Welcome to the annual round up of the year in cinema, a chance for you, kind reader, to relive with me the highlights and lows of the 2025 cinematic year. A year although slight on the number of new releases, but not bad in terms of quality. My attendance is down on previous years, where I'd easily see 10 or more films a month, but perhaps I've not been as Gung Ho in my approach, electing on occasion to avoid films I just know are going to be bad, rather than seeing absolutely everything.
2025 saw the worst monthly box office haul of the 21st Century and the worst box office month since 1997! That month was October and in fact, there was one week in October where 'Hollywood' didn't release a single new movie.
That said, Ne Zha 2, an animated film from China, did something no other animated film has ever done before, and only six other films in history have ever managed to do, it took over $2 billion at the box office, and I didn't even see it.
It was also the year of the heritage sequels and while the likes of Spinal Tap and Tron Ares crashed and burned, Naked Gun soared, and it was a year that witnessed a once mighty box-office juggernaut franchise, Mission Impossible, finish its eight film run roll with a whimper rather than a spectacular bang. And it was a year that saw the continued slow death of the superhero genre with only six Marvel or DC films released.
Only two films broke a billion this year, the forementioned Ne Zha 2 and the live action remake of Lilo and Stitch (another film I didn't see).
In total I went to the cinema a grand total of 85 times, of which 25 were re-issues of classic films.
First up...
TOP TEN OF 2025
1. ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER 10/10 (FILM OF THE YEAR)
"Overall this is a thrilling and gripping experience that just builds and builds to a coda that just seals the whole film with a satisfying and meaty thunk. And aided by humour as dry as the desert. Damn it, I can't fault it."
2. KILL BILL: THE WHOLE BLOODY AFFAIR 10/10
"I cannot think of a single thing I did not like about this film, it truly was one of those extremely rare cinematic occurrences, a note-perfect, cinematic triumph."
3.THE PHOENICIAN SCHEME 10/10
"Every aspect of this film was a pure delight, from the soundtrack, the style and direction, it's at turns funny, and dramatic and frantic. -- if you're a fan of [Anderson's] wonderful oeuvre then get ready for 109 minutes of pure bliss."
4. THE LIFE OF CHUCK 10/10
"This is an emotional film, beautifully performed by the cast from a witty literate script -- [the] near two hour run time flies by and engages you on a deep emotional level."
5. 28 YEARS LATER 10/10
"By no means is this an easy film, it's filled with nihilism, it's fantastically bleak and deeply savage, and yet it's also deeply engaging and at times moving. Quite simply one of the most unique and powerful films of the year."
6. ETERNITY 9/10
"This felt like a throw-back to a bygone time, the script never preaches, there's no hidden agenda or messaging trying to piggyback the ride -- It's witty, funny, clever and utterly enjoyable and the running time of 114 minutes flew by. Catch it before it's lost for all eternity."
7. BLACK BAG 9/10
"So refreshing to see something so satisfyingly adult. Fassbender and Blanchett are exquisite in their roles and give measured and precise performances and a masterclass in acting. Can't really fault this, beyond the complexity of the plot which robbed me of being able to work out who the spy was. But bloody hell I loved it."
8. WEAPONS 9/10
"[A] film like this only works if it nails its landing and it's a delight to report that this does it with absolute precision and you will not be disappointed. I think this was one of the most original and chilling horror films I've seen in a very long time and I bloody loved it!"
9. SINNERS 9/10
"This is a deeply satisfying, energetic and gorgeous looking film and I goddam loved it! Definitely the best horror film I've seen in an absolute age!"
10. BECOMING LED ZEPPELIN 9/10
"I was captivated and sat centre four rows from the front and just lost myself in the music. -- Even if you're not [a fan of the Zeppelin] I'd still say give this a go! It's always fascinating to watch truly creative people working and creating something unique and extraordinary. Plus the music is EXHILARATING!!"
HONOURABLE MENTION:
"From beginning to end this is Timothée Chalamet's film, his utterly mesmerising performance grabs your complete attention from the first second he appears on screen in the back of car as a hitchhiker to the last as he rides off on his motorbike, 140 minutes later that seem to have flashed by in the blink of an eye."
ALL THE REST:
12. ONE TO ONE: JOHN & YOKO 9/10
13. PREDATOR: BADLANDS 8/10
14. SUPERMAN 8/10
15. FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS 8/10
16. MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: FINAL RECKONING 8/10
17. THE HOUSEMAID 8/10
18. PILLION 8/10
19. COMPANION 8/10
20. THE ACCOUNTANT 2
21. FINAL DESTINATION: BLOODLINES 8/10
22. SISU 2: ROAD TO REVENGE 8/10
23. THUNDERBOLTS * 7/10
24. WICKED FOR GOOD 7/10
25. NUREMBERG 7/10 MICKEY 17 7/10
26. MICKEY 17 7/10
27. NAKED GUN 7/10
28. THE RUNNING MAN 7/10
29. THE ROSES 7/10
30. BRIDGET JONES: MAD ABOUT THE BOY 7/10
31. F1: THE MOVIE 7/10
32. DEATH OF A UNICORN 7/
33. CAUGHT STEALING 7/10
34. NOSFERATU 7/10
35. WARFARE 7/10
36. AVATAR: FIRE AND ASH 6/10
37. FACKHAM HALL 6/10
38. TRON ARES 6/10
39. BALLERINA 6/10
40. THE AMATEUR 6/10
41. THE WORKING MAN 6/10
42. MONKEY 6/10
43. M3GAN 2.0 6/10
44. SPINAL TAP II: THE END CONTINUES 6/10
TOP TEN RE-ISSUES:
IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE 10/10
JAWS 10/10
DIE HARD 10/10
GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL 10/10
ALIENS 10/10
TERMINATOR 2 10/10
SEVEN 10/10
MISSION IMPOSSIBLE III 10/10
LORD OF THE RINGS: FOTR, TT, ROTK 10/10
THE BIG LEBOWSKI 10/10
THE SHINING 10/10
OTHER RE-ISSUES SEEN
EBIRAH, HORROR OF THE DEEP 10/10
GODZILLA VS. MEGALON 10/10
FANTASTIC MR. FOX 9/10
LIFE AQUATIC 9/10
GODZILLA VS. BIOLANTE 9/10
JOHN WICK 9/10
DIE HARD 2 8/10
X-MEN 8/10
X-MEN: FIRST CLASS 8/10
GOLDENEYE 8/10
STAR WARS III: REVENGE OF THE SITH 7/10
FINAL DESTINATION 7/10
And now the category you've been waiting for and in time honoured tradition in reverse order of awfulness...
WORST FILMS OF 2025
How wonderful for Jack Black to have two films out in the same year and category, well done, Jack, that's not an easy feat to achieve.
DISHONOURABLE MENTION
JURASSIC WORLD: REBIRTH 6/10
"-- there were great bits, and lots of fun to be had, but by the same token there was a lot of stupidity and shit too. Still I didn't loathe with the same bile and hate as the last two of these shit shows, so you know. Winner, winner, almost chicken dinner."
(IN DESCENDING ORDER)
10. THE ALTO KNIGHTS 5/10
"Rather than watch this, go back and watch Goodfellows and Casino back-to-back and have a great evening rather than a thoroughly mediocre one."
9. CRAPTON AMERICA: BLAND NEW WORLD 5/10
"A film lacking flavour or bite. One that will wash over you like another person's rancid fart, which once sniffed will soon be nothing more than a rather unpleasant, rapidly forgotten memory."
8. ELLA MCCAY 4/10
"The proof is in the pudding and this eats like a rancid apple pie, sickly sweet and limp, with a damp soggy bottom."
7. ANACONDA 4/10
"This was shit. Poorly written, filled with contrivances to support the plot and characters so one dimensional, they couldn't turn sideways."
6. DR. STRANGELOVE 4/10
"This just feels like a poorly staged church hall performance that seems incredibly dull and boring in comparison to its cinematic originator and manages to be an hour longer than it too. Although, it did make me want to rewatch the film again. So it's not all bad, but I certainly won't be rewatching [this] again."
5. A REAL PAIN 4/10
"How apt to see a film whose title reflects exactly how you felt when you finally walk out of the cinema with your life 91 minutes shorter than it was. It's not all self-indulgent twaddle, The music by Chopin was a delight"
4. THE BRUTALIST 4/10
"--it's all so ponderous and arrogant, "look everybody! We're all a bunch of serious actors and film makers striving to make something worthy enough to win loads of Oscars and shit. Well, shit off."
3. IN THE LOST LANDS 3/10
"The action in this is shit, the acting is shit, the characters are shit, the look of it is shit, the script is shit, the motivation is shit, the CGI is shit, the soundtrack is shit, the special effects are shit, there wasn't one thing about this that wasn't shit."
2. MINECRAFT 2/10
"It's hideous, it's bland, it's boring. A 7 year old boy with his dad in the toilets afterwards said, and I quote, "That wasn't very good, daddy." He was spot on, although I'd have phrased it somewhat differently."
1. MARCHING POWDER 2/10
"The funniest lines are in the trailer so save yourself by just watching that."
TOP TEN MOST READ REVIEWS
This part of the yearly round-up has been one of the most fun parts, watching as films rise and fall up the list, reader figures are up on last year, so thanks to all who take time to read my reviews, it means a lot to me.
The Naked Gun was a clear winner but the battle for silver and gold went to the wire with both films vying battling courageously till the very bitter end.
1. THE NAKED GUN
2. SUPERMAN
3. CRAPTON AMERICA: BLAND NEW WORLD
4. ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER
5. NOSFERATU
6. A REAL PAIN
7. BALLERINA
8. JURASSIC WORLD: REBIRTH
9. THE PHOENICIAN SCHEME
10. A COMPLETE UNKNOWN
THE LEAST READ 'NEW' FILM REVIEW OF 2025
ELLA MCCAY
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