Wow, 2025 was packed with great movies! It’s almost sad to think some really good ones might get overlooked because there was just so much competition. Of course, everyone’s talking about the big names – Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another and Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein are almost guaranteed to be on all the ‘best of the year’ lists. But it wasn’t just prestige pictures! I was so happy to see James Gunn’s Superman really breathe new life into the superhero genre, and Ryan Coogler’s Sinners took horror to a whole new level – it was epic!
Beyond those standout films, 2025 offered a diverse range of compelling cinema, including a chilling new body-horror film from David Cronenberg and an unexpected gem from a renowned Japanese director. Several exciting new filmmakers also emerged with powerful dramas exploring family life and the impact of trauma. These films deserve to be remembered, even if they didn’t get the attention they deserved.
‘On Becoming a Guinea Fowl’
A24
Despite dealing with difficult themes like death and trauma, On Becoming a Guinea Fowl is surprisingly healing. The story begins when Shula, dressed as Missy Elliot at a party in Zambia, finds her uncle’s body. As the family prepares for the funeral, long-hidden secrets about abuse and her uncle’s troubled past come to light. The book unfolds as a tense family drama, showing how painful truths can’t stay buried forever.
Rungano Nyoni, the writer and director, handled the difficult subject of family conflict in a unique way in her film, On Becoming a Guinea Fowl. The main character, Shula, frequently reacts with disbelief to her family’s outdated and prejudiced habits, finding solace instead in old TV shows. While the film depicts moments of comfort, even during a funeral for a complicated man, Nyoni avoids simple answers or easy feelings. The film’s stylish and dreamlike quality makes its exploration of these uncomfortable themes both unsettling and captivating.
‘Broken Rage’
Amazon MGM Studios
As a big fan of Takeshi Kitano, I was completely captivated by Broken Rage. It’s just classic Kitano – gritty, weird, and brilliantly self-aware. He both directs and stars as a hitman, but the story unfolds in two wildly different ways. First, we get a really serious, cold portrayal of the killer, then the whole thing restarts as a hilarious comedy, complete with slapstick, people dressed as rats, and even a game of musical chairs! What’s really cool is that throughout the film, you see text messages between the filmmakers themselves, debating whether the movie is a disaster or exactly the kind of bold experiment Kitano loves. It’s a fascinating look into the making of the movie, as well as a great film in its own right.
Takeshi Kitano’s Broken Rage perfectly blends his talent for both comedy and crime. Whether it’s the playful chaos of Takeshi’s Castle or the gritty intensity of Sonatine, he continues to surprise audiences with his unique style. In this film, he masterfully mixes serious crime drama with moments of quiet reflection and over-the-top humor. The result is a truly unconventional Japanese film that showcases Kitano’s daring vision.
‘Sly Lives!’
Hulu
Questlove’s new documentary, Sly Lives, is receiving praise for its insightful look at the life and music of Sly Stone. The film combines classic concert footage with interviews from artists influenced by Stone, offering a fresh and moving portrait of his legacy. Rather than simply retelling his story, the documentary uses a poetic style to showcase the profound and lasting impact of his music.
Questlove is a remarkably talented interviewer, or he simply has an incredible knack for finding fascinating people to talk to. Almost everyone featured in the documentary speaks with genuine admiration for Sly Stone, and does so in a way that’s engaging even if you’re not a music expert. The film also expertly weaves in archival footage, showcasing plenty of Stone’s iconic music. If making documentaries was like playing an instrument, Questlove would be a virtuoso.
‘Final Destination Bloodlines’
Warner Bros. Pictures
Final Destination: Bloodlines breathed new life into the franchise with a set of characters audiences could genuinely connect with. It kept the series’ signature terrifying premonitions, but added a compelling mystery: why was a college student in the present day seeing a vision of a disaster from the 1960s? This question sends her on a journey to uncover secrets about her family’s history and a curse that has lingered for generations.
Final Destination: Bloodlines was a really entertaining installment, largely because of its over-the-top and creative death scenes involving things like garbage trucks and MRI machines. What made it stand out, though, was the compelling story and characters you actually cared about, making it more engaging to watch who would be the next victim. It’s considered one of the best sequels in the Final Destination series, and it provided a satisfying final appearance by Tony Todd as William Bludworth.
‘Friendship’
A24
Tim Robinson’s funny and awkward comedy style worked great in his movie, Friendship. He plays a husband and father who really wants to make some male friends. He seems to have found that connection with his neighbor, played by Paul Rudd, but a social mistake ruins the friendship. This causes Robinson’s character to become increasingly unhinged as his life starts falling apart.
While the show Friendship is often funny, it’s also surprisingly poignant, exploring feelings of inadequacy that make it especially compelling. We feel both amusement and sympathy for Tim, who desperately wants deeper connections but struggles to achieve them. His dramatic reactions and even his confused experiences feel relatable, and sometimes, all we can do is laugh. This show demonstrates that Robinson is capable of more than just short comedic sketches, building on the success he showed with The Chair Company.
‘Left-Handed Girl’
Netflix
In Taiwan, Shu-Fen struggles to build a life for herself and her two daughters by opening a small noodle shop. Facing financial hardship in a competitive market, the family deals with personal struggles as well. Her younger daughter, I-Jing, was led to believe by her grandparents that her left hand is cursed. Meanwhile, her older daughter, I-Ann, is juggling an affair and an unplanned pregnancy, and can’t seem to keep a job. The family’s only hope for overcoming these difficulties lies in open and honest communication.
If you enjoy the style of Sean Baker’s films, you’ll likely appreciate Left-Handed Girl, as it’s directed by his frequent producer, Shih-Ching Tsou. It shares a similar, gritty realism with films like The Florida Project and Tangerine – and it’s also shot on an iPhone – but offers a surprisingly warmer and more optimistic tone. If you loved Baker’s recent film, Anora, and are looking for another authentic and moving story, Shih-Ching Tsou delivers a relatable street drama.
‘Black Bag’
Focus Features
Steven Soderbergh’s Black Bag is a clever and stylish thriller. It stars Michael Fassbender and Cate Blanchett as a married couple who are both intelligence agents. Their relationship is strained when a potential leak within the agency is investigated during a dangerous virus case, forcing them to question who they can trust.
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As a film fan, I have to say, Black Bag really grabbed me. Beyond the fantastic camera work we’ve come to expect from Soderbergh, it’s just a really clever, fast-paced thriller. The 94 minutes flew by because the characters are so sharp – everyone’s playing a game of cat and mouse, constantly trying to outsmart each other. Plus, the chemistry between Fassbender and Blanchett is electric. Seriously, the tension is so thick you can feel it, and even the other characters seem a little flustered by it! If you’re looking for a spy movie that’s both stylish and smart, this one delivers on all fronts.
‘The Shrouds’
Sphere Films
David Cronenberg’s latest film,
David Cronenberg’s latest film, The Shrouds, still delivers his signature style – unsettling imagery, a focus on the body, and a sense of unease – but it also explores themes of death and acceptance. The detective investigating the mysterious shrouds finds himself tangled in complicated relationships, dealing with deceptive AI, and navigating a potentially baseless conspiracy. What makes the film so compelling isn’t just its intricate plot, but the unsettling idea that death isn’t always the result of a grand scheme – sometimes, people simply die, a difficult reality the detective struggles to accept as he searches for answers that may not exist.
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2025-12-30 01:20