It’s time for me to present my list of my favourite films of the year. All in all, 2025 was a really great year for films.

Altogether, I’ve watched 90 movies from 2025. While I have seen most of the films I wanted to see, I haven’t watched these yet and some of them might’ve had a chance of making it into my top 25:

• Alpha
• The Chronology of Water
• Kiss of the Spider Woman
• Magellan
• Pillion
• Sound of Falling
• Splitsville
• Steve
• Twinless
• The Ugly Stepsister

25. Weapons

Zach Cregger follows up Barbarian with another surprising and refreshing horror film. The simple premise about children from the same class disappearing on the same night made for an intriguing mystery, and the construction and structure of the plot made it feel fresh and original. It goes through multiple revelations and unexpected shifts, culminating in an unhinged and satisfying third act. Weapons also has a great handle of tone, with a fair amount of comedy working perfectly in tandem with the tension and scares, and sliding between tones seamlessly, without one taking away from the other. The ensemble cast are excellent with Julia Garner, Josh Brolin, Alden Ehrenreich, Benedict Wong, Austin Abrams and Cary Christopher, as well as a scene stealing villainous performance from Amy Madigan. Cregger’s direction is amazing too; the camerawork is great, ranging from steady to hyper intense, the imagery is effectively eerie, the sound design is top notch, and the scares hit in the best ways possible. Weapons is an unpredictable, entertaining and darkly comic horror film, and I’m looking forward to seeing what Zach Cregger does next with his Resident Evil movie this year.

24. Train Dreams

Train Dreams is an intimate, grounded and meditative character study about modernity, lost time and the fragility of life. It’s filled with loneliness and sadness, but is also quite peaceful. Moving at its own steady pace, I was drawn into its quiet atmosphere and was constantly invested in the story of the woodcutter at the centre. Joel Edgerton is phenomenal and delivers his best here, and he’s accompanied by such great supporting performances from Felicity Jones, William H. Macy, and Kerry Condon. Finally, the direction from Clint Bentley is incredible. The cinematography is gorgeous with amazing shots of landscapes, forests and nature, and a haunting score from Bryce Dessner which adds so much to the already meditative vibe. Train Dreams is a melancholic, meditative and beautiful historical drama, which I liked a lot more than I expected to.

23. The Shrouds

Despite it receiving a somewhat mixed reception, I personally really liked The Shrouds. It’s one of David Cronenberg’s more ambitious films, as it juggles sci-fi conspiracy thriller elements with a futuristic portrayal of technology and human relationships, along with being a personal movie about grief and death. I was invested in it from beginning to end; it’s enjoyably uncanny in the Cronenberg way (especially with the dialogue), dryly and darkly comical, and leans into the absurdity. The acting from everyone is great, from Vincent Cassel as David Cronenberg’s stand-in, to Diane Kruger in her multiple roles, and a scene stealing Guy Pearce. It’s also directed strongly, very stylish and well put together with stunning visuals, and accompanied by a fittingly moody and atmospheric score from Howard Shore. One of the most divisive films on this list, I found The Shrouds to be an existential, somber, melancholic and yet enjoyable and darkly comic meditation on grief.

22. The Phoenician Scheme

The Phoenician Scheme is yet another wonderful film from Wes Anderson. It’s entertaining throughout and hilarious, genuinely one of his funniest movies, while also being quite warm and having quite a lot of humanity to it. As per Anderson, it has a great ensemble cast with Riz Ahmed, Tom Hanks, Bryan Cranston, Jeffrey Wright, Benedict Cumberbatch, but it’s especially anchored by amazing performances from Benicio del Toro, Mia Threapleton and Michael Cera, who share great chemistry together. Anderson’s signature direction is also on full display here; it’s visually gorgeous with colourful cinematography, on point editing and really strong production design, while also playing around with his style and even subverting it. The Phoenician Scheme was a funny, stylish, and endearing adventure that I had a really good time with.

21. Black Bag

Steven Soderbergh’s latest film is one of his best in years. Black Bag may have a familiar spy thriller premise, but it succeeds at being a really good throwback to that genre. It’s not an explosive spy movie, it’s quite steady in its pacing, is smoothly and stylishly directed, and has a sharp script that delivers in being a tight and engaging espionage whodunnit. The numerous and lengthy sequences of characters just talking are witty, delightful and entertaining, and the complex individual relationships and personal dynamics between everyone were compelling to watch. It especially benefits from an amazing ensemble cast in Michael Fassbender, Cate Blanchett, Marisa Abela, Tom Burke, Naomie Harris, Regé-Jean Page and Pierce Brosnan, and the chemistry between them is wonderful. Black Bag is a witty, sharp, well crafted and cleverly written spy thriller that is worth checking out if you haven’t seen it yet.

20. Mickey 17

Although largely overlooked during its theatrical March release, Mickey 17 is nonetheless a great, fresh, and creative sci-fi film. The visuals are stunning, the effects are really good, and the direction and technical elements help to make everything feel so lived in. It’s consistently fun, wacky, zany and funny with surprising slapstick and dark comedy, while also having plenty of social commentary about free will, capitalism and politics. Despite much of the cynicism on display, it’s still a hopeful, earnest and even romantic film. The acting is great from everyone, Naomi Ackie, Mark Ruffalo and Toni Collette are really good in their parts but the highlight of course is Robert Pattinson, who is fantastic playing multiple versions of himself. Even though it’s not one of Bong Joon-ho’s best movies, Mickey 17 is a darkly comic, satirical, earnest and original sci-fi, and remains a highlight from 2025.

19. Frankenstein

Frankenstein is the film that Guillermo del Toro has been wanting to make for some time, and it’s very much his take on the classic story, leaning into gothic romanticism, and is very human, empathetic, and with great character work. It’s a visually beautiful movie with fantastic attention to detail, gothic production design and stellar practical effects. It also features a great cast, with Jacob Elordi delivering a particularly amazing and well realized performance as The Creature, tender, captivating and giving a real layer of humanity. Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein is a beautifully made and wonderfully directed take on a classic gothic story.

18. The Secret Agent

Under the direction of Kleber Mendonça Filho, The Secret Agent is a gripping political thriller set in the 1970s towards the final years of the military dictatorship in Brazil. It’s a slow burn, but an engaging, captivating, character driven, and patient movie which slowly reveals itself. Gradually, we get to see the political climate of that time and place, with much historical detail, intrigue throughout, as well as a constant underlying tension. It’s all anchored by an excellent Wagner Moura, who delivers a compelling and believable lead performance as the very engaging protagonist. All in all, The Secret Agent is a slow burn and engaging historical political thriller.

17. Bugonia

Yorgos Lanthimos’s latest may be conventional, subdued and somewhat restrained by his standards, but it is still great and very much in line with what he’s made before. It’s bleak with plenty of dread and hopelessness, yet was also a darkly funny and offbeat satire. Lanthimos’s comparatively restrained directing style here works well with the striking cinematography and operatic score, which gives an unsettling vibe throughout. Additionally, the performances from Emma Stone, Jesse Plemons and Aidan Delbis are phenomenal, with Plemons especially being a standout. Bugonia was a bleak, visually stylish and excellently directed dark comedy; I was on its wavelength from beginning to end, which concludes with a satisfyingly unhinged third act.

16. Cloud

As a fan of both Cure and Pulse, I was excited for Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s Cloud and it was such a pleasant surprise. I won’t say too much about it as I maintain that it is best going in fairly blind, but it definitely took a lot of twists and turns that I wasn’t expecting. It begins as a suspenseful, slow burn character driven paranoia thriller about an online reseller and his downward spiral before it takes a turn for the unexpected with its explosive second half. While filled with dread throughout, Cloud is also filled with some surprisingly effective dark comedy, while being another compelling Kurosawa film about digital disconnection. The direction is really great; it’s beautifully shot, and while it isn’t a horror movie, it makes effective use of camerawork, sound and editing and to build up a tense and unsettling atmosphere. Cloud is an excellent, entertaining, tense, unpredictable and darkly comic thriller and one of the most underrated films from 2025.

15. Wake Up Dead Man

Wake up Dead Man is probably the best Knives Out movie yet. It’s quite different from the previous two movies, it’s considerably more serious and traditional as a murder mystery. It’s less subversive but more engaging, and the best crafted altogether. Thematically, there’s also more here with regards to religion, faith, and guilt, and with a surprising amount of empathy and tenderness. It’s also the best directed of the trilogy, with stunning cinematography, sharp editing, and gothic imagery. Once again, there’s a pretty stacked ensemble cast; Glenn Close and Josh Brolin are great, and Daniel Craig delivered his best work as detective Benoit Blanc. But it’s Josh O’Connor as the film’s true main character who stands out the most, delivering a nuanced and layered performance and maybe the best performance of the trilogy on the whole. Wake Up Dead Man is a somber, funny, thematic, engaging and clever murder mystery. If they made a hundred Knives Out movies, I wouldn’t complain, but this would be an excellent point to leave the series on if this is really the last film.

14. The Testament of Ann Lee

I didn’t really know anything about Ann Lee or the Shakers going in, but I found it to be a fascinating, compelling and captivating story about faith, devotion and spiritual mania. The direction from Mona Fastvold is beautiful with stunning cinematography and immersive costume and production design. The musical sequences are amazing, with great choreography and expressive body movements, along with a euphoric score from Daniel Blumberg. Finally, the performances are fantastic with the likes of Lewis Pullman, Thomasin McKenzie and Christopher Abbott, and especially a stellar and career best Amanda Seyfried. The Testament of Ann Lee is a captivating, hypnotic historical musical drama which deserves a lot more attention than it has been receiving, and it is well worth watching if you haven’t seen it already.

13. One Battle After Another

Paul Thomas Anderson’s latest was entertaining and funny throughout; an engaging, politically charged, satirical yet human story. His direction is immaculate, with fantastic cinematography and thrilling sequences, and it is stacked with really good performances from Leonardo DiCaprio, Chase Infiniti, Teyana Taylor, Benicio del Toro and Sean Penn. One Battle After Another was an entertaining, funny, energetic, excellently directed and performed thriller.

12. The Voice of Hind Rajab

From its conception alone, this film easily could’ve been exploitative. Not only by making a dramatization about the attempt by Red Crescent volunteers to save six year old girl Hind Rajab who’s under fire in Gaza by the IDF, but also including the actual audio of her voice. However, director Kaouther Ben Hania and co. really pulled this off, especially with the strong acting from the limited cast and incredible direction. The Voice of Hind Rajab is a confronting movie which holds you captive for 90 minutes. While it never shows or recreates the horrors on screen, it nonetheless faces you with the true horror and is harrowing to watch, especially with the undeniable voice of Hind very present. It asks how something like this can happen and continue happening. It is a devastating but necessary viewing, and really is a film that speaks for itself.

11. It Was Just An Accident

It Was Just an Accident begins with an abduction, and all the way to the end, it excellently plays with the audience’s expectations. While it starts with some dark comedy early on, there’s also a degree of underlying dread and anger beneath the surface which gradually increases as the film progresses. The ensemble cast is excellent and the direction from Jafar Panahi is fantastic and powerful; he especially knows what to show and what not to show. It’s an empathetic film which asks some moral questions and works as a critique of the Iranian government, and culminates in a stellar and memorable third act. It Was Just an Accident is an incredible, gripping, thought provoking and haunting thriller.

10. Hamnet

Hamnet was an effective portrait of grief, and one that I was immersed in from beginning to end. I was swept up in the emotion and unapologetic sentimentality and it hit hard, especially in the second half. The direction from Chloé Zhao was excellent, with it being visually beautiful, dreamlike and accompanied by a fittingly gentle score from Max Richter, and the performances from Jessie Buckley, Paul Mescal and Jacobi Jupe are phenomenal, raw and human. Hamnet was emotionally devastating and outstanding, one of 2025’s very best films.

9. Sorry, Baby

Sorry, Baby was one of the biggest surprises of the year; a very touching, sensitive and fittingly understated movie about connection and healing from trauma. It takes an authentic and emotionally honest approach to its subject matter and also has a really solid tonal balance, fitting the deadpan comedy alongside sincerity. The acting is also stellar from everyone, especially from writer/director Eva Victor, who delivers a truly human, nuanced and emotional performance. Sorry, Baby was emotionally powerful, empathetic and honest, wonderfully written, directed and performed, and was an excellent debut from Victor.

8. Resurrection

I’m glad that I caught this film before making this list, Bi Gan’s Resurrection is nothing short of an experience. It’s broken up into multiple different chapters, each with its own narrative, mood, pace and style which pay tribute to film and different eras of cinema, and especially conveys how film can bring dreams to reality. It’s so easy to be drawn in, even if you don’t fully understand everything that’s happening. The direction is incredible, with stunning cinematography and switching between distinctly different styles between each chapter, including silent film, noir, and particularly a phenomenal Wong Kar-Wai inspired segment. The visuals are unbelievable and among the very best from 2025. Resurrection is visually spectacular, captivating, and mesmerizing, and while it’s not for everyone, I think it is well worth experiencing.

7. Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning

Mission: Impossible went all out with its conclusion; the stakes had never been higher in these movies, it earned its emotional moments, while also embracing its more sillier moments, and it had me engaged throughout. The cast led by Tom Cruise also all deliver in their parts appropriately, and the action and stunts are incredible as to be expected, with the submarine and airplane sequences particularly being among the franchise’s best. While The Final Reckoning was messy in parts, it’s thrilling, bold, and exhilarating with outstanding action set pieces, and was a satisfying finale to the Mission: Impossible series.

6. Sentimental Value

Joaquim Trier’s follow up to The Worst Person in the World is another intimate, quiet, human, emotionally honest and personal drama, and one I was really engaged with throughout. Trier’s direction is very strong with stellar cinematography and editing, and Renate Reinsve, Stellan Skarsgård, Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas, and Elle Fanning all deliver phenomenal and well realised performances. Sentimental Value was a tender, nuanced, beautiful and wonderful dramedy, and is very much among my favourites of the year.

5. No Other Choice

Park Chan-wook has crafted another suspenseful and captivating thriller. The script is sharp and excellent, entertaining and engaging throughout; it’s a very funny film which has a lot of enjoyable absurdity, while having a lot of social commentary and satire based in truth about capitalism, unemployment and masculinity. Park’s direction is outstanding with incredibly inventive cinematography and editing. The acting is great from everyone, but Lee Byung-hun is especially remarkable in the lead role, perfectly conveying both tragedy and comedy in one of the best performances of the year. No Other Choice was a darkly comic, satirical, excellently crafted, and phenomenally directed thriller.

4. Marty Supreme

With frenetic energy and a fast pace, Marty Supreme is truly entertaining, relentless and exhilarating from beginning to end and without a single dull moment. It’s well constructed, with sharp and funny writing, and it’s also chaotic and constantly escalating, with turns and surprises throughout. The direction is phenomenal, with dynamic camerawork, kinetic editing (with the table tennis scenes being highlights), and a stellar, pulsing and electronic score from Daniel Lopatin. Finally, there are amazing performances from Gwyneth Paltrow, Odessa A’zion, Tyler Okonma, Abel Ferrera and especially Timothee Chalamet, who delivers career best work here. Marty Supreme is an energetic, thrilling, and incredibly directed character study, and was one of the highlights from 2025.

3. Sinners

Ryan Coogler’s thematic western vampire genre mash-up was one of 2025’s biggest hits for a reason; it’s fresh, original, and was powerful, engaging and enthralling from beginning to end. Coogler’s direction is phenomenal, it’s beautifully shot with truly spectacular sequences, the music felt like a character of its own and Ludwig Göransson’s score was especially amazing. It also has an amazing ensemble cast with Michael B. Jordan, Miles Caton, Jack O’Connell, Wunmi Mosaku, Jayme Lawson, Delroy Lindo and Hailee Steinfeld who all deliver wonderfully in their parts. Sinners is a fantastic, original, ambitious, stylish vampire horror thriller, and very much among the best movies of the 2020s.

2. 28 Years Later

This was actually my favourite movie of 2025 for the longest time. Largely standalone in the series, 28 Years Later is original and goes in its own unique direction, even within the zombie genre it finds ways to be creative and inventive. Along with expanding with the types of zombies and how they’ve evolved since the past two movies, it’s such an empathetic, intimate and human movie about life and death. The performances from Alfie Williams, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Jodie Comer and Ralph Fiennes are excellent and impactful. Danny Boyle hasn’t missed a beat returning to the series, with his distinct style with fantastic and creative camerawork and editing, and he delivers lots of high tension thrills. 28 Years Later was a frenetic, surprisingly empathetic and moving zombie horror and one of the biggest surprises of the year.

1. Avatar: Fire and Ash

The most divisive and polarising of the three Avatar movies just might be my favourite of the trilogy. Directly continuing on the story from The Way of Water, Fire and Ash delivers on many aspects established in its previous entry, while also being a very different kind of movie in itself. It’s an angrier and darker film with grief, vengeance and loss being constant themes, and was so emotionally charged and filled with compelling conflict. It’s the longest film of the series so far and is densely packed, but somehow manages to not be overstuffed. The cast continue to be top notch in their roles, including Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Stephen Lang and especially Oona Chaplin. It was an experience to watch on the big screen and with such gorgeous visuals, everything felt so real and immersive. The action set pieces are top notch, phenomenal and bigger and better than what came before, and are accompanied by a sweeping score from Simon Franglen. Avatar: Fire and Ash is an immersive, emotional, engaging and spectacular sci-fi epic, phenomenally directed and with outstanding visuals. I’m looking forward to seeing what James Cameron has in mind for the next Avatar movies.

What are your favourite movies of 2025?