One of Them Days (Directed by Lawrence Lamont)

An excellent and hilarious Keke Palmer plays waitress Dreux who has had her rent money taken by her roommate’s boyfriend and needs to find a way to her debt before 6pm or be evicted. Along with her artist friend Alyssa (SZA in her debut), the two go hunting for the culprit but are confronted with a slew of barriers that get in their way. The funny sequences come thick and fast from cheating couples, loan applications, (very messy) blood donations, a pair of Nikes and more. With the possibility of an exciting new job on the horizon and attempt to prepare and arrive for the interview, the two leads make for a fantastic combo, delivering plenty of jokey dialogue and slapstick incidents but with a much-needed added warm heart during the sentimental moments. The fast-paced urgency keeps the story flying by and with a potential sequel in the works, spending more time with this crafty comedy duo sounds like a fantastic prospect.

Materialists (Directed by Celine Song)

Not being a fan of Celine Song’s previous (hugely overrated) film Past Lives, I was more than impressed by the filmmaker’s latest which once again delves into messy relationships - albeit with a lighter touch than her earlier exploration. A romantic comedy with added sobering themes, Dakota Johnson is a high-class matchmaker who has her own turbulent love life. An encounter with millionaire Pedro Pascal makes her question what she’s looking for, as she’s recently split with her ex, Chris Evans as a jobbing actor. The trio’s interactions are balanced well with tender and amusing moments sitting alongside tough themes and the more realistic risks of dating. With such a sensible first approach to the wild opposites of relationship, the outcome is a first-class film of romance and thoughtful introspection.

Blue Moon (Directed by Richard Linklater)

A one-location movie with one lead performance that dominates throughout, Ethan Hawke’s fascinating portrait of composer/lyricist Lorenz Hart delves deep into artistry, collaboration and lost opportunities during one’s lifetime. Hart is the former partner of Richard Rodgers (a splendid turn from Andrew Scott) and heads to a bar to monologue about his previous achievements with his musical collaborator, but is frustrated with Rodger’s new commercial direction and success with musical Oklahoma! Hawke’s philosophising is witty, and humorous yet tinged with melancholy, and Linklater’s direction is wisely kept simple to focus on the verbal outpouring from this troubled soul. A cathartic exploration without being too maudlin, Hawke is supported by a fun cast lead by Margaret Qualley but this is a true one-hander from the actor that may see Academy calling in the new year.

Spinal Tap II: The End Continues (Directed by Rob Reiner)

Spinal Tap II catches up with the band after a falling out 15 years previously and with nostalgia turned up to eleven, fans will love spending time again with the band and the actors' brilliant new improvisations. However, it doesn’t shy from the passing of time, not just on worn faces, but careers, past glories and their place in contemporary music. How they deal with podcasting, Zoom and staying in shape questions their significance today, but these also play out as funny sequences through visual jokes, witty word-play and hilarious one-liners that kept the joke-count pretty high. Most importantly, it's not a disappointing delayed legacy sequel like so many others. It's actually a very solid and entertaining rock n roll creation that's a fan-focused continuation of their musical odyssey. And it contains enough familiarity and heavy duty humour to satisfy many of us older (and big-bottomed) groupies.

Sinners (Directed by Ryan Coogler)

The Mississippi Delta in the 30s is the setting for a(nother) brilliant Michael B. Jordan performance, who plays dual roles as twin brothers who come back to their hometown with their criminal proceeds to start a juke joint. But what they hope to be a communal celebration takes a turn into the otherworldly as a community of blood-seeking monsters gathers to stop the party. Mixing music and monsters, it contains one of the scenes of the year where song, history and dance combine in a spinning whirlwind of brilliant costumes, choreography and camerawork. The ensemble all deliver well with their layered roles and Coogler takes a b-movie premise but sinks his teeth into artful drama and his trademark cultural commentary.

The Long Walk (Directed by Francis Lawrence)

Anything but a laborious slog, this Stephen King adaptation is actually a brisk stroll and a fascinating surprise as who would have thought a saunter through the countryside could be so tense? Here, a dystopian future sees a group of men enter a walking marathon until one last man standing takes home a prize. And the tournament slowly reveals characters’ motivations as they preamble through this wilderness with Cooper Hoffman, David Jonsson and Garrett Wareing delivering an emotional portrayal of men who find purpose in this exhausting trial. Watching the wary entrants battle their own handicaps is full of suspense as the omen of death - overseen by an army Major personified well by Marc Hamill in an against-type villainous role - comes for them whether it's via injury or simply fatigue. A pumped up, and yet surprisingly sensitive portrait, The Long Walk uses a unique concept to take a singular exploration of unbending determination.

The Last Showgirl (Directed by Gia Coppola)

Exploring how women cope with the effects of time and aging within an industry focused on youth and beauty, it’s a refreshingly straightforward tale told in a brisk 90 mins with Pamela Anderson infusing some of her own experience into the emotional drama. It’s more than pleasing to see films showcasing older female casts, with Jamie Lee Curtis’ dance twirling reminiscent of her sultry turn in True Lies, whilst themes of aging bodies and past glories successfully showcases Hollywood's obsession with youth, which hasn't changed in 100 years it seems. A direct razzle-dazzle of a film, like its central character The Last Showgirl has plenty of heart which helps it overcome the limitations around it.

F1 (Directed by Joseph Kosinski)

After the huge ($1.5 BILLION!) success of Top Gun: Maverick, Kosinski returns to join forces with another Hollywood A-lister (this time Brad Pitt) in a vroom vroom bangbuster set amongst the racing world of Formula 1. Speaking of formula, it barely breaks any blockbuster rules but what it does is breathtaking action filmed at real F1 race track locations held together by Pitt’s effortless charm and big screen charisma. The on-track footage is breathtaking and its use of real life drivers adds further realism to the proceedings. But this is Summer popcorn fare at its best. Dramatic, exciting and starring the most charming actor of a generation, its simplistic pleasures contain all the right ingredients to pull us into the cockpit thrills. It’s an original big screen smash hit fighting amongst the franchises for its slice of the blockbuster pie so go refuel your excitement glands with this tremendous Pitt stop.

One Battle After Another (Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson)

Perhaps not loved by me as most fawning critics, PT Anderson’s One Battle After Another still a clear quality drama inspired by Thomas Pynchon's novel Vineland as Leonardo Di Caprio’s older revolutionary rejoins his former lifestyle when danger comes for his daughter. Sean Penn is great as military officer Lockjaw, whose obsession fails to subside over the years as he hunts down the members of the radical movement. Mixing dark comedy and tense action thrills, from bounty hunting to footchases Anderson fills his film with a host of entertaining moments meaning a more accessible film than his previous output. The surface-level political themes feel like a broad landscape for the more heart-stopping and amusing scenes, but the script still allows for an organic exploration of contemporary American concerns. An ensemble cast featuring Chase Infiniti, Benicio del Toro, Teyana Taylor and Regina Hall all provide top-notch work in a film that delivers on its epic scope.

Bring Her Back (Directed by Danny and Michael Philippou)

An unrelentingly bleak horror that takes the strongest of dispositions to fully enjoy, but those willing to delve into its dark themes will find a raw but engaging tale of death and desperation. Sally Hawkins is the star as a woman who takes in two orphans but has sinister intentions at heart in order to get over the passing of her own daughter. Billy Barratt and Sora Wong provide equally compelling roles as the tormented brother and sister as they face motherly manipulation in their battling new situation. It’s all shade with no light, which can be a tough slog, but it is constantly mesmerising and discomforting as the best horrors should be.

Caught Stealing (Directed by Darren Aronofsky)

With Elvis, Dune and The Bikeriders under his belt, Austin Butler is quite a regular in my best of the year lists and here he gets a starring role in an exciting crime drama as a bartender dragged into a sleazy underworld. Butler’s charm simmers off the screen as a man who faces increasing pressure and nasty violence from a host of savage felons who are trying to track down their money. An unlikely genre exercise from the often high-brow and super-serious Aronofsky, the director brings all his talent for weaving dark tales into something more “friendly” without scrimping on shocking moments and viscous visuals.  Excellent support comes from big hitters Regina King, Matt Smith, Zoë Kravitz, Liev Schreiber and Vincent D'Onofrio and there’s plenty of satisfying action and drama alongside great music and a punk sensibility and even a frankly amazing end-credit sequence that’s well worth sticking around for.

Presence (directed by Steven Soderbergh)

Soderbergh is very much known for his genre-hopping, experimental and frankly quite uneven career but you know you’ll always get something interesting from the prolific director. And here he takes the well-worn concept of a family moving into a haunted house and twists the conceit so we see events unfolding from a ghost’s point-of-view. A whole host of voyeuristic scenes play out and its straightforward family drama is given new context as seen through the spectre’s eyes. Genuine anxiety abounds and it’s the viewing opposite of Paranormal Activity where we try to spot a presence in scenes. Here the tension and unease stems from being “spotted” ourselves as the viewer. A swift 85 minutes is the perfect length so its unique persepctive doesn’t outstay its welcome (somewhat ironically in fact). And although some may accuse it of being one giant gimmick, Soderbergh handles the whole thing so well with clever direction and shot composition, inventive “floating” camerawork and plenty of scary sounds (and silence), that I was creeped out from the very first frame.

The Ugly Stepsister (Directed by Emilie Blichfeld)

A live action remake of the classic fairy tale Cinderella from the perspective of the villain? What sounds like another yawn-fest Disney “reimagining” turns out to be one of the top horrors of the year. Despite all the iconography being present - a charming prince, a sumptuous ball, a lost shoe - Maleficent and Cruella this is not. Corpses, painful cosmetic surgery and tapeworms (don’t ask) are just a few of the moments that will induce revulsion. But for all the gore and grossness, there’s a very thoughtful and sad period drama underneath. One which explores themes of external beauty, societal hierarchies and the extreme lengths people go to to achieve a semblance of “conventional beauty”. Lea Myren as the lead is a star of the future as she holds together what could be a silly and fanciful diversion, but provides a real empathy to a movie that is not just entertaining, but holds a magic mirror up to a grim fairy tale full of narcissism and nastiness.

The Brutalist (Directed by Brady Corbet)

An impressive Adrien Brody lays the foundations of an epic journey as a Jewish-Hungarian architect and Holocaust survivor who emigrates to the USA as he struggles to get his life together. The building blocks of the film see Brody’s character labour on charity housing before a wealthy industrialist tasks the experienced architect with creating a huge new Institute. Battling drug addiction, construction problems and personal and private attacks by Guy Pearce’s vile money-provider, his tenacious obsession is aided by Felicity Jones who provides brilliant support as Brody’s sympathetic but opinionated wife. It’s an “utter unit” of a film - all 215 minutes. And it’s as narratively, thematically and structurally brutal as the film’s title. The Brutalist builds its story piece by piece and strikingly explores everything from the smallest details of architecture to huge issues of the meaning of life, immigration anxiety and the power of legacy.

Frankenstein (Directed by Guillermo Del Toro)

Wonderful gothic horror from the master of gothic horror, Guillermo Del Toro throws all his best attributes at the screen - great casts, inventive production design and visually stunning cinematography - in his pet-project adaptation of Shelley’s classic novel. An always-watchable Oscar Isaac as the doctor is supported by excellent turns from Christoph Waltz, Mia Goth and Charles Dance but it’s Jacob Elordi as the Creature who provides a smorgasbord of scares and terror, but with additional compassion and sensitivity as we see the tale told from multiple perspectives. A satisfying companion piece to this year’s Nosferatu, each film takes extremely different slants with their source material with Eggers’ methodical darkness contrasting with Del Toro’s romanticised extravaganza. But more blockbuster than head scratcher, Del Toro’s Frankenstein is full of entertaining set pieces, from monster fights, explosive firestorms and nauseating yet fascinating body horror. (Oh, and it’s fine to call the monster Frankenstein as he’s the son of the Doctor - don’t you have the same surname as your father?)

Alien on Stage (Directed by Danielle Kummer & Lucy Harvey)

“In Dorset no one can hear you scream”. An hilarious and heartfelt documentary that finally got a full release this year, this documentary follows a group of amateur cast and crew mostly made up of bus drivers from the South West of England who put on their own homemade production of Ridley Scott’s seminal 1979 sci-fi classic. Replacing their annual pantomime(!), the writing, rehearsal and special effects process is covered, as passionate amateurs give their all every step of the way. With both a love for the film, and sometimes utter bewilderment with regards to the task they’ve set themselves, they eventually pull together their show despite the obvious struggles and budget limitations. With a West End finale looming, you’ll be rooting for a successful opening night and I knew the film was working as I cheered when a homemade facehugger was launched at an actor's face. I’ve rarely seen such an uplifting portrait of the creative process (Plus I’d argue it’s far better than a few entries from the real franchise).

28 Years Later (Directed by Danny Boyle)

Danny Boyle returns to his zombie roots with a legacy sequel that has a bigger budget but still plenty of anarchic, experimental and frankly chaotic themes and violence that directors half his age would be proud of. Reuniting with original writer (and now very successful director himself) Alex Garland, the talented duo provide a thought-provoking survival flick that doesn’t skimp of the gore either. And this is all grounded by terrific turns from Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Jodie Cromer, Ralph Fiennes and especially newcomer Alfie Williams. Tackling life, illness, compassion, warfare, conflict, Covid, politics and much more, it’s stuffed with motifs and ideas that thankfully never overshadow the panic-inducing entertainment and exciting frights.

Nosferatu (Directed by Robert Eggers)

Eggers’ edgy take on the Dracula story sucks both the imagery and mythos from all versions of the vampire lord and transforms them into a gothic exploration of sexual mania. With his eclectic cinematic eye, Eggers’ dream-like scenes are drained of colour with the desaturated visuals harking back to the 30s original, whilst a steady Kubrick-style use of camera positioning and Barry Lyndon-esque smoky, candle-lit rooms, gives it a deliberately theatrical quality. And it contains one of the best scores of the year as well, one filled with torturous strings that provide an eerie backdrop for its themes of obsession and romance. The archaic dialogue works well with the symbolic imagery too, and with great sets, lighting and big showy performances, it’s hugely atmospheric and unsettling. In the end, for a story seen so many times on screen, in the skillful shadowy hands of historical connoisseur Eggers, it’s one of the greatest takes on the legend.

A Real Pain (Directed by Jesse Eisenberg)

Don’t be fooled by the film’s refreshingly direct and rather straightforward structure as A Real Pain hides a multitude of complex personal and historical components within its story of two dissimilar cousins who head to Poland to honour a loved one. Writer-director Jesse Eisenberg plays Benji, who becomes increasingly aggravated by loudmouth Kieran Culkin (in an Oscar-winning turn) whose headstrong vivaciousness antagonises his straight-laced and conforming cousin. Their family conflict creates entertaining, but also thought-provoking, drama as both actors brilliantly portray their differing outlooks on life during their increasingly heated quarrels. The issues are given further depth when they and fellow travellers take tours of concentration camps and other emotional WW2 locations. Yet at its centre, this fantastically well-mannered film balances both large and small issues alongside how the past, present and future of our lives are intrinsically linked together.

The Ballad of Wallis Island (Directed by James Griffiths)

Tim Key and Tom Basden play a folk music superfan and the artist he wishes to hire for a final gig respectively, in a quaint but powerful film about love, life and loss. Key is phenomenal as the quirky oddball, instilling his witty dialogue with comedic pathos as well as a heartfelt but sometimes awkward affection. And Basden brilliantly explores the dilemmas of the cynical singer-songwriter who is exasperated by his host who has paid him a lot of money to perform a one-off private gig. He's also conflicted over his musical direction with his ex bandmate played by an always wonderful Carey Mulligan, which further adds to the dysfunctional dynamic on an isolated island. A stunningly simple portrait of lost souls, the film delivers brilliant drama, a plethora of laughs and a truly poignant and teary-eyed conclusion.

Michael Sales

Check my full ranked list of the year 2025 over at Letterboxd here.