The year in moviegoing can, perhaps, be summed up by one fact<\/span>: \u201cSinners<\/a>\u201d is the only film in the Top 10 list of highest-grossing movies in the United States that isn\u2019t based on existing IP and isn\u2019t a part of a popular franchise. <\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n That alone is enough reason for the Ryan Coogler<\/a>-directed film to make this list, which is full of other wholly original films. The Southern Gothic horror set in the Jim Crow South was one of the most talked-about films this year, down to the very last minute, as it racked up coveted nominations for the 2026 awards season and was left off a few big best-of lists.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n That doesn\u2019t mean there weren\u2019t some worthy adaptations that held our attention, like \u201cOne Battle After Another<\/a>,\u201d \u201cHamnet\u201d and \u201cWicked: For Good<\/a>.\u201d But there\u2019s something special about several of the lesser-known films on this list that deserve your attention, too.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n In this year-end roundup, celebrity.land staffers talk about their favorite films of the year, including popular animated movies, gripping documentaries and captivating scripted dramas. Be sure to add these to your watchlist if you haven\u2019t seen them yet.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n Talk about a film that scared the absolute daylights out of me. \u201cBring Her Back\u201d takes grief to a whole different level with Sally Hawkins\u2019 bone-chilling portrayal of a foster mom still mourning the death of her daughter. After taking in two siblings alongside a troubled orphan she already cares for, Laura (Hawkins) secretly and sinisterly summons a demon to carry out a resurrection ritual to bring her daughter back to life.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n I probably cringed and squirmed through the better half of this film because it was just that disturbing. I still wince whenever I think about that brutal knife-eating scene. But as grisly and unsettling as the movie is, all the gore serves well in portraying the all-consuming emotions that the loss of a loved one brings, and in desperate times, what it could drive one to do. \u2014 Njera<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cElio\u201d feels like one of the more slept-on Pixar films in the last decade \u2014 yet the film is smart, heartwarming and relatable for both kids and adults. The animated tale tells the story of 11-year-old Elio (Yonas Kilbreab), who\u2019s being raised by his Aunt Olga (Zoe Salda\u00f1a) after both of his parents die. Elio becomes obsessed with life in outer space, and then, he finally gets abducted by aliens. He meets Glordon (Remy Edgerly), a worm-like alien with a bunch of teeth who is being pressured to become a warlord like his father. Elio and Glordon become fast friends because they both feel misunderstood. At the end of a long adventure, they both realize a lesson: Sometimes you can find connection in the most unexpected places. \u2014 <\/span>Erin<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cHamnet\u201d is one of the most devastating films of the year, replete with knockout performances from its cast; Jessie Buckley, Paul Mescal, Jacobi Jupe, Joe Alwyn, Olivia Lynes and Noah Jupe will bring you to tears. While Buckley is dominating the female lead nominations for the 2026 awards season, it is Jacobi Jupe\u2019s heartwrenching performance that isn\u2019t being talked about enough. <\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n The Chlo\u00e9 Zhao-directed film is an adaptation of author Maggie O\u2019Farrell\u2019s novel \u201cHamnet,\u201d a fictional 16th-century tale of Wiliam Shakespeare\u2019s son, Hamnet, his death from the plague \u2014 and how it inspired the play \u201cHamlet.\u201d This movie will shatter you, but it is one of the best things you\u2019ll watch all year. \u2014 <\/span>Erin<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n Masterful storytelling and acting is the best way to describe what writer-director Mary Bronstein and Rose Byrne achieve in \u201cIf I Had Legs I\u2019d Kick You.\u201d This intense yet brilliantly honest portrait of a Grade A maternal crashout didn\u2019t make as much noise as the blockbusters that dominated film discourse this year, but it surely deserves all the praise. Byrne\u2019s outstanding performance as Linda, a burned-out mother and therapist losing control of her life, impressively juggles dark humor and drama simultaneously. And Bronstein\u2019s script, inspired by her own life, does such an amazing job at rooting the audience in Linda\u2019s perspective throughout the movie in a way that allows us to empathize with her poor decisions, even when we feel like we shouldn\u2019t. It\u2019s a harrowing depiction that goes beyond the sacrifices of motherhood to what happens when you lose your sense of self entirely. \u2014 Njera<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cJohn Candy: I Like Me\u201d is a tear-jerker as it paints a portrait of its hilarious and kind subject: actor-comedian John Candy. The documentary is told through the stories of some of Candy\u2019s loved ones, including his wife and kids, along with a handful of actors and comedians who closely worked with him. Bill Murray, Catherine O\u2019Hara, Tom Hanks, Dan Aykroyd, Mel Brooks and Macaulay Culkin, among many others, appear in the doc to share funny anecdotes and touching moments about Candy. Directed by actors Colin Hanks and Ryan Reynolds, the film introduces us to John Candy, the family man, who dealt with crippling anxiety throughout his life, ever since his father died on his 5th birthday. Often, our most tortured comedians bring audiences so much joy and laughter, and Candy was never short on delivering both through his work. \u201cJohn Candy: I Like Me\u201d is a touching ode to him and his talent. \u2014 <\/span>Erin<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n It\u2019s pretty easy to see why \u201c<\/span>K-Pop Demon Hunters<\/span><\/a>\u201d dominated the Netflix charts \u2014 and the box office \u2014 for so long. The animated musical is an addictive global sensation; it follows K-pop supergroup Huntr\/x \u2014 Rumi, Mira and Zoey \u2014 as they protect their fans from a huge threat: the Saja Boys, a rival boy band made up of demons. The soundtrack to the film includes several earworms: \u201cGolden,\u201d \u201cWhat It Sounds Like,\u201d \u201cSoda Pop,\u201d \u201cYour Idol\u201d and more all made it to Billboard\u2019s top movie songs chart, and the album reached the No. 1 spot on the Billboard 200 in September. It\u2019s a testament to how ubiquitous the series and its songs were this year. And talk about the film isn\u2019t going to end soon \u2014 it\u2019s been nominated for a few Golden Globe awards. Plus, there\u2019s <\/span>already a sequel planned<\/span><\/a> for 2029. <\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n Any Stephen King adaptation is bound to get people talking. But it\u2019s not the source material itself that makes \u201cThe Long Walk\u201d such a compelling watch. The gruesome concept of making a contest out of forcing young men to walk non-stop or face death is, indeed, as brutal to watch as it sounds. However, the brotherhood that is born between Cooper Hoffman\u2019s Ray Garraty and David Jonsson\u2019s Peter McVries as they push each other to stay the course makes the film easier to stomach, even through its most graphic (and gross) scenes. Jonsson\u2019s performance is perhaps the most arresting when it comes to carrying the emotional depth of the movie, but don\u2019t sleep on Hoffman. The duo add a sense of hope to this bleak tale, even if it is short-lived. \u2014 Njera<\/em> <\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cOn Becoming A Guinea Fowl\u201d opens with Shula (portrayed effortlessly and beautifully by Susan Chardy) driving down the streets of Zambia in some gold, futuristic headgear, sunglasses and a big, black, trash-bag-looking suit a la Missy Elliot in \u201cThe Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)\u201d music video. It\u2019s a fun, fleeting moment before she rolls by her uncle, Fred, laid out dead in the middle of the street. The film that follows is a searing look at grief, the dark secrets we carry and how harmful traditions can perpetuate trauma. The 95-minute dark comedy ends in a stunningly chaotic way \u2014 and now that it\u2019s streaming on HBO Max, everyone should add it to their must-watch list. \u2014 Erin<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n Let me start this by saying \u201cOne Battle After Another<\/a>\u201d is by no means a perfect movie, as some critics would have you think. Paul Thomas Anderson makes a lot of interesting choices in his dizzying action-comedy epic, some of which continue to spark film discourse \u2014 namely its problematic racial themes on which a lot of the plot is built on, which could definitely use some unpacking from the director.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n However<\/em>, those issues aside, I still found the film highly entertaining, and understand why so many others do, too. For one, performances from Leonardo DiCaprio, Teyana Taylor, Benicio del Toro and breakout star Chase Infiniti help round out a plot that goes from centering a group of radical revolutionaries to a manhunt for a father and daughter both dealing with the consequences of their pasts. High-octane sequences of car chases and shootouts also add more thrills to the movie when it starts dealing with heavier topics of white supremacy and immigration crackdown. \u201cOne Battle After Another\u201d is jam-packed, indeed, but it\u2019s a fun watch. \u2014 Njera<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n It feels egregious to say we haven\u2019t gotten a proper buddy comedy starring two Black women in over 25 years, but thankfully, \u201cOne of Them Days<\/a>\u201d broke the drought this year with a fun film that\u2019s as hilarious as it is endearing. The Lawrence Lamont-directed, Issa Rae-produced flick follows best friends and roommates Dreux (Keke Palmer) and Alyssa (SZA) on the verge of eviction after the latter\u2019s boyfriend blows their rent money. Their ridiculous cash pursuit to pay back their ruthless landlord leads to a wild set of misadventures that turns into, well, one of them days.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Palmer and SZA are the comedic duo we never knew we needed in this film (although their infamous \u201cSaturday Night Live\u201d sketch<\/a> was a hint). And Syreeta Singleton\u2019s screenplay brought both their humor and charm \u2014 plus the rest of the hysterical cast \u2014 to life in a way that made their characters feel so real and relatable. It\u2019s funny; \u201cOne of Them Days\u201d made me realize we\u2019ve been starved of Black women buddy comedies<\/a> for far too long. But thanks to its success, which helped greenlight a forthcoming sequel<\/a>, it seems the tide in Hollywood just might be turning in our favor. \u2014 Njera<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n A lot of celebrity documentaries can come off as just nostalgic looks at a famous person\u2019s life, nothing more than a highlight reel with some commentary about the most talked-about moments in pop culture. Thankfully, \u201cPee-Wee As Himself\u201d expertly manages to be way more than that \u2014 it is a gripping look at the life of Paul Reubens, the pop culture icon who donned a signature gray plaid suit with a red bow tie. The two-part documentary, directed by Matt Wolf, who\u2019s known for creating projects built on huge archives, dives deep into Reubens\u2019 personal history, his rise from small comedy circles to the main stage of Hollywood, and his sordid legal issues. \u201cPee-Wee As Himself\u201d centers Reubens in his own story in a rich portrait of his life. If you loved Pee-Wee, getting to know Reubens through this lens is very satisfying. \u2014 <\/span>Erin<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n I\u2019ll admit \u201cSinners<\/a>\u201d is a film that initially had to grow on me. Ryan Coogler<\/a>\u2019s wholly original screenplay is filled to the brim with deeply personal messaging about Black lineage and the power of blues music in depicting pain, defiance and community. That\u2019s not even counting the vampire lore that turns this sweltering Southern tale into a spellbinding horror thrill, where twin brothers (magnificently portrayed by Michael B. Jordan) who escaped the North find out that just as much evil lurks for them back home. I was both mesmerized and overwhelmed the first time I saw the film. But that\u2019s what made me want to watch it again and again and again<\/em>. It makes sense why the movie became one of the most talked-about of the year and is rightfully earning awards buzz, especially with standout performances from newcomer Miles Caton and the rest of the supporting cast, including Wunmi Mosaku, Delroy Lindo, Jayme Lawson and Jack O\u2019Connell. \u2014 Njera<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n With his latest movie \u201cSentimental Value,\u201d Norwegian director and writer Joachim Trier captures a touching story of a family embroiled in a generational habit of hurting, abandoning and subsequently attempting to mend the wounds of the people they love the most. Co-written with Eskil Vogt, the movie follows sisters Nora (Renate Reinsve) and Agnes (Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas) who reconnect with their estranged famous father (Stellan Skarsg\u00e5rd) when he decides to make a film about their complicated family history. <\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n Although it seems like an emotionally heavy conceit, there\u2019s a surprising levity and comfort throughout; a vulnerable scene between the sisters toward the end of the movie simultaneously broke my heart and put it back together. Mirroring the picturesque yet flawed family home at the center of the story, watching this film feels like stepping into my own childhood home; it holds memories good and bad, both of which are nonetheless comforting in their own way. \u2013\u2013 <\/span>Alexandra<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n Questlove is becoming an expert of sorts when it comes to music documentaries, but with \u201cSly Lives! (aka the Burden of Black Genius)<\/a>\u201d he goes beyond simply chronicling a famed musician\u2019s life and legacy. The film is not a linear timeline of all the Sly and the Family Stone frontman achieved, but rather an exploration of its subtitle \u2014 and not just through Sly Stone. Figures like Chaka Khan, Andr\u00e9 3000 and the late D\u2019Angelo appear in interviews to dissect what it means to be Black and famous and the responsibility that comes with that. Out of the many celebrity documentaries we\u2019ve gotten lately, this outlier feels the most honest. \u2014 Njera<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cSongs From the Hole\u201d is another documentary with an authentic perspective because it is the literal manifestation of its title. Partially a visual album, the Contessa Gayles-directed film recalls how formerly incarcerated musician JJ\u201988 was sentenced to life in prison at 15 years old for murder \u2014 only for his brother to be killed three days later. Struggling to process his pain while in solitary confinement (aka the hole), JJ\u201988 wrote the songs that became \u201cSongs From the Hole.\u201d The film visualizes these tracks as JJ\u201988 imagined them behind bars with vibrant music videos that help tell his story.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Meanwhile, the documentary portion features narration from the musician, as well as interviews with his family members, to further tell who JJ\u201988 really is. \u201cSongs From the Hole,\u201d also created in collaboration with executive producer richie reseda, is a deeply moving testament to the healing power of music. What makes the film especially unique is that it does not focus on a man\u2019s incarceration experience, but rather his road to forgiveness and redemption. \u2014 Njera<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n There\u2019s a certain thrill about a film that can legit make you scream out loud in a movie theater. That\u2019s part of the magic of \u201cWeapons,\u201d Zach Cregger\u2019s terrifying horror mystery. When 17 elementary school children disappear from a town, everyone questions who exactly is behind their disappearances, and the reveal is satisfyingly unhinged. It\u2019s a gory, scary and haunting film that had audiences begging for more \u2014 and thankfully, it worked. Cregger said he\u2019s planning a prequel film centered on Aunt Gladys, a wicked portrayal by Amy Madigan. I can\u2019t wait. \u2014 <\/span>Erin<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n Giles Keyte\/Universal Pictures<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n Speaking of \u201cWicked\u201d portrayals, Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo wowed audiences with their stellar performances as Glinda and Elphaba in \u201c<\/span>Wicked: For Good<\/span><\/a>,\u201d Part 2 of Jon M. Chu\u2019s whimsical adaptation of Gregory Maguire\u2019s 1995 fantasy novel. In this installment, audiences got to see more \u201cWizard of Oz\u201d lore in the film, with a peek at Dorothy Gale and the Scarecrow, Tin Man and the Cowardly Lion. For those of us unfamiliar with the Broadway production, there were delightful moments at every turn. For \u201cWicked\u201d aficionados like celebrity.land contributor <\/span>Sarah Hunter Simanson<\/span><\/a>, the second film captured the same magic that made \u201cWicked\u201d the musical resonate more than 20 years ago. \u2014 <\/span>Erin<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n CORRECTION<\/strong>: This story has been amended to correctly identify actor Jonah Wren Phillips in the second photo.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n \u2018 The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n \u2018 Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.celebrity.land \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The year in moviegoing can, perhaps, be summed up by one fact: \u201cSinners\u201d is the only film in the Top 10 list of highest-grossing movies in the United States that isn\u2019t based on existing IP and isn\u2019t a part of a popular franchise. That alone is enough reason for the Ryan Coogler-directed film to make […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2205027,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[25174],"tags":[21912],"class_list":["post-2205026","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-gossip","tag-movies"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Best-Movies-Of-2025-celebrityland-Entertainment.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2205026","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2205026"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2205026\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2205028,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2205026\/revisions\/2205028"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2205027"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2205026"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2205026"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2205026"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}\u2018Bring Her Back\u2019<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
![\"Jonah](\"https:\/\/img.huffingtonpost.com\/asset\/6926044c19000086366a003f.jpg?ops=scalefit_720_noupscale&format=webp)
<\/picture>\n\u2018Elio\u2019<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
![\"Elio](\"https:\/\/img.huffingtonpost.com\/asset\/6925fe6e1900009c346a002b.jpg?ops=scalefit_720_noupscale&format=webp)
<\/picture>\n\u2018Hamnet\u2019<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
![\"Jessie](\"https:\/\/img.huffingtonpost.com\/asset\/6925fdde220000d51a60bb8c.jpg?ops=scalefit_720_noupscale&format=webp)
<\/picture>\n\u2018If I Had Legs I\u2019d Kick You\u2019<\/strong> <\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
![\"Rose](\"https:\/\/img.huffingtonpost.com\/asset\/692603ff19000070366a003d.jpg?ops=scalefit_720_noupscale&format=webp)
<\/picture>\n\u2018John Candy: I Like Me\u2019<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
![\"John](\"https:\/\/img.huffingtonpost.com\/asset\/6925fe83190000a6346a002d.jpg?ops=scalefit_720_noupscale&format=webp)
<\/picture>\n\u2018K-Pop Demon Hunters\u2019<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
![\"When](\"https:\/\/img.huffingtonpost.com\/asset\/6925fe9e190000aa346a0030.jpg?ops=scalefit_720_noupscale&format=webp)
<\/picture>\n\u2018The Long Walk\u2019 <\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
![\"David](\"https:\/\/img.huffingtonpost.com\/asset\/69260539220000d51a60bbb3.jpg?ops=scalefit_720_noupscale&format=webp)
<\/picture>\n\u2018On Becoming A Guinea Fowl\u2019<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
![\"Susan](\"https:\/\/img.huffingtonpost.com\/asset\/6941bc63260000e718837368.jpg?ops=scalefit_720_noupscale&format=webp)
<\/picture>\n\u2018One Battle After Another\u2019<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
![\"Teyana](\"https:\/\/img.huffingtonpost.com\/asset\/6925ff13220000181860bb93.jpg?ops=scalefit_720_noupscale&format=webp)
<\/picture>\n\u2018One Of Them Days\u2019 <\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
![\"SZA](\"https:\/\/img.huffingtonpost.com\/asset\/69260590220000031960bbb7.jpg?ops=scalefit_720_noupscale&format=webp)
<\/picture>\n\u2018Pee-Wee As Himself\u2019<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
![\"Paul](\"https:\/\/img.huffingtonpost.com\/asset\/6925ffdb220000181860bb99.jpg?ops=scalefit_720_noupscale&format=webp)
<\/picture>\n\u2018Sinners\u2019<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
![\"Michael](\"https:\/\/img.huffingtonpost.com\/asset\/6925feed190000d0346a0032.jpg?ops=scalefit_720_noupscale&format=webp)
<\/picture>\n\u2018Sentimental Value\u2019<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
![\"Renate](\"https:\/\/img.huffingtonpost.com\/asset\/692603d4220000d51a60bbb1.jpg?ops=scalefit_720_noupscale&format=webp)
<\/picture>\n\u2018Sly Lives! (aka The Burden of Black Genius)\u2019<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
![\"Sly](\"https:\/\/img.huffingtonpost.com\/asset\/6925ffa2220000d51a60bb97.jpg?ops=scalefit_720_noupscale&format=webp)
<\/picture>\n\u2018Songs From The Hole\u2019<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
![\"Musician](\"https:\/\/img.huffingtonpost.com\/asset\/692605f5190000f8366a0041.jpg?ops=scalefit_720_noupscale&format=webp)
<\/picture>\n\u2018Weapons\u2019<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
![\"Amy](\"https:\/\/img.huffingtonpost.com\/asset\/6925ff3e220000cd1460bb95.jpg?ops=scalefit_720_noupscale&format=webp)
<\/picture>\n\u2018Wicked: For Good\u2019<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
![\"Cynthia](\"https:\/\/img.huffingtonpost.com\/asset\/69209667170000a61aa90ea1.jpg?ops=scalefit_720_noupscale&format=webp)
<\/picture>\n