Sunday Special: The Best Movies of 2025
The Daily
12/28/25
•54m
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As 2025 comes to an end, The Sunday Special is looking back on the year in culture.
This week, on our final episode of the podcast, we’re talking about movies. The potential acquisition of Warner Brothers by Netflix has dominated entertainment news in recent weeks, but the year in movies has been about a lot more than corporate mergers. Alissa Wilkinson, a movie critic for The New York Times, and Nicole Sperling, a culture reporter based in Los Angeles, join Gilbert Cruz to talk about what really matters: the movies we loved this year.
Movies discussed in this episode include:
“One Battle After Another”
“Sinners”
“A Minecraft Movie”
“Superman”
“Weapons”
“Wicked: For Good”
“Zootopia 2”
“Avatar: Fire and Ash”
“Marty Supreme”
“It Was Just an Accident”
“The Testament of Ann Lee”
“Come and See Me In the Good Light”
“Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning”
On Today’s Episode:
Alissa Wilkinson is a movie critic at The Times.
Nicole Sperling is a reporter covering Hollywood for The Times.
Background Reading:
Netflix vs. Paramount: Inside the Epic Battle Over Warner Brothers
The 25 Most Notable Movies of 2025
Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures; 20th Century Studios; Disney
Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app.
Previous Episode
Marriage and Sex in the Age of Ozempic: An Update
December 26, 2025
•20m
This week, The Daily is revisiting some of our favorite episodes of the year and checking in on what has happened in the time since.
In the past few years, GLP-1 weight-loss drugs like Ozempic and Zepbound have been radically reshaping the people’s lives, changing appetites and health.
But the drugs also have the power to affect other parts of consumers’ lives, including their romantic relationships.
Lisa Miller, who writes about health for The New York Times, tells the story of how these drugs upended one couple’s marriage.
Guest: Lisa Miller, a domestic correspondent for the Well section who writes about personal and cultural approaches to physical and mental health.
Background reading:
- Listen to the original version of the episode here.
- Weight-loss drugs have lesser-known side effects on relationships.
Photo: Katherine Wolkoff for The New York Times
For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.
Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app.
Next Episode
Why One Lawyer Resigned When His Firm Caved to Trump: An Update
December 29, 2025
•24m
This week, The Daily is revisiting some of our favorite episodes of the year and checking in on what has happened in the time since.
President Trump has used executive orders to wage war on law firms, specifically targeting those whose lawyers have investigated or sued him, or represented his enemies in court.
Michael Barbaro speaks to Thomas Sipp, a lawyer who chose to quit after his firm, Skadden, negotiated a deal to placate the president.
Guest: Thomas Sipp, a lawyer who left his firm after it negotiated a deal with Mr. Trump.
Background reading:
- Listen to the original version of the episode here.
- Read about how Paul Weiss, a major democratic law firm, ended up bowing to Mr. Trump.
- Ever since the elite law firms Skadden and Paul Weiss reached deals with the Trump administration, top partners have closed ranks in support of the agreements.
Photo: Graham Dickie/The New York Times
For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.
Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app.
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