6 Friendships From 2025 Movies We're Still Stanning in 2026!

It’s impossible to name every single on-screen friendship that resonated heavily in 2025. Instead, we chose these 6 films as a way to look at the different kinds of friendships audiences connected with this past year. We sought to find the best representations of different types of friendships. We saw human beings, pets and their humans, siblings, creatives, and even a wild card or two, all of which show that the word "friendship" can take many different meanings.

1. Elijah “Smoke” Moore & Elias “Stack” Moore from Sinners

Our first on the list, Elijah and Elias are identical twin brothers. In 1932, they return to Mississippi and decide to open up a "juke joint" for their community. Michael B. Jordan plays both roles, and although their bond is singularly strong, they are very distinctly different, and their relationship is the emotional core of the movie.

One of the most talked-about scenes in the movie is when Jordan hands his brother (technically himself) a cigarette, and this scene is crucial to the movie and the brothers’ relationship. The cigarette shows muscle memory between the two brothers. It’s a trust and shared history, and for the filming of this scene, director Ryan Cooglerdescribed this casual, almost forgettable moment as, “the day I almost lost my mind.” The scene was difficult to pull off, but it was important to him that the audience viewed these two brothers as their own characters. Their relationship is powerful and crucial for the film, and without it, the movie’s impact wouldn’t have been as strong. (Stream on HBO Max and Prime Video)

2. Dreux & Alyssa from One of Them Days

Keke Palmer and SZA lead this high energy buddy comedy.  Alyssa (SZA) had a boyfriend who wasted a lot of the friends’ money, which led her and Dreux (Palmer) to scramble across Los Angeles trying to find money before the end of the day. The vibe for this movie is much lighter and funnier than Sinners, but the bond between these two is just as crucial to the story. Dreux is quick-witted, and Alyssa is a free-spirited sort of optimist, which both prove useful and exciting for every situation. The stakes of surviving a rent payment don’t seem as heavy as surviving a night against vampires; however, given how different Dreux and Alyssa are, and given how invested we are in their story, the stakes are heightened and chaotic in the best way and really entertaining all the way through.

Dreux and Alyssa teach us that, sometimes, friends need each other to survive, whether that be surviving vampires or, in this case, surviving until they get their rent paid. (Stream on Netflix)

3. Lilo & Stitch

Lilo Pelekai, played by Maia Kealoha, and Stitch, voiced by Chris Sanders, isn’t a classic, simple-to-draw-up friendship. Stitch is, after all, an alien of course, a genetically-engineered little blue alien created to cause chaos. When he arrives on planet Earth, he quickly realizes he’s going to need to change his tune if he’s going to fit into this Hawaiian Roller Coaster Ride. Along comes Lilo, and together, they don’t really begin their friendship in a way of saving or fixing one another, but rather they start to realize that their differences make them a good team. This friendship is obviously different because it’s a little girl and her pet chaos alien; however, their connection shows that relationships don't have to be corrective or aspirational. They accept each other, and they make each other feel less alone. Because after all… “Ohana means family, and family means nobody is left behind or forgotten." (Stream on Disney+)

4. Mike & Claire from Song Sung Blue

In Song Sung Blue, Mike (Hugh Jackman) and Claire (Kate Hudson) form their friendship through music. It stands alone in our list because there really isn’t one specific, pivotal, shining moment highlighting the magnitude of their connection; rather, the movie showcases steps towards creation. This movie’s engine is the stubborn belief that making something with another person is still worth it. Creating art is worth it. Making music is more than worth it.

For creatives, things like imposter syndrome, a lack of belief in oneself, and blocks of all kinds can begin to develop over time. It’s especially important that creatives find other creatives, and this movie and this friendship is a shining example of two people meeting, rehearsing, and showing up not only for each other but for their art. These friendships can get overlooked by some of the more grandiose ideas of what friendship looks like; however, we think this entry to be a great symbol for artists to try to find their partner and create something as best as they can. (In theatres now)

5. Judy Hopps & Nick Wilde from Zootopia 2

Ginnifer Goodwin plays Judy Hopps and Jason Bateman plays Nick Wilde in this duo-driven blockbuster, and this friendship between them earns a spot on our list because it represents a friendship built on function. They work so well together throughout the film and the story because they trust each other, and they share a balanced, professional work ethic. They’re partners in the Zootopia Police Department, after all, and they both have shared goals. They may not come together to create art or fight off hordes of vampires, but they do show us what a functioning, successful co-worker friendship can look like, and for that, and for how ginormous this movie was (grossing around $1.46 billion worldwide and becoming Walt Disney Animation Studios' highest-grossing animated film ever), these two furry stars make a great addition to our list. (In theatres now)

6. Elphaba & Glinda from Wicked: For Good

If most of this list represents friendships which remain intact, our last entry represents a somewhat wild card in that Elphaba and Glinda don’t remain friends. This is a complicated friendship, as it starts from a genuine connection. Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) initially benefitted from having a "popular" friend like Glinda (Ariana Grande). Overall, their differences proved helpful and exciting for the friendship  But once problems started getting larger, and questions surrounding what is "good" came more into play, we see each character go down their own yellow brick road of sorts. This friendship, or ex-friendship, asks questions surrounding popularity, right versus wrong, and loyalty. Each character chooses to become people who are incompatible with each other. (In theatres and available on VOD/Digital)

So, even though this friendship doesn’t work out exactly as planned, it could easily still be viewed as a success. Each character helps the other understand themselves a bit better, and they didn’t mess anything up, really; they just remained true to who they wanted to be, and they didn’t want to compromise that.

In 2025, some of the most resonant on-screen friendships really weren’t even about who were the closest friends or who traversed the most difficult path; rather, these high-impact friendships showed connection. They demonstrated learning what it means to be a friend. They asked questions like, "Who do we lean on when we need a friend?" And they showed us examples of knowing when to stay or leave a friendship and how much attention it should get. Looking back on 2025 and forward at 2026, we all can’t wait for the next great batch of friendships!