What with the rise of artificial intelligence and its knack for replacing editors, writers and even actors, Hollywood spiralled into a bit of a meltdown this year. Why, asked millions of worried workers, would studio execs need actual humans to fire up the content machines when they could just plug ‘popular video game but it’s a movie’ into ChatGPT and, hey presto, a blockbuster script appears. The Los Angeles Times called it “an existential threat” to the industry.
For the rest of us though, 2025 wasn’t quite so bad. From animated K-pop musicals and long-gestating zombie horror sequels to folk-rock star biopics and acclaimed indie dramas, it’s been one of the most interesting seasons at the cinema for ages. You only need scroll down the below list of fantastic films to see we’re definitely headed towards an exciting and bountiful new era, all thanks to our robot overlords. Wait a minute… did AI write this?
Alex Flood, Managing Editor (Entertainment + Partnerships)
Words by: Jordan Bassett, Paul Bradshaw, Martyn Conterio, Rhian Daly, Liberty Dunworth, Alex Flood, Damian Jones, Matt Maytum, James Mottram, Gary Ryan, Andrew Trendell, Matthew Turner, Victoria Luxford and Kyann-Sian Williams
20. ‘Frankenstein’
Director: Guillermo Del Toro
Surely there’s nothing new to bring to Mary Shelley’s much-filmed 1818 horror masterpiece? If that’s your take, prepare for a jolt to the electrodes. Mexican mega-fan Guillermo Del Toro longed to film his own adaptation for decades, having been chilled by the classic 1931 Universal Pictures reimagining as a child. His version is typically lush, in-keeping with his maximalist style, with Oscar Isaac as a histrionic Victor Frankenstein, Jacob Elordi as his (weirdly dishy) monster and Mia Goth as Lady Elizabeth Harlander, the posho who elicits complex feelings in them both. Throw in Christoph Waltz as Victor’s mysterious benefactor (Del Toro’s invention) and you’ve got a fabulously frightening beast that’s also pretty profound, given its thoughtful meditation on father-son relationships. Side note: how wild is it that we’ve had fresh new spins on Frank and his old mate Dracula (thanks to Robert Eggers’ stylish Nosferatu remake) in the past year?
Did you know? Guillermo Del Toro has a thing for circular or curved windows – see The Shape of Water and Crimson Peak. You won’t need to look hard for evidence of this predilection in Frankenstein.
Like this? Try this! Pan’s Labyrinth (2006), Nosferatu (2025). JB
19. ‘Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba – The Movie: Infinity Castle’
Director: Haruo Sotozaki
If you thought your life was falling apart, then consider poor Tanjiro Kamado – a 13-year-old Japanese peasant who comes home from selling charcoal at the marketplace to find his mum and four younger siblings brutally dismembered by terrifying demons. To top it off, Tanjiro’s one remaining family member whose brains weren’t splattered across the shoji sliding doors (fragile sister Nezuko) has been wounded and will now slowly become a flesh-eating monster.
Infinity Castle, the latest movie from the enormously popular Demon Slayer anime, picks up several years later. Tanjiro is now a powerful warrior and has tracked down ultimate antagonist Muzan Kibutsuji (progenitor of all demons) to his psychedelic, underground lair. Essentially an endless, constantly shifting maze of sky-high tower blocks, the titular ‘Infinity Castle’ plays host to a series of gripping face-offs between Muzan’s frightening henchmen and Tanjiro’s elite swordsmen crew. It plays out like an ultraviolent Studio Ghibli adventure with all the emotional resonance that entails plus lashings of delicious gore.
Did you know? Grossing $730million worldwide, Infinity Castle is by far the most successful anime film ever made.
Like this? Try this! Akira (1988), Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc (2025). AF
18. ‘Materialists’
Director: Celine Song
Anyone who’s ever been stuck in the dating abyss will find something to relate to in this clever deconstruction of dating politics. Dakota Johnson stars as a Manhattan matchmaker who pairs people based on superficial aspects such as height, weight and salary. Her cynical view of romance becomes challenged when she finds herself torn between the love of her life, a penniless actor played by Chris Evans, and a rich businessman who ticks all the right vacuous boxes (Pedro Pascal).
Online accusations of the film being ‘Broke Man Propaganda’ miss the point wildly, as the movie delves into the gritty personal reasons behind the standards we set for potential partners. Filmmaker Celine Song observes her characters without judgement, letting them make their own mistakes while still leaving room for a happy ending. Mature performances from all three leads elevate this above the crowd of love-triangle comedies, and will make you question why you swipe left or right.
Did you know? Director Celine Song drew on her own life as inspiration for the movie, having worked as a matchmaker in New York for six months.
Like this? Try this! Past Lives (2023), The Devil Wears Prada (2006). VL
17. ‘The Monkey’
Director: Osgood Perkins
It might appear Osgood Perkins hatched out of an egg with 2024’s intensely creepy Longlegs, but he’s been quietly going about his horror movie business for years. If Longlegs proved a definite breakout-into-the-mainstream moment – has Nicolas Cage been freakier and weirder on screen? – then 2025’s The Monkey established Perkins as the genre’s new superstar auteur.
A highly personal take on a short story included in Stephen King’s Skeleton Crew (1985) about a cursed stuffed toy, Perkins’ emotionally resonant splat-stick comedy is filled with batshit, absurdist, delightfully gory set-pieces. It also found time to impart a wise message: we shouldn’t live in fear, we should enjoy our time on this planet, because we never know when tragedy will strike and our number called. The end credits, playing out to Sam Cooke’s 1960 classic, ‘Twistin’ the Night Away’, is a touch of genius, driving home the film’s themes with an upbeat flourish.
Did you know? Perkins had to change King’s drum-playing monkey to a cymbal-playing monkey, as Disney Pixar (due to the Toy Story films) owned the copyright on toy monkeys playing drums.
Like this? Try this! Final Destination (2000), Drag Me To Hell (2009). MC
16. ‘Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery’
Director: Rian Johnson
Knives Out’s whodunnit threequel finds master detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) back in the thick of a seemingly impossible bloody murder yet again, this time in the leafy confines of a church community in Chimney Rock. Fiery ex-boxer turned priest Jud Duplenticy (played by Josh O’Connor) is sent to assist a controversial clergyman (Josh Brolin), whose cruel ways and hateful rhetoric are at odds with Jud’s own teachings. When an unexplained killing rocks the town, all fingers point to Jud before Benoit steps in to seek the truth.
After the hammy gloss of Glass Onion, Rian Johnson’s latest feels more on a par with the first Knives Out – Benoit back to his brilliant best alongside a stellar set of new faces. The plot is a constant guessing game packed with deeply satisfying twists and misdirection, all spun through a complex web of lies and deceit.
Did you know? Wake Up Dead Man star Jeremy Renner was actually referenced in Glass Onion for launching a fake hot sauce called Renning Hot!
Like this? Try This! Black Bag (2025), Clue (1985). DJ
15. ‘The Phoenician Scheme’
Director: Wes Anderson
“A bit too Wes Anderson” is probably the laziest criticism to ever get thrown at a filmmaker – and Wes had to put up with it yet again this year. Never mind the fact this might be his most emotional and mature film to date – a knotty, surrealist comedy about an arms dealer trying to outrun his assassins, pay his way into heaven and rebuild a relationship with his daughter – it was all just style over substance for some. But what style… It’s easy to get distracted when a film looks this good; Anderson’s usual A-list repertory company were moved like marionettes through a pristine paper-cut world of 1950s espionage, as impeccable as anything else he’s ever made. Beyond the visuals, though, lay a rich, funny, sad story that did a lot with a little; melding religion, politics, art and family in a deceptively unfussy script that reveals more with each watch.
Did you know? That’s a real Renoir hanging on the wall in the background, making this one of the most expensively dressed movie sets in history.
Like this? Try this! The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014), Asteroid City (2023). PB
14. ‘Bugonia’
Director: Yorgos Lanthimos
Emma Stone reunites with director Yorgos Lanthimos for their fourth feature together, a twist-filled thriller with a mile-wide vicious streak. She plays Michelle, a powerful CEO who is kidnapped and tortured by Teddy (Jesse Plemons) a conspiracy theorist who believes she’s an alien – he even shaves her head to prevent her from contacting her mother ship. A remake of the Korean comedy Save The Green Planet! (2003), Bugonia centres on the increasingly tense back-and-forth between Michelle and Jesse, with the audience never entirely sure just whose side we’re meant to be on. Stone and Plemons are both terrific fun to watch, the film looks gorgeous courtesy of Robbie Ryan’s colour-saturated cinematography and there’s a great score from Jerskin Fendrix. Lanthimos is on the top of his game here, as the perfectly paced picture gathers speed for a jaw-dropping final act that will surprise and delight in equal measure.
Did you know? For screenings in Los Angeles, Emma Stone came up with the idea that attendees could enter for free if they were bald, or if they agreed to have their head shaved on site.
Like this? Try this! Poor Things (2023), Save The Green Planet! (2003) MT
13. ‘Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere’
Director: Scott Cooper
If you’ve seen a modern music biopic, you’ll know how it usually goes. Dirt-poor beginnings lead to overnight superstardom, then the downfall begins at the hands of drugs, booze, the media or all three. The final 20 minutes almost always provide some kind of emotional epiphany and, even if the artist is soon to die, promise hope for the future. See Elvis, Back To Black, Bob Marley: One Love and Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance With Somebody.
Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere is not your average modern music biopic, though. Eschewing the usual cradle-to-grave narrative arc, director Scott Cooper’s ruminative, moving drama zeroes in on a tough period for its supposedly macho rockstar subject. Holed up in a cottage in rural New Jersey during the early 1980s, The Boss (Jeremy Allen White) wrestles with depression while writing and recording seminal acoustic album ‘Nebraska’. Bruce megafan Cooper captured the pain and sadness of the moment like few contemporaries have.
Did you know? Springsteen was on set most days, but was so affected by flashback scenes involving his alcoholic father that he had to duck out and compose himself.
Like this? Try this! Crazy Heart (2009), Inside Llewyn Davis (2013). AF
12. ‘F1: The Movie’
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Whether you’re a petrolhead or not, there’s no denying that Top Gun: Maverick director Joseph Kosinski’s latest daredevil thriller was one of the most stylish, adrenaline-pumping blockbusters of the year. With dazzling visuals, a star-studded cast including Brad Pitt and Javier Bardem and an unforgettable Hans Zimmer score, this was a film we were more than happy to strap ourselves in for. Yes, it played fast and loose with the real rules of Formula 1 and frequently fell foul of tired genre tropes – but still steered through with enough charm and precision to cross the finish line impressively.
Given Kosinksi’s Tom Cruise-collaborating form, it’s no surprise that the stunts were a sight to behold. But the action was paired with an unexpectedly moving plot too, helping it place in the top rankings of racing films.
Did you know? Both Brad Pitt and Damson Idris did their own driving on actual Grand Prix circuits for the film, and reached speeds of up to 180mph.
Like this? Try this! Le Mans ‘66 (2019), Senna (2010). LD
11. ‘KPop Demon Hunters’
Directors: Maggie Kang, Chris Appelhans
Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past decade, you’ll have witnessed the explosion in interest in Korean art around the world. Few, though, could have predicted that the next step in K-culture’s global takeover would turn an animated movie into a bona fide phenomenon.
Enter KPop Demon Hunters, which followed girl group HUNTR/X as they battled to maintain their position at the top of the charts – and regularly saw off a bunch of crafty demons with malign intentions towards Earth. Sounds tough, but the bubbly trio made it look easy – until rival boyband Saja Boys appeared on the scene with an ominous secret lurking in their backstory. Mixing Korean traditions with impossibly catchy bangers such as ‘Golden’ and ‘What It Sounds Like’, the adventures of Rumi, Mira and Zoey quickly captured the hearts of both kids and adults – and made KPop Demon Hunters one of the year’s most-talked-about releases.
Did you know? Although the soundtrack was naturally largely inspired by K-pop stars such as BLACKPINK and BTS, the final song in the movie (‘What It Sounds Like’) took influence from Lorde’s ‘Green Light’
Like this? Try this! Nimona (2023), Turning Red (2022). RD
10. ‘A Real Pain’
Director: Jesse Eisenberg
The Holocaust, unsurprisingly, has featured in some of cinema’s most heartbreaking moments – from the girl in the red coat in Schindler’s List to the desperate father distracting his child in Life Is Beautiful. In Jesse Eisenberg’s BAFTA-winning A Real Pain, however, there is a different, quietly-disarming approach at work. In its own unique way, the film manages to find beauty through its contradictions. There is the unlikely duo of Benji (Kieran Culkin) and David (Eisenberg) at the forefront, whose deadpan humour contrasts interestingly with the melancholic music of Chopin, and an exploration of personal trauma set against a backdrop of collective global tragedy. And yet it all barrels along in perfect rhythm. A Real Pain is devastating and charming, possessing a subtle poignancy that lingers long after the film ends.
Did you know? Jesse Eisenberg’s aunt Doris, who died at the age of 101, served as his inspiration to make the film.
Like this? Try this! The Brutalist (2025), In Bruges (2008). LD
9. ‘The Ballad of Wallis Island’
Director: James Griffiths
If you won the lottery, what would you do with the money? In this charming British dramedy, eccentric outcast Charles Heath (Tim Key, co-writer) spends his winnings on reuniting his favourite folk duo, whose musical and romantic relationship soured years earlier. Nell Mortimer (Carey Mulligan) knows what she’s in for, but jaded rocker Herb McGwyer (Tom Basden, also co-writer) is blindsided, expecting a solo gig. The claustrophobic comedy is awkward and unique (it’s the only film this year to make a Harold Shipman/curry joke), and Herb and Nell’s rekindling spark is beautifully played. But the film’s emotional anchor emerges from the slow-burn bromance between Herb and superfan Charles. Expanding their 2007 short, Basden and Key strum some minor chords to poignant effect. And the film wouldn’t work if you didn’t believe in McGwyer Mortimer as a culty folk band whose back catalogue you could dive into, which you do thanks to Basden’s terrific songs. Delightful.
Did you know? Mulligan was top of the wishlist for Nell, so Key sent a “Hail Carey” email; turns out she and husband Marcus Mumford were fans of Key and Basden’s work.
Like this? Try this! Inside Llewyn Davis, Brian And Charles. MM
8. ‘Bring Her Back’
Directors: Danny and Michael Philippou
Counterintuitive casting twists this supernatural horror into one of the year’s most disturbing films. Sally Hawkins (Paddington) taps into a previously unexplored psychotic side as a sinister foster carer in the second feature from filmmaking brothers the Philippous – AKA YouTubers RackaRacka. It’s the kind of viewing experience that has you squirming in your seat and praying for the end credits, as step-siblings Andy (Billy Barratt) and Piper (Sora Wong), who is visually impaired, are taken in by Laura (Hawkins) after the death of their father. At first it’s the subtly abusive behaviour that chills, as Laura drives a wedge between the close-knit pair. There’s something unsettling, too, about the mute, shaven-headed kid who also lives under Laura’s ‘care’, but things get steadily freakier as her occult plan materialises. The tone absolutely suffocates, and the Philippous orchestrate some killer moments (one unexpected punch devastates), but there’s also heartbreak served with the horror.
Did you know? The Philippous claim the events of Bring Her Back happen on the same street as their possession-horror Talk To Me. That’s surely got to affect house prices.
Like this? Try this! Hereditary (2018), Misery (1990). MM
7. ‘Hard Truths’
Director: Mike Leigh
Unleashing a splenetic diatribe at a dinner table, Londoner Pansy – a typhoon of a performance from Marianne Jean-Baptiste – turns her ire on the “fat baby” from across the road’s outfits. “What’s a baby got pockets for? What’s it gonna keep in its pocket? A knife?”, she rails, in one of her frequent darkly-funny rants. Nearly three decades after Mike Leigh’s Secrets & Lies made her an Oscar-nominated star, Jean-Baptiste again teamed up with the veteran British director for a return to tragicomic kitchen-sink realism that’s destined to become one of his classics. Cocooned in bitterness, fight-picking Pansy changes the molecular structure in a room, as her taciturn husband Curtley (David Webber) and aimless son Moses (Tuwaine Barrett) tiptoe around her like she’s a landmine, and her indefatigably sunny sister Chantelle (Michele Austin, exceptional in her fifth Leigh collaboration) attempts to provide emotional support. As the layers are stripped back, Hard Truths becomes a raw portrait of a woman overwhelmed by a tsunami of trauma – one that steadfastly refuses to provide easy answers.
Did you know? This was the last feature to be shot by Leigh’s longtime cinematographer Dick Pope, who passed away in October 2024 aged 77.
Like this? Try this! Secrets & Lies (1996), Naked (1993). GR
6. ‘A Complete Unknown’
Director: James Mangold
Not your standard tried and tired rags-to-riches origin story, this achingly cool and authentic biopic drops Bob Dylan in Greenwich Village as a snotty wannabe and follows him right up until he controversially went electric at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival. As a result, the snapshot is more detailed yet maintains the ultimately unknowable enigma that is Dylan.
The performances are mesmerising – from Edward Norton as mentor Pete Seeger, Elle Fanning as spurned partner Sylvie Russo (based on real-life figure Suze Rotolo) and Monica Barbaro as the powerful Joan Baez, as well as what could be Timothée Chalamet’s true crowning moment as the man himself. He plays Dylan just right: as a hero, but still quite the dickhead.
For hardcore fans and newbies alike: the story is universal, the fashion and culture on-point and the music absolutely bang on. It’s a rare modern music biopic you really do need to see.
Did you know? Timmy C learned to play like Bobby D on a humble $200 Yamaha guitar with a little help from seasoned pro Larry Saltzman, jamming on the set of Dune: Part Two where his style won over co-star Oscar Isaac.
Like this? Try this! I’m Not There (2007), Bruce Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere (2025). AT
5. ‘Weapons’
Director: Zach Cregger
The premise is simple, the execution (key word) anything but. One night in the fictional, all-American town of Maybrook, Pennsylvania, a group of young children separately rise from their bedrooms, walk downstairs, open the front doors to their family homes and disappear into the darkness. And they all do so at precisely 2:17am. It’s a chilling prospect, though this turns out to be just a taste of the horror that’s set to unfold in Barbarian director Zach Cregger’s magnum opus of the macabre. The questions come thick and fast – how come all the kids were members of the same school class – and why did one lad (Cary Christopher) not disappear? Josh Brolin and Julia Garner wow as, respectively, a heartbroken father and an implicated teacher, while Cregger’s non-linear narrative keeps the devilish reveal at bay. No spoilers, but that reveal is so fucked up and freaky it’s inspired an upcoming spin-off.
Did you know? At one point, the shoot required 170 kids on set. And they say you should never work with children and animals!
Like this? Try this! Barbarian (2022), Village Of The Damned (1960). JB
4. ‘The Brutalist’
Director: Brady Corbet
Epic is an overused word these days, but every fibre of Brady Corbet’s drama points to it being just that. The story of László Tóth – a Hungarian-Jewish Holocaust survivor who travels to the United States to re-establish his credentials as an architect – Corbet’s slow-burning Oscar-winner had that feeling of a film from another era. Shot on the old-fashioned VistaVision format, this three-and-a-half-hour odyssey had a sweep, scope and scale of a Hollywood Golden Age movie. It even came with an interval. But at its heart was a fascinating portrayal of America, one to rival The Godfather Part 2, as it looked at power, privilege and patronage. Awarded a second Academy Award of his career for his work, Adrien Brody is sublime as Tóth, while Guy Pearce, as the tycoon who enlists Tóth to build a grand folly, is thunderously enjoyable. A towering achievement, one that truly reaches for the stars.
Did you know? Corbet dedicated the film to late musical legend Scott Walker, who scored his earlier movies.
Like this? Try this! There Will Be Blood (2007), The Pianist (2002). JM
3. ‘Sinners’
Director: Ryan Coogler
Sinners drags you into a 1930s Mississippi fever dream and holds you there, spellbound, for the next two hours and 17 minutes. Twin brothers Smoke and Stack (both played by Michael B. Jordan) return home from the big city to open a juke joint, only to find the town crawling with horrors after dark. The most dangerous is Remmick (Jack O’Connell), a hypnotic, manipulative vampire whose natural charm belies his serrated teeth and sharp claws – drawing you in before you even realise you’re at his mercy. Reinforced by the comforting-yet-powerful pull of the blues, Coogler’s masterpiece blends visceral horror, fantastic spectacle and harrowing historical truths to build an absorbing world you won’t want to leave. Sinners pulses with messy, bloody, beautiful energy – a nightmare that doesn’t just linger after you’ve woken up, but sinks its teeth into your subconscious for good.
Did you know? Coogler and co. paid homage to the late Chadwick Boseman in the film – the crossed ceiling beams in the church scene subtly echo the “Wakanda Forever” gesture from Marvel movies.
Like this? Try this! Attack The Block (2011), Blacula (1972). KSW
2. ‘28 Years Later’
Set between the desolate countryside and locked-down communities of post-outbreak Britain, 28 Years Later took the pervading post-9/11 anxiety of its predecessor and reworked it for a modern audience still reeling from the pandemic. Tackling universal themes of human nature, environmental decay and the dangers of isolationism, director Danny Boyle’s long-awaited follow-up (28 Weeks Later doesn’t count) proved some things never change – and one of them is that gigantic dongs will always go viral on Twitter.
Putting aside that enormous prosthetic zombie penis for a moment (no mean feat), Boyle’s stunning horror sequel succeeded largely because it recaptured that same dreadful sense of anticipation that kept us on the edge of our cinema seats all the way back in 2002. More surprising, however, was how it added a heartbreakingly moving plot about a traumatised young boy (Spike, played by Alfie Williams) grieving for his terminally ill mum (Isla, played by Jodie Comer). Sad bits and scary bits, then.
Did you know? When Danny Boyle visited Young Fathers at their dingy studio in Edinburgh, he was horrified to learn the Scottish composers didn’t have any biscuits for him to munch on during meetings. Naturally, he brought his own next time.
Like This? Try This! Train To Busan (2016), Host (2020). AF
1. ‘One Battle After Another’
Director: Paul Thomas Anderson
There were few performances in 2025 as relatable as Leonardo DiCaprio’s in One Battle After Another. Playing pot-addled revolutionary Bob Ferguson – rudely forced out of retirement by a former enemy hellbent on revitalising a decades-old grudge – he stands clutching a payphone in comically oversized sunglasses, growing increasingly infuriated at his inability to remember a secret password that will unlock info on the whereabouts of his kidnapped daughter (Chase Infiniti). We’ve all been there – or, at least, a version of there.
One Battle After Another not only saw DiCaprio on top form, it also delivered a true masterpiece from auteur Paul Thomas Anderson. Straddling the line between absurdist comedy and political thriller, its high-stakes pursuit of activist group The French 75 was utterly gripping, full of parallels to our current political climate, and packed with unforgettable moments – like a heavily pregnant Perfidia Beverly Hills (Teyana Taylor) firing off machine gun rounds, weapon balanced effortlessly on her belly.
Did you know? The weed-growing nuns are based on a real activist group called The Sisters Of The Valley, who aim to “bridge the gap between Mother Earth and her suffering people”
Like this? Try this! Running On Empty (1988), Midnight Run (1988). RD
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