The online film cataloguing platform Letterboxd released its Year in Review for 2025 on Tuesday, listing the highest-rated action and adventure films of the year. Among the global titles, three Indian films from Tamil, Malayalam and Hindi cinema found a place in the top ten, marking a notable showing for Indian genre films on the international platform. Leading the Indian entries is the Tamil film Bison Kaalamaadan, which ranked fifth, placing it firmly within the Top 5. The Malayalam superhero film Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra followed in seventh place, while the Hindi spy thriller Dhurandhar secured the eighth position. Dhurandhar also appears at number eight on Letterboxd’s separate list of the highest-rated thriller films of 2025.
The top spot on the action/adventure list is held by One Battle After Another, a politically charged film starring Leonardo DiCaprio and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson. It is followed by Sinners, an action-heavy vampire musical directed by Ryan Coogler, which took the second spot.
Directed by Mari Selvaraj, Bison Kaalamaadan is set in rural Tamil Nadu in 1994 and centres on caste-based violence and inter-district rivalries. The film is headlined by Dhruv Vikram as Kittan Velusamy, a young kabaddi player from a marginalised community who must navigate social discrimination while chasing his ambition of representing India at the Asian Games. Anupama Parameswaran, Lal and Pasupathy also feature in prominent roles.
Lokah, written and directed by Dominic Arun and produced by Dulquer Salmaan under Wayfarer Films, blends regional folklore with superhero elements. The film stars Kalyani Priyadarshan as Chandra, a woman drawn into a violent confrontation with an organ-trafficking network protected by a corrupt police officer. Released in August 2025, the film received strong audience and critical response and went on to become the highest-grossing Malayalam film of all time.
Dhurandhar, written and directed by Aditya Dhar, is headlined by Ranveer Singh, with Akshaye Khanna, Sanjay Dutt, R Madhavan and Arjun Rampal in key roles. The film follows a covert mission in which an Indian agent infiltrates Karachi’s criminal and political underworld, drawing loosely from real geopolitical events. Released in December 2025, it opened to mixed-to-positive reviews but went on to post record-breaking box-office numbers, grossing over ₹1,000 crore worldwide and continuing its theatrical run.
Full list of Letterboxd's highest-rated action/adventure films of 2025
1) One Battle After Another
2) Sinners
3) Superman
4) How To Train Your Dragon
5) Bison Kaalamaadan
6) F1
7) Lokah
8) Dhurandhar
9) Avatar: Fire and Ash
10) Reflection in a Dead Diamond
