Movies are about moments – big moments that erase our cynicism about cinema and remind us of its capacity to dazzle as well as touch us. This happens in a way only possible with a medium that seamlessly combines so many other art forms. These are instances that prompt us to consider things in a different light or empathize with others in a way we could never expect, while others simply entertain us.
While sometimes memories of the overall plot of a film or its minute details may escape us, certain scenes stand out like a beacon in a bland cinematic landscape. What follows is a list of the 10 best scenes from the movies in 2025. While some of the films they’re from might not have been completely successful, perfection was achieved during these moments, and they’ve proven powerful enough to stay with this viewer long after the credits have rolled and the lights have come up.
Hamnet – Devastated by the death of her son and furious at her husband for abandoning her in her time of need, Agnes Shakespeare (Jessie Buckley) is stunned when she sees her partner’s new play, Hamlet. As she witnesses the title character die, she comes to understand her husband has given her the opportunity to say goodbye to their child. As Buckley and other members of the audience reach out to Hamlet to symbolically comfort him, director Chloe Zhao beautifully displays the transformative and healing power of art.
Sorry, Baby – Having been reminded of a previous trauma, Agnes (Eva Victor) suffers a panic attack while driving and pulls into a nearby parking lot to recover. She meets Pete (John Carroll Lynch), the owner of a sandwich shop, who helps her calm down and gain her composure. Making her a sandwich, he offers up a sympathetic ear and some solid advice to this troubled stranger. Done with a deft comic touch, this moment is indicative of the subtle, grounded approach Victor takes as a director dealing with sensitive subject matter.
Die My Love – Having battled through post-partum depression and other forms of mental illness, Grace (Jennifer Lawrence) succumbs to her demons, leaving her family and walking into a forest that’s seemingly aflame. This final moment shifts back and forth between reality and Grace’s perspective, the blazing trees surrounding her serving as a powerful metaphor for the overwhelming power and inescapable nature of her illness.
One Battle After Another – Desperate for help to find his kidnapped daughter, Bob (Leonardo DiCaprio) a former activist, contacts the militant group he once belonged to in order to enlist their aid. However, his inability to remember a password thwarts his efforts. A brilliant comic moment in which the character’s increasing frustration leads to greater laughs, this sequence brilliantly drives home the absurdity of Bob’s situation and serves as a reminder of DiCaprio’s comic abilities.
Black Bag – Legendary spy George Woodhouse (Michael Fassbender) has assembled many of his colleagues, including his wife (Cate Blanchett), at a dinner party. They all think this is a social function, unaware he is about to reveal their deepest and darkest professional and personal secrets, which will have fatal consequences for some of them. A wonderful combination of humor and tension, director Stephen Soderbergh employs brilliant pacing and a darkly comic tone to deliver one of the most surprising and enjoyable endings of the year.
Bring Her Back – Having taken in two foster children under false pretenses and used supernatural means to resurrect her daughter, Laura (Sally Hawkins) cradles the body of her dead child, consumed in and comforted by her grief. Unsettling and poignant, Hawkins’ commitment to portraying the despair and desperation of her character, particularly in this final moment, resulted in one of the most haunting performances and scenes of 2025.
Weapons– Having kidnapped various children so that she may leach energy from them, Aunt Gladys (Amy Madigan), a witch hiding in plain sight, loses control of her young charges and finds herself fleeing for her life as they pursue her through their neighbors’ yards and houses. This frantic moment comes out of nowhere, providing an unexpected burst of energy that ends the film on a cryptic, comic note.
Rental Family – Having pretended to be the biographer of a renowned actor, Phillip (Brendan Fraser) escorts him to a rural area from his youth. There he digs up a tin with pictures of the first woman he fell in love with, eager to see them once more before dementia erases his memories forever.
Sinners – As Sammie Moore (Miles Caton) begins to play a song in the juke joint owned by his cousins, director Ryan Coogler’s camera begins to rove about the vast space and we see various tableaux of historical moments displaying how his culture’s music developed. Taking us from primitive days to modern times, this is a showstopping moment that beautifully and powerfully captures the artistic heritage that has so often been stolen from its originators.
Jay Kelly – Having had a parting of the ways the night before, movie star Jay Kelly (George Clooney) and his agent, Ron Sukenick (Adam Sandler), meet at a film festival where a tribute to the actor is taking place. As the retrospective begins to roll, the men begin to hold hands, their underlying friendship trumping their professional concerns as they start to take in all they’ve accomplished over the years.
Related
This article appears in January 08-14, 2026.
