After over 300 reviews and 250 studio recordings, The Rolling Tape team shares their top five films of 2025. Sorry, Baby, Sinners, One Battle After Another, and Hamnet led the way with multiple mentions in members’ top five.
Ethan Simmie – Train Dreams
Train Dreams, dir. Clint Bentley
One Battle After Another, dir. Paul Thomas Anderson
F1, dir. Joseph Kosinski
Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning, dir. Christopher McQuarrie
Materialists, dir. Celine Song
Adam Patla – Sorry, Baby
Sorry, Baby, dir. Eva Victor
Hamnet, dir. Chloé Zhao
Sinners, dir. Ryan Coogler
The Secret Agent, dir. Kleber Mendonça Filho
The Testament of Ann Lee, dir. Mona Fastvold
Jake Fittipaldi – The Testament of Ann Lee
The Testament of Ann Lee, dir. Mona Fastvold
Train Dreams, dir. Clint Bentley
Frankenstein, dir. Guillermo del Toro
One Battle After Another, dir. Paul Thomas Anderson
Twinless, dir. James Sweeney
Matthew Allan – Fantastic Four: First Steps
Fantastic Four: First Steps, dir. Matt Shakman
Sinners, dir. Ryan Coogler
The Order, dir. Justin Kurzel
Alpha, dir. Julia Ducournau
Sorry, Baby, dir. Eva Victor
Joshua Mbonu – One Battle After Another
One Battle After Another, dir. Paul Thomas Anderson
28 Years Later, dir. Danny Boyle
Sinners, dir. Ryan Coogler
It Was Just an Accident, dir. Jafar Panahi
Marty Supreme, dir. Josh Safdie
Jacob Diedenhofer – It Was Just an Accident
It Was Just an Accident, dir. Jafar Panahi
One Battle After Another, dir. Paul Thomas Anderson
Marty Supreme, dir. Josh Safdie
Sentimental Value, dir. Joachim Tier
Pavements, dir. Alex Ross Perry
Tate Fowler – Sinners
Sinners, dir. Ryan Coogler
The Life of Chuck, dir. Mike Flanagan
Jurassic World: Rebirth, dir. Gareth Edwards
One Battle After Another, dir. Paul Thomas Anderson
Wake Up Dead Man, dir. Rian Johnson
Danny Jarabek – Sound of Falling
Sound of Falling, dir. Mascha Schilinski
Silent Friend, dir. Ildikó Enyedi
The President’s Cake, dir. Hasan Hadi
Resurrection, dir. Bi Gan
One Battle After Another, dir. Paul Thomas Anderson
Timmy Lee – Resurrection
Resurrection, dir. Bi Gan
One Battle After Another, dir. Paul Thomas Anderson
No Other Choice, dir. Park Chan-wook
Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc, dir. Tatsuya Yoshihara
Arco, dir. Ugo Bienvenu and Gilles Cazaux
Red Broadwell – Sorry, Baby
Sorry, Baby, dir. Eva Victor
Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc, dir. Tatsuya Yoshihara
Sinners, dir. Ryan Coogler
Lost in Starlight, dir. Han Ji-won
Frankenstein, dir. Guillermo del Toro
Kasey Dunifer – Sorry, Baby
Sorry, Baby, dir. Eva Victor
One Battle After Another, dir. Paul Thomas Anderson
Hamnet, dir. Chloé Zhao
Hedda, dir. Nia DaCosta
If I Had Legs I’d Kick You, dir. Mary Bronstein
Kam Ryan – Jay Kelly
Jay Kelly, dir. Noah Baumbach
Hamnet, dir. Chloé Zhao
The Voice of Hind Rijab, dir. Kaouther Ben Hania
Pillion, dir. Harry Lighton
Avatar: Fire and Ash, dir. James Cameron
Nadia Arain – Sinners
Sinners, dir. Ryan Coogler
One Battle After Another, dir. Paul Thomas Anderson
The Testament of Ann Lee, dir. Mona Fastvold
Hamnet, dir. Chloé Zhao
Nandita Joshi – Hamnet
Hamnet, dir. Chloé Zhao
Sinners, dir. Ryan Coogler
Hedda, dir. Nia DaCosta
Silent Friend, dir. Ildikó Enyedi
One Battle After Another, dir. Paul Thomas Anderson
Sara Ciplickas – Hamnet
Hamnet, dir. Chloé Zhao
Sinners, dir. Ryan Coogler
Hedda, dir. Nia DaCosta
It Was Just an Accident, dir. Jafar Panahi
Frankenstein, dir. Guillermo del Toro
List Courtesy of Sara Ciplickas and The Rolling Tape Team