It doesn’t seem possible that it’s 2025. I’m old enough to remember when 2015 felt old in Back to the Future Part II. Now that was a decade ago. Basically, time keeps moving and the movies you grew up with get older, making you feel older, and that just keeps happening until you die.
That was morbid. Sorry. But when you look at the list of genre films celebrating milestone anniversaries in 2025, we promise you’ll understand. It’s an incredible list of classics that came out way longer ago than you may actually realize. So sit back, grab some tissues, and read about all the genre movies celebrating milestone anniversaries in 2025.
1925 – 100th Anniversary
The Phantom of the Opera – When we think of Universal Monsters we think of Frankenstein, Wolf Man, Invisible Man, etc. But The Phantom of the Opera is certainly one of those and this original silent version is an all-time classic.
Also: The Lost World, The Wizard of Oz (no not that one, an even earlier adaptation)
1935 – 90th Anniversary
The Bride of Frankenstein – Another Universal Monster celebrating a milestone this year, and with a new modern remake from filmmaker Maggie Gyllenhaal coming out to boot!
Also: Captain Blood, The Raven
1940 – 85th Anniversary
Fantasia, Pinocchio
1945 – 80th Anniversary
Dick Tracy, The Picture of Dorian Gray, The Three Caballeros
1950 – 75th Anniversary
Cinderella – The glass slipper, the wicked stepsisters, midnight… few Disney movies are as iconic as Cinderella. And, at 75, she’s comfortably retired and collecting social security now too.
Also: Harvey, Rashomon, Treasure Island
1955 – 70th Anniversary
Animal Farm, Godzilla Raids Again, Lady and the Tramp, Tarantula
1960 – 65th Anniversary
Psycho – Alfred Hitchcock’s tale about a man and his hotel is probably on the Mount Rushmore of horror. Worthy of celebration at any time, but especially on an anniversary.
Also: Little Shop of Horrors, Swiss Family Robinson, The Time Machine
1965 – 60th Anniversary
Alphaville, Thunderball
1975 – 50th Anniversary
Jaws – Certainly it’s a big deal that Steven Spielberg’s landmark shark movie is celebrating its 50th anniversary. But, even more so, it means that the modern Hollywood blockbuster is celebrating the same anniversary. It seems almost too young, does it not?
Also: Death Race 2000, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Rollerball
1980 – 45th Anniversary
The Empire Strikes Back – The best Star Wars movie is turning 45 and, as exciting as that is, it’s almost more exciting/frightening that we’re only five years away from it being 50.
Also: Cannibal Holocaust, Elephant Man, Flash Gordon, Friday the 13th, Popeye, The Shining, Superman II
1985 – 40th Anniversary
Back to the Future – Did you ever sit down and think about how Back to the Future is literally a perfect movie? You should, because it is. We wrote about it here a long time ago celebrating an earlier anniversary, but it’s always the right time to celebrate Marty McFly and the gang.
Also: The Black Cauldron, Brazil, Clue, Cocoon, D.A.R.Y.L., Enemy Mine, Explorers, Ewoks: Battle of Endor, Friday the 13th Part V: A New Beginning, Fright Night, The Goonies, The Last Dragon, Legend, Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome, My Science Project, A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 2: Freddy’s Revenge, Pee-wee’s Big Adventure, Real Genius, Teen Wolf, Weird Science, Young Sherlock Holmes
1990 – 35th Anniversary
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles – The Turtles themselves originated on comic book pages back in 1984. But, a few years later, after a successful TV show and toy line, they jumped to the big screen. And it was awesome.
Also: Arachnophobia, Back to the Future Part III, Darkman, Dick Tracy, DuckTales the Movie: Treasure of the Lost Lamp, Edward Scissorhands, The Exorcist III, Flatliners, Ghost, Gremlins 2: The New Batch, Home Alone, Jacob’s Ladder, Misery, Predator 2, RoboCop 2, Total Recall, Tremors, The Witches
1995 – 30th Anniversary
Toy Story – It’s hard to overstate the importance and impact of Pixar’s first feature, Toy Story. Quite literally, it changed the entire animation industry which soon pivoted from hand-drawn to computers. But, also, it’s still just an absolutely fantastic film.
Also: Apollo 13, Babe, Batman Forever, Billy Madison, Casper, Congo, Desperado, Goldeneye, Hackers, A Goofy Movie, Johnny Mnemonic, Judge Dredd, Jumanji, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Mortal Kombat, The Net, Outbreak, Pocahontas, Se7en, Species, Strange Days, Tank Girl, Twelve Monkeys, Virtuosity, Waterworld
2000 – 25th Anniversary
X-Men – Kids these days don’t know how good they have it. These days, we see Deadpool and Wolverine team up on screen with Gambit, Blade, and Elektra and it’s no big deal. Harrison Ford is Red Hulk. Three Spider-Men. Whatever. But just 25 years ago, the mere idea of a superhero team-up movie on screen was still a big deal. Thanks to the X-Men, that soon changed.
Also: American Psycho, The Beach, The Cell, Charlie’s Angels, Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, Dungeons & Dragons, The Emperor’s New Groove, Final Destination, Frequency, Hollow Man, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Mission: Impossible 2, Pitch Black, Scary Movie, Scream 3, Shadow of the Vampire
2005 – 20th Anniversary
Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith – The best Star Wars movie and the best Star Wars prequel both celebrate milestones in 2025. This one, however, just hits harder because so many of us have fond memories of its release. We thought it would be the last Star Wars movie. And yet, just 10 years later…
Also: Batman Begins, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe, Constantine, Doom, Elektra, Fantastic Four, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, King Kong, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Madagascar, Saw 2, Serenity, Sin City, Sky High, Stealth, War of the Worlds
2010 – 15th Anniversary
Scott Pilgrim vs. The World – Scott Pilgrim was so unique and different when it was released, I remember almost being against it. It was too out there. Too audacious. I was, obviously, too wrong. Fifteen years later, everyone in the film, and the film itself, have only gotten better.
Also: Black Swan, The Book of Eli, Despicable Me, How to Train Your Dragon, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1, Hot Tub Time Machine, Inception, Iron Man 2, The Karate Kid, Kick-Ass, Let Me In, The Losers, MacGruber, Never Let Me Go, Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief, Predators, Red, The Social Network, Saw 3D, Tron: Legacy
2015 – 10th Anniversary
Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens – Three, count ’em, three Star Wars movies have milestones this year. (And yeah, I could’ve written about anything besides Star Wars, but it’s my article.) The Force Awakens kicked off a whole new era of Star Wars, one that still hasn’t quite found its footing yet. Nevertheless, I think I speak for most of us when we say we’re happy it’s still around rather than not.
Also: Anomolisa, Ant-Man, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Ex Machina, Fantastic Four, Furious 7, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2, Inside Out, Insidious: Chapter III, It Follows, Jurassic World, Krampus, Mad Max: Fury Road, The Man From U.N.C.L.E., The Martian, The Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials, Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation, Spectre, Tomorrowland
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