By: Madison Troyer
Sly Stone wearing sunglasses, holding a necklace.
Michael Ochs Archives // Getty Images

Series: The best movies of 2025 so far

The year 2024 ended with a bang for the movie business. Between the biggest Thanksgiving weekend on record, primarily thanks to "Moana 2," and the release of several box-office hits in a row—like "Wicked" and "A Complete Unknown"—those last few months might seem hard to top. Still, 2025 might have the potential to do it.

The start of the year is always slow in Hollywood. With much of the focus on the major awards shows and the 2024 films that are contenders to take home trophies, most studios are holding off on releasing bigger titles until a bit later in the year. Thankfully, there are plenty of notable films on the horizon.

Moviegoers will be treated to a ton of hotly anticipated sequels over the next several months, including "Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning," "Jurassic World Rebirth," "Freakier Friday," and "Wicked: For Good."

There are also several family-friendly movies scheduled for release, like "A Minecraft Movie" in April, Disney's live-action "Lilo & Stitch" in May, and Pixar's "Elio" in June. And who could forget the slew of superhero movies (like James Gunn's long-awaited "Superman") and heart-pounding action films (like the Brad Pitt-led "F1") that audiences will undoubtedly flock to this summer?

There's so much to look forward to, but the gems that have already hit theaters should not be overlooked. Stacker rounded up the best movies of 2025 so far, ranked by Metacritic scores. In order to qualify for the list, these movies must have been released and distributed in the U.S. by March 10, 2025, and have at least seven reviews by critics. Any ties were broken by Metacritic's internal weighting system. IMDb user ratings were provided for popular reception context.

From timely documentaries to animated comedies, these are the 2025 films most deserving of your attention.

Cast and crew attend the
Michael Loccisano // Getty Images

#15. Every Little Thing

- Director: Sally Aitken
- Metascore: 74
- IMDB user rating: 7.2
- Run time: 1 hour 33 minutes

A nature documentary at its core, "Every Little Thing" follows Terry Masear, a hummingbird rehabilitation specialist, as she goes about the day-to-day business of saving these delicate birds. Though it may sound light-hearted and fluffy (and it certainly does have those moments), the film is as much about overcoming trauma—whether inflicted by nature or by other humans—as it is about the birds.

While some critics called the film stretched thin and monotonous, most found it dazzling, with The Hollywood Reporter's review gushing over how deftly the film manages to say something about humanity. After all, as Masear puts it, showing love and compassion when we aren't required to is a marker of one's greatness.

Farhan Akhtar, Reema Kagti, Adarsh Gourav and Ritesh Sidhwani attend the
Darren Arthur // Getty Images for The Red Sea International Film Festival

#14. Superboys of Malegaon

- Director: Reema Kagti
- Metascore: 75
- IMDB user rating: 8.0
- Run time: 2 hours 7 minutes

A fictionalized retelling of a 2016 documentary, "Superboys of Malegaon" follows a group of small-town film lovers who set out to make their own versions of Bollywood hits. Dubbed "the right kind of adaptation" by The Hollywood Reporter, the movie manages to be a crowd-pleasing underdog story without reducing itself to a series of tired tropes.

Utkarsh Ambudkar, Natalie Morales, Kyle Hausmann-Stokes, Sonequa Martin-Green and Ed Harris at the Special Screening of
Stewart Cook/Briarcliff Entertainment via Getty Images

#13. My Dead Friend Zoe

- Director: Kyle Hausmann-Stokes
- Metascore: 75
- IMDB user rating: 7.3
- Run time: 1 hour 43 minutes

"My Dead Friend Zoe" follows an Afghanistan vet whose dead comrade is a constant presence in her life as she faces conflict with her therapist and her ailing Vietnam vet grandfather. Based in part on director Kyle Hausmann-Stokes' own military experiences, the film is an exploration of PTSD that includes appearances from real-life servicemembers. But as The Willamette Week puts it, it isn't "a love letter to the armed forces" so much as a movie that "emphasizes the need for community and a space to share trauma."

Bruce David Klein, Michael Feinstein, Dana Craig, and Alexander J. Goldstein attend the
Dimitrios Kambouris // Getty Images for Tribeca Festival

#12. Liza: A Truly Terrific Absolutely True Story

- Director: Bruce David Klein
- Metascore: 77
- IMDB user rating: 8.3
- Run time: 1 hour 44 minutes

A behind-the-scenes look at the life of Liza Minnelli, this documentary showcases interviews with Minnelli and several members of her inner circle, giving an all-new perspective on the legendary performer. The film, broken into separate chapters looking at periods of her personal and professional life, feels intimate and affectionate, possessing what a RogerEbert.com critic calls a "lightness of style" that makes even the more difficult moments easy to watch.

Described as "scintillating" by Variety, the documentary makes no effort to dodge those difficult moments, choosing instead to reveal how Minnelli found joy through it all.

Chris Sullivan, Julia Fox, Lucy Liu, Steven Soderbergh, Callina Liang, Eddy Maday, and West Mulholland at the
John Nacion/Variety via Getty Images

#11. Presence

- Director: Steven Soderbergh
- Metascore: 77
- IMDB user rating: 6.2
- Run time: 1 hour 24 minutes

Lucy Liu, Chris Sullivan, and Callina Liang star in this supernatural thriller about a family who moves into a house haunted by a poltergeist. Though the movie is downright chilling, it's more subdued than a typical ghost movie—there are no jump scares, for one thing. Instead, "Presence" makes the viewer wrestle with whether the spirit is evil or simply exposing the maliciousness inside us all.

Some reviewers weren't keen on the film's approach, with audiences seeing everything from the ghost's perspective, but others have praised director Steven Soderbergh's controlled style, noting that it makes the climax all the more effective.

Tara Duncan, Jerry Martini, Sylvester Stewart Jr., Jihan Robinson, Joseph Patel, Derik Murray, Novena Carmel, Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, Arlene Hirshkowitz, and Greg Errico attend the
Isaiah Trickey/FilmMagic // Getty Images

#10. Sly Lives! (aka the Burden of Black Genius)

- Director: Questlove
- Metascore: 77
- IMDB user rating: 7.7
- Run time: 1 hour 52 minutes

"Sly Lives! (aka the Burden of Black Genius)" looks at the life and legacy of funk musician Sly Stone. The documentary, filled with rich archival footage and interviews, has been described as "dazzling and definitive" by Variety and praised by NPR for its honesty in depicting the alienating aspects of Black excellence.

Even for folks who don't know much about Sly and the Family Stone—or who have minimal appreciation for funk music—the film is an excellent primer on the ups and downs of the entertainment industry.

Sandra Maischberger, Joachim Gauck, Daniela Schadt, and Andres Veiel attend the
Tristar Media // Getty Images

#9. Riefenstahl

- Director: Andres Veiel
- Metascore: 78
- IMDB user rating: 7.2
- Run time: 1 hour 55 minutes

"Riefenstahl" looks at the life of famed German director Leni Riefenstahl, focusing specifically on the way her artistic legacy has been tainted by her connections to Nazis. As one of Adolf Hitler's favorite filmmakers, Riefenstahl was considered a trailblazer on the wrong side of history.

Director Andres Veiel is in no way an apologist for Riefenstahl, taking pains to point out just how complicit and destructive she was, as a review in The Guardian notes. Still, the documentary prompts viewers to think about a question that's been at the forefront of many minds lately—can an artist's life and beliefs be separated from their work or not?

Nate Fisher, Keith WIllam Richard, Carson Lund and Wayne Diamond attend the
Dimitrios Kambouris // Getty Images for FLC

#8. Eephus

- Director: Carson Lund
- Metascore: 82
- IMDB user rating: 6.9
- Run time: 1 hour 38 minutes

Set in the '90s, "Eephus" centers on two amateur baseball teams playing one last game in their home stadium before it gets demolished. Subtle, slow-moving, and without the overtly emotional arc that's central to most sports films, the movie still manages to be a touching and funny tribute to the country's national pastime. Wbur called it "the best baseball movie since 'Bull Durham' or maybe 'Bad Lieutenant'—because it explores this sport's peculiar ability to bend and distort time."

Jamie Perera, Rebecca Wolff, Mark Oosterveen, Pinny Grylls, Sam Crane, Julia Ton, and Jen Cohn at SXSW.
Amy E. Price/SXSW Conference & Festivals via Getty Images

#7. Grand Theft Hamlet

- Directors: Sam Crane, Pinny Grylls
- Metascore: 82
- IMDB user rating: 6.9
- Run time: 1 hour 29 minutes

One of the quirkiest movies to make this list, "Grand Theft Hamlet" follows two out-of-work actors who attempt to stage a full-blown production of "Hamlet" in Grand Theft Auto Online. Shot entirely in the video game, with all of the subjects portrayed by their digital avatars, the film won the Grand Jury Award for Best Documentary Feature at the 2024 SXSW festival. NPR called it "constantly surprising, breathtakingly imaginative, and a great introduction to Shakespeare."

Nick Park and Merlin Crossingham at the London Critics Circle Film Awards.
Dave Benett // Getty Images

#6. Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl

- Directors: Merlin Crossingham, Nick Park
- Metascore: 83
- IMDB user rating: 7.5
- Run time: 1 hour 22 minutes

In "Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl," an old nemesis—Feathers McGraw, the penguin who first made his debut in the 1993 short "The Wrong Trousers"—returns to challenge the title pair with an assist from some AI-infused gnomes. While delightfully entertaining for younger audiences, with chase scenes and laugh-out-loud jokes galore, the film will keep older viewers engaged with its insightful criticisms of technology and its place in our consumer society.

Available to stream on Netflix, the movie nailed the "nostalgia sequel," according to Forbes, "keeping the spirit of the animated series alive while paying tribute to the claymation duo's best moments." "Vengeance Most Fowl" is a nominee for Best Animated Feature at the 2025 Academy Awards.

KHALED DESOUKI/AFP via Getty Images

#5. From Ground Zero

- Directors: Aws Al-Banna, Ahmed Al-Danf, Basil Al-Maqousi
- Metascore: 83
- IMDB user rating: 7.9
- Run time: 1 hour 52 minutes

One of the most urgent watches on this list, "From Ground Zero," is a collection of 22 different short films, ranging in style from documentary to animation, shot by nearly two dozen Palestinian directors over the past year in Gaza. Through true stories, the movie does a powerful job of humanizing the people of Gaza as they witness the destruction of their homes and the killing of their loved ones by the Israeli military.

"From Ground Zero" was shortlisted for Best International Feature at the Academy Awards, though it didn't make the final cut. A RogerEbert.com critic called it "a rare work for which superlatives are not only inadequate but useless," writing that the film "shows that, after a catastrophe, art is not only still possible but necessary—and that digital technology makes it possible for people to continue to preserve and share their stories even after they've lost almost everything else."

Director Morrisa Maltz and cast of “Jazzy” attend Tribeca Festival Premiere.
Jason Mendez // Getty Images for Tribeca Festival

#4. Jazzy

- Director: Morissa Maltz
- Metascore: 83
- IMDB user rating: 6.2
- Run time: 1 hour 26 minutes

Set in the same universe as director Morrisa Maltz's debut film "The Unknown Country," "Jazzy" is a coming-of-age drama that follows a young Oglala Lakota girl. The movie is based on the real-life experiences of Maltz's goddaughter, Jasmine Bearkiller Shangreaux, with the narrative following Jazzy and her best friend over six years as they navigate crushes, life's twists and turns, and the challenges of friendship. Called "scrappy," "loose-limbed," and "meditative" by Variety, the film beautifully encapsulates those messy adolescent years.

Pirouz Nemati, Sylvain Corbeil, Ila Firouzabadi, and Matthew Rankin attend the
Dia Dipasupil // Getty Images for FLC

#3. Universal Language

- Director: Matthew Rankin
- Metascore: 84
- IMDB user rating: 7.1
- Run time: 1 hour 29 minutes

"Universal Language" is an absurdist comedy set in a reimagined Canada where Persian and French are the official languages. The film contains three separate narratives that are seemingly unconnected. Reminiscent of the Iranian New Wave cinematic movement, the movie may be too bizarre for some—the action is interspersed with asides, like a faux '80s-style commercial selling turkeys. But for those willing to get on its wavelength, it proves to be a "consistently funny, heartfelt, and oddly funny" watch, per RogerEbert.com.

Rungano Nyoni and Susan Chardy attend Cannes Film Festival.
Stephane Cardinale - Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images

#2. On Becoming a Guinea Fowl

- Director: Rungano Nyoni
- Metascore: 84
- IMDB user rating: 7.1
- Run time: 1 hour 39 minutes

"On Becoming a Guinea Fowl" opens with the main character stumbling across the body of her dead uncle, lying on the road in the middle of the night. As her extended Zambian family prepares for Uncle Fred's funeral, long-held family secrets begin to come to light and force a reckoning. A mix of dark comedy and serious drama, the movie has plenty to say about the challenges of processing complex emotions and the temptation to live in denial.

Marcelo Rubens Paiva, Fernanda Torres, Walter Salles, and Selton Mello at the International Venice Film Festival.
ALBERTO PIZZOLI/AFP via Getty Images

#1. I'm Still Here

- Director: Walter Salles
- Metascore: 85
- IMDB user rating: 8.5
- Run time: 2 hours 17 minutes

Based on journalist Marcelo Rubens Paiva's memoir of the same name, "I'm Still Here" tells the story of a mother and activist trying to cope with the forced disappearance of her husband amid Brazil's military dictatorship. Starring Oscar nominee Fernanda Torres, the movie was also nominated for Best Picture and won the Academy Award for Best International Film. The urgency of the story, as well as the quietly emotional performances, are among the driving factors behind the film's acclaim.

Data reporting by Wade Zhou. Story editing by Louis Peitzman. Copy editing by Tim Bruns and Kristen Wegrzyn.

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