Let's get onto the good stuff finally. I am not going to do any honorable mentions, this is it, my top 20 of 2025, and while the title of this list states that these are the "best" films of 2025, that is not really the case, these are my "favourite" films of 2025. Alright, enough talk, lets begin with my:
TOP TWENTY BEST FILMS OF 2025
What initially looked like a project that was both beneath him and the most mainstream of his career, instead director Darren Aronofsky has created a gritty and very entertaining crime drama, about a failed baseball player who unwillingly gets mixed up with gangsters and criminals after he agrees to look after his neighbour's cat. “Caught Stealing” turned out to be a massive surprise, thanks largely to it's brilliant cast, and Aronofsky's direction, who nails the 90's aesthetic where the story takes place. I am not the biggest Zoe Kravitz fan, but I thought she was outstanding in this, and I was particularly impressed by the number of unexpected twists and turns the story took, with the stakes becoming higher than expected for the characters, while at the same time the film was able to be quite amusing and endlessly entertaining. One thing that I really liked about “Caught Stealing” was the way a brutal hit to the head with a baseball bat is handled. Too often in movies, characters seem to shrug off such violence as if it is nothing, whilst here, Aronofsky shows the devastation it can actually cause. As you would expect, Matthew Libatique's cinematography is stylish and energetic, capturing the vibe of New York in the 90's, and most importantly, the cat in the film steals all of the scenes it is in.
I have already mentioned my love for director Osgood Perkins, and “Keeper” was the second of two films he released in 2025, and was ultimately my favourite of the two. After experimenting with the goofy splatter horror-comedy of “The Monkey”, “Keeper” sees Perkins return to his more trademark style: slow-paced, extremely dark, atmosphere filled, horror dramas. “Keeper” ends up turning into a folk-horror story, and whilst it does get a little silly towards the end after the big reveal, what makes it so successful is the fact that Perkins plays the story as straight as possible. There is no winking at the audience, or nods to signal the potentially silly finale, but rather he keeps the tension so tight and the fear factor so high, that even if some of the ending may look odd to the audience, we have no doubt just how terrifying it is for the characters it is happening to. “Keeper” is such a small story, as it essentially only has two characters, Liz and Malcolm, who head out to his family's secluded cabin in the woods (never a good sign in a horror film), to celebrate their love together. Whilst love is the precursor for the weekend away, we know from the outset that Liz is in trouble, but from what and who, we do not find out until the very end. What I love about Osgood Perkins and something that is rarely talked about is the way he shoots spaces, locations and architecture. He has an uncanny eye at seeing an angle that can make the normal seem incredibly creepy, and he shoots the shit out of the cabin in question. He handles the tension and atmosphere of the story fantastically well, and I thought Tatiana Maslany was outstanding as poor Liz, although I was less impressed by Rossif Sutherland who is very one note as Malcolm. I also found that on a second viewing of “Keeper” it left me more impressed of it, although I will say that if you are not a fan of Osgood Perkins' style, this will not be the film to turn you.
Robert Eggers' recent remake of “Nosferatu” hit Aussie cinemas on New Years Day 2025, and due to my absolute love of both F.W. Murnau's original 1922 silent masterpiece and Werner Herzog's stunning 1979 remake, the film was my most anticipated film of 2024 (I mistakenly claimed “Mickey 17” was my most anticipated earlier on in this look back on 2025, but that was actually my second most anticipated film). I was there on the first session of opening day, and the film did not disappoint. It is by far the darkest of the three versions of “Nosferatu”, as Eggers' film does not have a single moment of levity within it, rather it comes across as the physical embodiment of total dread. “Nosferatu” has always been Robert Eggers' dream project due to his own love of the original, but he has not been a slave to the past adaptations, and has made this 2024 version his own. It is such a dark film, in both tone and visually, as he really leans into the horror and terror of the story. Eggers' is known for his dedication towards period details in his films and he stays true to this in “Nosferatu” and is the source of the one weakness I have within the movie, which is the look of Count Orlok. Gone are the rat like features of the titular vampire as he was seen in the previous two versions, with Eggers' giving Orlok a much more human visage, and I will admit that I really missed the original look. That said, Bill Skarsgard gives a terrifying portrayal as the vampiric Count, which is really enhanced by his incredibly deep voice. The rest of the cast are exemplary, especially Lily Rose-Depp who shows a depth to her acting that I had not seen from her previous. To be honest, I initially thought that this film would feature higher up on this list, but my second viewing of “Nosferatu” wasn't as powerful as the first, and if I had to rate them all, I would say that this recent “Nosferatu” is the least of the bunch, with 1922's “Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror” being the best, just edging out “Nosferatu The Vampyre” (1979). This is not a slight on Eggers' film at all, as the other two are truly outstanding. I briefly have to mention the final shot of this new version, which is beautifully disgusting and tragic; I loved it and it was the perfect way to end the film.
Steven Soderbergh had a fantastic 2025, as he released two impressive new films (with a third already finished and screened in festivals for a 2026 release) into cinemas. The first was an experimental ghost story, told from the point-of-view of the spectre itself and was quite good, if not a little gimmicky, whilst the second, superior film was “Black Bag”, a very slick and super-cool spy film without an action scene in sight (almost). I used to be a big fan of Steven Soderbergh when he was at his peak and making films like “The Limey”, “Out of Sight”, The Ocean's films, “Traffic” etc, but in recent times, I have found him to be a little more hit and miss. “Black Bag” was like the return of the old Soderbergh and I loved every second. The film is about a pair of spies, who are also married to each other, who are on separate missions to find a traitor from within their ranks, which may be one of them. It is then about whether they are more loyal to their jobs or to their marriage, and if they would do anything for the other if they were found out to be the traitor. It sounds like a more serious version of “Mr & Mrs Smith”, but it is so much better than that. The married couple is played by Cate Blanchett and Michael Fassbender and both of them are delicious and they have such amazing chemistry together. What I liked most about “Black Bag” though (besides it being so damn cool!) is that the film plays out over a number of long conversations, rather than protracted and dumb action scenes, and yet the tension remains high throughout. The film is also thankfully very short, coming in at only 93 minutes and not a minute of it is wasted. Brilliant, entertaining cinema!
I have already talked at length about Ari Aster's “Eddington” as it was my “Biggest Surprise of 2025”, so I will not say too much about it here. After the very disappointing “Beau Is Afraid”, Aster has bounced back, big time, with this covid-set thriller about a small town sheriff and it's mayor who clash over the restrictions that need to be enforced during the pandemic. Joe, the sheriff, believes that his rights are being systematically taken away by these restrictions, whilst Mayor Ted, is of the opposite opinion and believes that for the world to return to normal, these restrictions are a necessity. What I love so much about “Eddington” is it's accurate portrayal of the pandemic and the total chaos and insanity that we were all forced to live through. Whilst I was initially worried about going back to a time that was so painful for most of us, it was pleasing to see that enough time has since past that we can look back now with a sense of humour about it all. Without going into spoilers, I was particularly taken aback by the sudden change in tone and narrative trajectory in “Eddington” after a moment that I never saw coming, but loved that Aster had the balls to go there. From this moment on, and you will definitely know the moment, the film changes completely and I know this is what makes the film so divisive, but I absolutely loved it. Quick shout out too to Emma Stone who gives an utterly bizarre but effective performance in her smaller than usual role here. Take a chance on this one guys, if you are on the fence about it; I won't guarantee that you will love it, but I can promise you will not forget it.
This is another example of what I initially perceived to be a good director slumming it and making a by-the-numbers entertainment film, only to discover it had much more depth and meaning within it's story. Similar to “Caught Stealing”, I wasn't really expecting a whole lot from “Roofman” but went to see it because I have loved director Derek Cianfrance's previous films. Cianfrance is known for making very heavy and serious dramas like “Blue Valentine” and “The Place Beyond The Pines”, so to see him making something that appeared so lightweight and fluffy was something of a shock. However after watching “Roofman”, I discovered that the marketing of the film was very poor and there was so much more meat to chew on this entertaining film than the poster and trailer indicated. Do not get me wrong, it is still much lighter than the usual fare for Cianfrance but thankfully the film turned out to be much more meaningful than the marketing suggested. “Roofman” is a true story about a guy, Jeffrey, who robbed a number of fast food restaurants by entering them through their roofs when they were closed. Whilst on the run from the police, he finds a hidden space in a toy store to hole up in and hide during the day, then having the run of the store to himself during the night. He adopts a new identity and ends up falling in love with a staff member who works at the toy store; Leigh, a single mum, struggling to make ends meet. He sees a chance for happiness again, and a life away from the crime he unwittingly found himself mixed up in whilst trying to make ends meet himself. “Roofman” is such a delightful film, beautifully made and so well cast. Channing Tatum has never been better and plays Jeffrey as a lovable loser, who has more going on in his head than you expect, particularly with him being an expert at problem solving. He makes Jeffrey so charming, that it is easy to see why Leigh falls for him, but Tatum also makes him a rounded character, not shying away from his number of faults. Kirsten Dunst is just lovely as Leigh and comes across as a really wholesome person, and a wonderful parent, who is struggling financially. Two other cast members I have to single out are LaKeith Stanfield who plays Jeffrey's friend Steve, and who steals every scene he is in, and I was absolutely rapt to see Lily Collias play Leigh's eldest daughter here, and she is terrific in the film. I fell in love with Collias last year when she played the daughter in the little indie film “Good One”, so it was fantastic to see her in a bigger Hollywood production, even if her role was smaller than the previous one. Sadly, “Roofman” left cinemas as quickly as it arrived, which is a shame because it deserves to be seen; it is funny, dramatic, and even quite sad at times, and is just filled with wonderful performances from everyone in the cast.
Director Richard Linklater is an interesting one for me, as I often find him very hit or miss, but when he is on, his films can be spectacular! He actually (also) released two films in 2025, with the French New Wave tribute “Nouvelle Vague” being the one I was most looking forward to seeing, as it is the story about the making of Jean-Luc Godard's “Breathless”. It turned out to be a very good film, and very entertaining, successfully capturing the spirit of the film that it was paying tribute to. However, as good as “Nouvelle Vague” was, I liked “Blue Moon” even more, and it was a film I hadn't really planned on seeing before it was named as part of MIFF's schedule this year. I am so glad that I took a chance on it, because it blew my mind, as I got to witness what could be Ethan Hawke's greatest performance of his career yet, as lyricist Lorenz Hart. “Blue Moon” is set on opening night of the musical “Oklahoma!” which was written by Hart's ex-writing partner Richard Rogers, who teamed up with Oscar Hammerstein for the project. The action takes place at an exclusive bar, where the after-party is being held, and essentially shows the differing points in the careers of Hart and Rogers, with Hart dying from alcoholism soon after the events of this film, whilst Rogers would continue to go onto bigger and better things working with Hammerstein. Told in a number of intricately staged extended conversations, you can see “Blue Moon” working well as a play, but the way it has been shot and performed here just screams cinema. Again, Ethan Hawke is phenomenal here giving one of the best male performances of the year, and possibly his best in his career. His Hart is such a complex character, at different times funny, pissy, sarcastic and tragic. There are moments within the film that are so sad, like when he pitches a new idea to Rogers for them to write together, who refuses to commit to the project due to Hart's unreliability caused by his drinking. The script is so fantastically complex, but the way Hawke and the rest of the cast deliver their lines, it just feels so natural and effortless. There are so many wonderful moments and scenes in “Blue Moon”, that I cannot wait to watch it again in the future.
I suspect that Kleber Mendonca Filho's “The Secret Agent” is a victim of the fact that I have only been able to see the film once, and that it actually deserves to be much higher on this list. On my first (and as of this time, only) viewing of the film, I was able to determine what a fantastic film “The Secret Agent” is, but it is such a dense film, filled with such detail about a political time in Brazil that I am not too familiar with, that I am sure a second viewing would open up about how even better it actually is. I can safely say that “The Secret Agent” holds the single greatest male performance I saw in 2025, which was by Wagner Moura who plays Marcelo, a former teacher on the run from the regime and the secret police intent on killing him, who is attempting to get a fake passport for himself and his son to escape Brazil before it is too late. He is truly phenomenal, filling his character with such truth and humanity, during a time when such things mean little to the regime. Kleber Mendonça Filho tells his story with patience, allowing it to breathe and to give himself time to create fully rounded characters and a sense of time and place. Despite the time sensitive element of Marcelo's story, Mendonça Filho doesn't cut corners with his storytelling or with any of the details within it. “The Secret Agent” is complex but thanks to the way Mendonça Filho has laid out all of the information needed to tell the story, as long as the audience is paying attention, they should never find the movie confusing or complicated. I think the thing that threw me the most was the title, and the fact that Marcelo is NOT a secret agent, but just a regular guy having to do clandestine acts, just so he can escape his country and live. The situation he is in, makes the film very tense at all times, because you know that any mistake, or trusting the wrong person could have devastating consequences to Marcelo and anyone he loves or who has helped him along the way. As serious as the story in “The Secret Agent” is, Mendonça Filho has a lot of fun within it, both in terms of cinematic style and the actual story itself. Very early on in the film, a severed leg is found inside the belly of a shark, scaring the students who were dissecting the animal in class. He then later takes a wild swing with his film and has a scene of this severed leg (which has since become an urban legend of sorts), hopping around cruising locations, kicking the shit out of these poor gay guys! It is such a funny, and unexpected scene, in a movie that is very serious, but it works. The leg is animated by, I think stop-motion, and the scene plays out like a bad horror film, but you have to give it to Mendonça Filho for being brave enough to try something so audacious as this. Cinematically, he also has fun using a lot of different camera techniques such as shooting scenes with a split-diopter lens or using split-screen to great effect. His absolute love for cinema is also shown by choosing a movie-house as the meeting place where Marcelo meets the people who will smuggle him out of the country for the first time. Even after one viewing, “The Secret Agent” is obviously such an amazing film, and I am dying to see it once again. Click here to read my original review.
Petra Volpe's “Late Shift” is a little known German language film that I was lucky to see at MIFF this year. I love films where you can feel the urgency of time and an anxiety that continues to build due to the time constraints within the story. The consequences of time make these films play out more like thrillers even though plot elements within them rarely have anything you would find in a traditional thriller. “Late Shift” plays exactly like this and I found it both an exhilarating and exhausting experience. The film is director Petra Volpe's ode to nurses worldwide, as it highlights over a single shift just how hard and stressful their job actually is, whilst also being a cry for help, as the constant shortage of nurses worldwide is only making this job that much harder for the nurses that stay in the profession. “Late Shift” is essentially plot-less, outside of the fact that we follow nurse Floria through the entirety of her shift in a hospital on a day that finds them understaffed and overworked. Floria is constantly on the go, moving from one patient to the next whilst doing her rounds, and dealing with any other problems that occur at the same time. For the entirety of her eight hour shift, Floria does not stop. It isn't helped that a colleague has called in sick and that she is looking after a student nurse at the same time, but no matter what, she needs to attend to each patient with the same level of care, compassion and professionalism so they feel seen, and not just a number. Watching the film is an exhausting experience, that you can imagine what it must be like to live it on a daily basis, and you can understand why nurses do not last long in their chosen profession. Actress Leonie Benesch is absolutely sensational as Floria, making us believe 100% that she is a competent nurse of many years and what it highlighted to me was just how much information and technique a nurse needs in her head to function in a successful manner. Things like knowing all the different pain relief and how to administer each one, remembering patient allergies, not to mention the constant washing of hands and the taking on and off of rubber gloves for each patient. I was enthralled from start to finish, and my appreciation and respect towards nurses and everything they have to go through to perform their job increased ten-fold, which I am sure was put of the reason director Petra Volpe decided to make “Late Shift”. Click here to read my original review.
“The Blue Trail” is Brazilian director Gabriel Mascaro's ode to the elderly, and the way he feels his country treats them once they reach a certain age. I found it to be a magnificent film, his best to date, and quite a moving experience. I must say that I am a huge fan of films set in dystopian futures or that have some sci-fi element attached to them, where the world is essentially the same as it is today, except for a few smaller changes. Not the grand spectacles of the future where flying cars rule the airspace where everyone wears a spacesuit, I like smaller stories where we can still recognise a resemblance to our world today, as it makes the tale so much more relatable. This is exactly what “The Blue Trail” does, and another thing that I really loved about it was its beautifully quiet ambience and peaceful atmosphere to it all. It is actually a lovely gentle film, about an old woman realising just how much she is worth and how much she still has to give, even at her advanced age. “The Blue Trail” plays something like a road movie, except on water, as Tereza (our main character) comes across a number of new and interesting characters on her journey to freedom. Her interactions with these people, as she starts to see the world in a way she never has before, and the connections she makes is what makes “The Blue Trail” such a great experience. Director Gabriel Mascaro is known for his bold use of colour and “The Blue Trail” looks stunning and has been beautifully designed although Mascaro's use of colour is more muted here, going for a more realistic look to his world. That said, he does make sure that the colour blue exists somewhere in (almost) every frame of his film. His leading lady is Denise Weinberg, who is apparently a theatre actress, but she is absolutely wonderful in the role of Tereza. Like the whole of the film she is in, Weinberg has a quiet personality onscreen despite the determined resolve she imbues her character with. She never makes big or loud gestures no matter how frustrated she gets in this very unfair situation. It is a fairly internalised performance, almost like she is quietly cataloguing her life and determining that she is not yet done and she has so much more she wants to see and do. I understand that to some people “The Blue Trail” probably sounds rather dull, but I thought it was exhilarating, and Mascaro's best film to date. It also has (arguably) one of the most visually beautiful moments I have seen in any film this year, namely the fighting fish battle. Click here to read my original review.
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