5 Must-See 2025 Movies to Supercharge Your Christmas

If you are staring at the remote wondering what to line up while the cookies are in the oven, 2025 served up a surprisingly solid mix of crowd-pleasers across theaters and streaming. I pulled together five new releases that actually delivered this year, from capes and car chases to dragons and demon-slaying pop idols. Cozy blanket optional.

1. Superman (2025)

   If you want a superhero fix that actually feels like the character again, James Gunn’s take brings the Man of Steel back to basics. David Corenswet’s Clark is big on hope and belonging — exactly the vibe a holiday watch should have. It also matters on the industry side: this was the first theatrical release in the rebooted DCU.

   Director: James Gunn | Box office: $616.7 million worldwide ($354.1 million domestic), the year’s top-grossing superhero movie | Rotten Tomatoes: 83% | IMDb: 7.1/10

   Streaming on HBO Max.

2. Freakier Friday (2025)

   Nostalgia switch flipped. Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan return as Tess and Anna Coleman, and this time the body-swap chaos expands to the next generation when they swap with Anna’s daughter, Harper, and her soon-to-be step-daughter, Lily Reyes. Julia Butters plays Harper; Sophia Hammons plays Lily. It doesn’t reinvent the premise, but Curtis and Lohan slide back into these roles like they never left — which is pretty much the point.

   Director: Nisha Ganatra | Box office: $153.2 million | Rotten Tomatoes: 74% | IMDb: 6.3/10

   Streaming on Disney+.

3. Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning (2025)

   For the folks who marathon this franchise every December: Tom Cruise’s eighth outing is a full-throttle capper. The box office landed under expectations, but as a sendoff, it delivers the goods. Christopher McQuarrie brings the arc that kicked off in Rogue Nation to a payoff here. If you want the cleanest catch-up, you can jump from Dead Reckoning straight into The Final Reckoning and you’re good.

   Director: Christopher McQuarrie | Box office: $598.8 million | Rotten Tomatoes: 80% | IMDb: 7.2/10

   Streaming on Paramount+.

4. How to Train Your Dragon (2025)

   The live-action redo had no business being this good, but here we are. Dean DeBlois — who co-directed the 2010 original — returns to steer it, with Gerard Butler back as Stoick the Vast and new leads Mason Thames and Nico Parker stepping in. The adaptation stays faithful where it counts and still finds room to flex with the visuals. Toothless remains a star; the CG dragons look great; the characters have actual dimension.

   Director: Dean DeBlois | Box office: $636 million | Rotten Tomatoes: 77% | IMDb: 7.8/10

   A sequel is already in development. Streaming on Peacock.

5. KPop Demon Hunters (2025)

   Yes, it sounds like a bit, but the movie absolutely popped. The animated adventure about three female pop stars leading double lives as demon hunters turned into a genuine phenomenon. It even set a platform record with more than 500 million total views so far (via @PopBase / X). The soundtrack slaps, the tone plays for all ages, and while it has a little Halloween spice, the musical energy makes it a surprisingly great holiday watch.

   Director: Maggie Kang | Rotten Tomatoes: 95% | IMDb: 7.5/10

   Streaming on Netflix.

Got your own 2025 holiday go-to? Drop it in the comments — I’m always looking for one more thing to add to the queue.