Sunday Special: The Best Movies of 2025

Episode of The Daily · December 28, 2025 · 54 min

Gilbert Cruz, Alissa Wilkinson and Nicole Sperling review 2025's best and biggest movies, Warner Bros.' banner year amid its sale, and play a film quiz.

Summary

In the final episode of The Daily's Sunday Special, host Gilbert Cruz looked back on the year in movies with New York Times critic Alissa Wilkinson and Los Angeles-based culture reporter Nicole Sperling. Wilkinson's top film, Paul Thomas Anderson's One Battle After Another, opened the discussion; Wilkinson praised its assurance and generational theme, while Sperling predicted it would win best picture but noted it was a modest box office performer given its large budget.

The group then traced Warner Bros.' remarkable run of hits, including Sinners, A Minecraft Movie, Superman and Weapons, set against the pending sale of the studio to either Netflix or Paramount. Sperling recounted how studio heads Mike De Luca and Pam Abdy had been rumored to be on the way out before the hits began, and expressed skepticism about Netflix's stated commitment to theatrical releases. Wilkinson praised James Gunn's approach to DC films and Zach Cregger's comic timing in Weapons.

The panel also discussed the historically poor October box office, which Sperling attributed partly to fragmented attention and fast-spreading social media verdicts, followed by a holiday rebound from Wicked: For Good, Zootopia 2 and Avatar: Fire and Ash. Wilkinson argued that there are too few children's films in theaters, and Sperling credited James Cameron and Christopher Nolan with sustaining theatrical moviegoing, while warning that industry consolidation would keep shrinking the business.

Each participant recommended lesser-seen films: Wilkinson chose Marty Supreme and The Testament of Ann Lee, Sperling chose Jafar Panahi's It Was Just an Accident and the Andrea Gibson documentary Come See Me in the Good Light, and Cruz recommended the action set pieces of Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning. The episode closed with a three-round quiz, which Wilkinson won by one point.

Chapters

Linked moment · 0:04Skip to 0:04 using a listen link in the info box.
0:04
Is this the last year for movies?
Cruz introduces the guests and Sperling rejects the idea that movies are finished despite the pending Warner Bros. deal.
1:15
One Battle After Another
Wilkinson explains why Paul Thomas Anderson's film topped her list and Sperling weighs its best picture chances against its box office.
6:03
Sinners
The panel discusses Ryan Coogler's original vampire film and its surprising box office and cultural staying power.
9:17
Warner Bros.' turnaround year
Sperling recounts how the studio's leadership went from rumored ouster to a string of hits as the company heads toward a sale.
12:41
Superman and the future of DC
Wilkinson praises James Gunn's Superman and Sperling considers what a Netflix or Paramount takeover could mean for DC and theatrical releases.
16:46
Weapons
The hosts share viewing experiences of Zach Cregger's horror film and discuss the link between comedy and horror.
22:01
The October box office bust
Sperling analyzes why a fall slate of star-driven films flopped.
24:12
Holiday rebound: Wicked, Zootopia and Avatar
The panel discusses Wicked: For Good, Zootopia 2, the shortage of children's films, and James Cameron's Avatar: Fire and Ash.
31:34
The industry's year in review
Sperling argues that original hits were overshadowed by consolidation that will further shrink Hollywood.
32:53
Recommendations
Each participant recommends films including Marty Supreme, It Was Just an Accident, The Testament of Ann Lee, Come See Me in the Good Light and Mission: Impossible.
44:03
Year-end movie quiz
Cruz quizzes the guests on foreign titles, Warner Bros. corporate history and clips with his voice inserted; Wilkinson wins.

Key points

What was said, by whom, with the exact words. Timestamps jump to the moment.

Alissa Wilkinson
Wilkinson argues the film is about how each generation of activists hands its unfinished battle to the next.
“every generation has to fight its own battles. And every generation of activists tries to kind of idealistically win and then winds up handing off their battle”
Listen from 3:03 · One Battle After Another
Nicole Sperling Came true
Sperling predicts One Battle After Another will win the Academy Award for Best Picture.
“I enjoyed it so much and walked out of it and said, well, that's our best picture winner. And I still think that's the case”
Listen from 4:04 · One Battle After Another
Nicole Sperling
Sperling says One Battle After Another was Anderson's most expensive film and not a major box office win once marketing and theater revenue splits are factored in.
“It made $70 million domestically. It made $200 worldwide, which sounds like a lot of money. But when you factor in the marketing costs”
Listen from 4:19 · One Battle After Another
Nicole Sperling
Sperling notes that Sinners, a wholly original film, became an unpredicted top-10 domestic box office hit.
“It made $280 million in the U.S. It's in the top 10 of the box office, which no one ever would have predicted”
Listen from 7:27 · Sinners (2025 film)
Alissa Wilkinson
Wilkinson calls Sinners a genuine cultural phenomenon and credits Ryan Coogler with winning unusual creative control from the studio.
“I just thought this is a genuine cultural phenomenon. And how impressive is Ryan Coogler for being able to make the studio do this?”
Listen from 9:01 · Sinners (2025 film)
Alissa Wilkinson
Wilkinson praises Superman's visual humor and coherent action, contrasting it with most Marvel films.
“I knew where I was all the time when there were fight scenes, which I can't say for virtually any Marvel movie”
Listen from 13:54 · Superman (2025 film)
Nicole Sperling
Sperling is skeptical of Netflix's promise to keep Warner Bros.' theatrical operation, noting the company's preference for fast streaming windows.
“they have never been big fans of the theatrical movie going experience. They want movies to come to their platform as quickly as possible”
Listen from 16:20 · Netflix acquisition of Warner Bros.
Alissa Wilkinson
Wilkinson argues that Zach Cregger's comedy background shows in Weapons' timing and that comedy and horror are closely linked.
“Zach Kreger's background is in comedy, too, which I think really comes out in this film”
Listen from 19:38 · Weapons (2025 film)
Nicole Sperling
Sperling attributes the fall box office slump partly to social media spreading verdicts on films before they open.
“if critic reviews come out, social media spreads super fast. Like, you know if you have a hit or a bomb before something even debuts”
Listen from 23:36 · 2025 box office
Alissa Wilkinson
Wilkinson argues Wicked: For Good needed less marketing because the first film served as its promotion.
“The marketing for this one is the previous movie that everyone saw. So I think that accounts for for, you know, box office”
Listen from 25:13 · Wicked: For Good
Alissa Wilkinson
Wilkinson argues there are too few children's movies in theaters and that decent ones reliably make money.
“every time there's like a halfway passably decent movie for kids in the theaters, it makes a ton of money and everyone seems really surprised by this”
Listen from 27:57 · Theatrical moviegoing
Alissa Wilkinson
Wilkinson says the Avatar films leave her cold, though she considers Titanic among the greatest films ever made.
“it was on my sight and sound ballot as one of the greatest movies of all time a couple years ago”
Listen from 30:12 · Avatar: Fire and Ash
Nicole Sperling
Sperling credits James Cameron and Christopher Nolan with sustaining the theatrical experience.
“him and Chris Nolan are the guys who are so dedicated to the theatrical experience. Like, thank God for those guys”
Listen from 30:41 · Theatrical moviegoing
Nicole Sperling
Sperling warns that commercial consolidation will further shrink the film business, harming artists despite the year's original hits.
“we're going to see a business that has already contracted keep contracting. And it's not going to be great for artists”
Listen from 32:31 · Netflix acquisition of Warner Bros.
Alissa Wilkinson
Wilkinson compares Marty Supreme to Uncut Gems and recommends it.
“It is sort of like Uncut Gems in that it's like a two and a half hour panic attack”
Listen from 33:33 · Marty Supreme
Nicole Sperling Didn’t happen
Sperling predicts Jafar Panahi will receive an Academy Award nomination for Best Director.
“Panahi, I believe, will likely get a director nomination from the Academy this year”
Listen from 34:47 · It Was Just an Accident
Gilbert Cruz
Cruz argues that the Academy's internationalization, which led to Parasite's Best Picture win, will continue with films like It Was Just an Accident.
“the increasing internationalization of the Academy over the past few years, resulting in Parasite winning Best Picture”
Listen from 37:08 · It Was Just an Accident
Alissa Wilkinson
Wilkinson describes The Testament of Ann Lee as a strange cradle-to-grave biopic that would be horror in other hands.
“In any other hands, it would be a horror film. It's a biopic, essentially, Cradle to Grave”
Listen from 38:31 · The Testament of Ann Lee
Nicole Sperling
Sperling, who interviewed Andrea Gibson and Megan Falley at Sundance, says the subjects intended the documentary to be watched at home.
“They wanted this to be a movie that you watch at home because they let you into their home”
Listen from 41:51 · Come See Me in the Good Light

People

In the conversation

Gilbert CruzCanon editor at The New York Times
Alissa WilkinsonMovie critic for The New York Times
Nicole SperlingLos Angeles-based New York Times culture reporter covering the movie business

Discussed

Paul Thomas AndersonAmerican filmmaker who directed The Master
Ryan CooglerAmerican director of Sinners and Black Panther
James GunnDirector of Superman and co-head of DC Studios
James CameronFilmmaker who previously held rights to Michael Turner's comics
Jafar PanahiIranian filmmaker who directed the Palme d'Or winner It Was Just an Accident
Andrea GibsonAmerican poet and subject of the documentary Come See Me in the Good Light, who died in 2025
Zach CreggerWriter-director of Weapons and Barbarian
Mike De LucaCo-chairman of Warner Bros. Pictures
Pam AbdyCo-chairwoman of Warner Bros. Pictures
Christopher NolanBritish-American film director adapting the Odyssey for the screen
Benicio Del ToroPuerto Rican actor, Brolin's Sicario co-star
Michael B. JordanAmerican actor praised by Kelly for playing two roles in a vampire thriller
Mona FastvoldWriter-director of The Testament of Ann Lee
Tom CruiseAmerican actor whose Oprah couch-jumping moment a coworker compared to Exantus's behavior
Timothée ChalametAmerican actor and Knicks fan

Topics

From the publisher

As 2025 comes to an end, The Sunday Special is looking back on the year in culture. This week, on our final episode of the podcast, we’re talking about movies. The potential acquisition of Warner Brothers by Netflix has dominated entertainment news in recent weeks, but the year in movies has been about a lot more than corporate mergers. Alissa Wilkinson, a movie critic for The New York Times, and Nicole Sperling, a culture reporter based in Los Angeles, join Gilbert Cruz to talk about what really matters: the movies we loved this year. Movies discussed in this episode include: “One Battle After Another” “Sinners” “A Minecraft Movie” “Superman” “Weapons” “Wicked: For Good” “Zootopia 2” “Avatar: Fire and Ash” “Marty Supreme” “It Was Just an Accident” “The Testament of Ann Lee” “Come and See Me In the Good Light” “Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning”

Summary, chapters and key points were generated from the episode transcript on October 31, 2026. Quotes are checked word for word against the transcript.

Categories: Film Reviews·Entertainment News