Grab Your Popcorn, 2025 Edition!

Last day of the year and here is my list of my top movies of the year. As noted in my last two posts, this was a down year in some ways. My reviewed movie total for the year is 35, compared to my usual goal of 50. That’s UP one movie from last year! Not terrible but not good.

I got a full range of review ratings this year in the movies. From five 2 star ratings to four 5 star ratings. It’s not a terrible thing to have no 1 star ratings. Who wants to sit through such a terrible movie? The 2 stars were bad enough. (All links go to my full review for that movie)

Speaking of which…

At the bottom, you’ll find the likes of Nandor Fodor and the Talking Mongoose. I don’t even know how to summarize it. Add to it Morons From Outer Space, which shows, once again, sketch comedy TV stars don’t always translate to the big screen. Making a movie of the novel “1984” in 1984 seems quite clever. Sadly, 1984 was awful. Then we have two big budget turdburgers. I know the cult following for Ladyhawke will be offended, but this movie was dreadful. Last but not least is Pixels, a movie with no clue how to deal with an interesting concept.

There are a couple movies that didn’t make my final nine, bu that I want to mention.

Much to my amazement/chagrin I rather enjoyed Happy Gilmore. I went into the movie with an attitude and it charmed me more than expected. Credit where credit is due. Lucille Ball is a comedy icon, but deserves credit when she steps out of her comfort zone. She’s the best part of Lured, what I decided to call a “cozy mystery noir”. Bette Davis is amazing in Rain, even when the overall movie only landed a 3 star rating.

There are two utterly, stunningly weird movies that are worth a look despite their flaws. Hundreds of Beavers is an indescribable combination of silent movie, animation, puppets and slapstick. It’s a “You gotta see it to believe it” movie. The mockumentary Found Footage-The Making of the Patterson Project takes you into the world of independent film making, Big Foot and weirdness. Both left me with a fried brain and a big smile.

Now, finally, my top nine movies for the year:

• Spaceballs – Classic Mel Brooks take on Star Wars. What more needs to be said?
• Greyhound – This movie was a total surprise to me. But it starred Tom Hanks, so I was going to watch anyway. What I got was a subtle study of men at war without a safety net. Brilliant, character driven movie.
• The Train – Match this with the one above. It’s several decades older but just as brilliant in all the same ways. The Germans attempt to steal as much art from Paris as they can as WWII comes to an end. More action than dialogue. Stunning.
• American Star – Another character driven movie, this time starring Ian McShane. He’s a hit man on his final assignment. When the job is postponed he becomes distracted by the beauty of the island, the people he meets, and a wrecked cruise liner. Intelligent and profound
• Vivarium – As a child of the suburbs this movie struck a deep chord. Cerebral, spinechilling horror. Most of the action carried by the two main characters very much alone in a place where everything looks the same.
• Cool Hand Luke – Paul Newman as the rule breaking prisoner on a chain gang. The only question is who breaks first, the system or Luke. An amazing ending that will break your heart.
• Steel Magnolias – Bring together one of the greatest female casts, and keep the menfolk out of the way and you get the iconic movie. This is a women’s movie, and it’s absolutely hysterical, heartbreaking, and homey.
• Notorious – Arguably, Hitchcock’s masterpiece. Everything comes together in every aspect of the filmmaking process. The principal actors are pulled into new directions that require deeper performances. It’s a move about betrayal at every level.
• Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid – For me, the pinnacle of the “new western”. A few rise to its level, but none surpass it. A buddy picture that rides the edge of humor and sadness. Newman and Redford are beyond description.

Well, that’s it! If you want to see what else I saw, scroll through the reviews on the rest of the blog. I’m digging into my queue for 2026 already. So grab your popcorn and let’s go!

Peace,

Jay