Would you look at that? We’re now in 2026. Granted, it’s only the first day of the new year, but, hey, we have to accept that 2025 is now in our collective rearview mirror. Like has become tradition on this website, I start every year by listing the ten articles or reviews written in 2025 that were the most popular based on views. At the very end of the article, I’ll also reveal what non-2025 written output (i.e., an article or review that wasn’t written in 2025) was the most popular in the year to which we have now all said goodbye. Well, let’s get to it!
#1 – The Count of Monte Cristo (2024) | REVIEW
From my review of The Count of Monte Cristo:
“Matthieu Delaporte and Alexandre de La Patellière’s adaptation of the iconic narrative always held my attention and is probably the best non-English language attempt at epic adventure storytelling that I’ve seen done in quite some time.”
#2 – Nosferatu (2024) | REVIEW
From my review of Nosferatu:
“Robert Eggers’ Nosferatu is yet another successful genre film from a fan-favorite director, who does a good job of updating a classic narrative with modern filmmaking standards and artistry. Although it maybe could’ve used more fresh elements or have had more depth in certain areas (including, but not limited to, characterization), as this vampire film perhaps doesn’t have a sufficient thematic bite to match its central characters’ desire and bloodlust, the film, nonetheless, is a strong adaptation that checks all the boxes while, at the same time, making interesting choices and featuring impressive visuals.”
#3 – The Girl with the Needle (2025) | REVIEW
From my review of The Girl with the Needle:
“Magnus von Horn’s The Girl with the Needle is a grim and dark psychological drama with astonishingly good cinematography and music. It is hard to watch both due to the dark material and what may be small pacing issues, but it remains a haunting film about harsh living and working conditions, especially for women, but also about the human monsters lurking in the dark preying on people in need.”
#4 – You’re Cordially Invited (2025) | REVIEW
From my review of You’re Cordially Invited:
“Nicholas Stoller has several films in his oeuvre that are generational comedy classics. His latest film isn’t exactly that given its inconsistent comedy and predictable structure, but what You’re Cordially Invited definitely is, however, is a decent-enough streaming release to watch from the comfort of your own home with entertaining stars giving themselves over to a chuckle-worthy premise (there’s even a credits sequence featuring the stars singing, if you’re into that sort of thing). You probably won’t remember it in a year or so (at best, maybe you’ll look back on this middle-of-the-road comedy as ‘the most OK film of the year’), but it should do the job if you’re looking for an easy comedic fix while you’re resting on the couch on a weeknight.”
#5 – Wolf Man (2025) | REVIEW
From my review of Wolf Man:
“Wolf Man is, at best, merely ‘okay,’ and, at worst, inadequate. But there are, again, things here that work, including the setup and pay-off of the daddy-daughter ‘mindreader’ bit. Despite being light on scares and lacking in the actual wolf-man action, there are some notable and effective scenes involving Blake’s gradual transformation, including some strong but indistinctive body horror, as well as some quite good scenes where Whannell puts his audience in Blake’s shoes to experience his point of view (e.g. not being able to comprehend his family, seeing things differently, and, perhaps in the film’s most memorable bit, hearing the movements of a spider as clearly and loudly as if someone was walking on the roof).”
#6 – Novocaine (2025) | REVIEW
From my review of Novocaine:
“Dan Berk and Robert Olsen’s Novocaine is the type of Wick-esque clone that substitutes the high-octane gun-fu action, world-building, and excellent stunt choreography and editing excellence with romantic comedy charms and cartoonishly over-the-top violent injuries. The film is elevated by the effective comedy it mines from the otherwise painful action sequences that its main character cannot feel and the Jack Quaid performance at the center of it all, which does a good job of nailing the genre-blend.”
#7 – The Order (2024) | REVIEW
From my review of The Order:
“Justin Kurzel’s The Order is a jaw-droppingly riveting ‘FBI vs. white supremacy’ flick filled with heists, compelling performances, and great cinematography, which emphasizes the gorgeous and unique landscape of the country perhaps to stress the contrast between the natural beauty of the environment and the festering hateful ideologies that threaten to cover it all in darkness. The film also features moments with powerful editing. There’s a moment where the film cuts from a scary scene of the white supremacist cult cheering and over to children hammering away on a toy keyboard, which says so much about the filmmaker’s feelings about his film’s antagonists. Frankly, this may be one of the year’s best films.”
#8 – Companion (2025) | REVIEW
From my review of Companion:
“Drew Hancock’s Companion will be compared to Ex_Machina, The Terminator, and Her quite a bit, which is fair given how it sort of resembles the former of the two quite a lot. Let me be clear, Companion is much more of a lightweight film than those modern masterpieces, but it is nonetheless a really fun time at the movies with clever sci-fi setup breadcrumbs, silly comedic bits, and solid acting from the lead cast that is about both gender politics and getting back at controlling significant others. I liked it quite a bit.”
#9 – Adolescence (2025) | REVIEW
From my review of Adolescence:
“Rather, it is an eye-opening, shattering series about a tragedy, the impact it leaves on systems that contribute to a young person’s development (family, school, etc.), the world that young people grow up in, the world they interact with online, the messages that seek to influence them online, and our worry over if we can guide them away from the darkest corners of our society. This also means that while it is a difficult watch, it is also essential that you do watch it, so as to better understand. It gets under your skin and sits with you in ways that only the best and most impactful series do. It will undoubtedly be remembered as one of the best series of the year.”
#10 – Red Rooms (2023) | REVIEW
From my review of Red Rooms:
“What is also quite effective is the film’s big scare. In a scene where Gariépy’s character dresses up, another character stares directly into the camera. Now, that doesn’t sound particularly unsettling, but the way it is executed is downright goosebump-inducing. Here the film’s score, which often has these drums and electric guitar noises, is blended with a terrifying shriek as the music kicks into overdrive. Gariépy’s reaction is also just so revealing here. It is one of the best and scariest moments of any film from 2023. This is where the film peaks, but it is not a one-trick pony. Rather, Pascal Plante’s Red Rooms is one of the most unsettling thrillers I’ve seen in quite some time.”
As promised, I can now reveal that the most-read article and/or review in 2025 that wasn’t actually written in that very same year was, like last year, my review of James Cameron’s Avatar. In actuality, based on total views in 2025, it was the 3rd most-read article last year.
If you’ve gotten this far in the article — and if you’ve been following the blog during the last year, or the last few years — I want to say thank you and reiterate that I am so grateful for every view, every click, and every comment that I get. Like I write every year, I desperately hope that the written word stays around, and those of you who have decided to check out my writing help to make me believe that some people still appreciate the written word, as well as what I bring to the table. So, thank you so much, and please stick around next year. Because I’m not going anywhere.
– Article written by Jeffrey Rex Bertelsen.
I'm Jeffrey Rex 