Top 10 Of 100 Film List #1 (2025)
This is a list of the top 10 from the first 100 films that I watched in 2025. You can find other top 10 lists here. There are lots of excellent movies out there, but these were my favorites from this batch.
Movies move around from platform to platform constantly, but if something seems to have stuck around a platform for awhile, I will link it here. Please let me know if it’s not there anymore!
*Note – I almost never watch horror movies on purpose, so if you watch any of these, you can be sure that they aren’t that genre. There will be a warning attached if horror is one of a film’s genres.
In no particular order:
1. 45 Years (2015) – A quiet film about a couple about to celebrate their 45th wedding anniversary, when the husband receives a notice that upends everything that his wife has believed. A powerful film full of depth that will have you thinking long after the credits roll. (Currently available to rent on Prime)
2. Everything Is Illuminated (2005) – A quirky comedy about an odd young man who collects things and takes a trip to find a small Ukrainian town to look for the woman who saved his grandfather from the Holocaust. With two less-than-helpful travel guides and a dog, this film has a lot of heart. (Currently available to rent on Prime)
3. Harakiri (1962) – A film widely regarded as one of the best in cinematic history, this is a movie about an aging man who approaches fellow samurai at a samurai council to ask to kill himself by ritual suicide (i.e. harakiri) in their presence. Suspecting that he has other motives, they exchange stories and questions while the intoxicating drama plays out to show what justice and honor really are. (Currently available to rent on Prime)
4. The Departed (2006) – An exceptional film about an undercover cop who finds out there is a mole in the organized gang he is infiltrating in Boston, this star-packed thriller will keep you on your toes right until the very end. (Currently available to rent on Prime)
5. American History X (1998) – An intense movie about a white supremacist who comes out of jail a changed man and wants to teach his younger brother that the path they were on isn’t right, this is a must-see. Edward Norton and Edward Furlong are incredible, and although this is a tough watch, it should be mandatory viewing. (Free on Tubi or to rent on Prime)
6. Lilya 4-ever (2002) – When Lilya’s mother abandons her to move to the US, she finds herself alone in an area of the former Soviet Union and does what she has to to make a better life for herself. This is a low-budget indie that packs a huge punch, but is not for the faint of heart. (Currently available for free on YouTube or to rent on Prime)
7. A Thousand And One (2023) – A gritty film about a mother trying to reconnect with her son after being released from jail, who ultimately takes him away from his foster family and raises him under a false name. Teyana Taylor shines as an imperfect human who is just trying to do her best for the child she loves. (Currently available on Peacock or to rent on Prime)
8. Perfume: The Story Of A Murderer (2006) – An exceptionally dark fairy tale about a man who was born with the most intricate sense of smell and works to create the perfect fragrance using specific women. A fascinatingly unique movie about obsession. (Free on PlutoTV or to rent on Prime)
9. The Man From Nowhere (2010) – This is the Korean John Wick that inspired the Keanu Reeves movies that we have today. When a mystery man with no ties befriends a neglected child in his building and she is kidnapped, he will stop at nothing to get her back. A fantastic and wild thriller with tons of action. (Currently available free on Prime, Tubi and Roku)
10. Apocalypto (2006) – A visually stunning film set at a fictional time where Mayan rulers kidnapped natives to sacrifice them to the Gods, this action adventure follows one man as he tries to get back to the pregnant wife and child who may not have survived in his absence. Just breathtaking. (Free for Amazon Prime members, on Roku or Tubi, or to rent on Prime)
