Much like any year, 2025 has had movie masterpieces and flops galore. Despite this mixed bag of quality, all movies that have been released this year have in some way contributed to the cultural zeitgeist in some capacity.
These are three movies that I think have made an indelible impression on viewers this year.
Dogman (2025), for example, was released on January 31, 2025, and it is an incredibly fun and heartwarming movie. Over the summer, when I was working at Elkhorn Kids Campus during a movie field trip, the children enjoyed all 89 minutes of the movie, laughing when prompted but silent when needed.
I also enjoyed watching this movie because of its themes of redemption, the power of friendship and family, and the importance of embracing each other’s differences. A must-watch for kids, teens, and adults alike.
Arguably the best movie of 2025, Sinners (2025) is beyond outstanding. Writer, director, and producer Ryan Coogler delivered a Black, genre-defining movie experience that blew me away. I watched Sinners (2025) in theaters, and the experience was to die for; I could feel every strum of Sammie’s guitar, the fiddle of “Rocky Road to Dublin,” and the terror in the screams of soon-to-be vampires.
Michael B Jordan, Wunmi Mosaku, Hailee Steinfeld, Miles Canton, and the entire cast and crew put their hearts and souls into creating, not a movie, but a film–a piece of art that will endure the test of time.
Jurassic World: Rebirth (2025) was alright. It wasn’t amazing, and it wasn’t terrible. It was just okay. The overarching themes of hubris and greed–they have been in the Jurassic franchise since the first movie 32 years ago– were more apparent in this movie. Because these themes were more obvious, the greedy and hubristic character’s demise was almost guaranteed; it wasn’t a surprise or a mystery.
In the past, movies within the franchise, I feel, have been more deliberate with how they present their main themes and how these themes play out. Jurassic World: Rebirth fell short of any sort of mystery or thriller. Its plot was predictable. Additionally, regrettably, Mahershala Ali’s character in the movie didn’t have enough screen time.
The dinosaurs really clinched this film in the end. The Distortus Rex was terrifying, massive, and ugly: Everything I look for in a dinosaur. Despite its predictability, Rebirth was a fun, enjoyable watch!
2025 was a successful year for Hollywood despite declining in-theater attendance. These three movies really shone through for me this year, and I look forward to what 2026 has in store.
