A Glean movie guide
The Best Movies of 2025
The definitive critical shortlist.
The year's most acclaimed films, from festival winners to prestige masterworks.
Handpicked for this guide
The movie list
- 01
One Battle After Another
A masterwork from Paul Thomas Anderson featuring a powerhouse performance by Leonardo DiCaprio.
Washed-up revolutionary Bob exists in a state of stoned paranoia, surviving off-grid with his spirited, self-reliant daughter, Willa. When his evil nemesis resurfaces after 16 years and she goes missing, the former radical scrambles to find her, father and daughter both battling the consequences of his past.
- 02
It Was Just an Accident
This Palme d'Or winner is a masterclass in psychological tension and social critique.
An unassuming mechanic is reminded of his time in an Iranian prison when he encounters a man he suspects to be his sadistic jailhouse captor.
- 03
Sentimental Value
A moving exploration of family and legacy from the director of The Worst Person in the World.
Sisters Nora and Agnes reunite with their estranged father, the charismatic Gustav, a once-renowned director who offers stage actress Nora a role in what he hopes will be his comeback film. When Nora turns it down, she soon discovers he has given her part to an eager young Hollywood star.
- 04
Sinners
Ryan Coogler delivers a high-stakes blend of historical drama and supernatural horror.
Trying to leave their troubled lives behind, twin brothers return to their hometown to start again, only to discover that an even greater evil is waiting to welcome them back.
- 05
The Secret Agent
A sleek and paranoid political thriller set against the backdrop of 1970s Brazil.
Brazil, 1977. Marcelo, a technology expert in his early 40s, is on the run. Hoping to reunite with his son, he travels to Recife during Carnival but soon realizes that the city is not the safe haven he was expecting.
- 06
Marty Supreme
Timothée Chalamet shines in this stylish portrait of a 1950s table-tennis prodigy.
Marty Mauser, a young man with a dream no one respects, goes to hell and back in pursuit of greatness.
- 07
No Other Choice
Park Chan-wook returns with a razor-sharp satirical thriller about the modern workforce.
After being laid off and humiliated by a ruthless job market, a veteran paper mill manager descends into violence in a desperate bid to reclaim his dignity.
- 08
Flow
A visually stunning, dialogue-free animated journey that captures pure emotional storytelling.
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
Frankenstein
Guillermo del Toro’s gothic adaptation is a visual marvel with deep emotional resonance.
Dr. Victor Frankenstein, a brilliant but egotistical scientist, brings a creature to life in a monstrous experiment that ultimately leads to the undoing of both the creator and his tragic creation.
- 10
A Real Pain
Jesse Eisenberg and Kieran Culkin anchor this sharp, funny, and poignant road trip drama.
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.