This past summer, numerous new movies premiered in theaters, from sequels and standalones to continued franchises and fan favorites. Some of the headliners I saw in theaters were “F1: The Movie”, “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning”, and “KPop Demon Hunters.” A few of them even broke records. For example, “KPop Demon Hunters” was the first Netflix original movie to top the box office, and “F1: The Movie” established itself as the highest-grossing auto film ever. 

F1: The Movie

“F1: The Movie” was my favorite film that I experienced in theaters. When I heard Brad Pitt would be the main character, I knew it would be entertaining, because I’ve never been disappointed by a movie that includes him. The character dynamic between him, as Sonny Hayes, and Damson Idris, as Joshua Pearce, is fascinating. Sonny is a retired F1 racer who was expected to be great but had his career cut short by an accident. When his friend and former teammate offers him a position on a struggling F1 team, he takes the opportunity. Joshua, on the other hand, is a young, ambitious, and arrogant. Even though they are teammates, they are also fierce competitors with each other, which creates an entertaining dynamic that switches between tension and friendship. 

The movie follows a somewhat overused storyline of a retired-racer-turned-mentor, leading to themes of rivalry, adversity, redemption and success; however, it has other elements that elevate it to an above-average film. The soundtrack is composed by Hans Zimmer, who, in my opinion, is the greatest movie score composer of all time. It also featured music by many popular artists like Doja Cat, Don Toliver and Ed Sheeran. The sound editing of the race scenes was also extremely well done and a phenomenal experience in theaters. Although the plot had a somewhat predictable “formula,” quality acting, music, and cinematography compensated for it. Overall, “F1: The Movie” is a very solid movie that provides a great theatrical experience, but it would likely only provide a good experience when watched at home.

Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning

Next up is “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning,” which was the eighth and what many believe to be the final installment of the franchise, although that has not been confirmed, and there is still a possibility the series will be continued. The most surprising part of this movie is its runtime, clocking in at two hours and 49 minutes. As usual, Tom Cruise, as Ethan Hunt, performed many wild stunts, the most prominent being his hanging from an upside-down plane. 

The Mission Impossible series has established itself for always creating fast-paced, highly entertaining movies, and director Christopher McQuarrie achieved that once again. The main critique I would have of this movie is that it can be a bit sluggish. Some scenes, and the entire movie in general, definitely could have been shortened. This installment was also a bit more solemn than the previous ones and seemed to slightly lack the usual wit and humor that are present throughout the other movies. Ultimately, this movie provided a captivating storyline, dramatic music, and solid acting, and resulted in a great film to potentially close out the Ethan Hunt saga despite its few flaws.

KPop Demon Hunters

Lastly, “KPop Demon Hunters” was another movie I saw. Obviously, this movie became insanely popular over the summer, but for a while, I avoided watching it because it didn’t interest me at all. Finally, I was convinced to watch it when it was released in theaters, and I was pleasantly surprised. The plot is mediocre, but the music is extremely catchy and also very well-produced. The voices behind the animated main characters are extraordinary, and they showcase how talented they are as singers. In general, I would say “KPop Demon Hunters” is still somewhat overrated, and it’s definitely not my type of movie, but the soundtrack is undeniably catchy and memorable. And if you love pop music and animation, this movie is definitely a worthwhile endeavor. 

Conclusively, these were just a few of many great movies that were released in summer 2025, which proved to be a highly entertaining and satisfying season in the world of cinema. If you haven’t seen these three movies, I would recommend watching them.