CLEVELAND, Ohio — Movies were better this year. Not perfect, not immune to franchise fatigue, but better and deeper than 2024. Audiences showed up a little more often, and box office totals ticked up, albeit modestly. And even though Marvel’s slump continued, “Thunderbolts*” and “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” were steps in the right direction, at least narratively.
Indeed, there were more films worth caring about, from Timothée Chalamet’s annual Oscars push — this time as a pingpong player with a dangerous streak — to a genre-defying vampire thriller with twice the Michael B. Jordan. And let’s not forget the cultural juggernaut that was “KPop Demon Hunters.”
The slate was so strong that “Sentimental Value,” “Jay Kelly” and “Train Dreams,” movies that would’ve cracked the top 10 last year, didn’t make the cut. I also liked “Eternity” and “Song Sung Blue,” but “The Secret Agent” and “It Was Just An Accident” are still waiting in my queue.
Here are my picks for the 10 best movies of the year.
10. “F1: The Movie”
In a nutshell: Brad Pitt stars as a former Formula 1 driver making a comeback with a new car and teammate in a film shot during real Grand Prix weekends.
See it because: “Top Gun: Maverick” director Joseph Kosinski does it again, serving up an old-fashioned summer blockbuster full of speed, swagger and just the right amount of cheese.
Watch it: Apple TV
9. “Bugonia”
In a nutshell: Yorgos Lanthimos directs Jesse Plemons as a conspiracy theorist who kidnaps a pharma CEO (Emma Stone) he’s convinced is an alien sent to destroy Earth.
See it because: Come for the “Poor Things” duo of Lanthimos and Stone, who make beautiful, bonkers movies together. Stay for the year’s most WTF ending.
Watch it: Rent on demand
8. “KPop Demon Hunters”
In a nutshell: K-pop supergroup Huntr/x secretly uses their golden voices to protect the world from evil forces until a rival demon boy band threatens their popularity and powers.
See it because: Who would’ve thought an original animated movie on Netflix (no existing IP, no stars) would have such a hold over us that not even Taylor Swift could break it? I guess that’s just who we’re born to be.
Watch it: Netflix
7. “Wicked: For Good”
In a nutshell: Branded as the Wicked Witch of the West, Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) looks to expose the Wizard’s lies, testing her relationships with Glinda (Ariana Grande) and Prince Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey).
See it because: Cynthia and Ariana. Plus, you’ll never watch “The Wizard of Oz” the same way again.
Watch it: In theaters
6. “Superman”
In a nutshell: When Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult) reveals the truth about Superman’s origins, Clark Kent (David Corenswet) must decide what kind of hero he wants to be.
See it because: Call it a Cleveland bias, but an old-school comic book movie that serves as a cinematic universe reboot and gives DC fans a reason to be hopeful again earns its spot on this list.
Watch it: HBO Max
5. “Frankenstein”
In a nutshell: Oscar Isaac plays the infamous scientist whose God complex gives life to Jacob Elordi’s misunderstood monster.
See it because: Guillermo del Toro gives Mary Shelley’s gothic tragedy the epic treatment it deserves, with gorgeous visuals, a grandiose score and a transcendent Elordi.
Watch it: Netflix
4. “Hamnet”
In a nutshell: The supposed origin story of “Hamlet” explores unimaginable loss through the complicated love shared by William Shakespeare (Paul Mescal) and his wife, Agnes (Jessie Buckley).
See it because: Jessie Buckley’s face. Trust me, this will make sense later.
Watch it: Theaters
3. “Marty Supreme”
In a nutshell: Timothée Chalamet is a table tennis phenom who’ll do anything to become a world champion, even if it means breaking the law or seducing Gwyneth Paltrow.
See it because: Leave it to “Uncut Gems” director Josh Safdie to turn a seemingly innocuous sports underdog story into a wild, anxiety-inducing IV drip of adrenaline.
Watch it: Theaters
2. “One Battle After Another”
In a nutshell: Leonardo DiCaprio plays an ex-revolutionary turned stoner lured back into the fight when an old enemy (Sean Penn) kidnaps his daughter (breakout star and likely Oscar nominee Chase Infiniti).
See it because: Writer-director Paul Thomas Anderson sells you the whole chair, but you’ll only need the edge. It’s a thriller and a cautionary tale about not forgetting your passwords.
Watch it: HBO Max
1. “Sinners”
In a nutshell: Michael B. Jordan pulls double duty in a thriller about twin brothers who return to their hometown to open a juke joint, only for it to become the target of racist vampires.
See it because: What do you get when you mix a subversive story about the legacy of Black oppression, a vampire B-movie and the blues? In Ryan Coogler’s hands, it’s the year’s best picture.
Watch it: HBO Max
