2020-2029, Ranking

Best Films of 2025

Posted on January 13, 2026January 13, 2026 by Martin: Through the Silver Screen

Another 12 months of cinema have come and gone, and it was undeniably a captivating year for cinema. There was the usual mix of superheroes, live-action remakes, reboots, and sequels. However, there were also plenty of original films with the potential to contend for awards in 2026. Before we dive into the madness of awards season, let’s take a look at the best films of 2025, in my opinion.

For a film to be eligible for inclusion on this list, I must have seen it within the calendar year of 2025. While I always strive to include films listed as 2025 releases on IMDb, some don’t receive a UK-wide release until well into the year. Furthermore, some films don’t get a wide release until 2026, but since I caught these at the London Film Festival, they are eligible for inclusion. Additionally, I haven’t watched every single film released in 2025, so if there’s a film you think should be included here, please let me know.

One more disclaimer. I haven’t reviewed every film here, but grades do not determine the rankings. This is my chance to celebrate the films that resonated with me the most over the last year. As usual, before we get into the main list, I do have some honourable mentions, films that I enjoyed but didn’t make the top 10:

Roofman (review). Every once in a while comes a film based on a true story, which seems completely implausible, that it couldn’t possibly be true. Yet, Derek Ciafrance’s hilarious film about the most polite criminal ever, who robs stores by cutting a hole in the roof to steal cash, and then evades police by hiding in a Toys R Us store, really has to be seen to be believed.

Kpop Demon Hunters. As a complete stranger to the K-pop genre, I had no idea what to expect with this. Coming from the same studio as the makers of the incredible Spider-Verse films piqued my curiosity. With its brilliant animation, innovative story (a trio of badass demon hunters who moonlight as a girl group!) and certified banger of a soundtrack, what is not to love?

F1 (review). A fundamental job for any sports film is to pull the viewer in, regardless of whether they’re a devout follower or have never watched said sport before. After blowing audiences away with Top Gun: Maverick, Joseph Kosinski swaps fighter jets for F1 cars to deliver another electrifying and pulsating spectacle that hits the chequered flag with flying colours.

The Brutalist (review). Filmed in glorious VistaVision, with one of the most impactful opening scenes of the entire year, Brady Corbet’s 215-minute epic is a towering, ambitious and timely story about the struggles of the immigrant experience looking to fulfil the promise of the American Dream, with an incredible Oscar-winning performance by Adrien Brody.

I Swear. A film as British as they come, but I defy anyone who fails to be uplifted by this truly inspiring story of John Davidson, who, after being diagnosed with Tourette’s syndrome as a youngster in 1980s Scotland, grew up to become a campaigner and activist to raise awareness of the disorder, with around 300,000 children and adults in the UK estimated to live with the condition. In what could have come across as a caricature, Robert Aramayo’s performance as Davidson is anything but, capturing the man with warm sincerity as well as a great deal of humour.

Honourable mentions honoured. Now, here comes the top 10…

10. The Voice of Hind Rajab

Ever since the Israel-Palestine conflict broke out with the appalling attacks by Hamas on Israel on October 7 2023, it has been impossible to ignore the horrors that the Palestinian people have endured over the last two years, with the UN declaring in September that a genocide is being committed by Israel in Gaza, after famine was declared in August. This powerful dramatisation tells the true story of Red Crescent volunteers who, in January 2024, received an emergency phone call from a young girl in Gaza trapped in a car under fire. This is a film I haven’t stopped thinking about since I saw it at the 2025 London Film Festival. A harrowing and deeply upsetting, but vitally necessary watch. Free Palestine.

9. The Long Walk

review

In a year that saw numerous Stephen King adaptations, both on the big and small screen, Francis Lawrence’s adaptation of the first novel the legendary author wrote powered its way to taking the crown as the best King adaptation of the year and one of the best ever made. To say this film, about the struggles and enduring financial hardship in an authoritarian United States, is timely would be an understatement. Lawrence leans into his experience of crafting a film centred on a competition where only one person shall emerge victorious to craft a gripping and intense thriller, with incredible performances from Cooper Hoffman and David Jonsson that will have you on the edge of your seat.

8. Thunderbolts*

review

Multiversal shenanigans have been in plentiful supply in the Marvel Cinematic Universe in recent years, with decidedly mixed results, but not the death of the MCU as some would have had you believe. Nevertheless, Thunderbolts* proved to be a refreshing and welcome change of pace to close out Phase Five, as it brought the franchise back down to earth with the fascinating story of a ragtag group of antiheroes forced to put aside their differences and work together to fight their common enemy. The film brought humour in the form of its central team of protagonists/antagonists (delete where appropriate), with personalities clashing just from being in the same room as one another, and was reminiscent of the gritty and grounded spy thriller found in the Captain America films. Not only that, but it also took the brave step of openly discussing mental health and the lasting impact that trauma can have on people forced to do bad things at some points in their lives.

7. Flow

Dialogue, a staple of the majority of films we see nowadays. However, it is not always necessary to tell a touching or powerful story about the devastation caused by a biblical-like apocalypse and the will to survive. Case in point, Gilts Zilbalodis’s beautiful film, made on a shoestring budget ($3.5million), defied expectations to win Best Animated Feature at the 97th Academy Awards, gazumping the likes of Disney and Dreamworks in the process. The little cat film that could, and did indeed, swim its way into the hearts of audiences everywhere.

6. Predator: Badlands

Since taking the reins of the franchise with 2022’s Prey, Dan Trachtenberg has breathed new life into a franchise that seemed to have been hunted down and put out of its misery following Predator (2018). We have seen Predators hunting humans for sport numerous times, so Trachtenberg makes a refreshing switch-up by framing it from the perspective of a young Yautja warrior, who, after being scorned and dismissed by his father due to being a runt, travels to an extremely hostile planet to embark on a hunt to defeat a deadly creature on an incredibly perilous planet to prove himself, while striking up an unlikely alliance with a severely damaged Weyland-Yutani android (Elle Fanning). Please keep these movies coming!

5. Weapons

review

I will be the first one to tell you I am not a horror fan. So, when a film in this genre really gets people talking, it compels me to go out of my comfort zone, and I am so glad I did because Zach Creggar’s sophomore feature more than lived up to the expectations I had set based on the chatter. The central and disturbing mystery hooks you in from the off, masterfully maintains the suspense and tension throughout, and builds to a crescendo in a third act that I will not be forgetting in a hurry. All the cast were firing on all cylinders, but the standouts were by far Amy Madigan’s Aunt Gladys (you will be inherently suspicious of anyone you meet called Gladys ever again) and Julia Garner as Justine Gandy, the poor teacher caught in the middle of this nightmare. Between this and the next film on this list, 2025 was an incredible year for Garner.

4. Fantastic Four: First Steps

review

Marvel’s First Family have had numerous attempts to do them justice on the big screen, yet every time an adaptation has been attempted, it has either been majorly flawed or just an outright disaster of gargantuanly Galactus-sized proportions. Yet, finally, with the team now back with their rightful owners at Marvel, fans got a film truly befitting of the team’s name. Impeccable chemistry between the team, a fun retro-futuristic setting away from the main MCU timeline, and a formidable threat in the shape of the planet-eating entity Galactus and his herald, the Silver Surfer (another excellent Julia Garner performance). Fantastic by name, fantastic by nature.

3. Hamnet

review

Ever since the COVID pandemic hit, we have seen no shortage of films about the power of the arts, and indeed cinema, to act as a healing process in the face of adversity or devastating tragedy. Yet, what none of those other films did was to do so through the lens of Shakespeare and to explore the tragic backstory of his personal life that led him to write the play many consider to be his masterpiece, Hamlet. After dabbling with the machine of the MCU, Chloé Zhao once again proves that she is a master at finding the humanity of those who find themselves isolated from society, with brilliant and emotionally devastating performances from Paul Mescal and especially Jessie Buckley. A film that captures the unimaginable heartache no parents should have to endure, yet is simultaneously positively life-affirming at the timeless power of the arts as a mechanism to process our grief. To be or not to be, that is the question, indeed.

2. Frankenstein

review

Films about monsters and Guillermo del Toro have so often been a match made in cinematic heaven throughout the distinguished Mexican auteur’s career. It should therefore come as no surprise that an adaptation of Mary Shelley’s iconic novel has long been a passion project for him, and it is easy to see why, as the source material could not be more aligned with del Toro’s skills as a filmmaker. Del Toro magnificently channels his passion for Shelley’s work, while imprinting his own unique style on the dangers of hubris by humanity in the pursuit of scientific discovery and the perils of what can happen when people try to play God. Some of the most beautiful cinematography of the year, immaculate costumes and production design, and incredible performances from Oscar Isaac and a career-best from Jacob Elordi as the misunderstood Creature. The legend of Frankenstein is reborn for a brand new generation.

Drumroll, my favourite film of 2025 is..

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1. Sinners

review

What is there to say about Ryan Coogler’s magnum opus that hasn’t already been said? The praise this movie has received ever since its release in April is fully justified, and for a film not based on any existing franchise or IP to have grossed $367m at the worldwide box office is an incredible achievement and speaks volumes to what can happen when filmmakers such as Coogler are given the space to realise their vision and to craft something truly special.

This is not just a vampire movie; it is so, so much more than that. It is a wondrous blend of genres, a celebration of blues music, the power of music to connect the past and the future (that scene is hands down the coolest scene of the entire year). As soon as I saw it in April, I knew right then and there that not only would it feature in this list, but that it would top the lot, and so it proved. Films like this are why we go to the cinema, and why it is imperative to see films on the big screen where they belong.

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And that brings the curtain down on my list of the best the big screen had to offer in 2025. Thank you for reading, especially if you read all the way through! What were your favourite films of 2025? Let me know in the comments below, or you can find me on the following platforms: Bluesky, Facebook or Letterbox’d.

2020-2029, Awards Season, Oscars, Ranking

97th Academy Awards: Best Picture Nominees ranked

Posted on March 1, 2025 by Martin: Through the Silver Screen

As the curtain comes down on another awards season, it is time for Hollywood to mark its biggest night. The damage caused by the LA wildfires in January has brought things into perspective and although it promises to be a night filled with usual celebrations, glamour and parties, there is undoubtedly a sombre backdrop to this year’s awards. My heart goes out to all those affected by these terrible tragedies.

Nevertheless, ten more films are looking to bag the top prize and walk away with the coveted prize of Best Picture and join an illustrious company of films which includes Parasite, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King and The Silence of the Lambs. In a year which gave us the first half of an adaptation of a beloved musical, a tense thriller set in the Vatican, a gnarly body horror, a musical biopic of one of the most influential artists of all time, a hilarious take on a not-so-Disney fairytale, and a 215-minute long historical epic. Not as strong as last year’s crop, but some excellent films nonetheless, and one that really doesn’t belong in this company.

Without further ado, here is my ranking of these films from worst to best, starting with…

10. Emilia Pérez

I always say that for every awards season, there is always going to be one film that I, for whatever reason, just do not vibe with or cannot understand why it has been nominated. This year, the film that stands out by quite a long way is Jacques Audiard’s Emilia Perez. I give this film all the points in the world for its originality and for the big audacious swings it takes. Anyone who says there is no originality left in cinema these days needs to look no further than this, a musical about a Mexican drug lord who undergoes gender reassignment surgery. You can’t get more original than that, however, originality does not make a good film.

The performances of its central three characters played by Zoe Saldana, Karla Sofía Gascón and Selena Gomez are all strong and it hits on some important themes. However, a key requirement for any musical is to have memorable musical numbers that will leave you singing them for days and weeks afterwards, and the musical numbers here just didn’t have that. Furthermore, given the film has attracted strong criticism from Mexico and the transgender community combined with the controversy of resurfaced tweets from Gascon cannot and should not be ignored. All these factors should severely damage its chances of winning any awards. The fact it is the most nominated film this year is truly head-scratching.

9. A Complete Unknown

Bob Dylan, a name instantly recognisable to countless people worldwide, is considered one of the greatest artists of all time. 40 studio albums and 21 live albums across a more than 60-year career is an extraordinary legacy, and it is no surprise that many filmmakers such as Todd Haynes and Martin Scorsese have made films centred on such a remarkable musician. Having directed 2005’s Walk The Line, a music biopic about Johnny Cash, James Mangold stage dives back into this world for another film about the man who has sold 125 million albums worldwide.

James Mangold could have easily taken the standard biopic approach and chronicled Bob Dylan’s life from his early years to the present. However, he focuses specifically on the early days of Dylan’s career in the 1960s, highlighting his encounters with his idol, Woody Guthrie, and his whirlwind romances with Elle Fanning’s Sylvie Russo, and Monica Barbaro’s Joan Baez. Throughout this period, Dylan grapples with the desire for artistic freedom while rising to mega-stardom. Timothée Chalamet delivers a strong, transformative performance as Dylan and Mangold’s direction hits the right notes. However, I just wasn’t invested in the story as much as I wanted to, and I feel this film is primarily aimed at passionate fans of Dylan, which is not me. That being said, ‘The Times They Are A-Changin'” is one hell of a banger.

8. I’m Still Here

In every awards show of the 2020s so far, at least one international film has competed for the top prize. Walter Salles’s film, representing Brazil, tells the harrowing true story of a woman’s struggle to uncover the truth about her husband’s disappearance during the 1970s, a time when the country was under military dictatorship. The film portrays a warm and sincere family dynamic set against the backdrop of sunny Rio de Janeiro, despite the ominous sounds of military aircraft flying overhead. It also highlights a historical period that many viewers may not be aware of, making it depressingly relevant given the alarming rise in dictators or aspiring dictators around the world today.

While the film could have conveyed more urgency, considering the family’s desperate situation, Fernanda Torres’s excellent and restrained performance in the face of authoritarian brutality makes it a worthwhile watch. Torres thoroughly deserves her nomination for Best Actress.

7. Nickel Boys

Throughout the years, many filmmakers have portrayed the harsh realities of racism in the United States, an insidious presence that unfortunately persists not only in the U.S. but around the world. However, these films have rarely explored this theme from a first-person perspective. This is what makes RaMell Ross’s film so visually striking, entirely unique, and profoundly unsettling to watch. Based on the 2019 novel by Colson Whitehead, the film centres on the friendship of two boys who are sent to an abusive reform school in Florida, where they must endure and survive the brutality they encounter.

The decision to tell this story from the first-person perspective is bold, powerful and innovative and captures the cruelty of this “school” unequivocally. However, it does get to a point where as ground-breaking as telling such a story from the perspective of these two the way the film is directed can work against it. Nevertheless, it remains an important and necessary watch given the pervasive ugliness of racism that remains pervasive in the US right to the present day.

6. The Brutalist

review

In today’s world of smartphones and social media, any film which exceeds three hours is bound to spark debate over whether such a lengthy runtime is justified. Even for the most ardent cinephile, a runtime of 3 hours and 35 minutes can feel like an endurance test. However, with the help of an intermission built into that runtime, Brady Corbet’s ambitious and pertinent drama of a Hungarian-Jewish architect striving to achieve the American Dream, filmed in glorious VistaVision, feels like a film that could have been made and released several decades ago. Unfortunately, the cacophonous bile spewed by supposed world leaders demonising immigrants and their legal bid to emigrate to a brand new country to make a new life for themselves, makes it all the more relevant in today’s political climate.

Its themes of striving to create something to leave a lasting legacy in your respective field, only to have numerous obstacles thrown in your way, are also very timely and topical. Despite that lengthy runtime, the clever use of a built-in intermission ensures the film seldom drags and I could have happily watched more, particularly as I felt the third act came to a sharp and abrupt halt which really took me out of the film and prevents it from becoming a true modern masterpiece.

5. The Substance

The sole film among this year’s nominees to be directed by a woman, and the first horror film to receive a best picture nomination since Get Out was nominated at the 90th Academy Awards in 2018. The Academy has not often embraced horror, particularly such gnarly body horror on display here. There has been an array of fantastic performances in horror films not getting the recognition they deserved (Toni Collette, Florence Pugh and Lupita Nyong’o in Hereditary, Midsommar and Us respectively to name but a few).

To see Demi Moore succeed where those aforementioned performances didn’t get the nomination they deserved is immensely satisfying. Coralie Fargeat’s fierce script is filled with biting social commentary about the ridiculous pressure society places on women, the absurd beauty standards women have to put up with compared to men and the pressures to maintain those standards in the face of getting old. Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley both give tour-de-force performances, with an absolutely insane third act that you will not be forgetting in a hurry.

4. Anora

review

I was quite nervous about watching the follow-up film directed by Sean Baker, even knowing that it had won the coveted Palme d’Or at last year’s Cannes Film Festival. This anxiety stemmed from my experience with his previous film, Red Rocket, which I found to be thoroughly repulsive and predatory. Thankfully, my worries about his latest film were quickly put to rest. Despite my many gripes with Red Rocket, Baker’s films give a voice to the marginalized in American society, and this theme is prominent in his hilarious and chaotic take on the classic Cinderella fairytale. The film follows a young New York sex worker who believes she has found her Prince Charming, only to discover that this particular prince has some rather unwelcoming parents and henchmen.

The entire film rests on her shoulders, and after delivering memorable supporting performances in recent years, Mikey Madison finally gets her well-deserved moment in the spotlight as the princess of this unconventional love story. Just don’t expect any ballgowns or happy-ever-afters.

3. Wicked

The first film of this year’s crop which was an undisputed box office juggernaut in 2024. It would be fair to say that given how popular (pun most definitely intended) the musical which inspired this film is, expectations were sky high as to whether the musical would translate to the big screen, which hasn’t always been an easy path. Fortunately, in the very capable hands of Jon M. Chu, the first part of this journey back to the land of Oz to explore the friendship of Shiz University students Galinda and Elphaba before their paths diverge into becoming the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good hit all the right notes. With those irresistibly catchy songs, and the incredible performances of Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, the film defied expectations (and gravity), and we’re only halfway through the story. Wicked: For Good cannot get here soon enough.

2. Conclave

review

On paper, a film about a group of religious men in fancy robes going through a lengthy process of choosing their next leader doesn’t sound like it would be ripe material for a tense thriller. Yet in the same vein as The Brutalist, in a year when countless people went to the polls across the world, the release couldn’t have been more apt in a tense political climate. We have seen all too often in recent years, political figures who shouldn’t be anywhere near the seats of world government, scramble to obtain and retain power by any means necessary.

This kind of vain and power-hungry behaviour is unexpected from those who have dedicated their lives to serving an institution like the Catholic Church. However, Peter Straughan’s gripping script keeps the audience engaged as agendas clash, long-hidden secrets emerge, and these men participate in a nearly Game of Thrones-style struggle for the right to become the next Pope. Meanwhile, others grapple with crises of faith, questioning the very institutions they have devoted themselves to. A pulsating papal drama, with magnificent work from its ensemble cast, led by the ever-reliable Ralph Fiennes.

1. Dune: Part Two

review

The second film in this year’s crop that was an absolute behemoth at the box office, with the spice flowing in plentiful supply, as it continued the journey of Paul Atriedes on the vast and inhospitable world of Arrakis in his quest for revenge against the Harkonnens. Denis Villeneuve picked up where he left off to deliver a sequel that built on the foundations of its predecessor to give audiences a much bigger, darker and yes better film than its predecessor. The first instalment garnered ten nominations -and won six – at the 94th Oscars in 2022.

The fact that the second half of this masterful adaptation of Frank Herbert’s book only garnered six nominations is a gargantuan sandworm-sized injustice. I can only hope that the Academy is waiting for Dune: Messiah to give this visionary director his well-deserved dues. It is only a matter of time before Villeneuve gets an Oscar given his incredible contributions to cinema since he gained wider recognition in Hollywood in 2013.

Could/should have been nominated…

So, there we have it, there is my ranking of the ten films competing for Best Picture. However, with this, I always like to imagine what could have been. It is safe to say that even with some great films in this year’s crop of nominees, one film really stands out like a sore thumb as being unworthy of its place as a Best Picture contender, while with another I can see why it has received a Best Picture nominee, it wouldn’t have been my choice.

So with that in mind, if I had a ballot, out would go Emilia Perez and A Complete Unknown, and in their place, I would choose to nominate two from the following three films:

Sing Sing – It really surprises me, for a film which is all about the arts and the restorative power they can have to transform our lives and offer any of us an outlet to express ourselves, Greg Kweda’s life-affirming and powerful prison drama, would be a sure bet to receive a nomination for Best Picture, particularly given this wasn’t the strongest year for cinema. Colman Domingo continues his remarkable trajectory with a phenomenal leading performance which should be putting him in the running for Best Actor. His time will come soon, I am absolutely sure of that.

We Live in Time – Okay, cards on the table, I am a huge fan of Florence Pugh. Therefore, any film she stars in automatically captures my attention. Adding Andrew Garfield into the equation, in a heartachingly beautiful and devastating film about two people who meet and fall in love while battling a heartbreaking medical diagnosis. It all seems like the perfect combination to merit awards attention, particularly given the devastating performances of Pugh and Garfield. Yet throughout this awards season, this film has been completely overlooked and I am genuinely flummoxed as to why.

Challengers – Like We Live in Time, Luca Guadagnino’s steamy tennis drama is another film to have completely overlooked in this awards season, and while it admittedly was a bit of a long shot particularly given how early in the year it was released, I firmly believe it was good enough to have received awards attention for the incredible performances of Zendaya, Josh O’Connor and Mike Faist, its sharp screenplay, and the absolute serve that is the tubthumping score from Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross.