Cinematic evolution: The defining films of 2025

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There is something mesmerising about Yorgos Lanthimos’ satirical black comedy Bugonia, a film that incisively dissects conspiracy and corporate power.

Its premise seems deceptively simple: two conspiracy-obsessed men kidnap a pharmaceutical CEO (Emma Stone), convinced she is an alien plotting humanity’s destruction. But don’t be fooled—this is one of those rare films that sweeps you along unashamedly, only to turn on you without mercy, delivering a singular, mind-altering experience you won’t forget. Read more.

If you thought you knew the story of Frankenstein – with its countless film adaptations, from the sublime to the absurd, and the National Theatre’s acclaimed stage production – Guillermo del Toro’s gothic epic Frankenstein emerges as a masterwork, infusing the tale’s legacy with soulful honesty and heartfelt devotion. This is not the monster movie most expect; instead, it illuminates the profound spiritual journey of both creator and creature. Read more.

Jacques Audiard’s sensational musical crime drama Emilia Pérez triumphantly defies convention, daringly exploring the psyche of a Mexican cartel boss who fakes his death to transition into a woman, embracing her true self with heartbreaking honesty. Anchored by a breathtaking performance from Karla Sofía Gascón and unforgettable, operatically infused musical numbers, this is a film that demands to be seen. Read more

If there is one horror film that both shatters expectations and boldly challenges convention, it is Zach Cregger’s horror mystery Weapons. From its gripping opening to its blood-curdling climax, nothing can prepare you for an experience that defies description.

Centred on the disappearance of 17 children in Pennsylvania—where a teacher, grieving parents, and a sinister woman unravel a supernatural conspiracy bound to dark rituals — this is a film that refuses to back down. Read more.

Who would have thought that a criminal and a cat could team up for the ultimate joyride? In Darren Aronofsky’s crime thriller Caught Stealing, Austin Butler delivers a compelling performance as a washed-up ex–ex-baseball player in 1990s New York who becomes entangled in a violent underworld after agreeing to watch a neighbour’s cat.

What follows is a journey that careens into delightful chaos, packed with surprising twists, unexpected revelations, and unforeseen outcomes. The narrative barrels forward with ease, meticulously blending action, comedy, and suspense. Read more

Anemone is a layered drama written and directed by Ronan Day-Lewis, co-written with his father Daniel Day-Lewis, probing the psychological and emotional aftermath of the Troubles in Northern Ireland.

It is significant both as a deeply personal exploration of generational trauma and as a landmark collaboration between one of cinema’s greatest actors and his son, marking Ronan’s debut as a filmmaker. The narrative centres on a fractured family, torn apart by the violence and political upheaval of the 1970s, and explores how those wounds reverberate decades later. Read more.

Written and directed by Richard Linklater, with a transformative performance by Ethan Hawke as lyricist Lorenz Hart, Blue Moon magnificently captures a single night in the early 1940s when Hart confronted the collapse of his partnership with composer Richard Rodgers and the dawning of a new Broadway era.

Linklater’s film dramatises Hart’s night at Sardi’s, the legendary Broadway watering hole, where he confronted Rodgers’ success and his own obsolescence. This intimate setting becomes the crucible for exploring themes of betrayal, pride, vulnerability, and the inexorable passage of time. Read more.

Jay Kelly follows famous movie actor, Jay Kelly (George Clooney), as he embarks on a journey of self-discovery, confronting both his past and present, accompanied by his devoted manager Ron (Adam Sandler). Poignant and humour-filled, epic and intimate, the masterful film is pitched at the intersection of life’s regrets and notable glories.

Co-written by director Noah Baumbach and Emily Mortimer (in her screenwriting debut), it offers a sophisticated sense of humour and profound insight into the human condition. Read more.

Clint Bentley’s adaptation of Denis Johnson’s beloved novella Train Dreams is the moving portrait of Robert Grainier, a logger and railroad worker who leads a life of unexpected depth and beauty in the rapidly changing America of the early 20th century.

Joel Edgerton delivers a powerful performance as a man whose life unfolds during an era of unprecedented change in early 20th-century America. Orphaned at a young age, Robert grows into adulthood among the towering forests of the Pacific Northwest, where he helps expand the nation’s railroad empire alongside men as unforgettable as the landscapes they inhabit. Read more.

Plainclothes dramatises the life of Lucas, an undercover officer in the 1990s tasked with entrapping gay men, only to confront his own repressed desires. Its significance lies in exposing historical injustices against the LGBTQ+ community while exploring themes of morality, self-acceptance, and the perilous divide between duty and truth. By situating personal conflict within systemic persecution, the film becomes both a social reckoning and a deeply human story of transformation. Read more.

Other notable films (listed alphabetically): A Kind of Madness, A Real Pain, Bring Her Back, Coup De Chance, Dangerous Animals, Four Letters of Love, How to Train Your Dragon, I Wish You All the Best, The Long Walk, Penguin Lessons, Roofman, The Roses, Twinless

Series of substance

• The Waterfront dramatises how a powerful family in coastal North Carolina descends into drug smuggling to preserve its empire, exposing themes of corruption, survival, and fractured loyalty.

  It stands out as a Netflix original that blends crime thriller intensity with family saga, positioning itself as both a cautionary tale and a gripping exploration of moral collapse. Read more.

• Dept Q is a gripping, character-driven crime thriller that explores trauma, justice, and redemption through cold-case investigations. Its significance lies in its layered storytelling, emotionally scarred protagonists, and its bold reimagining of a beloved Danish book series for a British audience. Read more.

• Boots reframes the military coming of age story through the lens of queer identity, friendship, and survival in a hostile institution. By adapting Greg Cope White’s memoir The Pink Marine into a 1990s setting just before Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, the series highlights the tension between personal truth and systemic exclusion, making it both a sharp comedy drama and a cultural reckoning. Read more.

• Monster: The Ed Gein Story confronts the unsettling legacy of one of America’s most infamous criminals, not to sensationalise, but to explore the cultural fascination with horror and the thin line between myth and reality. Read more.

  Read more about the latest and upcoming films.