Tuesday, December 30, 2025 |
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It's the last call for 2025. At Esquire's entertainment desk, that means finding the time for any movies, shows, or albums we missed. Earlier this month, I asked Anthony Breznican for his list of films that were overlooked and misunderstood this year, and he came back with five titles that I'm slowly making my way through. One of the movies is even Alec Baldwin's Rust—just wait until you see Breznican's argument for it. I know you're as ready to say sayonara to this year as I am, but you should find time to check out one of Breznican's recommendations below. —Brady Langmann, senior entertainment editor Plus: |
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Here's this year's crop of meaningful films that should get more love.
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Some movies just deserve better. As the year draws to a close, there will be many rundowns of the best films of 2025 (ours is below), and plenty of those titles will be destined for further consideration at the Oscars, while others are already bonafide financial hits. But it's also worth reconsidering some movies that were worthy of more attention than they got. These are the underdogs, the lesser-seen, often overlooked, and perhaps misjudged projects that I wish had connected more deeply with the audience. Maybe they still can. With that in mind, here are a few that moved me to tears, made me laugh, made me think, and frequently accomplished all of the above. Disagree? So be it. Check these out with an open mind. |
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I have three reasons for not going out to bars on New Year's: They are loud. They are busy. And they're way too sticky. I typically opt for a friend's place instead. But this year, the year in which I crossed completely into my 30s, I might be ready to grow up from attendee to host. By hosting close friends at my own home, I can control all three aforementioned variables (depending on whether my one buddy, who's prone to spilling only the most sugary cocktails, is invited).
Hosting comes with its own challenges. Namely, drinks. A couple bottles of bottom-shelf prosecco and a 30 rack of Miller High Life (the Champagne of beers!) might have worked ten years ago. Nowadays, my crowd expects something more elevated. Luckily, Esquire spoke to top bartenders and spirits brands to gather a list of the best cocktails for New Year's Eve. |
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When it comes to movies, it's very possible that 2025 will be remembered more for what happened off the screen than on it. I'm referring, of course, to the recent sale of Warner Bros. to Netflix. Whether the deal goes through or Paramount stages a successful hostile takeover, the consolidation will no doubt accelerate the decline of studio filmmaking. The potential for cataclysm is all the more glaring because of Warner Bros.'s superlative year. The storied studio produced the top earner at the domestic box office (A Minecraft Movie), the Oscar frontrunner (One Battle After Another), the superest superhero flick of the year (Superman), and arguably the year's two buzziest original cinematic sensations (Sinners and Weapons). Warner's success was the result of some shrewd bets and strong marketing, but it was also thanks to Warner Chairs Pam Abdy and Michael De Luca's willingness to take chances on the wild visions of ambitious, crowd-pleasing auteurs. Even some of those difficult movies had their share of thrills; there were promising debuts from exciting new voices, like Carson Lund, Eva Victor, and Alex Russell; there were some truly incredible spectacles, like in Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning and Sinners; and comedies like Splitsville, The Naked Gun, and Friendship had me in tears. Things will likely continue to get harder for artistically-minded filmmakers, but even as the sky falls, 2025 is a good reminder that there will always be plenty of determined, compelling talents who persevere. |
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