The 50 best films of 2025 in the UK: 50 to 31 | culture

50-41

50

Blue moon

Ethan Hawke plays with keen wit and a criminal mix with lyricist Lorenz Hart as he descends into despair after his breakup with Richard Rodgers in this latest collaboration with Richard Linklater. Read the full review.

49

Happy ending

Teen romance and paranoid observation of a deranged influence collide in Neo Sora’s beguiling debut film set in an oppressive near-future Japan. Read the full review.

48

I swear

Kirk Jones’ poignant film about John Davidson, the man who taught Britain about Tourette’s, offers both empathy and catharsis. Read the full review.

47

Lurking

A desperate wannabe joins an up-and-coming diva in a dark and compelling Hollywood melodrama. Read the full review.

46

Heading home

An emotionally rich study of friends in rural India trying to return home in the middle of a pandemic, Neeraj Ghaywan’s film benefits from excellent lead performances and strong cinematography. Read the full review.

45

Librarians

Kim Snyder’s documentary highlights advocates for the rights of young readers to see their lives in print in the face of right-wing attacks. Read the full review.

44

Motherboard

Victoria Maplebeck’s documentary brings together 20 years’ worth of footage in a home video love letter to her son, whose entire life has been monitored so far. Read the full review.

43

Kingdom

Boasting terrific performances by a first-time cast, this Corsica-set mafia tale follows a teenage girl who discovers and relishes her status as the blue-blooded daughter of a crime lord. Read the full review.

42

Bugonia

Possible aliens Emma Stone stars in director Yorgos Lanthimos’s chilling conspiracy theory comedy, co-starring the wonderful Jesse Plemons. Read the full review.

41

Marlee Matlin: You’re not alone anymore

A compelling portrait of the life of deaf actress and activist Marlee Matlin reveals that she achieved much more than her widely acclaimed Oscar win in the 1980s. Read the full review.

40-31

40

Sorry my dear

In her first feature film, writer-director Eva Victor depicts the effects of sexual assault with startling naturalness and surprising grace. Read the full review.

39

Misery

A man moves in with his employer’s widow in this hilarious but dreamlike mystery drama from Stranger By the Lake director Alain Guiraudie. Read the full review.

38

Dead Man’s Wake: A Knives Mystery

Daniel Craig is joined by a dazzling array of talent, including Josh O’Connor, Glenn Close and Josh Brolin, in the latest religious-themed murder mystery. Read the full review.

37

The story of Solomon

Abu Sinjara is brilliant in a story that highlights the forced disappearance of economic migrants on the margins of Paris. Read the full review.

36

death

Lars Edinger plays a conductor who embarks on a major orchestral project, but whose professional status is threatened by family turmoil behind the scenes. Read the full review.

35

Toxic

Saulė Bliuvaitė’s debut film revolves around two Lithuanian teenagers who are seduced by a “modeling school” that promises to take them away from their tough city. Read the full review.

34

From Zero: Stories from Gaza

This heartbreaking collection of short films mentions neither Israel nor Hamas, but instead presents a mosaic of everyday life under constant attack. Read the full review.

33

Brutal

In an Oscar-winning performance, Adrien Brody plays a Hungarian architect and Holocaust survivor who comes to the United States and begins a distinguished career under the patronage of a wealthy man. Read the full review.

32

Gazer

Ryan J. Sloan’s startlingly turbulent debut contains hints of Lynch and Cronenberg, with star and co-writer Ariella Mastroianni radiating pent-up pain and rage. Read the full review.

31

Jenny pen rule

Retired judge Geoffrey Rush is terrorized by John Lithgow’s therapy doll-using colleague in this grueling tale of elder abuse. Read the full review.

30-21 coming soon

Voted the 50 best films of 2025 by Peter Bradshaw, Catherine Bray, Zane Brooks, Luke Buckmaster, Sian Cain, Cath Clarke, Leslie Felperin, Ryan Gilby, Jesse Hassinger, Phil Hood, Adrian Horton, Richard Lawson, It’s mine, Benjamin Lee, Rebecca Liu, Mike McCahill, Gwilym Mumford, Philip Oltermann, Andrew Pulver, Steve Rose W Catherine Shourd