Relationships are what drive stories. The interactions between people, especially romantic ones, can be the best foundations for plot points and create the most memorable viewing experiences. Plus, love stories make people happy. This year, we needed that joy. We wish we had gotten more. However, we have lots of feels about the ships we did get on movie screens this year.
Across a variety of genres, the couples who defined movie ships this year will stay with us. Let’s get straight to celebrating the Best Movie Ships of 2025!
MORE: Go further than this list with our discussion of the Best Movie Ship Moments of 2025!
Levi and Drasa, The Gorge
Sometimes you find a great ship where you least expect it. A genre creature thriller may seem like an unusual place to discover romance, but that’s exactly what The Gorge delivers. Miles Teller and Anya Taylor-Joy play Levi and Drasa. They are skilled operatives who’ve been hired to guard opposite sides of a mysterious gorge. The two communicate through written messages at first, so when they finally share the same physical space, it’s a visceral thrill.
Their date is romantic. So much so that it perfectly counteracts the horror-tinged action of the rest of the film. We love how Levi doesn’t hesitate to figure out a way to zipline across the gorge when Drasa wishes he were with her. We love how Drasa doesn’t hesitate to help Levi when he’s in trouble. Most of all, we love the way they fight together. It’s a true partnership. Getting a satisfying ship when you weren’t expecting it is joy that we got in 2025, thanks to this movie.
Naveen and Jay, A Nice Indian Boy
Though it only received a limited theatrical release, this queer rom-com is a sweet treat worth seeking out if you haven’t seen it already. Karan Soni and Jonathan Groff play Naveen and Jay. Their love story has a classic romantic comedy structure, from the first meeting to the wedding. Naveen’s parents are traditional and haven’t seen him with a boyfriend. All that changes with Jay, who is the extroverted artist to Naveen’s introverted doctor. These two balance each other out wonderfully.
However, their path to a happy ending isn’t entirely smooth, just like other romances, and that just makes the fluff and laughs that much more endearing. We know Naveen and Jay belong together when Jay starts singing from their favorite Bollywood film. When Naveen uses that same film as part of a proposal, this couple earned their place on this list. This film also earns bonus points for the touching subplot about Naveen’s parents’ marriage.
Lois and Clark, Superman
How many iterations of this couple have we seen on screen, both big and small? A lot! Yet James Gunn’s version managed to become one of our favorites. The chemistry between David Corenswet and Rachel Brosnahan is incredibly high to begin with, but there’s more than that. Gunn made the smart decision to establish the fact that Lois already knows Clark is Superman when the story starts. The two are also already dating when the film begins. By setting aside these possible conflicts, Gunn allows the characters’ emotional connection to flourish.
The friction between them during Lois’s interview with Superman, for instance, develops the characters and makes their levitating kiss at the end of the film even better. The same applies to their love declarations. Corenswet and Brosnahan’s chemistry continues throughout it all. We also noticed– and loved!– how Gunn flipped the script by having Lois come to rescue Superman when Lex holds him captive instead of the other way around. We invested in this comic book couple, and we want more. Did we mention their chemistry is amazing?
Rumi and Jinu, KPop Demon Hunters
Netflix’s animated musical is a huge hit, and it’s easy to see why. The story is exciting. The characters are engaging. And the music is insanely catchy. Best of all, there’s a ship to fall in love with. Rumi (voiced by Arden Cho) is a demon hunter. Jinu (Ahn Hyo-seop) is a demon. The interaction between Rumi and Jinu is classic enemies-to-lovers, but it is also fleshed out in an interesting way. Rumi was born part demon, while Jinu wants freedom from the shame and guilt he feels at the immature decision that turned him into a demon.
The thing that stands out about this couple is the way they help each other grow. Rumi learns to embrace the part of her she’s had to hide her whole life, even though it’s a painful process. Jinu learns that he can reclaim his soul. “Why does it feel right every time I let you in? Why does it feel like I can tell you anything?” they sing in their duet. Though they don’t even kiss, and the ending seems like a sad one, the story leaves the viewer with hope for these characters. Bring on the sequel!
MORE: For more movie romance from this year, read our list of Best Movie Kisses of 2025!
Elphaba and Glinda, Wicked: For Good
Shipping Elphaba and Fiyero is valid. (We love the sex cardigan!) However, no one can deny that the most important relationship in Wicked is the one between Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) and Glinda (Ariana Grande). They are opposites who clash from the moment they meet. And yet they become friends. More than that, they become the most significant connection either has ever had. Elphaba has never had a friend before. Meanwhile, Glinda is so popular that her other friendships seem insubstantial. These two are another example of a ship where the characters evolve because of each other.
There is a lot of drama in Wicked outside of their interaction, and in For Good, it affects their relationship even more than in the first half. The angst is definitely there. But Elphaba and Glinda manage to maintain what they mean to each other in the end. There is a reason the subtitle of this half of the story comes from their final duet. “Because I knew you, I have been changed for good” is basically what a ship is all about.
Lucy and John, Materialists
It’s easy to envy Dakota Johnson’s character Lucy in Materialists. She is torn between Pedro Pascal’s Harry and Chris Evans’ John. (Maybe I should’ve said it’s easy to hate her character!) Lucy is a matchmaker, so she has a very pragmatic and transactional viewpoint on romance. She knows the uncomfortable truth about what people truly value when looking for a partner. While Harry is perfect on paper, her history with John is meaningful, too. They broke up over money. John is a struggling actor, and she didn’t want to resent what he couldn’t give her. The character growth here is an indication that this is a good ship.
One of Lucy’s clients goes through a terrible situation, which teaches Lucy that she wants to prioritize things that she doesn’t right now. John stays consistent in his desire to be with her, but also keeps an open mind about changing in ways that improve life for both of them. When John declares his love for Lucy at the film’s resolution, he keeps it simple. “I love you, Lucy,” he says. “I just do.” And somehow, that emphasis feels like the best way he could’ve said it.
Larry and Joan, Eternity
Larry and Joan are a unique entry on this list. Eternity is a rom-com, but with a fantasy twist: it’s set in the afterlife. We meet Larry and Joan in their 80s. They’ve been married for over 60 years. Larry is disoriented when he dies and finds himself in the great beyond, where he has to choose where to spend eternity. Joan follows him a week later (she was terminally ill), and then the real conflict begins. Larry, now played by Miles Teller, unexpectedly has to compete with Joan’s (Elizabeth Olsen) deceased first husband, Luke (Callum Turner), to be with her forever.
Luke’s looks and status as a war hero make Larry feel like a “consolation prize.” Joan is understandably upset about the choice she has to make. When people arrive in the afterlife, they look the way they did when they were happiest, and Larry realizes Joan’s hair is the same as it was with Luke, so he gives her up. Joan can’t stop thinking about Larry, though, and she breaks the rules of the afterlife to escape her eternity with Luke to find a new one with Larry. A lifetime together wasn’t enough for these two.
Ron and Liz, Jay Kelly
I want to finish this list with something different. Sometimes movies give us a pairing that stays in the background, between supporting characters, and it sticks with you whether the two get together or not. That’s what Jay Kelly did with Ron and Liz. Ron (Adam Sandler) is Jay’s long-suffering manager. He’s married with children. Liz (Laura Dern) is Jay’s publicist. These two have a history together, and during an impromptu trip to Europe with Jay (George Clooney), their interaction takes on a sweet, wistful nostalgia. Liz leaves early because of Jay’s behavior.
However, that’s only after she confronts the aborted romantic possibilities between herself and Ron by kissing him. Dern and Sandler seem like an unusual pairing, but the actors have surprising chemistry. We know Ron is not going to leave his marriage and kids. But his introspective look out the train window after the kiss tells us what might have been. The scenes between Ron and Liz are a great piece of this narrative, and they are a good example of a rare kind of ship: the kind that’s not meant to be, and that’s okay.
MORE: How about romance on the small screen? Read our list of the Best TV Ship Moments of 2025!
So, did you love these ships too? Did we miss any of your favorite movie ships from 2025? Let us know in the comments below!
