"Was it the year the superhero film finally stumbled ("Superman" was fun, but hardly the sea change we were looking for, "Fantastic Four" failed to reinvent the Marvel Cinematic Universe in ways audiences responded to despite its slick '60s sheen)? Is it the year original films with bold, exciting premises broke the box office ("Sinners")? Or, with the news of Netflix buying out Warner Bros., is this the end of the theatrical experience altogether?"
"As tempting as it is to make bold proclamations one way or the other, it's probably smart to just keep our heads down, focus on what's in front of us, and evaluate the crop of films we did get in 2025. And to its credit, it was a stellar year: Legendary auteurs either kept up long-running prolific streaks or made bold returns to the screen. Films attempted to reckon with the bold, confusing political moment we're in, often with mixed results."
"But as the editors and critics of RogerEbert.com assembled to build their list, we settled on a crop of pictures both gargantuan in scope and intimate in tone. Here, filmmakers pay homage to the making of their favorite films, or reckon with their own personal tortures and traumas, or chart the rising tide of fascism and how the ordinary person can possibly stand in its way."
2025 produced a confusing but creatively rich cinema year marked by uneven superhero films and breakout original features. Superhero entries like Superman offered fun moments but limited change, while Fantastic Four failed to reinvent its franchise. Original films such as Sinners achieved box-office success. The Netflix acquisition of Warner Bros. raised questions about the theatrical experience. Legendary auteurs delivered prolific work or bold returns. Many films attempted to reckon with a fraught political moment with mixed results. Animation surged through anime adaptations like Chainsaw Man and Demon Slayer and through KPop Demon Hunters entering mainstream conversation. The year balanced gargantuan scope with intimate storytelling across genres.
Read at Roger Ebert
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