'Mission Impossible' to 'Tron: Ares': 2025 box office's ultimate hits & flops

Every year, Hollywood delivers its fair share of surprises — some films soar beyond expectations and become cultural talking points, while others stumble despite big budgets, star-studded casts or heavy marketing.

As 2025 draws to a close, the box office has painted a clear picture of which films truly connected with audiences and which ones struggled to justify their hype. 

Here’s a look at the standout hits and the most unexpected flops of the year.

2025’s Must-watch hits:

A Minecraft Movie

A Minecraft Movie emerged as one of the year’s biggest triumphs, grossing close to a billion dollars worldwide. Its playful tone, vibrant world-building and appeal to both longtime fans and younger viewers helped it break the curse of weak video-game adaptations. 

The film delivered humour and spectacle in equal measure, turning nostalgia into a massive box office draw.

Lilo & Stitch

Another major success was the live-action Lilo & Stitch. The retelling kept the heart of the beloved classic intact while offering fresh visuals and emotional depth for a new generation. Families embraced it wholeheartedly, and its strong global turnout pushed it into the upper tier of 2025’s highest earners.

Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning 

Tom Cruise's Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning continued the franchise’s long tradition of delivering adrenaline-fueled action. 

With record-breaking opening numbers for the series, the film benefited from a loyal fanbase of the action hero and high-stakes stunt sequences by Cruise that demanded to be seen on the big screen.

How to Train Your Dragon 

The live-action How to Train Your Dragon also proved its staying power. Audiences were drawn to its touching storytelling and grounded depiction of the original animated world, helping the film collect hundreds of millions worldwide and reaffirm its place as a family favourite.

Superman 

Rounding out the slate of hits, the 2025 reboot of Superman, starring David Corenswet reignited enthusiasm for the iconic superhero. 

Powered by high production values and renewed fan interest, it soared past the competition and became one of the most successful superhero films of the year.

2025’s failed big hopes:

Snow White

Not every big release found its footing. The new Snow White adaptation struggled to justify Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot's epic on-screen chemistry despite its massive production budget. 

Despite high expectations, audiences didn’t connect with the remake’s tone or execution, leading to disappointing global returns.

Love Hurts

The romantic drama Love Hurts saw only a brief moment in the spotlight. With minimal promotional buzz and lukewarm audience response, it quickly faded from theaters after a very soft worldwide performance.

Together

Another underwhelming result came from Together, which generated modest interest but ultimately couldn’t compete with stronger releases. Its earnings remained lower than expected, reflecting a lack of broader appeal.

Him

The thriller Him performed similarly, opening quietly and failing to build momentum. Weak word-of-mouth and a middling audience score held it back, resulting in a worldwide total far below projections.

Tron: Ares 

Finally, Tron: Ares, starring Jared Leto, became one of the year’s most notable financial disappointments. Despite an initially strong opening weekend and favourable promotional session, the film’s enormous production and marketing costs overshadowed its earnings. 

Franchise fatigue and uneven critical reception made it difficult for the movie to reach profitability.

Holiday season watchlist: Worthy alternatives

Beyond these major hits and misses, 2025 offered several other films that performed well and make perfect choices for holiday binge-watching. 

Action-packed franchise entries such as The Super Mario Bros., La La Land or Dune, visually rich adventures and heartwarming dramas like The Holiday, Elf, Pride and Prejudice helped round out the year with options for every mood. 

Whether you're craving escapism, fantasy, Harry Potter marathon or Guardian of the Galaxy, or feel-good storytelling i.e; Oppenheimer, Little Women, there’s no shortage of engaging titles to curl up with during the festive season.