2025 Movies I Loved But Didn’t Review

In 2025, I watched over 170 films and reviewed many of them. There were several, however, that I did not review. Whether it was day job priorities, scheduling, life events, or simply not having the energy to do so, not every film I saw got a thorough review. However, the year offered numerous outstanding films that deserved more attention. Below are ten films I want to highlight that I didn’t have the opportunity to review. The films below range from small indie films to Hollywood hits to Oscar players, yet are all some of the best movies of the year that I want to show a little love to. Here are ten films I loved that I didn’t get a chance to review.

Note: I rate and quick-review all movies I see on Letterboxd (@kevflix) if you want to see my ratings on every movie I see.

Eephus (Carson Lund)

Eephus is a seemingly simple, lo-fi indie film about the final game between two teams in a local beer league. The players range in age from early 20s to pushing 60, and most of them are out of shape and are there simply to drink beer and get moderate exercise. What transpires during Eephus is a surprisingly moving experience about how we move on in life, and it affects everyone differently. Eephus is the best baseball movie since Moneyball.

It Was Just an Accident (Jafar Panahi)

I saw Jafar Panahi’s latest film at the 2025 Chicago International Film Festival, and unfortunately, writing a review for the film got pushed aside due to scheduling and the several other films I saw. It Was Just an Accident was the best movie I saw at the Chicago International Film Festival and is one of the great achievements of 2025. It’s a masterful film from one of the greatest directors in the world about an unassuming Iranian mechanic who has an encounter with a man who may have tortured him while in prison. It Was Just an Accident is a passionate, political, tense thriller, a surprisingly funny film that features the best ending of the year.

The Long Walk (Francis Lawrence)

Maybe the most surprising theatrical experience I had in 2025 was Francis Lawrence’s The Long Walk. Adapted from Stephen King’s novel, The Long Walk is a tense and chilling film about young adults partaking in a walking competition for a priceless prize, but if they stop, they die. The Long Walk features one of the year’s best ensembles, led by Cooper Hoffman and David Johnsson. It has a deep emotional core while also showing horrifying violence and even sprinkling in some humor. In a year with several Stephen King adaptations, it is easily the year’s best.

The Naked Gun (Akiva Schaffer)

I’m not sure what my expectations were for Akiva Schaffer’s remake of the Leslie Nielsen-starring parody film, but it blew away any I had. The Naked Gun is a joke-a-minute comedy that is loaded with quick one-liners and uproarious bits, many of which will have you laughing so hard you’ll miss the next six jokes. It’s a return to form for this kind of comedy and parody movies. And, all of it is delivered by a perfect cast, led by Liam Neeson in a surprising but brilliant turn as the new Frank Drebin.

No Other Choice (Park Chan-wook)

Park Chan-wook’s latest film is a devilishly fun and timely film about modern technology and a decreasing job market. Lee Byung-huh gives an outstanding performance as a man who loses his job and fails to find a new one for years. He decides to take matters into his own hands in the wildest way possible. Park’s direction is spectacular, brilliantly balancing the film’s biting tone with the serious nature of its themes and delivering some unique shots and edits that only he could think of. This is another gem from one of the best directors working today.

Pavements (Alex Ross Perry)

Alex Ross Perry’s Pavements is a documentary unlike any other. Perry made a part-documentary, part-mockumentary, and part-cinematic biopic to tell the story about the ’90s slack rock band Pavement. It’s a fascinating way to tell the story of a band that went against the grain and is equal parts a heartfelt tribute to the band and a biting satire about the monetization of the music industry and the ridiculousness of some musical biopics.

The Phoenician Scheme (Wes Anderson)

I feel like The Phoenician Scheme hasn’t gotten nearly as much attention or love as other Wes Anderson movies, which is a shame because it is easily one of his best. Benicio Del Toro gives one of the best performances of his career as a tycoon who goes on a globe-trotting journey to complete his biggest venture while being the target of terrorists and assassins. It’s another gorgeously constructed, hilarious film with a stellar cast.

Presence/Black Bag (Steven Soderbergh)

2025 saw two films from director Stephen Soderbergh, and both highlight what makes Soderbergh one of the best directors working today. Presence, which I first saw at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival, is an experimental haunted house movie shot entirely from the perspective of the ghost. It’s a fascinating and unique film with a truly chilling ending that shows Soderbergh is still interested in experimenting with film as a medium.

The other Soderbergh film from 2025 was Black Bag, a lean, mean, slick spy thriller about a secret agent (Michael Fassbender) who must figure out if his wife (Cate Blanchett), who is also a spy, has betrayed the nation. It’s another gripping and ridiculously entertaining thriller from a director who has perfected these types of films.

Resurrection (Bi Gan)

Nobody is making movies like Bi Gan. His hypnotic, dreamlike approach to the art form is on full display in his latest film, Resurrection, which takes place where people stop dreaming to live longer, only for a few people to continue to dream, warping the fabric of time. Bi takes us into five different dreams, one for each of the senses, and each one representing a period of cinema. It’s nearly indescribable, and telling you what happens in the film is even more complicated. You just have to see the movie for yourself to fully experience and embrace Bi’s vision.

Train Dreams (Clint Bentley)

I saw Train Dreams twice before it dropped on Netflix in late November. The first was at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival, where I saw the film via the festival’s streaming platform. I was blown away by it, but regretted watching it on a TV and not on a big screen. Lucky for me, the Chicago International Film Festival played it on the big screen, and I wasn’t going to miss the opportunity to see it again.

Train Dreams is as beautiful as movies get. A movie that looks at one man’s life through a changing time as he witnesses the random acts of violence, tragedy, and beauty that come with it. It’s a stunning achievement from writer/director Clint Bentley and simply one of the best movies of the year.

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