Flasz On Film

2025, a ballistic missile of a year in its own right, has now entered its terminal phase. As is traditional in all corners to use these final days of the year to look back and reflect on things, it is also a good opportunity to compose a list of 10 Best Films of the Year as well.

10. Warfare

This collaboration between Alex Garland (who has recently delivered the astounding and divisive Civil War) and Ray Mendoza was by far one of the most intense theatrical experiences of this past year for me. With absolute commitment to tactile authenticity and complete sensory overload that goes hand in hand with dropping a camera in the middle of a firefight, Warfare left its politicking to one side and let the images speak for themselves as it crafted a war film that is equally an anti-war critique, an acknowledgment of the utter horror that envelops any and all theaters of war, and a tip of the hat to those who sign up to wear a uniform and risk their lives while following orders. (Full review here)

9. After the Hunt

Luca Guadagnino’s latest proves that the man has no intention of stopping at all. After the Hunt is a dense movie filled with cultural dog-whistles and talking points that some viewers might already be tired of, but it is still relevant and poignant. An intriguing companion piece to Todd Field’s Tár from a while back, this is Guadagnino’s attempt at making a film that looks a little bit like a Woody Allen film, but also it is one that looks past Allen at the same thematic and stylistic inspirations, such as Ingmar Bergman and Michael Haneke. A potent deconstruction of different shades of privilege poisoning the ivory towers of the academic world that also casts a shadow over the more widely understood tensions at the interface between genders and class. (Full review here)

8. September 5

Released to very little fanfare, September 5 recounted the events of the infamous massacre at the 1972 Munich Olympics through the eyes of TV broadcasters covering the event, who found themselves in the midst of an unfolding calamity. Granted, this is most likely a cultural lightning rod at the minute as many viewers find it impossible to separate their own political leanings from opinions about movies they watch, but the film is nonetheless a great exercise in tension, release and perspective. In so many words, it echoes the spirit of early Paul Greengrass films like Bloody Sunday as it grapples with the controversies it portrays. It is also a phenomenal conversation about the Heisenbergian ideas involving the role of the observer in the events they are trying to capture, all of which makes September 5 a worthy and relevant piece of filmmaking. (Full review here)

7. Blue Moon

One of two films Richard Linklater directed this year, Blue Moon is an incredible achievement in minimalistic storytelling reliant almost exclusively on one single performance as its driving force. Ethan Hawke’s turn as one of the godfathers of musical theater guides this story that is steeped in poignant movie references and a meta-aware recreation thereof. It is also a timely conversation about the nature of celebrity, relevance and legacy that most assuredly speak to the filmmaker’s own reflections on the nature and passage of time. At the same time, Blue Moon also happens to extend Linklater’s own lifelong tradition of deconstructing genres as it reconfigures a canonical biopic to fit the parameters of a little movie leaning heavily on monologue, which allows the viewer to experience the world through the eyes of its subject as opposed to showing us his life start-to-finish. (Full review here)

6. A House of Dynamite

Kathryn Bigelow’s return to feature filmmaking is nothing short of an adrenaline bomb. This tense and immediate thriller recounting from a number of perspectives the twenty minutes it takes for a rogue ballistic missile to traverse the world and detonate over a US city is a chilling reminder of the precarious geopolitical position we have been in since the end of World War II. In fact, it arrives with lucidity and determination to reignite the kinds of conversations that we began to think were no longer relevant, right at the time of growing international tensions, increased military posturing from regional powers and a seemingly elevated appetite for war exhibited by some of the most belligerent countries. Bigelow, through the use of her signature blend of authenticity and attention to emotional detail, serves a thriller that bolts you to your seat for its duration and that will leave you stirring for days. (Full review here)

5. Roofman

Derek Cianfrance’s long-awaited return behind the camera starring Channing Tatum, Kirsten Dunst and Peter Dinklage is a phenomenal piece of stranger-than-fiction storytelling that is bittersweet and somehow nostalgic about the often-overlooked era of the early 2000’s. This story about a guy who escaped from prison and hid in a toy store for months is a perfect little dramedy that entertains, tugs at the heart and leaves you with something to chew on after the credits roll as well. A rare example of a film that is as featherlight as it is thematically-loaded and potent, Roofman grapples with a number of character dimensions, which is in no small part owed to Channing Tatum’s wonderful performance, perhaps his best since Logan Lucky. (Full review here)

4. F1 – The Movie

Without a doubt, F1 is the most accomplished blockbuster of this year. Although the movie is draped over a familiar skeletal framework and the dramatic buildup is delivered through the execution on well-worn clichés, it is nonetheless the movie to have seen on the biggest screen available. Kosinski’s lens brings the viewer right into the thick of things and, through a combination of razor-sharp editing, stunt work and very clever camera use, succeeds in approximating the onslaught of adrenaline that is innate to racing superfast cars through tight corners. Its very simplistic drama never undermines the stakes or the spectacle and in fact elevates the experience with the kind of flair that would elicit nods of approval even from the most selective and elitist fans of the action genre. (Full review here)

3. Weapons

The Zach Cregger-directed Weapons came literally out of nowhere to become a brief talk of the town during the summer doldrums with its intriguing premise and intense execution. Out of the massively crowded horror space this year, which also included two Oz Perkins movies (Keeper and The Monkey), Together, Bring Her Back and many others, Weapons is the most distinctive, effective and evocative. Furthermore, it is a perfect little baggie of catnip for Stephen King fans as the movie, on top of the numerous shallow readings pertaining to the weaponization of youth and tribalization of the public discourse, is a treasure hunt of King trivia and a collage of references to some of his most iconic works and adaptations thereof. It is by far the most entertaining genre film of 2025, full of scares, guts and blood and with its tongue gently pressing into its cheek as well. (Full review here)

2. One Battle After Another

Paul Thomas Anderson’s newest movie loosely adapted from a Thomas Pynchon novel, remains the most effective and rambunctious of the small handful of movies to come out this year and look as though they were indirectly commenting on the culture of the current moment. This is as graceful as it is unrestrained and as narratively convoluted as it is emotionally straightforward. In so many words, One Battle After Another is both a spectacle and its own satirical deconvolution driven by a number of absolutely stunning performances from Leonardo DiCaprio, Benicio Del Toro and Sean Penn, the latter of whom commands the screen so profoundly that he is bound to resurface in the conversation during the incoming awards season. PTA relates the utter chaos of the current times and maps this mayhem over top of what looks like a 90’s-set narrative, pokes fun and satirizes while enveloping and overwhelming the viewer with his signature visual prowess. A true cinematic masterclass. (Full review here)

1. The Life of Chuck

2025 was in so many ways a year of plenty for Stephen King fans as we saw a number of adaptations of his work, including The Monkey, The Long Walk, The Running Man and a handful of TV productions to boot. But The Life of Chuck is the one that deserves the most praise here, both because of its own perfectly magical whimsy and thanks to the fact that it happens to be the rare movie to have come out this year to directly counterbalance the doom and gloom pouring into our eyes and ears from all directions. This adaptation of what’s otherwise a flimsy little short story in three acts saturated with magical realism and thinly-veiled fantasy is the perfect antidote to the 2025 malaise and a spiritual descendant of King’s another masterpiece The Shawshank Redemption. It is a movie that requires the viewer to approach it with their hearts and souls open and pure and reminds us of the fleeting nature of life while also asking us if the lives we lead are ones we’d be happy continuing if our days were numbered. That dancing sequence, which is equal parts phenomenal and cringey, is the film’s emotional fulcrum that will germinate some profounds reflections in our souls and maybe see us take the reins of our own destiny and get busy living instead of staying busy dying. The Life of Chuck is thus the most important, emotionally impactful and profound film to have come out in 2025 and perhaps the thing to watch right now, as we formulate our thoughts about what we did and didn’t achieve in 2025 and what we’d like our lives to look like in 2026. Chances are that watching Chuck’s brief story of self-actualization will give us all the kind of momentum we will require not only to survive the next year, but to thrive and make it a success. (Full review here)