Films and Shows I'm Thankful For in 2025

In 2020, I started a Thanksgiving tradition of creating a list of twelve films or shows I was most thankful to have discovered, rediscovered, reappraised, or otherwise gained a greater appreciation for since the previous Thanksgiving. (Click here to see the previous lists.) Here are my picks for 2025. I’m thankful for …

The Acolyte (a greater appreciation): I didn’t include this on my Thanksgiving list last year because my initial reaction to it was more measured, but watching this Star Wars show a second time convinced me it’s one of the most rich and complex Star Wars projects of the post-Lucas era. It shares a lot of DNA with The Phantom Menace and The Last Jedi. That statement will scare many people away, but coming from me it’s a big compliment. Tim Lawrence and I have each written a number of Jedi Archives posts on The Acolyte here.

Fiddler on the Roof (a [re]discovery): I saw the musical on stage in middle school and I played percussion in the orchestra for a high school production. Since then, Fiddler has always been on my shortlist of favorite musicals, but this was my first time watching the 1971 film version. I enjoyed its New Hollywood sensibility: compared to some classic musicals, it hardly ever feels stuffy or stagey thanks to the rapid montages, the mobile camera, and shooting on-location.

Hugo (a reappraisal): When I last saw this over a decade ago, I would have said it was big on style and short on substance and that it lacks focus from trying to tell two different stories at once. When I watched it again this past year, what seemed like disparate parts clicked together for me, and I was deeply moved by the conclusion. I also noticed a lot of funny similarities to one of my all-time favorite films, The Terminal. 

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (a discovery): I was not expecting the second-best Jurassic Park film to be one of the Jurassic World legacy sequels no one asked for, but I was sold on the idea of the second half of this film: what if, instead of being another “escape the jungle island” story, this pivoted in the second act to become an “escape the Gothic mansion” story? If that isn’t enough to pique your interest, consider this: This is probably the closest we will ever get to seeing a cinematic adaptation C. S. Lewis’s That Hideous Strength.

Matilda (a rediscovery): I loved this film as a kid, but what I did not notice about it at the time is just how accomplished and artful Danny DeVito’s direction is. Matilda can very nearly stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Mary Poppins, Hugo, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, and Babe in the canon of sophisticated family-friendly cinema that is not animation. 

Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning (a discovery): As a big fan of the Christopher McQuarrie era of Mission: Impossible (Rogue Nation, Fallout, and Dead Reckoning are among the greatest action movies I’ve seen), I was sadly let down by this, what is supposed to be Ethan Hunt’s last hurrah. I talked about why in a Notebook post this summer. But I’m still thankful for this film as a celebration of a particular kind of blockbuster filmmaking that we may see less and less of in the coming years. 

A Raisin in the Sun (a discovery/greater appreciation): Since last Thanksgiving, I have taught the play three times, and each time my love and admiration for it has grown. Although there are things I don’t like about the film adaptation that Lorraine Hansberry herself helped make, watching it one year ago helped the play click for me in a way it hadn’t when I studied it in high school and then again in grad school. Poitier’s performance here might be one of the all-time greats.    

The Rescuers Down Under (a rediscovery): The film as a whole has significant weaknesses, but the grandiose opening scenes always captivated me as a child, and watching them again this year was exciting. If you like Disney’s later epic adventure movies (Atlantis, Treasure Planet), you’ll probably enjoy this one, too.

Skeleton Crew (a discovery): As a fan of Star Wars and various Disney projects about pirates (Peter Pan and Swiss Family Robinson as a kid, the Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy, and especially Treasure Planet, of which this is virtually a remake), of course I had a lot of fun with this. I've written a few Jedi Archives posts about this show, and Tim Lawrence has written a bunch.  

Temple Grandin (a discovery): I think the way this movie simulates the experience of sensory overload has helped me to better understand and sympathize with those who struggle to navigate the modern world’s audio-visual noise, frenetic pace, and inflexible expectations. 

Tron: Ares (a discovery): This past month I finally watched Tron and Tron: Legacy in preparation to see the third film in this odd little franchise. The first film only mildly intrigued me and the second film impressed me, but watching Ares on the big screen thrilled me—even more, oddly enough, than watching The Final Reckoning. (P.S.: This would make for a good double feature with Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom if your theme is: Severely Underrated Legacy Sequels That Pivot Genres and Have Affinities with C. S. Lewis’s Abolition of Man/That Hideous Strength.)

The Wonderful World of Henry Sugar and Three More (a discovery): Another Roald Dahl adaptation on this list, from the filmmaker behind my favorite Dahl-inspired movie, Fantastic Mr. Fox. Wes Anderson has a highly specific style that many find off-putting and contrived. I sympathize, which is why I was glad to find another film of his that I could get into. I’m fascinated by this film because it is a short-story cycle (the genre that is the focus of my dissertation), and because each story, in both content and form, is about concentration and attentiveness. 

Honorable Mention: Andor Season 2 is very good—better overall than The Acolyte and Skeleton Crew—but I liked Season 1 more; my list has two Star Wars shows on it already; and I didn’t want the less popular shows to go without a good word amidst all the accolades for Andor.

Films and Shows I'm Thankful For in 2024

In 2020, I started a Thanksgiving tradition of creating a list of twelve films or shows I was most thankful to have discovered, rediscovered, reappraised, or otherwise gained a greater appreciation for in the past year. (Click here to see the previous lists.) Here are my picks for 2024. I’m thankful for …

The Bad Batch Season 3 (a discovery): Each Star Wars animated show produced by Dave Filoni (The Clone Wars, Rebels, and now The Bad Batch) starts off a bit rocky, improves and appreciates over time, and reaches peak perfection in its final season. I’m impressed by how well The Bad Batch Season 3 stuck the landing.

Barbie (a discovery): Sure, it has a bunch of narrative and thematic issues, but then again … I was entertained and intrigued enough to watch it twice; I laughed a lot; and “I’m Just Ken” and “What Was I Made For?” were stuck in my head for days or weeks on end. 

The Boy and the Heron (a discovery): It’s a gift when one of the greatest filmmakers of our time comes out of retirement for at least one more project. 

Dune: Part Two (a discovery): It’s Lawrence of Arabia meets Revenge of the Sith—which is to say, it’s my kind of space epic tragedy.

Godzilla Minus One (a discovery): I did not expect to be so moved by a monster movie.

Ikiru (a discovery): Finally, I can say I’ve seen a film by Akira Kurosawa. And it’s near-perfect and powerful.

Lawrence of Arabia: Not on this list because it was a discovery, a rediscovery, or a reappraisal or re-appreciation, but because one of the film-going highlights of my year was seeing this on the big screen, where it felt both grander in the first half and more devastating in the second. 

Quiz Show (a discovery): I watched this on a whim knowing nothing about it except it was directed by Robert Redford and was nominated for some Oscars. It turned out to be a forgotten gem.

Spider-Man 2: As with Lawrence of Arabia, this wasn’t a discovery, a rediscovery, or a reappraisal or re-appreciation. It was just an absolute delight and privilege to see this on the big screen again for the first time since it came out twenty years ago. While the credits rolled, I turned to my friends and asked, half joking, half serious, “Why do we bother making movies anymore? Why do we need any more?” It’s that good.

Star Wars: Episode III — Revenge of the Sith (a greater appreciation): I’ve seen this many times and it’s grown on me a lot the past decade. But I don’t think it ever clicked for me or moved me as much as it did when I watched it this year. 

Twisters (a discovery): A pleasantly old-school blockbuster, and refreshingly human.  

VeggieTales: Lord of the Beans (a rediscovery): This summer I watched some VeggieTales for the first time in years. This is still one of my favorites and maybe the best parody (of anything) I’ve ever seen.

Films and Shows I’m Thankful For in 2023

In 2020, I started a Thanksgiving tradition of posting on Letterboxd a list of twelve films or shows I was most thankful to have discovered, rediscovered, reappraised, or otherwise gained a greater appreciation for in the past year. (Click here to see the previous lists.) Here are my picks for 2023. I’m thankful for …

Ahsoka (a discovery): As a fan of Dave Filoni’s Clone Wars and Rebels shows and of George Lucas’s Star Wars prequels, I was glad to see this live-action continuation of Ahsoka, Sabine, and Ezra’s stories, staged in a very prequel-esque way. (P.S.: I reflected on the surprising prominence of the theme of homecoming in a recent Notebook post.)

The Apartment (a discovery): In the latter half of the year I made a point of watching more Old Hollywood films as a way of counterbalancing the usual recency bias in my film-viewing. This included finally seeing three classic, iconic films by Billy Wilder, a major director who, inexplicably, was never on my radar. I can’t say I loved any of them. Double Indemnity, Sunset Boulevard, and The Apartment are each shockingly dark compared to the usual studio productions of the time, and each unsettled me with their unflinching exposés of human depravity. But The Apartment has stuck with me thanks to its redemptive ending.

Avatar: The Way of Water (a discovery—but also a reappraisal): I was biased against the first Avatar long before seeing it and derided it when I finally did in 2012. It turns out I like that film now, and its sequel even more so. If we must have films consisting of 99.99% hyper-realistic CG, then let more of them be like this: films that explore new worlds to help us appreciate the beauty in this one, just as James Cameron’s lavish attention to Pandora’s marine ecosystem is an expression of his love for Earth’s. (P.S.: Between watching this and reading Arctic Dreams and Moby-Dick, the past twelve months were the Year of the Whale for me.)

From Up on Poppy Hill (a discovery): Another pleasant Studio Ghibli film that, like Only Yesterday, My Neighbor Totoro, and Kiki’s Delivery Service, is driven more by atmosphere than by plot. The evocation of a highly specific place and time is very effective here.  

Killers of the Flower Moon (a discovery): This is a good film worthy of this list in its own right—I’m thankful this dark chapter in our nation’s history is getting needed attention—but I include it here primarily because I got to see it with my dad last week. We hadn’t been to see a movie together in a long time, and in the days following we were both sobered by reminders that our lives are fragile. More than anything else on Thanksgiving Day, I was thankful for him.

The Lost City of Z (a discovery): Apparently, I’ve selected two films based on nonfiction books by David Grann. It’s a shame this cross between Lawrence of Arabia and 2001: A Space Odyssey set in the jungle has been lost to public awareness in the recesses of the Amazon streaming catalogue (how ironic).

Marcel the Shell with Shoes On (a discovery): A cute, quirky, and thoughtful stop-motion and live-action hybrid about a googly-eyed shell, his grandmother, and the human neighbor who makes a documentary about them.

Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning, Part I (a discovery): I love how this franchise has matured and evolved in its Christopher McQuarrie era, and although I’m still not reconciled to what happened to [REDACTED], I’m convinced this is the most thematically rich chapter in the franchise. Seeing this in theaters with two friends who had never seen an M:I film before was a highlight of my movie-going this year.

October Sky (a rediscovery): I’ve always been a fan of Joe Johnston, a director who excels at old-fashioned blockbuster filmmaking in works like Jumanji, The Rocketeer, and the first Captain America. But this film, about rocket-building high schoolers in a dead-end coal-mining town, might be his best. At least, it’s the most emotionally satisfying. The way it ultimately honors the small town and the protagonist’s difficult father, instead of reducing them to easy caricatures, surprised me.

Porco Rosso (a greater appreciation): Porco Rosso was almost on my Thanksgiving 2022 list. It has risen from 5th to 3rd place in my ranking of Miyazaki films, but the film is also included on this list to represent the multiple times I got to see Miyazaki’s work on the big screen in 2023: Kiki’s Delivery Service, Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, Porco Rosso, and The Wind Rises this summer; and, Lord willing, The Boy and the Heron in a few weeks.  

Raising Arizona (a discovery): I didn’t know a Coen Brothers film could be this silly and this sentimental. It makes me smile just to think about it.

The Rings of Power (a discovery): The first season of Amazon’s Lord of the Rings prequel show is not what I had feared it would be and far better than its negative reception suggests. It is also—whatever liberties are taken with the lore—surprisingly congruous with Tolkien’s moral vision. I really hope we’ll get to see the other seasons. (P.S.: This year I also got to see the extended edition of The Fellowship of the Ring on the big screen—another movie-going highlight.)