Things I enjoyed in 2025
Year-end always feels like the perfect time to look back, so I thought I'd share some of the highlights from 2025 that I really enjoyed, both for myself and for you to check out too.
📢 Quick heads-up: what's shared here might have come out in 2025 or (long) before. These are things I discovered myself during this year.
You can jump directly to a section:
Video Games
I didn't finish as many games as I would have liked in 2025 (I have phases where I play more than others 🤷♂️), but I still have three major games to share.
The Last of Us Part I (2022)
I didn't have a PlayStation when the original game came out in 2013, but I had my eye on it back then with the goal of playing it "someday", being very careful to avoid any spoilers since it's a very story-driven game.
Imagine my joy a few years later when I saw that a remaster was coming to PC!
And I can say I wasn't disappointed at all. I'm even glad I discovered it through the remaster, which really does justice to the production. It has a few flaws, of course (which were fixed in Part II, which I'm deep into right now), but they don't get in the way of enjoying its qualities at all.
If you're looking for a game with a gripping story, lovable characters, all wrapped in incredible production, set in a post-apocalyptic world with a touch of zombies (but not too many, it's not really a zombie game), go for it!
Lost Records: Bloom & Rage (2025)
A new game from the studio Don't Nod, who gave us the Life is Strange franchise (huge fan here), this is kind of its spiritual successor, even though it's set in a completely different universe.
You'll find a group of friends, a vibe (Don't Nod is a master at moments where the player just stops and contemplates the setting with music), a story, and a hint of mystery.
Red Dead Redemption II (2018)
No surprise with this one. I bought it on release day (back in 2018!), but I never had the hardware to run it properly. So I put it aside.
The folks at Rockstar are so good that even playing it 7 years after its release, it's still above everything else out there today.
It goes straight into my top 5 ever 😎
Movies
Out of the 102 movies I (re)watched in 2025, here are the ones I particularly enjoyed:
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023)
I'm a huge fan of this animation style, and on top of that, the story is great!
Booksmart (2019)
Olivia Wilde's first film in the director's chair, really solid.
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (2024)
Prequel means must-watch for me. The best installment in the saga in my opinion.
Final Destination Bloodlines (2025)
A successful comeback for the Final Destination franchise. The last 2 or 3 were terrible, but here we really get back the spirit of the first two.
I Saw the TV Glow (2024)
A very beautiful way to deliver a message.
O'Dessa (2025)
Okay, this one is completely out there. I started it just for Sadie Sink, but if you want a kitsch, neo-retro, kinda Mad Max vibe, go check it out.
TV Shows
We got some real gems in TV shows this year too:
Severance (Seasons 1 & 2)
I discovered the whole series when Season 2 came out.
Strong "Lost" vibes with episodes that pile on more questions than they answer.
With the excellent Adam Scott as the lead, but his buddies are just as good.
The Pitt (Season 1)
In two words: ER, but in 2025.
The two shows have nothing in common except the general premise, life in a hospital ER (Pittsburgh for the new one, Chicago for the older one), and the lead actor, Noah Wyle, formerly Dr. John Carter, here as Dr. Michael Robinavitch, or Robby.
The thing about The Pitt is that, like 24, each episode happens in real time.
I'm looking forward to season 2 (and I've started rewatching the entire ER series 🫣).
The Studio (Season 1)
An excellent surprise I wasn't expecting. If you love movies, watch The Studio.
For Seth Rogen, of course, for the winks and nods, for the guest stars, for the incredible production value for a series, and for the insight it offers into that world.
Andor (Final Season)
If there was one show to watch in 2025, it's this one (and remember, the final episode leads straight into the movie Rogue One).
It resonates so much with what's happening in the world right now that it feels like a public service.
Stranger Things (Final Season)
The long-awaited final season (3.5 years!).
Of course it's not perfect, but I'm satisfied with how they wrapped up the story, and I loved the epilogue.
Star Wars: Skeleton Crew (Season 1)
Not extraordinary, but I had a good time.
A pretty light series (especially compared to Andor!), like Stranger Things meets Star Wars.
Music
2025 was a special year for me music-wise because after 15 years of streaming, I went back to an "old-school" way of listening.
It really changed (for the better) how I listen to and discover new tracks.
So here are some of the artists I discovered this year: