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2025 didn’t quite pan out as I had aspired and hoped at the start of the year. I didn’t end up reviewing a single movie from 2025, and the site was far less pop culture–focused than originally advertised.
I did, however, write every single day.
Much of that writing explored my new autism and ADHD diagnosis, which clearly resonated with many readers. It was also the year I launched a new Substack newsletter, Life on the Balcony. I took steps toward monetizing my work through tip jars and ads, which may seem more annoying than meaningful progress to some readers, but they do help make it possible for me to keep spending time on this site and my other projects.
I’m learning strategies and implementing routines aimed at making 2026 more successful. I absolutely plan to return to reviewing new releases and digging deeper into movies and pop culture in the coming year.
But what about 2025?
What were the most popular posts of the year? How did people find me? What countries are my readers coming from? Well, this is the time of year to answer those questions.
Here are some of the stats from 2025.
Most Read Beyond the Balcony Articles of 2025
1. The Return of Misleading But Accurate Descriptions of Popular Movies
Originally posted in 2022, this piece suddenly exploded in 2025 and is now the most-read article ever on the site, averaging several hundred readers a day. A few kind readers shared it on places like Reddit, which helped fuel its popularity.
2. Solving Back to the Future Infamous Plot Holes
Reposted in 2024 after its original home, NerdMuch, closed down. Once again, Reddit sharing brought in a whole new audience. This is now the second most-read article ever on Beyond the Balcony.
3. For Those Curious About Powder Thanks to The Movie Breakdown
A throwaway post from 2018 that followed up on a silly podcast gag. Starting last year, it began ranking on Google for searches about Powder, particularly explanations of the ending. I’m sure many readers arrive confused; I just hope some of them stick around for better articles.
4. Completely Misleading But Accurate Descriptions of Popular Movies
Yes, the badly described movie gag is clearly a hit. This is the original version I wrote back in 2010, and it has benefited greatly from the popularity of the newer entry.
5. Wired for Wonder: A Neurodivergent Mental Health Manifesto
The first article on this list actually written in 2025. This began as a therapy assignment that I decided to make public, and I remain deeply grateful for how much it resonated with readers.
6. 47 Years of Beating Myself Up (and What I Learned Instead)
One of several neurodivergence-focused pieces that really connected. This essay examines long-held shame that I’ve learned wasn’t evidence of being broken.
7. Pirates, Platypuses, and Parenting: The Joy of Watching One Piece and Phineas and Ferb With My Kids
A great example of what I’ve learned is my sweet spot: blending personal insight with pop culture.
8. A Peek Into What It Feels Like to Be AuDHD
A short piece paired with a video, but one that clearly struck a chord.
9. 7 Life Lessons I Learned From Playing Mayor Shinn
Another successful mix of art, experience, and reflection. It’s always reaffirming when the pieces I’m most drawn to also connect most with readers.
10. The Greatest Boxing Day Surprise Ever
Why hello, piece from 2011. This was the announcement of Everett’s birth, and suddenly in 2025, people clearly got nostalgic for that momentous moment.
Most Downloaded Episodes of The Movie Breakdown
I didn’t release many episodes this year, but I’m grateful listeners still showed up. 2026 aims to be a much more prolific year.
Most Viewed Life on the Balcony Newsletters
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Phineas & Ferb Prove All Art Means Something: Obviously, my readers love this wonderful showas much as I do.
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Now, for Something Kind of Different…: My introduction to my Substack adventure drew quite the audience, which means readers were interested in my latest project.
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Wicked and Wicked for Good Correct Hollywood’s “Fixing the Outsider” Problem: The success of this piece is a reminder that analyzing new releases attracts an audience.
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The Mask I Wore: The Pain I Hid: I believe l creative writing is more effective in dealing with internal emotions, and the fact that this poem about masking for a lifetime resonated with readers is proof of that.
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When AuDHD Feels Like a Disability: My most recent piece, and it has already attracted a large audience. I'm always shocked and humbled when deeply personal writing like this connects with so many readers.
Top Keyword Searches
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Bad movie descriptions: My site seems to be the go-to place if you want a movie explained badly.
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What happened to Powder at the end of the movie: So many disappointed searchers.
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Back to the Future plot holes: This is an example of how a larger site or Reddit linking made one of my pieces the top ranking for a specific search.
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Powder: It is so odd how such a throwaway piece has suddenly made my site a top ranker for a topic I never write about.
Survival game movie reviews: No idea what they are looking for, but I hope they found it on my site.
Top Reader Locations
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United States
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China
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United Kingdom
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France
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Brazil
Once again, my home country of Canada fails to crack the list.
I look forward to another year of creating more articles, newsletters, podcasts, essays, and newsletters. Thank you for all your support and love. Wishing you an amazing 2026!
If my work resonates with you and you’d like to support it, there are a few ways you can help:
- Subscribe to the Life on the Balcony newsletter.
- Throw a few dollars my way via the Support Me badge or my Ko-fi page.
- Consider hiring me as a copywriter for your business
Every bit genuinely helps. Not just financially, but emotionally. It helps me keep going, keep writing, and keep building something that matters.
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