+
It Was Just an Accident Dir. Jafar Panahi. Vahid Mobaseri, Ebrahim Azizi B+
My Father's Shadow Dir. Akinola Davies. Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù, Chibuike Egbo B
On Becoming a Guinea Fowl Dir. Rungano Nyoni. Susan Chardy A–
One Battle After Another Dir. Paul Thomas Anderson. Leonardo DiCaprio A
Resurrection Dir. Bi Gan. Jackson Yee, Shu Qi, Mark Chao, Chen Yongzhong B–
The Secret Agent Dir. Kleber Mendonça Filho. Wagner Moura, Robério Diógenes B+
Sex Dir. Dag John Haugerud. Jan Gunnar Røise, Thorbjørn Harr, Siri Forberg A–
Sinners Dir. Ryan Coogler. Michael B. Jordan, Miles Caton, Wunmi Mosaku B–
Sirāt Dir. Oliver Laxe. Sergi López, Bruno Núñez Arjona, Jade Oukid A
Sound of Falling Dir. Mascha Schilinski. Hanna Heckt, Greta Krämer A

④  Good or bad, this is risky and original work

Cactus Pears Dir. Rohan Parashuram Kanawade. Bhushaan Manoj A–
Die My Love Dir. Lynne Ramsay. Jennifer Lawrence, Robert Pattinson A–
Dreams Dir. Dag Johan Haugerud. Ella Øverbye, Selome Emnetu A–
Eephus Dir. Carson Lund. Stephen Radochia, David Pridemore, Lou Basta B
Ghost Trail Dir. Jonathan Millet. Adam Bessa, Tawfeek Barhom, Hala Rajab B+
Harvest Dir. Athina Rachel Tsangari. Caleb Landry Jones, Harry Melling B
Hedda Dir. Nia DaCosta. Tessa Thompson, Tom Bateman, Nina Hoss C
A House of Dynamite Dir. Kathryn Bigelow. Rebecca Ferguson, Tracy Letts B+
Julie Keeps Quiet Dir. Leonardo Van Dijl. Tessa Van den Broeck, Ruth Becquart B+
A Little Prayer Dir. Angus MacLachlan. David Strathairn, Jane Levy, Will Pullen B
Love Dir. Dag John Haugerud. Andrea Bræin Hovig, Tayo Cittadella Jacobsen B+
The Mastermind Dir. Kelly Reichardt. Josh O'Connor, Alana Haim B
Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning Dir. Christopher McQuarrie B–
No Other Choice Dir. Park Chan-wook. Lee Byung-hun, Song Ye-jin B–
Preparation for the Next Life Dir. Bing Liu. Sebiye Behtiyar, Fred Hechinger B+
Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk Dir. Sepideh Farsi. Documentary A–
Roofman Dir. Derek Cianfrance. Channing Tatum, Kirsten Dunst, LaKeith Stanfield A
Sentimental Value Dir. Joachim Trier. Renate Reinsve, Stellan Skarsgård B+
Souleymane's Story Dir. Boris Lojkine. Abou Sangare, Alpha Oumar Sow B+
The Tale of Silyan Dir. Tamara Kotevska. Documentary about farmers and storks B+
Train Dreams Dir. Clint Bentley. Joel Edgerton, Felicity Jones, Nathaniel Arcand B
Việt and Nam Dir. Trương Minh Quý. Thanh Hải Phạm, Duy Bảo Ðịnh Ðào B+
The Voice of Hind Rajab Dir. Kaouther Ben Hania. Motaz Malhees, Saja Kilani B

③  Try to make time, but don't cry if you miss it

After the Hunt Dir. Luca Guadagnino. Julia Roberts, Ayo Edebiri B–
Anemone Dir. Rowan Day-Lewis. Daniel Day-Lewis, Sean Bean, Samantha Morton B
The Annihilation of Fish Dir. Charles Burnett. James Earl Jones C+
Baby Dir. Marcelo Caetano. João Pedro Mariano, Ricardo Teodoro B+
Blue Moon Dir. Richard Linklater. Ethan Hawke, Margaret Qualley C
Bugonia Dir. Yorgos Lanthimos. Jesse Plemons, Emma Stone, Aidan Delbis C–
By the Stream Dir. Hong Sang-soo. Kim Min-hee, Kwon Hae-hyo, Cho Young B
Christy Dir. David Michôd. Sydney Sweeney, Ben Foster, Merritt Wever C+
The Damned Dir. Roberto Minervini. Jeremiah Knupp, Cuyler Ballenger B–
Familiar Touch Dir. Sarah Friedland. Kathleen Chalfant, H. Jon Benjamin B+
Frankenstein Dir. Guillermo del Toro. Oscar Isaac, Jacob Elordi, Mia Goth C–
Friendship Dir. Andrew DeYoung. Tim Robinson, Paul Rudd, Kate Mara B–
Hamnet Dir. Chloé Zhao. Jessie Buckley, Paul Mescal, Emily Watson B
The Ice Tower Dir. Lucile Hadžihalilović. Clara Pacini, Marion Cotillard B–
Lurker Dir. Alex Russell. Théodore Pellerin, Archie Madekwe, Sunny Suljic B–
Materialists Dir. Celine Song. Dakota Johnson, Pedro Pascal, Chris Evans D+
Mickey 17 Dir. Bong Joon-ho. Robert Pattinson, Naomi Ackie, Mark Ruffalo C
Misericordia Dir. Alain Guiraudie. Félix Kysyl, Catherine Frot, David Ayala B
The Naked Gun Dir. Akiva Schaffer. Liam Neeson, Pamela Anderson B–
Nouvelle Vague Dir. Richard Linklater. Guillaume Marbeck, Zoey Deutch B
Nuremberg Dir. James Vanderbilt. Rami Malek, Russell Crowe, Michael Shannon C–
The Perfect Neighbor Dir. Geeta Gandbhir. Documentary about Florida murder B
Peter Hujar's Day Dir. Ira Sachs. Ben Whishaw, Rebecca Hall B
The Phoenician Scheme Dir. Wes Anderson. Benicio Del Toro, Mia Threapleton B–
Rental Family Dir. Hikari. Brendan Fraser, Takehiro Hira, Mari Yamamoto C
Riefenstahl Dir. Andres Veiel. Documentary about notorious German filmmaker B
Sorry, Baby Dir. Eva Victor. Eva Victor, Naomi Ackie, Lucas Hedges B–
Splitsville Dir. Michael Angelo Covino. Kyle Marvin, Dakota Johnson B
Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere Dir. Scott Cooper. Jeremy Allen White B–
Toxic Dir. Saulė Bliuvaitė. Vesta Matulytė, Ieva Rupeikaitė, Giedrius Savickas C+
Twinless Dir. James Sweeney. James Sweeney, Dylan O'Brien, Aisling Franciosi B
Urchin Dir. Harris Dickinson. Frank Dillane, Megan Northam, Okezie Morro B
Vulcanizadora Dir. Joel Potrykus. Joshua Burge, Joel Potrykus, Solo Potrykus B
Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery Dir. Rian Johnson. Josh O'Connor C–
Weapons Dir. Zach Cregger. Julia Garner, Josh Brolin, Alden Ehrenreich B–

②  Even if it's good, it's hardly groundbreaking

28 Years Later Dir. Danny Boyle. Alfie Williams, Aaron Taylor-Johnson D
Ballad of a Small Player Dir. Edward Berger. Colin Farrell, Fala Chen D+
Black Bag Dir. Steven Soderbergh. Michael Fassbender, Cate Blanchett B–
Bring Her Back Dir. Danny and Michael Philippou. Sora Wong, Billy Barratt F
Eden Dir. Ron Howard. Jude Law, Ana de Armas, Daniel Brühl, Sydney Sweeney F
F1 Dir. Joseph Kosinski. Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Javier Bardem, Kerry Condon B–
Father Mother Sister Brother Dir. Jim Jarmusch. Tom Waits, Adam Driver C–
Gazer Dir. Ryan J. Sloan. Ariella Mastroianni, Renee Gagner, Jack Alberts C+
Griffin in Summer Dir. Nicholas Colia. Everett Blunck, Owen Teague B–
The History of Sound Dir. Oliver Hermanus. Paul Mescal, Josh O'Connor B–
Jurassic World Rebirth Dir. Gareth Edwards. Scarlett Johansson C+
Kiss of the Spider Woman Dir. Bill Condon. Tonatiuh, Diego Luna C+
The Last Republican Dir. Steve Pink. Documentary about Rep. Adam Kinzinger B–
Lilo & Stitch Dir. Dean Fleischer Camp. Maia Kealoha, Chris Sanders C–
The Long Walk Dir. Francis Lawrence. Cooper Hoffman, David Jonsson C–
Meeting with Pol Pot Dir. Rithy Panh. Grégoire Colin, Irène Jacob C+
Motel Destino Dir. Karim Aïnouz. Iago Xavier, Nataly Rocha, Fábio Assunção B–
One of Them Days Dir. Lawrence Lamont. Keke Palmer, SZA, Joshua David Neal C+
Plainclothes Dir. Carmen Emmi. Tom Blyth, Russell Tovey, Maria Dizzia C–
Presence Dir. Steven Soderbergh. Callina Liang, Lucy Liu, Chris Sullivan D+
The Shrouds Dir. David Cronenberg. Vincent Cassel, Diane Kruger, Guy Pearce D
The Smashing Machine Dir. Benny Safdie. Dwayne Johnson, Emily Blunt C+
Steve Dir. Tim Mielants. Cillian Murphy, Jay Lycurgo, Tracey Ullman C
Together Dir. Michael Shanks. Dave Franco, Alison Brie, Damon Herriman D–
The Wedding Banquet Dir. Andrew Ahn. Kelly Marie Tran, Han Gi-chan C+
Wicked: For Good Dir. Jon M. Chu. Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Michelle Yeoh C
Wild Diamond Dir. Agathe Riedinger. Malou Khebizi, Idir Azougli, Andréa Bescond B

①  Low ambition, little originality, easy to forget

Into the Wonderwoods Dir. Vincent Paronnaud, Alexis Ducord D–
Jay Kelly Dir. Noah Baumbach. George Clooney, Adam Sandler, Laura Dern D