2025 was, by far, a better year in film than 2024. Period.
The 13 (in preference order)
One Battle After Another
Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another is, quite simply, the cinematic experience of the year. Even the second time around. I first saw this film at a 10am press screening. I had to be up at 5am to make it, so I was not the happiest or most alert camper. My mood changed and I woke up in the first few minutes of this exhilarating, wholly engrossing suspense thriller-romance-crime drama-dark comedy! Anderson should finally win an Oscar—or two. Leonardo DiCaprio, who has been overlooked by AMPAS for so much brilliant work in the past (Revolutionary Road, The Departed, Django Unchained, Killers of the Flower Moon) must, at least, be nominated. One Battle is daring, deliberately provocative and quite nihilistic—three of my fave things.
Marty Supreme
When I first saw Josh Safdie’s Marty Supreme I tweeted that it was “an instant cinematic classic.” Did I get carried away? I mean, really? The story of an arrogant, totally fucked-up ping-pong champ-wannabe? And yet, I stand by that assessment because it’s truly inspiring filmmaking from the terrific script (by Safdie and Ronald Bronstein) to the period-perfect tech credits to Safdie’s ambitious, epic direction. And then there’s Timothée Chalamet’s fearless work which could finally win him his first Oscar—unless Ethan Hawke takes the sympathy prize for his over-the-top performance in Blue Moon. Oh, and Gwyneth Paltrow and Odessa A’zion rock their roles as well.
Sentimental Value
For me, during awards season, the second viewing of a film proves key to whether it stands the true test after you already know the plot and have gotten to know the characters and their respective journeys. Norwegian writer-director Joachim Trier’s psychologically complex masterwork, Sentimental Value, proved even more transcendent. With rich, nuanced, brave work by Renate Reinsve, Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas, Stellan Skarsgård and Elle Fanning, it’s my favorite International Feature in a year overflowing with great foreign work.
Hamnet
A second viewing of Chloé Zhao’s devastating yet sublime film, Hamnet, dug deeper into my gut. The first time around I was appreciating the film and then, blown away by the finale. On watch number two, I savored the mysticism inherent in the narrative and the movie’s glorious visual style. And I was able to really recognize the extraordinary performances—not just of Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal—who deserve all the awards attention they’re already receiving—but of the incomparable Emily Watson’s subtle arc and the wonderful work by Joe Alwyn, Jacobi Jupe and Noah Jupe—the latter’s performance so enhanced by his brother’s stunning turn.
Dead Man’s Wire
Gus Van Sant’s Dead Man’s Wire blew me away in Venice. Of course, that was after a week of seeing good films, but none that truly enthralled me. Watching it again, at home, I found myself captivated all over again. In my review, I called it ‘Van Sant’s best work to date’ and, even as a huge fan of Milk, I stand by that. It’s a gut-punch thriller, made all the more urgent because it’s based on factual events. Another Skarsgård, Bill, has the role of his career so far. And Dacre Montgomery, Colman Domingo, Cary Elwes and Al Pacino, provides great supporting turns.
This is the 2025 movie that few are discussing, that truly deserves to be seen. And considered.
A House of Dynamite
The day after the Dead Man’s Wire screening, I attended the premiere of Kathryn Bigelow’s A House of Dynamite—and was stunned. A second great film so soon? Yes! The director is back, with a vengeance, giving us a terrifying look at just how close we could come to nuclear war.
A House of Dynamite is the 2025 film that has been egregiously overlooked by critics and prognosticators—fickle beings who celebrated it when it played festivals but abandoned it for no good reason, except perhaps, to capitulate to naysayers claiming her work is alarmist science fiction. They said the same thing about James Bridges’ The China Syndrome back in 1979. Two weeks after its release, the accident at Three Mile Island occurred.
Alas, Bigelow has been here before. Her brilliant Zero Dark Thirty, that should have easily won the Best Picture Oscar for 2012, was sabotaged in a similar fashion.
Sirāt
Another film that gets even more dense and sensorially enriching on a second viewing is Oliver Laxe’s bold, brave, bombastic and bleak cinematic experience, Sirāt. I thought this one would be more divisive because of its sheer audacity but it managed to pick up five short list mentions. Suffice to say, you won’t walk away indifferent. Spain’s International Oscar entry deserves to be nominated. So does Laxe. It’s films like Sirāt that push cinematic boundaries—always a good thing. But he also earmarks where we are, as a people—and where we may be headed if we’re not careful.
Pillion
“What am I gonna do with you?” asks sexy-AF biker, Ray (Alexander Skarsgård). “Anything you want,” replies nerdy, nervous Colin (Harry Melling).
Harry Lighton’s debut feature, Pillion, is not for the squeamish or the homophobic. It is a startling and unpredictable peek into a specific subculture that ends up telling a relatable story about one young man’s journey towards figuring out who he is and what he wants and doesn’t want.
Skarsgård does amazing work playing the enigmatic Dom to Melling’s Sub. His Ray is funny and frightening—often at the same time. In a perfect world, he would be competing with his father, Stellan this year in the Best Supporting Actor Oscar category.
A hilarious and perceptive standout scene is what I like to refer to as the ‘Bring your Dom home for a most awkward dinner with the parents’ sequence.
Wake Up Dead Man
It’s rare that a third installment in a movie’s franchise proves to be better than the first two. There’s The Godfather Part III, of course. Okay, everyone, calm down. As much as I love that film, it was not better than its predecessors. Yet, as much as I thoroughly enjoyed both Knives Out and Glass Onion, Wake Up Dead Man is a more contemplative and insightful film, while remaining a taut and thrilling murder mystery (even if you figure out the killer’s identity early on).
The ensemble is fabulous beginning with Josh O’Connor, who does some of his best work (and that is saying a lot, considering he’s delivered great perfs in four films this year). Also standing out in a cast of stand-outs, Josh Brolin, Mila Kunis, Andrew Scott, Thomas Haden Church and, yes, Glenn Close (her hammy style works well here). Rian Johnson, keep ‘em coming!
Sinners
Ryan Coogler’s truly terrifying yet exhilaratingly entertaining thriller, Sinners, is one of the most original and fascinating films of 2025. Set in 1932, what appears to be a social drama soon becomes something much darker and daring. Michael B. Jordan, in the best role of an already impressive career, plays identical twin gangsters who decide to open a juke joint but are soon confronted with supernatural evil. Coogler’s fab cast includes wonderful work by Hailee Steinfeld, Jack O’Connell, Wunmi Mosaku, Delroy Lindo and newcomer Miles Caton (whose voice is swoon worthy). Yet, another film that gets better with repeat viewings!
The Secret Agent
Kleber Mendonça Filho’s politically-charged thriller, The Secret Agent, is Brazil’s International Feature Oscar entry. Filho cleverly uses real events to tell a wildly imaginative fictional story that examines fascism, racism, superstition, religion, political values and power as well as father/son relationships—even the warped kind (when it comes to a pair of assassins). Wagner Moura is the dashing star who may just get a deserved Best Actor nomination. This is bracing, singular filmmaking at its best.
Homebound
Yet another International Feature Oscar submission that was an incredibly rewarding filmgoing experience, while also providing harsh and urgent social commentary is Neeraj Ghaywan’s Homebound. The emotionally rich film focuses on the intense bond between two young men, played magnificently by Vishal Jethwa and Ishaan Khatter. This profound work provocatively yet honestly wonders whether it is even inherent in human beings to behave with compassion.
Bugonia
Yorgos Lanthimos and Emma Stone are quite the team–beginning with The Favourite, through Poor Things, which won Stone her most-deserved second-Oscar. And now, Stone transforms herself, once again in Bugonia, a bloody bonkers dark comedy thriller about a whacked-out conspiracy theorist (an outrageously good Jesse Plemons) who kidnaps Stone’s headstrong CEO.
A second viewing loses some of the shock value, but allows the viewer to pay closer attention to the performances which are key to accepting/understanding the character motivations as well as the (feel free to disagree) awesome ending.
Runner’s Up:
Misericordia, Kokuho, Eden, Love, Plainclothes, Wicked For Good, Black Bag, Anemone, Twinless, Familia, Dead to Rights, The Things You Kill, Avatar: Fire and Ash, Atropia, Orphan, Sorry, Baby, Presence, The Choral, Goodbye June, Peacock, Song Sung Blue, Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale, Lurker, To Kill a Wolf, Inside, The Roses, Weapons, A Useful Ghost, Truth & Treason, The Voice of Hind Rajab.
Special Mention
Merrily We Roll Along
No one seems to be able to categorize this extraordinary work and usually just call it a filmed play, but it is so much more than that.
PERFORMANCES
Outstanding Lead Actress
Jessie Buckley in Hamnet
Renate Reinsve in Sentimental Value
Emma Stone in Bugonia
Kate Hudson in Song Sung Blue
Tessa Thompson in Hedda
Runners-Up
Rose Byrne in If I Had Legs I’d Kick You
Amanda Seyfried in The Testament of Ann Lee
Diane Lane in Anniversary
Lucy Liu in Rosemead
Julia Roberts in After the Hunt
Cate Blanchett in Black Bag
Outstanding Lead Actor
Leonardo Di Caprio in One Battle After Another
Timothée Chalamet in Marty Supreme
Daniel Day Lewis in Anemone
Bill Skarsgård in Dead Man’s Wire
Wagner Maura in The Secret Agent
Runners-Up
Ryô Yoshizawa in Kokuho
Michael B. Jordan in Sinners
Tom Blyth in Plainclothes
Jesse Plemons in Bugonia
Dylan O’Brien in Twinless
Colin Farrell in Ballad of a Small Player
Outstanding Supporting Actress
Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas in Sentimental Value
Ariana Grande-Butera in Wicked For Good
Tayana Taylor in One Battle After Another
Elle Fanning in Sentimental Value
Emily Watson in Hamnet
Runners-up
Da’vine Joy Randolph in Eternity
Nina Hoss in Hedda
Gwyneth Paltrow in Marty Supreme
Wunmi Mosaku in Sinners
Odessa A’zion in Marty Supreme
Amy Madigan in Weapons
Special Mention to this amazing trio:
Ana de Armas, Sydney Sweeney & Vanessa Kirby in Eden
Outstanding Supporting Actor
Alexander Skarsgård in Pillion
Stellan Skarsgård in Sentimental Value
Jacob Elordi in Frankenstein
Sean Penn in One Battle After Another
Paul Mescal in Hamnet
Runners-up
Josh O’Connor in Wake Up Dead Man & The History of Sound
Billy Crudup in Jay Kelly
Leo Woodall in Nuremberg
Dacre Montgomery in Dead Man’s Wire
Cosmo Jarvis in Inside
Benicio del Toro in One Battle After Another
Special Mention to the Brothers Jupe
Jacobi and Noah in Hamnet
Outstanding Director
Paul Thomas Anderson for One Battle After Another
Joaquim Trier for Sentimental Value
Josh Safdie for Marty Supreme
Chloé Zhao for Hamnet
Oliver Laxe for Sirāt
Runners-up
Kathryn Bigelow for A House of Dynamite
Gus Van Sant for Dead Man’s Wire
Yorgos Lanthimos for Bugonia
Harry Lighton for Pillion
Ryan Coogler for Sinners
Alain Guiraudie for Misericordia
Lots of interesting looking international entries this year. I will be sure to watch the top 13 before the Oscars. Great list! I love that it doesn't conform to the groupthink ubiquitous among critics these days
What a beautiful piece and what a great top 13 (+ performances).
So glad to see both ladies from Hedda mentioned as well as surprising (but absolutely deserved) nod to Mr Leo Woodall in Nuremberg.
Thank you so much. Leo in that scene near the end of NUREMBERG was amazing.
Still can't thank you enough for that incredible piece on 85 / 86 of International submissions. Leo was exceptional in that Nuremberg scene. Wish that whole film had been less routine & more deserving of its sublime cast and complex subject matter.
Back to top 13, you also recalled Ms Diane Lane's performance which I'd completely forgotten. If I may, I'd like to add Ms Leonie Benesch's performance in Late Shift whom you beautifully praised in your piece but sadly didn't include here. Then again there are already too many great leading actresses and I've yet to Ms Liu in Rosemead.
I did love Benesch. It’s another super crowded lead female year. That means some great performances will not be nominated—like last year (which was a mess —not including Kidman, Jean-Baptiste and Swinton was a crime)