Tag: Horror

Top 20 films of 2025

Posted in ReviewTagged , , , , 2 Comments

This is the seventh year of me writing my top 20(/18/30 depending on the year, but usually 20). For those whom have found this because AI scours my cheap London cinema tickets page, welcome. For those who found it because it’s the only thing I talked about, welcome back. As always, the rules are movies with general release in the UK between Boxing Day 2024-Christmas 2025. This means Sentimental Value and Marty Supreme aren’t eligible. If your favourite film of the year isn’t hear, it means I haven’t watched it or your film taste is rubbish. Full 2025 ranking is available here if you want to check which of the two it is.

As always, I’m pretty happy with the variety of films here, and would recommend if you were to watch one, read what I write and base it on what you think is the most interesting instead of picking just #1 which is admittedly pretty good. This is a pretty cool list with multiple genres including horror, animation, drama, world cinema, thriller, documentaries. Some great films didn’t make it in, but these twenty are the ones I believe to have been head and shoulders above. Most are available on streaming services, so no excuses.

20) Steve

George from work always has a slightly wild but never uninteresting film of the year. Following Ama Gloria last year, his pick was the not undeserving Steve. The titular Steve is played brilliantly by sad man Cillian Murphy who runs a school for children with complex behavioural needs. One of the kids, Shy, is spiralling, the future of the school is uncertain, an MP is coming to visit and Steve is pretty well addicted to drugs. Constantly tense, with phenomenal performances, script and cinematography, Steve is a phenomenal piece of film making.

Steve is available on Netflix

19) Dying

Yeah, I promise there are some happy movies on here, but a three hour German epic about a father with dementia, a mother sturggling, a depressed son conducting and a daughter on the booze every night isn’t a relaxing three hours, but my word it’s certainly engrossing. Split into three parts, the daughter’s part is especially phenomenal, as is the mother’s, while the son’s parts, not quite as high, never feel condescending. A brilliant piece of German cinema.

Dying is streaming on BFI Player and is available to rent online

18) La Cocina

Kind of similar to The Bear, La Cocina is about an undocumented chef in a rubbish New York restaurant and everything going wrong throughout the day in his job and relationships. Very stage play-esque, the lead performance from Raul Briones and some great editing really bring this movie to life, as the tension ramps up throughout.

La Cocina is streaming on MUBI and is available to rent online

17) Hallow Road

The first (but not only) “Horror” on this list, but far more psychological thriller with exactly zero jump scares (and I’m a guy who jump scares easily). Two parents get a call from their daughter who has apparently ran someone over in their car. They then rush into their car to get over there, and that’s the whole film. It involves discussion of the family, their relationships as well as tension over this victim who was hit and whether they can save her, and save the daughter before anyone shows up. Rosamund Pike and Matthew Rhys both bring top performances in this small setting, as 90% of the movie takes place while they’re driving. A different, exciting small scale movie.

Hallow Road is streaming on Now/Sky Cinema or available to rent digitally

16) A House of Dynamite

Kathryn Bigelow loves a war film, and brings nuclear war back into fashion with this story where an unknown country has launched a nuclear weapon at the United States. We see the story from three different perspectives, starting in the war room. Again, providing a tension as each time we get closer to imminent disaster, the first third is the strongest. While the other two don’t quite catch up to it, the first part is some of the most riveting scenes of the year.

House of Dynamite is streaming on Netflix

15) Friendship

Finally, a happy film, it has to be, right? RIGHT? Well, if you’re familiar with Tim Robinson (hotdog/zipline guy) and his work on “I Think You Should Leave”, then you know where this is going. He plays a lovable loser who doesn’t have many friends and is content watching the new Marvel movie (It’s supposed to be nuts). When he meets his neighbour played by Paul Rudd, they hit it off immediately, with Rudd’s character being this cool guy who plays in a band. After some things go wrong however, Rudd wants the friendship to end, but Robinson’s character doesn’t take that well, wanting to recover the friendship. Naturally this leads his life to go wrong in increasingly zany ways as he obsesses over his former friend. Cleverly written and showing Tim Robinson in one of the best performances of the year, if you’re going to watch one dark comedy, make it this one.

Friendship is available to rent digitally.

14) Flow

Actually a nice film finally. The winner of the best animated feature Oscar (and former ASBO winner for the same category), Gints Zibalodis provided one of the best animated movies of 2025 with Flow, a dialogue free movie about a cat who finds itself in a boat following an unexplained flood with other animals. They all need to learn to work well together. A phenomenally smart piece where each animal feels realistic (the cat moves likes a cat), this quiet, meditative effort is phenomenal to behold, and is a huge step forward in independent animation.

Flow is streaming on MUBI or available to rent digitally

13) Sinners

Probably the most famous movie on this list, and only on here as need to appease the masses, Sinners is a very good vampire blues movie. Brilliantly acted, with a great sstoryline to boot, it shows a different time in history and how Black communities came together. The one reason to watch this is the music. There is one scene about halfway through this movie which is the best scene of any film this year. You’ll know it when you see it. I couldn’t stop smiling throughout. Absolute cinema.

Sinners is streaming on Now/Sky Cinema

12) Ocean with David Attenborough

Look, DA is cool alright. He fights for nature, but I find his gentle messaging and lack of viewer accountability ultimately underwhelming. It’s the one complaint I have about this documentary. The movie is so cool and I learnt so much about the sea. There is a scene where they show the impact of deep sea trawling, and that’s scarier than the two horror movies I’ve listed so far. The ocean is cool and comes across as this snazzy organism, as Attenborough shows the problem and solution, even if the latter is done gently.

Ocean with David Attenborough is streaming on Disney+

11) Lollipop

Something I didn’t notice about Lollipop when I watched it is that almost all characters are women. Mainly because I was busy enjoying the plot and don’t see gender. A British independent movie, Lollipop is about a mother being released from prison and trying to regain custody of her kids. However, she ends up in a frustrating cycle of not being able to get housing because she’s not living with her kids, and not being able to get her kids until she has her housing sorted. A film with a big heart and plenty of empathy, it’s a really sweet movie and one of the best British movies of the year.

10) Train Dreams

Into the top 10 and we begin with probably the best looking movie of the year, so of course you’re stuck watching it on Netflix. Based on a short story, Robert spends his life cutting down trees in the early 20th century (Why not concrete, I don’t know). The movie is about love and loss and change as he meets characters throughout the whole film and sees his life change, as well as the earth throughout the years. It’s a beautifully shot movie with a phenomenal Joel Edgerton performance to boot in what feels like an epic fight between man and earth.

Train Dreams is streaming on Netflix.

9) The Brutalist

A four hour epic about the life of a Jewish immigrant architect after world war 2, where the whole plot is about him building a community centre? Sign me up. Stunning to watch with a brilliant script, score and lead performance from Oscars narcissist Adrien Brody, I know you won’t watch this film because it’s too long, but the greatest compliment I can give it is that I wanted it to carry on for another hour. The only thing I didn’t get was his love of Brutalist architecture and concrete (Who is he, Mike Graham?).

8) Urchin

Harris Dickinson has been acting well on the British indy scene for years. Turns out he might actually be an even better director. A homeless drug addict is sent to jail in the first 10 minutes of the movie. The rest is a sobering portrayal of him coming out, trying to secure a job and accommodation and stay off drugs. A deeply humanist and empathetic movie which is full of hope and heartbreak, Urchin strikes the balance between narrative and symbolism beautifully.

Urchin is streaming on BFI player from December 31st 2025 or to download digitally.

7) I’m Still Here

The winner of the best international movie at the Oscars, I’m Still Here is such an interesting movie based on a true story set in 1970’s Brazil under a dictatorship. When her husband is taken by the army, Eunice looks to balance looking after her family with finding out what happened to her husband. It’s not a film about getting a tidy conclusion, but celebrating Eunice’s steely determination. Not a laugh a minute, I’m Still Here has plenty of warmth and characters you really want to support, particularly with a strong performance from Fernanda Torres.

I’m Still Here is streaming on BFI Player or available to rent digitally.

6) It Was Just An Accident

Farsi cinema has had a phenomenal year, and when Iranian dissident Jafar Panahi won the top award at Cannes for this movie, it was a perfect celebration of all his work so far. Vahid discovers his torturer based on the sound of his prosthetic. He abducts him in his van and plans to bury him alive, but when he has doubts, he then finds more people tortured by peg-leg to check if this is him (He was blindfolded when tortured so the doubt lingers). We have a dark comedy where this group have their torturer in the van for a day and are going around trying to work out what to do and deal with various obstacles. Very bleak, very engrossing, It Was Just An Accident is a brilliant movie with the single best conclusion to a movie of this year.

It Was Just An Accident is finishing its cinema run

5) Sorry, Baby

Sorry Baby is written, directed by and starred in by Eva Victor, and is the sort of movie to leave you wondering what she’ll make next. A very personal movie with a small scope, this time jumping movie starts with the lead character Agnes having friends around, but something being off. We then see her before her trauma and in the days and years afterwards. It’s a biting comedy, with an anger similar to that of Promising Young Women a few years ago, but far more grounded and realistic instead of pushing for a shock value. Full of hurt and full of heart, it’s a tender movie which is undeniably one of the best of the year.

Sorry, Baby is streaming on MUBI or available to rent digitally.

4) Seed of the Sacred Fig

The second of the Iranian films on this list, SotSF is a tense psychological thriller about a family in which the father works for the regime, stamping people to die regardless of evidence. His daughters are involved in protests, causing a generational divide between parents and kids. When the father’s gun goes missing, the family turn on one another, and following a threat towards them, everything really goes awry. A smart metaphor for Iran which is brilliantly made and acted.

The Seed of the Sacred Fig is streaming on BFI player and available to download digitally

3) I Swear

The British film of the year, I swear is the true story of John Davidson, a young boy, then a man who spent his life dealing with, then spreading awareness of Tourette’s syndrome. While I feared this would be a generic easy laugh brit-flick, it was very tender and honest. Of course some muggles may laugh in the wrong places, but the director and actors knew which moments were amusing and which weren’t. This lead to a heartfelt drama which never felt lazy. It also never felt a need to resolve things where they weren’t resolved in reality. This created an honest movie which moved me far more than I thought it would.

I Swear is available to rent digitally

2) Little Trouble Girls

For the best foreign language movie of the year we go to Slovenia where we get Black Swan meeting an Alice Rohrwacher movie (La Chimera or Happy as Lazzaro). Lucija is part of a choir who hates to sing loudly and is generally shielded from the outside world. Her choir master is pretty mean, however she finds a budding friendship with Ana-Marija, the slovakian choir girl equivalent of Mila Kunis’ Black Swan (Yeah, the films are similar). When they go to a choir retreat in Italy, Lucija also gets the hots for a local construction worker causing quite the tension. Magical moments of fantasy balance with realism to create an effective dreamy movie which totally caught me off guard. One of the rare occassions I agree with my film writing rival boring Peter Bradshaw in happily giving it 5 stars.

Little Trouble Girls is streaming on BFI player and available to rent digitally.

and the film of the year is…

When I choose a film of the year, it has to be one that’s interested me and made me feel something. There are very few films which have made me cry this year. Goodbye June, Bridget Jones 4 and maybe a couple of others? And the best films aren’t all melodrama. They need something good about them and the way they’re made. They need to have a vision behind them.

This year’s film of the year didn’t cause much of a splash on its release, however it received a quiet respect from most who liked it, as well as the top film at the London Film Festival (The second time this award has overlapped with my film of the year). The exciting first on this blog this year is that it’s an animated movie.

With a claymation rough and ready aesthetic and a sweet story about breaking down your own cages, my film of the year is Memoir of a Snail.

Memoir of a Snail focuses on the life of Grace Puddle, an Australian child who lives with her brother Gilbert and her father. Following the fathers death, they are sent to foster homes on different sides of the country and we see the following years of Gracie’s life as she struggles into adulthood. An animated film, Memoir of a Snail isn’t made for children though. While it is sad, it also puts you back together and is a wonderful story of self-empowerment Stylish and sleek, Memoir of a Snail is the film ramble’s film of the year.

Memoir of a Snail is available to stream on BFI player and rent digitally

And that’s a wrap. With about 5 blog posts, I definitely haven’t kept up with this blog as much as I’d like. But who cares, happy new year to everyone except the deep sea trawlers.

2025 Scraps

Posted in ReviewTagged , , , , Leave a comment

Every year I half write a few posts and never finish them. Here is a set of unfinished, unchecked reviews.

September Movies (Unfinished because I go in reverse order you get to see the boring films)

It has been disaster down my street I tell you. As the writer of South West London’s fourth best film blog (according to all known sources), I am in a huge turf war. I went to sleep on a Thursday night, and when I awoke on Friday, my street lamposts were adorned with flags of Jared Leto. Immediately, I went to take down these monstrositys, but then 10 Downing Street Fans of Leto came out and claimed it was just patriotism to their favourite actor/30STM band member/alleged sex cult leaders, but I thought it was an attempt to intimidate people who don’t like bad method actors/band members/alleged sex cult leaders. Anyway, let’s move on from this weird phase of americanised patriotism and go and do what we do best, pretend that people give a shit about my movie opinions.

Let’s start with the suprise hit of the summer: K-pop Demon Hunters, the Korean film which is all in English. A band of K-pop stars need to bring down demons. However, when a group of demon boys come along, the lead girl whom is part demon needs to defeat them while concealing her identity. How do you defeat demons? Well, the power of MMA and song of course.

The animation here is actually really well made. Inspired by the more action focussed excitement we’ve seen across Sony and Dreamworks, it’s an exciting well paced film. However, at the same time it is a film for young K-pop fans, so you know what’s going to happen. Your enjoyment of the film will depend exclusively on your opinion on the songs. Hate K-Pop? This film will be awful for you. Indifferent? It will be fine, but you’ll be bored by the end. Know one band more than BTS? Yeah, you’re giving this 5 stars.

I didn’t hate it at all. The songs were okay, and it was better than the title suggested. An average solid movie.

Rating: 3 out of 5.

The Life of Chuck is a somewhat frustrating film in that it’s pretty difficult to describe. I went in almost blind as the trailer didn’t give much away. A three part story which really stretches out a Stephen King short, the first third is the most interesting. We see the world ending, with a mysterious message out there thanking Chuck for 39 great years. it feels like the time is up and is really helpless. We then go through Chuck’s life over the next 2 chapters, explaining the story a bit more. However, from 5 mins into the second act you can tell what happens

Act one is fantastic. An apocalypse full of mystery and intellegence shot beautifully. I’m there, it’s exciting. What a film. Act two is the only one with Tom Hiddlestone. Oh yeah, he’s the main advertised guy and is barely in the film. Act three is young Tom and it’s a fairly standard coming of age drama. The lack of time with Hiddlestone is probably this film’s biggest weakness. It means we get three acts with innterlinking easter eggs, but a lack of decent narrative. In the end you finish and can’t help but wonder what the point of it all was. It’s just a nice movie but really fails to be some sort of earth shattering revolution.

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Caught Stealing is the latest film by Darren Aronofsky, a man who has only made one great film (I won’t say which). Austin Butler is asked to look after his neigbour’s cat. However, when a bunch of gangsters come along he’s in trouble.

It’s high octane easy action fun. Your usual popcorn jam. It’s predictable as heck. Twist villains, moments which will come back, everything. There is a moment where he needs to crash his car on purpose to get over killing his friend in a car crash. That’s weird. However, the cat was nice. I don’t have much more to say. I went to this with Liam which is the only reason it’s getting any page time in this blog. Watch it if you want an easy action movie.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

Big Boys is a charming coming of age comedy about a boy called Jamie who goes on a camping trip with his brother, older cousin and her boyfriend Dan. Jamie is a shy boy with no esteem, however he soon finds himself falling for Dan, whom he wants to impress. Meanwhile, his brother is trying to get him to hook up with a girl in the camp. Of course, the hijinks ensue.

Another film which is pretty predictable, the awkward coming of age has been done many times before, and the awkward Heartstopper energy is hardly anything new. Despite that, this film did make me chuckle a number of times. It had its heart in the right place, and is a nice enough easy movie which those in my viewing all seemed to really enjoy. It wore its heart on its sleeve throughout. It was often cringy and awkward, so if you can’t stand that humour it’s a big avoid. But for a standard heart-warming romp this is probably worth looking for.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

I Went to the UK’s Oldest Film Festival – October 2025

This blog will be a little different to usual. It will be a bit more rambly as I try and pain a picture. However, it will still talk about the three films I watched, including one which is a top 10 of the year contender.

Okay, I know what you’re thinking? What was the UK’s first film festival? London? Glasgow? Something obscurus. Well, that’s not even the question my click bait title is discussing. By “oldest”, I of course mean oldest average audience. I spent the weekend with the geriatrics, the infirm, those who if they were born the other side of the Atlantic would be in the running for President. I was at the Purbeck film festival. A festival in deepest darkest Dorset, one where despite the proven fraud, the Salt Path was still a sell out. Unfortunately, there wasn’t a live Q&A with Moth or Raynor otherwise I would have been first in line.

Day 1:

I got to the sleepy town of Swanage, Dorset around Friday lunchtime. An agonising journey on the number 50 bus was required from Bournemouth, and all the taffy chewers were using their mobility aides to walk on. Not a bad thing, but after 10 minutes of ambling onto the bus and up to the second level (Why, if you can’t walk quick sit downstairs), they’d stand there for 20 seconds picking where to sit, despite the bus being 20% full. Naturally, the driver would wait for them to sit down, and thus my 1 hour bus ride was much closer to 2. Maybe in peak season, I would’ve been smart to download the Brutalist for a re-watch.

Finally in Swanage, I got to Aunt Claire’s and to spend the weekend with her and her cats Flow and Flow. After a quiet afternoon of reading my book in a café (Pachinko if anyone’s curious. A very good read), we set off for our first film The Mastermind.

This was to take place at the Lighthouse, Poole. Not an actual lighthouse, but an art centre with pretty poor parking. Upon our cheeky parking in the carpark opposite in which we joined 5 other cars in parking on a double yellow, despite the single bay of cars parked opposite (Hopefully that wouldn’t come back to bite us later), we made our way in to the small cinema which reminded me of Curzon Wimbledon before its recent redecoration. My low and uncomfy seat was sat in, the local seniors were all set and after some adverts about Purbeck’s nature and the Salt Pig, an establishment which provides underwhelming food (these would be the adverts before every screening). We then got an introduction from a lady with a name which we weren’t told. She started off by saying seeing those trailers show how “Cool” it is to live in Dorset because of the Salt Pig. Never has Dorset felt less cool than in that moment. She then said the film is leaves you with the question “who is the real mastermind?” On the basis that there is only one character in the film, it feels as obvious as asking “Who’s the boss in Who’s the Boss?” (Angela, obviously).

Very aptly timed, The Mastermind is the new film from Kelly Reichardt (First Cow) about a man who leads a very simple and incompetently done art heist, stealing four pieces of value from the local museum. However, things very quickly go south with the police after him, and others. The film was very slow, and with the title cards being vertical certainly wanky. Reichardt is a slow film maker, and that’s fine. I was particularly tired, and by the end interested in where it was going (The conclusion is abrupt). Josh O’Connor is naturally charismatic and able to do a slow film well (La Chimera for example). However, what I found tougher to connect with in this than First Cow was that the character isn’t particularly likable. He’s not unlikable, but he’s a lone wolf and none of his relationships are particularly engaging. His wife is in one scene, and his kids are very American and very annoying. Unlike First Cow where it’s about the friendship between the leads, this one just meanders and you really don’t care. It has a couple of amusing scenes, but the slow pace leads to nothing, and no real sense of danger or urgency. The music was pretty cool mind. One for the art-house nerds? Not especially. One for the heist movie lovers absolutely not.

Rating: 3 out of 5.

The real drama came when we got out and got the car park, as despite paying the ringo fee, our double yellow parking got us a ticket which wasn’t quite golden. A £25 fine not worth the film, and to make it worse we had a spiteful bus driver blocking us in for 10 minutes. He was pretty much gloating when he asked if we had a fine, and wasn’t prepared to move despite there being an acre of empty space. Should we have parked where we did? No. Was there another option? No. Did he need to be such a prick? Well, it’s the Dorset small town vigilante mindset. Thankfully, the satanic popcorn munchers sat next to me during the film were also trapped in.

Unrelatedly, I have a long standing theory that 50% of bus drivers are nonces, and the one on the number 50 bus I took earlier that day wasn’t giving nonce vibes, so whatever. Make up what you want.

Day 2:

Day 2 started with a volunteering shift at an unnamed Dorset Charity shop with Aunt. I got to hear about one of the staff member’s swollen tongue and a whole bunch of double entendres (Apparently, a Swanage Charity Shop is a hotbed of Sexual Misconduct/Harassment). We also had the second most memeable former premier league manager come in, a Mr Neil Warnock. Unfortunately, as an Exeter Uni alumnus, I didn’t get to tell him that “I also want to beat Plymouth so fucking much”. A solid 12 months for me, having also come across the most memeable a Mr Mick McCarthy in Charing Cross last December. One month to meet Mourinho in a pub and I’ve got the holy trinity. After an afternoon with cousin, aunt and I headed to the old Swanage cinema of the Mowlem to watch a preview of the Cannes Palme D’or Winner It Was Just An Accident.

This cinema which had a lot of charm. It’s a theatre/cinema and again was full of old people. The average age was certainly over 60, however there was one behaviour which I couldn’t endorse. One which should remain in Benidorm. People putting their coats on unreserved seats early and going to the bar for a couple of drinks. Poor poor form Sheila. Sat next to one of these people, I had taken my coat off and was sorting myself out. She asked me to make sure the arm of my coat wasn’t touching her, as it was touching her leg while I was just getting settled. I moved it. It happened to flick back on her leg while I was still sorting it out, unaware. She very quickly got the huff, tutted and moved to a shit seat. Anyway, that’s good Sheila. I’m happy you were miserable, you pathetic seat reseving cow. Old man Terry and old lady Beatrice sat next to me instead, and had much better vibes, despite Terry snoring for a couple of minutes mid film.

The film this time was introduced by an older Gentleman called Woody, whom I’d heard had a penchant for reading out the plot. However, this time his opening was really good. Not too much plot given away, but vital context and a few filming methods to look out for, and the context is actually really important for this movie.

Director Jaraf Pahani is probably the most famous Iranian film maker in the world. His films, often critical of Iran’s regime have always been done with small casts, one camera and very much in secret. This film, which is most bluntly critical of the regime was inspired by stories he’d heard from fellow inmates, as he’s often been banned from film-making and imprisoned for doing so. Therefore, you know his style is going to be pretty bare-bones.

This movie is about a mechanic called Vahid who hears a man with a prosphetic leg who he thinks tortured him in prison, called Peg-Leg or Eghbal. He spends the day finding others also tortured to work out whether it is Eghbal and what to do with him. Naturally, as amateurs it all goes wrong and Vahid, a fundamentally good man has many moral decisions to make throughout the day which could put him and his motley crew in danger.

At times really tense, at other times funny, this film brims with an anger felt by all the characters. They all deal with it differently, but the theme carries through well. The sound is great in this movie, there are subtle moments which work really well. Likewise, the way it’s shot is very good. You never see Vahid or “Eghbal” on the same shot. One is usually blindfolded, so they’ve never made eye contact. It’s a smart engaging film, and the climax is phenomenally acted by Vahid Mobasseri (Vahid), Ebrahim Azizi (Eghbal) and Marian Afshari (Shiva). The particular highlight of this movie was the final scene, which I won’t spoil, but it’s the damn best final shot of any movie I’ve seen this year.

It Was Just an Accident is essential viewing from one of cinema’s most exciting voices.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

The best films of 2024

Posted in ReviewTagged , , , , Leave a comment

There are just no good films anymore

I hate that statement reader. I disagree with it hugely. I could talk about fifty good films that are out, but shall limit myself. In a scene which is dominated by an increasingly creatively bankrupt Hollywood, it’s important to realise that for every boring blockbuster, there are ten films which are created purely out of love of the medium and not every one is a winner, but so many are.

This list reflects my top thirty films of the year reader and before you continue, I must ask you not to abuse this list. Don’t just flick down to the films you recognise. Sure do that, but also look at the films you don’t. Most are streaming. Read them, watch the trailers, consider what you’d find interesting and watch them. I can’t promise you’ll like all thirty, but there should be one you will like. Take a chance on them, I hope you’ll find it rewarding.

Of course it goes without saying that there are great films which didn’t make this list. I could name another twenty or thirty films I saw which could have easily been found on here, but alas the decision was made. (Note I count the year as Boxing Day 23-Christmas 24, UK releases. Full ranking: https://letterboxd.com/thefilmramble/list/2024-ranked/)

30) Kensuke’s Kingdom

A fairly underappreciated animation film, Kensuke’s Kingdom is a retelling of Michael Morpurgo’s famous book about a boy who finds himself trapped on a desert island with his dog and the titular Kensuke, an old Japanese man who has taken to protecting the rainforest. Beautiful in its almost storybook like animation, and quietly moving with Kensuke’s character, it’s a really sweet family film to kick off this list.

29) Ama Gloria

George from work’s film of the year and the shortest movie on this list, Ama Gloria is a movie about a girl called Cleo and her relationship with her nanny Gloria. With Gloria needing to return to Cape Verde to help her children, she invites Cleo to join her for the summer. There Cleo meets Gloria’s pregnant daughter and her young son who is resentful of Cleo for having stolen his mother. A sweet, empathetic and simple movie, Ama Gloria really is an emotional powerhouse with a phenomenal lead performance from young Louise Mauroy-Panzani.

Ama Gloria is streaming on BFI Player

28) Anora

The winner of the Palme D’or in Cannes and a current front runner to win best picture as far as the bookies are concerned, it’s a testament to how good movies have been this year that this movie is coming up so early in this blog. An absolute crowd pleaser, Sean Baker’s new movie introduces us to Ani who is a sex worker who meets, falls in love with and marries the son of a Russian Billionaire tycoon , Vanya. When his family turn up to try and force an annulment, all chaos breaks loose in this comedic caper. Baker switches what would be real tension for comedy up to 11 and Mikey Maddison brings this in droves as the lead actress. A fun and pretty easy watch.

Anora is currently in cinemas

27) His Three Daughters

Far more of a stage play in its format, His Three Daughters kind of came and went without much fanfare, which is a shame because it was such an emotive and well acted movie. Three sisters come to spend their father’s final few days with him. Their relationships are strained, especially Carrie Coon’s uptight but absent Katie and Natashia Lyonne’s seemingly delinquent Rachel. As the movie carries on, we learn more about all the characters which challenges our early judgements and we watch these three talk through their differences. Well acted and with a really tight script, this movie is accessible and worth a watch.

His Three Daughters is streaming on Netflix

26) The Book of Clarence

In terms of bat shit crazy comedies, The Book of Clarence is at a solid #2 this year. Jeymes Samuel’s second film has LaKeith Stansfield playing Clarence, a swindler who always finds himself in trouble trying to pay off his debts. When Jesus comes to Rome with his desciples, Clarence decides he should do what Jesus does as a fellow fraudster in order to make power and money. Soon he has a set of followers and attracts the not so positive attention of Rome at the same time as Jesus. A religious satire, this movie has a good bite and easily passes the six laugh test. As always, comedy is subjective, but I liked it and this is my list.

The Book of Clarence is streaming on Now Cinema (Also Available to rent online)

25) Emilia Perez

Another potential awards contender, and with best picture odds at 12/1 this is the one I’d stick a fiver on winning the best picture, Emilia Perez was a lot of things. A crime musical in which the cartel leader transitions to a woman, before trying to redeem her past crimes and also be close to her kids and wife who don’t recognise her, this movie could easily be accused of being messy. However, I found it a really entertaining romp, with catchy musical numbers, entertaining set pieces, engaging melodrama and some fantastic lead performances from Karla Sofia Gascon, Zoe Saldana and Selena Gomez. There is a lot going on, but this movie has so much energy that it transports you along, once it gets going.

Emilia Perez is streaming on Netflix

24) Robot Dreams

The sort of film to make you go “Wow, there won’t be a better animated movie about a robot befriending an animal”. A silent animated movie, Robot Dreams is about a lonely dog who buys a robot friend. He gives the dog a lust for life, and all is grand until one day, Robot gets water in his circuits and is stuck on the beach for the winter. The movie then sees them try and re-unite while getting a brutal understanding of the world around them. The movie looks and sounds beautiful, and is made with such great heart that it keeps you smiling and caring for the characters throughout. It also has the best needle drop of the year, with a late “Earth Wind and Fire” scene.

Robot Dreams is streaming on MUBI

23) Daughters

Having really shorted documentaries in my last year list, I’m glad to be able to put a couple in this years’. It’s a testament to the power of Daughters that it had me crying while watching on my phone on the train. A group of incarcerated fathers start in a group therapy workshop in the lead up to a daddy-daughter dance. You hear their stories and see that the penal system has hurt their relationships. You also meet the daughters who all have different feelings about their fathers and their lives in general. It’s affecting stuff which leads to the emotional tipping point of the dance itself. A beautiful movie which shows a pure humanity.

Daughters is streaming on Netflix

22) Kneecap

Both Matt and James at works’ favourite movie of the year, Kneecap is the sort of film which made me realise I couldn’t just do a top 20, because it’s actually pretty damn good. Based on a true story, a couple of Irish speaking lads are getting in trouble with the brits in the 2010’s and following the arrest of one of them, their translator who is also a music teacher sees one of their lyrics, and encourages the three of them to create a rap group. With the members of Kneecap starring, this movie is just fun. It’s enjoyable, with a huge advocacy towards promoting native language. The acting at times is moving, and there is a strong sense of style and place. As an 18 rated movie, it’s not a family affair with its heavy drug use, but it’s the sort of movie that both you and your dad will enjoy.

Kneecap is streaming on Prime Video

21) Society of the Snow

Controversy alert, this is technically a 2023 movie, but as it came out during the amnesty period, it’s part of this years list. Another true story, SotS is about a rugby team in a plane crash in the Andes. Over the course of weeks and months, they aren’t found so have to learn to survive in the harshest environment. Well shot and acted, it can be tough to keep up with who is who, but it is an engrossing, inspiring and interesting movie.

Society of the Snow is streaming on Netflix

20) The Promised Land

When I was studying the money and banking side of economics at university, I hated it. It was dull. Wall Street wasn’t for me. When I had an exam, I actually learnt most of it through watching the Big Short. These days, I specialise in farms. Shamefully, I must say I referred to my watching of The Promised Land to attempt to sound like an expert in my day job. A Danish film starring Mads Mikkelsen (that one Danish actor you know), he plays Ludvig Kahlen, a poor officer who starts a farm in the worst conditions growing potatoes. He falls in love, tries to adopt a child and finds himself running in against the wealthy land owner who owns most of the other farms in the locale. A fairly standard drama, it’s intense and interesting with Mads giving the high calibre performances he always does.

The Promised Land is Streaming on BBC iPlayer

19) Monkey Man

A wham bam crashing action revenge movie on my top 20? This must be special. Dev Patel (Slumdog Millionaire) stars in his own directing debut as a man who starts as a wrestler and learns to fight in order to get revenge against the people who killed his mother (I think, it was a while ago), by learning the arts of the Monkey Man. Plot wise, the first half is pretty standard, then the second half is all action with no holding back. Brilliantly shot and acted, this movie is expertly crafted with some of the most engaging and energetic action I’ve seen for a while, reminding me of Oldboy.

Monkey Man is streaming on Now Cinema

18) Conclave

Old Men being Mean Girls. The plot of Conclave doesn’t sound engaging. Following the death of a pope, the Dean Cardinal Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes) must run the new election of the pope within his conclave of cardinals. However, as a politcal thriller, it feels incredibly timely and appropriately campy as every candidate has baggage and different views on the future of the church. Expertly told as a story with fantastic costumes and set designs, this movie is phenomenal, and that’s before we even mention Ralph Fiennes who is at his best as a troubled leader who has a crisis of faith in god and the catholic church. It sounds boring, but trust me, it’s actually really good.

Conclave is currently in Cinemas

17) Evil Does Not Exist

There are slow films, then there are films by Ryusuke Hamaguchi (Drive My Car). The film awarded best film at the 2023 London Film Festival is an eco-parable about a group who want to build a campsite in the local forest, much to the disgust of the locals who are worried about the impact on their water supply. They look to teach the business their ways, while heads of the business want this campsite no matter what. An intriguing film, it breathes and reveals its characters to be more than we originally think them to be, with their true souls emerging throughout the film. Meditative and really interesting, Evil Does Not Exist is essential viewing

Evil Does Not Exist is Streaming on BFI Player

16) Thelma

Going back to more of a mainstream taste with this one, Thelma is a comedy about getting old. June Squibb plays the titular Thelma who has been scammed out of money following a scam call about her son being in jail. She finds the adress, then sets out on her electric scooter to get her money back along with Ben who has given up his lust for life. Directed by Josh Margolin, he based his character on his own grandmother, and this movie reminded me of mine. With the heart that a grand parent has, Squibb’s character was lovely and never annoying. She was also emotional to watch, as she saw those around her struggling at the end as well as herself. Really moving and full of soul, this comedy sees mission impossible meet octogenarians. Frankly, what more can you want.

Thelma is available to purchase online

15) The Boy and the Heron

The first movie I watched in 2024, who knew then that only fourteen would be better. Hayao Miyazaki’s alleged final movie was a personal one about a boy who lost his mother during the fire bombing at the end of the second world war. He follows a heron into a mysterious world to find her. This tale about grief and coming of age is confusing, however much like all the other Studio Ghibli films, it looks beautiful, has a wonderful score and a melancholy dream like film.

The Boy and the Heron is streaming on Netflix

14) Monster

We go east again for Hirokazu Kore-Eda’s return to Japanese film making following a successful Korea trip and less successful France on. Monster is a movie about a boy who appears to be unruly, fighting and out of hand. However, we soon learn about his friendship with another boy as we see this story from multiple perspectives in a Rashomon effect. Well made, full of heart and my favourite film score of the year, this movie is gentle, warm and ultimately full of hope, despite its chilling title.

Monster is streaming on BFI Player.

13) The Wild Robot

The better animated movie about a robot and animal unlikely duo is the best animated movie of the year. With Dreamworks in full force following the success of Puss In Boots 2, The Wild Robot takes all the concepts from that and makes it better. A Robot named “Roz” gets trapped on n abandoned island and looks to assist the animals whom are hostile towards her. When she accidentally destroys a duck nest, one egg remains which she decides to raise in order to get it ready for winter migration. A really touching movie, if a tad generic in plot, The Wild Robot is an animation tour de force, with each still looking beautiful and a wonderful score to boot. A real piece of art, this is the sort of film you need to watch with your family.

The Wild Robot is available for purchase on streaming services

12) The Holdovers

A rare modern Christmas film and one made for me. I love a melancholic Christmas movie, think It’s A Wonderful Life or The Apartment. These are the good ones, and the grainy eighties movie style with the cynicism of Alexander Payne’s writing are what makes this movie so great. Paul Hunman is a teacher who hates kids and is stuck supervising the young rebel Tully over Christmas, alongside Mary the cook. All three of them learn to love and understand eachother with each having their own fleshed out background and story. Fundamentally festive in a non-overly cheery way, but in a way that maintains heart, I really hope that the Holdovers with its three phenomenal performances becomes an all time great Christmas movie loved by the masses.

The Holdovers is streaming on Now Cinema

11) No Other Land

A documentary almost breaching the top 10, it must be good. No Other Land focuses on small Palestinian villages which is being bulldozed and their citizens displaced by Israel and two journalists, one Palestinian and one Israeli who look to spread this story and the obstacles they face in the run up to the events of October 7th. A really tough watch at times, but incredibly important to watch, it’s a movie which will make you feel anger.

No Other Land is available to purchase for streaming

10) Crossing

A Georgian/Turkish movie the old and grumpy Lia goes to Istanbul to find her transgender niece following her sisters passing. She takes her old student Achi with her who is also lost and finding himself. There they find themselves in a fantastic city meeting a wide variety of people. Lia learns how to live and finds herself determinedly looking for her niece whatever it takes. There is also a B story about a transgender lawyer helping the homeless and vulnerable, which helps to make this city feel more alive. A warm, caring and enjoyable movie.

Crossing is available for streaming on MUBI

9) Hundreds of Beavers

Quite possibly the stupidest member of this top 30, HoB is a Chaplin-esque micro budget silent comedy you have to see to believe. An applejack needs to catch food, regularly stopped by the costumed animals. He soon meets a girl and to win her father’s permission for marriage, he needs to bring him the beavers who are terrorising the local community. With slapstick gags a plenty and phenomenally stupid animal costumes, HoB is a movie that is made by people who love movies for absolutely everyone. The comedy really is funny with regular callbacks to itself and jokes which build throughout the whole movie. It almost feels like a gag gift, but it’s such a clever one with so much heart.

Hundreds of Beavers is available to purchase for streaming

8) Didi

The late 2010’s trend of A24 coming of age movies seemed to be dying a bit, but Didi has brought it back. A late millenial film, a male version of Bo Burnham’s Eighth Grade from Sean Wang, this film shows Chris, or Didi, depending on who refers to him have to get through the usual trials and tribulations of middle school in an MSN world. Sweet, but incredibly awkward, this film is full of heart as Chris balances his Chinese and American sides, as well as his shy side with a confident persona. The movie balances the memory of being a teenager with the feeling of relief that you aren’t a teenager to perfection, and with a scene stealing performance from Joan Chen as the mother, it is such a beautiful movie.

Didi is available to purchase on streaming

7) Slow

My first Lithuanian film, Slow is a beautiful understated independent romance with similar energy to movies such as Once. Elena is a dance teacher who meets Dovydas, a sign language interpreter, when he interprets for one of her classes. Not particularly subtle in how they both use their bodies to communicate feeling, but they start falling for eachother. There is a bump in the road though as Dovydas is asexual. This makes him worried he’s not good enough for her and her insecure as she fears there is something wrong with her. Sweet, sensual and made with feeling, this low budget indie film is a really sweet look at the connection between two souls.

Slow is available to stream on MUBI.

6) There’s Still Tomorrow

There’s a strangeness about There’s Still Tomorrow. The big Italian hit about post WWII Italy is about a wife of an abusive husband and her daughter looking to break free of a patriarchy with a mystery letter. The black and white film by director and star Paola Cortelessi is at times terrifying, but also funny and humane and most importantly an empowering story. Having made $50m on a $5m budget in Italy, this movie is deservedly one of the country’s most successful movies of all time.

5) La Chimera

Speaking of phenomenal Italian films, the best one this year was Alice Rohrwacher’s La Chimera. A moving, quiet and spiritual piece, it sees archaeologist Arthur return to his and his deceased wife’s home in Italy following a prison spell to search for treasures in a grave using his supernatural gift, while also somewhat searching for her spirit. Shot on film with a retro look and feel, the movie has a transcendent fable like existence, almost mythical more than surreal, much like Rohrwacher’s previous work Happy As Lazzaro. The whole cast is great with a career best performance from everyone’s favourite tennis boy Josh O’Connor.

La Chimera is streaming on MUBI

4) Poor Things

The Barbie Movie for sick freaks. Full of unlikeable characters and uncomfortable moments, Poor Things isn’t a kind film, but an intriguing one nonetheless. After a scientist known as god puts the brain of a baby into Bella Baxter’s body, she finds herself as an infant. At first content in God’s house, soon Bella wants to escape. She has various exploits with men and learns about the good and evil of the world with a keen interest in philosophy. Funny and disgusting at times, this movie is well made with good production design, costumes and cinematography making it a visual treat. It’s also one of Yorgos Lanthimos’ more accessible films, with me never having been a huge fan and it also has the phenomenal Emma Stone at her best

Poor Things is available on Disney+

3) Green Border

I try and rewatch most of my top 10 at the end of the year, but the one film I haven’t even considered starting was Green Border due to just how harrowing it is. In Belarus, they fly in Syrian refugees to use as political pawns as they send them over the border to Poland to gain access to Europe. Polish border forces agonisingly round them up and throw them back. This cycle continues with the refugees becoming ill, beaten and hopeless. Well shot and phenomenally acted, the movie is difficult to get through and had me crying at times. It’s shot from the perspective of refugees, activists and border guards to give a round view of the situation, and with director Agnieszka Holland getting in trouble with the Polish government for the film, it’s a current and urgent film which needs to be seen.

Green Border is streaming on MUBI.

2) The Substance

One of the biggest box office surprise wins, making $70m off a $12m budget, once I’d been to a preview of The Substance, I was desperate for the rest of the world to see it so we could finally talk about it and they did. A body horror which lacks subtlety and has both substance and style, the story is about a dance instructor, Elizabeth Sparkle, who has been fired from her tv celebrity job for turning 50 despite her looking as good as Demi Moore. She is soon told about this mysterious Substance which allows her to be young and beautiful, except she must switch back and forth every seven days between Elizabeth and Sue (Margaret Qualley) with the constant message that “you are one”. Full of style, sound and colour this movie screams about the treatment of older woman compared to young, beautiful women and modern day sexism and microaggressions. With some extreme imagery to boot which I can never do justice this is the sort of film that will make people listen. Get Out for women, the movie gives us Moore at her best, and director Coralie Fargeat pulls no punches. This is no holds barred, exhilarating and unpredictable film making at its best.

The Substance is streaming on MUBI

And the film of the year is

Over the last few years my film of the year has been a film I’ve seen and thought hey that’s pretty good, but never been sure whether I’d see anything better. That’s not to disrespect Rye Lane or the Banshees of Inisherin. However, this time I saw my film of the year pretty early in 2024, and even then I knew it would be the greatest.

Sometimes a film makes you feel strongly, however it’s very rare for a film to do so but also leave you feeling empty. Then comes All of Us Strangers a film about Adam (Andrew Scott), a gay man in his early forties who is living alone in an empty high rise in London. Writing about his parents, one day a neighbour Harry (Paul Mescal) comes along and asks to join him. Adam nervously refuses, then on a trip to his childhood home, he sees his mum and dad (Claire Foy and Jamie Bell) at the same age they were when they died in a car crash, now younger than him. They invite him in and over a few meetings get to know each other again. At the same time Adam and Harry’s relationship blossoms. A supernatural film which remains grounded, it’s not one you think about, almost in fear of it all (you kind of know it’s not real), but more one you feel. Adam remains grown up but retains a child like vulnerability, while the younger parents almost seem more mature and nurturing despite having not aged. It never feels weird, but sweet and vulnerable. As you learn more about Adam, you see him have conversations with them he never had the opportunity to as well as the hard truths. His naturally reserved side falls away as he grows, before the reality comes back and leaves you feeling empty.

The movie is a tapestry of beautiful shots, phenomenal lighting, a ten out of ten script and phenomenal performances from all four of them, especially Scott who’s eyes tell a story without words. The movie is a range of emotions, but I don’t think any show a quiet spiritual sadness as much. It really is a masterpiece which is worthy of the film of the year. As close to perfect as I’ve seen this decade.

All of Us Strangers is streaming on Disney+

Sing Sing & THE SUBSTANCE

Posted in ReviewTagged , , , , Leave a comment

You may notice that this month’s film review is weirdly early (or incredibly late if I run out of time). The reason for this is simple. I am a fugitive. Following my decision to possibly loot a CEX for ten copies of Shakespeare in Love, the police are now after me, for crimes in film taste. I have therefore decided to lie low for a few weeks. However, this does mean a lack of cinema for the forseeable. Oh well, consume your popcorn and don’t be like the woman who earlier today said loudly she was unhappy to be behind someone with a big head. I was in front of her. You didn’t say it quietly. Bitch…

Here are the best and the most disappointing films I’ve seen this year.

There are three films I really want to write about. The first is possibly one of my biggest disappointments of the year. Despite many others loving it, I really don’t get the hype behind Sing Sing. Named after the prison in which this true story was set, the movie shows an acting group preparing for a play. Meanwhile, the happy optimist theatre buff writer Divine G (Colman Domingo) has to deal with an upcoming probation review. He also befriends Divine I, played by Clarence Macklin, a hard man who needs to open up. You can guess how it all goes.

The film relies on its authenticity, with everybody apart from Domingo being a prisoner who was in the group. They all give it a good go, with Macklin especially delivering. The look is nice as well, with a good attempt at cinematography. The gliding camera in the room feels intimate. Colman Domingo was also good and will likely be seen around the awards season. However, I found that the movie felt empty. You never could feel the struggle of the prisoners as you never saw prisoners or life outside the theatre rehearsals. The scenes all felt pretty separate as well, more a loose anthology than a tight narrative. Both of these problems meant that I really didn’t feel the emotional pay off. It felt more as if the movie was telling me to be sad.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5.

While I often don’t like the horror genre, there is an emotionally intense self hurting toil I do seem to enjoy. Whether that be dance drama Black Swan or car coitus caper Titane. There were elements of both of these in what could be the most marmite film of the year, The Substance.

Demi Moore plays Elizabeth Sparkles, a former big time actress spending her days producing exercise videos, like days of old. On her fiftieth birthday, she finds out the company finds her too old and is replacing her with a younger fresher model. She is then approached about a trial product called The Substance which can be used to hack your DNA and split you into yourself and a younger “more perfect” version (as if Demi isn’t perfect as she is). Except the rule is you must switch between them across seven days. As you can imagine, this film goes mad, and pretty damn gnarly.

The best horror films reflect the society they show. Get Out reflects racism, His House the immigrant experience, Black Swan the ideals of perfection and The Substance is no different. Unapologetically unsubtle, it looks at a celebrity culture which celebrates youth and the dangerous extent people go to in order to capture it. It also looks at how people treat beautiful people differently to those not as conventionally pretty (Again, not that Demi Moore isn’t pretty). The film runs like a Black Mirror episode, revealing a character, an issue, a technology and a consequence of it.

My favourite thing about this movie was the aesthetic. Everything felt hyper realistic. The production design was full of neon colours, while the white bathroom where the horror tends to take place felt out of Saw. The cinematography was unapologetically suggestive, making the younger version of Elizabeth often sexualised, compared to her older character. The music was quite grimey in a fun way that almost played against some of the bubble-gum colours. The sound was horrific, and without spoiling anything, the make up in this movie is the best I’ve seen for years.

The actors were all great as well. Demi Moore put herself in ASBO contention if the Oscars do their usual thing and ignore horror (with the caveat that Natalie Portman did win for Black Swan). Considering her usual sort of film, this one felt vulnerable and expertly done. Margaret Qualley who played Sue, or the younger Elizabeth matched her older counter part’s narcissism. Meanwhile, Dennis Quaid, playing a skeezy programme executive is as over dramatic and entertaining as everything else.

What really takes this film to the next level is the script. Winner of best screenplay at Cannes, this film is so unpredictable. It’s fun because you don’t know where it’s going to go. I was sat there aghast and entertained. Amused at times and unable to look at the screen at others. Comedy and horror are intricately linked here, as the movie satires society accurately.

Undoubtedly one of my favourite movies of the year, The Substance is almost perfect. If only it were 20 minutes shorter, I don’t think I’d have a complaint. The ending did feel ridiculous and overly-long and there were much better ways it could have gone. Obviously, I won’t spoil it here, but yeah. Doesn’t stop it being a give star movie.

Go and watch it, in cinemas September 20th.

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Review: Us

Posted in Film, ReviewTagged , , , , , 2 Comments

As this is a recent release, this review will be spoiler free

Whenever you go to a horror film at the cinema, you are faced with a deluge of trailers for all other genre films, whether it be about some devilish murdering alien boy or the latest Stephen King adaptation about a misspelt animal graveyard. These remind me about how much I dislike the genre. Cheap jump scares, no story, character development and boring acting. By the time the BBFC age rating comes up, I feel like I’ve made a mistake coming along today. But I remember how much I enjoyed “Get Out” and am intrigued as to whether Jordan Peele can follow it up with this new film. The short answer is he can.

Continue reading “Review: Us” →