Pan and Slam

by Jason F. Koenigsberg

Another mediocre batch of movies has come and gone that will go down in history as the year in cinema of 2025. I am glad I saw the Academy Awards Best Picture nominees to knock off a few slightly above average films off my Ten Best of the Year list. Unfortunately not enough of the Best Picture nominees I found enjoyable (Marty Supreme I am looking at you). In the end 2025 left me with two outstanding motion pictures that I do think will hold the test of time and be considered classics. Weapons was funny, scary, and a very intelligent commentary about three generational groups in American life without ever feeling patronizing or beating you over the head with its message. In fact, it plays on Hansel and Gretel and classic story tropes that have been around for hundreds of years but does so in a timely and well written manner. The same could be said for my second favorite movie of 2025 Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another. Its source material is a book by Thomas Pynchon published in 1990 but it was brilliantly updated to convey what Americans are feeling in 2025. That movie also features Leonardo DiCaprio in one of the best performances of his career and one of the most inventive car chase scenes of all time. Below are my Best of the Year list and Pan and Slam Award Winners

Top 10 Movies of 2025

1. Weapons
2. One Battle After Another
3. Bugonia
4. Eddington
5. F1
6. The Phoenician Scheme
7. Train Dreams
8. If I Had Legs I’d Kick You
9. Highest 2 Lowest
10. The Naked Gun

Best Picture:

           Begonia

            Eddington

             F1

             One Battle After Another

            Weapons*

Best Director:

           Paul Thomas Anderson-One Battle After Another

            Wes Anderson-The Phoenician Scheme

            Ari Aster-Eddington

            Zach Cregger-Weapons*

            Yorgos Lanthimos-Bugonia

Best Actor:

            Leonardo DiCaprio-One Battle After Another

Best Actress:

Emma Stone-Bugonia*

Best Supporting Actor:

           Sean Penn-One Battle After Another*

Best Supporting Actress:

Amy Madigan-Weapons*

Best Screenplay-Drama:

           If I Had Legs I’d Kick You

Best Screenplay-Comedy:

            One Battle After Another*

Best Visual Effects:

            F1*

Best Sound:

            F1*

Best Music Score:

            The Phoenician Scheme*

Best Editing:

            Weapons*

Best Cinematography:

            Train Dreams*

Best Set Design:

            Frankenstein*

Best Costumes:

            Frankenstein*

Best Scene in a Movie:

            One Battle After Another-The car chase*

Legends Award: Jim Carrey

Special Achievement Award: Michael Mann