A Glean movie guide
2025 Oscar Winners & Top Picks
The Year's Best Cinema
The most acclaimed films from the 97th Academy Awards, curated for your next movie night.
Handpicked for this guide
The movie list
- 01
Anora
The chaotic, high-energy Best Picture winner that blends romance and comedy with a gritty Brooklyn edge.
A young sex worker from Brooklyn gets her chance at a Cinderella story when she meets and impulsively marries the son of an oligarch. Once the news reaches Russia, her fairytale is threatened as his parents set out to get the marriage annulled.
- 02
The Brutalist
A sweeping historical epic anchored by Adrien Brody’s powerhouse, Oscar-winning performance.
When an innovative modern architect flees post-war Europe, he is given the opportunity to rebuild his legacy. Set during the dawn of the modern United States (in Pennsylvania), his wife joins him, and their lives are forever changed by a demanding, wealthy patron.
- 03
Emilia Pérez
A bold, genre-defying musical crime drama that led the year with a staggering 13 nominations.
Rita, an underrated lawyer working for a large law firm more interested in getting criminals out of jail than bringing them to justice, is hired by the leader of a criminal organization.
- 04
Conclave
A tense, masterfully written Vatican thriller that keeps you guessing until the very last vote.
After the unexpected death of the Pope, Cardinal Lawrence is tasked with managing the covert and ancient ritual of electing a new one. Sequestered in the Vatican with the Catholic Church’s most powerful leaders until the process is complete, Lawrence finds himself at the center of a conspiracy that could lead to its downfall.
- 05
A Real Pain
A poignant and funny road trip through Poland featuring Kieran Culkin’s award-winning supporting turn.
Mismatched cousins David and Benji reunite for a tour through Poland to honor their beloved grandmother. The adventure takes a turn when the pair's old tensions resurface against the backdrop of their family history.
- 06
Dune: Part Two
A visual and auditory masterpiece that sets a new standard for large-scale science fiction filmmaking.
Follow the mythic journey of Paul Atreides as he unites with Chani and the Fremen while on a path of revenge against the conspirators who destroyed his family. Facing a choice between the love of his life and the fate of the known universe, Paul endeavors to prevent a terrible future only he can foresee.
- 07
I'm Still Here
A deeply moving historical drama from Brazil that earned its place as the year's Best International Feature.
A woman married to a former politician during the 1971 military dictatorship in Brazil is forced to reinvent herself and chart a new course for her family after a violent and arbitrary act.
- 08
Flow
A breathtakingly beautiful animated journey that proves dialogue isn't necessary to tell a profound story.
As the ‘flow’ progresses, the world where our ‘giant’ once stood gradually fades away, replaced by their inner worlds. Our ‘giant’ continues to advance endlessly, questioning the relationship between the world and oneself.
- 09
The Substance
A provocative and visually shocking body-horror satire that took home the Oscar for its incredible makeup.
A fading celebrity decides to use a black market drug, a cell-replicating substance that temporarily creates a younger, better version of herself.
- 10
No Other Land
A vital and courageous documentary providing an unflinching look at life and displacement in the West Bank.
This film made by a Palestinian-Israeli collective shows the destruction of the occupied West Bank's Masafer Yatta by Israeli soldiers and the alliance which develops between the Palestinian activist Basel and Israeli journalist Yuval.
- 11
Wicked
A vibrant and imaginative origin story that won over voters with its stunning production and costume design.
In the land of Oz, ostracized and misunderstood green-skinned Elphaba is forced to share a room with the popular aristocrat Glinda at Shiz University, and the two's unlikely friendship is tested as they begin to fulfill their respective destinies as Glinda the Good and the Wicked Witch of the West.
- 12
Sing Sing
A soulful and authentic look at the transformative power of art within the prison system.
Divine G, imprisoned at Sing Sing for a crime he didn't commit, finds purpose by acting in a theatre group alongside other incarcerated men in this story of resilience, humanity, and the transformative power of art.