Consider This from NPR

Episode: Our Picks for the 2025 Movies You Should Watch This Holiday Season

Original Air Date: December 30, 2025
Host: Mary Louise Kelly
Guest: Bob Mondello (NPR film critic)

Episode Overview

In this festive year-end episode, NPR’s Mary Louise Kelly and film critic Bob Mondello guide listeners through the must-see movies of 2025. With Hollywood studios struggling to bring audiences back after the pandemic, this curated list cuts through the box office numbers to spotlight films defined by artistry, passion, and resonance — whether you’re heading to the theater or streaming from your couch.

“Whether you are headed to the theater this winter break or binge watching at home, there’s plenty to choose from and we’re here to help. Our Bob Mondello has rounded up his top movies of the year.”
— Mary Louise Kelly (02:31)

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Hollywood’s 2025 Recovery—Box Office and Beyond

• Hollywood anticipated a comeback in 2025, hoping to reach nearly $9 billion at the box office, but will fall just short (01:25).
  • Adam Aron (AMC CEO): “Movie theaters are booming...the movie industry is finally back.” (01:16)
  • Sequels and reboots like “Anaconda,” “Superman,” “How to Train Your Dragon,” “Lilo & Stitch,” and “Wicked” shaped the year, driving attendance while ticket prices climbed (02:09–02:29).
• Still, Bob Mondello cautions that “money and attendance aren’t necessarily indications of quality” (02:31).

2. Bob Mondello’s 2025 Top 10(ish) Movies

“When filmmakers are passionate, movies can make audiences vibrate with grief, with excitement, with rage. And that happened a lot this year.”
— Bob Mondello (04:47)

Key Films and Highlights (with timestamps):

Socially-Charged Thrillers and Dramas

• Sinners (Ryan Coogler) [05:01]
  • A “stomping, shiver-inducing barn burner” weaving power, prejudice, and the aftermath of slavery into a supernatural thriller.
  • Quote: “Keep dancing with the devil. One day he’s gonna follow you home.” (05:21)
• One Battle After Another (Paul Thomas Anderson) [05:34]
  • Mixes political resistance, thriller tropes, and vibrant setpieces. Features stoner revolutionaries against right-wing authoritarians.

Provocative Foreign Films

• The Secret Agent (Brazil) [06:15]
  • A 1970s thriller about scientific resistance to dictatorship, brimming with wild surrealism.
• It Was Just An Accident (Jafar Panahi, Iran) [06:29]
  • Uses dark humor to portray a man haunted by the memory of a sadistic prison guard; reflects Panahi’s own experience behind bars.

Literary Adaptations

• Hamnet (Chloé Zhao) [07:16]
  • Adaptation delving into Shakespeare’s grief for his lost son; hailed for “directorial fervor and lush visuals.”
  • Quote: “If recent years have brought a more staggering cinematic catharsis than the last 10 minutes of Hamnet, I have not experienced it.” (07:37)
• Frankenstein (Guillermo del Toro) [07:48]
  • An intense, operatic take on the classic, with Jacob Elordi’s soulful performance at the core.

Comedies and Family Drama

• Marty Supreme (Josh Safdie) [08:06]
  • Adrenaline-fueled comedy following a scheming 1950s ping-pong hustler (Timothée Chalamet).
• Sentimental Value (Norway) [08:27]
  • A nuanced family drama about an actress confronting her filmmaker father’s neglect during a career-defining opportunity.

International Perspectives on Conflict

• Voice of Hindra Job (Middle East) [09:11]
  • Set entirely in a West Bank emergency call center, using real audio from Gaza.
  • Quote: “Those on screen are actors. But Hind’s voice...is real, recorded on January 29, 2024 while she was trapped in the car.” (09:15)

American Epic

• Train Dreams [09:40]
  • Follows a lumberjack’s family through eras of heartbreak and landscape, “the monumental landscape, nearly a character in itself.”
  • Quote: “All is it...Every bit of it.” (10:03)

3. Honorable Mentions—“A Whole Second 10” (10:04–12:22)

• A House of Dynamite (Kathryn Bigelow): A “eerily authentic nuclear thriller” about imminent disaster (10:17).
• Sirat: Drama of raves and unrest in North Africa.
• Blue Moon: Explores heartbreak in the shadow of creative rivalry.
• No Other Choice (Korean film): Social satire about joblessness.
• Begonia: Bizarre corporate kidnapping comedy.
• Family Portraits:
  • Father, Mother, Sister, Brother (Jim Jarmusch): Understated family tension.
  • Is This Thing On? (Bradley Cooper): Will Arnett’s stand-up artist processes his divorce on stage.

    “I was unhappy in our marriage. I wasn’t unhappy with our marriage. Man, I wish I had a punchline.” (11:41)

Breakthrough Documentaries

• Grand Theft Hamlet: Shakespeare performed inside a video game (11:48).
• Architecton: Dazzling, experimental visuals.
• Come See Me in the Good Life: Rousing doc about queer artists facing cancer.
  • Quote: “Why don’t we just root for me being alive? And if I’m not, I will not feel bad about not being there.” (12:14)

4. Reflections and Closing Thoughts

Bob Mondello concludes the list with optimism about cinematic creativity, regardless of box office numbers:

“That is a whole second 10 passion projects, every one enough to make any film lover confident despite box office woes as we head into 2026.”
— Bob Mondello (12:22)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Mary Louise Kelly (02:31):
  “Whether you are headed to the theater this winter break or binge watching at home, there’s plenty to choose from and we’re here to help our Bob Mondello has rounded up his top movies of the year.”
• Bob Mondello (04:47):
  “When filmmakers are passionate, movies can make audiences vibrate with grief, with excitement, with rage.”
• Bob Mondello (07:37) on Hamnet:
  “If recent years have brought a more staggering cinematic catharsis than the last 10 minutes of Hamnet, I have not experienced it.”
• Actor/Character Voices (10:27):
  “You’re talking about hitting a bullet with a bullet. So it’s a coin toss. That’s what $50 billion buys us.”

Important Timestamps for Segments

• 1:05: Hollywood’s expected rebound and box office numbers
• 2:09: Notable blockbusters, sequels, and reboots of 2025
• 4:29: Shift from box office analysis to quality of filmmaking
• 5:01 – 9:55: Bob Mondello’s detailed Top 10 films of 2025
• 10:04 – 12:22: Extended list of “second 10” notable films and documentaries
• 12:22: Closing summary and outlook on cinema

Final Takeaway

Despite challenges in regaining pre-pandemic theater audiences, 2025 proved to be a year of creative passion and bold storytelling. Bob Mondello’s picks—ranging from high-octane thrillers and heartfelt dramas to innovative documentaries—showcase the enduring artistry of filmmakers, making this a banner year for movie lovers willing to look beyond mere ticket sales.

For more in-depth coverage, listen to the full episode and explore NPR’s other end-of-year cultural roundups.