2025 has been rich in films and is notable for its cultural diversity. Not only Hollywood produced the most acclaimed films this year, European and Middle Eastern productions also gained ground. If you want to see the most talked about films of 2025, we present to you both the lists of international publishing sites, as well as the favorites of the Romanian public and of the critic Irina-Margareta Nistor.
The films of the year in the view of Irina-Margareta Nistor
Film critic Irina-Margareta Nistor recommends a varied selection of films, from several countries and with different subjects, that encourage introspection.
One Battle After Another: “It is, I think, the film of the year. He ran in Bucharest, but very few people saw him. (…) I think it should be a film with some explanations, so that people don’t get bored after the first half hour”.
The film critic also notes the success that the year 2025 brought to the successful trio from Titanic. But in different productions:
,,I was really looking at it was Cameron’s year, which came well with Avatar. We have Di Caprio, with One Battle After Another and now it also appeared Goodbye Junewhich is Kate Winslet’s directorial debut. I mean the Titanic is back”.
One Battle After Another however, it could not be more different from Titanic. Political satire and social criticism, with licentious language and scenes that can easily shock, did not catch on as well in Romania (6.8 is the rating on Cinemagia) as in the United States, where it has a score of 95% on Rotten Tomatoes and is a favorite for the Oscar.
,,Categorical! This thing has been said since it came out. Because the others, look for example F1 (no with Brad Pitt in the title role, directed by Joseph Kosinski) was earlier in the year, and then it loses momentum. It’s also very good Sinners (no directed by Ryan Coogler). Sure, they’re not necessarily easy movies to watch and they’re not something you go to the cinema to have fun with, but I think it’s very important to see them.” says Irina-Margareta Nistor.
so much One Battle After Another (A battle after another), as well as Sinners can be watched on HBO Max.
The colors of time (L’avenue de l’avenir): “It’s an extraordinary French, which you can see, it’s still in cinemas”. The film is set on two temporal planes. In the present day, four cousins discover that they have been given an abandoned house and go to do the inventory. Discover the story of a brave young woman who lived in France at the end of the 19th century. The film is also a tribute to the birth of the Impressionist movement.
New Wave, ,“which should make us wiser and discover, a part of us, what the new French wave was”. The production takes us to the streets of Paris in 1959 and is, critics believe, a manifesto about the power of cinema. It can be seen in Romania only at the Peasant Museum Cinema.
The Robbery of the Century (Romanian film, directed by Teodora Mihai): “It was a film not only about the theft from the museum, but I think it was also very much about those who decide or have nowhere to go and have to emigrate. It also had the requisite dark humor, and (to a point) the requisite tenderness. It also had Ana-Maria Batolomei, which is a great success. Now we wait for next year, to see Sebastian Stan (No Fjordthe international production of Cristian Mungiu)”. The Romanian production (which won the Audience Award at the Shanghai International Film Festival) is out of theaters and is not currently available on any platform.
Sentimental Value: ,“The film has every chance at the Golden Globes and the Oscars.” Co-production Norway, Germany, Denmark, France, Sweden, directed by Joaquim Trier, the film brings cinematographic art to the fore. It can be watched in Romania only at Cinema Elvire Popesco from Bucharest.
Irina-Margareta Nistor also mentions a few films, which, although they are not favorites at international awards, impressed her:
“From my point of view, it was very sad that people didn’t see enough Downton Abbey: Glorious Ending. And now, finally, I think Jay Kelly, which is on netflix and which is a george clooney movie. It’s sensationally built from end to end, and it’s also about the world of film.”
However, it was among the favorites of the Romanian public Yellow tiethe biographical film about conductor Sergiu Celibidache, starring John Malcovich.
“If I had to bet, I would have said that a lot of people will go to Racewhich is also a 4DX movie – sure, mostly for guys, I’ll admit. But for Yellow tie I was glad not only that they saw it, but that it attracts going to concerts. Or at least let people watch the most famous concerts on You Tube and look forward to including the concert in Vienna on the first day of the year. (…) With music and art, that’s how I would define this year” says Irina-Margareta Nistor.
Films of the year according to the Rolling Stones publication
One Battle After Another, the first film mentioned by Irina-Margareta Nistor, also leads one of the most famous charts in the world, compiled by the Rolling Stones publication.
1. One Battle After Another
2. Hamnet – screen adaptation of the novel of the same name, by Maggie O’Farrell
3. Black Bag (Operation Black Bag) – can be seen on SkyShowtime
4. Train Dreams – can be seen on Netflix
5. Nouvelle Vague
6. It was jus un accident (A simple accident) – an Iranian film that is also among the Oscar favorites. It can be watched at Cinema Elvire Popesco
7. No other choice (I had no choice) – a South Korean film with one of the main actors from Squid Game. It can be seen at all major cinema chains in the country.
IMDb Top 2025
The top made by the most famous platform where movies can be rated looks different. And it features the most popular productions among audiences, not critics.
1. Superman – can be seen on HBO Max
2. Weapons – can be seen on HBO Max
3. Sinners
4. One Battle After Another
5. Jurrasic World: Rebirth (Jurrasic World Rebirth)
6. Frankenstein – among the favorites at the Oscars, can be seen on Netflix
7. Happy Gilmore 2
8. Thunderbolts – can be seen on Disney +
9. Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning – can be seen on Sky Showtimee
10. F1: The Movie
The film with the most ovations at the Venice Film Festival
2025 also came with a record standing ovation at the Venice Film Festival. For 23 minutes, the spectators stood and applauded after watching the film The Voice of Hind Rajabthe true story of a little girl in the Gaza Strip killed by Israeli forces in the early months of the war. Tunisian director Kaouther Ben Hania used the original audio recordings of phone calls from the last hours of life of the 5-year-old girl, stuck in a car with dead relatives, asking for help from Red Crescent volunteers.
“My daughter Hind’s voice today echoes around the world and she will never be forgotten”said the girl’s mother. The film has as executive producers including Joaquin Phoenix, Brad Pitt and Rooney Mara and is among the favorites for the Oscars in the “Best Foreign Film” category.
