Consider This from NPR Our picks for the 2025 movies you should watch this holiday season
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Dec 30, 2025 Bob Mondello, a longtime film critic for NPR known for his insightful year-end reviews, shares his top picks for 2025 films. He tackles the disparity between box office sales and quality, highlighting standout movies like Ryan Coogler's 'Sinners' and Paul Thomas Anderson's political thriller. Mondello also dives into international resistance films, literary adaptations like 'Hamnet' and 'Frankenstein,' and innovative documentaries. From screwball comedies to poignant dramas, he offers a diverse lineup sure to excite any film lover.
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Quality Over Box Office
- 2025 films mixed fierce social commentary with crowd-pleasing entertainment.
- Bob Mondello argues quality isn't tied to box office totals this year.
Spectacle With Communal Stakes
- Ryan Coogler's Sinners blends spectacle with themes of power and the aftermath of slavery.
- Mondello says it saves not just one soul but a community's too.
Thriller Tropes, Political Punch
- Paul Thomas Anderson's One Battle After Another uses thriller tropes for political resistance.
- Mondello highlights inventive set pieces like a new kind of car chase to serve its themes.