Readers’ Favorite Films of 2025: A Mix of Blockbusters and Art‑House Hits

The New York Times asked readers to vote for the best films of 2025. Thousands responded, producing a list that ranges from big box‑office hits to small art‑house indies.

The readers’ No. 1 pick was One Battle After Another, a film that also ranked high on critics’ lists — No. 1 on Alissa Wilkinson’s list and No. 2 on Manohla Dargis’s — and was included among the panel of experts’ 25 notable titles. Sinners placed second on the readers’ list; it was No. 1 on Dargis’s list, No. 8 on Wilkinson’s and is available to stream on HBO Max.

Other readers’ choices that overlapped with critics and experts include Marty Supreme (readers’ No. 13; No. 3 on Dargis’s list and No. 4 on Wilkinson’s), The Secret Agent (No. 16 for readers; No. 8 on Dargis’s list) and Sirat (No. 29 and listed among the experts’ 25).

The overall results show some alignment with critics at the top, but readers also ranked more controversial films like Eddington and Friendship highly. Documentaries, by contrast, barely made the cut.

The Times published the readers’ full top 50, noting where those titles appeared on critics’ and experts’ lists.

Key Topics

Culture, Sinners, Marty Supreme, Sirat, Hbo Max, New York Times