Christian Gallichio's Best 10 Movies of 2025

      In light of The Film Stage’s compilation of the top 50 films of 2025 as part of our year-end reviews, our contributors are presenting their individual top 10 lists.

      If 2024 was characterized by sleepless nights filled with midnight movie screenings and a persistent sense of exhaustion—largely due to the arrival of my second daughter in the summer—then 2025 naturally mirrored her growing up. She started daycare, and I, on the other hand, fell ill. Together with my three-year-old, they both returned home with an unending stream of colds, fevers, flus, and various ailments that are best left unmentioned.

      I spent a significant portion of the year unwell. In fact, I’m feeling under the weather right now. People often don't mention this aspect of parenthood, but the initial years are frequently gauged by the intervals between sicknesses. Consequently, my film viewing has, ironically, fluctuated alongside the times I found myself bedridden, heavily dosed with Nyquil, yearning for something to distract me from my 100-degree fever and an ever-increasing workload.

      Part of that workload consisted of year-end screeners. While I’ve learned how to juggle the challenges of parenthood, I have yet to figure out how to manage the end-of-year rush to watch every film. As a result, I’m left with a mountain of screener films and a continuous influx of hot takes from friends and family about movies I have not yet seen. “Marty Supreme must win Best Picture.” “Why haven’t you seen The Mastermind yet?” “Avatar is incredible.” “One Battle After Another is overrated.” “Eternals is a good Marvel movie.”

      These are just a handful of the messages I received in recent weeks, the last of which was too ridiculous to ignore, despite the film being released four years ago. Not that I’m complaining. In many ways, these year-end lists are a collaborative effort, a negotiation between my wife, kids, friends, and the occasional relative who insists that I watch a particular film. This year, I often found myself saying “I haven’t seen that yet” regarding Marty Supreme, Avatar, or The Mastermind, but deep down, I genuinely appreciate being the person others turn to share their favorites, least favorites, and hidden gems. There’s truly nothing better for me than receiving an unsolicited text about a movie.

      I will, of course, lend my name to the list below, but please understand that it's more of a community endeavor than anything else. Additionally, my favorite movie experience this year was attending a repertory screening of A Muppet Christmas Carol alongside my three-year-old, wife, and sister-in-law. My daughter recently resonated with Gonzo, which I find to be an apt Muppet comparison. Watching her nearly scream with excitement every time he appeared on screen made the admission price worthwhile.

      However, this is a list of new films and, with a few exceptions, reflects the ten best movies I’ve seen from a admittedly limited selection.

      10. A House of Dynamite (The First 39 Minutes) (Kathryn Bigelow)

      Surprisingly watched without a fever. Regardless of the commentary on politics, Kathryn Bigelow’s recent focus on analyzing the military-industrial complex has continued to showcase her remarkable ability to maintain suspense during prolonged sequences (think of the Bin Laden raid in Zero Dark Thirty). A House of Dynamite immediately drew me in, featuring what I believe is the finest stretch of filmmaking in her career. The opening section, starring Rebecca Ferguson, intensifies the tension and exemplifies the narrative efficiency Bigelow is known for.

      However, to echo a friend's midnight text, what on earth happened after that? Screenwriter Noah Oppenheim, regrettably, does not match Mark Boal despite their common journalistic backgrounds; Oppenheim’s polemical approach sacrifices nuance, character depth, and eventually plot to drive home its message about nuclear proliferation. Do yourself a favor and stop watching when the screen goes black the first time. If it ended there, it would likely be my #1.

      9. Nouvelle Vague/Megadoc (Richard Linklater/Mike Figgis)

      Caught the flu during both screenings. On the surface, both Richard Linklater’s Nouvelle Vague and Mike Figgis’s Megadoc are virtually the same film. In both, a self-assured filmmaker aggressively pursues his visionary concepts, attempting to silence dissenters along the way. The only significant difference? Megalopolis isn’t particularly good. This comes from someone willing to defend Youth Without Youth, Tetro, and even Twixt as a resurgence in Francis Ford Coppola’s late career. Linklater’s film, while meticulously recreating the filming of Godard’s masterpiece, operates as catnip for cinephiles and made me immediately want to revisit Breathless. Megadoc, conversely, feels almost nightmarish as