Best and Worst 2025

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So let’s start with the best…….

 

I swear

We were fortunate to see an early preview of this film and weren’t sure what to expect. The opening scene, where the Queen awards medals and the main character unexpectedly blurts out swear words due to Tourette’s Syndrome, immediately won us over. The film is based on the true story of John Davidson, who brought awareness to Tourette’s Syndrome, a condition that wasn’t well-known at the time. It’s a film that’s both deeply moving and often very funny – a standout scene involves John and another person with Tourette’s trying to chat in a car, which quickly descends into a hilarious exchange of outbursts. Robert Aramayo gives a wonderfully sensitive performance as Davidson, and he’s brilliantly supported by Peter Mullan and Maxine Peake, making this a strong contender for the best British film of the year.

Memoir of a snail

Animation has consistently proven its power to evoke strong emotions, just like live-action performances, and “Memoir of a Snail” is a perfect example. Nominated for an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, this latest film from writer-director Adam Elliot is a deeply moving and often sad story, but it’s also balanced with moments of humor. The film follows a woman separated from her brother after their father’s death, as they each navigate life with different foster families. Beautifully made with stop-motion animation, it’s a wonderful film that’s worth seeking out if you haven’t seen it.

 

One battle after another

I’m a huge Paul Thomas Anderson fan, and his new film doesn’t disappoint! He’s made some incredible movies like Boogie Nights and There Will Be Blood, and this one, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, is right up there with them. It’s a sprawling, epic story about a former revolutionary who comes out of hiding after sixteen years to save his daughter. Honestly, PTA has been nominated for Oscars several times, and it’s about time the Academy finally recognizes his genius – I really think this is his year to win!

 

Sisu : Road to revenge

Each year brings plenty of action movies, and ‘Sisu: Road to Revenge’ is a follow-up to the 2022 hit ‘Sisu.’ It’s just as wild and over-the-top as the first one. The film features Aatami, a nearly unstoppable Finnish WWII veteran, who’s trying to move his cabin away from the Russian border. But Russian soldiers – with tanks, motorcycles, and even aircraft – have other plans, leading to a massively chaotic and incredibly bloody action spectacle. If you’re an action movie fan, this is a film you won’t want to miss.

 

Weapons

2025 was a strong year for horror, making the success of ‘Weapons’ even more impressive. Director Zach Creeger, known for his work on ‘Barbarian’ – which also featured a clever, multi-part structure – uses a similar approach here. The film centers around the mysterious overnight disappearance of a classroom full of children. The intriguing trailer sparked a lot of anticipation, and audiences weren’t let down. ‘Weapons’ slowly reveals its complex layers with a powerful impact. Its smart structure helped it become a major box office hit, earning $269 million from a relatively small budget, and many considered it the best film of the summer.

 

As much as I love celebrating the year’s triumphs, let’s be real – not every movie is a masterpiece. So, to balance things out, I’m kicking off a look at what I consider the most disappointing films of 2025, starting with…

 

Mickey 17

Oscar winner Bong Joon Ho (Parasite) had a lot to live up to with his new film, starring Robert Pattinson as a disposable clone – one of sixteen ‘Mickeys’ – sent to investigate an icy planet. While the film boasted an ambitious concept and impressive visual effects, it was initially considered a potential Oscar winner. However, its release was delayed to a less favorable time in early winter, which sparked concerns. After viewing the film, those concerns were justified. It proved to be overly long, confusing, and quickly became tedious and unengaging.

Smurfs

While a previous big-screen Smurf movie was very successful, the 2025 film, featuring Rihanna as the voice of Smurfette, didn’t fare as well. It quickly became apparent the movie was more about promoting Rihanna’s older music than telling a compelling story. The box office numbers prove this – it earned just $124 million, a significant drop from the previous films which made $563 million, $347 million, and $197 million respectively.

 

The woman in the yard

Despite a strong year for horror in 2025, Blumhouse’s The Woman in the Yard was a disappointment. Directed by Jaume Collet-Serra, who is better known for action movies, the film featured a mysterious woman in black warning a family on a remote farm. Unfortunately, it failed to scare or captivate audiences and only earned $23 million at the box office.

 

Emmanuelle

Some of us remember the original 1974 film, a soft-porn hit starring Sylvia Kristel that was very successful and led to numerous increasingly sensational sequels. This new version, released 50 years later, attempted to recapture that same sensual appeal, but fell flat. In today’s world, where almost any desire can be instantly fulfilled online – or so we hear – a reboot of Emmanuelle felt unnecessary. It earned just $712,413 worldwide, suggesting audiences were likely getting their entertainment elsewhere, like on OnlyFans.

 

Him

The film’s trailer suggested a critical look at the intense pressure to succeed in sports, and the harm it can cause athletes. However, the actual movie was a messy, violent, and ultimately confusing experience. It felt needlessly long and lacked a clear narrative, with strange religious imagery thrown in. Though produced by Jordan Peele’s company, which apparently passed on another project called ‘Weapons’ to make this one, the film failed to deliver. While visually stylish, the story crumbled under its own ambition, resembling a music video more than a cohesive film. At nearly two hours long, it felt far too drawn out and is likely one of the year’s worst releases.

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2025-12-24 03:24