Whether in narrative or documentary, few years have produced so many films with such unique approaches to the beauty, violence, and pain of our world. And though there were perhaps fewer notable films that I loved, there was probably more than an average amount that I really liked. It was a wonderful year for horror, for example, with films like The Black Phone 2 and Sinners just missing the cut. The more real horrors of films like All That’s Left of You, The Alabama Solution, and Warfare created images that will forever haunt me. Some of my major blind spots (as in, I have yet to watch) include Josh Safdie’s Marty Supreme, Joachim Trier’s Sentimental Value, and Jafar Panahi’s It Was Just an Accident, which all have a good chance of later making this list. But without further ado, below are my Top 10 films thus far, ranked alphabetically. Where I have previously reviewed the film, the title is linked to my full thoughts. The rest are accompanied by a short description to explain why they made the cut.
• Frankenstein (Guillermo Del Toro): A gorgeous rendering of the Frankenstein story that could only be made by the tender and loving hand of one of the greatest living artists. Guillermo Del Toro’s film is sincere and straightforward like a fable, but its exploration of fathers and sons, Catholicism, and the place of ideas like innocence and ethics in our world is extraordinarily complex. Jacob Elordi’s titular performance is equally impactful, balancing the character’s menacing physicality and simmering rage with his childlike curiosity and irreproachable goodness.
• Griffin in Summer (Nicholas Colia)
• Lurker (Alex Russell) Although perhaps not the most impressive film on this list, Lurker is likely my personal favorite of the year. In his directorial debut, Alex Russell crafts a nervy, claustrophobic cautionary tale about obsession, set within a hyper-specific strain of internet-era fame that will likely feel familiar to anyone who was deeply online during a certain era of the 2010s. Théodore Pellerin and Archie Madekwe are impeccably cast, and their performances make these deeply flawed characters darkly relatable. The film revels in its discomfort, boasts an unmatched joke-per-minute ratio, and is packed with genuinely catchy songs, all of which make it super rewatchable and, in my opinion, vastly underrated.
• The Mastermind (Kelly Reichardt): I love a good heist movie. The Mastermind is not that, but it is a brilliant breakdown of that genre. Its masterfully realized look and style immediately immerses you in 1970s Massachusetts, while its precise screenplay and meditative pace allow so much room for interpretation and an engaging uncertainty about its characters’ intentions. And when the film’s ideas finally come into focus, they arrive with devastating force.
• One Battle After Another (Paul Thomas Anderson): PTA’s latest is also one of his best. Bold and brazen, it is the type of movie that we go to the movies for. Its relentless action, unpredictable story, and striking direction make for an exhilarating watch. The performances by Leonardo DiCaprio and Sean Penn vie to be the best of their careers, and newcomer Chase Infiniti more than matches their commitment. From its opening moments to its sublime car chase, One Battle After Another feels like an instant classic.
• Pavements (Alex Ross Perry): Two of my all-time favorite musical artists received biopics this year: Jeff Buckley and Pavement. While Amy Berg’s It’s Never Over, Jeff Buckley relies heavily on emotions and Buckley’s undeniable charm, I found its filmmaking totally uninteresting, occasionally manipulative, and its use of AI totally antithetical to the character. Pavements, on the other hand, was experimental, absurdly hilarious, and, above all, true to the half-serious, slacker spirit of the band. And even in its long-form joke, it creates a challenging exploration of the musical biopic and the tropes of mythmaking that pervade the genre.
• Predators (David Osit)
• 28 Years Later (Danny Boyle): It’s not every day that a film is able to create something that feels visually completely new and risky, but the third installment in this zombie series accomplishes exactly that. Beyond the technical feats, its blood-pumping story is propelled by a tender family drama, beautiful performances, and a reflective allegory for the cultural state of a post-Brexit Britain. And I, for one, loved the film’s controversial finale and cannot wait to see how that energy bleeds into the soon-to-be-released sequel.
• Wake Up Dead Man (Rian Johnson): Rian Johnson considers the place of religion and its path forward in his latest whodunit detective film, and what he comes up with is fun, thought-provoking, and surprisingly hopeful. While the entire film could rest on the performance of Josh O’Connor (also the star of The Mastermind, mentioned above) and the likability of his character alone, it is backed up by a wonderfully distinct atmosphere and a complex mystery that powerfully questions the very function of storytelling.
• Weapons (Zach Cregger): Zach Cregger follows up his bonkers surprise hit Barbarian with a refined clarity and confidence in both the writing and direction of Weapons. Cregger weaves a timeless tale that reminds us of scary bedtime stories, yet the thematic core is directly attuned to the present state of our world. Defined by its extraordinary ensemble cast, challenging characters, and thrilling end, Weapons is a distinct, tense, and truly terrifying modern fairy tale.
Hannah Tran
Hannah Tran is a filmmaker, writer, and friendly neighborhood barista from Las Vegas. She graduated from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas in Film and English and is currently working on her first feature film. In her spare time, she can be found attending film festivals, running a local book club, and, of course, devouring as many movies as possible.