What a year for cinema. We saw the return of favourite characters and epic sagas, along with some truly original stories that caught everyone by surprise. It was a year defined by cinematic events that brought people together and smaller, character-driven films that sparked endless conversation. With so many great movies hitting our screens, figuring out what was truly the best can feel like a huge task, but it’s a challenge we were happy to accept.
To help you find your next memorable film, we’ve put together a list of 2025’s top movies. Our ranking is based on global box office success, showing which films had the most impact with viewers around the world. For each movie, we’ll give you the essential details and show you exactly where you can start streaming the best movies of 2025 in Australia.
What are the best movies of 2025?
When putting together our list of the year’s best films, we wanted to give you the clearest picture possible. Our primary ranking system is based on each film’s global box office revenue, providing an objective measure of worldwide appeal and commercial success. This helped us highlight the movies that truly had an impact with audiences around the globe.
Beyond just the numbers, we’ve included essential details for each entry. You’ll find information on the film’s genre, its initial release date, the director who brought it to life, and where it’s currently available on streaming services. We also offer an accurate synopsis, details on any significant award nominations, and its IMDb rating. This complete rundown ensures you’re well-informed on 2025’s top cinematic achievements.
Children of Men
Sci-fi •Thriller •Drama •Mystery
Overview
In 2027, in a chaotic world in which humans can no longer procreate, a former activist agrees to help transport a miraculously pregnant woman to a sanctuary at sea, where her child’s birth may help scientists save the future of humankind.
Director
Alfonso Cuarón
Cast
Clive Owen, Julianne Moore, Clare-Hope Ashitey, Michael Caine, Chiwetel Ejiofor
Duration
109 minutes
Anora
Comedy •Drama •Romance
Overview
A young sex worker from Brooklyn gets her chance at a Cinderella story when she meets and impulsively marries the son of an oligarch. Once the news reaches Russia, her fairytale is threatened as his parents set out to get the marriage annulled.
Director
Sean Baker
Cast
Mikey Madison, Mark Eydelshteyn, Karren Karagulian, Yuriy Borisov, Vache Tovmasyan
Duration
139 minutes
How to Train Your Dragon 2
Animation •Kids •Fantasy •Adventure •Comedy •Action •Family •Drama
Overview
Five years have passed since Hiccup and Toothless united the dragons and Vikings of Berk. Now, they spend their time charting unmapped territories. During one of their adventures, the pair discover a secret cave that houses hundreds of wild dragons — and a mysterious dragon rider who turns out to be Hiccup’s mother, Valka. Hiccup and Toothless then find themselves at the center of a battle to protect Berk from a power-hungry warrior named Drago.
Director
Dean DeBlois
Cast
Jay Baruchel, Cate Blanchett, Gerard Butler, Craig Ferguson, America Ferrera
Duration
98 minutes
Wicked
Fantasy •Romance •Drama
Overview
In the land of Oz, ostracized and misunderstood green-skinned Elphaba is forced to share a room with the popular aristocrat Glinda at Shiz University, and the two’s unlikely friendship is tested as they begin to fulfill their respective destinies as Glinda the Good and the Wicked Witch of the West.
Director
Jon M. Chu
Cast
Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey, Michelle Yeoh, Jeff Goldblum
Duration
161 minutes
Interstellar
Sci-fi •Drama
Overview
The adventures of a group of explorers who make use of a newly discovered wormhole to surpass the limitations on human space travel and conquer the vast distances involved in an interstellar voyage.
Director
Christopher Nolan
Cast
Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain, Ellen Burstyn, John Lithgow
Duration
169 minutes
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom
Adventure •Action •Sci-fi •Thriller •Mystery •Comedy
Overview
Three years after Jurassic World was destroyed, Isla Nublar now sits abandoned. When the island’s dormant volcano begins roaring to life, Owen and Claire mount a campaign to rescue the remaining dinosaurs from this extinction-level event.
Director
J. A. Bayona
Cast
Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Rafe Spall, Toby Jones, Ted Levine
Duration
123 minutes
Back to the Future
Comedy •Sci-fi
Overview
Eighties teenager Marty McFly is accidentally sent back in time to 1955, inadvertently disrupting his parents’ first meeting and attracting his mother’s romantic interest. Marty must repair the damage to history by rekindling his parents’ romance and – with the help of his eccentric inventor friend Doc Brown – return to 1985.
Director
Robert Zemeckis
Cast
Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, Crispin Glover, Thomas F. Wilson
Duration
116 minutes
Nobody
Action •Thriller •Crime •Drama •Mystery •Adventure
Overview
Hutch Mansell, a suburban dad, overlooked husband, nothing neighbor — a “nobody.” When two thieves break into his home one night, Hutch’s unknown long-simmering rage is ignited and propels him on a brutal path that will uncover dark secrets he fought to leave behind.
Director
Ilya Naishuller
Cast
Bob Odenkirk, Connie Nielsen, Christopher Lloyd, Aleksey Serebryakov, RZA
Duration
93 minutes
How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World
Animation •Kids •Fantasy •Adventure •Comedy •Action •Family •Drama
Overview
As Hiccup fulfills his dream of creating a peaceful dragon utopia, Toothless’ discovery of an untamed, elusive mate draws the Night Fury away. When danger mounts at home and Hiccup’s reign as village chief is tested, both dragon and rider must make impossible decisions to save their kind.
Director
Dean DeBlois
Cast
Jay Baruchel, America Ferrera, F. Murray Abraham, Cate Blanchett, Gerard Butler
Duration
100 minutes
Notting Hill
Romance •Comedy •Drama
Overview
William Thacker is a London bookstore owner whose humdrum existence is thrown into romantic turmoil when famous American actress Anna Scott appears in his shop. A chance encounter over spilled orange juice leads to a kiss that blossoms into a full-blown affair. As the average bloke and glamorous movie star draw closer and closer together, they struggle to reconcile their radically different lifestyles in the name of love.
Director
Roger Michell
Cast
Julia Roberts, Hugh Grant, Gina McKee, Tim McInnerny, Rhys Ifans
Duration
124 minutes
Uncle Buck
Comedy •Drama
Overview
Buck Russell, a lovable but slovenly bachelor, suddenly becomes the temporary caretaker of his nephew and nieces after a family emergency. His freewheeling attitude soon causes tension with his older niece Tia, loyal girlfriend Chanice and just about everyone else who crosses his path.
Director
John Hughes
Cast
John Candy, Jean Louisa Kelly, Gaby Hoffmann, Macaulay Culkin, Amy Madigan
Duration
100 minutes
Airplane!
Comedy
Overview
An ex-fighter pilot forced to take over the controls of an airliner when the flight crew succumbs to food poisoning.
Director
Jim Abrahams
Cast
Robert Hays, Julie Hagerty, Leslie Nielsen, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Lloyd Bridges
Duration
88 minutes
Bullet Train
Action •Comedy •Thriller •Mystery •Adventure
Overview
Unlucky assassin Ladybug is determined to do his job peacefully after one too many gigs gone off the rails. Fate, however, may have other plans, as Ladybug’s latest mission puts him on a collision course with lethal adversaries from around the globe—all with connected, yet conflicting, objectives—on the world’s fastest train.
Director
David Leitch
Cast
Brad Pitt, Joey King, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Brian Tyree Henry, Andrew Koji
Duration
127 minutes
Her
Drama •Romance •Sci-fi
Overview
In the not so distant future, Theodore, a lonely writer, purchases a newly developed operating system designed to meet the user’s every need. To Theodore’s surprise, a romantic relationship develops between him and his operating system. This unconventional love story blends science fiction and romance in a sweet tale that explores the nature of love and the ways that technology isolates and connects us all.
Director
Spike Jonze
Cast
Joaquin Phoenix, Scarlett Johansson, Amy Adams, Rooney Mara, Olivia Wilde
Duration
126 minutes
Spit
Comedy •Crime •Drama
Overview
Spitteri finds himself locked up in an immigration detention centre upon his return to Australia. With old enemies on his tail and a target on his back, he navigates a series of comedic misadventures, sharing with his fellow detainees the meaning of mateship and what it is to be truly Australian.
Director
Jonathan Teplitzky
Cast
David Wenham, Helen Thomson, Gary Sweet, David Field, David Roberts
Duration
105 minutes
The Karate Kid
Drama •Sport •Action •Family •Adventure •Kids
Overview
Daniel LaRusso moves to Los Angeles with his mother, Lucille, and soon strikes up a relationship with Ali. He quickly finds himself the target of bullying by a group of high school students, led by Ali’s ex-boyfriend Johnny, who study karate at the Cobra Kai dojo under ruthless sensei, John Kreese. Fortunately, Daniel befriends Mr. Miyagi, an unassuming repairman who just happens to be a martial arts master himself. Miyagi takes Daniel under his wing, training him in a more compassionate form of karate for self-defense and, later, preparing him to compete against the brutal Cobra Kai.
Director
John G. Avildsen
Cast
Ralph Macchio, Pat Morita, Elisabeth Shue, Martin Kove, Randee Heller
Duration
127 minutes
Spider-Man: Homecoming
Action •Adventure •Sci-fi •Drama
Overview
Following the events of Captain America: Civil War, Peter Parker, with the help of his mentor Tony Stark, tries to balance his life as an ordinary high school student in Queens, New York City, with fighting crime as his superhero alter ego Spider-Man as a new threat, the Vulture, emerges.
Director
Jon Watts
Cast
Tom Holland, Michael Keaton, Robert Downey Jr., Marisa Tomei, Jon Favreau
Duration
128 minutes
Old School
Comedy
Overview
Three friends attempt to recapture their glory days by opening up a fraternity near their alma mater.
Director
Todd Phillips
Cast
Luke Wilson, Vince Vaughn, Will Ferrell, Jeremy Piven, Ellen Pompeo
Duration
87 minutes
The Departed
Crime •Thriller •Drama •Mystery
Overview
To take down South Boston’s Irish Mafia, the police send in one of their own to infiltrate the underworld, not realizing the syndicate has done likewise. While an undercover cop curries favor with the mob kingpin, a career criminal rises through the police ranks. But both sides soon discover there’s a mole among them.
Director
Martin Scorsese
Cast
Jack Nicholson, Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Mark Wahlberg, Vera Farmiga
Duration
151 minutes
The Accountant
Thriller •Action •Crime •Drama •Mystery •Adventure
Overview
As a math savant uncooks the books for a new client, the Treasury Department closes in on his activities and the body count starts to rise.
Director
Gavin O’Connor
Cast
Ben Affleck, Anna Kendrick, J.K. Simmons, Jon Bernthal, Jeffrey Tambor
Duration
123 minutes
Frequently asked questions
We’ve focused on films that really stood out in 2024 and 2025, using global box office revenue as our main guide to gauge their worldwide popularity. This helps us highlight movies that not only connected with critics but also genuinely captivated a huge number of viewers. You’ll find a mix of big blockbusters and fan favourites, all chosen to give you a comprehensive look at the year’s top cinema.
You’ll definitely discover a great mix! While box office success often leans towards action and big-budget films, our list also celebrates fan favourites from various genres. We’ve included everything from compelling dramas and laugh-out-loud comedies to thrilling adventures, ensuring there’s something to suit every taste. Our goal is to showcase the diverse cinematic landscape of 2025.
We’ve made sure to include details on where you can stream each movie mentioned on the list. Many of these films, after their cinema run, quickly become available on various streaming platforms. While some might require a subscription, others could be available for rent or purchase. We’ve done the legwork to point you in the right direction for each title.
It’s completely understandable if your personal favourite didn’t make our top 20! Our list is primarily based on global box office revenue, which reflects widespread commercial success. Many incredible films might not hit those huge numbers but are still fantastic. We encourage you to explore widely, as the world of cinema is vast and full of hidden gems beyond any single list.
This list is as current as can be for movies released throughout 2024 and 2025. We continuously monitor new releases and their box office performance to ensure our rankings reflect the most up-to-date information available. If a film had a significant impact by the end of the year and met our criteria, you can bet it’s considered for inclusion, offering you the freshest insights.
The IMDb rating is a widely recognised indicator of a film’s public reception, derived from millions of user votes. While it provides a good general sense of a movie’s popularity and critical standing among viewers, remember that it’s a collective opinion. It’s a handy guide, but your own enjoyment might differ, as personal taste plays a huge part in how you experience a film.
We chose global box office revenue as the main ranking factor because it’s a clear, quantifiable measure of a film’s widespread appeal and commercial impact around the world. It shows which movies truly captured the attention of the largest audiences. While not the only measure of quality, it provides a strong, objective basis for identifying the biggest cinematic hits of the year.
Our rankings were determined by box office performance rather than awards won. While award statistics often highlight different aspects of cinematic achievement, this particular list aims to capture the year’s biggest hits on a commercial level. Still, you’ll find details of the awards each movie has won in our list. But to answer your question, Anora won the most awards in 2024.
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