• Critics name the best movies 2025 in the US across genres, from documentaries to pulpy thrillers.
• Standouts include Steven Soderbergh’s Black Bag, Laura Poitras’s Cover-Up and Chloe Zhao’s Hamnet.
• The list highlights daring documentaries, intimate dramas, and bold auteur work.
• Several international films and festival darlings crossed over into US critics’ top picks.
H2: Critics’ roundup — what made 2025 notable
The Guardian’s critics compiled a definitive list of the 50 best movies of 2025 in the US, and the selections show a year of surprising range. Reviewers praised films that combined craft and feeling: tightly wound thrillers, intimate family dramas, and documentaries that read like investigations. Rather than one dominant trend, 2025 delivered diversity — both in subject matter and filmmaking approaches.
H3: Documentaries and true stories led the conversation
Documentaries scored high with critics this year. Laura Poitras’s Cover-Up — a tightly structured profile of investigative reporter Seymour Hersh — was singled out for its meticulous storytelling and journalistic punch. Other nonfiction highlights included The Perfect Neighbor, a probing look at a fatal shooting and its social fallout, and Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore, a portrait of resilience and activism.
H3: Auteur-driven dramas and daring experiments
Established directors returned with distinct visions. Steven Soderbergh’s Black Bag blended spycraft and marital tension, while Jim Jarmusch’s Father Mother Sister Brother offered a sly, triptych look at family across cities. Chloé Zhao’s Hamnet provided an emotionally resonant literary adaptation, and Yorgos Lanthimos’s Bugonia pushed the envelope with macabre comedy anchored by Emma Stone.
H4: New voices and international crossover
Critics also embraced daring debuts and international films that found US audiences. Rungano Nyoni’s On Becoming a Guinea Fowl and Neeraj Ghaywan’s Homebound were praised for inventive storytelling and strong performances. Festival favorites like Jafar Panahi’s Palme d’Or winner (It Was Just an Accident) and Park Chan-wook’s black comedy No Other Choice made the list, demonstrating the porousness between global festivals and US critical taste.
H3: Thrillers, comedies and genre blends
2025 wasn’t afraid to mix genres. Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery combined deadpan comedy with a religious thread and a star-studded cast; Kelly Reichardt’s The Mastermind offered a quiet, naturalistic take on a heist; and David Osit’s Predators examined the darker side of television spectacle.
H2: What to watch next
If you’re compiling a watchlist of movies 2025, start with the critics’ highlights above. The Guardian’s Top 50 is full of unexpected gems — investigative documentaries, intimate character studies and audacious genre pieces — that define a bold year for cinema. Whether you prefer festival darlings or mainstream pleasures, 2025 delivered films worth tracking.
News tips: look for limited theatrical runs and festival schedules — many of these titles arrive via festivals, specialty distributors or streaming platforms.
Image Referance: https://www.theguardian.com/film/ng-interactive/2025/dec/08/the-50-best-movies-of-2025-in-the-us
