As Martin Scorsese once said, “Music and cinema fit together naturally. Because there’s a kind of intrinsic musicality to the way moving images work when they’re put together. It’s been said that cinema and music are very close as art forms, and I think that’s true.” The right piece of music––whether an original score or a carefully selected song––can do wonders for a sequence, and today we’re looking at the 25 films that best expressed that notion in 2025.
From seasoned composers to accomplished musicians, as well as a smattering of soundtracks, each perfectly transported us. Check out our rundown of the top 25, which includes streams to each soundtrack in full where available. Note that we credited the main composers, but selections encompass soundtracks from various artists as well.
25. Anemone (Bobby Krlic)
24. Harvest (Caleb Landry Jones, Nicolas Becker, and Ian Hassett)
23. Die My Love (George Vjestica)
22. The Smashing Machine (Nala Sinephro)
21. Happyend (Lia Ouyang Rusli)
20. The Mastermind (Rob Mazurek)
19. Grand Tour (Various)
18. Black Bag (David Holmes)
17. Weapons (Ryan Holladay, Hays Holladay, and Zach Cregger)
16. Sister Midnight (Paul Banks)
15. Bugonia (Jerskin Fendrix)
14. The Shrouds (Howard Shore)
13. Eddington (Bobby Krlic and Daniel Pemberton)
12. 28 Years Later (Young Fathers)
11. Highest 2 Lowest (Howard Drossin)
10. Train Dreams (Bryce Dessner)
9. BLKNWS: Terms & Conditions (Klein and Philesciono Canty)
8. Caught by the Tides (Lim Giong)
7. The Secret Agent (Tomaz Alves Souza Mateus Alves)
6. Resurrection (M83)
5. Sinners (Ludwig Göransson)
4. The Testament of Ann Lee and Below the Clouds (Daniel Blumberg)
3. Marty Supreme (Daniel Lopatin)
2. Sirāt (Kangding Ray)
1. One Battle After Another (Jonny Greenwood)