We’re only halfway through 2025 and we’ve already gotten some stellar films released so far. So, I decided to make a list of my 10 favorite movies from the first half of the year and rank them. So, without further ado, here’s ten of my favorite movies from the first half of 2025. Mild spoiler warning if you haven’t seen some of these movies.
#10: A Minecraft Movie
Seeing A Minecraft Movie for the first time was certainly a surreal experience, since it was simply amazing seeing the world of a game I’ve been playing for years realized so well on the big screen, even if the movie itself doesn’t leap over expectations. However, the film definitely delivered in what I wanted it to: fun and exciting. With Jack Black and Jason Mamoa together in a strange world inspired by a video game that encourages creativity, you know you’re getting something good with A Minecraft Movie. However, from an actual ‘movie-critic’ standpoint, the adventure lacks a lot of prestige with its overused plot structure, and I personally thought the movie made a bit too much fun of its source material, something I think movies like 2023’s The Super Mario Bros. Movie did a great job of avoiding. Otherwise, A Minecraft Movie is a stupidly fun and visually stunning adventure.
#9: Captain America: Brave New World
The 48% on Rotten Tomatoes may give some fans the wrong idea with Captain America: Brave New World, because even though the film certainly doesn’t live up to its potential, it’s still a fun superhero flick. Sam Wilson now wields the shield following the events of the equally-mediocre Disney+ series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Harrison Ford plays Thaddeus Ross, previously played by the late William Hurt, who is now president and wants to build a new Avengers team with the help of Sam. What’s funny about the movie is that in more times than just one it feels too much like the previous two Captain America movies, despite fans wanting this movie to live up to those two. One big problem with Brave New World is its inability to successful transition Falcon from a side character role to a lead character role. However, it definitely is nice watching a Marvel movie that isn’t threating our world’s existence.
#8: Elio
Pixar Animation Studios’ newest feature film, unfortunately, did nothing for me. I enjoyed Elio — I think Elio is a likable character and the movie does have a nice message, but overall, the movie doesn’t feel much different than other Pixar films and largely other movies in general. It follows a commonly-used plot structure (one I actually already mentioned with A Minecraft Movie), the characters (while likable) aren’t as interesting as Pixar’s best, and the alien world serving as the film’s main setting feels like it wasn’t utilized to its fullest potential. Despite all these, Elio provides what all great Pixar films do: a charming, enjoyable, and creative adventure with exciting and emotional moments, adding up to an adventure the whole family can enjoy.
#7: Dog Man
In 2017, Dreamworks brought one of my favorite book series at the time to the big screen in incredible fashion with Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie. However, with Dog Man, Dreamworks brought a book series I loved even more to the big screen — and it certainly made me feel like an eight-year-old again. Dog Man perfecly illustrates the world and tone of the Dog Man books, and the movie perfectly blends ideas from multiple books together into one entertaining adventure the whole family can enjoy.
#6: Thunderbolts
Thunderbolts definitely surprised me for many reasons. In many aspects, the movie felt like some of the great films during the early years of the MCU, while in other aspects it felt like it wanted to be too big than it was set out to be. However, as a whole, Thunderbolts is a great. It’s exciting, entertaining, and mixes great characters and enjoyable action sequences with thoughtful messages about feeling important. One of the issues I mentioned with Captain America: Brave New World was how it didn’t to a great job putting Falcon in the lead, but Thunderbolts nails that to a tee, putting together a team of seemingly-uninteresting anti-heroes and making each of them feel important and likable. However, like I said, the movie gets too big with the emphasis of its main theme in the third act. Otherwise, Thunderbots feels like a great step in the right direction for Marvel.
#5: Black Bag
In this day and age, most ‘spy’ or ‘espionage’ movies are also full of action. While there’s nothing wrong with that, it is nice to see just a spy film every once in a while, just like Black Bag. This movie is a smart and sleek spy film with lots of cool and thrilling moments. Part of this is helped with the great actors portraying the film’s main characters, including Cate Blanchett, Michael Fassbender, and Pierce Brosnan. My only gripe with the film is that, depsite the great actors, the characters themselves aren’t super interesting, with the focus being on the spy stuff itself. However, that’s a small detail as the movie is otherwise fantastic.
#4: Lilo & Stitch
I was shocked after watching Lilo & Stitch, as I expected it to just be another unnecessary live-action remake from Disney. However, the new Lilo & Stitch actually did more than most remakes do. It didn’t just feel like a clone of the original, it felt like a fine-tuned and polished version of the original movie. Personally, I love the original Lilo & Stitch, but I’ll admit some parts of its story didn’t sit right with me. The remake seemed to modify these just enough to where I enjoyed the movie a lot more than I remember after first watching the original, which I was delighted to find.
#3: Mickey 17
Mickey 17 is another movie that shocked me, just in a different way. I didn’t know what to expect going into this one, but what this film delivers is an entertaining and unique experience driven by strong performances from Robert Pattinson and Marl Ruffalo. This film is one of the most entertaining that I’ve seen in a while. The movie creatively comes up with a concept similar to that of Groundhog Day and Edge of Tomorrow with a man being regenerated after each death, though in Mickey 17 he is reprinted rather than just restarting the same day. This throws in the film’s neat conflict of their being two printed versions of the character after they believe the 17th Mickey died. This makes for a fun and unique film, one with the feel of a cheesy 80s sci-fi film, and boostered by Robert Pattinson’s great ability to play two versions of himself.
#2: Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning
I’m going to be honest — The Final Reckoning disappointed me. The film was my most anticipated movie of 2025, and it didn’t quite meet my expectations. Saying that however, the film is an incredibly thrilling one with high-stakes action, crazy stunts, and tons of edge-of-your-seat sequences. But while I was certainly entertained the entire 170 minutes, I also thought that it didn’t deliver on everything I wanted it to. My biggest gripe were that the massive stakes were a bit too big, and at times the film feels too big for Mission: Impossible. That’s one of the things that was great about the previous film, Dead Reckoning: Part One, as it perfectly balanced a high-stakes plot with the Mission: Impossible charm. Despite all that, The Final Reckoning still delivered in its thrills and impressive sequences.
#1: Sinners
If I had to sum up Sinners in just three words, they would be captivating, powerful, and insane. Somehow, director Ryan Coogler mixes a personal narrative, the charm of two Michael B. Jordans, and crazy vampire action in one movie and it adds up to what may end up being my favorite movie of the year. Sinners is an impactful and epic film that entertains from beginning to end. A standout of the film is its stars. Michael B. Jordan is, of course, fantastic, and perfectly nails that role of two twin brothers to the point where its easy to forget it’s the same actor, even for those like me who love his movies. However, there’s also Miles Caton, a new actor who takes his place with an equally-amazing performance. Sinners is outstanding from starts to finish, and is currently my favorite movie of 2025.
What are your favorite movies of 2025 so far and what are your most anticipated movies for the rest of the year? Let me know in the comments.
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