There are a lot of metrics that can be used to judge the year’s biggest winners and losers in the realm of entertainment; you could look at the money a project won or lost, the number of viewers it secured or failed to appeal to, or the cumulative critical reaction to a title. As many points of data as there might be to figure out the biggest hits and misses of any year, not all topics of discussion can break down into data points for studios and streamers to analyze. Some of the most talked-about things in 2025 go beyond a binary win/loss equation, and we’re here to point them out.
For better or worse, the winners and losers aren’t necessarily the direct result of a single person or studio, and rather the collective effort of a number of individuals who struck gold or fell short because of a number of specific decisions made along the way.
12
Winner – Weekly TV Releases
What’s old is new again, as the traditional rollout of a TV show on a weekly basis proves to be the best way to build word-of-mouth about a title, regardless of the genre. In the streaming age, Netflix, Disney+, Hulu, and Prime Video have all experimented with the best way to share their stories with subscribers, with a number of titles proving the success of a weekly rollout.
The clear winner of the weekly rollout schedule is The Pitt, the medical drama starring Noah Wyle, which debuted its first two episodes on HBO Max as the next 13 episodes premiered on a weekly basis. Even though it wasn’t a “Mystery Box” style show that sparked speculation every week, the positive buzz saw new viewers tuning into each chapter, and from humble beginnings, the show went on to earn multiple Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Drama, Outstanding Lead Actor for Noah Wyle, and Outstanding Supporting Actor for Katherine LaNasa.
The Pitt isn’t an outlier, though, as Paradise, Alien: Earth, and The White Lotus and their complex storylines reminded audiences that, while we appreciate a binge-watch, some stories are best enjoyed when we have the time to digest the exciting events we just watched unfold.
11
Loser – Sports Biopics
Bringing to life real-world stories about genuine figures in the sporting world has previously earned lots of success: Raging Bull, Ali, I, Tonya, King Richard, Moneyball, and dozens more. Queen of the Ring, about female wrestler Mildred Burke, kicked off the year in sports biopics back in March, yet it failed to ignite much excitement in audiences or critics. Later came The Smashing Machine, about MMA fighter Mark Kerr, which was arguably one of the year’s more talked-about movies, as it saw Dwayne Johnson getting to more fully showcase his acting chops that extended far deeper than his more action-oriented experiences.
Even with The Smashing Machine earning a relatively positive reception, with critics appreciating Johnson’s more dramatic turn, heading into awards season, the movie that seemed like a sure-fire win for these accolades has largely been absent from these end-of-year discussions. Only a month after Smashing Machine stumbled, Sydney Sweeney starred in Christy as the titular boxer Christy Martin. This project was similarly billed as an opportunity to get to see more of Sweeney’s range as a performer, with Christy earning a similarly lukewarm reception from critics. Likely due at least in part to Sweeney’s public image earning the performer backlash, thus impacting the movie’s performance, Christy set a record for the worst second-weekend drop at the box office.
2025 proved that the once-reliable genre of sports biopics no longer captured audience attention quite like it used to.
10
Winner – Premium Formats
The popularity of IMAX and 3D releases opened up the door for movies over the past decade in a way that allowed unlikely movies to earn releases in these premium formats. While massive screens were previously reserved for big-budget spectacles like Black Adam or Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, 2025 audiences got to see movies like Sinners, Weapons, No Other Choice, and One Battle After Another in these premium formats.
Whether or not it was financially viable for these studios to release these pictures on major screens is yet to be seen, but it was definitely a win for audiences who wanted to immerse themselves as much as possible in these worlds.
9
Loser – Too Many Premium Formats
Audiences saw Sinners in DCP, 4DX, ICE, ScreenX, Dolby Cinema, IMAX Digital, IMAX 70mm Film 5-Perf projection, and IMAX Film 15-Perf projection. Similarly, One Battle After Another was screened in VistaVision, IMAX 70mm, IMAX, Dolby, 70mm, 4DX, and DCP. While a lot of these words have clear distinctions about what they mean for cinephiles, those who are less tech-savvy and have access to all possible screening options for Sinners might be overwhelmed by all the options and, if they are only able to see one screening, might feel they’re missing out no matter what they see.
More movies in premium formats is definitely a good thing, though the emphasis on just how many ways you watch a movie is something we won’t miss if it cools in 2026.
8
Winner – ‘Sinners’
Speaking of Sinners, on paper, who would have thought that a period piece with musical sequences and vampires in Mississippi that also explored the emergence of blues music and served as commentary on white communities appropriating Black culture would become one of the biggest hits of the year? Well, if you add to that paper that it was written and directed by Ryan Coogler, starred Michael B. Jordan in dual roles, and also starred Hailee Steinfeld, Miles Caton, Jack O’Connell, and Delroy Lindo, it makes a bit more sense.
Still, however excited audiences were for the movie, Sinners deservedly has become one of the biggest box-office hits and critical successes of the year, which will hopefully only lead to even more big swings from Coogler.
7
Loser – AI
No matter what someone who asks a computer, “Show me what My Neighbor Totoro would look like in live-action,” or, “Re-edit Wicked: For Good so everyone hugs at the end, and also put me into the movie somehow,” tells you, typing prompts into ChatGPT, Sora, or any other AI service is not art. Even though some creatives, studios, and producers have nebulously expressed their support for AI, these comments are likely coming from a place of knowing AI can be used to lower costs in some capacity, and hopefully, it’s just a matter of time before they walk back those remarks and AI can go the way of NFTs.
That said, AI itself isn’t inherently evil, as it can be used to automate monotonous or mindless tasks that filmmakers would rather work through more quickly — even if using these tools might vaporize the planet’s natural resources. Still, AI will never hold a candle to human creation in all its flaws, errors, and happy accidents.
6
Winner – ‘Coyote vs. Acme’
Warner Bros. shelved Coyote vs. Acme back in 2023, one of many shocking decisions the studio made about highly anticipated movies that were either completed or close to completion, with Batgirl also being on this list. Even if Wile E. Coyote and Roadrunner don’t have quite the same following as a DC Comics character, fans did everything they could to show support for the movie and pleaded for its release, with these pleas ultimately resulting in Ketchup Entertainment being able to buy the film from Warner Bros.
Obviously, it’s too early to know how well Coyote vs. Acme will perform, but even getting the chance to be released to the public to let them judge it for themselves is a big win for the title.
5
Loser – ‘One Battle After Another’s Marketing Campaign
Paul Thomas Anderson has delivered audiences historical dramas, ambling comedies, period pieces, and love stories. He’s a filmmaker who refuses to be contained to one genre, and while everyone has their own personal favorite movie of his, they all have their merits. Like Sinners, One Battle After Another delivered audiences a little bit of everything: it was a father-daughter story, a road trip adventure, a political thriller, and a lot more. The film’s trailers, though, failed to offer a cohesive narrative to build excitement for the release.
While a movie like last year’s Longlegs can thrive with a cryptic marketing campaign, even die-hard Anderson fans had a hard time anticipating what the movie would be, with his name being the selling point. Stars like Leonardo DiCaprio, Benicio del Toro, and Sean Penn might have at least provided general audiences some familiarity, but the tone of most promotional materials never quite nailed what the final movie delivered. Luckily, the critical reactions and positive buzz saw its box office performance remain consistent throughout its release, though it definitely deserved a bigger cultural foothold.
4
Winner – Straight-to-Streaming TV Shows
The prominence of streaming services over linear networks continued in 2025, with the aforementioned titles The Pitt and Paradise coming out of nowhere, while the sophomore season of Apple TV+’s Severance and the final season of Star Wars: Andor proving to be well worth the wait. Apple TV+ also had a major hit with Seth Rogen’s The Studio, and even if we’re just a few weeks into its debut, Vince GIlligan’s Pluribus is already poised to be a major breakout for the streamer.
Netflix also dominated the awards circuit with its four-part Adolescence, a TV show that wasn’t just a powerful, gripping, and dramatic narrative in its own right, but with each episode being one unbroken shot, it was also a technical marvel.
3
Loser – Straight-to-Streaming Movies
KPop Demon Hunters aside, it was a rough year for movies that were exclusive to a streamer. Netflix has at least started to learn its lesson by bringing movies like Frankenstein and Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery to theaters before bringing them to their streaming platform, but outside of the KPop Demon Hunters phenomenon, streaming exclusives ranged from harmlessly forgettable to outright abysmal.
Netflix had The Electric State, Happy Gilmore 2, The Old Guard 2, and Back in Action, while Hulu had O’Dessa, The Hand That Rocks the Cradle, and Eenie Meanie. Apple TV+ had some TV hits, but The Gorge, Fountain of Youth, The Lost Bus, and Echo Valley were quickly forgotten, as Prime Video’s You’re Cordially Invited, Another Simple Favor, and The Pickup all feel like nothing more than fleeting memories. The one Prime Video movie that did earn major cultural recognition was War of the Worlds, but not for the reason people wanted.
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