Megan McLachlan, co-founder of The Contending, lists her best films of 2025.
If there’s one word that describes my favorite films this year, it’s “ballsy.” All of these films push boundaries, forcing us to confront cancel culture in a funny way (American Comic), what we know about polarizing figures (Ask E. Jean), and even how we use art as a tool for catharsis (Hamnet).
Even my honorable mention films feature a bold performance from Lucy Liu in Rosemead, a daring rescue in the documentary Checkpoint Zoo, a new way of looking at art in Secret Mall Apartment, and a beautiful summary of a human life in Train Dreams.
Here are my favorite films of 2025!
10. Twinless – directed by James Sweeney
This Sundance breakout follows the unlikely friendship between a straight man (Dylan O’Brien) and a gay man (James Sweeney) and the big secret that threatens their bond (it’s not what you think!). Writer/director/star Sweeney is such a great find, and O’Brien gives one of the best performances of the year.
9. Ask E. Jean – directed by Ivy Meeropol
What do we really know about the woman who won two lawsuits against Donald Trump? This illuminating documentary highlights E. Jean Carroll’s storied career and why she’s more than what the headlines say. She’s an American hero who took on a titan not only for herself, but for women everywhere.
8. Kiss of the Spider Woman – directed by Bill Condon
Not just a Jennifer Lopez showcase (although she’s fantastic!), Bill Condon’s Kiss of the Spider Woman features a breakout performance from Tonatiuh, as a prisoner who uses art to work through tough times (see also: 2025’s Hamnet and Song Sung Blue for similar themes), specifically recapping his favorite musical for a fellow inmate (Diego Luna). It’s one of the rare films that left me saying, “Wow,” when the credits rolled.
7. Weapons – directed by Zach Cregger
I love when you have no idea what a movie is about and you have know idea how it’s going to end. And that was part of the thrill going into Cregger’s follow-up to Barbarian. Featuring different points of view of the same events (something that did not work for A House of Dynamite), Weapons delivers on its hype with interesting characters, fresh original storytelling, and a gripping performance by Amy Madigan. The whole time while watching, it’ll have you asking, “Who. Is. That. Actress?!” It reminded me of why I love to go to summer movies.
6. If I Had Legs I’d Kick You – directed by Mary Bronstein
Like Jaws, you never see the “villain” in Mary Bronstein’s drama. . .but you hear her. It’s Linda (Rose Byrne’s) daughter, whose voice hangs throughout the film, prodding her overwhelmed mother. Bronstein’s camera stays on Linda and plays tricks on you, mimicking what it feels like to be an overworked parent with brutal honesty.
5. Predators – directed by David Osit
Predators is a perfect fusion of guilty pleasure TV and the schadenfreude audiences experience. While you probably haven’t thought about Dateline’s To Catch a Predator in years, its effect on popular culture still exists today, from our obsession with true crime to vigilantes on TikTok. Osit’s documentary interrogates our complicity while also capturing the narrow mindset of the time period. Truly a captivating watch.
4. American Comic – directed by Daniel J. Clark
No movie has made me laugh as hard this year as Clark’s American Comic, which I saw at the River Valley Film Festival. Written by Joe Kwaczala, this mockumentary follows two comics: one on the up and up in LA’s comedy scene and the other a grizzled, Joe Rogan-esque podcaster in the Midwest. The comedy tackles cancel culture in an industry that desperately needs some self-examination. If this film comes to your city, seek it out!
3. One Battle After Another – directed by Paul Thomas Anderson
Leo and PTA created a fall movie event! Everyone wanted to head to the movies for this teaming. The timely and relevant thriller follows the conflict between a group of revolutionaries, the government, and the elite squad of white men known only as the Christmas Adventurers Club. But to me, the film really hinges on Teyana Taylor’s performance, who serves as the catalyst for the action. Taylor’s had many breakout roles, but this is one she’s finally in the spotlight for, one that could earn her an Oscar. No wonder Colonel Lockjaw’s obsessed with her.
2. Hamnet – directed by Chloe Zhao
Kicking off the Telluride Film Festival in August, Hamnet not only captures the romance between Shakespeare (Paul Mescal) and wife Agnes (Jessie Buckley), but it also demonstrates how art can do more than tell a story and heal hearts. Come for the Mescal and Buckley pairing and stay for the affecting ending. You won’t be able to stop thinking about it.
1. The Testament of Ann Lee – directed by Mona Fastvold
A film about a cult? A musical? A feminist manifesto? Mona Fastvold’s The Testament of Ann Lee has all this and more. Amanda Seyfried plays the titular character, who starts the Shaker movement, a religious sect of followers who abstain from sex. They praise and dance for days (think: freak-offs without the freaking). The only problem is people are sexual beings, and Lee’s motivations are misunderstood by the community and even her followers. You won’t see a movie this year like Ann Lee, nor a performance like Seyfried’s.
