Like any year before it, 2025 saw the release of countless new films, and we here at Byte have thoroughly enjoyed many of them. While the following is not a comprehensive list of this year’s best features, enjoy a selection of our staff’s favorite new flicks!
Sinners
Willow Emig: Everything about this film was breathtaking. Sinners takes you on a journey that is captivating from start to finish. The music is amazing and is weaved into the stunning visuals in a brilliant way. There are not enough words to describe how good this movie truly was, you really do just have to watch it.
Sam Jasionowski: In a time where reboots and live action remakes are favored over original content, Sinners really pulled through this year with its storytelling, music, and acting. Putting vampires into a period piece was such an interesting choice that really paid off. The entire cast ensemble was brilliant. There was no actor that lacked in performance over another, in such a short time, the audience gains a connection with every character on screen. Michael B. Jordan's portrayal of Smoke and Stack was so unique it truly felt like two different actors were playing their characters.
The use of music in the film was so powerful. Intertwining musical genres created by Black people into one song, "I Lied to You," was such a mic drop moment well into the second act of the film, only Ryan Coogler could do it. I hope to see a Sinners sweep at the next Oscars but if there's one category that I want to see it win over others, it would be for Best Original Song.
One Battle After Another
Ian Frasier: I felt that One Battle After Another presented a really natural and organic critique of fascism in the U.S. Underneath that is a heartfelt narrative of a stoner dad trying to rescue his daughter. Sean Penn as Colonel Lockjaw is one of the best villains in any movie I’ve seen recently. It’s not often you feel intimidated by a character who’s shown to be as awkward and pathetic as Lockjaw is. Without spoiling too much, you almost feel sympathy for him by the end. Almost.
Now You See Me: Now You Don’t
Liv Young: An amazing addition to the Now You See Me series, Now You See Me: Now You Don't, completely stunned me. I've always been a huge fan of the series and was very excited to finally get another movie. The movie brings back all of our favorite characters and introduces a few new protagonists. It reminds us of everything we loved about the first two movies while giving us a nice, new twist that makes this long-awaited movie completely unique.
F1
Jackson Walter: Brad Pitt is a badass and this movie was awesome. Seeing him race alongside real F1 drivers was really cool. The soundtrack of F1 might be some of Hans Zimmer’s best work so far. Even though it might have not been realistic to FIA regulations, it was a fantastic movie and a great performance by everyone involved.
Marty Supreme
Ian Case: Marty Supreme is an unbelievable buzzer-beater for one of my favorite films of the year. Timothée Chalamet’s performance as the titular Marty Mauser is beyond captivating as he indulges in an odyssey of egoism and self-satisfaction. The 1950’s setting paired with a quintessentially 80’s soundtrack makes this story feel timeless, and the supporting cast adds so much to the movie, with wild cards like Tyler the Creator and Kevin O’Leary alongside wonderful performances from Odessa A’zion and Gwyneth Paltrow. With Marty Supreme, Josh Safdie has effectively deconstructed the overly boisterous “hustle grindset,” showing the harm it leaves in its wake.
Superman
Chris Dawson: Superman was the perfect move to kick off James Gunn's DCU, and it set the tone perfectly. The way Gunn uses color and music in his work is amazing, and he has even introduced me to my favorite band, Foxy Shazam. Introducing lesser known characters, and giving actors that were previously cheated was a great choice. Being able to see a universe where things have already started instead of going through the same old origin story was very refreshing, not to mention the characters having actual depth and emotion. James Gunn stayed true to the source material, but made it fit his vision of his Superman.
"Maybe that's the real punk rock."
Sources: IMDb, IMDb, Spotify, IMDb, IMDb, IMDb, IMDb, IMDb, IMDb, IMDb, IMDb, IMDb, IMDb, IMDb, IMDb, IMDb, IMDb, IMDb, IMDb, IMDb, Spotify
Images: A24, Warner Bros, Warner Bros, Lionsgate, Apple, A24, DC
