My "Best Of" 2025: Media Recap
A review of the books, movies, essays, writings, and music from 2025
Well, friends, here we are. The earth once again reaches the end of its circuit, and unlike the runner who finishes their race and immediately retires, our planet will soon restart its cycle with the same untired vigor. In commemoration of the year’s completion, here is a recap of some of my favorite media from 2025. I plan on releasing a more personal “Best Of” list for achievements and reflections on the personal site. Be on the lookout! Regular programming for Mercury’s Playbook will resume soon.
Thank you to everyone who followed along with me for 2025. It’s such a joy to be a tiny part of your life. (Note: This post is too long for email, and will get cut off unless click in to view it on your web browser.)
Books
In 2025, I read sixteen books, not including poetry books, lyricals, the two books that I quit before completing, and anything assigned for my graduate school studies. Here are my favorites.
I found a copy of The Odyssey in a bin at a Salvation Army in Queens and purchased it for less than a dollar. It was easily my favorite read (and best purchase) of the year and it felt well overdue. Yes, The Lindy Effect is in full force. Despite being over two thousand years old, the Odyssey maintains that irrepressible sense of freshness that accompanies all genuine literature. Definitely worth reading before the Christopher Nolan fandom buys up all the copies.
I’m not sure that any book is capable of conferring class consciousness onto the reader, but if any book could, it might be this one. Written as a biography of Orwell’s time as a vagabond in between the World Wars, this book is not revolutionary, but it is honest, relatable, and optimistically sincere. It is all too easy to fall out of touch with the plight of the poor, but this book was a needed reminder of the poverty that still exists in the modern day, even if it was written decades ago.
Simon Rich singlehandedly got me addicted to humor writing this year. New Teeth is a great gateway drug to the genre, as are any of his stories in the New Yorker Archive. You can read my brief review of the book here.
Yet another book I have already reviewed. The serendipitous way in which the book fell into my hands biases me a little. Nonetheless, you will not find a sweeter, simpler book. It is a great read to help you slow down, forget time, and bask in the genial designs of existence.
This book is a staple in the world of design and the vision that the author puts forward is just as radiant today as the time when it was written. “Making things that people want, rather than making people want things” has become a mantra of mine ever since reading. Now if only there was a way to force all the Big Tech companies to read it…
Movies
According to my Letterboxd, I watched forty-two movies this year, twenty of which were in theatres, although I saw Sinners and One Battle After Another twice. I love movies, both high-brow and low-brow, but binging every single film in the Final Destination series in a single weekend might’ve been a low point for me spiritually. Here are my favorite films that were released this year.
Yeah, this is sort of like rooting for Tiger Woods in the 2000 season. It’s going to sweep the awards and it deserves to. This movie is packed with thrill, humor, heart, and social commentary. I love this movie. I dressed up as Bob for Halloween. If you haven’t seen it, you need to. It has a three hour run time, but I was still trying to get friends to see it with me for a third time last weekend.
This movie is slept on. I am the only person I know who saw it. I wrote a review here, so won’t retrace all my steps; but definitely the most underrated film of 2025. Definitely a “if you know, you know” type of watch. Ethan Hawke gives an incredible performance and the script is tighter than my pants after Christmas Dinner.
I have a hard bias against movies that feature anti-heroes or amoral protagonists, and I was reluctant to go and watch this one; but Marty Supreme is such a well-done film that it swallows those sentiments. Part Catch Me If You Can, part Talented Mr. Ripley, the film has all the hallmarks you expect from a Safdie brother: style, music, suspense, and grit. One of those films you are aware is a classic even while you’re watching it.
Revisionists are going to try and convince you that this film isn’t as good as you thought it was when you first watched it. Don’t listen to them. I think Weapons is the new standard for modern horror films and unlike Longlegs from 2024, it actually delivered on the promises it made during the marketing rollout. I wrote a review of the movie here, so check it out if you’re interested.
Wes Anderson, why do people ever doubt you? Others may have wearied of your style, but I have not!
The fact that Anderson is 56 years old and still able to make movies overflowing with child-like wonder is both astonishing and inspiring. While this isn’t topping his best works, it is far from his “worst.” And even his worst is better than most director’s best.
Food for thought: Four out of five of the films in my list are movies about fathers and their children. Does this say something about me or a larger trend in Hollywood? Hmm…
Best of Youtube
I have no social media, but I do watch Youtube, which can be a wellspring of information, entertainment, and inspiration. Here are the channels I watched the most consistently this year and that I think will revive your belief in the possibility of the internet. No order for this one.
Reysu - Productivity, Tech, Organization
Reysu is such a cool creator. While I normally roll my eyes at the so-called “productivity” gurus on the internet, this young man has a real knack for finding tools, strategies, and hacks to enable deep focus. Since I lean so hard towards Ludditism in my personal life, his videos are typically a good palate cleanse to my skepticism, and a reminder that one can be excited about technology, have a good relationship with their devices, and be more organized.
Lu and Chan - Lifestyle, New York City, Couples
Lucy and Chandler are dear friends of mine, which means I get the pleasure of knowing them para-socially and socially-socially. The answer is, yes, they are really that nice in real life. They went gangbusters this last year, doing everything from apartment tours in NYC to announcing their first child. I never miss a video of theirs and you won’t find a more funny, wholesome couple anywhere on the internet. Do subscribe.
VibeVilla - Hip-Hop, Reactions, Music
Most of my Youtube consumption is probably hip-hop related, but this year was the first time I’ve taken a dip into the “reaction” genre of videos. While I watch a lot of the big-names in the space on occasion, VibeVilla is by far my favorite and hasn’t quite blown up yet. Always sincere and never sensationalized, this channel feels like listening to an album or song with some super chill friends.
Jake Frew - Short Films, Creativity, Low-Tech
Jake Frew reminds me of the old days of Youtube. His channel is full of indie short films brimming with creativity and personality. And anyone who makes videos with titles like “Boring Is Beautiful” has an automatic fan in me. Jake has a penchant for analog and slow living, which doesn’t surprise me either. I truly wish more creators took his approach to fighting back against the algorithm and technological zeitgeist. Plus, his films are just stunning.
Chase & Bubba Cashman - Disabilities Advocacy, Inspirational, Family
Careful with this one. You will cry. This channel documents the journey of Bubba Cashman, a brave and beautiful young boy with spina bifida, and his father as they push against both the false stigmas and real limitations of his condition. Bubba’s father is so tender and patient, instilling confidence and resilience in Bubba every chance he gets. Bubba is even more patient and always full of life. The father-son duo are such a treasure and being able to see them interact is exactly what the internet was made for.
Essays/Online Reads
Not everything I read is a book. And while I wish I could read more contemporary writing, the truth is that the past is too full of old gems to simply ignore. Ergo, this list is some of my favorite reads of essays or works that I found online this year, regardless of when it was made. No order.
Men At Arms (2024) by Steven Potter in Drift Magazine
I don’t know who the author is, but it’s a shame I can’t find more of his writing online. This piece gripped me immediately and I found myself for the next few days pondering a very similar friendship I had as a young child. A beautifully written piece that has become sort of aspirational for me. I highly recommend.
The Reenchanted World (2025) by Karl Ove Knausgaard for Harpers Bazaar
Karl Ove is, perhaps, becoming my favorite living author. I just began his seminal work “My Struggle” this weekend. This piece he did for Harpers is a quiet and contemplative review of the modern state of technology, drawn out with such attentiveness that only Karl Ove can bring. It’s timely, relevant, and achingly thoughtful.
A Visit (1997) by Steven Milhauser for the New Yorker
This is a classic and once-famous piece about a man who visits an old friend and discovers that he is married to a toad. I’ve never read any work of art that was so effortlessly telling a story that was so blatantly speaking about a subject other than what was being told. It’s fabulist, strange, visceral, and thought-provoking. A piece I will cherish and think on for many, many years.
Gossage-Verbadian Papers by Woody Allen
Ugh, I know, but bear with me. This piece is hilarious and useless, just like any real comedy writing should be. Written as a correspondence between two old geezers that won’t let themselves lose, the wit in this piece is undeniable. I only wish I had more people who knew about it so I could reference it endlessly any time I play a board game.
Safeway by John Updike
Due to my vocation as a business student, or perhaps some deeper dysfunction in my soul, I get great amusement from the genre of literature known as K-Mart Realism. Safeway is sort of a staple in that genre, and this piece is written in a way that it feels like it was speaking directly to me. On the surface it appears it’s about… nothing? But I feel like I know a few of the characters in real life.
Hip Hop Awards
Best Album
Let God Sort ‘Em Out by Clipse
Anyone who knows me knows that this has been my jam for the year. I knew it would be the album of the year before it came out and was not disappointed. It’s going to sweep at the Grammy’s. There are no real skips on the album, I saw Clipse perform live in Brooklyn, and these drug-dealer brothers turned rappers have set a new standard for the next era of rap. Read my breakdown of the luxury strategy they use in their marketing by clicking here.
Honorable Mention: Starline by Chance the Rapper
Admittedly, I haven’t listened to the album as much as other ones that I don’t rate as highly, but it’s important that I acknowledge how technical of an achievement this album was. Chance was fighting an uphill battle with this release and pulled it off in a major way. He raps with the best of them and the pro-black themes deserve real consideration.
Best Track
Pharell sampled a Saudi Arabian song and turned it into the hardest beat of the year. The rhyme schemes pulled off by both brothers is absolute genius and every other line is a straight quote. The final verse is a terrifying warning shot to one of the biggest stars on the planet. As a single, it told us all what to expect on the album and they delivered. Instant classic.
Honorable Mention: cLOUDs by J Cole
I’ve had a hard time taking Jermaine serious ever since he dropped out of the Kendrick-Drake beef in 2024, but cLOUDs reminds us why he was, once upon a time, considered part of the Big 3. He is mad talented and maybe, just maybe, he can get back in all of our good graces if he keeps rapping like this and finally drops his long-awaited album The Falloff.
Best Verse
No one rapped better this year than JID did on this song. The storytelling, the wordplay, the way he drops in, the way the rhythm speeds up as he raps and his voice gets clearer… Perfection. JID is hungry and on the top of his game. Interested to see what his moves are in the next two years.
Best Feature
Malice (Final Verse) on Community by JID
“My ghetto’s not your culture, people really die here.” Clipse went crazy on this track, but Malice’s verse has a sage-like quality that is impossible to shake off. This is the one people will continue talking about.
Honorable Mention: Kendrick Lamar on Chains and Whips by Clipse
Kendrick’s my number one, so of course he gets a mention. The “gen” scheme he plays is straight from battle rap culture and, while most rappers of his stature would simply write a throwaway and perform it, you can see him putting limitations on his craft to stay sharp. He is the GOAT of our generation, no questions. The verse is hard.
My Most Popular Writings
Between Substack and the personal blog I started up, I’ve written more words this year than any year in my entire life. I don’t do it for the metrics, but the metrics are indicators of something nonetheless. According to the numbers, here are the top five pieces of my writing according to popularity.
My most read piece by far was the first piece I published in 2025, thanks to an inherently engaging topic and recommendations from friends like Avivah Wittenberg-Cox and others. The piece holds up well, I think, and its worth a re-read. I recently finished reading Scott Galloway’s book on masculinity, and may publish some thoughts that more directly address what he gets right and wrong.
I loved working on this piece and, more than any other essay, was most useful in helping my figure out what type of content probably suits me best for Substack. I plan to lean more into some more of these organizational and managerial development type stuff on Mercury’s Playbook this year. Stay tuned.
The title explains the topic. Posted on my personal blog, this piece is really special to me, on account that I’ve never had writing that attracted so much organic attention. My cohort at Stern got a hold of it and decided to share it with their friends and family. (Seriously, they were sending me snapshots from their parents and partners, etc…) They still bring it up at parties and it encourages me every single time. Thanks, guys. It means the world to me.
Was it the title that made this one popular? The brevity? The fact that people love productivity? I have no clue, but I’m glad that people liked it.
My first piece on Mercury’s Playbook, after I rebranded the old Substack. Pretty great principles, if I do say so myself. Well worth the read, if you haven’t already.
Conclusion
Thank you again, everyone, for the love and support. Stay tuned for more business-centric content here on Mercury’s Playbook and don’t forget to slide on over to my personal site for more informal and creative work. Have a wonderful holiday season and New Year!
About the Author
Bradley Andrews is a hopeful rabble-rouser on a mission to inspire the world. Stay in touch with what he’s doing outside of Mercury’s Playbook by subscribing to a weekly digest of his activity through micro.blog. This will send you writing, photos, and other curiosities that extend beyond the scope of this newsletter.