(This article is part of our Best of 2025 series.)
I’m more and more convinced that every year is a good year for movies if you know where to look. And increasingly, I’m finding myself looking outside of Hollywood to find the really good stuff. Not that it was all that bad a year for Hollywood, either – I thought all of Sinners, One Battle After Another, Bugonia, Weapons, and Marty Supreme were excellent. But if you’re willing to read some subtitles and seek out some indie gems, you’d be amazing how many great films you can find throughout the year. Here are the ones I resonated with the most.
Grand Tour
There’s loads of interesting thematic work in Grand Tour around colonialism and privilege. Most importantly, through the narration and archival footage it places the colonists as the outsiders being looked in on, even though they are the main characters. We are in the shoes of the colonized instead of the colonizers – a reversal from most of film history as we know it. It is very compelling structurally too – the second half of the film subverts the expectations set up in the first half. We see Edward on the run and receiving Molly’s telegrams, and start to form a mental picture of who she might be. Who is this woman who is hopelessly chasing a man who clearly doesn’t want her anymore? Then, the moment when you jump back in time to meet Molly is the best moment in movies this year for me, and every moment spent with her is a joy, until it isn’t.
Vermiglio
It’s a phenomenal comfort so soon after the passing of Terence Davies to get a film so in tune with his vision for film. Everything here feels inspired by Davies, from the pacing, the gorgeous use of light and shadow, and the themes of religious repression and fractured family dynamics. This isn’t just pale imitation and mimicry, though; it fully inhabits and matches his style and skill. The film is focused on a large family in a remote Italian village at the end of World War II, and the primary focus is on two daughters who both get great material to work with in their storylines. Maura Delpero shows particular skill in the way she tells plot points with concise visuals – we’ll sometimes skip over events but see their aftermaths in such a way that tells us exactly what happened. The film maintains a melodic and poetic rhythm, feeling like it has a lot of room to breathe but also covering a lot of ground.
Resurrection
Resurrection is a very image-first movie, and the images deliver – some absolutely stunning compositions. There’s a science fiction premise that takes us through the first segment and then essentially acts as a framing device for the rest, but Bi Gan doesn’t get too hung up on it. Instead, he takes us on a journey through film history and genre. Some segments are sad, some are funny, but all of them are stylish in their own right. This film hinges less on the single-take shot than his first two features, yet it’s the best single-take shot he’s done as well. It’s a film about cinema, or dreams, or imagination, or perhaps about the artistic impulse itself – but it works on a level deeper than metaphor, staying a little opaque in its themes but creating an unforgettable experience.
Sentimental Value
Sentimental Value is a performance-centered movie that concerns itself with the things that go unsaid. Too often, we shy away from having tough conversations or processing our own feelings out of fear. And even if we do work up the courage to confront others or ourselves, we may find that we don’t have the tools to do so in a way that is helpful. We react in anger when we can’t take it anymore, and we only end up causing more harm. Dramas with big sweeping emotions are out of fashion. Sincerity isn’t cool. So Sentimental Value’s title has a double meaning – it is a film that is exploring the value of sentiment. And there is indeed value to be found in interpersonal dramas like Sentimental Value that reveal something about ourselves and the world around us. Resisting deep and painful emotions is natural. But the hard work of processing what we are feeling and communicating it with others is worth it.
Read my full review of Sentimental Value here.
One Battle After Another
There is certainly cultural commentary in One Battle After Another, but it can’t be reduced to that alone. It is also a true action thriller – and a masterful one at that. All elements of traditional Hollywood moviemaking are working together at a high level – cinematography, editing, and a tremendous score, to name a few. This is not a thriller movie with cultural catchphrases shoehorned in; nor is it a statement movie with a few out-of-place action setpieces. Its interest in present day concerns and its mastery of genre complement each other; neither would be as effective without the other.
Read my full review of One Battle After Another here.
Which of these films have you seen? Do I hate the English language or just love international cinema? Debate below!
