This past summer, the film industry produced box office breakers, anticipated adaptations, and unexpected flops. Whether it be the sudden popularity of action movies, like James Gunn’s ‘Superman’ and Sony Picture’s ‘Kpop Demon Hunters’, or disappointing executions like Disney’s ‘Snow White’ and this year’s adaptation of ‘War of The Worlds, movie fans world-wide turned to the internet to express their varying opinions ranging from pleased to dissatisfied. Compiling a list of this summer’s finest versus forgotten, these are the top two best and worst received movies of this summer.
Multiple popular film studios, such as Warner Bros Pictures and Marvel Studios, produced some of this summer’s best hits. James Gunn’s “Superman”, AKA IMDb’s ‘Fan Favorite Filmmaker’ award winner, was no stranger to the spotlight this summer. This action packed DC movie featured a combination of several key eras from the DC comics, such as ‘All Star Superman’ by Grant Morrison, which David Corenswet reportedly used to interpret mannerisms when playing Clark Kent. “Superman” rose quickly to fame, becoming the first superhero pick to soar past the $600 million dollar mark in the 2025 global box office.
Contrasting to its predecessors, this movie excelled at demonstrating the humanity of Superman. He makes mistakes, he’s naive, and most importantly of all – he’s human. This incredible storytelling creates a Superman that’s both personable and entertaining, weaving millennial humor into an otherwise action-packed superhero story. “Superman” has undoubtedly earned its spot at the top of the Box Office Mojo’s 2025 Summer Movies, and left a permanent mark in the hearts of die-hard superhero fans.
Rivaling the vast world of DC movies, none other than Marvel Studios’s “Thunderbolts” has earned its place among the top 10 within Box Office Mojo, grossing over $190 million dollars, and releasing in more than 4,000 theaters. The origins of this film draw from the initial storyline of Kurt Busiek in 1997, revealing a new team of heroes after the fall of both the Avengers and the Fantastic Four. Intertwining the heartbreaking storylines of four war-torn mercenaries, this team of unlikely heroes set out to save the world in its greatest time of need.
Well-known actress and star of this marvel release, Florence Pugh, was awarded a Guinness World Record for her impressive stunt during the opening scene of “Thunderbolts”, jumping off of the second tallest building in the world. Marvel Studio’s “Thunderbolts” has won a plethora of nominations and awards since its release, such as the Critics Choice Super Award, and several nominations for the Astra Midseason Movie Awards. Beginning after the events of “Captain America: Brave New World”, this film created a thrilling web of gut-wrenching plot twists and cinematic masterpieces that draw at the heart-strings of those there to witness it. In true Marvel Studios fashion, “Thunderbolts” set the bar high, reigniting the excitement for future movies to come.
Within every success of the film industry lies movies that have become an afterthought. Released after a swarm of online outrage and anticipated disappointment, Disney’s adaptation of “Snow White” unsurprisingly failed to meet its social and numerical mark after release. Following a rushed plot, the absence of important scenes, and having controversial casting, this live-action remake angered many fans. Due to the overwhelming wave of disenchantment by the public towards the debut of Snow White, Disney responded by pausing future live-action creations, such as the up and coming remake of “Rapunzel”.
Disney’s “Snow White” scored a 45% on Rotten Tomatoes, after its original release, scoring a 66 in the Domestic Box Office ratings. According to Time Magazine, the majority of Snow White’s backlash was experienced before the movie was even set to debut, stemming from Disney’s extremely controversial choice to opt for CGI versions of the seven dwarves, despite an original promise to cast live-action actors. Another wave of hate was experienced as Disney released the casting list for “Snow White,” where many fans were angered at the casting of the movie Snow White, played by Rachel Zegler. Angry fans online determined that Rachel Zegler was too dark to play Snow White, often choosing to view race over talent. Additionally, fans have stated that Disney’s “Snow White” followed in a common pattern of fellow retellings, casting actors unfit for the roles. Many critics have varied opinions on whether “Snow White”’s performance stemmed from the internet turmoil, or the movie’s true execution.
A perfect example of poor execution can be seen in this year’s remake of “War Of The Worlds”. According to many scathing reviews from angry redditors, and interviews with shocking revelations, this film is riddled with plot holes and disappointing directing decisions earning it a score of 0% on Rotten Tomatoes. According to an interview from Variety News, “War Of The Worlds” star, Icecube, reportedly filmed all of his scenes in isolation over the course of 15 days with no director or fellow actors. This film also included an unsolicited advertisement from Amazon, featuring their new Amazon Prime: Air, a new proposed form of transportation said to deliver packages via drone. Disappointed fans across the internet have also stated that this film included ads for Tesla, Spotify, Youtube, and Microsoft. “War Of The Worlds” is told from the perspective of a dad locked in his office, watching as the world around him is invaded by aliens from a computer screen. This film follows a rushed story-line that includes major plot-holes, poor editing, and scenes that viewers have either deemed unimportant or ultimately confusing. Unfortunately, this series of grave mistakes in execution has deemed “War Of The Worlds” unfit to be placed on the Box Office Mojo rankings.
This summer has featured a variety of hits and misses. There have been movies that have left viewers burning with excitement for sequels to come, but also poorly executed films that left fan bases
completely disappointed. Whether or not a film is widely accepted or rejected by the internet, you can know for certain that those included in the top 10 of the Box Office Mojo list have certainly earned their place.
