If 2024 was a yin-yang affair, 2025 was when the world flipped upside down and inside out. Stories were told — some good, others bad — and everyone at home and in the office was left scratching their heads about what we seek from them. Companies have continued to merge and consolidate to optimize profits. Studios have risked their reputations with audiences and consumers by laying off employees in overlapping positions (which has been happening in the creative space across the board in 2025). Regardless, there have been some great experiences out there to explore and discover — whether through recommendations from Creative Insight and other media publications or the creative medium at large.
Like years past, this list includes many of 2025’s acclaimed stories that others have experienced. For various reasons, I did not have the time to commit to such antics, but I hope to see them with my own eyes…eventually.
NOTE: This list is in alphabetical order, and only movies, TV shows, and video games released during the 2025 calendar year are included.
Sandfall Interactive’s debut was one of 2025’s biggest and most surprising success stories. A team of 30 people, many of whom had no prior background in video game development, came together to make a subversive, evolutionary turn-based RPG that dominated The Game Awards, the industry’s most publicized awards show. Not only that, but it provided a heartfelt story about grief and righteousness at a time when many feel at odds with the world. Like Hollow Knight: Silksong, it has proven to the world yet again that small teams can indeed make great games — a trend I suspect will only grow in the coming years.
While it may not be a surprise hit, nor the final chapters to the full game, Toby Fox’s Deltarune is a spiritual successor to his 2015 hit, Undertale. Implementing elements from his first game’s mechanics and characters, Deltarune doubles down on its turn-based RPG inspirations with a more in-depth combat system and overarching narrative. It doesn’t shy away from being equal parts dark and comedic, which many loved about Undertale and already love about Deltarune’s first two chapters. In fact, Chapters 1 & 2 were made available for free in 2018 and 2021, respectively, giving everyone, myself included, a chance to test it out before diving deeper into the game’s lore and mysteries.
According to a friend of mine, the story plays better if people have beaten Undertale. So, despite enjoying my time with its first two chapters, I have left its next two chapters sitting in my library until I muster the courage (and motivation) to do just that.
Despite Telltale Games' closure in 2018, Dispatch’s AdHoc Studio — a team led by industry veterans from Telltale and Ubisoft — has picked up right where its precursor left off in mainstream culture…with superheroes. On paper, it doesn’t sound like a recipe for success. The superhero archetype has saturated the market in recent years, and many have coined the dip in quality “superhero fatigue.” However, like all of Telltale’s beloved games, Dispatch’s procedural interactivity and distinct cast of characters lead to a finely crafted adventure that gives each player an experience they can call their own. Its animation, writing, and voice acting fly above and beyond what many expect from video games, making it one of 2025’s most accessible games to those new to the medium and another reminder of role-playing’s power to move players and put themselves in their characters’ shoes.
After the love lost between Dana Terrace and Disney, The Owl House’s creator has jumped ship to an independent studio hot on the YouTube scene: Glitch Productions. Those responsible for the likes of The Amazing Digital Circus and Murder Drones have teamed up to make a much darker, grungy take on what those familiar with Terrace’s previous work would be familiar with. That said, her newfound creative freedom has helped make one of the most vibrant and promising shows in the studio’s current pipeline. Running an independent animation studio is less than stable or straightforward. Still, Glitch knows how to entice the right talent and lure the right talents to craft stories that audiences will want to check out…even if it takes months before a new episode premieres.
Pegging Pedro Pascal, Chris Evans, and Dakota Johnson to lead a romantic comedy from director Celine Song should have been a slam dunk. Unfortunately, there are times when a tried-and-true formula only works out on paper. The online discourse, following its release, puts the narrative’s moral ambiguity front and center. Should you choose the safer bet, the one who can provide you with whatever you might need? Or should you choose the one you love and risk an uncertain future with them? It’s not a one-size-fits-all scenario, which Song has made a recent habit of doing with her characters (see her breakout film Past Lives) or the audience themselves. Yet, it’s those swing-and-miss moments that often leave me curious about where they went right and wrong.
After witnessing all the Mission: Impossible films, but missing the theatrical release window for The Final Reckoning, it remains the bane of my backlog’s existence. That, and the trio of films (i.e., Malcolm X, Once Upon a Time…In Hollywood, and Saving Private Ryan) I have seen most of but never finished…but that’s a story for another day. The Final Reckoning marks a precarious end to the franchise, with its near three-hour runtime bloated by an apparent flashback in its first act that proved wearying to fans and critics alike. Regardless, its last hurrah remained well-received, with no double feature in sight to compete against like its previous outing in theaters (but an ironic announcement of a new Oscars category for Stunt Design sure put a damper on its parade in the months leading up to its release).
You simply cannot have a best-of-year movie ranking without at least a few foreign films, and Sentimental Value is the candidate that best fits the bill. An up-and-coming director? Check. Reputable acting talents? It’s got them. An exploration of family dynamics? Child’s play. It’s a deeply emotional journey about tragedy, sorrow, and failed fatherhood. The barrier for entry is only hurdled by its subtitles, which become an ever-growing presence in the film zeitgeist as more and more voices and talents rise through the cracks of the traditional Hollywood system that has dominated the West for decades. I am also a sucker for anything Stellan Skarsgård, as I am sure many others are after his acting triumph in Andor.
A return to form in more ways than one, Visions’ third volume continues to provide more Japanese interpretations of the Star Wars universe. Non-canonical Star Wars is where many have fallen in love with its worlds, with The Old Republic being the most notable example. Anthologies also make for entertaining viewing experiences, as each episode offers a unique jumping-off point for creatives to flex their muscles and craft something wholly unexpected. This combination provided some enjoyable moments in the show’s first two volumes, with varying cultures intersecting with the Star Wars mythos. Even when the narrative was lacking, each episode stood out to the point where some of the first volume’s best episodes have been given second glances—one of which is set for a full animated series in 2026.
I have always had an earnest belief that Dwayne Johnson is a talented actor. His only issue, especially since the mid-2010s, is that he has let his identity as a product shape the roles he plays. However, films like The Smashing Machine and Moana best reflect his acting capabilities, with the former proving to Johnson himself that he is a great performer off the wrestling stage as much as he has been on it. Couple that with Benny Safdie, who co-directed Good Time and Uncut Gems with his brother Josh, and a narrative about a former pro wrestler, and he may have shaken off the typecast he has trapped himself in. His future trajectory is up to him to decide.
The film industry has a funny way of making a scene out of its everyday shenanigans. Yet, none are more apparent than in an actual satire about the film industry’s inner workings — no less from comedy actor Seth Rogen. The Studio is an example of what Hollywood studios will do to maximize profit over the long-term success of their productions and employees. It also features many other well-known actors and filmmakers to make its proceedings feel relevant and resonant to a wide-ranging audience. The punchline? It won Outstanding Comedy Series at the Emmys and the Golden Globes.
I finish this list with, ironically, one of the year’s smaller success stories. Published by Playstack, who helped fund the 2024 indie darling Balatro, Unbeatable is “a game where music is illegal, and you do crimes.” That kind of marketing material already sold me on the experience it hopes to provide, which certainly helps attract more reluctant players unfamiliar with rhythm games (like yours truly). It bears oodles of style, wit, and charm through its impressive visuals and original songs, featuring a story about music’s power to inspire rebellion and independence. As a man who grew up on classic rock, I simply must approve.
Photo credits: A24, AdHoc Studio, Apple, D-CELL GAMES, Glitch Productions, Kepler Interactive, Paramount Pictures, Playstack, Sandfall Interactive,
© Creative Insight 2024
