Rotten Tomatoes - 92% IMDb - 7.2/10

Our Scores;

Matt - B

Shane - B

Steve - B

Theme: Police/Detective Movies

Chosen By: Steve Rushlau

Insomnia (2002) smartly forgoes the typical murder mystery trappings and becomes a tense cat-and-mouse thriller. The mystery takes a backseat to the psychological showdown between Al Pacino and Robin Williams, and they put on an acting clinic!

Rotten Tomatoes - 93% IMDb - 6.8/10

Our Scores;

Aaron - B

Matt - C

Nate - B

Shane - C

Theme: Police/Detective Movies

Chosen By: Aaron Cronican

Jude Law and Jurnee Smollett are fantastic as cops hunting a white supremacist leader (Nicholas Hoult). Unfortunately, director Justin Kurzel's detached style left us wanting more. A connection to the characters and a sense of urgency could have pushed this movie into the realm of greatness.

Our Score - 6.66/10 Rotten Tomatoes - 78% IMDb - 7.5/10

Theme: Lovecraftian/Cosmic Horror

Chosen By: Aaron Cronican

Dark City (1998) builds an awe-inspiring world and has an incredibly original noir mystery with some out of this world twists.

Our Score - 8.75 / 10 Rotten Tomatoes - 86% IMDb - 6.5 / 10

Theme: Lovecraftian/Cosmic Horror

The Whisperer in Darkness (2011) is a movie made by Lovecraft fans for Lovecraft fans. The care put into every aspect of the movie is evident throughout, making for a movie that even those not into Lovecraft will appreciate.

Our Score - 7/10 (B-) Rotten Tomatoes - 58% IMDb - 7.1/10

Theme: Lovecraftian/Cosmic Horror

Chosen By: Shane Cronican

As it is with the Lovecraftian genre as a whole, In the Mouth of Madness (1994) won't be for everyone. It is weird and it leaves you without any solid answers. That being said, when John Carpenter is steering the ship, it's always going to be a fun ride!

Our Score - 5.56 (C-) Rotten Tomatoes - 88% IMDb - 5.6

Chosen By: Nate Dudley

J.K. Simmons voices a Lovecraftian deity speaking to a man through a glory hole in a rest stop bathroom stall. If nothing else, the premise is unique, but there's too little depth and this one runs out of steam pretty quickly.

Our Score - 6.5 / 10 (C+)

Rotten Tomatoes - 73%

IMDb - 6.2 / 10

Chosen By: Shane Cronican

Despite some narrative issues and a heavy lull in its second act, we enjoyed this thought-provoking, unique story. The unclear ending might make it frustrating to some viewers, but there is plenty to love before that.

2026 is here, so we look back and give you our Top 5 movies of 2025! Let us know your Top 5 in the comments!