I saw 56 films in cinemas in 2025. Here's the best and worst of them
- Fraser Simpson
- Jan 2
- 13 min read
Unsurprisingly, given the kinds of features I write on this site, I like films. So much so that at least half of the work I did for my degree has something to do with films, especially my 5,000-word dissertation, which I wrote on the state of independent cinemas in the UK. I also like going to the cinema, it's still my preferred way to watch films, and as long as there is a cinema in my local area, I will likely keep going there a good few times a month. Inspired by someone's post on Reddit, something that should never be used as a conversation starter in real life, I've decided to make a post looking at the number of films I saw in cinemas this year, which cinemas I went to, and my full ranking as to which of these visits were worth the time, and which visits were ones I should have watched at home or avoided entirely. In total, I went to the cinema 56 times this year, an average of just above once a week, to see 54 different films. Some of the films may have been released in 2024 in other areas, so blame the UK's release schedule for why some of them are here.
As a disclaimer, I have a subscription with Odeon's MyLimitless, which I would argue is probably one of the best and most worthwhile subscription services you could get. Providing you have an interest in film and can stomach going to the cinema twice a month at a minimum, you will more than likely get your money's worth out of the £20 coming out of your pocket a month (£17 if you are on the basic tier of MyLimitless).
It is also worth noting that if you live in Brighton or in the East Sussex area and have a passing interest in films, then you have an incredible selection of cinemas at your disposal. Outside of the standard Odeon and Cineworld multiplexes, you have two Picturehouses in Brighton, one being the longest surviving cinema in the UK. You also have multiple independent cinemas, such as the wonderful Depot in Lewes, the Picture House in Uckfield, or even the community-run Hurst Village Cinema. The point is, you are spoilt for choice if you live in this region.
2025 Films:
Memoir Of A Snail - 9/10 - Probably one of the greatest stop-motion animated films of all time, it's such an imaginative and inspired experience, with some absolutely stupendous animation and emotional beats, whilst being one of the most unique experiences the medium of animation has ever created. The best film I saw in cinemas this year, and it happens to be the one where the film's team used sex lube for the characters' tears.
One Battle After Another - 9/10 - My first Paul Thomas Anderson film, and it was delightful. The fact that it clocks in at 162 minutes, yet never feels like a chore to watch, is impressive.
Black Bag - 8/10
Pillion - 8/10 - Usually, if a film has as many as 16 walkouts throughout its runtime (at least from my screening), then it's not likely to be recommended, but in Pillion's case, the walkouts reinforce my recommendation. Pillion is a beautifully shot film and very caring, relaxed and sensitive in its presentation of sadomasochism that few films can compare to.
Nosferatu - 8/10 - Robert Eggers is slowly becoming one of my favourite filmmakers to keep track of, and his take on Nosferatu is a gorgeous feast for all the senses. It's faithful to previous attempts of Nosferatu but with its own spin, and is phenomenally acted across the board, with Bill Skarsgård disappearing into the role of Count Orlok courtesy of impressive makeup and his impeccably disturbing performance. One of my favourites of the year without question.
Sinners - 8/10 - Personally, I'm in the camp of just seeing this as great rather than a masterpiece, but it would be sinful of me to say Sinners isn't good, because it's a masterful original film. And as everyone and their mum has pointed out, the music is phenomenal.
The Long Walk - 8/10 - Put David Jonsson in anything, and I will be there to watch it. I'm so glad he's getting the recognition he deserves. His acting in The Long Walk is terrific (and also, if you like him in this, you should watch Rye Lane; to say it's fantastic would be an understatement)
Bugonia - 8/10 - The Yorgos Lanthimos/Emma Stone collaboration works wonders yet again with Bugonia, bringing a grim and gory experience with stellar performances from the central trio of actors, and above all else, being a hell of a time.
Mickey 17 -8/10 - The natural follow-up to a film as universally acclaimed as Parasite, of course. Bong Joon-Ho's latest is a great time; the concept is wonderful, the dual performance from Robert Pattinson is delightful, and this film, alongside Sorry, Baby, showcases why Naomi Ackie should be in more films.
Sorry, Baby - 8/10 - Speaking of Naomi Ackie, she's great in this. The fact that this was Eva Victor's directorial debut as well is remarkable, because it's a great debut at that, with Victor herself also giving a great performance. Also, the film's cat is cute.
28 Years Later - 8/10 - Insane legacy sequel in the best way possible. The fact that this isn't the first Danny Boyle film to feature weird things happening to a baby is fascinating. Ending is bonkers in a way I can't tell if it's good or not (and especially for non-Brits that may not know who or what the characters are dressed up in a similar manner as), but the rest of the film is so weirdly unique and beautifully tender at times that it more than makes up for it.
Superman - 8/10
Weapons - 8/10 - Might just have the most insane final kills of any film, horror or not, and that is truly an impressive feat for a film as equal parts darkly comedic and horrifying as Weapons.
Hard Truths - 8/10
We Live In Time - 8/10 - Andrew Garfield works for Weetabix, and both he and Florence Pugh (who have incredible chemistry with one another in this film) eat Jaffa Cakes in a bath, what's not to like?
Companion - 8/10
The Phoenician Scheme - 7/10 - Wes Anderson's recent output has been fairly consistently good, if nothing spectacular on the level of The Grand Budapest Hotel, and The Phoenician Scheme continues that train of quality. The central trio of Benicio Del Toro, Michael Cera and especially Mia Threapleton are lovely and delightful to watch, and the film is easily worth it solely for the scene where Tom Hanks and Bryan Cranston are the greatest basketball duo since Michael Jordan and Bugs Bunny.
The Running Man - 7/10 - I've already reviewed this film on this site here if you want more expanded thoughts. The simplified version is: Glen Powell shines, there are some fun sequences, it could've been better, and with someone as talented as Edgar Wright directing, there should have been more style and flair to the film.
Zootopia 2 - 7/10 - For a sequel to a perfectly decent animated film that didn't need to exist, Zootopia 2 is pretty good, boasting lovely animation, imaginative worldbuilding, and a fairly compelling story. It is amusing how the power of animation (or more likely, a semi-decent paycheck for little work) brings together the likes of Ed Sheeran in the same film as Macaulay Culkin, Michael J Fox and a pair of WWE wrestlers. What a time to be alive.
Eternity - 7/10 - Reminded me a lot of The Good Place, which is a show that I can't recommend enough, so if you love The Good Place as I do, then Eternity will be very sufficient with its bright and colourful cinematography and production design, alongside compelling performances from its central trio of actors.
Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning - 7/10 - The first hour might just be the worst this series has ever been, an impressive feat when you remember Mission: Impossible 2 exists. But once Tom Cruise gets aboard a sunken submarine, and especially with its climax, the film remembers why audiences are here: to watch Tom Cruise try to kill himself in new and inventive ways. That climax redeems the film to such an extent that it slightly makes up for the slog you have to endure to get here, and whilst it's still a fascinating final film to go out on, The Final Reckoning more than delivers in the insane antics of Tom Cruise that audiences have come to expect from this series for the past 30 years.
The Naked Gun - 7/10- As someone who adores the original The Naked Gun, and who also finds Airplane! to be one of, if not the greatest, comedies of all time, the new Naked Gun was a blast to watch in a cinema, might've been the loudest I've heard a screen laugh in quite some time.
Roofman - 7/10 - Channing Tatum is doing great work here; his compelling performance makes the film tick so well. A really solid and fun time about a real story that is a fascinating read in itself.
Mars Express - 7/10
Caught Stealing - 7/10
The Fantastic 4: First Steps - 7/10 - The Fantastic 4: First Steps - 7/10 - Fourth time's the charm for this superhero family to get a decent film. The production design and score are neat, the cast is wonderful (especially Joseph Quinn, my beloved), and it's just a good time. Nothing more than that, and if the quality of the first 40 minutes remained for the rest of the runtime, then it could've been special, but it's the most I've been entertained by a MCU film since Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3, so there's that.
Avatar: Fire and Ash - 7/10 - You know the drill when it comes to Avatar at this point. Stunning visuals, effective use of 3D technology, a wafer-thin story that is a retreat from the previous two films, and ultimately making another billion or two at the box office. If you're not on board with this series at this point, nothing more will convince you, and you shouldn't waste an astronomical 198 minutes of your life watching it. Unfortunately for me, I am on board with this series, and I will be seated in 2029, presuming James Cameron continues to make more of these films.
Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy - 7/10 - Unsurprising that there were so many people watching this in my screening back in February. What is surprising is that a Bridget Jones film would actually have such a gentle, poignant, and genuine exploration of grief, alongside being very amusing in the way a Bridget Jones film would be. A lovely experience, helped by the fact I got to see it with my mum, who enjoyed it as much as I did, if not more.
Ballerina - 7/10 - Probably the weakest film in this series of bloody action films, but if your weakest entry thus far is still a decent 7/10, then it's fair to say this is a worthwhile series. The action of this series is something that I can always get a kick out of, and the action scenes here are still a highlight. While this is nowhere near comparable to the mainline John Wick films, Ana De Armas' efforts are a fine way to spend 2 hours.
Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person - 7/10 - Yes, I mainly saw this for its title alone, and also because it was a showing at a cinema I wanted to interview for my dissertation. It was a win-win situation all around.
Predator: Badlands - 7/10
Materialists - 7/10
Thunderbolts - 6/10 - For a film that has no real reason to exist, it's perfectly fine, actually has a decent third act that doesn't go through the usual MCU motions, it's just adequate, and there's nothing wrong with that. There's just nothing all that special about it, and it's just another example of the MCU going through the motions of average superhero films.
Nobody 2 - 6/10 - Passable enough in the moment, but given the pedigree of director Timo Tjahjanto (The Night Comes For Us is a phenomenal action film), it feels a bit disappointing. Still, it's an adequate experience with some decent setpieces scattered throughout its runtime to make it slightly worthwhile, I just wish it were better.
Elio - 6/10
Warfare - 6/10 - Very much a style over substance kind of film, but it's one with decent enough technical qualities to make up for a so-so experience. The sound design is on point, though.
Novocaine - 6/10
Babygirl - 6/10
Jurassic World Rebirth - 5/10 - It's quite amusing for the film to mention that in-universe, public interest in dinosaurs is waning, when in real life, these films continue to make stupid amounts of money despite the overall quality of these films not really being that high. For what it's worth, Jurassic World Rebirth is perfectly fine. It has some nice setpieces, and Gareth Edwards knows his way around showcasing scale and very nice environments. It's also still partially a painful attempt to recapture the magic of the original Jurassic Park, and the fact that the newly introduced secret island goes haywire because of a Snickers wrapper says a lot. It is what it is, it's not something I have any interest in revisiting, but it's not terrible at least.
A Working Man - 5/10 - Jason Statham films are my bread and butter, and I am rarely bored with his output, despite how average many of his films end up. A Working Man ends up on the lower side of the actor's filmography, being a tonally confused and tedious slog for most of its runtime, which, if it starred any other actor, I would likely rate lower. But since it is the Stath, his presence slightly elevates it to mediocre. It's garbage, but it's my kind of garbage.
A Big Bold Beautiful Journey - 5/10 - Should a romance film starring Colin Farrell and Margot Robbie have been better? Yes, yes, it should've been. Alas, A Big Bold Beautiful Journey is merely ok, outside of the most egregious bit of product placement for Burger King seen in a 2025 release besides Jurassic World Rebirth.
TRON: Ares - 4/10 - Much like with this year's Running Man, already reviewed the film previously, which you can read my thoughts here. To bluntly summarise, it's a forgettable borefest with a damp squib of a leading Jared Leto performance, and the only redeeming quality to the film is the Nine Inch Nails soundtrack. Seek that out on whatever music platform you use, and just avoid the film entirely.
Death of a Unicorn - 4/10 - Out of all the films I've seen in cinemas this year, this is likely a contender for the most forgettable. It's not abhorrent in any way; it's just dull and repetitive, a very shallow film that made me feel very little inside. At least Will Poulter was fun to watch, I'll give the film that.
The Monkey - 4/10 - This film feels like it was written by an alien (non-complimentary). It's a film that doesn't take itself too seriously in the horror department for its themes surrounding the inevitability of death to have a profound effect, and it's not absurd enough in the comedy department to make it somewhat enjoyable. Basically, it has no idea what it wants to do with its tone, and it ultimately left me frustrated at the final product.
M3GAN 2.0 - 4/10
Five Nights at Freddy's 2 - 3/10 - The only compliment I can give to this film is that it's not the worst 2025 film I've seen all year (Amazon's The War of the Worlds and Netflix's The Electric State are far worse). But it is the worst film I've seen in a cinema, so it has that prestigious honour. Atrocious writing, lacklustre kills, an overreliance on jumpscares and a waste of Matthew Lillard are some of the 'highlights' of this wretched sequel. It's nearly 2026, and Willy's Wonderland is still a better Five Nights at Freddy's film than the two actual ones. That says it all.
Re-Released Films:
Heat (30th Anniversary Re-Release) - 9/10
28 Days Later - 8/10
Commando - 8/10
Brokeback Mountain - 8/10
Blue Velvet - 7/10
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes - 7/10
Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair - 6/10
28 Weeks Later - 5/10
Multiple Times:
Superman and The Naked Gun - 2
Cinemas Attended:
Odeon Aylesbury - 19
My closest hometown cinema. The recliner seats are lovely, and I rarely have an issue with audiences, but the seat prices if you don't have Limitless are slightly extortionate to say the least. Coupled with the fact that there is a weaker variety of films compared to other Odeons, such as the one in Brighton, and it is a cinema that I wish had greater nearby competition.
Odeon Brighton - 28
My most frequented cinema of the year, mainly because 2/3s of 2025 were spent in Brighton. Due to not being a Luxe cinema, the seats are worse than the Odeon in Aylesbury, but outside of its decrepit exterior design, this is a fine cinema for a multiplex. A great number of screens, no issues with audiences, and a great variety of films at different times, for the most part.
Lewes Depot - 5
I am very much indebted to this cinema, as it was the basis for the first-ever feature I wrote for my journalism degree, but it is such a delightful little independent cinema that I can't recommend it enough. I always enjoyed visiting the cinema, the various times I went whilst at university, and the fact that Under-25 tickets were £5 (and half-priced on Tuesdays) helped my interest. Due to it showing some major film releases alongside the prioritised independent showings, you could argue this has a better variety than the multiplexes, and it's probably my favourite cinema that I've been to in my short little life.
Duke of York's Picturehouse, Brighton - 2
The oldest purpose-built cinema in the UK needs no introduction. Even though there was irony to my first ever film seen in this iconic cinema, being The Room of all films, it's still such a beautiful single-screen cinema that has stood the test of time, and should argurably be one of the main cinemas you should go to if you live in East Sussex, or anywhere in the UK if your interest in film is great enough.
Hurst Village Cinema - 1
I only saw one film here, the phenomenally titled Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person, but it was still an incredible experience. The fact that this was probably the first community-run cinema I had been to, run entirely by volunteers, made the setup all the more fascinating. The film screened was good, but the cinema itself opened my eyes to what goes on to operate a community cinema like this, and helped shape my dissertation on independent cinemas for the better.
White Wall Cinema Brighton - 1
Much like with the Village Cinema, I only saw one film here (they did a showing of Arnold Schwarzenegger's classic Commando back in June, so of course I had to attend), but it was still a very pleasant experience. Its existence as a pop-up cinema is very fascinating, and whilst I can only speak for the single time I attended a screening, alongside an interview with the cinema's co-founder for a placement feature, it was still a lovely venue that demonstrates the wide variety of cinemas that Brighton and East Sussex have to offer.
Cinema Visits By Month:
January: 2
February: 7
March: 6
April: 3
May: 4
June: 6
July: 6
August: 7
September: 3
October: 3
November: 5
December: 4
Cinema Visits By Day Of The Week
Monday: 13
Tuesday: 12
Wednesday: 7
Thursday: 3
Friday: 2
Saturday: 5
Sunday: 14
Website Links To The Various Cinemas:
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