Films of the Year – These are my favourites, grouped into rough order of prefereence, for the past 12 months of cinema-going.

I think the cinema is my favourite place to be, and I seem to have seen more than 50 new films this year, nearly all of them in the cinema. So I would like to share them in approximate order of preference – in groups of ten – for anyone who is looking for something to watch at any point over the coming days, or weeks, or months. Curiously, two of my ten favourites came in the first week of 2025 and two more came in the last week. I guess that’s because it’s the start of awards season.

I’d be happy with any of my top ten being voted best film, and if I were handing out acting awards, best actor would go to Timothée Chalamet (Marty Supreme) or Stellan Skarsgård (Sentimental Value) and best actress to Pamela Anderson (The Last Showgirl) or Fernanda Torres (I’m Still Here), and best director to Brady Corbet (The Brutalist) or RaMell Ross (Nickel Boys), with best score to Jonny Greenwood (One Battle After Another) or Jerskin Fendrix (Bugonia) and best editing to Fin Oakes (Warfare).

MY FAVOURITES 

The Brutalist
Nickel Boys
I’m Still Here
Seed Of The Sacred Fig
The Last Showgirl
Sorry, Baby
The Mastermind
Marty Supreme
Sentimental Value
Warfare

WELL WORTH WATCHING

One Battle After Another
Santosh
It Was Just An Accident
Weapons
The Kingdom
Bugonia
Together
Frankenstein
Caught Stealing
Black Bag

DIDN’T DISAPPOINT

Dead Of Winter
September 5
Unmoored
The Balconettes
Motel Destino
Honey Don’t
Bring Her Back
Islands
A Real Pain
A Complete Unknown

ENJOYABLE ENOUGH

The Long Walk
Eddington
28 Years Later
Jay Kelly
Mickey 17
Friendship
The Surfer
Wake Up Dead Man
Sister Midnight
The Alto Knights 

DISAPPOINTING / NOT FOR ME

The Phoenician Scheme
After The Hunt
The Ballad Of Wallis Island
Die, My Love
Hard Truths
Nosferatu
Nuremberg
Echo Valley
Ballad Of A Small Player
The Naked Gun
Roofman
Hallow Road

LATE ADDITIONS… 

Sinners, Highest 2 Lowest