It’s that time of the season, and once again eccentric filmmaker John Waters has published his 10 favorite films of the year. Getting Waters’s list in early December has become an annual tradition—I’m not entirely sure why, but I’m not complaining either.
Waters always comes up with one of the most interesting top 10s of the year. It’s impossible not to respect his eclectic tastes. This year, though, Waters has actually mellowed a bit; his list isn’t as out-there as in previous years.
The top spot goes to Ari Aster’s “Eddington,” which Waters calls a “disagreeable but highly entertaining tale as exhausting as today’s politics with characters nobody could possibly root for.” He adds, “Yet it’s so terrifyingly funny, so confusingly chaste and kinky that you’ll feel coo-coo crazy and oh-so-cultural after watching. If you don’t like this film, I hate you.”
I’ve noticed a very vocal faction pushing hard for Ari Aster’s “Eddington” to receive more recognition on year-end top 10 lists. The film was met with mixed reviews, but those in the pro camp have a real passion for it. For example, back in October, when I asked readers to post their best films of 2025, “Eddington” was the fourth most cited.
Waters seems to be a big fan of Aster’s; “Beau is Afraid” was also #1 on his 2023 list. He called Aster among the contemporary filmmakers who, in his words, are on the same wavelength as him. He added that “originality” and “nerve” is what distinguishes these filmmakers for him, “f*cking vision and taking big chances.”
Also on the list are the ‘Final Destination’ reboot (“the best sequel to the coolest cinematic franchise ever”) and top-notch arthouse titles such as Oliver Laxe’s “Sirāt” and Alain Guiraudie’s “Misericordia.”
FULL LIST BELOW.
1. “Eddington” (Ari Aster)
2. “Final Destination: Bloodlines” (Lipovsky/Stein)
3. “The Oslo Trilogy” (Dag Johan Haugerud)
4. “Sirāt” (Óliver Laxe)
5. “Sauna” (Mathias Broe)
6. “Room Temperature” (Cooper/Farley)
7. “Misericordia” (Alain Guiraudie)
8. “When Fall is Coming” (François Ozon)
9. “My Mom Jayne” (Mariska Hargitay)
10. “The Empire” (Bruno Dumont)