Following on from our reviews of the worst films of the year, we move on to Part 2 of our year end review of 2025. This year I’ve seen 115 new films (which may rise slightly if I manage to see ‘Marty Supreme‘ or ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash‘ before the year is out!), and within that bunch there’s been some crackers! Here’s my favourites from 20-11, with the top 10 to follow tomorrow! Let us know what you think 🙂

20. A Complete Unknown

James Mangold focuses on Bob Dylan’s early, formative years in ‘A Complete Unknown‘, tracking his rise and his controversial move from folk to electric. Timothée Chalamet is very good, capturing Dylan’s brilliance, prickliness and casual indifference to almost everyone around him, while also nailing the voice and performances. Strong support from Edward Norton and Monica Barbaro helps ground the film, as it builds to a compelling finale at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival.

Where to watch: A Complete Unknown

19. Weapons

Zach Cregger follows up ‘Barbarian‘ with a darker, more expansive horror mystery about the disappearance of an entire classroom of children. Told through a smart non-linear structure, the film lets the story unfold piece by piece, encouraging the audience to play detective as it builds toward its reveals. Julia Garner is excellent in the lead, with strong support and a genuinely chilling turn from Amy Madigan. Inventive, darkly funny, and superbly directed, it confirms Cregger as one of the most exciting horror filmmakers working today.

Where to watch: Weapons

18. September 5

A tense, absorbing drama about journalistic ethics set during the 1972 Munich Olympics hostage crisis, told from the perspective of the ABC Sports crew covering the events as they unfold. A low-key cast helps ground the film, with Peter Sarsgaard excellent alongside strong support from John Magaro, Ben Chaplin and Leonie Benesch. The film does a great job exploring the moral dilemmas of live reporting under extreme pressure, while also offering a fascinating glimpse into how television news was made in the early 1970s. Thoughtful, well-directed, and quietly gripping throughout.

Where to watch: September 5

17. Companion

A smart, hugely entertaining sci-fi thriller that takes a seemingly perfect couple on a weekend getaway and slowly pulls it apart. Best seen knowing as little as possible, the film is inventive, darkly funny and full of sharp turns, using its genre trappings to explore coercive control within relationships. Jack Quaid and Sophie Thatcher are excellent, with Thatcher continuing her rise as a modern scream queen. Clever, unsettling, and very easy to recommend.

Where to watch: Companion

16. Black Bag

Steven Soderbergh delivers a sleek, dialogue-driven spy thriller about trust, loyalty and suspicion, set within a marriage between two intelligence officers. Michael Fassbender and Cate Blanchett are excellent as spouses forced to question one another, supported by a strong ensemble and a gloriously scenery-chewing Pierce Brosnan. The plot is dense but confidently handled, with sharp twists and a perfectly judged 90-minute runtime. Smart, stylish and very entertaining, ‘Black Bag‘ is Soderbergh operating firmly at the top of his game.

Where to watch: Black Bag

15. A Real Pain

Jesse Eisenberg’s second feature as director is a funny, thoughtful comedy-drama about two Jewish cousins travelling to Poland to reconnect with their family history. Kieran Culkin is outstanding as the volatile, infuriating-yet-engaging Benji, with Eisenberg strong in a more restrained role alongside him. The film handles heavy themes of generational trauma and personal pain with nuance, never feeling exploitative. Very funny, genuinely poignant, and emotionally earned throughout.

Where to watch: A Real Pain

14. Flow (Straume)

‘Flow‘ is a beautiful, deeply moving animated film that fully deserves its Best Animated Feature Oscar win. Told without dialogue and featuring no human characters, it follows a cat and other animals navigating a flooded, post-apocalyptic world, with the animals allowed to behave like animals rather than stand-ins for people. Its distinctive Blender animation gives the film a unique look, while moments of peril, beauty and quiet spirituality are perfectly balanced.

Where to watch: Flow

13. Sinners

Ryan Coogler delivers an ambitious, hugely entertaining horror thriller about twin brothers returning to 1930s Mississippi to open a bar (or juke joint), only for things to take a very bloody turn. Michael B. Jordan is very good in dual roles, supported by a strong ensemble and a brilliant, era-infused score from Ludwig Göransson. The film takes its time setting up characters and themes before unleashing its ‘From Dusk Till Dawn‘-style chaos, even if the final act feels a little rushed. Messy in places but thrilling in execution, it’s a confident addition to Coogler’s filmography.

Where to watch: Sinners

12. The Ballad of Wallis Island

A charming, gently funny British comedy about a washed-up musician hired to reunite his old folk duo on a remote Welsh island. Tim Key is wonderful as an eccentric but deeply kind-hearted loner, while Tom Basden brings bite and melancholy to a man stuck in the past, with Carey Mulligan adding extra warmth. It balances offbeat humour with genuine sweetness without tipping into sentimentality. A quietly lovely film that sneaks up on you and wins you over.

Where to watch: The Ballad of Wallis Island

11. Young Mothers (Jeunes Meres)

The Dardenne brothers return with another quietly devastating piece of social realism, following several young women living in an assisted facility as they navigate motherhood under incredibly difficult circumstances. Told with their trademark restraint and empathy, the film explores themes of absent fathers, addiction and generational trauma without ever feeling heavy-handed. The young cast are excellent, grounding the drama in lived-in, believable performances. Subtle, compassionate and deeply affecting, ‘Young Mothers‘ another outstanding entry in the Dardennes’ filmography.

Where to watch: Young Mothers

Narrowly missing this list: It Was Just An Accident, Lurker, Roofman, Becoming Led Zeppelin, Bugonia