With 2025 having drawn to a close, Rating Frames is looking back at the past twelve months of cinema and streaming releases that have come our way. In the third and last of our series of articles, Tom is taking a look at his ten favourite films of the year that was.
There remains a great deal of Doom and Gloom around the film industry, with good reason. A need to appease shareholders has seen mega-corporations merge to boost their market share and profits; Artificial Intelligence continues to evolve, insofar that the technology is replacing jobs until now performed solely by teams of humans; once-bankable actors, directors and franchises no longer bring in the big bucks; and box-office revenues globally still haven’t returned to their pre-pandemic highs.
And yet, these past few months have provided yours truly every reason to be hopeful about the future of cinema. Look no further than the examples below, many of which are feature-length productions guided by auteurs and showcasing diverse voices – just a few years ago, these films would have been considered big risks for the studios credited with financing and releasing them, but their gambles have paid off handsomely, lapped-up by audiences hungry for fresh ideas and original stories.
To that end, this writer is of the belief that 2025 will come to be known as the year that Hollywood finally rediscovered its mojo, the dawn of a second New Wave that celebrates and rewards directors who possess great artistic vision. And these here are the films which shall come to define it.
10. KPop Demon Hunters
Not since Disney’s Frozen (2013) has an animated feature so readily and deservedly ruled the cultural zeitgeist. Unceremoniously added to Netflix’s catalogue in June, this genre-melding fable broke free of its seemingly-niche target audience to become staple viewing in family households, entice large crowds to theatres with sing-alongs and earn a place in music history by having one of its numbers topping pop-charts the world over.
Driving that success is qualities like a bright palette, flashy visuals, mesmeric fight sequences, great songs, and a trio of distinctive lead characters who come across as quirky, unapologetic dorks, yet just are just as capable of being strong, resourceful and ultra-cool heroines. Even non-fans of Korean pop music and fantasy stories will be won over by KPop Demon Hunters, offering further proof that its studio, Sony Pictures Animation is becoming the industry’s focal point for creative and boundary-pushing works.
9. Wake Up Dead Man
First there was Knives Out (2019), a smart and comedic subversion of the Whodunit that delivered one of cinema’s more memorable characters in recent times; then came Glass Onion (2022) which retained its eccentric protagonist while upping the laughs and intrigue. Following both is Wake Up Dead Man, and though not as inventive nor funny as its precursors, this latest chapter is the most compelling mystery to feature Benoit Blanc so far.
Lying within are pertinent commentaries about the role faith and religion plays in our lives; a script that has viewers guessing and second-guessing until the Agatha Christie-like reveal of the true culprit; and conflicts attuned to contemporary politics which come across as neither snarky nor patronising. And that’s not to forget the all-star list of thespians who inhabit their roles brilliantly, including Daniel Craig who’s delightful once more in the role of Blanc.
8. Superman
Producing a movie centred on America’s original and ultimate superhero that wins over critics and punters should be an easy task, and yet in this century alone, Warner Bros has twice brought the venerable comic-book franchise to the big screen with a reboot that underwhelmed parties in both camps. Who better, then, to restore faith in the Man of Steel than a director who made a group of obscure, space-faring bounty hunters a box-office drawcard, and transformed a reviled super-villain property into a gag-filled spectacle.
James Gunn’s Superman is a blockbuster that understands the ethos of its titular metahuman better than most adaptations that bear his name – he’s not a god or alien, rather someone just like us who happens to possess otherworldly powers. The film’s tone is welcomely cartoonish and silly but equally sincere and loveable, meaning any initial hesitations about cheap-looking sets and vibrant colour-grading are pretty much forgotten about within minutes. Also worthy of mention is the peerless cast and plentiful references to its Richard Donner-helmed forebear.
7. Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning
“I need you to trust me one last time,” says Ethan Hunt to his superiors, though he could well be addressing theatregoers in that statement too. For close to three decades, we trusted him to deliver the kind of high-octane, jaw-dropping thrills that demanded to be seen on the largest screen possible, and our confidence in him was justly rewarded with the eighth feature-length instalment of a spy franchise once confined to television, but now inexplicably linked with the saviour of cinema: Thomas Cruise Mapother IV.
The Final Reckoning is burdened with issues of world-building and slow pacing in its early stages – something of a trend with 2020s action flicks – which soon after yield to some of the tensest action sequences ever witnessed, many involving practical effects and some worrying enough to give viewers a nervous breakdown. Combine that with the pertinent discussions around A.I. and assured direction of Christopher McQuarrie, and the result is a near-perfect send-off.
6. One Battle After Another
Now for the most contentious opinion shared in our end-of-year reflections – where both of his fellow Rating Frames scribes have placed the latest Paul Thomas Anderson feature at the very top of their lists, yours truly has opted for a less enthusiastic view and a position five rungs below. Reasons why are hard to pinpoint, but there is a nagging sensation that an element is missing, an itch not being scratched; a feeling the picture could be funnier, livelier, more subversive, more bonkers.
None of this is to say that One Battle shouldn’t be showered with praise, or else there’d be no mention of its title here. Of greatest appreciation is Sean Penn as the antagonist Colonel Lockjaw; Jonny Greenwood’s piano-led score which heightens the tension; and a world that perfectly captures the USA’s current political climate (note the militant police forces and sense of autocracy) without hitting too close to home a la Ari Aster’s Eddington.
5. Mickey 17
Having effusively asserted himself as one of the best directors working today with the Oscar-winning Parasite (2019), anticipation was high, and the wait long, for Maestro Bong’s follow-up. His newest effort, released in the early months of 2025, draws upon several of the motifs and themes utilised in the Korean auteur’s previous works, yet sets itself apart by – as Arnie pointed out in his Top 10 article – striking a more positive and hopeful tone.
Other merits of Mickey 17 include the fantastic production design with its grimy, rudimentary sets; the hypnotic soundtrack of composer and returning Bong collaborator Jung Jae-il; the superb editing of Yang Jin-mo which keeps the pace smooth throughout; and Mark Ruffalo, who’s a delight in every scene as the Trump-adjacent despot Kenneth Marshall.
4. Bugonia
The current political scene is casting a long shadow over Hollywood’s creative output, as evidenced by the previous two films mentioned and their not-so-veiled mocking of the Free World’s supposed leader and his lackeys. That same paranoia can be found in Greek auteur Yorgos Lanthimos’ latest, an allegorical narrative that’s all at once clever, thought-provoking and scary.
In keeping with the rest of Yorgos’ oeuvre, Bugonia has a delightfully off-kilter tone, aided in part by the bombastic, haunting and ethereal score of Jerskin Fendrix. Biting humour alleviates the stressful atmosphere, often when it’s least expected, as does newcomer Aidan Delbis in the role of Don, the screenplay’s moral and rational centre, and someone who very nearly outshines his established co-stars, Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons – both of whom prove to be their usual exceptional selves.
3. Hundreds of Beavers
“How on Earth,” you might be wondering, “does a low-budget slapstick comedy which premiered in 2022 end up appearing in a Best of 2025 list?” The answer is thus: for many Australians, the past year was their first chance to see Mike Cheslik’s homage to our favourite medium’s early 20th Century pioneers like Buster Keaton and Harold Lloyd, whether that be through SBS On Demand or limited showings in local theatres like Cinema Nova.
Jokes abound in Hundreds of Beavers, which commits wholeheartedly to the silent-era aesthetics by telling its narrative almost entirely without the spoken word. Most gags are physical in nature with all manner of harm done to our hero, Jean Kayak (Ryland Brickson Cole Tews) and his mammalian foes (various human actors in oversized animal costumes) while a meme-referencing needle-drop over the end-credits provides the cherry on top of a very rich and decadent cake of laughs. You’ll be hard-pressed to find a movie that puts a bigger smile on your face.
2. But Also John Clarke
Being a fan of its eponymous subject, and in particular his political satire meant this documentary was virtually assured a placing in this writer’s Top 10 list, and if judged solely on personal sentiment would easily slot into First Place. Indeed, its sole irksome drawback is that not enough time is devoted to his impact beyond Australia and New Zealand.
Yet to view this solely as a fawning appreciation for a comedic titan would be unfair to director Lorin Clarke, for non-fans of her late father will find plenty of interest within But Also John Clarke. Archival clips of his work, some dating back to the 1970s prove just as fresh and witty as when they first aired, while contemporary interviews offer fascinating insights into the legacy of his long-haired, gumboot-toting alter-ego Fred Dagg.
1. Sinners
The horror genre has become the go-to place for directors to establish their mark on the medium, whether they be upstarts hoping to earn a name for themselves or industry veterans eyeing status as a legend of their craft; Sinners puts Ryan Coogler firmly and assuredly in the latter category. To label it simply as a horror flick would be a disservice to Coogler’s genius though, for his blockbuster is an astute melange of several other influences – it’s a Western, a musical, an action flick with tinges of romance and comedy.
Here lies a thrilling, classy and transcendent experience, boasting an excellent cast headlined by Michael B. Jordan in dual roles, alongside phenomenal supporting performances from Wunmi Mosaku, Delroy Lindo, Hailee Steinfeld and Miles Caton. Impressing further is the film’s showstopping music sequence that honours Black artists of every era, and Ludwig Gorannson’s epic blues-inspired score that echoes the strains of Terence Blanchard, all combining to form the most awe-inspiring release of 2025.
Honourable mentions: F1, The Fantastic Four: First Steps, Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein and Travis Head’s century in Perth.
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