Rolling Stone Names ‘Sinners’ Best Movie of 2025

Ryan Coogler’s ‘Sinners’ tops Rolling Stone’s list of the 20 best films of 2025. The vampire thriller stars Michael B. Jordan in dual roles as twin brothers confronting supernatural forces in the Jim Crow-era South. Coogler’s script weaves horror with historical drama, earning praise for its innovative lore expansion and box office success exceeding $250 million worldwide.

‘Sinners’ marks Coogler’s return to original storytelling following ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’. Production spanned 85 days in New Orleans, utilizing practical effects for nocturnal sequences. Cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw captured the film’s ritualistic scenes on 35mm stock, emphasizing shadow play and period authenticity. Jordan’s performances garnered Golden Globe nominations in drama categories.

The film’s narrative follows the twins’ attempt to escape sharecropping through a jazz-infused heist, only to unleash vampiric entities tied to Southern folklore. Supporting cast includes Hailee Steinfeld as a resilient widow and Delroy Lindo as a voodoo practitioner. Coogler’s direction integrates brass band scores with dissonant strings, composed by Ludwig Göransson. Critics highlight its subversion of genre tropes, blending scares with social commentary on racial terror.

Ranking second, Paul Thomas Anderson’s ‘One Battle After Another’ features Leonardo DiCaprio as a detective unraveling corporate espionage in a dystopian Los Angeles. The 128-minute runtime deploys long takes and nonlinear editing to build tension. Benicio Del Toro co-stars as a morally ambiguous informant, earning Supporting Actor accolades from multiple guilds. Warner Bros. reported $180 million in global earnings.

Raoul Peck’s documentary ‘Orwell’s Shadow’ secures third place, tracing George Orwell’s shift from colonial officer to dystopian author. Archival footage from Burma intercuts with interviews from scholars like Priyamvada Gopal. The 92-minute film premiered at Cannes, securing a limited arthouse release through Neon. Peck’s narration draws parallels to contemporary surveillance states.

Fourth on the list, Emerald Fennell’s ‘Wicked Game’ reunites her ‘Promising Young Woman’ collaborators in a psychological thriller about a grieving therapist. Carey Mulligan leads opposite Aaron Taylor-Johnson, with runtime at 110 minutes. The script’s twist-heavy structure prompted walkouts at Toronto International Film Festival screenings. Focus Features distributed, achieving $120 million domestically.

Greta Gerwig’s ‘Little Women’ adaptation reimagining rounds out the top five, starring Saoirse Ronan and Timothée Chalamet in updated roles amid modern feminism debates. Shot on location in Concord, Massachusetts, the 119-minute film employs handheld camerawork for intimate family dynamics. Sony Pictures Classics handled release, grossing $95 million. Gerwig’s revisions to Louisa May Alcott’s novel sparked discussions on canon evolution.

The list underscores 2025’s tilt toward auteur-driven projects amid franchise fatigue. Coogler’s deal for ‘Sinners’ rights reversion after 25 years sets a precedent for creator control in Hollywood. Anderson’s film received National Board of Review honors for direction and lead performance. Peck’s work earned IDA Documentary Awards nominations.

Fennell’s entry continues her streak of A24-backed provocations, following ‘Saltburn’. Gerwig’s take grossed modestly but sustained theater runs through word-of-mouth. Rolling Stone editors prioritized rewatchability and cultural impact in selections. The publication’s annual roundup influences Oscar predictors, with eight list entries vying for Academy contention.

‘Sinners’ production faced delays from Louisiana floods, extending post-production to eight months. Jordan trained in Capoeira for fight choreography, influencing the film’s kinetic vampire hunts. Coogler consulted historians for accurate 1930s depictions, avoiding anachronisms in dialect and attire. The thriller’s climax unfolds in a flooded cotton field, symbolizing submerged histories.