Best Movies of Second Half 2025: 20+ Top Films from July-December on Netflix, Disney+, Max, Hulu & More
Discover the 20+ best movies from July-December 2025 now streaming. From summer blockbusters to awards season contenders, revisit the second half's most acclaimed films you may have missed.
The second half of 2025 delivered cinematic excellence from summer blockbusters through awards season contenders. July through December showcased massive franchises, artistic achievements, and genre-defining films that completed 2025's exceptional year in cinema. This comprehensive retrospective covers the 20+ best movies from the second half of 2025, now available on streaming platforms. Whether you missed theatrical releases or want to revisit late 2025's highlights, here's your complete guide to the year's most critically acclaimed and culturally impactful films from July through December, organized by genre with platform links to stream them all.
Summer Blockbusters: July-August Event Films
Watch summer blockbusters on Disney+ at disneyplus.com and Max at max.com
Deadpool & Wolverine
Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman's July R-rated MCU team-up dominated summer.
Disney+
Summer's peak delivered the year's biggest box office hits. Deadpool & Wolverine became Marvel's highest-grossing R-rated film ever with Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman's meta-humor multiverse team-up bringing Wolverine into the MCU properly with emotional depth beneath irreverent comedy. Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire delivered pure monster spectacle with titanic battles and visual effects showcasing creatures destroying cities in Adam Wingard's entertaining continuation. Alien: Romulus brought Fede Ălvarez's horror mastery to the franchise with young space colonists facing xenomorph terror in practical effects glory that honored the original films. Summer blockbuster excellence streaming on Disney+, Max, and Hulu.
Animation Excellence: Family Films Done Right
Stream animated films on Disney+ at disneyplus.com and Netflix at netflix.com
Transformers One
September's animated origin story explored Optimus and Megatron's friendship.
Prime Video
Mufasa: The Lion King
December's photorealistic prequel exploring Mufasa's origin with Barry Jenkins.
Disney+Animation delivered emotional storytelling in the second half. The Wild Robot became DreamWorks' most touching film with Lupita Nyong'o voicing a shipwrecked robot learning to be a mother to an orphaned gosling in Chris Sanders' beautiful wilderness tale. Moana 2 continued Disney Animation's oceanic adventure with Auli'i Cravalho returning alongside new songs from Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear. Transformers One brought Chris Hemsworth and Brian Tyree Henry voicing Optimus Prime and Megatron's tragic friendship origin. Mufasa: The Lion King explored the iconic character's past with Aaron Pierre's voice and Barry Jenkins' direction. Essential family viewing on Disney+, Netflix, and Prime Video.
Musical Spectacles: Song and Story
Watch musicals on Max at max.com
Musicals thrived in late 2025 with bold theatrical adaptations. Wicked became the year's surprise cultural phenomenon with Cynthia Erivo's powerhouse Elphaba and Ariana Grande's charming Glinda in Jon M. Chu's spectacular two-part adaptation of Broadway's beloved show defying gravity with stunning production design. Joker: Folie à Deux divided audiences with Todd Phillips' audacious decision to make the sequel a musical thriller featuring Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga as Arthur Fleck and Harley Quinn exploring madness through song. Wonka charmed with Timothée Chalamet's young Willy Wonka origin story featuring whimsical Paul King direction and delightful musical numbers. Max delivers musical excellence throughout December.
Prestige Dramas: Awards Season Excellence
Find prestige dramas on Netflix at netflix.com and streaming services throughout awards season
Awards season delivered exceptional prestige cinema in late 2025. The Brutalist showcased Adrien Brody's transformative performance as Hungarian architect navigating post-war America in Brady Corbet's 215-minute epic exploring ambition, trauma, and the American Dream. Conclave brought Ralph Fiennes to Vatican politics in Edward Berger's tense thriller about papal elections with twists rivaling political thrillers. Anora won Cannes' Palme d'Or with Sean Baker's compassionate story of Mikey Madison's stripper marrying Russian oligarch's son in modern Cinderella tale. Emilia PĂ©rez delivered Jacques Audiard's audacious Spanish-language musical about cartel boss's gender transition with Zoe Saldaña and Karla SofĂa GascĂłn. Essential Oscar contenders streaming on Netflix and Hulu.
Horror & Thriller: Fear and Suspense
Watch horror films on Max at max.com, Hulu at hulu.com, and Prime Video at amazon.com/primevideo
Horror excelled in the second half with visionary directors. Nosferatu brought Robert Eggers' gothic masterpiece reimagining F.W. Murnau's vampire classic with Bill SkarsgÄrd, Lily-Rose Depp, and Nicholas Hoult in haunting period horror featuring stunning cinematography. The Substance delivered Coralie Fargeat's disturbing body horror with Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley exploring aging, beauty standards, and identity with visceral imagery. Heretic showcased Hugh Grant's terrifying villain performance in A24's psychological horror about missionaries facing religious terror. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice reunited Tim Burton with Michael Keaton and Winona Ryder for the long-awaited sequel delivering gothic comedy. Stream horror excellence on Prime Video, Hulu, and Max.
Action & Epic Cinema: Spectacle Storytelling
Stream action epics on Netflix at netflix.com
Epic cinema delivered spectacle in late 2025. Gladiator II brought Ridley Scott back to ancient Rome with Paul Mescal and Denzel Washington in the sequel delivering spectacular Colosseum battles, political intrigue, and action sequences rivaling the original's iconic status. Challengers showcased Luca Guadagnino's stylish tennis romance with Zendaya, Josh O'Connor, and Mike Faist in a love triangle set against competitive tennis featuring sensual cinematography and Trent Reznor's pulsing score. Different flavors of spectacle streaming on Netflix and Hulu.
Comedy & Satire: Laughter with Edge
Find comedies on Netflix at netflix.com and streaming platforms
Comedy found success with smart satire. Saturday Night brought Jason Reitman's recreation of Saturday Night Live's chaotic 1975 premiere night with Gabriel LaBelle as Lorne Michaels navigating disasters, egos, and network pressure in real-time tension that honored comedy history. Streaming on Netflix for behind-the-scenes entertainment.
Second Half 2025 Priority Watchlist: The Absolute Best
Can't watch 20+ movies from the second half? Here are the five essential films ranked by critical acclaim and cultural impact:
1. Wicked (Max) - Jon M. Chu's Broadway adaptation became the year's cultural phenomenon with Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande's powerhouse performances as Elphaba and Glinda, the two-part film delivering spectacular musical numbers, emotional depth, and production design that defied gravity while exploring friendship, prejudice, and becoming wicked.
2. Gladiator II (Netflix) - Ridley Scott returned to ancient Rome with Paul Mescal's Lucius and Denzel Washington's scene-stealing performance, the epic sequel delivering spectacular Colosseum battles, political intrigue, and visual grandeur that honored the original while establishing its own identity as blockbuster prestige cinema.
3. The Wild Robot (Netflix) - DreamWorks' most emotionally resonant film featured Lupita Nyong'o voicing a shipwrecked robot learning motherhood with an orphaned gosling, Chris Sanders' beautiful animation exploring belonging, nature versus technology, and finding family in wilderness with tear-inducing storytelling.
4. Anora (Hulu) - Sean Baker's Palme d'Or winner delivered Mikey Madison's career-best performance as stripper marrying Russian oligarch's son, the modern Cinderella story blending comedy and heartbreak while exploring class, immigration, and American dreams with compassionate filmmaking that feels urgent and timeless.
5. Nosferatu (Prime Video) - Robert Eggers' vampire remake transported viewers to gothic horror with Bill SkarsgÄrd's Count Orlok terrorizing Lily-Rose Depp in F.W. Murnau's classic reimagined with stunning cinematography, haunting atmosphere, and period detail showcasing Eggers' mastery of historical horror that honored while reinventing.
Genre Trends: What Defined Late 2025
The second half revealed clear patterns about cinema's direction. Musicals returned with Wicked proving Broadway adaptations thrive when respecting source material with A-list talent. Blockbusters succeeded by balancing spectacle with character like Gladiator II and Deadpool & Wolverine. Animation reached emotional peaks with The Wild Robot showing family films can move all ages. Horror thrived with auteur visions like Nosferatu and The Substance giving directors creative freedom. Awards contenders like The Brutalist and Anora demonstrated patience for challenging narratives. Franchises dominated commercially but original stories won critically. Overall, audiences craved both escapism and substance, rewarding films that delivered either with conviction rather than compromise.
Complete Second Half 2025 Streaming Guide
Access every essential second-half film with direct platform links: Max (max.com) for Wicked, Joker: Folie Ă Deux, Wonka, Godzilla x Kong, and Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. Disney+ (disneyplus.com) for Deadpool & Wolverine, Moana 2, and Mufasa: The Lion King. Netflix (netflix.com) for Gladiator II, The Wild Robot, The Brutalist, Conclave, Emilia PĂ©rez, and Saturday Night. Hulu (hulu.com) for Alien: Romulus, Anora, The Substance, Heretic, and Challengers. Prime Video (amazon.com/primevideo) for Nosferatu and Transformers One.
The second half of 2025 completed an exceptional year in cinema with blockbusters, musicals, prestige dramas, horror masterpieces, and animated excellence. Whether you prioritize cultural phenomena like Wicked, epic spectacles like Gladiator II, emotional animation like The Wild Robot, awards contenders like Anora, or gothic horror like Nosferatu, these 20+ films represent the best of July-December cinema now streaming everywhere. Visit fivo.to to search all platforms simultaneously, discover where each second-half favorite streams, compare subscription options, and build your perfect year-end watchlist to catch up on late 2025's best films you may have missed during their theatrical runs.