150 Critics Pick Best Movie of 2025 (You Can Stream It on Max Right Now)
It's only July, and the verdict is in — at least for now. Over 150 film critics have named the best movie of the year so far, and the top pick isn't just a box office hit or an awards hopeful — it's already streaming on Max.
According to the World of Reel Mid-Year Poll, the runaway favorite is Ryan Coogler's Sinners. The film appeared on 70% of submitted ballots and topped the list with a commanding 107 votes, well ahead of the competition.
Here's how the top five stacked up:
- Sinners (Ryan Coogler) — 107 votes
- Black Bag (Steven Soderbergh) — 68 votes
- 28 Years Later (Danny Boyle) — 37 votes
- Warfare (Alex Garland & Ray Mendoza) — 34 votes
- Mickey 17 (Bong Joon Ho) — 32 votes
Coogler's film is currently the only serious Oscar contender on the board, with Best Picture and Best Director buzz already building. It's also one of the rare 2025 films that has hit the sweet spot between commercial success, critical acclaim, and actual audience interest — something this year hasn't had a lot of.
A Weak Start to 2025
Critics mostly agreed: it's been a flat year at the movies. From blockbusters to art house fare, consensus has been hard to come by. Sinners stood out largely because there hasn't been much else to rally behind.
Steven Soderbergh landed in second place with Black Bag, and even had a second entry in the top 20 — Presence — though it's been largely overshadowed. He's also got a third film, The Christophers, premiering at TIFF in September, which could shake things up by year's end.
Indie Favorites and International Entries
One of the biggest surprises was the showing for Carson Lund's Eephus — a small baseball indie that premiered at Directors' Fortnight and never got a proper theatrical release. It still managed to tie for fifth place with F1 (Joseph Kosinski), a high-profile racing drama starring Brad Pitt.
Other standout mentions include:
- The Phoenician Scheme (Wes Anderson)
- The Life of Chuck (Mike Flanagan)
- Sorry, Baby (Eva Victor)
- Friendship (Andrew DeYoung)
International films also made an impression, including:
- Caught With the Tides (Jia Zhangke, China)
- Misericordia (Alain Guiraudie, France)
- April (Dea Kulumbegashvili, Georgia)
Critics React — and They're Not All Convinced
While Sinners took the top spot, not everyone agrees it deserves the crown.
"Sinners was good but it's not THAT good..."
"Trite, shallow, badly acted... Boggles my mind that so many people liked this mess of a movie."
"Without the sex, it could've been PG-13. Needed to be more intense."
"Easy Best Picture nominee just because nothing else from January to July was either."
Still, even detractors admit the bar this year hasn't been especially high. Some praised The Shrouds, others rallied around F1 as a smart crowd-pleaser, and a few dug up gems like Universal Language — a surreal Canadian indie currently on Kanopy.
Where to Watch
For anyone curious what the hype's about, Sinners is already streaming on Max. No rental fee, no limited release window — just one click away.
It might not be the final word on 2025, but for now, Coogler's film is leading the race. Whether it holds onto that lead through awards season is a question for December. But halfway through a bumpy year for film, Sinners is the movie to beat.