I watched 150 films in 2025 – here is my top 10 – including a masterpiece period drama | Films | Entertainment

Only recently have I realised just how many films I had watched without really keeping track in 2025. I’ve always been a film fanatic, but 2025 was the first time I caught myself thinking: « wow, you’re in front of the tele again watching another movie. » That’s why I decided to sit down and count them all. But after grudgingly getting to 150, I stopped, even though the real number is probably a bit higher. 

I watch films most nights, and if I’m not watching something new, I’m rewatching an old favourite. I love war films, action films and comedies, but my favourite genre is crime and detective dramas. Those are the films I look forward to the most, and a few of them made my list. There are no horrors here at all because I’m far too scared for that. If I watch one, I’ll be awake half the night, so they never make my watchlist.

Throughout 2025, I watched a mix of new releases and older films, but nothing before 2010 made the cut. 

Some recent films stood out straight away. Others grew on me over time. One of the biggest surprises was The Brutalist, a 2024 period drama. 

It has been described as a bold and ambitious masterpiece, and after watching it myself, I can see why. It’s a long film but worth it, and the performance at the centre of it is one of the best I’ve seen in years.

I also watched a lot of films that came out in 2024 and 2023 that I initially missed. Oppenheimer was one of the most talked-about releases, and the praise was deserved. The film is intense from start to finish, and the acting is flawless. 

Poor Things was another standout with a style and story that felt completely different from anything else.

The Holdovers offered something gentler and more nostalgic, and it ended up being one of the nicest surprises of the year for me.

Comedies made their way onto my list too. The Grand Budapest Hotel is still one of the funniest and most charming films I’ve ever watched. 

I rewatched it in 2025, and it was even better the second time. I also watched Game Night again. It’s simple, quick, funny, and exactly the type of comedy that’s perfect after a long day.

Crime and detective films were the biggest part of my viewing. Knives Out remains one of my favourite films of the last decade.

I also revisited its sequel, Glass Onion, which is full of twists and easy to enjoy at any time. I watched Spotlight again as well. It’s not a detective film in the traditional sense, but the investigative style makes it feel like one.

There were also a few action films that I enjoyed far more than I expected. Top Gun: Maverick is still one of the most entertaining films of the 2020s, and the flying scenes haven’t aged at all. 

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse was another highlight, with animation that feels completely unique.

After going through everything I watched and picking out the standouts, here are my top 10 films I watched in 2025.

1. The Brutalist (2024) – A powerful, beautifully made period drama with one of the best lead performances I’ve seen in years.
2. Oppenheimer (2023) – Intense, brilliantly acted and impossible to turn away from.
3. Poor Things (2023) – Strange, bold and unforgettable with a performance that carries the whole film.
4. The Holdovers (2023) – Warm, simple and emotional in all the right ways.
5. Knives Out (2019) – A clever detective mystery that’s funny, sharp and endlessly rewatchable.
6. Glass Onion (2022) – A bigger, brighter sequel with twists from start to finish.
7. Spotlight (2015) – A gripping investigative drama that feels more intense than most thrillers.
8. Top Gun: Maverick (2022) – Pure entertainment with action scenes that still hold up.
9. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023) – A visually stunning film with a strong story to match.
10. The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014) – Funny, stylish and one of the easiest films to rewatch.