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Tarek’s Top 10 Films of 2025

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Film Critic Tarek Fayoumi standing outside the BFI IMAX in London

2025 was a wild ride for film lovers. Scores of great films combined with competition among studios resulted in many special cinematic moments to cherish for years to come. Last year also included many unforgettable scenes and notable accomplishments. From a film with Leonardo DiCaprio running around in his bathrobe to Dylan O’Brien playing twins finding connection, 2025 offered spellbinding experiences which led to strong emotions that will linger for years. These are my top 10 films of 2025.

The first film is One Battle After Another. This is by far one of the most creative, prolific, yet comedic films I have seen by the well-known director Paul Thomas Anderson. So many moving parts come together at once and still manage to maintain a humor-filled vibe along with plenty of political espionage. One Battle After Another is a sensational ride of madness and fun. It is daring, and lethally action-packed. Mayhem is around every corner, and the misdirection is attention-grabbing. There are many unexpected punches to the face that keep audiences wanting for more.

The second film is Twinless. Director, writer, and actor James Sweeney presents a touching film about disconnect and the need to find a replacement. Sweeney is the master of emotional writing and turmoil. Twinless twisted my emotions to the core. The performances of Sweeney and O’Brien are insanely audacious. Love and grief find common ground in thismesmerizing portrait of appreciation. The title reminds audiences of the power of wishful thinking. Despite the hard truths of the film, the wonders of love are a revelation. Twinless delves into grief looking to be relieved. O’Brien and Sweeney are a dynamic duo trying to combat grief after the loss of their loved ones.

The third film is Hamnet. This is a powerful, transformative movie about the world of Shakespeare. Political themes play out in a medieval era filled with dynamics of power, love, and loss all performed on a stage. Hamnet is a thought-provoking portrait of challenges and turmoil in situations that should be black and white. The conflict between good and evil leads to connections and brilliance on stage. As one who loves theatricals, I was blown away by two things during this film. First, the chemistry between the main characters. Second, the effective portrayal of powerful emotions. Hamnet is well-written and demonstrates the human emotions of sadness and grief.

The fourth film is Rental Family. From the mind of director Hikari comes a mesmerizing and diverse portrait where some unique connections are found. Rental Family focuses on a character with a struggling career who decides to take a different path—one that requires having a heart. Brendan Fraser delivers one of the best performances of 2025, and ultimately one of the best of his career. Rental Family is a unique film that blends diversity and human connection to create parallel values and deep context. 

The fifth film is Sorry, Baby.  Eva Victor is the writer, the director and the lead in Sorry, Baby. She gives everything to this performance. Her mental awareness and her ability to portray disconnect are impressive as she shines in displaying both stress and relief. It is built upon a foundation of the steps it takes to move forward. The result is a landscape of trial and error that paints a clear picture of what it means to go with a gut-feeling.

The sixth film is The Baltimorons. This film is an absolute gem in which connections are found in unlikely places. It is a masterclass of comedy based on finding meaning after loss. The Baltimorons is a Christmas miracle from the mind of Jay Duplass. Co-written by Michael Strassner who is also the lead in the film, The Baltimorons relies upon a formulaic approach involving someone trying to cope with disconnect on Christmas Eve. I have long admired Duplass. In this film, he showcases the human ability to thrive in the face of loss. I adore The Baltimorons for its focus on someone dealing with personalfrustrations while also trying to bring happiness to others.

The seventh film is Marty Supreme. One-of-a-kind and authentic, this movie features one of Timothee Chalamet’s most mesmerizing performances. The film is like a ping pong match that you can’t take your eyes off. Writer and director Josh Safdie creates a film that is a few notches down from the stress of Uncut Gems and not aimed as much at gambling. This time the story highlights earning money through competition and building a reputation.

The eighth film is Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives out Mystery. Writer and director Rian Johnson is back with another installment, and this one may be the best of them all. The clues, the people, the egos, and the matters all make these mystery thrillers so fanciful and wonderful. It shines especially bright with Daniel Craig reprising his role as Benoit Blanc and bringing out laid-back detective mannerisms. At the same time, Craig’s character has the personality to solve the case by putting the pieces together one-by-one. The whole film is an exciting ride filled with questions, humor, and fun set in a church this time around. The wrongdoings have a lot to do with faith and fate—but also community involvement comes into the equation. Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery showcases a pattern of realizations created to blindside audiences with clever writing. Johnson is a genius.

The ninth film is Jay Kelly. Noah Baumbach’s films always spark human emotions because his writing creates moments in which audiences experience sadness. When directing films about divorce like The Squid and the Whale and Marriage Story, he painted portraits that show how everyone is impacted in these situations but still deserving of empathy. Baumbach has also directed films on family dynamics like Margot at the Wedding and Kicking and Screaming in which he carefully establishes that there is a level of disconnect. In his newest feature, Jay Kelly, there is disconnection from life due to fame. This film takes a more lighthearted approach with joyful scenes, while still being sad.

The tenth film is Frankenstein. The mind of Guillermo del Toro finds creative connections in a powerhouse effort which includes wonders of cinematic imagination unlike any other. From the worlds of Pan’s Labyrinth, The Orphanage, and Pinocchio, he creates new meaning with Frankenstein. In this film, the emergence of light evolves, but the political aspects regarding humanistic value fall between the cracks.

Film Critic Tarek Fayoumi standing next to a projector at BFI Southbank in London

2025 was a ride full of fantastic films. With all the films on my list being seen in virtual or digital form, I felt a sense of increased empathy in 2025 stemming from the themes of these impressive films. The external landscape in 2025 felt overwhelming at times, but ultimately there was a respite available in cinematic surroundings in every week. Staying upbeat was difficult at times, yet luckily in movies empathy was still alive in 2025.

Ebertfest 2025, Lists

Ebertfest 2025 Preview

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“We live in a box of space and time. Movies are windows in its walls.”

-Roger Ebert.

I feel I will live in a box of both “space” and “time” at Ebertfest.This festival of community and inspiration begins April 23 and will conclude April 26.  Roger was my inspiration to be a film critic not only because I have always loved movies, but also when my parents turned on his program Ebert & Roeper and I saw him in his element and was hooked. The discussions of new releases and ratings with thumbs up and thumbs down came to me in an instant. From that day on, Roger was my idol in my film critique journey. This year, I feel that Ebertfest is emphasizing the importance of surrealism and revisiting pure classics. As one who has attended the festival since 2015, I feel this year is going to be one of enticement and appreciation among many audiences for Ebertfest. These are my four most anticipated titles in this year’s festival.

The first one is Desperately Seeking Susan. This is going to be my first time watching this film, although I have read about the direction and the many classic moments of the characterizations. The concept of finding boredom is what makes me anticipatethis one at Ebertfest this year, especially with the film entering its forty-year anniversary. There is that vibe of the 1980s that is going to blend a special feeling of wonder for the many audiences with Desperately Seeking Susan at Ebertfest this year.

The second one is His Three Daughters. This was by far one of the most influential and personal journeys of a story I have seen. His Three Daughters is a film that encompasses empathy andfinding common ground among siblings. I am looking forward to revisiting His Three Daughters because of how it will bring many emotions to the table. It will bring some uplifting moments and some on the more serious side–deep down the audiences at Ebertfest are going to feel engaged with the film. The performances of Carrie Coon, Natasha Lyonne, and Elizabeth Olsen will dive into the core of the film without holding anything back. The director of the film, Azazel Jacobs, will be in attendance, and his discussion is going to take the meaning of His Three Daughters to heights that connect the themes of relativity, personality, and compassion in telling this story.

The third one is The Searchers. This title is also special becauseit is a first time viewing for me and it is going to be screened in a restoration print. In addition, it is the opener to the festival. A quintessential John Wayne and Western classic is the way to start festival, as Roger worshipped films in this category. It will also make us feel we are part of an era that feels dismissed, yetits presence still fulfills and has merit with the ability to see this film in print. In seeing The Searchers, I feel I am going to feel like I am in a historical setting around its era. 

The fourth film is Megalopolis. A project by Francis Ford Coppola where I felt my initial experience was an on and off one. Despite its efforts with many decades in the making, the flawed moments add an interactive track to the film itself. Overall, Megalopolis is a title that adds a lot of worthiness to the festival. With Coppola himself, taking part in a discussion, this will add to the surreal component surrounding Megalopolis. There are a lot of flaws in back-and-forth efforts which somedislike, and others love. I am one that is neutral about Megalopolis, but I know that revisiting it is only going to fuel my mind with more curiosity to the visionary efforts of Coppola himself.

Finally, The Hangover will be screened. This is a comedy that is genius and has many memories that live in the mind to this day. A classic comedy of moving parts and raunchy humor where Vegas does not have the greatest outcome for its bachelor party friends—all together though, it is one wild ride that brings in the biggest laughing moments to this day. I love The Hangover.  “Whatever happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas,” is a saying that feels like a monumental and appropriate conclusion to this year’s festival, as it closes out the fest. To add to the fun, Producer Scott Budnick will be there for a Q and A after the movie.

To conclude, this year’s festival is going to be my fourth time attending. I attended in 2015, 2023, and 2024 and I look forward to returning for another year. I have attended many film festivals ranging from Cannes Film Festival, Chicago International Film Festival, Chicago Critics Film Festival, Chicago Reeling Film Festival, Chicago Underground Film Festival, and I have done virtual coverage of Fantastic Fest. Many festivals have lots of chaos with jumping from screening to screening and always taking risks to get into the big events. There is fun to that, but it also adds the stress and anxiety. There is none of that at Ebertfest. All the films are in the same place, the iconic The Virginia Theatre. With a fest in one place, soaking in what films mean, and their context of wonders, the mind is more stimulated. With the foundation of Ebertfest, appreciation comes to a light where there is so much to be thankful for and emphasize film as an art-form in a context that offers a spectrum of films and many opportunities to change gears. That is what makes a festival one to be remembered for ages along with thediversity among filmmakers, actors, critics, and audiences itself.  Ebertfest builds a fundamental appreciation of film to a level that is unforgettable.

What touches my heart the most is I feel I am in a certain environment. That “environment” belongs to my influence…Roger Ebert! Watching the many films he loved or would have loved. Roger’s presence is always with me as a critic, and I know it will shine with me again at this year’s Ebertfest starting April 23rd! Festival passes (available now) and individual tickets (available closer to the start of the festival) can be purchased on Ebertfest.com!