A Special Year: The Best Documentaries Of 2025

 

By Mark Pukalo

Documentary features can educate, dig deeper into subjects, bring important issues to light or just simply entertain. In 2025, a big group of strong films in this category hit all the right notes and stirred emotions.

There were several excellent music documentaries on artists I knew and didn't know. Others made you think, made you furious or made you laugh.

The extended 2020 Oscar year of movies had several strong documentaries. I put three in my top 30 films overall - "The Bee Gees: How to Mend a Broken Heart," "Crip Camp" and "Collective." I broke out 12 from that year which were extraordinary. 

None of the documentaries in 2025 quite made my top 25, but at least 10 and perhaps as many as 12 will end up in the top 100 when that is completed in a few weeks. The top six stand out above the rest - three on music and entertainment and three more serious. Put them in any order, make it a six-way tie for first. They are all terrific - top 55 overall for the year.

However, I tend to lean toward the entertainment side, so I put two excellent films about deceased artists at the top of the mountain. 

Jeff Buckley was one of those shooting stars that came and went in the music industry, a darling of critics but virtually unknown to the general public. It was great to learn his story. Go see it (right) on HBO Max.

John Candy is one of the greatest comedic actors of all time, yet there was so much more to learn about him from his Second City TV days to the movies through CFL ownership. You can see it free if you have Prime.

The "Alabama Solution" (HBO Max) and the "Perfect Neighbor" (Netflix) are just emotionally, gutting documentaries that are exquisitely made. I loved the new wave band Devo growing up and was fascinated by their story on Netflix. I kept looking for myself in "Secret Mall Apartment" (now on Netflix) because I visited the parking garage where it was filmed a few times during that period in Providence.

Those half dozen I can fully recommend. About 16 or so more that I have seen are well worth watching.

There are also several well-reviewed documentaries I have not viewed yet, including Oscar nominees "Mr. Nobody Against Putin," "Come See Me in The Good Light" and "Cutting Through Rocks." In addition, "Videoheaven," "Megadoc," "2000 Meters to Andriivka," "BLCKNWS: Terms and Conditions," "Art for Everybody," "Seeds," "Palestine 36," "Zodiac Killer Project" and "Apocalypse in the Tropics" are well-reviewed docs.

We are not counting the SNL Documentaries around the 50th anniversary, which were all fantastic. I will leave out the thorough and interesting "Billy Joel: And So It Goes" doc as well because it came out in two sections. 

Since "OJ Made in America" was nominated despite being a several part series in 2017, the Academy has seemed to shy away from including docs that are long or have several parts. No doubt the "Mr. Scorcese" doc will be a good watch and "My Undesirable Friends Part 1: Last Air in Moscow" - at 324 minutes - should be interesting about young independent journalists in Russia. Hope to see those at some point down the road.

However, until I see more in the next few years, here is my rating of the best documentaries in 2025. Like I said, six could be one and two could be five.

Top 20 Documentaries

1. It's Never Over, Jeff Buckley - Fascinating music film about the deceased singer/songwriter, who produced one of the great debut albums of all time "Grace." The story of an artist I knew little about, except having "The Last Goodbye" on my Itunes, is told quite well and brings a tear to your eyes.

2.  John Candy: I Like Me - In depth study of the life and times of one of the greatest comedic figures of the last 50 years. Everybody enjoyed his work, but didn't have time to get to know him. This film lets you know more about the Canadian icon.

3. The Alabama Solution - The story of the disgusting treatment of prisoners in the state of Alabama, told through phone messages from inmates. The directors did an amazing and dangerous job putting the film together.

4. Devo - Another wonderful music documentary this year about the new wave rock band, named after a sort of political movement - De-evolution. Learned so much about the activism of the group, which started during the Kent State shootings. Are We Not Men? Put them in the Hall of Fame.

5. Secret Mall Apartment - The story about a group of artists in Providence who film while they build an apartment in a vacant space between the mall and its parking garage. I was in that parking garage during this period! It's unique and entertaining.

6. The Perfect Neighbor - Incredible footage of a racist woman's continued calls to the police about her neighbors before and after tragedy strikes. One of the best edited documentaries I have ever seen.

7. Pavements - A unique look at the alternative 90s band Pavement, which I had never heard of. The story is told alongside the making of a fake biopic and a strange musical about the band. Sneaky good.

8. Sly Lives! - Interesting, informative documentary on the under-appreciated Sly Stone. Some great interviews in this one bring out his talent and faults of the late Rock and Roll Hall of Famer.

9. Clemente - The story of the great Roberto Clemente, whose Hall of Fame baseball career and life were cut short by a plane crash. The interviews, highlighted by Francisco Lindor, and the footage are outstanding.

10. Predators - The story of the television show "To Catch a Predator" and its spinoffs is shocking at times and puts the process on trial. It brought back memories. I thought it could have hit the show even harder, though.

11. Lilith Fair: Building a Mystery - Wonderful documentary about the three-year Lilith Fair Music Festival, started by Canadian superstar Sarah McLachlan. The footage and interviews are tremendous, including a few scenes (I think) from a show I went to in Hartford.

12. The Tale of Silyan - A farmer in Macedonia (left) adopts an injured stork and nurses him back to life while he tries to sell his land. It is poignant and compelling. In other years, it might be top five.

13. STANS - Documentary about Eminem through the eyes of fans. I thought it was an interesting way to tell the story of Marshall Mathers.

14. Becoming Led Zeppelin - Documentary on the legendary rock band, which examines the birth of the foursome through two albums. Might have worked better as a three-part series on a streaming service. I wanted more on the rest of the band's career.

15. Cover-Up - Netflix documentary about investigative reporter Seymour Hersh, who has helped uncover many government atrocities. It is a good look at what goes into this type of work.

16. The Counting Crows: Have You Seen Me Lately? - Unique look at the band who rocketed to stardom after a big debut album despite the lead singer's mental illness. Adam Duritz created some great music and dated both Courtney Cox and Jennifer Anniston. Talk about a Daily Double.

17. Surviving Ohio State - A very strong documentary about a disgusting coverup at Ohio State. It's Larry Nassar, but perhaps even worse. How can people be such uncaring cowards? The story from the referee in the locker room about doctor Robert Strauss is horrifying while Ohio Representative and former OSU assistant wrestling coach Jim Jordan's response was despicable.

18. Jaws @ 50: The Definitive Inside Story - A very good documentary about the making of Jaws in 1975. I loved the way they used thoughts about different parts of the film from a long list of today's great directors.

19. Luther: Never Too Much - Learned a lot from this documentary about one of my favorite voices of all time. Luther Vandross (right) did much more than I even thought.

20. Wick is Pain - More interesting than expected documentary on the making of the John Wick series. It's long, but I stuck with it throughout.

OTHERS (18)

aka Charlie Sheen - Off the wall documentary about the life of the damaged actor, who has been in and out of drug hell. The interviews about him are better than his revelations.

Barbara Walters Tell Me Everything - Detailed story about the long-time talk show host. It is amazing the range of people she was able to interview.

Cheech & Chong's Last Movie - A humorous film about one of the great comedy duos of all time. It's a linear look at their career together. Good. Not great.

Depeche Mode: M - More of a concert video than anything, blending in some things about Mexican culture during their tour. The Hall of Fame band has a unique sound.

Every Time You Lose Your Mind: A Film About Failure - The story of a band that I never heard of - to be perfectly honest. It seems they could have been an alternative form of Nirvana, but drug abuse ended their rise. 

Grand Theft Hamlet - Perhaps I need to be a Gamer to understand the film (left) more, because it went a bit over my head. However, it was quite inventive, unique and technically strong. During the pandemic, a group attempts to put on a performance of Hamlet within the game.

The Idaho Student Murders - One of several takes on the gruesome murder of four classmates and friends. There are no real twists, just a detailed examination.

In Waves and War - Strong story about former Navy Seals, going through PTSD after many missions, who undergo experimental psychedelic treatments in Mexico.

My Mom Jayne: A Film by Mariska Hargitay - Informative documentary about Jayne Mansfield. It was an education and I did not know that Captain Benson was her daughter. The last 30 or so minutes are riveting.

One to One: John & Yoko - Stylish film about John Lennon and Yoko Ono when they moved to New York, concentrating on their social activism. 

Orwell: 2+2=5 - A comprehensive look at George Orwell's writings about propaganda and authoritarianism that are still true in today's broken society. Yes, "1984" was a vision of 2016-26. It's interesting, but a bit of a jumble.

Paradise - Documentary about Joe Hollis, who is a famous gardener living on the edge of the Eastern mountains cultivating edible plants. It's thought-provoking at times. 

Sally - Interesting look at the life of Sally Ride, the first woman to be launched into space. She was pretty amazing and this doc reveals something few knew about her.

Selena y Los Dinos: A Family's Legacy - Informative story on the wonderful Mexican singer's rise to stardom and tragic end. 

Sunday Best, The Untold Story of Ed Sullivan - Historic take on the great Ed Sullivan and how he welcomed so many black performers on his show from 1948-71. Very educational.

Tom Petty: Heartbreakers Beach Party - Cameron Crowe rejiggers a documentary he worked on in the 80s with great inside stories and interviews with Tom and the band. Petty is so missed.

Untold: The Fall of Favre - Nothing new here, although it went in depth with Jenn Sterger. We learned a little from her. Needed more stuff on the Mississippi scandal.

We Bury Our Secrets - HBO Max documentary about a family that finds their father buried under the house after 56 years. The mystery of his death is sort of interesting, but not super compelling.

Medium Honorable Mention: Disappointing, Harmless, Ambitious 2025 Films

 

By Mark Pukalo

Some near misses, a couple handfuls of over-rated and disappointing films, several harmless streamers and a few pleasant surprises fall into the biggest category of my very thorough look at the year in movies for 2025.

Medium Honorable Mention is the home for 87 films that either just missed being recommended or had just enough to make them worthy of a longer look. It spans probably from Companion (below), Weapons and The Testament of Ann Lee at the top to charitable picks like Kinda Pregnant, My Secret Santa and Father, Mother, Sister, Brother - among others. 

If you follow Letterbox, these are 2.5s out of 5 - some of them closer to 2.35s and others nearer to 2.99s.

I am being too mean to a few films and too nice to others. This was a difficult year for putting films in order from 80-130. Many seem at the same level, but in different ways. You might put a few of these films in your top 25. To each his or her own.

The most disappointing films for me this year included Julia Roberts in "After the Hunt," Margaret Qualley in "Honey Don't," the disjointed Bruce Springsteen biopic "Deliver Me From Nowhere," the pretentious "The Life of Chuck," Glen Powell in "The Running Man" and Ayo Edebiri in "Opus." I didn't have lofty expectations for "Wicked: For Good," so I can't say it was disappointing.

The pleasant surprises were the slasher film "Heart Eyes," Sydney Sweeney in both "Americana" and "Christy." Meanwhile. Daisy Ridley did a good job with a poor man's version of Diehard named "Cleaner."

The near misses? We could say "Weapons" had a chance to be good and did not deliver a clear message. "American Sweatshop" also had a very interesting premise, but the story did not go anywhere.

At least 16 films made for streaming kept my attention enough to make this category, led by "Happy Gilmore 2," "Nonnas," and "The Wrong Paris." None of them pissed me off and they all gave me a little entertainment without going to the theater.

It was a big bold beautiful journey in film during 2025, and I am halfway there. Still to come is a separate blog on the best documentaries, the high honorable mention list and the top 25.

But, first? Go to your happy place and check out this list. Those with stars next to them are on the edge or within the top 100 films of the year.

Medium Honorable Mention 

*The Amateur - A preposterous, yet entertaining, spy drama as a CIA geek (Rami Malek) tries to avenge the murder of his wife against forces from all sides.

American Sweatshop - An interesting concept and an attractive lead actress (Lili Reinhart), but this film ends up disappointing. A young woman working at an internet monitoring service is horrified by a video she sees and is compelled to investigate.

Anaconda - Jack Black and Paul Rudd have fun trying to put together a sequel to the snake horror film by the same name. There's a lot going on in this one and most of it is funny, including a cameo from Ice Cube.

After the Hunt - A professor is accused of sexual impropriety with a star student and the question becomes who is telling the truth. The acting is good from Julia Roberts, Ayo Edebiri and Andrew Garfield. The script has too many holes and the storyline is not unique.

A House of Dynamite - Director Kathryn Bigelow's new film is a non-linear examination of what could go on if a single missile is launched at the United States and the culprit is not known. It is compelling. Just not deep enough.

*Americana - An offbeat tale in a small South Dakota community where a rare Lakota Ghost shirt is stolen and put up for sale. The characters and the twists brought it close to High Honorable Mention, led by Sydney Sweeney (right).

Audrey's Children - Natalie Dormer shines as Dr. Audrey Evans, who fought to provide groundbreaking cancer treatments for children and develop the Ronald McDonald House for the families of cancer patients. It's an emotional story, but not quite as good as last year's "Joy."

A Minecraft Movie - The story, based on the video game, takes a while to get going. However, it provides a few laughs and is mildly entertaining.

A Nice Indian Boy - The young son in a traditional Indian family struggles with his place as a gay man. It's a decent story, although it does not reach a higher level.

Another Simple Favor - The sequel to "A Simple Favor" brings Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively back together. The script was a bit illogical the first half of the comedy/mystery/drama. It recovered a bit in the final half hour.

Back in Action - Cameron Diaz and Jamie Foxx, retired super agents, are drawn back into service years after becoming parents. It's fun and the kids are great.

The Bad Guys 2 - Sequel to the fun original finds our likeable criminal troop recently out of prison, but framed for a heist soon after. It gets better as the movie goes on.

Be'len - The triumphant story of a lawyer in Argentina who worked to free a woman wrongfully convicted of infanticide, The events, which led to abortion becoming legal in the country, are better than the acting and the film's flow.

Between Borders - Based on a true story about an Armenian family who is forced to leave their home due to ethnic cleansing and the collapse of the Soviet Union. Eventually they try for asylum in the United States. It's a well-told story.

A Big Bold Beautiful Journey - A fantasy love story for two people who do not believe they deserve it. If you take it as literal, it is very hokey. If you just watch without expectations the two great actors (Colin Farrell and Margot Robbie, left) make it watchable.

Boys Go To Jupiter - Offbeat, inventive animated film with several themes. It mainly centers on a lower-middle class youth (Billy 5000) trying to get ahead in a futuristic world. There are a few laughs, but it is a little unfocused. That's fine and I love the Rozebud character.

Brick - Interesting mystery thriller as a couple must work with neighbors to find a way out of their apartments, which have been covered by an impenetrable wall. It held my attention throughout.

Bride Hard - Took a little time to get rolling, but Rebel Wilson provided enough laughs to make it entertaining. She plays a secret agent, who foils a robbery attempt at her friend's wedding.

Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy - Harmless, but uninspiring chapter in the story of the under-rated British girl. In this one, she is starting over after the death of her husband.

Captain America: Brave New World - If you compare it to some of the Marvel movies lately (Morbius, Madame Web, The Marvels) it is pretty good. It just doesn't entertain enough to approach the Avengers films or the previous Captain Americas.

Champagne Problems - Cookie-cutter Netflix romantic comedy about a young executive (Minka Kelly), sent to France to acquire a champagne brand, who falls for the son of owner. There is a very funny scene with a German man defending Hans Gruber. LOL.

Christy - Sydney Sweeney stars as the champion boxer Christy Martin, who was caught in a controlling relationship with her manager. It is educational, entertaining and better constructed than anticipated.

*Cleaner - An imperfect thriller that pays homage to "Diehard" as Daisy Ridley tries to save her brother and get the bad guys. Ridley is very good as a military veteran, window cleaner and bad-ass hero.

Code 3 - A comedic drama about life as a paramedic with Rainn Wilson in the lead and Lil Rel Howery supporting. It is a reasonable watch.

*Companion - Josh (Jack Quaid) brings his life-like robot (Sophie Thatcher) on a retreat with friends and the plan he had does not work. Thatcher is great as the "companion" and there are some neat things, but it just doesn't quite get to a higher level.

Den of Thieves 2: Pantera - Follow up has Gerard Butler joining the bad guys to try and steal some valuable jewels. The film, with holes in the script, is entertaining enough.

Dog Man - It's a cute cartoon, good enough to sneak into this category. I did get a kick out of the reporter girl constantly hitting the police chief in the face with her microphone.

Drop - A mother (Meghann Fahy) is threatened by anonymous messages to kill the first date since her abusive husband died. The second half of the film was much better than the first.

Eden - Ron Howard film based on a true story about a group of outsiders that settle on a remote island, but can't seem to get along. One of Sydney Sweeney's best efforts.

Eleanor the Great - June Squibb joins a Holocaust survivor support group by mistake and takes on the identity of her recently-diseased friend. Some of the emotional scenes late in the movie save it from a lower classification.

Elio - Likeable animated feature about a young science fan who is plunged into an adventure with alien lifeforms he must find a way to understand. It's sweet.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps - Superhero MCU film that starts out a bit hokey, but ultimately becomes more entertaining by the final half hour. Not dazzling enough to be higher.

Father, Mother, Sister, Brother - Three somewhat boring stories strung together without a connection. The first is not interesting until the final few minutes, the second is a waste and the third is okay with two interesting actors. The final section saves it from a lower spot.

Fight or Flight - One critic described it as "Bullet Train" on a plane and that fits. It was entertaining, but the script kind of developed some holes in the final act. I think Josh Hartnett and Charithra Chandran could pull off a decent sequel, though.

Good Boy - Dark horror film about a dog trying to save his chronically-ill master from evil spirits at a secluded cabin. The way they shot the 73-minute film was interesting and Indy (the dog) is great.

Good Fortune - Keanu Reeves plays a discount angel - who normally helps people avoid accidents while texting and driving - trying to help a man going through a tough time. There are some laughs and it gets much better in the final third.

Guns Up - A former policeman, looking to make more money, joins a credible crime organization and is caught in between when a sinister leader takes over. Kevin James and Christina Ricci add spice to the sort of comedy/drama that is preposterous, but fun enough.

G 20 - Terrorists take over an international summit and President Sutton (Viola Davis) uses her skills to try and save everyone. It's entertaining for a streaming film.

*Hallow Road - Psychological thriller about a couple who get a late-night call from their frantic teenage daughter after she got into a car accident on a deserted road. The couple's trip to help their daughter takes many strange turns and ends with a mystery.

Happy Gilmore 2 - Sequel to the Adam Sandler classic is very entertaining overall, but loses a little spark in the last 30-40 minutes. Loved the cameos by real pro golfers, though, and Margaret Qualley has a great hip turn.

Havoc - A detective going through internal troubles (Tom Hardy) tries to uncover a mystery after a drug deal gone wrong. It's sort of a mess of uninteresting violence until some semblance of a plot near the end.

Heads of State - Action thriller with John Cena (President) and Idris Alba (English Prime Minister) teaming up to save the world from terrorists and a rogue vice president. It's entertaining enough. Priyanka Chopra always makes things better, too.

*Heart Eyes - The "Heart Eyes Killer" is at it again on Valentine's Day and couples are in trouble in this comedy/slasher film. I ain't saying "what's up man?" to a guy in a mask from now on.

Honey Don't - Barely makes this category because I love Margaret Qualley. Qualley's detective character Honey O'Donohue (left) would be intriguing if she had a good script to work with. Very disappointing film, and the ending is abrupt.

The Housemaid - The first 1:15-plus was pretty strange and sometimes laughably bad, but the final 45 of this thriller with Amanda Seyfried and Sydney Sweeney was actually satisfying. 

How to Train Your Dragon - A likeable story based on the 2010 cartoon by the same name as a young Viking befriends a lost dragon and the two help save both species.

I Love You Forever - I appreciate the effort by director Cazzie David (Larry's daughter). The toxic boyfriend is too obvious from the beginning, though. Sofia Black-D'Elia's character was too smart to stay in the relationship and make it a totally believable story.

Invention - Odd little film about a young woman dealing with issues after her doctor turned conspiracy theorist father dies. Callie Hernandez is good as the daughter navigating through her father's weird business partners. It gets a little too offbeat or else it would have been better as a 71-minute film.

In Your Dreams - Sweet animated feature about two siblings' journey into dreams to try and repair their parents relationship. 

I Wish You All The Best - A non-binary high school student (Corey Fogelmanis) is thrown out of the house by his staunchly-religious parents when he comes out. Ben seeks refuge with his sister (Alexandra Daddario) and her family, going on a journey of self-discovery.

Kill the Jockey - An alcoholic, yet talented jockey in hock to a mafia head suffers a major accident that sends him on a different journey for this wacky comedy that works in a weird way.

Kinda Pregnant - I got a kick out of this Amy Schumer film about a woman who fakes a pregnancy for attention. There's a few hilarious scenes that get it into this category, much higher than most critics.

KPop Demon Hunters - Likeable cartoon featuring a girl band (right) that fights against demons. Rumi is a very good character as she tries to lead everyone out of the darkness.

La Dolce Villa - Harmless Netflix drama about a father (Scott Foley) who visits his daughter (Maia Reficco) in a small Italian town where she is trying to find a home. Hope we see Reficco more often.

The Legend of Ochi - A young Ukrainian girl goes on a journey with an injured baby Ochi, a mystical creature that has terrorized the small village. It is also a family drama that ends with a few tears and sneaks into this category.

The Life List - Sofia Carson shines as a young woman who pursues life-long dreams after her mother dies and leaves a message. It's both predictable and likeable.

*The Life of Chuck - There were some good things in this non-linear story about life in general. But this falls in the category for me of a film that thinks it is smarter than it is. Didn't hate it. I was just underwhelmed and a little annoyed by the narration. 

Madea's Destination Wedding - Have not watched a lot of this series. However, I found it quite humorous as the clan travels to the Bahamas for Tiffany's wedding.

*Magazine Dreams - A sometimes vague and other times interesting character study of an ambitious bodybuilder (Jonathan Majors) with social deficiencies. There's enough here to make it worth a watch, but it fails to give a clear message in the final 15-20 minutes.

The Map That Leads Me To You - Pretty good Prime original film about a young woman on vacation in Europe who finds the love of her life, but there are complications.

My Secret Santa - Harmless Netflix holiday film with Taylor (Alexandra Breckenridge) and Matthew (Ryan Eggold) meeting cute and falling in love at a ski resort. It gets very hokey and awkward at the end after Taylor is unmasked as Santa Claus, but it's still likeable enough.

M3GAN 2.0 - I don't care that it didn't have enough horror for that fan group. It just got too unfocused as the film went on. There were a few laughs from snarky Megan (left) and it was somewhat entertaining. Don't think some of the best things in the trailer were in the film, though.

Nobody 2 - The first hour of the sequel is pretty disjointed and going nowhere interesting. Bob Odenkirk, as a sort of freelance secret agent with skills, makes it work in a fun final half hour.

Nonnas - Vince Vaughn plays a down-on-his-luck man who decides to buy a restaurant with his brother after their mother dies and hires a group of old ladies to run the show. It's mildly amusing.

Novocaine - Nate (Jack Quaid), a man who cannot feel pain, goes all out to rescue the girl of his dreams. Much more humor was expected.

Opus - A feature writer (Ayo Edebiri) travels to a compound where a music icon controls a cult-like community. Ayo tries and John Malkovich is stylishly creepy as the pop star, but more was needed before the reveal at the end.

The Pick Up - Entertaining heist drama on Prime, starring Eddie Murphy, Pete Davidson, Eva Longoria and Keke Palmer. It's illogical at times, but that's par for the course on these kinds of films.

Picture This - A harmless rom-com on Prime with the beautiful Simone Ashley playing the lead girl, who is told by guru that she will find a soulmate at her sister's wedding. 

Plainclothes - Tense thriller about an undercover cop, who works in a unit to arrest lewd men at the mall. He is drawn to one of the targets and becomes obsessed, sending is life into mental turmoil. It's uniqueness gets it into this category.

Predator: Bad Lands - A science fiction story about a predator outcast teaming with an android (Elle Fanning) to topple the evil doers is way more entertaining than I was expecting.

The Running Man - Director Edgar Wright's remake of the 1987 film about a man (Glen Powell) who joins a contest that awards him if he can survive assassins for 30 days. The outline of the story is better than the execution.

Snow White - Rachel Zegler always commands your attention and this rehash of the Disney classic is not an exception. It was slightly better than my very low expectations and the music was average.

Sovereign - A father and son define themselves as sovereign citizens, a group of anti government extremists, and go on the run. Great acting from Nick Offerman and Jacob Tremblay. I wasn't wild about the script.

Spinal Tap II: The End Continues - The sequel to the iconic comedy film has plenty of laughs along the way, but is far below the classic original. Elton John and Paul McCartney appear.

*Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere - The story of the period in Bruce Springsteen's career before he released the album "Nebraska." Jeremy Allen White provides a Golden Globes nomination-worthy performance as The Boss, but this movie does not have enough depth and speeds up way too much at the end. It was poorly directed in my opinion.

Straw - A single mother (Taraji Henson) going through a very tough time faces a series of unlucky events during a single day that put her in an impossible situation. However, an understanding police woman helps her survive in this passable Tyler Perry film.

Swiped - The unauthorized story about Whitney Wolfe, who helped found Tinder and - after being harassed out of the company - created Bumble. Lilly James as Wolfe makes it watchable.

*The Testament of Ann Lee - Historic take on Ann Lee, who founded the Shakers religious sect in the 18th century around New England. Amanda Seyfried is outstanding in the lead, but the film did not grab me as I expected. It's still a powerful work.

Tron: Ares - The Ares program sends agents from digital world on a specific mission and they meet their match. It's entertaining to a point with Jared Leto and the great Greta Lee, but it doesn't quite reach a higher level for this kind of cartoonish action film.

Urchin - A homeless man named Michael (Frank Dillane) tries to fix his life after being jailed for assault, but it becomes quite difficult for him.

Valiant One - Decent war story about a group on a mission to South Korea, which experiences a storm as they leave and crash lands in North Korea. Ending could have been better, but it is a good watch overall.

*Weapons - Film had a big buildup. In my opinion, it did not deliver much in the end. The story of a mystical force drawing children out of their houses over night, causing grief and blame, was not nearly as deep as I expected. But it was still worth a watch.

*Wicked: For Good - The sequel to last year's Wicked is not better or worse. It did not deserve a Best Picture nomination. The story and the production are average. It is grand, though.

Wish You Were Here - Julia Stiles directs the unique love story as Charlotte finds love, loses it, finds it and loses it again. It's Death and Love together, with a nice performance from Isabelle Fuhrman.

Words of War - The story of Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya, who was murdered on Putin's birthday after writing on the atrocities in Chechnya. As an educational film it is good, but it fails as a dramatic movie.

The Wrong Paris - Predictable, cliched, Netflix rom-com takeoff on a Bachelor Show. However, it is likeable because the adorable Miranda Cosgrove makes it so. 

You're Cordially Invited - Will Ferrell and Reese Witherspoon go to war after their family weddings are double-booked at a remote island. It's predictable and still fun.

Some "Minor" Value To These 2025 Films

 

Mark Pukalo

This category of my 2025 movie rankings includes many of the most disappointing films of the year and others that provided just enough entertainment in different ways to avoid the bottom.

I have been calling it low honorable mention in the past. but it should be renamed "barely watchable." Depending on your taste in films, you may get more from some of these films than me. I just could not put them higher.

The most disappointing films on this list of 73 are "Death of a Unicorn," "The Luckiest Man in America" and "Die My Love." I had read poor reviews of Colin Farrell's "Ballad of the Small Player" beforehand, so I can't say I was surprised at how lifeless it was.

The trailers for "Death of a Unicorn" made it seem like it would be way more fun and Paul Walter Hauser (above) tried hard to improve a substandard story on an interesting subject in "The Luckiest Man in America." 

I realize "Die My Love" is mostly about a woman dealing with post-partem depression and it was supposed to be a bit rough, but I was more annoyed than interested about what was going on. "If I Had Legs, I'd Kick You" (see in the top 25) did a much better job with a similar subject.

I offered some charity to "Flight Risk," "Electric State" and "War of the Worlds" which have been features of many top 10 worsts of the year. They each had a few elements that made me keep my eyes on the screen until the end. I also did not want to be cruel to "Gabby's Dollhouse: The Movie," which I had on the other day while I did some work.

Otherwise, there are no real surprises here. If you watch 300 movies per year, I would say many of these are at least worthy to be put on while you are relaxing at home. There is plenty of star power in these films, including Daniel Day Lewis, Robert DeNiro, Natalie Portman, Cillian Murphy, Nic Cage and others.

I'm not stopping you from viewing any of them. But I did warn you. Keep your expectations low.

Barely Watchable 

The Actor - A bit actor (Andre Holland), who was likely a womanizer, awakes in a small Ohio town with Amnesia and meets a nice local girl. He returns to New York to figure out what has happened and never feels comfortable. It's an interesting premise, but a little too vague and mystical.

The Alto Knights - Two crime bosses fight for control of New York City. Robert DeNiro plays both Frank Costello and Vito Genovese, who were once friends. The plodding film barely makes this category.

A Merry Little X-Mas - Alicia Silverstone in a predictable "sort of" romantic comedy for the holidays. It's your typical film this time of year on Netflix with a small amount of laughs. The drones were funny.

Anenome - It's actually a whole lot of nothing with some fine acting in between. A man (Sean Bean) visits his brother (Daniel Day Lewis) in a remote forest to summon him home to talk to his troubled son. It drags quite a bit.

Ballad of a Small Player - Edward Berger created a masterpiece with "Conclave," but the talented director produced a mess with this one. Not real sure what the point was in the cliched story of a high-rolling gambler (Colin Farrell) on the slide.

Black Phone 2 - I don't mind sequels, but they have to give you something to embrace that's different or humorous. The dream realm?  Come on, man. The original wasn't bad. It did not need a follow up.

Bloody Axe Wound - A comedy/slasher film about an aging serial killer trying to hand over the hardcore video-making business to his adopted daughter. Lead Sari Arambulo is appealing. Hope she gets some better roles.

Bone Lake - The plot of this sexual thriller has plenty of holes, but there's just enough intrigue and uniqueness to keep you going for 90 minutes. 

Bring Her Back - The makers of a very good horror film "Talk to Me" went over the top on this one with body horror and a rather thin plot line. Just your average violent horror flick. Twins Danny and Michael Philippou will do better.

Bring Them Down - Well-acted, but rather dull, film about two neighbors feuding over the theft of sheep in Ireland. Christopher Abbott and Barry Keough star in the family drama.

Clown in a Cornfield - I'm stealing this from an Ebert.com review, but it is sort of a cross between "It" and "Scream." The slasher film about a small town in the Midwest is better than expected and Katie Douglas has a future with her cute girl-next-door looks.

The Conjuring: Last Rites - I really did not watch much of this series, but I tried to get through the horror of the finale and I accomplished it. It works enough to reach this level.

The Cut - Orlando Bloom tries real hard with a substandard script in this boxing film about an Irishman trying to return to the ring after a decade.

Dangerous Animals - Expected this to be in the lowest category, but I stayed with it. An Australian madman likes feeding young women to sharks.

The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie - Daffy Duck and Porky Pig attempt to save the world from an alien attack. A few laughs.

Death of a Unicorn - Elliot (Paul Rudd) hits a mythical creature on the way to the secluded home of rich potential clients with his daughter (Jenna Ortega), and all hell breaks loose. It's more weird than funny most of the time. Ortega's character saves it from being lower on the list.

Deep Cover - A group of improv comedians go under cover on a mission for the police and get deep into their new personas with some unsavory people. It's fine.

Die My Love - Jennifer Lawrence (left) is very powerful as a woman struggling with life and marriage after the birth of a child. Other similar movies have been much better. This falls in a category of films that think they are smarter than they actually are.

Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale - I enjoyed the first two films, but this one was like a meaningless episode of the TV series. My crush on Michelle Dockery made it watchable on Peacock, though.

Duplicity - A decent mystery thriller on Prime about a police shooting of an unarmed black man with a few twists near the end. Much better than some of the latest Tyler Perry efforts.

Eenie Meanie - It's Baby Driver with a girl and an inferior script. Samara Weaving does her best in a below-average role. Not as bad as expected, though.

Electric State - Big budget movie about the aftermath of a war between robots and humans in which a sister tries to find her brother, who is being used for his advanced brain by an evil corporation. It's a mess, but has a few good moments in the second half.

Everything to Me - A driven young woman, with a goal to be the next Steve Jobs, must deal with a difficult family life and friends who are not as focused on major success as her.

Exterritorial - A recovering soldier has her young son kidnapped at the US consulate in Germany before fighting to prove the corruption and find her boy. Lead actress Jeanne Goursaud is fierce and gorgeous.

Flight Risk - A pilot (Mark Wahlberg) hired by a criminal to kill a government witness creates a dangerous trip from Alaska in a small plane with a smart and tough Air Marshall (Michelle Dockery) on board. Expected worse. Still not very good.

Fountain of Youth - Natalie Portman and John Krasinski, two estranged siblings, go on a quest for an ancient artifact. It is not National Treasure. It's not awful. It just needed to be way more fun.

Freakier Friday - I either didn't watch the first one or don't remember it, but there was nothing really entertaining in this sequel about a magical switch of bodies between a mother (Jamie Lee Curtis) and daughter (Lindsay Lohan). See right.

Freaky Tales - Four stories from Oakland in the late 1980s are intertwined, involving music, crime, basketball and social interaction. Sleepy Floyd scored 51 points in an NBA game? It was kind of disjointed for me.

Gabby's Dollhouse: The Movie - The popular Netflix musical/comedy show for children comes to the big screen with  Kristen Wig and Gloria Estefan making appearances. Can't be too mean and put it lower. I'm sure the little kids liked it.

Goodbye June - Kate Winslet's directorial debut about four diverse siblings spending time with their mother before she dies is solid, but somewhat slow and not particularly unique.

Grand Tour - The story of a confused or cowardly man who takes off on his fiance before the wedding. The woman finds him eventually and goes on a journey herself. Not quite sure what they were getting at, but the old-style film was different at least.

Griffin in Summer - A pretentious young playwright becomes infatuated by the handyman his mom hires and welcomes the young man to his high school play cast. Everett Blunck plays the young boy with personality and the likeable Abby Ryder Fortson (Are You There God? It's Margaret) shows up.

The Hand That Rocks the Cradle - A different scenario than the 1992 film. It doesn't feel like anything new with Maika Monroe and Mary Beth Winstead brawling throughout.

Hot Milk - A young woman (Emma Mackey), trapped by a domineering mother with a mysterious illness, travels with her to the Spanish coast and finds herself. Kept waiting for more intrigue. 

Ice Road Vengeance - Just some illogical Liam Neeson violence and fun. The script is cliched and forced, but you have heroes to root for.

Inheritance - Maya (Phoebe Dynevor) is the daughter of a former spy who gets drawn into an international conspiracy by her estranged father. It is a mess, but Dynevor is compelling enough before a poorly executed ending.

Into the Deep - A woman who lost her father to a shark attack fights the fear when caught in a battle with modern-day pirates on the water. Richard Dreyfuss, of all people, shows up as the wise grandpa for the young woman.

Last Breath - Woody Harrelson stars as the senior member of a team that inspects underwater pipelines and he tries to save a co-worker stuck at the bottom of the ocean. There's nothing really new here, but it isn't horrible.

Left-Handed Girl - Somewhat interesting Chinese film about a family (left) struggling to make ends meet in Taipei. Nina Ye is wonderful as the little girl and Shih Yuan Ma is a powerhouse as her "sister." Academy Award-winning director Sean Baker co-wrote the film with director Shih-Ching Tsou. The final 20-30 minutes lost me.

London Calling - Passable comedy/drama with Josh Duhamel as an assassin with sight issues sent away, following a botched job, to take care of the son of a crime boss and make him a man. Not as bad as it could have been.

Love Hurts - A realtor trying to live a normal life is pulled back into conflict with his former crime boss and brother. Ke Huy Quan is fine in the lead and there are a few laughs. However, it's mostly just boring fight scenes.

The Luckiest Man in America - Based on a true story of a broken man who figures out a way to beat a game show and win a lot of money. Paul Walter Hauser tries, but the rest of the cast is not able to make an awkward script into an entertaining film.

My Mother's Wedding - Kristen Scott Thomas directs and stars as the mom, who is getting married for the third time after being widowed twice and her three diverse daughters arrive home for the ceremony. Not enough depth to this story, basically about grief.

My Oxford Year - I love Sofia Carson, but this is her worst film yet. The relationship is way too quick to develop and there is little chemistry. Carson saves it from the bottom, though.

Ne-Zha 2 - Follow up to successful animated film from China is hard to follow. You probably have to see the first one. But it looks good, at least.

Night Always Comes - Vanessa Kirby stars as Lynette, a woman who spends 24 hours trying to raise $25,000 to buy a house she is renting after her dopey mother spends the down payment on a car. Kirby is strong, but the Netflix film didn't pull me in.

O'Dessa - A Dystopian science fiction rock opera about a talented young singer who travels to the authoritarian center city to spread her music. It's a mess, but Sadie Sink (left) draws your eyes and tries.

Off Track 2 - A woman in a failing marriage takes on a long-distance bike race to escape her problems. The first one, about cross-country skiing, had a little more heart.

The Parenting - Couldn't really get into this story about a haunted house where two couples are meeting with their dating sons. I guess some liked it, but it was blah to me.

Parthenope - The story of a beautiful, intelligent diva born in Naples, who navigates through an eventful life as men fall at her feet. Celeste Dalla Porta (right) is stunning. She should get some better roles going forward.

Playdate - Stepdad Kevin James in a comedy caper made for Prime. It seems light and funny at first, but sort of goes off the rails with a group of cloned kids.

Play Dirty - Your basic heist film with Mark Wahlberg leading a group of thieves trying to steal from fellow thieves. Rosa Salazar (Alita: Battle Angel) plays the double-crossing beauty well.

Predator: Killer of Killers - Dark animated film with a lot of action, but it did not really grab my attention enough to hone in.

Rabbit Trap - Dev Patel stars in this psychological horror film about a couple who go into the wild to create sounds for a new album. The isolation, childhood trauma creeping in and a strange visitor make for some mystical happenings. It's a bit too vague, but the first-time director shows promise.

Regretting You - Messy tragedy turned love story with good-looking people. Based on a book by Colleen Hoover (It Ends With Us). Nice to see McKenna Grace grown up. She is a good actress.

Sacramento - Buddy film with Michael Cera and Michael Angarano driving to Sacramento, ultimately to resolve issues about becoming a father. With the solid cast, which includes Maya Erskine and Kristen Stewart, I was expecting better.

Seven Veils - A young woman is tapped to direct an updated version of her mentor's opera and it brings back teenage traumas. Amanda Seyfried is good in the lead and Rebecca Liddiard is wonderful in a supporting role, but the concluding half hour does not deliver much.

Shell - Elisabeth Moss (right) plays a struggling actress who tries a program with a mysterious health guru (Kate Hudson) to try and look younger, but she gets gruesome results. It's kind of along the same lines as "The Substance," and not quite as good.

Sister Midnight - A young Indian woman, struggling with an arranged marriage, begins to open up after some overnight experiences in this dark comedy. Hard to explain, but Radhika Apte is good in the lead role.

Smurfs - Moderately cute cartoon about the little guys rescuing Papa in Paris. The animation and the songs are passable.

Steve - Cillian Murphy is brilliant as a damaged counselor at a reform school in England going through a stressful day. It's solid, just not any more than that.

Strange Harvest - Sometimes humorous mockumentary about a serial killer in California who performs ritualistic murders. The cops are actually quite funny.

The Surfer - Nic Cage plays a former surfer trying to buy his father's old house on the water in Australia, but there is a group of bullies that own the beach. Let's just say, he has a bad day. However, the plot is kind of a mess.

Tornado - A young Japanese girl flees from an evil group of men trying to get the fortune she hid after her father was killed. It is an interesting, different kind of western.

The Toxic Avenger - A down on his luck janitor at an evil drug company (Frank Dinklage) is transformed into a sort of super hero - after being exposed to toxic waste - and fights the bad guys. Better than expected.

The Ugly Stepsister - A modern-day Cinderella story, which uses some pretty gross body horror. Just not my bag, but it was stylishly done enough to avoid the lower level.

The Unholy Trinity - A man returns to his hometown to avenge his father's death and find the gold he hid. However, he gets involved with local disputes in this Western with a solid cast.

War of the Worlds - The new wave version of the classic movie on Prime uses drones, computers, surveillance and government criminality. It is somewhat entertaining if you put aside the ludicrous scenarios as Ice Cube and his family try to save the world.

Watch the Skies - A young woman joins her father's former UFO Sweden group to try and find him years after his disappearance. Was expecting more and the main character should be more compelling.

Winter Spring Summer or Fall - Harmless meet-cute love story on Prime with Jenna Ortega and Percy Hynes White (My Old Ass) figuring things out. It is not a particularly unique script.

Wolf Man - When a son's father is finally declared dead after being missing for a long time, he takes his family to their old cabin. However, there is a wolf man there. It all makes sense, it has Julia Garner, but there is little to like here.

The Woman in Cabin 10 - Keira Knightley's latest is a mystery that we uncover a little too early in the film. Keira (right) is great as usual in this somewhat ordinary story of identity crimes on a yacht trip with creepy rich people.

40 Acres - Dystopian story about a group trying to survive and protect their farm from evil invaders. Danielle Deadwyler stars as the fierce leader. It does not draw your undivided attention. However, it has some intensity.

100 Meters - Japanese animated film that follows a gifted young sprinter and a boy with anxiety issues who he takes under his wing. The two become top national sprinters and compete against each other down the road. I didn't find it particularly thought-provoking.

"Him" Easy Choice As Worst Film Of 2025

 

By Mark Pukalo

The past few years it has been very difficult to decide on what was the best and worst movies. For 2025, the job is as easy as it could be.

The best on my list will be revealed some time in February. It's not a surprise. The worst, for the second time in three years, is a sports movie. Well, sort of.

The supernatural, sports horror film "Him," about a star quarterback's descent into Hell is ridiculous, gratuitously violent and just plain unwatchable. From what I hear, there was a better script for this film that was cast aside for some reason. Maybe that one would have allowed it to escape the top 10 worst.

While "Dashcam" and "Mother!" are probably still my two most hated movies ever, this one is easily the worst of 2025. Director Justin Tipping does not distinguish himself with this mess and it's disappointing that the brilliant Jordan Peele puts his name on this film as one of the producers.

It's also too bad the upcoming film "Melania" did not debut in 2025. Maybe "Him" would have had some competition.

The top 10 worst films have some beloved stars like Bill Murray, Samara Weaving and Kristen Stewart. No Bruce Willis this year. Many of the dishonorable mentions are under-the-radar streaming films you should avoid. Others have great actors that I like. Sorry Alicia Vikander, Dave Bautista, Josh O'Connor, John Travolta, Paul Mescal, John Lithgow, Elizabeth Olsen, Morgan Freeman, Robert DeNiro and Zach Braff.

No doubt, horror lovers may not like some of my choices. For me, horror films have to be smart and/or unique like "Talk to Me." There has to be something that sets them apart. Not just violence and gore.

I might annoy some critics, many of which liked "Hedda," "The Rule of Jenny Pen," and "The History of Sound." I may also make people wonder why "Flight Risk" or "War of the Worlds" are not here. I'll admit, they were close. LOL.

However, here's my final list of the worst films of 2025.

Dishonorable Mention

Abraham's Boys: A Dracula Story - Abraham Van Helsing moves his wife and two sons to the United States two decades after Count Dracula dies, but they can't escape the past. Didn't really get the significance.

Ad Vitam - After escaping an attempted murder, a man must find his pregnant wife who has been kidnapped by evil guys in this French film. It's hard to follow.

Ash - An Alien-like science fiction adventure with a woman waking up alone on a ship after a mission to a faraway planet fails. It gets pretty confusing after that.

The Assessment - In a futuristic, dystopian society, couples are assessed to see if they will be allowed to have a child. Aaryan (Hamesh Patel) and Mia (Liz Olsen) go through a rigorous test with assessor Virginia (Alicia Vikander), but it never really gets compelling or logical.

The Calendar Killer - A woman in distress calls an emergency service in this German film. The damaged operator tries to save her in this odd, confusing film.

The Comeback Trail - The comedy with a great cast, including Robert DeNiro, Tommy Lee Jones, Zach Braff and Morgan Freeman, was originally released internationally in 2020. Not many laughs.

The Damned - Ambitious, but quite boring, film about a community struggling to survive a harsh winter while facing an impossible decision when a shipwrecked foreign ship reaches their shore.

The Heart Knows - Foreign film about a wealthy businessman who falls in love with the widow of the man that was the donor of his heart. It's not really original. 

Hell of a Summer - Dumb slasher film at a summer camp. I guess it was supposed to be a little humorous, but there are no real laughs.

Henry Danger The Movie: Based on the Nickelodeon series, a crime fighter battles through multi verses to make things right. Didn't really understand what was going on.

High Rollers - John Travolta and Gina Gershon star in this messy heist drama that veers off in several directions. 

The History of Sound - Two good actors - Josh O'Connor and Paul Mescal - try to revive a boring script about a relationship between two gay men who enjoy folk music. I didn't really get the plot.

Holland - Nicole Kidman plays a woman with a seemingly perfect suburban life who uncovers a sinister lie in this twisted tale that loses you several times.

i Hostage - A lone attacker takes over an Apple store with demands and the police try to rescue the hostages. There is nothing new here.

In the Lost Lands - Milla Jovovich plays a witch who never turns down a job, but gets involved in a spat between an overlord and his ambitious wife. Dave Bautista is also there as a bad/good guy. Not sure which he actually is.

Locked - Eddie (Bill Skarsgard), a man down on his luck, breaks into the wrong car and gets locked in by a bored rich man. The premise isn't bad, but it's kind of all over the place without real direction in the final 30 minutes.

Old Guard 2 - Good immortals fight bad immortals in this sequel with a lot of star power on Netflix, including Charlize Theron, Uma Thurman and Henry Golding. First one was better.

The Rule of Jenny Pen - A bored old man with a puppet, who used to work at the facility (John Lithgow), torments fellow assisted-living residents late at night under the radar of the staff. I didn't find it intriguing like some other critics.

The Surrender - A grieving widow hires a mystery man to go through a ritual that could bring the husband back to life while her daughter protests. It's weird and unique enough, but it's not an easy watch for non-horror fans.

2073 - I'm not sure what they were going for here. It's a documentary about fascism with a glimpse of what the future would be with it. However, the non-documentary element is very vague.

Worst of the Worst

10. Love Me - It had a promising first 15-20 minutes or so, but then it went off the rails. Way too confusing with its symbolism about a relationship between weather buoy and a passing satellite after a catastrophic event. Kristen Stewart could not save it.

9. Hedda - Modernized version of an 1891 play about Hedda Gabler. Nothing in this really interested me, but Tessa Thompson is good at playing a nasty woman. Many critics liked this. I was bored by it.

8. I Don't Understand You - A gay couple travels to Italy for a vacation, as they are in the process of adopting a child, and all Hell breaks loose. Not enough humor to make up for a below-average script.

7. Fear Street: Prom Queen - More violent shenanigans at Shadyside High school and this one doesn't have as much intrigue or fun.

6. The Monkey - Bad horror film about an organ-grinder ceramic monkey with mystical powers that attaches itself to a family and causes a lot of freak deaths. Dumb and confusing.

5. Riff Raff - Great cast for this mob/comedy story that isn't really funny. Bill Murray comes after former mobster Ed Harris at a country home and it gets awkward.

4. Section 31 - Very poor Star Trek spinoff that never gets very compelling while trying to give you a few laughs. It tried to be both and did not succeed with either.

3. The Woman in the Yard - A woman deals with her depression as the evil spirit of her psyche appears in the backyard all in black. The film makes little sense and is so bad it's not even scary.

2. Borderline - A confusing comedy/horror film about a criminally delusional man (Ray Nicholson) stalking a beautiful pop star (Samara Weaving). It looked bad at the start and did not get any better. Sorry Samara.

1. Him - A great college quarterback, recovering from an attack, is trained by the best of all time (Marlon Wayans) to be his replacement on the top team. However, jealousy and evil lurk in the shadows. The script is poor, the storyline ultimately makes no sense and the gratuitous violence is disgusting as well. Nearly walked out of the theater. It's been a while since I did that. I want to say it was during "Burn After Reading." I just had to see how crazy the ending would be. It was bloody and stupid.

PREVIOUS WORST MOVIES OF THE YEAR PICKS

2024 - Mean Girls

2023 - Sweetwater

2022 - Dashcam

2021 - False Positive

2020 - Dolittle

2019 - Cold Pursuit

2018:  Mile 22

2017 - Mother!

2016 - 13 Hours and Hail Caesar!

2015 - Chappie

2014 - The Monuments Men

A Quarter Century Of Enjoyable Films

 

By Mark Pukalo

Once we all had survived Y2K, everything changed.

Well, maybe not. But movies sure started to become a bigger part of my life after Jan. 1, 2000.

I was going to theaters around Hartford before the turn of the century. However, my visits soon became more frequent. By the end of the next decade, I was documenting the best movies I saw during each Oscar Year.

There were consistent trips to the big Cineplex on Silver Lane in East Hartford, Cinema City in Hartford for some Indies and the second-run theaters in Manchester and West Harford. I also went to see some films at Trinity College from time to time - unfortunately without popcorn.

The first year of the century provided many memorable films, even though some of the highly-regarded movies such as "Memento" and "Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?" did not do it for me. However, two movies from that year are in my top 10 of all time. The year also provided gems such as "Traffic," "Coyote Ugly," "Best in Show," (below) "Erin Brockovich," Remember the Titans" and "Thirteen Days."

Remember video rental stores? It was a few years until Red Box arrived in 2002. But I did not get into the 100s of movies viewed per year until 2015. It's been an amazing journey the last few years with streaming available. It has all made me an amateur critic. Maybe I will be a pro some day and make trips to Sundance, Tiff and South by Southwest. Cannes? Probably not. Sorry France.

The first 25 years of the century in film ended last December, so I embarked on the impossible task of putting together a list of my top 25 favorites during that period. It is so difficult to put them in order because they all were special to me, including a 100 or so honorable mentions. It's possible I missed a few between 2000-2015 as well.

However, I'll give it a try. Here's what I came up with.

Honorable Mention (Just some of them): Cha Cha Real Smooth, Conclave, Da5 Bloods, The Descendants, Miracle, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Past Lives, Pure O, A Real Pain, Short Term 12, The Sum of All Fears, Theater Camp, Truth, The Wrestler, 25th Hour.

TOP 25

25. The Hate U Give - Black Lives Matter. This film does not scream that, but the sentiment is clear and it shows the temptations and the impossible decisions minority youths in the inner city have to make. I truly believe this movie should be watched and discussed in schools. Let's talk about how we treat each other and how the police can deal with minorities and situations better. Great writing, great acting, plenty of heart. That's why it was No. 1 for 2018 in my rankings.

24. Sing Street (below) - Director John Carney provides another enjoyable movie with music as the theme. A young Irish lad (Ferdia Walsh-Peelo) puts a band together starting from scratch to impress a complicated, beautiful girl (Lucy Boynton). Mark McKenna is brilliant in a supporting role. It is fun, smart and heartwarming.

23. Wedding Crashers - Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn have fun crashing weddings and finally meet their matches at the ceremony for a congressman's daughter. Rachel McAdams and Isla Fisher draw the two goofs out of their fantasy world and make them better people, but there is plenty of comedy to be had along the way. Will Ferrell makes perhaps his best cameo performance as Chazz, who crashes funerals to meet women.

22. Guardians of the Galaxy - The 2014 film from Marvel Studios is an action/comedy romp with a motley crew of superheroes, led by Peter Quill (Chris Pratt). Bradley Cooper provides the voice for the cheeky raccoon-like character Rocket, whose buddy "Groot" steals the film. It's just a load of fun and the sequels are almost as good.

21. The Hunger Games - The first of four in the trilogy of adapted novels from Suzanne Collins is based in a post-apocalyptic society of the haves and have nots. Jennifer Lawrence shines as the heroic Katniss, who volunteers in the last-person-standing brutal contest in place of her younger sister. While the sequels are solid, the debut of the series was shocking, powerful and heartwarming.

20. CODA -  Ruby (Emilia Jones) is an under-appreciated high school girl in a blue collar town with a wonderful singing voice who must find a balance between her burgeoning talent and a big role in the family fishing business that includes two deaf parents and a deaf brother. It is a special movie that more people should be able to see - not just Apple TV+ subscribers.

19. Crazy Rich Asians (left) - The romantic comedy based on a best-selling novel is fun and emotional from the first minute to the last. Constance Wu is dazzling as she takes on her fiance's snooty rich mother when the couple travels to Singapore for a friend's wedding. The best love story of 2018. One of the best of all time. Kina Grannis' version of "Can't Stop Falling in Love With You," at the wedding is breathtaking.

18. Moneyball - The 2011 film is based on a book by the same name from Michael Lewis about the 2002 Oakland Athletics, who won 20 in a row, and their general manager Billy Beane. Brad Pitt provides one of his career-best performances as Beane, who tries a new style of scouting through statistics (sabermetrics) to help put together a competitive team with a limited budget while battling his manager and old-school scouts.

17. The Big Sick - Kumail Nanjiani hits a home run with his sly humor "you're the Pakistani Sammy Sosa," playing himself in the true-to-life story. Zoe Kazan was the perfect casting as Emily "I don't date time nerds," but the big surprise was Ray Romano's perfect deadpan performance. Everything seems to come together perfectly for this film, which you can watch over and over and still smile throughout.

16. Once - Director John Carney's first of three brilliant films (also Begin Again and Sing Street) is about a Czech immigrant and an Irish street singer who meet by chance and make beautiful music together. Non-actors Glen Hansard and the gorgeous Marketa Irglova add authenticity to the story with outstanding performances. "Falling Slowly" won Best Original Song at the 80th Academy Awards.

15. Garden State (right) - Zach Braff wrote and directed this 2004 quirky cult classic about a heavily-medicated young actor who returns to his hometown after his paraplegic mother dies. Andrew Largeman (Braff) re-unites with his old townie friends and meets a cheeky young epileptic woman named Sam (Natalie Portman), who he falls in love with. It is smart, hilarious at times, wacky and heartwarming all in one fun film.

14. Lion - My pick for the best film of 2016 is an emotional true story that follows the journey of Saroo Brierley, who is trapped on a train that takes him hundreds of miles from his home in India when he is just 5-years-old. The amazing Sunny Pawar plays the young Saroo in the first hour of the film and Dev Patel takes over as the 25-year-old Saroo in the second half as he desperately tries to find his home. It is a movie about the power of family and I have never balled more during a final scene.

13. The Big Short - Some people quibble with the facts or say they are exaggerated (NOT ME), but director Adam McKay (Anchorman) does a strong job turning Michael Lewis' book about the horror of the 2007-2008 financial crisis into an entertaining film. Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, Brad Pitt and Christian Bale earn high marks with their performances while telling the story of fund managers and an analyst who predicted the collapse of a still fraudulent system.

12. Nebraska - I'm still disappointed that Bruce Dern didn't win Best Actor (Matthew McConaughey did) for his work in this delightful, humorous slice of life that was directed by Alexander Payne. Dern plays a fading veteran who thinks he has won a million dollar sweepstakes and his son (Will Forte) decides to take him on a journey to Lincoln, Neb. despite knowing it is just a scam. The trip takes Woody through his old town before coming to a touching conclusion.

11. Silver Linings Playbook (left) - Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper star as two people going through different types of mental issues before forming a unique relationship. Robert DeNiro shows up as Cooper's gambling father, who is very superstitious about his beloved Philadelphia Eagles. Director David O. Russell (The Fighter, American Hustle, Joy) allows J-Law and Cooper to produce one of their career-best performances.

10. Promising Young Woman - Cassie (Carey Mulligan) carries out mental vengeance on manipulative men and others to avenge her best friend, who was sexually assaulted at a party when they were both in medical school. The best film of 2020 is gripping, humorous and smart. Mulligan will never be better in a role.

9. Ex Machina (right) - A creepy rich recluse (Oscar Isaac), who owns a search company, recruits a programmer (Domhnall Gleeson) to his secluded mountain home to give the Turing test for his new creation - a beautiful AI. Alicia Vikander should have won the Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal of the amazing Ava instead of  for "The Danish Girl." It is a fascinating, unique, science fiction film with one heck of a stunning ending.

8. American Fiction - A very sharp satire about a talented writer (Jeffrey Wright) frustrated by establishment profiting from minority entertainment sources with stereotypes. It's smart, funny, thought-provoking and has one heck of an apt and hilarious ending. The definition of a perfectly-made movie. The scene with Wright and Sterling K. Brown during the maid's wedding is so good.

7. High Fidelity - Had never seen a preview for this film before choosing it between the morning skate and a hockey game in New Jersey one day, then went to see it about four or five more times. John Cusack stars as a music store owner who can never settle down, but is driven to irrational behavior when his latest girlfriend (Iben Hjerjle) leaves him. It is based on a book by Nick Hornby, with the setting changed from London to Chicago where Lisa Bonet and Jack Black show up among others in the smart, hilarious movie.

6. The Social Network - David Fincher directed this film written by Aaron Sorkin based loosely on the making of facebook, with Jesse Eisenberg starring as Mark Zuckerberg. Andrew Garfield and Justin Timberlake add outstanding performances while Dakota Johnson and Rooney Mara steal their scenes. The film is more about entertainment than accuracy, but most are and it is fun to watch.

5. Inglourious Basterds - Director Quentin Tarantino tells the fantasy story of the triumphant attempt to assassinate Hitler by a group of Jewish American soldiers with wishful "alternative facts" and intense, intriguing dialogue. Brad Pitt plays the witty and deadly Lt. Aldo Raine while Christoph Waltz won Best Supporting Actor for his depiction of the devilish German Colonel Landa. Melanie Laurent (left) is also great as Shosanna/Emmanuelle, especially when she puts on her war paint to a David Bowie song.

4. JoJo Rabbit - A cheeky comedy-drama which both loudly and in subtle ways shows the lunacy of hate and fascism. Taika Waititi writes, directs and stars in the film while amazing 12-year-old Roman Griffin Davis plays the Hitler Youth "JoJo" Betzler, who must deal with finding out his mother (Scarlett Johansson) is a member of the resistance and is hiding a young Jewish woman (Thomasin McKenzie) in the wall at the end of World War II. It is funny and beautiful.

3. Lost in Translation (right) - Sofia Coppola may have ruined The Godfather 3 as an actress, but she wrote and directed a masterpiece with this 2003 film. A washed up, lonely famous actor (Bill Murray) has a chance meeting with a confused, curious and beautiful young woman (Scarlett Johansson) in Tokyo and they develop a unique friendship far from home. It is subtle, simple, funny, bittersweet and smart.

2. Spotlight - An impeccably directed (Tom McCarthy) and acted drama about the Boston Globe's investigation of child abuse by Catholic priests, which was covered up for decades in the area. It brings back memories of the reasons why I got into the journalism business, what it was like in the newsroom and what the profession can mean to a community. Michael Keaton, Mark Ruffalo, Liev Schreiber, John Slattery and Rachel McAdams produce perfect performances in the Best Picture of 2015.

1. Almost Famous - Cameron Crowe directed and won best original screenplay for what he termed was his "love letter to music" in 2000. The film was semi-autobiographical as William Miller (Patrick Fugit) is based on Crowe, who was a teenage reporter for Rolling Stone - covering the Eagles, Led Zeppelin and the Allman Brothers among others on the road. Kate Hudson (left) brings the story together with her portrayal of "Band Aid" Penny Lane while Jason Lee, Billy Crudup, Frances McDormand and the late Philip Seymour Hoffman shine. It pulls at the heart strings and makes you laugh throughout with wonderful dialogue and music. It is my favorite film of all time, not just the first quarter of the 21st century.