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Joachim Trier, known for “The Worst Person in the World,” delivers a family drama that delves into the depths of generational trauma, depression, and the transformative power of art—all interwoven following the passing of a family’s matriarch. Stage actress Nora (Renate Reinsve) and her sister Agnes (Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas) grapple with the fate of their cherished Norwegian family home after their mother’s death. The unexpected return of their estranged father, celebrated director Gustav Borg (Stellan Skarsgård), stirs up unforeseen tensions.
Borg arrives with a fresh screenplay that mirrors the intricacies of his own family’s experiences, proposing that Nora take a leading role as a mysterious representation of the women in his life. Nora, however, declines, fearing that her fragile bond with her father might complicate matters.
(Stellan Skarsgård and Renate Reinsve in Joachim Trier’s “Sentimental Value” (Christian Belgaux/Neon)
Familial patterns and grievances surface and we watch a family trying to find a way to “be” again, while Nora herself, struggles with whether or not she wants to continue living at all.
Trier directs the proceedings from an intimate remove. It often feels like you could be spying on a plausibly real family — maybe even your own. “Sentimental Value” works as well as it does thanks to its subtle yet inventive screenplay (written by Trier and Eskil Vogt) and Trier’s direction, which creates moments of tension through continual mirroring of previous scenes. A sequence near the end of the film, in which a character walks through a house , contains as much stress and mystery as this year’s best horror films. Then there’s the marvelous Reinsve, who’s been churning out fearless and real performances for several years. In Nora, Reinsve manages to sail the film’s ever-changing emotional tides without miscalibrating a single note.
“Sentimental Value” is currently in select theaters nationwide. It’s also available to rent or purchase across most streaming platforms.
“Friendship,” directed by Andrew DeYoung
TV writer/director Andrew DeYoung‘s (“Pen15,” “Our Flag Means Death”) directorial feature debut is a familiar story: An uncool protagonist befriends a much cooler and confident person they become infatuated with. “Friendship” isn’t even the only great film this year with this premise (shoutout to Alex Russell’s wonderfully twisted “Lurker”), but where it becomes something bold is the existence and ultimate fate of protagonist Craig, played with brilliant and brave verve by Tim Robinson (“The Chair Company”).
After Craig is embraced by new neighbor Austin (Paul Rudd), the colors of Craig’s beige life become more vibrant. The hobby-less, interest-less, friend-less and respect-less marketing exec falls in love with Austin’s passion for life but soon, a few too many social gaffes in front of Austin’s pack of suburban dad friends finds him expelled from Austin’s world overnight.
Craig’s increasing desperation to gain back Austin’s favor send his life into a tailspin, driving the film toward an inevitable comically tragic end. DeYoung’s direction has personality and an off-kilter point of view that complements its smart and genuinely funny script (written by DeYoung). Ultimately, “Friendship”‘s biggest achievement is in what the film dares to say: In real life, some people aren’t
“Friendship” is currently streaming on HBO Max. It’s also available to rent or purchase across most streaming platforms.
“Sirāt,” directed by Óliver Laxe
From my own Letterboxd: “A hopeless, aimless, endless nightmare that continues finding ways to spin ever more out of control. I loved it.” French-born Spanish director Óliver Laxe‘s vibrant drama is punishing, for sure, but that’s the whole point.
“Sirāt” follows father Luis (Sergi López), who, along with his young son Esteban, is trekking through the Moroccan desert in search of his missing daughter, believed to be out of contact at one of the area’s many EDM music festivals. Luis’ latest search is a bust, but he learns from a group of ravers of another rave happening down south. Despite warnings that the desert journey will be tough, father and son join the caravan and set out.
All the while, war is breaking out in the region, with the fictitious conflict between multiple countries slowly seeping into the group’s initially optimistic adventure. But things take a turn for the worse about 45 minutes in, and “Sirāt” becomes a very different movie. Reader, my jaw dropped
Following this shocking moment, the group pushes onward out of the desert — but will they survive the onslaught of misfortunes they encounter?
(L-R) Bruno Núñez Arjona and Sergi López in Óliver Laxe’s “Sirāt” (NEON) Laxe’s film has been one of the more polarizing of the year, with many finding the two-hour drama unsatisfying, pointless, and unnecessarily cruel. What’s funny is that as someone who loved this film, I actually agree on the last two critiques — I’d argue “Sirāt” is harrowing and merciless because its themes of war, familial separation, and loss are harrowing and merciless. Real-life suffering doesn’t end when we want it to, and the road toward peace can feel endless.
“Sirāt” is currently only showing in select U.S. theaters. The film is not currently streaming in the U.S., though streaming and/or rental/purchase availability will likely happen soon.
“Weapons,” directed by Zach Cregger
Zach Cregger‘s follow-up to 2022’s terrific “Barbarian,” is a novelistic puzzle box of a horror movie that captivates by slowly and methodically revealing more of itself. It’s also one of the most fun movies of the year.
“Weapons” follows the aftermath of a bizarre incident in a small town: Save for one, every student of elementary teacher Justine Gandy’s (Julia Garner) class walks out of their homes in the middle of the night and go missing.
Amy Madigan as Aunt Gladys in Zach Cregger’s “Weapons” (Warner Bros. Pictures)
As parents demand answers, the movie shows us the same handful of days from various characters’ POV, and “Weapons” operates like a horrified “Rashomon” or, as many have noted, Paul Thomas Anderson’s “Magnolia.”
Cregger’s screenplay does a great job of never losing the viewer, both in a plot-driven sense and from a tonal perspective. While “Weapons” wades into some dark waters, viewers are never overwhelmed by unpleasantness. Creggers, like fellow contemporary horror star Jordan Peele, understands the symbiosis of horror and comedy — and most importantly, knows how to calibrate each element without sacrificing effectiveness of the other.
Finally, I’d be remiss not to mention one of this year’s most memorable performances in Amy Madigan‘s instantly iconic Aunt Gladys. Madigan plays the intriguing and bizarre elder-in-a-bright-orange-wig with so much charm and unsettling power and her presence helps make “Weapons” into something really special.
“Weapons” is now streaming on HBO Max. It’s also available to rent or purchase across most major streaming platforms.
“Eddington,” directed by Ari Aster
Perhaps no film on this list will be remembered for capturing such a specific time in history as master of discomfort Ari Aster‘s neo-Western political thriller, “Eddington.” Set in a fictional New Mexico town amid the earliest days of the COVID-19 pandemic, as political divides deepened, trust in media fractured, and social unrest burst into flames.
While Aster’s previous film, 2023’s “Beau is Afraid,” ensnared its viewers into one man’s anxiety, “Eddington” drowns the viewer in one man’s increasing paranoia. The film follows various residents of Eddington, who are all trying to make sense of a new reality, and who may or may not be being controlled by nefarious outside forces.
Among these are mayor Ted Garcia (Pedro Pascal), who must defend his COVID-19 lockdown orders against local naysayers, namely local sheriff Joe Cross (Joaquin Phoenix). Dissatisfied with Garcia’s liberal leadership, Cross decides to run against him in the upcoming mayoral election. But as ideologies clash in increasingly violent ways, the film follows Cross’ paranoid descent into a cultural war that may or may not be happening.
“Eddington” might be a hard sell for some people, as it explores recent times many of us would rather not revisit. But putting that aside, viewers will find a sharp and funny portrait of America in 2020, when it felt like all of us were fighting one battle after another. Aster’s brilliant screenplay uses 2020 as a backdrop (and story device) in ways I haven’t seen any other films set in the same time period do — and most importantly, “Eddington” does this near-perfectly.
“Eddington” is one of the most memorable — and truthfully most relevant — films to be released this year. It’s a stunner.
Joaquin Phoenix and Pedro Pascal in Ari Aster’s “Eddington” (A24 Films) “Eddington” is now streaming on HBO Max. It’s also available to rent or purchase across most major streaming platforms.
“No Other Choice,” directed by Park Chan-wook
How tough can a job market be? In South Korean auteur Park Chan-wook‘s follow-up to 2022’s dreamy “Decision to Leave,” getting a job can be murder.
“No Other Choice” finds Man-su (Lee Byung-hun), a successful paper industry expert who’s recently been let go after a company restructuring. Devastated but determined, Man-su sets out to have another job within three months. But as the veteran worker soon finds out, there are younger, more impressive competitors he hadn’t counted on racing ahead of him.
As Man-su’s family downgrades their lives, Man-su becomes increasingly desperate to save his family from irreversible economic collapse. What follows is a masterful black comedy exploring the lengths people will go to to keep the lives they have.
Lee Byung-hun in Park Chan-wook’s “No Other Choice” (Neon)
In addition to Park’s (obviously) crisp and bold direction, “No Other Choice” succeeds with the strengths of its performances, including Lee, who wears every emotion across his face and physicality.
Korean actress Son Ye-jin, meanwhile, ups the film’s emotional stakes with a subtle performance of a wife and mother attempting bravery and positivity while things crumble around her.
“No Other Choice” is one of the year’s funniest scripts, and while it’s not my favorite of Park’s films, it’s an expertly made film from one of contemporary cinema’s most exciting directors.
“No Other Choice” is currently showing in select U.S. theaters but will be available to rent or purchase across most streaming platforms soon.
“The Secret Agent,” directed by Kleber Mendonça Filho
“The Secret Agent,” Brazil’s official film entry for the upcoming 98th Academy Awards, is a historical political thriller with a beating heart. Director Kleber Mendonça Filho (who also wrote the film’s detailed and original screenplay) paints a portrait of common people resisting oppression through community.
The film follows political refugee and former professor Armando (Wagner Moura), who arrives in Recife in 1977 amid Brazil’s long military dictatorship. Here, he hopes to start a new life under a new name and reunite with his young son, Fernando, who’s lived with his grandparents since his mother’s death. Armando, under the name Marcelo, is taken in by an older woman who shelters other political refugees and begins working at the area social register archive where he’s searching for certain information in secret.
But Armando’s life in Recife is immediately tenuous.
In addition to a crooked chief of police, there’s also a hitman in town searching for Armando for reasons we learn later. As these forces zero in on Armando, the film becomes a race against capture.
Wagner Moura in Kleber Mendonça Filho’s “The Secret Agent” (Neon) On the technical side of things, “The Secret Agent” is one of the best-looking films of 2025, for sure. Mendonça and cinematographer Evgenia Alexandrova bring Recife to life in a vibrant but tactile aesthetic vision, which has just enough film grain to feel both real and like we’re in the actual 1970s. Production-wise, the world of the film feels expansive and populated by real people. It’s impressive filmmaking, delivering some of my favorite images on film this year.
Despite all of the danger lurking in “The Secret Agent,” this thrilling piece of noir is ultimately oddly heartwarming. Political turmoil is something people all over the world have experienced and Mendonça’s film puts on charming display all the ways individuals and communities resist tyranny together.
“The Secret Agent” is currently only in select U.S. theaters.
“One Battle After Another,” directed by Paul Thomas Anderson
Few films this year took viewers on a ride — quite literally — like Paul Thomas Anderson‘s “One Battle After Another,” a comedy thriller that reminded us all why Leonardo DiCaprio is one of our best living movie stars.
Like multiple other PTA films, “OBAA” is inspired by a Thomas Pynchon novel, and follows “Ghetto” Pat Calhoun (DiCaprio), a retired far-left revolutionary who’s just trying to be a good dad and enjoy some cannabis. But after Colonel Steven J. Lockjaw (Sean Penn), who previously pursued Calhoun’s group orders Calhoun (and his daughter’s) capture, Calhoun’s carefully constructed secret identity life comes crashing down. This sends Calhoun on a cross-region adventure to rescue his daughter and escape the area.
Leonardo DiCaprio in Paul Thomas Anderson’s “One Battle After Another.” (Courtesy of Warner Bros.)
PTA, who also wrote the screenplay, doesn’t shirk tension and danger for comedy but the film is absolutely one of the funniest of the year. The film gives DiCaprio, who’s still at his peak (IMO), plenty of space to play emotions and dynamics we’ve yet to see the Academy Award winner do yet. Though DiCaprio is the undisputed VIP of the film, “OBAA” is populated by a lively cast of supporting characters, including Perfidia Beverly Hills (Teyana Taylor), Calhoun’s former girlfriend and mother of his child, who leaves the family to continue fighting for the cause. Taylor’s performance is complex and commanding and she fills Perfidia with so much rebellious emotion that you feel the character’s absence when she’s gone.
Next is martial arts instructor Sergio St. Carlos (Benecio del Toro), who leads a local operation assisting/housing undocumented immigrants. Del Toro’s performance is a delight, as is his character, and as with “The Secret Agent,” it’s refreshing to see oppressed communities coming together to support each other in the face of outside threats. Finally, there’s Col. Lockjaw, a pathetic man with power, whom Penn plays with unashamed confidence — giving “OBAA” a truly memorable villain that you just can’t wait to see go down.
“OBAA” is PTA’s first film since 2021’s lovely “Licorice Pizza,” a hangout movie more in the vein of what we expect from the American auteur. But this exhilarating action film finds Anderson more in his “No Country for Old Men” mode, though we’ve never exactly seen this kind of action in one of his movies. A zippy and fun script, devastating and/or charming performances, and PTA’s thrilling direction make “One Battle After Another” among the director’s very best.
P.S. Though many other films (including at least one on this list) contain a car chase, the “One Battle After Another” car chase is absolutely the best one you’ll see this year.
“One Battle After Another” is still in some U.S. theaters and can be streamed on HBO Max. It’s also available to rent or purchase across most major streaming platforms.
“28 Years Later,” directed by Danny Boyle
The third film in the “28 Days Later” post-apocalyptic British franchise reunites the series with its original visionary, director Danny Boyle. Set (spoiler) 28 years after the events of the first film, where a lab-escaped “Rage virus” causes the fall of global society, this coming-of-age horror-thriller finds some who survived living in self-contained communities.
This includes Jamie (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), who’s hard at work trying to “make a man” out of 12 year-old son Spike (Alfie Williams) by showing him how to manage the dangers of the world. But Jamie’s efforts aren’t landing the way he’d hoped. Spike’s first kill of an “infected” — a rite of passage in this British Isle community — leaves him upset and also causes him to view his dad in a different light.
Though Jamie’s wife Isla (Jodie Comer) suffers daily from some sort of debilitating illness, Spike’s pleas for Jamie to take his mother to the mainland for help are refuted, with Jamie arguing it’s too dangerous. Having lost faith in his father, Spike escapes the community walls with his mother and, as expected, things don’t go exactly according to plan.
The “28 Years Later” screenplay, written by visionary director/writer Alex Garland (“Annihilation,” “Warfare”), tackles themes of survival, family, and more interestingly (and unexpectedly) masculinity. Though Taylor-Johnson begins as the film’s protagonist, the film really belongs to Williams’ Spike, whose journey through a spectrum of masculine figures and influences drives the film’s action. It’s an ambitious and admirable take for a film — and timely, too, as “the manosphere”‘s influence on young men across the world continues developing.
Alfie Williams and Aaron Taylor-Johnson in Danny Boyle’s “28 Years Later” (Sony Pictures) The film comes to a close in a turn that is as (intentionally) silly as it is unsettling, leaving plenty of anticipation for the forthcoming sequel, “28 Years Later: The Bone Temple.”
Boyle’s film features some truly spectacular and memorable images, one nighttime chase across a moonlit causeway in particular. It’s a beautiful moment of filmmaking, thanks to Boyle’s direction and the cinematography of Anthony Dod Mantle. On the acting side, “28 Years” features Taylor-Johnson’s best performance to date, as Jamie’s realization of his failure to be the father figure his son needed sets in. An extra-special commendation should also go to Williams, who was 13 years-old at the time of filming. The young actor more than holds his own against pros like Taylor-Johnson and Comer, not to mention the legendary Ralph Fiennes.
“28 Years Later” is more than what its posters and marketing might suggest. Thematically, it’s one of my favorite films of 2025.
“28 Years Later” is available to stream on Netflix and can be rented or purchased across most major streaming platforms.
“Marty Supreme,” directed by Josh Safdie
Director Josh Safdie‘s charming sports drama may look like an inspirational story of an athlete who believed he could — and that’s certainly how its protagonist, rising table tennis star Marty Mauser (Timothée Chalamet) expected his story to go.
But Safdie’s (“Uncut Gems”) comedic drama isn’t about glory, it’s about the quest for it. Set in New York City in the early 1950s, we’re introduced to Marty, a dissatisfied and broke shoe store employee who’s betting what little he has on an upcoming spot at the British Open. So sure of his victory is Marty, that he convinces a rich friend’s dad to invest in special “Marty Supreme” orange ping pong balls. Unfortunately, a humiliating loss by a last-minute Japanese competitor crushes Marty and he returns to New York, not with his tail between his legs, but with a score to settle and a reputation he believes needs defending.
Everything hinges on an upcoming competition in Tokyo, but he’s got to get the money to get there first. Along the way, we meet the various people Marty discards in his pursuit of greatness: his mother who wants to see him more (Fran Drescher) and a married neighbor who’s in love with and also pregnant by (Odessa A’zion). Marty also inserts himself into the lives of retired actress Kay Stone (Gwyneth Paltrow) and her husband, influential businessman Milton Rockwell (“Shark Tank’s Kevin O’Leary in his debut role). But Marty’s goal of getting to Tokyo and beating his former competitor is all that matters — no matter what he has to do or who he has to hurt.
Timothée Chalamet in Josh Safdie’s “Marty Supreme” (A24)
Safdie’s screenplay, co-written by Ronald Bronstein (“Uncut Gems”), is constantly surprising and endlessly quippy. The film’s plot is character-driven and dialogue between the characters operates with charming toxicity that feels persistently fun and observant. The direction (Safdie’s first solo directorial feature), is intimate and classic, giving the film a 1970s/Scorsese feeling that is much appreciated and works well.
I’d also be remiss not to mention Daniel Lopatin‘s (also known as electronic artist Oneohtrix Point Never) dazzling electronic score, which feels like a spiritual cousin to Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross’ incredible “Challengers” score.
Although “Marty Supreme” features a collection of terrific performances (particularly A’zion and Paltrow), there’s no doubt that Chalamet is the bloodflow of the film. Chalamet, 30, has been very vocal about his intention to be “one of the greats,” and his unyieldingly magnetic and possessed turn in “Marty” make his then-controversial comments less unbelievable (even if I always believed he had the juice to be the next DiCaprio). It’s unequivocally Chalamet’s best performance and seeing him become great in “Marty Supreme” is a true treat.
You can read my full “Marty Supreme” review here.
“Marty Supreme” is currently in theaters nationwide.
Honorable mentions
“Bugonia,” directed by Yorgos Lanthimos — This black comedy from the Greek visionary Yorgos Lanthimos (“Poor Things”) stars double-Academy Award winner Emma Stone as a pharmaceutical CEO who’s kidnapped by a conspiracy theorist (Jesse Plemons). As the famous CEO is put through various trials to prevent her from “communicating with her species, “Bugonia” takes ever-more unexpected turns in the way only a Yorgos movie could.
“Bugonia” is available to stream on Peacock. It’s also available for rent or purchase across most major streaming platforms.
“Wake Up Dead Man,” directed by Rian Johnson — There’s something to be said about the “Knives Out” series being a smart and dependably well-made film series for adults . Nowhere is that more apparent than in director Johnson’s insightful and fun third installment, “Wake Up Dead Man.” The film stars rising cinema star Josh O’Connor (“The History of Sound,” “The Mastermind”) as a boxer-turned-Catholic priest, whose recent assignment at an odd upstate New York church comes with some killer consequences. The film stars a wide cast of stars, including Josh Brolin and Glenn Close, but most notably, returning star Daniel Craig as the genius mystery-solving dandy Benoit Blanc. Though this film could have used a touch more of Craig (Blanc is just such a fun character, you always want more!), O’Connor holds the entire affair together with ease and expected gravity.
“Wake Up Dead Man” is currently exclusively streaming on Netflix, though as with the other “Knives Out” films, it will likely be available for rent or purchase on other platforms in the near future.
(L-R): Josh O’Connor and Paul Mescal in Oliver Hermanus’ “The History of Sound” (Mubi)
“The History of Sound,” directed by Oliver Hermanus — This period romantic drama starring internet boyfriends Paul Mescal (“Hamnet”) and the aforementioned O’Connor is polarizing among film communities, with many arguing its tale of a doomed gay relationship is too familiar a story in cinema. While that’s not untrue, the level of talented at work in “The History of Sound” elevates this well-trod dynamic into something more meditative and moving than you expect. The film, which follows two men traveling the country to record folk songs, is slow-paced, for sure. Its emotional payoff is well worth the journey, however.
“The History of Sound” is available to stream on Mubi. It’s also available for rent or purchase across most major streaming platforms.
“Predator: Killer of Killers,” directed by Dan Trachtenberg — This animated action anthology film, the sixth installment in the “Predator” film series, wasn’t released theatrically, though the Dan Trachtenberg-directed film certainly is worthy of more fanfare than it got. The film’s gorgeous animation style brings to life a thrilling concept: Through various Earth time periods, Predators kidnap and put into suspended animation the strongest fighters they can find. Some time later, closer to modern times, all competitors are awakened thrown into a gladiatorial arena to battle a massive alien creature to the death. If they hope to survive, the competitors must bring language barriers and racial biases to kill the creature together.
“Predator: Killer of Killers” is currently only available to stream on Hulu.
“The Mastermind,” directed by Kelly Reichardt — The third movie on this list to star Josh O’Connor (actor of the year!) is a comedy heist film set in the 1970s, where an unemployed husband and father attempts to bring in money by becoming an art thief. “The Mastermind” is beautifully directed by Kelly Reichardt and features sumptuous film grain and coloring, courtesy of cinematographer Christopher Blauvelt (“May December”), and Reichardt’s screenplay is a delight. O’Connor, meanwhile, delivers another subtly brilliant performance as an amateur thief who’s anything but what the film’s title suggests.
“The Mastermind” is available to stream on Mubi. It’s also available for rent or purchase across most major streaming platforms.
Nexstar’s Russell Falcon is an entertainment reporter and voting member of multiple critics’ organizations. You can find him on Instagram, X, TikTok and Substack.
