Hey, welcome to the time of year I get personal on main! I can’t believe this has been the 3rd year of the blog and the 2nd year of the associated Instagram account (@ithinkiveseenthis_film_before if you’re not already following). In some ways, I feel like I’ve been doing this forever but, in other ways, I can’t believe it’s been that long. And this year I’ve developed such a love/hate relationship with it. Last year I wrote, “Another year of feeling like there is never enough time to watch, see, listen to, read all the things I want. There is SO much content out there and I just can’t possibly get to all of it, even though I would like to. I can also watch much faster than I can write so I spent a lot of this year getting behind in my reviews. In 2025, I would definitely like to work on getting my posts out in a more timely manner.” Well, nothing really changed this year. There is always more content out there than I am able to get my hands around. Sometimes it’s a relief to watch something without feeling the pressure to think critically about it or have to have thoughts and opinions knowing I’ll have to write about it at some point. And the constant feeling of being behind on my posts can be really discouraging. But then, when I write something I like or am writing about something I feel passionate about, it’s so exciting and energizing. I also have so much fun posting on Instagram. There’s something so free about it, I feel like I can be more myself. But, really, the thing that keeps me going is all of you.
A lot of times when I say that, I feel like I’m speaking into the void. I often wonder if anyone actually reads what I write or looks at the Instagram posts I spend time curating (obviously besides people who are related to me and who I speak to on a daily basis). And most of the time, I don’t really care. I started this for me and I still do it for me. But at the same time, I wanted this to be an avenue for connection. Because I could talk all day long about the things that I love (and I do), but it means so much more when it’s a dialogue, a discussion, not just a one-sided rant. And oftentimes it does feel very one-sided. But every now and then, I will speak to someone in person who tells me they read my blog and it gives me new life. So I just want to say to those silent readers, the people who don’t comment or like or interact with my posts in any way other than to read the words I’ve written, I appreciate you more than you know. Truly, I still can’t believe anyone would take the time to read something I’ve written. And as much as I love writing things just for myself, and would continue to do so, it gives me renewed purpose and a higher bar for myself to write for an audience of real people. If you are spending your precious time reading my words, I better make sure they’re worthwhile.
This year more than ever before it felt like life (particularly my day job) got in the way of my work on here. In other words, this blog is a time commitment. And, on top of what it already is, I constantly have ideas for fun, new things I want to do with it: monthly series and director deep-dives and more interactive content and reviews of other kinds of media. The more I do, the more I want to do. But that all takes time I don’t necessarily have to give right now. Time I don’t know if I’ll ever have while working a full-time job. I often flirt with the idea of this being my career and having all the time in the world to devote to it. But, unfortunately, it’s a crowded space. Everyone is an amateur critic on Twitter and TikTok and Letterboxd and that’s great in some ways. More people being interested in film and TV is exactly what I want. But it can also be frustrating. Everyone has opinions that aren’t always well intentioned or thoughtful or actually critical and it creates a lot of noise. That noise, good and bad, is hard to break through. Nearly impossible. And I’m not trying to be humble when I say I don’t think my content is particularly special in the scheme of things. So, for now, I still do it for me as a hobby I enjoy. And hopefully one day in the near future I’ll get a handle on this time management thing and I can make this page everything I want it to be.
Well if you made it through my vulnerable ramblings (or skipped it completely, I wouldn’t blame you), I will now actually get into the content for the year 2025! The real reason we’re here. I try not to set number goals for myself in my content consumption because it’s about quality over quantity, so I usually state my goal as just watching more than I did last year. And I achieved that! Actually pretty significantly. And yet, I feel like watching things is like traveling. You think once you travel to new places, you start to cross them off your list. But the more places you go, the more places you then want to go. And the list gets longer, not shorter. I feel that way about movies. I’m constantly adding to my watchlist. When I see a movie I like, I want to see every movie that actor has been in and that director has ever made and the movies that inspired it. Not only does the list never end, but it never gets any shorter. That can be overwhelming. But then I saw someone on Twitter frame it this way: at least you will never run out of good movies to watch. And as stressful as it sometimes feels to find time to see and watch things on my list, it’s always worth the excitement and joy I feel when I finally get to experience something I’ve waited months or years for.
For me, the movies this year were defined by that anticipation. It seemed like I started hearing rumblings of first reviews and reactions months ahead of a movie’s release. That gave me too much time to go through cycles of opinions in my own head before even getting to see a movie and think for myself. A common thread through many of my reviews this year was worrying that my feelings wouldn’t match up with the dominant viewpoint already out there in the world. In tandem with that, I found myself shifting the way I consumed marketing ahead of releases. I used to jump on every new trailer, clip, still photo, interview, factoid, etc. about a movie I was interested in. It helped hold me over until I was able to see the full thing. But now I find myself avoiding trailers and everything else, wanting to know as little as possible so I can experience the full movie for myself all at once. The movie industry and how audiences consume it is constantly changing, and that’s true now more than ever with the Netflix/Warner Brothers deal looming large.
There is so much I could say about this and so much that’s still unknown about it. But I just wanted to briefly say, monopoly concerns aside, I understand going to a movie theater is increasingly difficult. If you don’t live in New York or LA, half of the movies don’t even come to you, it has become ridiculously expensive with the average ticket price alone in NYC averaging about $25 not including snacks (thank you to AMC Stubs for helping with that one), and theater etiquette is longggg gone. And yet, I still prefer to see movies in theaters over anything else. I genuinely believe they are better. Both from my own experience and anecdotally from times I’ve seen something in theaters and liked it and everyone who only watched at home didn’t. It does make a difference. I notice it in myself too. I don’t pay as much attention at home. The outside world bleeds through too much. I want to be locked in. Just me and the movie. Escape from the world for a little bit. Give me a giant screen, a reclining seat, a bucket of popcorn and some Buncha Crunch, and a dark room where nothing else exists. Movies coming to streaming via this deal has pros for people everywhere who want to see movies but the cost or locations are a barrier to entry. And I definitely want the most people possible watching movies. But I still want the theater to be an option. Is there a version where we could have both?
Out of the 90 total new movies (new as in new to me) I saw this year, 41 were seen in theaters. Breaking it down even further, 9 were watched for work and, most excitingly to me, 12 were seen at premieres or screenings or special events (along with 3 other special event experiences not for movies). That’s something I did more than ever this year and really loved getting a chance to be a part of each and every time. My boots on the ground experiences. I hope that number continues to increase in 2026. I also did my first in-theater double feature this year. The perfect way to spend a rainy or cold Sunday. I will definitely be doing this again in the future. For some reason, I had a really hard time picking my Top 5 movies for the year. I feel like there were a lot of movies this year I had high hopes for that turned out to be disappointing. And not many titles jumped out at me as films I completely adored. So I made my list based on movies that I walked out of and thought, “I need to see that again.” Looking at the Top 5 now, all 5 titles turned out to be pretty big spectacle movies. I guess that’s what really moved the needle for me this year. The quieter, more introspective films were some of my hardest cuts (honorable mention to Sentimental Value which would have been #6), but none of them wormed their way deep enough under my skin to be undeniable. Hopefully in 2026 we get more films that stab me in the heart emotionally. These 5 movies are ones I would recommend to everyone, no question (well, I guess except Wicked. That’s really for a select audience of die-hards). Maybe my theme of the year is escapism (well, again, except One Battle, but despite being entrenched in an unfortunate reality, it does take you on a transfixing ride). All of these movies gave me exactly the feeling I go to the movies for: it’s me and the movie and nothing else exists. And the immersive worlds, surround sound, and captivating stories of these 5 kept me locked in like no other movies this year. So here are my Top 5 movies of 2025, where “top” means “favorite” and not necessarily best.
Top 5 Movies of 2024 (in chronological order of their release)
- Sinners
- F1
- One Battle After Another
- Wicked: For Good
- Marty Supreme **review to come in 2026
I made a huge jump in my TV watching numbers this year, a goal I set for myself last year. I also think there were a lot more shows this year that were extremely pervasive in pop culture. That’s kind of how I thought about picking my Top 5 for the year. Not the shows that were necessarily the most popular, but the shows that I felt like consumed my life outside of just watching the episodes. Ones I thought about for hours and hours and listened to podcasts about and watched interviews with the cast and creators and sent my friends countless memes or thought-provoking posts about. Notably, 4 out of 5 of the shows were not binge drops where the episodes all come out at once. The staggered release often helps these shows last in the cultural conversation and minds of the audiences for much longer. One trend in television consumption I found this year was a major increase in the so-called “Reddit detectives”, or online users who analyze every detail of shows and post their theories. This is no longer just limited to Reddit. Social media has made these kinds of posts inescapable on any platform. I love when people are passionate about what they’re watching (because I know I am) and I do think it’s fun to theorize and see details you didn’t pick up on yourself. But somehow this year we’ve tipped over into the dark side of this (social media ruins everything). First of all, analyzing something to death takes the fun out of watching it. People who have no more knowledge of a show than any other viewer out there suddenly think they’re experts and sometimes even more so than the people who make the show. And secondly, a lot of times these “fans” aren’t even interested in what happens on the show anymore. They just want their own personal theories realized because they want to be proven right. I used to really enjoy getting in the weeds with these things and absorbing every factoid and idea, but the energy around it all has changed in such a negative way. Everyone needs to get back to just enjoying watching something instead of being so concerned with picking it apart to make themselves feel smart. Sorry, I don’t mean to be so antagonistic when talking about my favorite shows of the year but had to get that off my chest. A lot of that is also related to Stranger Things s5 which I would have loved to put on this list but couldn’t in good conscience do it without seeing how it ends. Anyway, here are a few shows that kept me hooked in 2025)!
Top 5 Shows of 2024 (in chronological order of their release)
- The Pitt
- Severance s2
- Adolescence
- The Last of Us s2
- The Summer I Turned Pretty s3
I wanted to take some time to recommend some other sources of content and entertainment that I have really appreciated from this year. This means items other than movies and television because, while those are my main sources of entertainment, there is so much more content out there to be enjoyed! And I am never not consuming content in some form. (I hate silence, sue me.) I tried to limit myself to just one selection in each category but there are literally hundreds more I could talk about so if you want more recs just send me a message!
- Song – Everybody x Elizabeth Taylor remix
- 2024 was the year of the Pop Girl and felt like we were spoiled with the quantity and quality of music we were getting. This year was less so. Again, by my own rules, I tried to pick a song for this that was outside of my typical recommendations, but I really struggled to find something I felt spoke to me or moved me or got its hooks in me to a significant degree. The only song that reached true obsession level for me this year was the Everybody x Elizabeth Taylor remix. I know, I know, I tried to avoid doing a Taylor Swift song but this one was undeniable. Nothing had me absolutely hardcore strutting down the street the way this song did. My favorite song off “The Life of a Showgirl” mixed with the Backstreet Boys? The millennial in me (and in Taylor Swift) is thriving. My SoundCloud remixes are some of my most prized possessions (thank you to spin classes and TikTok for helping me discover most of them) so I’m thrilled to get to recommend this one (for the 1000th time).
- Book – Atmosphere
- I’m still waiting for the 5-star book that changes my life. I didn’t get it this year. But maybe that’s setting the bar too high. Of the select few books I gave 5 stars to on Goodreads this year, I think my favorite was Taylor Jenkins Reid’s “Atmosphere”. I’m a long-time TJR fan so this pick isn’t really a surprise. And “Atmosphere” does employ a lot of quintessential TJR tropes. But, any time a book can make me cry, more than once, says something. It’s not my favorite TJR and it’s not her best, but I always enjoy her writing and felt very moved by this one.
- Podcast – Good Hang
- If I’m being honest, my #1 favorite podcast is still The Lonely Island and Seth Meyers Podcast. Nothing fills me with joy quite like that one does. But that was my recommendation from last year. I also still love all my in-depth, analytical podcasts about movies and TV and nerd culture (mostly from The Ringer) that I have been listening to for years now. But by my own self-imposed rules, I wanted to pick something that was new to me this year. So, staying within The Ringer family (and SNL family too… I guess my interests really are a Venn diagram), my 2025 podcast pick is Good Hang. This is the kind of podcast you always need in your roster and can just never get enough of. It’s feel-good, easy listening for when you’re stressed, anxious, tired, sad, etc. Amy is just one of the greatest people of all time (also found out she’s a Virgo so duh) and has incredible guests. I have probably listened to the Cole Escola episode 5 times now and it never fails to make me laugh. I’m always excited for new episodes to drop each week so, if you haven’t already, check this one out!
- Stage Show – John Proctor is the Villain
- I’ve actually seen a lot of really great shows on Broadway this year. “Sunset Boulevard” was one of the most interesting and innovative productions I’ve ever seen and I don’t know if I’ve ever laughed as hard as I did during “Oh, Mary”. But nothing moved me the way “John Proctor is the Villain” did. So much so that it inspired me to write a brief review of my experience (my first and only theater review to date) which you can find highlighted on my profile in my Mini Reviews from this year. I don’t have much to add to what I previously wrote there other than to reiterate how incredibly powerful I found this entire production. Unfortunately it’s no longer on Broadway, but it was announced that it is being adapted into a film. I will be there on opening day and I hope everyone will finally get to see this story as well!
- Influencer – Lindsay Arnold
- I wouldn’t consider myself someone that’s big into influencer culture, but I do have my select few people I love to follow. The top of that list this year is @linsarnold. A former Dancing with the Stars pro (and one of the best to ever do it), Lindsay now does the typical influencing with days in the life, product recommendations, and some recipe ideas. But mostly I love her family. Her sister Rylee, who I also follow, is a current pro on Dancing with the Stars (a show that had an enormous cultural impact this year). Her daughters Sage and June are the cutest things in the world and are now in dance and ballroom lessons too, which is so fun to watch. She just announced she’s pregnant with a baby boy and I shrieked at the video like I know her. Sure, it’s parasocial, but that’s what social media is these days. I’ll never skip a Lindsay post, love cheering for Rylee on DWTS, and would die for Sage and June.
- Newsletter – New Openings NYC
- Last year I recommended a newsletter I subscribed to for trends in fashion, beauty, fitness, etc. but also NYC-specific recommendations. This year’s pick isn’t really a newsletter but it’s not too different. @newopeningsnyc has become my new favorite Instagram account to follow. I find it fascinating. New York is a city with constant turnover and this is such an easy, fun way to stay current with the latest in restaurants, cafes, desserts, quick bites, and more. As someone who is always adding to my never-ending list of places to try in NYC, this account is so helpful in sourcing new finds and so hurtful to my chances of ever making a dent on said list.
2025 – The Year in Numbers: 90 new movies, 56 new seasons of television, 5 specials, 47 blog posts, 18 mini reviews, 312 pages on my Google doc, 54 followers on Instagram
I Think I've Seen This Film Before 