25 Best Films of the Year: High-Impact Themes, Oscar Buzz & Must-See Movies 2024-25

Discover the 25 most impactful films of the year, spanning genres from intense drama (Hamnet, The Voice of Hind Rajab) to thrilling horror (Weapons, Bring Her Back). See which movies—featuring stars like DiCaprio, Chalamet, and Buckley—are generating the biggest Oscar buzz and defining the cinematic landscape.

Hamnet Review: Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal Shine in Profoundly Moving Shakespearean Tragedy

1. Hamnet

Chloé Zhao’s Hamnet Translates Maggie O’Farrell’s Eloquent Shakespeare Story to Film

Director Chloé Zhao delivers a profoundly moving film based on the novel Hamnet, detailing the death of Shakespeare’s 11-year-old son and its impact on his parents. The film, starring Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal, immerses the audience in 16th-Century life and explores how art brings the lost son back in the form of Hamlet.

Sorry, Baby Hailed as Quirky, Bittersweet Ode to Resilience and Female Friendship

2. Sorry, Baby

Eva Victor’s Debut Film Sorry, Baby Uses Sardonic Wit to Chronicle Sexual Assault and Recovery

Writer-director Eva Victor establishes an unmistakable style in their debut, Sorry, Baby. The indie comedy-drama uses deadpan wit and matter-of-fact frankness to chronicle a college student’s life before and after being sexually assaulted by her professor, transforming a grim topic into a bittersweet story of resilience.

Bradley Cooper Directs Will Arnett in Casual, Intimate Stand-Up Comedy Drama

3. Is This Thing On?

Bradley Cooper’s New Film Dives Into Stand-Up Comedy with Will Arnett

Director Bradley Cooper shifts from A Star is Born and Maestro to the world of small-time stand-up comedy in Is This Thing On? Will Arnett stars as a jaded finance executive who finds a new outlet for his marital problems on stage in this intimate, casual comedy-drama inspired by comedian John Bishop.

Paul Thomas Anderson’s Audacious Film Is Dazzling Mix of Art, Action, and Social Heft

4. One Battle After Another

Paul Thomas Anderson’s Latest is an Audacious Blend of Comedy, Thriller, and Family Drama

Paul Thomas Anderson channels the social and political themes of Thomas Pynchon’s Vineland in One Battle After Another. Leonardo DiCaprio stars in this energetic original film, which effortlessly mixes antic comedy, authoritarian plots, and enthralling action scenes including car chases and shootouts.

Park Chan-wook Triumphs with Gory, Outrageous Black Comedy on Job Loss and AI Fears

5. No Other Choice

Park Chan-wook’s No Other Choice Sees an Ex-Manager Turn Serial Killer Over Job Loss

Director Park Chan-wook (Oldboy) returns with the satirical farce No Other Choice, based on a Donald Westlake novel. The film stars Lee Byung-hun as a happily content factory manager who, upon being made redundant, resorts to murdering rival job candidates in an outrageous black comedy about employment anxiety.

Kleber Mendonça Filho Solidifies Reputation with Intense, Thrilling Political Drama

6. The Secret Agent

Kleber Mendonça Filho Blends Genres in Intense Brazilian Political Thriller

Set in Brazil during the 1977 dictatorship, Kleber Mendonça Filho’s The Secret Agent is an intense and suspenseful drama. Wagner Moura stars as an apolitical professor targeted for murder after crossing a government-connected oligarch. The film seamlessly mixes genres, from carnival celebrations to bloody shootouts.

The Voice of Hind Rajab Delivers Gut-Punching Impact in Stark Picture of War Brutality

7. The Voice of Hind Rajab

Kaouther Ben Hania’s New Film Recreates Final Hours of Five-Year-Old Trapped in Gaza

Written and directed by Kaouther Ben Hania, The Voice of Hind Rajab is a devastating blend of documentary and drama. The film uses the actual voice recording of a five-year-old Palestinian girl trapped in a car wreck in Gaza, transforming a tense, ticking-clock thriller into an almost unbearable picture of war’s brutality.

Stellan Skarsgård Delivers Career-Best Performance in Eloquent Family Drama

8. Sentimental Value

Joachim Trier Explores Complex Family Bonds Between a Director and His Daughters

Director Joachim Trier (The Worst Person in the World) crafts an eloquent and unsentimental family drama, Sentimental Value. Stellan Skarsgård delivers a stunning performance as Gustav Borg, a self-absorbed director attempting to forge a connection with his two grown, wary daughters, played by Renate Reinsve and Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas.

Jafar Panahi Wins Palme d’Or for Ingenious, Fiercely Critical Comedy of Errors

9. It Was Just an Accident

Jafar Panahi’s New Comedy Follows a Mechanic Who Kidnaps His Alleged Torturer

Prohibited from directing by Iranian authorities, Jafar Panahi secretly made It Was Just an Accident, an ingenious comedy of errors and a fierce critique of the regime. The film follows Vahid (Vahid Mobasseri), a mechanic who must drive around Tehran seeking advice to confirm if the man he kidnapped is truly his former prison guard.

Timothée Chalamet Captivates as Selfish Ping-Pong Con Artist in 1950s New York.

10. Marty Supreme

Josh Safdie’s Marty Supreme is a Kinetic Period Piece Starring Timothée Chalamet.

Director Josh Safdie delivers a textured 1950s New York period piece in Marty Supreme. Timothée Chalamet stars as Marty Mauser, a self-serving, fast-talking young con man who dreams of becoming a world-class ping-pong champion in this lively and fun character study.

Wake Up Dead Man Delivers Third Dose of Rian Johnson’s Delightful Mystery and Social Satire.

11. Wake Up Dead Man

Benoit Blanc Faces Apocalyptic Preachers in Rian Johnson’s Third Knives Out Mystery.

Rian Johnson’s third installment, Wake Up Dead Man, sees Daniel Craig’s Benoit Blanc satirize a new segment of society: apocalyptic religious leaders and the politicians who exploit them. The film contrasts the rationalist Blanc with an earnest young priest and features another series of mind-bending puzzles.

Jim Jarmusch Wins Golden Lion for Layered, Poignant Family Drama Trio.

12. Father Mother Sister Brother

Jim Jarmusch’s Golden Lion Winner Is a Trio of Separate, Moving Family Stories.

Jim Jarmusch’s Father Mother Sister Brother, the Golden Lion winner at Venice, is a trio of separate stories set in different cities, all exploring the theme of grown children and parents misunderstanding each other. The film features Adam Driver and Mayim Bialik in a morbidly funny segment and Cate Blanchett and Vicky Krieps in a realistic drama.

Weapons Review: Zach Cregger’s New Horror Is a Jaw-Dropping Mosaic of American Life.

13. Weapons

Barbarian Director’s New Film Weapons Is a Horror Mosaic Influenced by Paul Thomas Anderson.

Writer-director Zach Cregger (Barbarian) delivers a whole new kind of horror film in Weapons. The plot begins when 17 elementary school children mysteriously run away in the night. The film uses a Magnolia-like mosaic of characters, including Julia Garner and Josh Brolin, to build to a jaw-dropping supernatural finale.

Spike Lee and Denzel Washington Reunite for Gripping, Virtuosic Kidnapping Thriller.

14. Highest 2 Lowest

Spike Lee Adapts Kurosawa for Electrifying New York Kidnapping Thriller.

Spike Lee directs Denzel Washington in Highest 2 Lowest, a gripping thriller inspired by Akira Kurosawa’s High and Low. Washington plays a music mogul who faces a moral crisis when his assistant’s son is mistakenly kidnapped. The film features Lee’s signature blend of race, class awareness, vibrant music, and an electrifying chase through the New York subways.

Talk to Me Directors Return with Viscerally Intense, Oscar-Worthy Horror Film.

15. Bring Her Back

Talk to Me Twins’ Follow-Up is a Viscerally Intense Tale of Demonic Possession.

Australian twin directors Danny and Michael Philippou (Talk to Me) return with Bring Her Back, a meticulously constructed, stickily atmospheric horror film. Starring Sally Hawkins, the film tells a powerful emotional story about orphaned siblings and their foster mother, which eventually involves demonic possession and flesh-eating zombies.

Celine Song’s New Film Is a Clear-Eyed, Delightful Take on Money and Love in the 21st Century.

16. Materialists

Celine Song’s Materialists Is a Modern Rom-Com about Money and Matchmaking.

Following Past Lives, writer-director Celine Song uses a wry, unsentimental lens to explore relationships in Materialists. Dakota Johnson stars as a professional matchmaker choosing between a struggling actor (Chris Evans) and a sincere billionaire (Pedro Pascal) in this delightful film about how money factors into modern love.

Carey Mulligan Leads Big-Hearted, Consistently Funny British Comedy Triumph.

17. The Ballad of Wallis Island

The Ballad of Wallis Island Is a Big-Hearted British Comedy About a Broken-Up Folk Duo.

Starring writers Tom Basden and Tim Key alongside Carey Mulligan, The Ballad of Wallis Island is a hilarious and sincere British comedy. The plot centers on a cheerfully eccentric lottery winner who forces a broken-up folk duo to reunite for a show on his small, remote island.

Lurker Review: Piercing Psychological Thriller Exposes Toxicity of Super-Fandom.

18. Lurker

Lurker is a Chilling Psychological Thriller on Toxic Fandom and Celebrity.

Writer-director Alex Russell’s piercing debut, Lurker, tracks Matthew (Théodore Pellerin) as he crosses the line from superfan to stalker of a pop star (Archie Madekwe). The savvy psychological thriller exposes the delusions surrounding fame and the toxicity of parasocial relationships, slowly building to suspense.

Companion Is the Sharpest American Indie: A Sci-Fi Satire on Misogyny and Technology.

19. Companion

Companion Is a Sci-Fi Comedy Thriller Satirizing Technology and Entitled Men.

Drew Hancock’s big-screen debut, Companion, is a sparklingly entertaining, fast-paced genre blend. The film starts with a couple (Jack Quaid and Sophie Thatcher) at a remote forest getaway and spirals into a science-fiction comedy thriller that satirizes modern technology and misogynistic entitlement.

Ryan Coogler Outdoes Black Panther with Ambitious Vampire and Blues Epic Sinners.

20. Sinners

Ryan Coogler’s Sinners Blends Jim Crow South Drama with Vampires and Blues Music.

Director Ryan Coogler delivers a wholly original film of huge ambition, Sinners. Michael B. Jordan stars as twins returning to 1932 Mississippi to open a juke joint, blurring familiar genres into a phantasmagoria of period drama, passionate sex, exhilarating blues music, and supernatural vampire action.

Art for Everybody Documentary Explores the Two Sides of Thomas Kinkade, ‘Painter of Light’.

21. Art for Everybody

Documentary Art for Everybody Unpacks the Phenomenon of Sentimental Artist Thomas Kinkade.

Miranda Yousef’s riveting documentary tells the story of Thomas Kinkade, the “Painter of Light,” exploring why his sentimental art was one of the biggest-selling in history. The film delves into the cultural debate over legitimate art and the personal pressures that led to the dark side of the devoutly Christian family man.

Warfare Review: Alex Garland Reinvents the War Film with Harrowing Real-Time Intensity.

22. Warfare

Alex Garland and Ray Mendoza Create Harrowing, Real-Time Navy Seals Combat Drama.

Director Alex Garland and military advisor Ray Mendoza (from Civil War) co-create Warfare, a harrowing, real-time drama that recreates an actual battle between Navy Seals and al-Qaeda. The film plunges viewers into the unrelenting intensity of combat, focusing on the fear and determination of being under siege without political context or backstory.

Holy Cow Is a Heart-Tugging, Gorgeously Scenic Debut About Award-Winning Cheesemakers.

23. Holy Cow

Louise Courvoisier’s Debut Film Follows a Teenager Who Becomes a Luxury Cheesemaker.

Set in the French countryside, Louise Courvoisier’s debut, Holy Cow, is a heart-tugging, gorgeously scenic coming-of-age drama. The story follows teenage layabout Totone who, after his father’s death, turns to making award-winning luxury cheese to support his younger sister and overcome financial hardship.

Wallace & Gromit Return with Diabolical Penguin and Al-Powered Garden Gnome.

24. Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl

Wallace & Gromit Face Diabolical Feathers McGraw and AI Threats in New Adventure.

Aardman’s latest stop-motion adventure, Vengeance Most Fowl, sees the return of the iconic duo and their nemesis, the diabolical penguin Feathers McGraw. Directors Nick Park and Merlin Crossingham blend classic claymation hijinks with a modern plot about an evil robotic garden gnome and fears surrounding artificial intelligence.

Rungano Nyoni’s Stunning Drama Explores Trauma, Secrecy, and Cultural Conflict in Zambia.

25. On Becoming a Guinea Fowl

Rungano Nyoni’s New Drama Explores Family Secrets and Sexual Assault Trauma in Zambia.

Director Rungano Nyoni (I Am Not a Witch) delivers a clear-eyed drama in On Becoming a Guinea Fowl. The film follows Shula, a cosmopolitan woman returning to her Zambian village, as her family’s traditional funeral rituals slowly reveal the traumatic secret of abuse hidden by the mothers.