Best (and Worst) Films I Saw Last Year
Hello again! It's the beginning of a new year, and that means looking back at 2025 with an air of relief... or perhaps nostalgia, depending on how 2026 proceeds.
With that, of course, comes MOVIES! What did I watch? What was the weirdest movie experience I had? What was funny? What was terrible? Read on to discover...
WORST OF THE YEAR
I really, really hated Thunderbolts. Sorry, Thunderbolts*. It's been a while since I watched anything from the MCU, and I didn't have high hopes. But, my partner really liked one of the characters - and I agree, he was compelling. However, the visual effects mimicking the shadows left after the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki... for apparently no reason other than to 'look cool' or give an air of devastation... disrespectful and pretty gross. Also it just wasn't very good.
Thunderbolts* promo material, via IGN.
MOST DISAPPOINTING
For a long time, I've loved a song called 'Cemetery Man' by Stellar Corpses. Unfortunately, the band disintegrated after some pretty heinous stuff came out, but the song itself is still a banger. The track includes audio samples from the film of the same name, Cemetery Man (1994). On the surface, it seems like it will be awesome: a cemetery caretaker keeps fending off the undead, one of whom he tragically falls in love with. Sounds great, right? Gothic romance, hopefully some great cinematography, maybe a nice atmospheric soundtrack.
Except... it's not that at all. It's a strangely comedic, overtly sexual film (okay, I can get behind that). The butt of many jokes is the intellectually disabled assistant to the protagonist (oh, no...). It doesn't even look that good.
This film was a big letdown for me, and even though it wasn't the worst movie I've ever seen, I guess I felt a bit misled. I also probably won't watch it again.
(Dis)honourable mention: Released just before heavy metal really got its foot in the door, Werewolves on Wheels (1971) just missed its perfect soundtrack. Also, it's got the most aesthetically fragmented plot I've ever seen. Completely absurd and disjointed, and repetitive. We barely even see a werewolf.
A shot from Cemetery Man, via Mutant Reviewers.
MOST SURPRISING
I almost feel ashamed to confess this, but last year I watched The Fast and the Furious (2001) for the first time, and I'm obsessed with it. When I watched it initially, I was expecting it to be really bad. And it wasn't. I gave it a surprising few stars on Letterboxd and moved on.
But then, I couldn't stop thinking about it. The costumes. The cars. The music. The cinematography. Even the acting. I think this is one of my favourite films of the early 2000s. The franchise is its own beast, but the original is amazing.
Honorable mentions: My first honourable mention goes to Conan the Barbarian (1982). Once again, I was expecting it to be really bad; it kind of was, but in a charming way. I enjoyed the performances a lot, and I'm going to watch it again. Another runner-up here is The Hitcher (1986), which I was looking forward to due to Rutger Hauer's involvement, but ended up being a seriously tense thriller that was visually beautiful and kept me on the edge of my seat. Damn, I always think I don't like 80s movies that much, but clearly I'm wrong.
A shot from Conan the Barbarian, via PopCult.
MOST FUN
I went to see Queens of the Dead at a film festival, and it was really fantastic. Sometimes I find movies (particularly horror movies) with explicit queer commentary a bit exhausting (looking at you, They/Them), but this one was a lot of fun. I did see some people complaining that the characters were all completely self-centred and annoying, which I feel is maybe a little bit true, but I found that mostly entertaining rather than irritating. There's lot of characters, plenty of comedy, and a fair bit of gore as well. I was lucky enough to see a post-screening interview with the director Tina Romero (yes, those Romeros), which was very lovely as well. I recommend this one for a night with friends, or if you tend to enjoy drag.
Honourable mention: Big shout-out to Killer Klowns From Outer Space (1988), which my partner got us to watch for polyamorous vibes (correct). Additional bonuses included fabulous special effects and great colours.
A shot from Queens of the Dead, via Tribeca.
BEST SEQUEL
I finally watched Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986) - AKA Star Trek IV: The One with the Whales - and it was the best Trek movie I've seen so far. I understand why people find it silly or whatever, but I really enjoyed how genuine it was, its humour, and its 1980s-isms. I don't have much else to add. If you're the same kind of bonkers as me, and are very slowly watching the Trek movies in order, please persist.
A shot from Star Trek IV, via Tom Salinsky's blog. You see what I mean?
BEST REWATCH
Well, it's Casablanca (1942). Enough said.
Honorable mention: I watched Sweet Smell of Success (1957) twice in the span of a few days for class last year. It just keeps getting better (bitter?). Great film.
A shot from Sweet Smell of Success, via Roger Ebert.
BEST NEW RELEASE
Let's just say I've been very pleased with the Oscar nominations so far. Sinners was a great watch, and it's very unusual to see a horror film anywhere in the vicinity of the Academy, even though it has such strong social commentary in it. While watching, I truly did forget that Smoke and Stack were both being played by the same person. And needless to say, that soundtrack!
Honourable mention: I also really enjoyed Companion, although I have a hunch that it may not hold up quite as well under close examination.
A shot from Companion, via The Movie Buff.
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Truly one of the best films I watched last year (maybe one of the best films I've ever seen?) was First Reformed (2017). It's such a melancholy, still, painful film; it's dark and blue and black and ugly and beautiful. The camera and sound are fascinating. Ethan Hawke's performance is captivating. I highly recommend it if you haven't seen it.
Honorable mention: How can a film be 'tactile'? I'm not sure, but Fellini's 1973 Amarcord manages just fine. Cyclical and irreverent, political but personal.
A shot from First Reformed, via Deep Focus.
BEST SOUNDTRACK
Really, the best soundtrack also goes to my best of the year. Let's get into honourable mentions.
Honorable mentions: Most annoying music - which gets stuck in my head all the time - for sure goes to The Night of the Hunter (1955). Don't watch this unless you want 'Leaning on the Everlasting Arms' permanently branded into your brain. It does work for the film, though. Another honourable mention is Brainscan, which I've already written about a little on here, but I feel like the soundtrack hasn't been celebrated enough. It's... well, it's perfect.
A shot from The Night of the Hunter, via Criterion.
OTHER HONORABLE MENTIONS
I watched a ton of movies last year, and I don't have the time or energy to tell you why I loved so many of them. So I'm just going to list them: Creep (2014), Dead Ringers (1988), Inland Empire (2006), Go (1999), The Black Tower (1987), Ginger Snaps (2000), Endless Cookie (2025), Tange Sazen and the Pot Worth a Million Ryō (1935). Go, my scarabs.
A shot from Endless Cookie.
BEST OF THE YEAR
My favourite film I watched last year, and probably my favourite soundtrack too, was Strange Days (1995). I don't know if it's the best film in a technical capacity, or even the most well-written; it's certainly got some flaws. But it has stuck in my mind like almost no other movie.
Featuring Ralph Fiennes, Angela Bassett, and Juliette Lewis (who does a fabulous musical performance midway through the film), Strange Days has a stacked cast (and crew - directed by Kathryn Bigelow, with a screenplay by James Cameron).
It's gorgeous, disturbing, tactile science fiction that seems both of-its-moment (the turn of the century) and very timely. There are quite a few warnings that apply to this movie, so view those at your discretion, but I really do recommend it. It haunts me.
Ralph Fiennes and Angela Bassett in Strange Days, via Letterboxd.
Well, that's it: my top picks for the year. I hope this was enjoyable or at least mildly interesting!
P.S.: You can follow me on Letterboxd here, if you'd like.
That's all I have to say, I think.