John Waters Declares 'Eddington' the Top Film of 2025: 'If You Dislike this Movie, I Despise You'

The holiday season brings with it the annual list from John Waters, the self-proclaimed Pope of Trash, highlighting his favorite films of the year. For 2025, Waters has chosen Ari Asters COVID-era Western Eddington as his number one pick.

Waters described the film as a disagreeable yet wildly entertaining story as exhausting as contemporary politics, with characters impossible to root for. Its so absurdly funny, paradoxically chaste yet kinky, that viewers will leave feeling delightfully unhinged and culturally enriched. The movie features Joaquin Phoenix and Pedro Pascal in a quirky small-town mayoral contest. Waters bluntly added, If you dont like this film, I hate you.

This admiration for Aster continues a pattern, reminiscent of Waters praise for Asters 2023 release Beau Is Afraid, which he celebrated for its long, chaotic, and comically intense exploration of a mans mental unraveling. Both filmmakers share a taste for characters teetering on the brink, though the outcomes differ.

Waters list also includes films that dont necessarily embrace extreme absurdity. His second choice, Final Destination: Bloodlines, embodies some of these traits, while other entries display subtler forms of eccentricity. Alain Guiraudies Misericordia is called an impossibly perverse thriller where murder, hidden incest, and illicit desire intersect, and Franois Ozons When Fall Is Coming offers a darkly comic narrative in a compact format. Dag Johan Haugeruds Oslo Trilogycomprising Sex, Love, and Golden Bear winner Dreamsoffers a humanist perspective on relationships, requiring more emotional investment from viewers.

Waters complete list of 2025 favorites, which he terms his fucked-up favorites, includes:

• Eddington (Ari Aster)
• Final Destination: Bloodlines (Adam B. Stein and Zach Lipovsky)
• Oslo Trilogy (Dag Johan Haugerud)
• Sirt (Oliver Laxe)
• Sauna (Mathias Broe)
• Room Temperature (Dennis Cooper and Zac Farley)
• Misericordia (Alain Guiraudie)
• When Fall Is Coming (Franois Ozon)
• My Mom Jayne (Mariska Hargitay)
• The Empire (Bruno Dumont)

These selections blend queer themes, unsettling atmospheres, and occasional moments of tenderness, reflecting Waters signature taste for films that challenge and entertain in equal measure.

Author's Analysis: Waters' 2025 Film Picks in Context

John Waters' 2025 top films list underscores his continued fascination with the extremes of human behavior and cinematic experimentation. Leading with Ari Aster’s Eddington, Waters highlights a film that blends absurdity, discomfort, and dark humor, signaling his preference for narratives that defy conventional morality and emotional alignment.

Waters’ selections show a spectrum of styles—from the chaotic horror-comedy of Final Destination: Bloodlines to the psychologically intricate Oslo Trilogy. This range illustrates his commitment to films that engage viewers intellectually and emotionally, even if they challenge mainstream sensibilities.

The recurring themes across the list—perversity, absurdity, and nuanced human relationships—reflect Waters’ curatorial consistency. By including works like Alain Guiraudie’s Misericordia and François Ozon’s When Fall Is Coming, he balances extreme narratives with subtler, character-driven stories, demonstrating a preference for films that provoke thought while maintaining a distinctive stylistic edge.

Ultimately, Waters’ 2025 list is a lens into his enduring taste for cinema that disrupts, entertains, and challenges audiences to confront discomfort with curiosity.

Sources:

• John Waters Names ‘Eddington’ the Best Movie of 2025: ‘If You Don’t Like This Film, I Hate You’

Author: Ava Mitchell
Ava Mitchell is a journalist covering culture, art, and literature. She is known for her creative approach and ability to produce in-depth features and interviews.