Matt at the Movies: Mid-Year Top Ten
It's that time of year - with summer blockbuster season almost over, Matt takes a look at his top films so far this year.
2025 has given us an interesting slate of films since the 97th Academy Awards in March.
April’s A Minecraft Movie was a monster hit that brought in close to a billion dollars globally, and the critically acclaimed Ryan Coogler’s original film (they do exist!) Sinners cashed in with $285 million domestically.
Superman and Jurassic World: Rebirth each eclipsed the $300 million threshold, but existing IP did not fair well overall with Lilo & Stitch, Mission Impossible - The Final Reckoning, How to Train Your Dragon, and the recent reboot The Fantastic Four: First steps all underperforming lofty expectations.
The main surprise so far was that Final Destination: Bloodlines, the sixth film in the series, became its highest grossing at over $100 million domestically. There is always an audience for horror, especially with such a fun premise as cheating death and the Rube Goldberg-machine killing sequences that follow.
The same can’t be said for M3GAN 2.0, which absolutely bombed in a rare miss for horror genre giants Blumhouse Pictures.
Many other pictures were modest successes and we must wonder the cause. Is this still another summer delayed by the writer’s strike of 2023? Are wallets tightening with price rises in all other facets of life continuing to rise? Do people simply enjoy the comforts of home and purchase VOD (video on demand) or wait until movies hit their already paid for streaming services?
Event-izing films and word of mouth still seem to put butts in the seats for a handful of films, but I’m not sure we’re going to go back to mid-level $30-50 million dollar budgets anytime soon. One thing is for sure: this fall is going to be absolutely jam-packed with great directors, big productions, and Oscar-bait films that have me sweating my discretionary time with my wife.
Enough with all the negativity. It’s time to highlight some of the more interesting, bizarre, and fun experiences from the overlooked post-Oscar slate. There are lots of great performances, exhilarating action scenes, and hair-raising thrills to be celebrated.
Let’s take a look at the last five months of releases for our mid year top ten films of 2025 for Y’all Weekly.
Honorable Mentions
On Becoming A Guinea Fowl - Secrets are revealed at the death of a middle class Zambian family.
Warfare - An in your face stylistic battle recreation of a SEAL team mission gone awry.
Friendship - Tim Robinson & Paul Rudd discover that friendship in your 40’s is not all it's cracked up to be.
#10 - Eddington
(In theaters and V.O.D. August 12th)
Matt at the Movies Score: 7/10
The Tea
I raced to the theater to catch director Ari Aster’s black comedy satires after returning from holiday before it left the big screen. Set in a small rural New Mexico town during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, we see opposing ideologies as well as external societal forces crush this sleepy populace into a powder keg ready to explode. The film follows sheriff Joe Cross (Joaquin Phoenix) homespun conservative sensibilities pushing back against incumbent mayor Ted Garcia (Pedro Pascal) and his often pandering “woke” views on how to run the town in the midst of health mandates, town politics, and economic developments that could affect the landscape of the town. The sheriff, fueled by his family's conspiracy-filled social media consumption, takes the plunge to run against the popular mayor setting off events that take WILD turns before its conclusion.
Why Should I Watch?
This story weaves in the disorientated day to day life at the peak of the pandemic with plenty of humor that pokes at both sides of the political spectrum with ease. We see how social media invades the psyche of citizens along with social movements such as Black Lives Matter, Antifa, “big” energy companies, government conspiracies, Native American politics, and a healthy dose of ivermectin to wash it all down. Phoenix and his supporting casts roles feel lived in to this portion of America and native New Mexican Aster uses the landscape to create a modern western aesthetic. Wherever you land on the political spectrum this satire will make you laugh, piss you off, and sit with you several days after viewing.
#9 - Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning
(Streaming on V.O.D. August 19th)
Matt at the Movies Score: 7.0/10
The Tea
Read all about this film from my review during Tom Cruise action week!
Why Should I Watch?
While I have mellowed on the rating after re-watch (down to 7.0 from 8.5), the action scenes are some of the best I’ve ever watched. For Mission: Impossible completionists, you’ll thoroughly enjoy the nostalgia and possible conclusion of Ethan Hunt’s story arc.
#8 - F1
(In theaters and V.O.D. to be determined)
Matt at the Movies Score: 7.5/10
The Tea
Apple Studios went all in for the Joseph Kosinski (Top Gun: Maverick) vehicle starring Brad Pitt, spending a reported $300 million on its budget and marketing. The film hits a lot of familiar sports tropes including a driver past his prime trying to prove himself, an up and coming protege with a chip on his shoulder, a racing team in the doldrums needing to secure much needed victories to survive, and an overmatched rag tag team adjusting on the fly to compete with the big boys of their sport.
Why should I watch?
This was a standard sports movie formula that features better actors, excellent cinematography mixed with superb editing, and several racing scenes that with proper home entertainment set ups will leave you with hair raising off your forearms. Pitt excels as the elder cool bad ass driver just as Steve McQueen did over fifty years prior. His actions speak louder than the script and you find yourself rooting for him. Javier Bardem plays his former racing peer and current team owner who is bursting at the seams with charisma every time he pops up on screen complimenting Pitt’s frosty demeanor. Some of the racing action features new camera technology that puts you in the drivers mindset while also putting down the point that this is one of the most dangerous sports in the world.
If you liked Top Gun or Days of Thunder, this film hits the gap in the most over the top way possible.
#7 - The Ballad of Wallis Island
(Streaming on Peacock)
Matt at the Movies Score: 7.5/10
The Tea
This light dramatic comedy features a former folk duo who are reunited to the small titular island by an eccentric wealthy fanboy to play a private concert to seemingly one person. The millionaire Charles, played with amazing British dry wit by Tim Key, is a lonely widower whose connection to this group is one of the last ways to feel connected to his late wife. He lacks conventional social graces, an ability to read to the room, and seemingly makes an ass out of himself whenever he’s in the presence of Herb (Tom Basden) and Nell (Carey Mulligan). The banter between Charles and Herb is the heart of the film but when Nell comes back into Herb’s orbit after several years after the group's breakup, we see how all three characters try to deal with their past to create closure.
Why should I watch?
It’s a movie that makes you simply feel. It’s funny, embarrassing, sweet, and also quite sad but in the right tonal perspective of the film. You find yourself curious of each character's former lives that brought them to this point on a tiny island off the coast of Wales. You laugh at poor Charles who would give you the shirt off his back if he wasn’t too busy barging into the changing room as you put it on. Herb has moved on to try a solo music career and doesn’t seem to be staying true to his passion of music for the fading chance of staying relevant. Nell has moved on completely from to the Pacific Northwest selling crafted goods and settled down into marriage with a husband who also shows up on the island. There are a few beautiful scenes where vulnerability and empathy come together to honestly give you a good cry. And if you can’t have a nice eye watering moment from time to time then what are we even doing anymore?
#6 - 40 Acres (Streaming on V.O.D.)
Matt at the Movies Score: 8/10
The Tea
I caught this film at a “mystery movie night” at AMC theaters thinking I was about to be treated to an early viewing of 28 Years Later. As the title cards popped up talking about blight, famine, worldwide pandemics for both humans as well as animals, and the complete dissolution of society, my eyes widened that maybe this mystery was the real post-apocalyptic winner. You are immediately thrown into action to a small Canadian self-sufficient farm that can still grow healthy crops and is attacked by raiders for their precious bounty. Danielle Deadwyler, who has been on a tear on both large and small screens, stars as the matriarch of the blended family that refuses to give up an inch to the collapsing outside world. They are trained warriors, agrarian philosophers, and native sons of their land who must fight a new group of cannibalistic raiders that have been sweeping through the region leaving carnage in their midst.
Why should I watch?
There wasn’t a moment to settle in with your popcorn before intense action begins right away to set the tone for the film. This is the ultimate “what would you do?” apocalypse-prepper film that fully fleshes out how much work is needed without modern conventions to survive. The Freeman family runs by extremely strict rules, near complete isolation, and a rigidity of routine that eventually apexes to the younger generation beginning to question what the point of living is if they can’t find others to be a part of it. You begin to really connect and love this family along with their will to survive with actual humanity in an inhumane world. It’s an action packed well spent 113 minutes that throws a curveball to genre.
#5 - 28 Years Later
(Streaming on V.O.D.)
Matt at the Movies Score: 8.0/10
The Tea
Screenwriter Alex Garland (Civil War/Ex Machina) and Oscar winning director Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire) team up for the third time and continue their original 2002 story 28 Days Later as the Rage virus has decimated the British Isles causing it to be quarantined off by the rest of the now cured continental mainland around them. The film takes place on a remote tidal island near the Scottish border where a small civilization still pushes on to keep humanity going. Their enemy remains to be the ever changing virus which has mutated creating a variation of infected who are now able to communicate, hunt, and think led by massive pack leaders with superhuman strength labeled “Alphas”. Father Jamie (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) is a scavenger who is bringing his twelve year old son Spike on his first expedition in a coming-of-age tradition. Mother Isla (Jodie Comer) suffers from mental health issues and its toll weighs on the small family nucleus as her condition worsens. Father and son experience a harrowing journey against the infected that features a wild race against time to cross their causeway before they are chased down. As Isla’s condition worsens, Spike knows he must find the enigmatic mainland Dr. Kelson (Ralph Fiennes) to treat her before she dies. They set on a journey against all odds in hopes of a cure.
Why should I watch?
This movie was primarily shot on rigging with multiple iPhones to enhance the action sequences of the chases and frenetic infected movements. The tension that builds is similar to the previous two installments of the franchise but they Boyle and crew really make use of the English countryside to add a dreadful beauty to the horror. Spike, played by young English actor Alfie Williams, is the fulcrum of the storyline and does a wonderful job using his willpower in the midst of an unrelenting world to try and save his mother. By the time they meet Dr. Kelson in the third act there is a real reflection on the precious nature of human life, the soul, and the process of letting go that I was not expecting from a zombie film. Garland and Boyle pair extremely well together giving a gorgeous visual style that compliments the brutal nature of the script. The final scene is a great divider for many but I personally embraced the insanity and can’t wait to see what film two of this hopefully three story arc will go next.
#4 - The Life of Chuck
(Streaming on V.O.D)
Matt at the Movies Score: 8.0/10
The Tea
In 2024, The Life of Chuck won the most prestigious prize (The People’s Choice Award) at the Toronto International Film Festival. Director Mike Flanagan adapted the Stephen King drama fantasy novella and Neon pictures seemingly botched the release with little to no fanfare in early June. For a company with an incredible five year track record including multiple Best Picture and foreign film acclaim at the Oscars, you wonder if they had trouble trying to market to whom this movie is for? Set in three distinct stories that go from surreal to coming of age, we see snippets of Chuck's life within his mind as he battles a life ending disease.
Why should I watch?
I’ve covered this film as well as the passing of my longtime friend Ginger in an earlier piece put out this summer. Give it a read to learn about a wonderful film and an even better person who the community lost too soon.
#3 - Weapons
(In theaters and at The Independent Picture House!)
Matt at the Movies Score: 8.5/10
The Tea
Writer and director Zach Cregger exceeded all expectations while scrambling our idea of what constitutes modern horror with 2022’s crazy Barbarian. Listening to him speak this week about the making of his new film Weapons on the movie podcast The Big Picture, it was clear he was working out his own personal feelings on the tragic loss of his writing partner Trevor Moore. The result was once again a deranged story involving mystery, mourning, witchcraft, and some gnarly grossout horror tinged with comedic elements that he himself was surprised by the audience's response to.
As the tagline says, “Last night at 2:17 a.m., every child from Mrs. Gandy's class woke up, got out of bed, went downstairs, opened the front door, walked into the dark… and they never came back”. We enter this sleepy Pennsylvania town of Maybrook where parents including Archer Graff (Josh Brolin) want answers and the caring but hiddenly troubled teacher Ms. Gandy (Julia Garner) can’t provide any more answers than the police as she is placed on administrative leave. We are then filtered through seven vignettes where the stories of several key characters overlap to show different perspectives as to how the tragedy unfolds. Each character including the only student who didn’t disappear reveal clues, backstory, and often haunting imagery set to the opening George Harrison tune “Beware of Darkness” to create a tonal juxtaposition from the outset to keep the viewer on their toes. Once the cat is let out of the bag, similar to his previous twist in Barbarian, we are in for a wild final act to see how the plot will conclude. The opening day crowd collectively held their breath, yelled at the screen, laughed, and clapped at the conclusion of another twisted Cregger venture.
Why should I watch?
I have to be honest: my direct post-viewing score was a 7.0, as there were a lot of different ideas to process. I sat with it for a full day before giving it a second viewing to where I could really appreciate and embrace the various convergence of plot points to go along with excellent individual performances. Amazing character actors such as Benedict Wong as the school principal, Alden Ehrenreich as a local cop with love ties to ostracized teacher, Austin Abrams as the town drug addict, and a special pop in from Amy Madigan as the sickly aunt of the lone surviving child of Ms. Gandy’s classroom. Cregger’s ability to mix in the normalcy of everyday life then switch things on a dime to mount tension or make or stomachs turn is a welcomed gift from the often paint by numbers jump scare horror films that release on the regular in theaters year round. Just like in 28 Years Later the final scene is an absolute banger and will leave you walking out of the theater with a smile on your face and the need for an adult beverage. Catch this out on the big screen locally at The Independent Picture House.
#2 - Sinners
(Streaming on HBO and V.O.D.)
Matt at the Movies Score: 9.0/10
The Tea
The accolades are already mounting for this original written script by director Ryan Coogler who teamed up once again with his acting muse Michael B. Jordan played dual roles as twin brothers Smoke & Stack in this 1930’s Mississippi Delta vampire thriller. It brought in over 365 million worldwide and will hopefully keep its legs long enough to be granted some plaudits during awards season.
Why should I watch?
Widely available to stream, read my review and thoughts on my #2 mid-year film here at Y’all Weekly.
#1 - Black Bag
(Stream on Peacock and V.O.D.)
Matt at the Movies Score: 9.0/10
The Tea
If you noticed the top three movies on my list feature original scripts and some auteur filmmakers with their own personal stamp. Steven Soderbergh is a prolific filmmaker and this crisp, sexy, ninety-four minute spy thriller hit all the boxes for me on what I want for an adult night out at the movies. This stacked cast including Michael Fassbender and Cate Blanchett immediately pushes in the action of a leak within a high class governmental agency where Fassbender must suss out the mole which includes his wife as a prime suspect. As he works through the list of potential candidates his dry proper English sensibilities clash against an assortment of sly coworkers all with baggage and motive. The film features two intimate work dinners that I can only dream to be a part of sometime in my life.
Why should I watch?
The full breakdown of my favorite film so far this year can be found here.
The Denouement
Up ahead is a solid movie slate to pair with the slow start to the 2025 season.
While August is somewhat light on potential award winners, we have a jam packed September that will feature Leonard DiCaprio in Paul Thomas Anderson’s big budget One Battle After Another, loosely based on a Thomas Pynchon novel. We also will get Spike Lee and Denzel Washington’s neo-noir crime thriller Highest 2 Lowest, as well as the Palme d'Or-nominated early 20th century love story The History of Sound starring Paul Mescal.
Make sure to support local theaters and thanks as always for reading Matt at the Movies on Y’all Weekly.