It’s safe to say, 2025 was a great year for movies, with tons of releases that audiences loved. I, as a passionate movie lover, watched many of these films, enjoying some and left disappointed by others. In this article, I’ll be giving my reviews and personal opinions on a few of my top 2025 films, with little to no spoilers.
BLACK PHONE 2
IMDB: 6.1/10
Rotten tomatoes: 72%
Letterboxd: 3.1/5
My Rating: 5 stars
As someone who absolutely loved the first ‘Black Phone’, I was rather excited for the second instalment to be finally released. The minute it came out, you bet I was sat in the cinema with my friend. I can confidently say that this movie met my high expectations and more. With action packed scenes and constant suspense, it kept me on the edge of my seat all throughout. Though I still personally believe the first film is better, as in my opinion, the original movie is always the best (with some exceptions), the second ‘Black Phone’ was close to being as good as the first. Even though it maintained the same antagonist and general idea, the sequel still managed to have its own plot and unique atmosphere. The only major difference I saw was that the second was scarier and more gory than the first, with extra jump scares and intense scenes. Despite the second being more of a horror and the first closer to thriller, neither was overall too frightening (coming from someone who is often not fazed by horror movies). Not only was it high paced, but also contained lots of meaningful moments relating to themes such as family and trauma. To wrap it up, I would definitely recommend watching this series, as it is one of my favourites.
REGRETTING YOU
IMDB: 6/10
Rotten tomatoes: 28%
Letterboxd: 2.5/5
My Rating: 4.5 stars
Now the average ratings for ‘Regretting You’ might not be all that high, but don’t let that fool you; if you are someone who loves silly rom-coms, this movie is for you. There are plenty of adorable moments throughout the film, as Mason Thames and Mckenna Grace have natural on-screen chemistry. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing this in cinema as it was a lighter and less serious movie than other ones released this year. In addition to the stereotypical rom-com structure and plot, the movie contained some serious and sad themes surrounding death and forbidden love. It delivers light-hearted fun while tugging at your heartstrings. Through the highs and lows explored in this movie, I had a great time and would definitely recommend watching if you are usually into romance movies and not bothered by the cliches that come with them.
NOW YOU SEE ME 3
IMDB: 5.9/10
Rotten tomatoes: 60%
Letterboxd: 3/5
My Rating: 5 stars
Now, to say I was a fan of the first two ‘Now You See Me’ movies is an understatement, I loved them so much that I was counting down the days until the release of the third. I was ecstatic to hear that all the old characters from the first two movies were coming back, as well as a whole new set of great actors joining that I had seen in many other films. Though one thing cast a shadow on my excitement, I had seen and heard many people, including my friends leaving bad reviews and ratings on the movie. Nevertheless, I held out hope, and I was not disappointed. It was a spectacular movie, and had me in awe at every minute. The cast worked seamlessly together and watching them perform tricks effortlessly was amazing. And of course, in true ‘Now You See Me’ fashion, there was a plot twist that had me audibly reacting in the cinema, the people around me were gasping. This movie was 100% worth the watch and I will forever recommend this series to anyone who hasn’t seen it.
FRANKENSTEIN
IMDB: 7.5/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 85%
Letterboxd: 3.9/5
My Rating: 3.8 stars
I was barely familiar with this movie going in, only that it was an adaptation of Mary Shelley’s ‘Frankenstein’ and that a scientist brings a monster to life. The movie had overall rather high ratings, and even though a lot of the time my ratings don’t align with the average, I usually still enjoy the film, which I very much did. The film had so many incredible features and aspects that made it great. For starters, the way it was split up into two parts, Victor Frankenstein’s side of the story, and The Creature’s side, allows viewers to see the story from both perspectives to form their own opinions on the characters, instead of seeing a biased view from one side. Colour use and symbolism was also used in an amazing way, each signature colour representing different emotions. Green, to represent the unnatural creation of the monster as well as the obsession with scientific progression, appears in the laboratory where The Creature is created. Red symbolises grief and memory, often tied to Frankenstein’s mother, he is constantly seen wearing a small red accessory to remember her by. These uses of film techniques as well as raw and emotional moments is what makes this movie a great one to watch.
WICKED: FOR GOOD
IMDB: 6.7/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 66%
Letterboxd: 3.4/5
My Rating: 5 stars
I cannot tell you how excited I was to finally see the long awaited second part of ‘Wicked’. I will admit, I was rather slow to watch the first movie, as I just kept putting it off and never really got around to it. But when I finally watched it, I immediately understood the hype. So with the first film a smashing success, high hopes were set for the second, and I think it’s safe to say, they did not disappoint. With a soundtrack as outstanding as the first, the second had a good balance of the both the same and fresh songs. Visually, the movie carried on its same theme of pink and green, bright colours, and otherworldly architecture which maintained continuity between the films and was stunning to look at, allowing the setting of Oz to feel immersive and alive. The makeup, costuming and acting were all on par which each character, all of which felt fleshed out and unique, each having their individual token looks. The reveal of how each character, especially the Scarecrow and Tin Man, came to creation crafted a satisfying link to the original, without straying too far from the original plot. And while I understand that the film was both a book and a musical beforehand, the way the film carried out and presented the same ideas was still enjoyable despite being done many times before. With scenes ranging from upbeat to melancholic, the film evokes all sort of emotions and both movies are definitely a must watch.
MATERIALISTS
IMDB: 6.3/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 77%
Letterboxd: 2.9/5
My Rating: 3.5 stars
I had seen very mixed ratings on this movie and was very curious as to what it’s all about. With a rather well known cast with quite a few actors that I generally like, I thought that it had to be at least worth the watch. After seeing in, I don‘t think it deserved a title as either a bad movie or good movie, I simply see it as mediocre. It had some meaningful moments and the overall idea the film aimed to convey was a good one, being that true love and happiness are hard to navigate in a materialistic world. Though I think the way the movie went about representing this message was flawed. Many cringe-worthy lines that just didn’t sit right or feel natural often threw the movie off and made it quite jarring and unrealistic. On top of this, I didn’t feel that the characters were as developed as they could have been, especially the two love interests. With minimal depth and emotional exploration, I wasn’t truly rooting for either love interest, which, in my opinion, takes away from the appeal of the movie. Lastly, one positive aspect that I enjoyed was the colour scheme, with classy, basic colours that gave the movie a signature look.
I hope these reviews of mine have given you some insight, or maybe they were just a fun opinion to read. Either way, I hope my love for movies is shared and that these films can be enjoyed by many people. Happy movie watching!
