The 2025 film slate wasn't short on ambition. Original releases like Sinners and the late-year breakout Marty Supreme proved studios could still bet on fresh ideas. The year also ushered in franchise resets, including the launch of James Gunn's DCU with Superman and Marvel's next chapter with Captain America: Brave New World.
And yet, despite the volume of releases, I struggled to find five films I truly loved this year. That disconnect sparked a different question—why did so many highly anticipated films fall short? What follows isn't a list driven by hate or contrarianism, but by disappointment. These films had the resources, talent, and cultural relevance to matter. They simply didn't commit.
5. Now You See Me: Now You Don't
This film feels less like a sequel and more like a contractual obligation. If the goal was a reunion, the filmmakers could have been transparent—because little else here justifies the runtime.
The franchise's original appeal rested on a clever moral fantasy: magicians redistributing wealth while exposing corruption. That charm has long evaporated. What remains is a hollow exercise in brand recognition, driven by nostalgia rather than narrative. The disappointment cuts deeper because the premise still works—the execution simply refuses to evolve.
4. Superman
On paper, the casting is inspired. David Corenswet embodies the physical and moral gravity of Superman, while Nicholas Hoult brings calculated menace to Lex Luthor. Rachel Brosnahan anchors the film with a composed, intelligent Lois Lane.
The issue isn't performance—it's perspective. From the opening scene, this Superman never feels in command of his own myth. He reacts rather than leads, constantly burdened by political, emotional, and symbolic pressures. The film seems more interested in interrogating his relevance than asserting his agency.
Rather than positioning Superman as a stabilizing moral force in a chaotic world, the narrative leaves him adrift—an icon overwhelmed by the very ideals he represents.
3. HIM
As a mental health therapist, HIM was my most anticipated film of 2025. The trailer promised a psychological thriller exploring demonic rituals, blood sacrifice, and the unspoken systems of power surrounding elite athletic success. The concept alone suggested cultural relevance.
Unfortunately, the film never fully delivers on its ideas. It gestures toward dark truths often whispered about legendary athletes, but refuses to articulate them clearly. Scenes feel fragmented, symbolism goes unexplained, and the audience is left doing narrative labor the film avoids.
This also continues a pattern associated with Jordan Peele–produced projects—Candyman (2021), Honk for Jesus (2022), and Monkey Man (2024)—films rich in concept but hesitant in resolution. HIM is provocative, unsettling, and ultimately incomplete.
2. Captain America: Brave New World
A Black Captain America should have been a defining cultural moment. Marvel has proven its ability to elevate secondary characters into cultural icons, making Sam Wilson's full ascension feel like fertile ground for political and thematic depth.
Instead, the film pivots into what feels like an unannounced sequel to The Incredible Hulk, reviving characters and storylines that lack emotional urgency. Extensive delays and reshoots were warning signs, as was the quiet abandonment of the far more provocative title New World Order.
The result is a film unsure of its identity—caught between political thriller and franchise maintenance. It doesn't fail for lack of ambition, but for lack of focus.
1. The Running Man
The disappointment here begins with confusion. Is this a reboot? A reimagining? A modern reinterpretation? The film never fully commits.
The original Running Man succeeded because it felt boldly futuristic—its exaggerated dystopia created distance from reality while offering sharp social critique. This version feels too present, mirroring current anxieties without transforming them.
Ironically, the film had a blank canvas. In a genre that thrives on imagination and risk, this iteration plays it safe—relying on familiar structure rather than pushing the sci-fi conversation forward. It isn't bad. It's restrained. And restraint is rarely what science fiction needs.
The Highlight Real Takeaway
What connects these films isn't incompetence—it's hesitation. Each had the opportunity to say something meaningful about power, identity, morality, or spectacle, yet stopped short of commitment.
In a year where originality proved it could still succeed, these films remind us that cultural impact isn't created by budget or branding—it's earned through conviction.
At The Highlight Real, we don't just watch culture—we decode it. And sometimes, the most revealing stories are the ones that almost mattered.