Key Takeaways
- Box Office Trends: 2025 saw a lackluster box office performance, reflecting changing audience preferences.
- Overrated Films: Several films were perceived as overrated by critics, sparking debate among fans.
- Director Insights: Directors like Alex Garland and Ryan Coogler faced mixed reviews for their latest projects.
- Live-Action Remakes: Disney’s live-action adaptations continue to receive criticism for lacking originality.
Well, Schmoes, as 2025 finally draws to a close, we reflect on another unique year for movie fans. From the overall lackluster performance at the box office to the massive mergers and changes in the Hollywood landscape, things have been quite tumultuous. If there is one thing for sure, there are always movies that are highly overrated and underrated by critics and fans alike. As the UnPopular Opinion Guy (here are the ones I thought were underrated), I felt it was only fitting to issue my list of the movies I felt the masses got wrong. Some of these may shock you, and some may piss you off, but these are my honest-to-goodness perspective on the movies of 2025. If you disagree with any of the choices, please voice your opinion in the comments below. After all, the only opinion that really matters is yours, and I am just here to share mine.
5. Warfare
Director Alex Garland followed up 2024’s prescient drama Civil War with this very different look at the real-life experiences of Navy SEAL Ray Mendoza during the Iraq War. Co-writing and directing with Mendoza, Garland loses the insight and perspective he brought to Civil War and its analysis of politics and the military with this “hoo-rah” recreation of war that is guttural and unflinching but not much more. Unlike Ridley Scott’s Black Hawk Down, which combined narrative tension with bloody violence, Warfare feels like a technical achievement in filming a battle rather than offering much more than a cinematic recreation of a level from Call of Duty. None of the actors has much to do in terms of acting, resulting in a film that is more of a curiosity than anything.
4. The Fantastic Four: First Steps
On the heels of James Gunn’s reinvention of Superman, I was hoping that the first Marvel Studios foray into Marvel’s First Family would have been… more. The retro-futuristic setting was cool, and the main cast are all well-suited to their roles, but the villains feel underdeveloped. Galactus is one of the most egregiously bad CGI creations in any Marvel Studios project. The film is also overlong, with the quick summary opening meant to replace the need for an origin story, which ends up feeling about ten minutes too long. At times, First Steps feels like a sequel to a movie we never got. The tacked-on credit sequence teasing Doctor Doom also makes me long for a time when we could enjoy MCU projects on their own merits without the inevitable crossover on the horizon. A good movie that should have been great, The Fantastic Four: First Steps, would have been great had it been released five years ago.
Disney has to stop with the live-action remakes. Only a small percentage of these recreations of classic animated films prove to be any good, and they have quickly exhausted their best projects worth adapting. After Snow White and Mufasa: The Lion King underwhelmed at the box office, Disney has turned to their 2002 under-the-radar hit featuring Elvis songs and a bizarre alien character to try and right their box office. The fact that this movie grossed a billion dollars is a testament to just how few quality family films are made these days. Another example of Disney changing story elements for no reason and proof positive that live-action-animated hybrid films are still the worst idea ever. While we don’t have long to wait for the live-action Moana, until then, this will remain the worst Disney remake to date.
2. Sinners
Yes, Ryan Coogler’s Sinners is a good movie. I enjoyed Michael B. Jordan’s dual role performance, and the music is pretty damn good. There is a distinctiveness to the cinematography courtesy of Autumn Durald Arkapaw and Ludwig Goransson’s score that lends this movie an epic scale. Still, it is far from being one of the best movies of the year. Every time I see Sinners ranked as one of the ten best films of 2025, I am left scratching my head as to how people are thinking it is worth that level of acclaim. In a year where studio blockbusters have disappointed,Sinners definitely rises above the rest but if you analyze the film you will find it is basically a 1930s-set twist on From Dusk Till Dawn. I am not complaining that Ryan Coogler and Michael B. Jordan are one of the most dynamic creative partnerships out there but this is a good movie just not the best of the year (although when we post our Best of the Year on Monday you’ll note a lot of our staff disagrees).
1. KPop Demon Hunters
Another example of a good movie being praised as great is KPop Demon Hunters, which is an original idea that is only half-executed. Clocking in at just over ninety minutes, the ode to Korean music and mythology feels like the pilot for an ongoing series rather than a fully realized feature film. Numerous ideas are introduced but barely explored leaving the narrative feeling superficial and lacking sufficient depth on repeat viewings. It is easy to overlook the movie’s flaws due to the infectious earworm of a soundtrack that has permeated every form of pop culture. Still upon examining the movie on its own merits as a film it is revealed to be largely fluff with little substance. These complaints can be addressed with a sequel but KPop Demon Hunters works better as a soundtrack than it does as a movie.
Let us know what you think of these picks in the comments below. Also let us know your most overrated movies of the past year!
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Source:
JoBlo.com
