For the past four years or so I’ve consistently been lamenting the fact that films just weren’t what they used to be and the industry has been in freefall since Covid hit back in 2020. And while there are some huge changes on the horizon coming to cinema around the world, the effects of which will most likely be negative, it’s impossible to ignore the fact that this year – 2025 – was a truly great year for cinema. Back in January I was positive I’d seen the best film of the year, if not the past five years or so, a film so staggering and bold and beautiful, there couldn’t be another film as good. Needless to say that film is no longer my number 1. While we are still getting bombarded with awful sequels, spinoffs and remakes, some listed below, we were spoilt this year, and we should cherish it.
As always, I’d encourage everyone to vote with their feet and get to the cinema to support films; failing that please make the effort to pay to view smaller releases, as piracy, big-budget releases and general apathy across the internet toward paying for content is making it near-impossible for films to survive.
Like every year, what you see below is what I’ve seen or heard this year, so there may be a couple of pieces from 2024 in there.
FILM
1. One Battle After Another 2. The Brutalist 3. Train Dreams 4. Urchin 5. Sentimental Value 6. Weapons 7. Nickel Boys 8. I Like Movies 9. Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person 10. Caught Stealing
Honourable Mentions I am Martin Parr, Cloud, Eddington, Predators, Lurker, Pavements, Sinners, Blue Moon, A Real Pain, Phoenician Scheme, Blackbag.
Overrated Mission Impossible, 28 Years Later, Highest 2 Lowest, After the Hunt, Perfect Neighbour, Nightbitch, Here, Smashing Machine.
DISCOVERIES
1. I Like Killing Flies (2004) 2. Dear Zachary (2008) 3. Defending Your Life (1991) 4. Nirvanna the Band the Show (2016) 5. Cheap Thrills (2013) 6. Chilly Scenes of Winter (1979) 7. Greaser’s Palace (1972) 8. Restless Natives (1985) 9. Freaky Tales (2024) 10. The Last Movie Star (2017)
TV
1. The Rehearsal 2. The Studio 3. The Show about the show 4. The Bear 5. Mr Scorsese 6. The Chair Company 7. The Righteous Gemstones 8. The Lowdown 9. The Pitt 10. Death of Bunny Monro
Honourable Mentions Dying for Sex, Mo, Andor, Blossoms Shanghai, Severance, Task, Poker Face
Overrated Adolescence, Last of Us, Alien Earth, Thousand Blows, I Love LA, White Lotus.
MUSIC (Albums)
1. Geese – Getting Killed 2. Deftones – Private Music 3. Turnstile – Never Enough 4. Elias Ronnenfelt – Speak Daggers 5. Preoccupations – Ill at Ease 6. Cass McCombs – Interior Live Oak 7. Cameron Winter – Heavy Metal 8. Panda Bear – Sinister Grift 9. Wet Leg – Moisturizer 10. Benjamin Booker – Lower
Honourable Mentions These New Puritans, Sharon Van Etten, Smerz, Tunde Adebimpe, Perfume Genius, Youth Lagoon, One Battle After Another (OST), Destroyer, The Brutalist (OST), Bon Iver, No Joy, YHWH Nailgun.
Overrated Taylor Swift, Rosalia, Addison Rae, Sabrina Carpenter, Chappell Roan
MUSIC (Singles)
1. Taxes – Geese 2. You got time and I got money – Smerz 3. Grandmother – Big Thief 4. Mona Lisa – Elias Ronnenfelt 5. Catch these fists – Wet Leg 6. Love Takes Miles – Cameron Winter 7. Afterlife – Alex G 8. Seein’ Stars/Birds – Turnstile 9. Focus – Preoccupations 10. Left for Tomorrow – Perfume Genius
Honourable Mentions Bologna – Destroyer, Tears on his rings and chains – Dean Blunt / Elias Rønnenfelt, Feeling – Ebo Taylor, Adrian Younge & Ali Shaheed Muhammad, New Threats from the Soul – Ryan Davis & the Roadhouse Band.
