10 greats-one has vampires, and one has Leo looking almost like the Dude.

Now, we’ve come to that moment of triumph. The ten movies that blew my mind, and earned their places of honor. Some of these movies were big hits, others I’ve tried my best to spread the word about. And lately, what helps me decide my choices is looking at other critic’s lists and reminding myself of the joys I see in cinema. And 2025 was really something.

I always find it difficult to keep the roster to just ten. Here are the other 10 honorable mentions I would have added if not for these other great 10s. No particular order.

• “Black Bag”
• “Marty Supreme”
• “The Phoenician Scheme”
• “The Secret Agent”
• “The Fantastic Four: First Steps”
• “Sentimental Value”
• “Heart Eyes”
• “Nouvelle Vague”
• “A House of Dynamite”
• “Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery”

10.) “Final Destination: Bloodlines”

I probably should have given this a better positive review than I did, but this franchise proves even further that Death hates being cheated, and I think this is how I can make it up. But the rules are a little different, as the deaths in this sequel have to do with a bloodline. Was the grandmother supposed to live or die? You let Death decide. The results are bloody funny, and wickedly entertaining, and it gives a fitting send-off for Tony Todd, who passed away last year. PS. I’ve already avoided piercings long before this sequel existed.

9.) “The Life of Chuck”

Mike Flanagan’s take on Stephen King’s story from his “If It Bleeds” collection is a masterpiece. Tom Hiddleston plays the title character, and told in reverse order, we guess that he may be connected to universe and what makes him tick. And with a big supporting cast of Chiwetel Ejiofor, Karen Gillan, and Mark Hamill, I’m seeing this movie with questions and exuberance. And therefore, if we look at it from another standpoint, the universe is in balance.

8.) “28 Years Later”

Who else would dare have a zombie fight to the tune of a heavy metal version of the “Teletubbies” theme song, which can’t be released to the public? And who else would add a surprisingly amount of emotional weight to the story. That would happen to be the original “28 Days Later” collaborators: Director Danny Boyle and writer Alex Garland. And they both have a terrific cast, particularly Jodie Comer and Ralph Fiennes. And we’re a month away from the next film with the subtitle “The Bone Temple.”

7.) “Sorry, Baby”

If you haven’t heard of Eva Victor before, you might be surprised at how she already has a voice in cinema. As the writer, director, and leading lady, she expresses her own turmoil of being sexually assaulted, and she never overexploits herself. And I still love the scene when she becomes so overwhelmed by her pathos, that she stops at a closed sandwich shop, where she receives kindness from John Carrol Lynch.

6.) “Weapons”

Zach Cregger has already proven himself to be a horror filmmaker with different angles, and his latest movie couldn’t be more thought-provoking, gruesome, wickedly funny, or creepy. The plot involves 17 kids who disappear at 2:17 AM, Josh Brolin as the father of one of them, Julia Garner as their drinking teacher, and Amy Madigan as a creepy old woman. All part of the Rashomon Effect, and all necessary in this ingenious and WTF horror movie.

5.) “Is This Thing On?”

Will Arnett has made a name for himself in the world of comedy and animation, but Bradley Cooper’s third directing job is a real game changer for him. He plays a middle-aged man on the verge of divorce with his wife (Laura Dern) and he unexpectedly appears at a comedy club, where he lays some humor and honesty about his life. And it might also fix the state of his marriage.

4.) “Frankenstein”

Guillermo Del Toro’s latest movie is one of his best-a visual and mind-boggling wonder that differentiates between a man and a monster. We have Oscar Isaac as Victor Frankenstein and Jacob Elordi as his creation; and the film wants to know how the doctor tries to play God, and how the creature can view his master and what society has to offer. It’s all stitched together perfectly.

3.) “It Was Just An Accident”

The best international film of the year is one that the filmmaker Jafar Panahi, who was an Iranian political prisoner, didn’t get official filming permission from the Iranian authorities to make. But I’m not throwing him under the bus; I’m praising his film for fighting against oppression, and for adding colorful characters who contemplate dealing with the man who may or may not have been the one torturing them in prison. And the filmmaker admits he doesn’t want to be labeled a hero. He just wants to make movies, and he shows a lot of passion here. It’s a shame Iran sentenced him to a year in prison.

2.) “One Battle After Another”

Paul Thomas Anderson’s latest movie continues his streak of masterpieces. We have Leonardo DiCaprio playing a “Big Lebowski” version of a demolitions expert, newcomer Chase Infiniti as his daughter, Teyona Taylor as his wife and leader of the vigilante group-the French 75, Benicio Del Toro as a revolutionary and karate teacher, and Sean Penn as a sadistic colonel. Every scene is funny, provocative, emotional, and damn well entertaining, and Anderson has made a brilliant career for himself (“Boogie Nights,” “Magnolia,” “There Will Be Blood,” and “Licorice Pizza,” among his classics). I saw this on 70mm film, which makes this film look like a classic, and it is.

1.) “Sinners”

I’ve never seen a vampire movie like this-one that shares its passion for music in the past and present (this one set in the Jim Crow era), while adding social commentary about race and culture. Filmmaker Ryan Coogler and his collaborator Michael B. Jordan have hit another home run. You have Jordan playing twin gangster brothers, one of whom becomes a vampire, as well as Hailee Steinfeld and Jack O’Connell as other vampires, and Miles Caton as the twins’ cousin who would eventually grow up to be like Buddy Guy. This is a blockbuster that brings people together in a positive light. I haven’t heard one negative thing from anyone, and I’m pretty sure I saw a great film. And as I mentioned earlier this year: there isn’t a moment to miss.

The Best Animated Films

1. The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants”
2. “Arco”
3. “Dog Man”
4. “Elio”
5. “The Bad Guys 2”
6. “In Your Dreams”
7. “KPop Demon Hunters”
8. “Ne Zha 2”
9. “Predator: Killer of Killers”
10. “Zootopia 2”

Disclaimer: “The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie” was on last year’s animation list, because it played at a Los Angeles theater to qualify in the Oscar race.

The Best International Films

1. Arco”
2. “The Ice Tower”
3. “The President’s Cake”
4. “La Grazia”
5. “Ne Zha 2”
6. “No Other Choice”
7. “Sentimental Value”
8. “Nouvelle Vague”
9. “The Secret Agent”
10. “It Was Just An Accident”

The Best Documentaries

1. “Jaws @ 50: The Definitive Inside Story”
2. “Being Eddie”
3. “Thank You Very Much”
4. “John Candy: I Like Me”
5. “Life After”
6. “Predators”
7. “Liza: A Truly Terrific Absolutely True Story”
8. “Devo”
9. “Not Just a Goof”
10. “Spacewoman”

The Best Performances of Both Sexes

1. David Strathairn in “A Little Prayer”
2. Ethan Hawke in “Blue Moon”
3. Eva Victor in “Sorry, Baby”
4. Michael Cera in “The Phoenician Scheme”
5. Amanda Seyfried in “The Testament of Ann Lee”
6. Dwayne Johnson in “The Smashing Machine”
7. Jodie Comer in “28 Years Later”
8. Chase Infiniti in “One Battle After Another”
9. Miles Caton in “Sinners”
10. Michael B. Jordan in “Sinners”

Stars I’ve Met

1. Karen Allen
2. Jared Harris
3. Martin Sheen
4. Eileen Collins (the first woman to command and pilot a spacecraft)
5. Billy Zane
6. Paul Walter Hauser
7. Jimmy Fallon
8. Matt Winn
9. Melissa Leo
10. Ke Huy Quan