Top 10 list for 2025

Jan 1

It’s the beginning of the year. New hopes, new dreams, new beginnings, and most importantly, new movies. We are coming off a pretty hot year for movies, and I got to see a lot of them—only because I purposely made the time to watch them. I’m a big believer that saying, “I don’t watch movies; I make movies,” is like a chef saying, “I don’t eat food; I make food.” Well, I don’t want any.

This year, there were a lot of movies. Some were great, some were good, and some will be remembered for the wrong reasons. With that being said, here are my top 10. I will say, however, there are a few movies I didn’t get to see that I really wanted to, like Sing Sing, A Complete Unknown, and The Brutalist, which I know would be strong contenders.

Before I get into the list, I just want to add some honorable mentions—movies that I loved but, for one reason or another, didn’t make the list. Kieran Culkin in A Real Pain gave one of the best performances I’ve seen in a long time. Longlegs in a packed house on opening night was truly what movies are meant for. Strange Darling, playing with form and structure, was one of the most refreshing things I’ve seen in a long time. The attention to detail in Memoir of a Snail, both in its animation and story, is what makes me want to be a storyteller. And I Saw the TV Glow hit a chord with me that no other movie has done in a long time.

All are incredible movies I can’t wait to see again.

Now, the list:

10. Snack Shack by Adam Carter Rehmeier

Funny and heartfelt, Snack Shack felt like the coming-of-age movies from the era it was trying to replicate—the early '90s. Absolutely buried by streaming and a stacked summer, most people missed this. But there isn’t a movie out there that reminds me more of what it felt like growing up. Actually, this movie has a lot in common with my number 2 and number 1 picks.

9. Dune: Part Two by Denis Villeneuve

Everyone makes a sequel. Few are good. Even fewer are great. Only a small fraction are better than the original. Up there with The Godfather Part II and The Empire Strikes Back, I think Dune: Part Two will go down as one of the best sequels of all time. It took what worked from the first one and improved on it while remaining true to its own identity.

8. Alien: Romulus by Fede Álvarez

Legacy sequels usually die on impact. Romulus was a defibrillator to a dying franchise. It felt like Alien, it added to the mythology, it was genuinely scary, and most importantly, it was just outright fun.

7. We Live in Time by John Crowley

I don’t want to spoil anything, but I cried. It’s funny. It’s sad. It’ll rip your heart out, put it back together, and then repeat until the credits. Genuinely just so good on every level.

6. Hundreds of Beavers by Mike Cheslik

It’s Looney Tunes meets Buster Keaton. There isn’t a movie out there that’s as unique and entertaining. There’s really not much else to say. It’s just an insane quasi-silent film that’s equal parts slapstick comedy and a proper hero's journey

5. The Substance by Coralie Fargeat

The last act of this is the most fun I’ve had in theaters. It’s body horror that would make Cronenberg proud, its poignancy would make Kubrick blush, and it’s all done under the guise of a gross but hilarious drama. I loved every second of this. It knows exactly what it is and doubles down on itself when you think it can’t possibly get more insane.

4. Nosferatu by Robert Eggers

Eggers is the king of atmosphere. He doesn’t miss. His attention to detail, his love for history, and his dedication to the craft of storytelling made him the only person I would trust to remake one of the most famous and foundational pieces of the horror genre, Nosferatu. He served it up on a gothic platter shrouded in shadow and passion. An incredible movie with performances that will leave you wondering if evil comes from within or outside.

3. Anora by Sean Baker

I love Sean Baker. Anything he touches, I’m there for it. Just like Eggers, his dedication to the craft of storytelling and making movies is so apparent. I love a director whose passion for movies shines through in their work. Anora is Baker’s biggest attempt yet, breaking the mold of his past movies while still being true to his style. Mikey Madison should be prepared for that Oscar. What a movie. What an ending.

2. Dìdi by Sean Wang

Dìdi takes place in 2008 and is about a young Taiwanese boy who was about the same age I was in 2008. Myspace, talking to your crush on AIM, feeling left out, not knowing who you are, skateboarding—it hit me on a level not many other movies have. I know I said this for Snack Shack (and granted, Snack Shack reminded me more of my own teenage years), but this hit so hard on how it felt to be that age. Lost while listening to music on Myspace. To its core, this movie was perfect on every level for me.

1. Saturday Night by Jason Reitman

The chaos. The drama. The comedy. The music. The performances (Gabriel LaBelle is really the one to watch out for in the next few years)—all of it. I don’t know how much of it was true, and honestly, I don’t care. What I do know is that if there’s a movie where one person is saying “yes” while everyone around them is saying “no,” there’s a big chance I’m going to love it.

This movie reminded me why I create. Forget the suits. Forget the statistics. Forget the studio. Forget the naysayers. This movie is an anthem for the people who march forward when everyone says no. It’s also a good case study on why I should have moved to NYC.

And that’s a wrap on the 2024 movie season! It’s been an incredible year filled with unforgettable stories, groundbreaking performances, and moments that reminded us why we love cinema. From heartfelt coming-of-age tales to epic sci-fi adventures, from spine-chilling horror to laugh-out-loud comedies, this year showcased the power of storytelling in all its forms.

As we close the curtain on 2024, I can’t help but feel grateful for the creative voices that brought these stories to life and the experiences they gave us in theaters, at home, and everywhere in between. Here’s to the filmmakers, actors, and crews who poured their hearts into these projects and to the audiences who supported them.

Now, all eyes turn to 2025 and the exciting slate of films waiting on the horizon. With new voices emerging, beloved directors returning, and stories yet to be told, the coming year promises to be just as thrilling. Here’s to the surprises, the risks, and the magic that movies bring.

I can’t wait to see what’s in store for 2025 and all the adventures it has to offer. Let the reels roll and the stories unfold!

For The Love Of Movies,

Jonathan Austin