The Best Movies of 2025 So Far

Welcome to the official halfway mark of a moviegoing year that’s already given us a handful of surprises, a few solid works from reliable auteurs, some really strong documentaries and not one but two Michael B. Jordans shooting Tommy guns and sending vampires back to hell. Despite the abundance of franchise sequels and a few big disappointments, it’s already shaping up to be a good 2025 for film lovers, with a lot of really strong stuff from the festival circuit heading your way in 2025’s back half. (Keep an eye out for Train Dreams, Nouvelle Vague, Sentimental Value and It Was Just an Accident, coming soon to a theater near you before New Year’s Day.)

From a gamer-friendly Shakespeare production to a star-studded Wes Anderson comedy, a sexed-up spy vs. spy thriller to a double shot of uncut Canadian-cinema bliss, these 12 movies represent the high points of the year of to date. (And extra shout-outs to Best Wishes to All, Chaos: The Manson Murders, F1, I’m Still Here, Materialists, Misercordia, Presence, Sly Lives!, The Shrouds, and 28 Years Later…)