Having done extensive cultural criticism work when I was a graduate student at Yale and Berkeley in the early 2000s, I lament that film critics and programmers are generally stuck in the discourse of what’s considered “objectively good.” Highly personal recommendations and opinions are being passed and published as objective facts, replicating the power structure of the Hollywood success hegemony. Having come of age at a privileged and open academic environment, I’ve often found the academic environment to be much more open and exploratory than the banal film world.
To provide a more objective perspective first you must acknowledge and embrace your own subjectivity.
Hence, here’re a few of my favorite movies of 2025:
Not only a fun and original horror movie, Weapons metaphorizes our worst fears and what we are repressed to discuss and think openly about in Trump America. For me, it’s simply amusing and cathartic to watch and re-watch this film.
I like Twinless because it’s really a friendship movie from the perspective of a lonely gay man. It’s both a queer and a straight movie… reminding me of some of the best friendships and drama in my own life.
While I’ve never been a fan of romantic comedies, Materialists sneaks up on me because the main character seems to be so sure of what she wants yet she learns to love and be honest with the irrationality of how we feel about each other. And it’s simply a gift to have found that someone.
Highest 2 Lowest easily becomes one of my favorite Spike Lee movie next to She’s Gotta Have It and Do the Right Thing. I enjoy movies that explore the creation of art from an artist’s point-of-view; and I was quite moved by the final confrontation scene between the protagonist and antagonist in the recording studio so elegantly written and performed.
As a filmmaker, Linklater’s Nouvelle Vague gave me a lot of hope and inspiration as a behind-the-scene exploration of how Jean-Luc Godard made Breathless. It reminds me as a filmmaker how we should never get sidetracked by the distractions around and simply make the movie you want to make.
