If there was a year for escapism, it was this one. 2025, yeah you, you can go away and take your bad juju with you. Any year that begins with ‘he who shall not be named’ taking control of a nation in constant crisis is unlikely to be remembered fondly. Literally everything was felt like it was under attack this year. Nothing was safe, nope. Just look at the rise of ICE, the continuation of shootings/attacks, government shutdowns, the mess of all things healthcare, job eliminations, censorship, the ongoing war against higher education, Katie Perry going to actual space….you name it, 2025 unfortunately had it. Not even freedom of speech (oh hi Colbert & Kimmel) was safe, unless of course it was a bitter, supremely unpresidential speech against the lovely Rob Reiner, rest in peace, who’s films are the warm hug we all need right now. To quote one of Reiner’s indelible characters, Prince Humperdinck, “I would not say such things if I were you!”
So escape we must, and where better than into the wonderful black hole of pop culture. And this year delivered some truly fun, engaging and mind-melding options in film, television and music alone, as will be detailed from my perspective in the rankings below. Whether what you spent time with is represented below or not, we can likely all agree that KPOP DEMON HUNTERS (sorry WICKED, DIDDY or STRANGER THINGS) was THEE breakout cultural hit of 2025, which is just plain amazing. How an out-of-nowhere feel-good animated musical rooted in Korean mythology took off and dominated everything, including Halloween costumes, is exactly what pop culture is for. Those are the only “marks” we actually want 2025 to leave on us and yes, we’ll even show them off on a kiss cam at a Coldplay concert. I digress.
Back to pop culture, perhaps the best question is how does one choose what to watch, listen to, read, do…? Is it based on the cultural zeitgeist, the recommendations of others, random discovery, trending lists on streaming platforms, ‘best of’ lists like this one, or or or or or? Either way, I hope I can help reduce any “what to push play on?” decision paralysis that can grab hold so you can gain some clarity on what the 10 best movies, 10 best tv shows, 10 best albums and 10 best songs of the year might be. Sure it’s easy to push play on mindless content that is more background to your phone than direct entertainment, who doesn’t, but when you’re ready to turn your thumb up and be entertained, I hope I’ll have been of some aid.
Anyway, now on to my ‘best of 2025’ lists. Through deliberate and meticulous time spent escaping in all things pop culture, I’m delighted to share my list of the best of what the year 2025 had to offer in film, television and music. May they bring you some pleasure, and meaning, as they did me. Please enjoy.
The 10 Best Movies of 2025
1. ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER
A frenetic film from Paul Thomas Anderson that brilliantly adapts from its source material, Thomas Pynchon’s postmodern 1990 novel Vineland, to deliver a thrilling, deeply urgent masterpiece.
2. IT WAS JUST AN ACCIDENT
Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi’s film is filled with righteous intention that begs audiences to think deeply on morality and empathy in the face of oppression and injustice, complete with a gut-punch of a finale.
3. SINNERS
The most genre-defying film of the year from none other than the visionary Ryan Coogler, who rigorously creates a horror-fantasy set during the era of Jim Crow starring the captivating Michael B. Jordan².
4. TOGETHER
A truly bonkers, Cronenberg-esque body horror film that starts real-life couple Alison Brie and Dave Franco discovering what it means to be (too) connected? Um, yes please! Grab the popcorn and enjoy!
5. MICKEY 17
Wacky. Weird. Wonderful. PARASITE director Bong Joon Ho delivers again in this pitch-black sci-fi comedy that stars all of the Robert Pattinsons in what is an admittedly nutso, often slapstick, satire.
6. FRANKENSTEIN
A film that Guillermo del Toro was born to make – one full of gothic charm, a misunderstood monster and terrific source material (thanks Mary Shelley!) – lands with pitch-perfect execution, and heart.
7. IF I HAD LEGS I’D KICK YOU
This under the radar existential thriller is all about the performance of its talented lead, Rose Byrne, who encapsulates all of the feelings of maternal anxiety in a desperate attempt to just plain survive.
8. BRING THEM DOWN
A good film invites viewers in; a great one is so immersive that you feel what the characters feel and you lose yourself in their actions and, in this case, increasingly aggressive and dangerous retributions.
9. PRESENCE
An understated horror film if there ever was one, well who else but Steven Soderbergh to be the one to deliver it; and it happens to be his best film in years, and yes that includes this year’s meh-fest BLACK BAG.
10. FRIENDSHIP
Easily the most awkward film of the year, insert obvious ‘duh, it’s from the mind of Tim Robinson,’ this dark comedy centers on a deeply toxic bromance and no one is safe, not even a well-placed speed bump.
10ish more for good measure:
NOUVELLE VAGUE, WEAPONS, CAUGHT STEALING, ONE OF THEM DAYS, THE LONG WALK, ROOFMAN, F1, THE BALLAD OF WALLIS ISLAND, SUPERMAN, OPUS, DANGEROUS ANIMALS, 28 YEARS LATER
The 10 Best TV Shows of 2025
1. ALIEN: EARTH (FX on Hulu)
Noah Hawley is a genius. It is no small feat to take a legendary cinematic sci-fi franchise like ALIEN and fully reshape, reinvent, and reinvigorate it for television in such spectacular fashion. Xenomorphs forever!
2 THE PITT (HBO Max)
Possibly the most talked about show of the year, and for good reason. Noah Wyle leads an impressive cast through a captivating, often heart-wrenching, hour-by-hour look at a 15 hour nightmare ER shift.
3. SEVERANCE (Apple TV)
ORTBO! That one acronym from one of many standout episodes alone gives viewers glee as it serves as a reminder that the hype, though hard to ever fulfill, was realized in this amazingly weird second season.
4. THE WHEEL OF TIME (Amazon Prime)
A show adapted on what should have been a nearly impossible to adapt, let alone do it well, book series by Robert Jordan had an utterly superb third, and sadly final (come on, Amazon!) season. RIP Rand and co.
5. MURDERBOT (Apple TV)
A surprise must-watch sci-fi dark comedy that is tremendous fun and, dare I say, tender. Based off book one of the The Murderbot Diaries, this Alexander Skarsgård lead show deserves many seasons, your time.
6. THE WHITE LOTUS (HBO Max)
Eat the rich! In its 3rd installment, Mike White’s bold puzzle-box of a whodunnit series remains highly entertaining appointment television that constantly delivers shock and awe with a touch of ‘WHAT!?!’
7. THE STUDIO (Apple TV)
No platform is delivering more must watch tv than Apple TV right now (see MURDERBOT, SEVERANCE, PLURIBUS, PLATONIC, FOUNDATION, SMOKE…) and this Seth Rogen lead series is yet another, with a perfect meld of cringe comedy meets insider Hollywood.
8. TASK (HBO Max)
Series creator Brad Ingelsby, known most recently for the equally brilliant MARE OF EASTTOWN, delivers another standout character-driven heart-wrencher set in the same Philadelphia area. Get your RITA’s!
9. PLURIBUS (Apple TV)
At this point if Vince Gilligan, of BREAKING BAD and BETTER CALL SAUL fame, made a show about waiting for a kettle to boil, it’d be worth our time. No spoilers for this sci-fi series here, just come watch it boil.
10. IT: WELCOME TO DERRY (HBO Max)
Don’t be fooled by Pennywise the Clown, this is no kids show. There will be shocking deaths and carnage amidst crazy adventures and culturally sensitive storytelling in this horror-fueled prequel to the IT movies.
10ish more for good measure:
SOLO LEVELING (Crunchyroll), THE RIGHTEOUS GEMSTONES (HBO Max), GEN V (Amazon Prime), WEAK HERO: CLASS 2 (Netflix), THE REHEARSAL (HBO Max), DEXTER: RESURRECTION (Paramount+), HACKS (HBO Max), SQUID GAME (Netflix), CHIEF OF WAR (Apple TV), RHYTHM & FLOW (Netflix), SHORESY (Hulu), BOOTS (Netflix), THE CHAIR COMPANY (HBO Max)
The 10 Best Albums of 2025
1. Bad Bunny, Debí Tirar Más Fotos
The hero we all need, 31-year old Bad Bunny delivers a captivating and meaning-filled homage to his homeland in his sixth, and dare I say best, album yet. F*** ICE, bring on the Super Bowl performance!
Standout Tracks: “BAILE INoLVIDABLE,” “PIToRRO DE COCO,” “EoO,” “KLOuFRENS“
2. Rosalía, LUX
Love at first listen, this breathtaking, multilingual album is inspired by female saints and mystics around the world and it explores feminine mysticism, transformation, and spirituality in truly epic fashion.
Standout Tracks: “Berghain,” “La Perla,” “La Rumba Del Perdón,” “Porcelana”
3. Ólafur Arnalds & Talos, A Dawning
Ólafur Arnalds, in collaboration with the late Talos (R.I.P.) who passed away last year, delivers a compact, strikingly beautiful album that is brimming with emotion. What a heavenly 8-track (subtle) powerhouse!
Standout Tracks: “A Dawning, “Bedrock”, “Signs,” “We Didn’t Know We Were Ready”
4. Tyler Childers, Snipe Hunter
I’m not sure why it took me ’til 2025 to really discover Tyler Childers but with this album, it was love and often laugh at first listen. If I ever get rabies, it’s clear that Childers will be no where near my bitin’ list.
Standout Tracks: “Bitin’ List,” “Nose On The Grindstone,” “Eatin’ Big Time,” “Oneida”
5. Moonchild Sanelly, Full Moon
Blue-haired Sanelisiwe Twisha, a.k.a. Moonchild Sanelly, is a one-of-a-kind artist who is not only putting South African music on the map but she self-created the music genre called “Future ghetto funk!”
Standout Tracks: “Falling,” “To Kill a Single Girl (Tequila),” “Scrambled Eggs,” “Do My Dance”
6. Clipse, Let Got Sort Em Out
This album, and easily my best rap album of 2025, is much lauded for many valid reasons, with two very obvious ones, the real-life brother duo of Pusha T and Malice. What an evolution, what a comeback.
Standout Tracks:“Chains & Whips,” “Ace Trumpets,” “The Birds Don’t Sing,” “P.OV.”
7. Geese, Getting Killed
The best rock album of the year come from what appears to clearly be the next great rock band, the simply titled Geese. Full of swagger, humor, and vibrant musicality, this album is a true must listen.
Standout Tracks: “Taxes,” “Au Pays du Cocaine,” “Cobra,” “Husbands”
8. Blondshell, Another Picture
Sabrina Mae Teitelbaum, better known as the perfectly named Blondshell, is an LA-based indie rock singer and songwriter who’s “natural grunge” genre is performed in perfect tone and delivery.
Standout Tracks: “T&A,” “Event of a Fire,” “What’s Fair,” “23’s A Baby”
9. Marina, Princess of Power
The Welsh pop-star Marina, formerly of Marina and the Diamonds, is at it again with this fun, disco-pop album that never takes itself too seriously, even when delving into deep, introspective issues. YOLO!
Standout Tracks: “Butterfly,” “C**tissimo,” “Everybody Knows I’m Sad,” “Rollercoaster”
10. Turnstile, Never Enough
An infectious album dripping with intention, drive, and sheer power, Turnstile delivers the perfect punk rock album that we didn’t know we needed. One can never have enough of this visionary genre-bender.
Standout Tracks: “Never Enough,” “I Care,” “Sole,” “Look Out For Me“
10ish more for good measure:
Wet Leg, Moisturizer; Fust, Big Ugly; Marlon Williams, Te Whare Tiwekaweka; Karol G, Tropicoqueta; JID, God Does Like Ugly; Lady Gaga, Mayhem; Paris Texas, They Left Me A Gun/Sword; Princess Nokia, GIRLS; Kid Cudi, Free; Zelooperz, Dear Psilocybin/Dali Ain’t Dead; Santa Fe Klan, Baile Cholo; Grandson, Inertia: Nino Paid, Love Me As I Am; Ela Minus, DÍA, Sleep Token, Even in Arcadia
The 10 Best Songs of 2025
1. Rosalía feat. Björk and Yves Tumor, “Berghain”
A towering song in sheer scale and virtuosity alone sees Rosalía and co. achieve new musical heights.
Standout Lyric: “I’m just a sugar cube; I know that heat melts me; I know how to disappear.”
2. Twin Shadow, “Good Times”
A groove-filled, catchy as hell track that’s deceptive simplicity masks cynical lyrics about superficiality.
Standout Lyric: “Instead of giving me a heart attack; Maybe next time you would have my back.“
3. Doechii, “Anxiety“
Doechii’s raw and direct remix of Gotye’s “Somebody That I Used To Know” is THEE anthem for 2025!
Standout Lyric: “Anxiety, keep on trying me; I feel it quietly, tryna silence me, yeah.”
4. Tyler Childers, “Bitin’ List”
The energetic, humorous, and dare I say “unhinged” standout track from an equally absurd album. Woof!
Standout Lyric: “If there ever come a time I got rabies; You’re high on my bitin’ list.”
5. Geese, “Taxes”
Frontman 23 year old Cameron Winter evokes uncanny wisdom and heartbreak in this standout
Standout Lyric: “If you want me to pay my taxes; You better come over with a crucifix.”
6. 21 Savage feat. Drake, “MR RECOUP“
Dripping with confidence, as always, 21 (whisper 21), really comes for it on this instant classic. No rats.
Standout Lyric: “Want it all, I won’t leave a breadcrumb.”
7. Princess Nokia feat. Lindsey Stirling, “Pink Bronco“
An ethereal trap/R&B track in the vein of Lana Del Rey that begs to be your summer vibe. Embrace it.
Standout Lyric: “Girlhood’s forever, I just wanna dance; Sun in my face, then I took off my pants.”
8. EMMY, “Laika Party”
A tribute to the tragic story of “space dog” Laika, this Eurovision standout is a catchy, heartfelt banger.
Standout Lyric: “I hope Laika never died and that she spins around us still.”
9. Turnstile, “Never Enough”
Doechi delivered THEE anthem for the year, but this powerful rock ballad is damn near right up there!
Standout Lyric: “In the right place; At the right time; And still you sink into the floor.”
10. Bad Bunny, “BAILE INoLVIDABLE“
Six minutes of sheer, untamed joy, a radiant and triumphant homage to salsa and the power of dance.
Standout Lyric: “Life is a party that never ends, And you were my unforgettable dance.”
10ish more for good measure:
Jake Bugg, “Never Said Goodbye“; The Voidz, “Drifto“; Great Grandpa, “Kid”; Doja Cat, “AAAHH MEN!“; Paris Texas, “Stripper Song“; Lady Gaga, “Abracadabra“; Zelooperz, “Sweet Celine“; Marina, “Butterfly“; Wet Leg, “Mangetout“; Sleep Token, “Caramel“; Sunflower Bean, “Nothing Romantic,” Kid Cudi, “Grave“; Westerman, “About Leaving“; Lily Allen, “P***y Palace“; Kehlani, “Folded“; HUNTR/X, “Golden”
Previous “Best Of” Articles:
Best of 2024
Best of 2023
Best of 2022
Best of 2021
Best of 2020
Best of 2019
Best of 2018
Best of 2017
Best of 2016
Best of 2015
Mikethatmiller 
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