[Photo &] BBC's '25 Best Movies of 2025', Introducing Rankings 1 to 10

BBC film critics Carrie James and Nicholas Barber have selected the 'Highlights of the Year in Film' for 2025, ranging from 'fast-paced action thrillers' to touching family dramas and warm comedies.

1. Hamlet

With themes of love, art, death, and mourning, the visually stunning Hamlet is the most moving and beautiful film of the year.

2. Sorry, Baby

Eva Victor's directorial debut 〈Sorry, Baby〉 stars Naomi Ackie and Lucas Hedges. This charming indie comedy-drama, which Victor also wrote, features her in the lead role of Agnes. The most surprising aspect is that despite being her debut, Eva Victor has already established her own unique style and tone.

3. Is This Thing On?

Bradley Cooper's 'feel-good divorce comedy'. The film 'A Star is Born' dealt with rock music, 'Maestro' with classical music, and 'Is This Thing On?' ventures into the world of stand-up comedy. Thus, it is perhaps the most comfortable, intimate, and genuinely funny of the three works.

4. One Battle After Another

Director Park Chan-wook mentioned in an interview with the American pop culture media Vulture that the most impressive film of the year was Paul Thomas Anderson's 'One Battle After Another'. Leonardo DiCaprio delivers his best comedic performance as former radical Bob Ferguson, with Benicio del Toro, Sean Penn, and Teyana Taylor providing vibrant supporting roles.

5. No Other Choice

Based on Donald Westlake's novel, Park Chan-wook's satirical comedy is described as another brutal success like [Oldboy]. 'No Other Choice' is a bold black comedy filled with imaginative twists, quirky characters, and clever ideas. A masterpiece created by the collaboration of Park Chan-wook and Lee Byung-hun.

6. The Secret Agent

Winner of the Best Director Award at Cannes, 'The Secret Agent'. This thrilling drama refreshes all the clichés of political thrillers, with director and screenwriter Kleber Mendonça Filho skillfully depicting how corrupt government power cunningly ruins the lives of ordinary people. The film's unique atmosphere begins with scenes set in Brazil in 1977.

7. The Voice of Hind Rajab

At the 82nd Venice Film Festival, Tunisian director Kaouther Ben Hania's 'The Voice of Hind Rajab' won the Jury Prize (2nd place). In terms of pure and heart-wrenching shock, there is no film this year that can compare to 'The Voice of Hind Rajab'.

8. Sentimental Value

This year, the Jury Prize (2nd place) at Cannes went to director Joachim Trier's 'Sentimental Value' starring Renate Reinsve. 'Sentimental Value' begins by exploring the Vogt family home in Oslo, and this captivating film gives the audience the feeling of having witnessed the boundaries and longing for love between a father and daughter, and among siblings.

9. It Was Just An Accident

At the 78th Cannes Film Festival, Jafar Panahi's film 'It Was Just An Accident' won the Palme d'Or. It also received the 'Asian Film of the Year Award' at the Busan International Film Festival. Panahi is a renowned director who won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival in 2000 for 'The Circle' and the Golden Bear at the Berlin Film Festival in 2015 for 'Taxi'. Jafar Panahi has been banned from directing by the Iranian authorities and had to produce films secretly. Recently, he was sentenced to imprisonment in Iran, which is unfortunate news. He has previously served time twice and recently received a one-year sentence and a travel ban. In this context, it is not surprising that his latest work 'It Was Just An Accident' strongly criticizes the regime. What is remarkable is that this film is filled with humanity, optimism, and a playful sense of humor.

10. Marty Supreme

An original film inspired by table tennis player Marty Reisman, set to be released in the U.S. on December 25, 2025. Timothée Chalamet portrays a selfish young man who dreams of becoming a table tennis champion while living life through deception, endlessly captivating in Josh Safdie's textured period piece set in the 1950s Lower East Side of New York. 'Marty Supreme', a lively character study in the form of a sports film, features a flawed protagonist who is already vibrant, fun, and charming.