The 12 Days of Recapsmas continues! For the uninitiated: over the last few years, I have kept a list of my 4 favorite first-time watches for every month of the year, and end up with a great way of seeing my favorite 48 movies of that year. This will be a recurring series on Anatomy of a Film, where I break down my favorite discoveries for the year. Let the 2025 recap continue with our four favorites from September 2025! You can view the full list by clicking the image below.
1. Jaws (1975)
This year I reflected on how movies permeate and become their own identities among pop culture after being around for so long. Godzilla is an obvious case, but so is Steven Spielberg’s Jaws (1975). Everyone knows about Jaws, from the iconic poster, the Universal ride, the Spielberg name association, and of course the film itself. To me, it was easy for this to go under the radar my whole life without having actually seeing the movie all the way through. Of course, I loved it. Roy Scheider is amazing as Chief Brody and Robert Shaw’s Captain Quint delivers an unforgettable monologue that has gone down as one of the greatest in the history of the medium. Everyone knows Jaws! It was such a joy to experience this for the first time in theaters for its 50th anniversary release.
2. The Suicide Squad (2021)
I was one of the people in 2021 who saw this was coming out and thought “Really? We’re doing this again?” and didn’t give it a second thought. I was implored this year to finally watch James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad (2021) by friends so that I could check out the Peacemaker show which they had also highly recommended to me. This immediately joined the pantheon of movies (including the original Knives Out) that made me incredibly sad that I got in my own way of witnessing greatness. Honestly I came out of this viewing thinking that this is one of the greatest superhero movies of all time, like in the top 5 for me. It is a wild ride that perfectly balances it’s action, comedy, and heartfelt moments between the cast. Apart from the final shot (which is retconned in Peacemaker Season 2), I honestly think this fits in really well to be watched after Superman (2025). The DCU is in great hands with James Gunn, and I can’t wait to see what they do with these characters going forward.
3. Notting Hill (1999)
Roger Mitchell’s Notting Hill (1999) kind of hit me out of nowhere. I know I’ve brought up my honeymoon a few times throughout the Recapsmas series, but this was particularly fun to watch because my wife and I actually stayed in Notting Hill yet had never seen the film! Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts share a deliciously toxic yet straightforward chemistry throughout the film, and it is just full of overall good vibes. My favorite scene is when he needs to improv an interview about horses. It had me belly laughing the whole time. A new favorite rom-com for sure.
4. One Battle After Another (2025)
This is the first opportunity I have had to finally write about Paul Thomas Anderson’s magnum opus, One Battle After Another (2025). I left the theater that day feeling absolutely electric. Before 2025 had ended, it was my most rewatched film of the year with 7 watches total (including squeezing it in on New Years Eve before the year ended). I plan on writing some more extensive writeups for this film and more for my 2026 Oscars predictions, but I will talk about my favorite theater experience of the year. I will never forget such as seeing this in 70mm at the Hollywood Theatre in Portland and having my face melted off by the final chase scene. This was my second time having seen the film. The screen opens up and consumes you wholly. Also this movie is just so damn funny and ridiculous and takes you on a journey you fully invest in during the first 40 minutes. I sat my family down when we visited for Christmas and forced them to watch this, and I have never seen my mom and dad more locked in on watching a film all the way through. My mom usually gets up anywhere from 5-10 times to do a random chore or smoke a cigarette, but we only paused once for a bathroom break and half a cig! I couldn’t believe it! Anyways, expect A LOT more on this film in the coming weeks! This is not only my movie of the year, but it is my movie of the decade thus far. Thank you PTA.
This was such a stacked month that I have to give honorable mentions to the following:
Caught Stealing (2025) – Brilliant crime drama straight out of 2003. Excellent film.
Boogie Nights (1997) – Unfortunately a different PTA film beat this one out.
And that concludes September’s Recapsmas 2025! Thanks for reading and Happy New Year! We still aren’t 12 days into the new year, so this is fine, right?
Letterboxd Reviews:
Anatomy of a Film 
Leave a comment