Redbrick’s Film & TV Writers discuss their favourite films of 2025
The Conjuring: Last Rites – Izzy Lee
Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson provided strong performances, as always, and as the credits rolled it felt quite bittersweet saying goodbye to characters I felt like I’d grown up with.
Whilst perhaps not as strong as its predecessors (a hard act to follow with the original films being some of my all-time comfort films), Michael Chaves’ The Conjuring: Last Rites provides a largely satisfying conclusion to the Warren’s saga, which has graced our screens for over 10 years. It follows their last case, but follows the story of the possessed family far less closely than in previous instalments. Rather, it elects to focus far more on the Warrens’ private lives, really tying up their emotional arc with their daughter Judy (Mia Tomlinson) and her soon-to-be husband assisting in the investigation.
Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson provided strong performances, as always, and as the credits rolled it felt quite bittersweet saying goodbye to characters I felt like I’d grown up with. The film framed it in a way that seemed like it knew this would be the case for many, as for a horror film there were many moments that were genuinely heart-warming. Whilst the supernatural elements at points fell flat, the film did well at what it set out to accomplish – it showed us that the Warrens had reached a point where their lives were full and vibrant enough not to need to supplement it with fighting demons, capturing spirits, or performing exorcisms anymore. I think the fact the horror elements weren’t as engaging for the audience this time around kind of echoed that fact, and for me at least, made it a little bit easier to let them go. After all, there is too much of a good thing, and this instalment ended the franchise right on the cusp of that fate.
KPop Demon Hunters – Summaya Mehmood
The stunning soundtrack is the highlight of the film – with songs like ‘Golden’ and ‘Soda Pop’ topping charts since the film’s release.
Sentimental Value – Elyssa Canuela
There is no single hero or villain in Sentimental Value, but rather heroes and villains in each character.
Many will remember when actress Renate Reinsve burst onto the film scene with The Worst Person in the World, her first breakout collaboration with writer-director Joachim Trier. Trier first introduced us to Reinsve through her film-debut in Oslo, August 31st (2011). In 2025, they decided to not torture fans with yet another decade’s wait, and graced us again with the phenomenal film Sentimental Value.
Sentimental Value brings to the screen extremely realistic and hard-hitting stories of a broken family, both individually and interconnectedly. In an age that glamourises perfection in architectured public images, Sentimental Value reminds us that everyone struggles with something behind closed doors, that adversity is inherent in the human experience. There is no single hero or villain in Sentimental Value, but rather heroes and villains in each character. Viewers learn to understand the estranged father Gustav (Stellan Skarsgård), sympathise with the anger and depression of the older daughter Nora (Renate Reinsve), and are moved to tears by the graciousness and gratitude of the younger daughter Agnes (Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas).
With its understated portrayal of various difficult topics, Sentimental Value strikes a deeper chord with viewers finding themselves in the characters. Ultimately, Sentimental Value gifts us with introspection, empathy, and healing to love ourselves and those around us stronger. In essence, Sentimental Value lives up to its name by teaching us to turn life’s sentiments into values.
Sinners – Lily Adesina
Sinners is a love story to the transcendental nature of music and community, and the marginalised communities that laid the foundations of American culture.
Ryan Coogler’s Sinner’s is a masterpiece. Set in Mississippi, it tells the tale of the Smoke and Stack twins (Michael B Jordan), who have recently moved back down South to open up a juke joint for their community. Along the way they reconnect with their lovers, friends, and a cousin with an otherworldly musical talent, to create a sensational night. Their dreams of economic freedom, stability, and a good time are overshadowed, not only by the looming threat of the local KKK, but now they have vampires standing at the door asking to be let in. What happens next is a fight for survival set against the melancholic, yet joyful, sounds of the blues, and a shared history of trauma and tragedy. Sinners is a love story to the transcendental nature of music and community, and the marginalised communities that laid the foundations of American culture. The jukebox scene highlighted the beautiful interconnection of culture and music. This scene alone was enough to name Sinners as my favourite movie of the year. With career-defining performances from Wumni Mosaku, Miles Canton, Delroy Lindo, and Jack O’Connel, it captivated me and audiences alike, showing Hollywood that people want authentic stories.
Superman – Esme Chen
This is what makes Superman so great; for Clark Kent is an average man, good, but ordinary.
Superman (2025) is possibly, if not indefinitely, one of the best superhero films of our generation. James Gunn (the master of all things classic comicbook; fun, punchy – and with a powerful message, the perfect balance!) manages to perfectly encapsulate the essence of the comicbook; something which was lost to the post-pandemic overconsumption, which rival studio Marvel succumbed to. With a fun, jovial colour palette and a fluid style, Gunn manages to curate a synaesthetically dream-like atmosphere, but also a grounded one. This is what makes Superman so great; for Clark Kent is an average man, good, but ordinary. So much so that social media platforms such as TikTok and Instagram were taken by storm, for everybody who has seen the film was swept away with a fulfilling feeling of inspiration, for we too could be what Clark is … a man who gets up every day, loves, and makes mistakes – for that’s what being human is all about! For that feeling of inspiration alone, this film deserves all the recognition and praise it has gotten.
Wake Up Dead Man – Hanna Rumowska
As in the other Knives Out films, the mystery itself is fairly easy to deduce before the ultimate reveals, but that has never been the appeal of these films.
The Knives Out films have everything – mysteries, fantastic performances, beautiful visuals, political commentary – there’s little not to love. It is with much reverence then that I say, Wake Up Dead Man managed to surpass all my expectations. I’d been anticipating it for years, and Rian Johnson delivered on those expectations so well that I left that theatre feeling profoundly changed.
The story follows Father Jud (Josh O’Connor) after his relocation to a strange small-town church, where faith is turned into a form of abuse. As the church’s leader, Monsignor Wicks (Josh Brolin) is murdered in a locked room, and everyone points to Jud as the killer, knowing that he despised the philosophies with which Wicks ran his church, Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) shows up to offer his expertise.
This is not to imply that the film is any less comedic than its predecessors – far from it, I think it has some of the funniest writing and line deliveries I have seen in years. Craig’s chemistry with Josh O’Connor in particular steals the show completely. O’Connor himself gives an incredible performance, filled with a genuine sense of hope for mankind.
As in the other Knives Out films, the mystery itself is fairly easy to deduce before the ultimate reveals, but that has never been the appeal of these films. It is about the journey, not the destination, and I think it may well be the best Knives Out film yet.
We Live in Time – Sinai Oruni
Something that I can only really sum up as ‘beautifully British’.
Weapons – Elizabeth Gough
The weaving together of these perspectives illustrates how a character can seem sympathetic from one viewpoint, yet appear completely different from another.
Perhaps the easiest genre to parody, horror films can feel derivative. I expected this from Weapons, based on the trailer’s cliché voiceover from a child, claiming that it’s ‘a true story’. Despite my low expectations, I watched the film anyway.
How wrong I was! For those unaware, Weapons follows a mystery: every child in Justine Gandy’s (Julia Garner) class has run away from home at 2:17 am the previous night, except for Alex (Carey Christopher). What makes the film so gripping is its POV structure, which slowly unravels the truth. These include the frustrated parent, Archer (Josh Brolin), the unprofessional police officer, Paul (Alden Ehrenreich), and the kind headteacher, Marcus (Benedict Wong). The weaving together of these perspectives illustrates how a character can seem sympathetic from one viewpoint, yet appear completely different from another. This depth proves that for filmmaker Zach Cregger, the film’s unique structure is far more than a gimmick.
Since horror relies on the unknown, the film begins to incorporate more comedy as the mystery unfolds. Amy Madigan’s quirky yet intimidating performance as Gladys memorably embodies this blend of genres. The complex structure and masterfully balanced tone certainly make the film a worthwhile watch.
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