With the New Year, another year of films has come and gone, and below we will focus on the films that I want to highlight as the best films of the year. They all share a very simple quirk, as they all deal with very serious themes and focus commonly on sadness snd despair, marking a connection between the films we have consumed this year and the actual year we have had to deal with in the real world. Escapism is a part of cinema, but also is confronting the truth through works of art, and that’s been a true highlight of this year, so here goes nothing:
25) 2000 Metres to Andriivka
Directed by Mstyslav Chernov
The work of Mstyslav Chernov has been incredibly important in crafting an authentic look at the conflict between Ukraine and Russia, in a time where conflicts like such feel like they are hiding in the news because of everything else that is happening so frequently. The director’s prior documentary feature, 20 Days in Mariupol won the award for best documentary feature at the 2024 Oscars, and his newest feature could easily stand alongside that in quality. This film captures a true boots-on-the-ground look at the conflict going on, as Chernov travels with the Ukrainian platoon to liberate the Russian-occupied village named in the title. The film is haunting and does not leave anything to the imagination, as the viewer comes to know these members of the platoon and feel the pain of losing them alongside Chernov. It is authentically a look at the sadness and meaningless of war, as these men lose their lives in hopes of one day being free, and shows the true power of a documentary fear, well deserving film that should have been nominated for the Oscar this year
24) The Life of Chuck
Directed by Mike Flanagan
In the past, the best Stephen King adaptations came from directors like Rob Reiner and Frank Darabont, who commonly adapted the more human King novels, ones which focused less on the horror and supernatural, and more on the drama. In the modern day, no director has been more synonymous with the author than Mike Flanagan, a director who has delivered excellent adaptations of some of King’s most supernatural stories, from Doctor Sleep to Gerald’s Game. This year came his attempt to focus on the human aspect of King’s works, adapting the short story, The Life of Chuck. Told in reverse chronological order, the film tells the life of its title character and all the people that come in and out of his life, making his small world feel even bigger.
It has the pure possibility of standing up alongside those classic King adaptations, from the Shawshank Redemption to Stand By Me, it feels like a warm hug of a film which is aiming to make you cry and smile. A star-studded cast fills the screen, with each actor getting one scene at least to touch at the heart strings, and the reveals the film throws at you only makes those scenes hit harder. Flanagan has been contained to the TV world for the last couple of years, crafting long-formed horror television for Netflix, which have become well known for their excellent dialogue, and their lengthy sequences of back-and-forth conversations, and this film holds up to that level of writing for sure
23) The Mastermind
Directed by Kelly Reichardt
Josh O’Connor has become a breakout star in the last couple of years, ever since he hit it big in Challengers. Ever since then, it has been wonderful to see the actor pick such interesting scripts and films, it almost becomes law at this point, that if you see Josh O’Connor in a film, you are bound to be in for a treat. The same year he starred in the third Knives Out film, he starred in what director Kelly Reichardt calls the anti-heist film. The Mastermind follows a family man who takes part in various heists to steal art while the US remains in turmoil over the Vietnam War. The film focuses more on the fallout of the heist, the unravelling of the plans and the danger that comes from his way of life clashing with the family life he has built alongside it. The film is very slow-paced, deliberately so to set itself apart from films like Ocean’s Eleven and paired with another wonderful performance from the leading man, it draws the line perfectly from paced thriller to family drama. It becomes a narrative of the draw between individualism, fighting for themselves, while attempting to be part of something better, keeping a status quo when the word is so fragmented
22) The Perfect Neighbour
Directed by Geeta Gandbhir
There is a reason this film has nominated for the Best Documentary Feature Oscar, it is a perfectly crafted documentary that conveys such a soul-crushing real story. The documentary follows the events surrounding the death of Ajike Owens, a shooting incident which took place in 2023 where her neighbour shot and killed her when Owens was banging on her door. The film has an incredibly sombre display of the events, relying less on voice-over and more on the actual recorded events, namely the bodycams from the police officers present, as it slowly tells the events that lead from a woman being angered by her neighbour’s children playing in front of her home, to that same woman shooting someone dead. There is something so sinister about Susan Louise Lorincz, the woman who killed Owens, as the film uses her and this story to critique Florida’s stand-your-ground laws, which seem to only be used as an excuse to kill unarmed black men and women when white people feel threatened. Watching a father tell their children that their mother will not come home is a harrowing thing to watch, and the film showcases it all authentically, and makes you truly wonder if America is still as institutionally racist as ever
21) Eddington
Directed by Ari Aster
For a director who has been commonly associated with the horror genre, crafting features like Hereditary and Midsommar, his most frightening story comes from one which is attempting to hold a mirror to our lifestyles in the COVID-19 pandemic. There have been many films that have attempted to try and recreate the isolation, the distrust and the paranoia that came from 2020 and the pandemic, but Aster’s film is the closest a film has managed to capture that feeling. It feels at times like a checklist, capturing every moment from that eventful year. From the mask mandate, the death of George Floyd, the demands to defund the police, the overwhelming number of social media influencers using that outrage to become popular, to the rich and famous profiting over our dissolution with each other and from the distance we have put between each other.
Aster has made his second film with Joaquin Phoenix, and they seem to be a perfect match, it is easily one of his best performances lately, matched with a equally strong one from Pedro Pascal. The film does not hold its punches, it is criticising and mocking everyone, clearly not picking sides in its narrative, the only thing it truly hits home is that the rich have benefitted from all of this. When things flip in the second half, it becomes a fantastically paced thriller, with characters that are easy to hate but understandable because of our own experiences
20) Bugonia
Directed by Yorgos Lanthimos
A remake of the 2003 South Korean film Save The Green Planet, Bugonia tells the story of two conspiracy theorists who kidnap a powerful CEO, believing her to be an alien who seeks to control and destroy the planet. The two central performances make this film, as Jesse Plemons and Emma Stone bounce off each other perfectly here, feeling like a film where they are trying to one-up each other in the acting department. The film manages to keep the audience guessing, with no idea who is reliable, playing with the types of characters these actors play consistently. Plemons plays a villain well, commonly playing a character who is both creepy and nefarious at the same time, and the film draws the line perfectly from making you see this common archetype, and then the possibility of the opposite being true. Emma Stone has a natural charisma that always plays through, and she uses the natural charisma to make you trust her character earnestly, as the cat and mouse game delivers one of the most chilling thrillers of the year
19) Twinless
Directed by James Sweeney
No film has featured more controlled marketing this year than Twinless, director James Sweeney’s sophomore feature markets itself as a moving indie drama about two men who are trying to overcome the deaths of their identical twins. What the real film has about come in a middle act twist and is way too spoilery to talk about in this list here, but it crafts a film that still manages to be what the trailers promised but adds a dimension of cringe and tension to each scene. The pain and sorrow are still hidden in each scene however, with Dylan O’Brien delivering a phenomenal performance, and a dual performance in that. Director James Sweeney even gives the cringe role to himself, delivering a very meaningful but creepy performance, which gives across the beginnings of such a remarkably perfect dynamic between two under-the-radar actors
18) Bring Her Back
Directed by Michael and Danny Phillippou
Grief has been a consistent factor in the A24 era of horror, with films like Hereditary and Midsommar, building some of their core backdrops over the grief the characters feel for their lost loved ones. The Youtube duo that once was known as RackaRacka delivered an exceptional debut feature with Talk To Me, which delivered a film about grief in the modern day of cell phones and modernised teenagers, and their follow-up film feels like a continuation of those themes. Sally Hawkins’ lead role as a depressed and wanting mother who wants to fill a hole in her life after the death of her daughter, by trying to bring her back any means necessary. Hawkins’ performance is on the same level as performances like Toni Colette in Hereditary, easily standing among some of the best performances from the horror genre in the last decade. What really stands the film apart is how depressing it is, it has some humorous moments and some gore sequences for horror fans, but its deep down a sad story about a mother who has lost her child, and the child abuse that can come from that grief. It holds a promise for even better films to come from these promising directors
17) Homebound
Directed by Neeraj Ghaywan
Setting itself in the COVID-19 pandemic and the film feeling depressive in conclusion comes hand in hand at this point, as Homebound focuses on two friends and how their friendship strengthens and hits certain woes during the pandemic and while they are faced off each other when attempting to pursue police jobs. Ishaan Katter and Vishal Jethwa share remarkable chemistry as the best of friends, as the movie feels complete when these two are on screen together. The film could not go the directions it does in the emotion department if it was not for these two being so capable as performers. It acts as a flip of the paranoia that came from the pandemic, as strengthened relationships remind us of what life was like beforehand, and how life can be now that those times are over. This year has been a incredibly strong year for international features, and it is a true shame that this one faced no praise from the academy this award season, when it more than earns that praise
16) 28 Years Later
Directed by Danny Boyle
It has been a long time since director Danny Boyle revitalized the zombie sub-genre, with the release of the initial 28 Days Later. The sub-genre has only continued to become more prevalent since the release of the film, from The Walking Dead television series to Edgar Wright’s Shaun of the Dead, and the potential for the zombie sub-genre has become tight and limited once again. Here, we have Boyle’s return to the franchise and the start of a trilogy of 28 Years Later features. Boyle crafts a welcome new version of a zombie feature, one that embraces humanity and the importance of death, in a beautiful and moving way. In a world where the rage virus has caused the collapse of Britain entirely and led to it being blocked off from the rest of the world, the film sees itself as a criticism of isolationism, and specifically a metaphor for Brexit and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Boyle mixes in enough zombie action into the film to satisfy anyone who is there for the guts and gore but also fills it with enough drama and humanity throughout, feeling like a film that has more in common with the coming-of-age genre at times than a horror feature. The film feels in line with 28 Days Later in how it mixes humour, horror and hope, and its worldbuilding feels second to none in the blockbuster genre this year. There is enough creativity behind the camera, with excellent use of shaky cam and phone cinematography for kill sequences, showing enough creativity that hopes for a brighter future for this near-dead sub-genre
15) Superman
Directed by James Gunn
In a year that has been characterised heavily by some of the most harrowing stories put to the screen in a long time, as the world revels in negativity that reflects the current state of the world, it was important that a certain blockbuster released that felt so earnest and true. James Gunn took the job as the shepherd of the DC Universe nearly two years ago, and this would be the most important film of his career, if this did not hit then there would be no more films in this still developing universe. All the cards were in his hands, and Gunn did not disappoint, crafting a superhero film which lived up to the legacy of the original Christoper Reeve movies, and one that embraced the silliness of the comic book universe in a way that Zack Snyder’s previous attempts could never truly stick with.
The film was colourful, bright, filled with personality and humour in all the way a Summer blockbuster should be, crafting some of the most iconic depictions of these characters in decades. Rachel Brosnahan, David Corenswet and Nicholas Hoult lead a massive cast of fantastic actors delivering memorable performances, in a film that captures the fundamental aspects of the superhero. He is a metaphor for the immigrant experience, he is the social justice warrior who is fighting for every life and fighting the evil rich, he is stopping wars and he is kindness in a world which feels that is old fashioned
14) It Was Just An Accident
Directed by Jafar Panahi
The Iranian regime is a common thread through director Jafar Panahi’s works, commonly critiquing the policies of the regime. After being arrested in 2022, after being sentenced for a 6-year prison stint in 2010 and a 20-year ban on filming, the director had to create his next features with limited casts and production to avert eyes away from his rule breaking. This is one of his boldest films yet, a thriller focusing on a group of former political prisoners who must decide if they will take revenge on the man who they believe was the one who tortured them during their imprisonment. The film is soul-crushing, an incredibly tense thriller which feels depressing in nature, and a bold political statement against a nation that has turned away from its filmmaker. One of the boldest parts of the film is the fact that the female performers do not always wear their hijabs, a compulsory part of their lives in Iran. A rebellious film for sure, It Was Just An Accident acts as a critique of authoritarian way of life, and a look at the need to stand up against this sort of government, but also the all-consuming notion of revenge, is it just to lose yourself in such a way?
13) Sirat
Directed by Oliver Laxe
Sound comes as the centre piece of Oliver Laxe’s horrifying story of a man trying to find his daughter against the backdrop of the rave scene in southern Morocco. Part road-movie, part-character drama, and with a dash of unsettling sequences, the film is hard to hone down to a specific genre, a specific classification to describe a film that just needs to be seen to be understood. The vast desert serves as a terrifying backdrop, that feels so vast but so empty in the pursuit of family, in the pursuit of connection in a backdrop that feels so empty and alone. The film certainly features the best sound design of the year, and one of the best scores all year, as the music soars and fills your ears in a booming way, almost making you feel as lost as the main character. The music does not feel like the villain however, it is connection in the pursuit of finding the daughter, music you can get lost in and forget about your cares and feel whole again. The film goes so many surprising places in its story, and leaves in a truly depressing way, one typical of this depressing year in film
12) If I Had Legs I’d Kick You
Directed by Mary Bronstein
Mary Bronstein’s direction is very controlled and deliberate in this film, placing the audience right into the character’s head, focused on a struggling mother dealing with being essentially a single parent while her husband is away and feeling a large resentment for her lost youth and against her own daughter. Bronstein chooses to shy away from focusing on the daughter, shooting each shot of the character from the body, never showing her face, representing the dehumanisation going on in the mother’s head. Rose Byrne has been an actor who has had characterized by a career in comedy, but is incredibly capable in deadpan delivery, and has a very expressive face that feels at home in a more sombre and painful role, and she works incredible here as a struggling mother.
Described similarly to a film like Uncut Gems, the movie works as a tension-filled attack on the senses that will leave you feeling tense and uneasy from just stepping in the shoes of a mother who seeks freedom, from dealing with the annoyance of her child. The supporting cast make up the deeper elements of the film, as Conan O’Brien represents the promise of love outside of marriage, the uncertainty of finding new love, while ASAP Rocky represents the freedom of youth, enjoying your free time with friends and experimenting, all parts of Bryne’s character’s life that has been stripped from her. Certainly however, this is one of those films which is going to be hard to view a second time, returning to that tension is a choice
11) Frankenstein
Directed by Guillermo Del Toro
An adaptation of Mary Shelley’s classic novel has been a long passion project of Guillermo Del Toro, a project which has finally seen the light of day when he signed a contract to create films for streaming giant Netflix. His adaptation of the novel is far from accurate to the source, making clear changes but is its own powerful beast that drives new meaning from an incredible story. Del Toro transforms the story into a discussion around what makes a monster, and how generational trauma can birth a monster. The father who was very understanding in the original novel becomes an abuser, who shapes a version of Victor Frankenstein who is more of a villain than the monster he creates, a man who is consumed by his need to control life and death but becomes lost in becoming like his father. Jacob Elordi delivers the best performance of his career, as he gets lost behind the makeup of Frankenstein’s monster, balancing the animalistic nature of the character with the movie’s choice to make him sympathetic, a being that is consumed by being the creation of his father and how that generational trauma can shape someone into such a monster.
There is a gentle nature to the monster, separating the monster from the horror genre and placing him more into a drama, dwelling still in the gothic sensibilities that make up Del Toro’s filmography. Del Toro loves to humanise his monsters, from The Shape of Water to his newest Pinocchio feature, the human being the villain is a typical convention of his work, and it continues to craft amazing features because of so
10) The Voice of Hind Rajab
Directed by Kaouther Ben Hania
There is something to talk about when a film uses a real-life tragedy as a crux of its narrative and using real audio from that victim to tug at the heartstrings, it could be seen as manipulative or exploitive. However, The Voice of Hind Rajab uses this real-world death as a tool to show real pain in your face, to stop people from ignoring the real pain happening in the war in Gaza, when most news media has moved on to the next tragedy, or to superficial drama in a filmed drama. Hind Rajab died in 2024 at the age of five in the Gaza strip by the hands of Israeli Forces, and the film using these real phone conversations helps the film deliver its message of painful truths and expresses the pain that this conflict is still escalating. Through its 90-minute runtime, the docudrama explores a real-world topic with perfection, delivering one of the most emotionally reeling films of the year, with none of the emotional over-the-top sensibilities that would come from a Hollywood feature
9) Sorry, Baby
Directed by Eva Victor
Every year there is a promising and surprising debut feature from a new voice that transcends the ‘first director’ atmosphere, Aftersun and Past Lives are some of those prime examples. Eva Victor’s Sorry, Baby is one of the most tender movies of the year, a movie focused on Victor’s own performance as a bad thing happens to her character. This bad thing is very clear from the trailer and from watching the beginning of the film, but Victor pays specific focus to what happens after, paying attention to how that bad experience will not define the victim, they can move on from that experience as life moves on. The film has a strong sense of humour, with enough tear-jerking moments as well but never dwells on the sadness, the world keeps spinning outside of our character, her friend moves on with her life, and so shall she. It shows it is important to think on that event, but there is hope and promise of a better tomorrow. There is major promise for Eva Victor’s future after this amazing debut
8) Weapons
Directed by Zach Cregger
No one has been more confident in their sophomore feature than Zach Cregger when releasing Weapons, his follow-up to his breakout hit Barbarian. The director has defined himself by making his own horror features that stand out in his style, blending genres and breaking typical conventions. Weapons were marketed as a creepy mystery, children have went missing and there is something supernatural and horrifying at play, but when the movie came out, it is more of a drama. It has long been talked about how the film very clearly feels like a metaphor for a school shooting, children are gone, the school and the parents are looking for answers, and someone as innocent as the teacher could be blamed just because people want someone to blame.
Grief fills each section of the film, as the film splits itself into chapters based on each character, feeling like the horror version of Melancholia. Josh Brolin and Julia Garner deliver some remarkable performances, but the film also balances the comedy aspects well, before becoming a pure horror-comedy in its closing minutes. Amy Madigan walked out of this film with the Oscar nomination for best supporting actor as the villain Gladys, a performance which you won’t forget after watching, a character who is both sinister and unnerving but also deeply humorous and easy to hate. Cregger is attached to a new Resident Evil film next, and a rumoured prequel to this very film, but we can only hope he returns to an original feature like this soon
7) Marty Supreme
Directed by Josh Safdie
The movie that took the world by storm when released in the Christmas season, Marty Supreme is one of the most engrossing and fun films of the year. The Safdie brothers splitting up has created some interesting films, with Benny creating the Dwayne Johnson vehicle The Smashing Machine this year, and Josh creating a film that feels the most in line with their previous features. There is a chaotic-ness to Marty Supreme that was present in films like Uncut Gems and Good Time, a fast-paced editing that makes the film pop but also jumps up the tension. The Safdie’s have a way of casting the most unlikely actors into perfect roles, as they mine the most out of their supporting cast to be memorable and as natural as possible. Marty himself, Timothee Chalamet, is one of the most memorable performances of the year, and a character you cannot help but feel engrossed in, a deeply flawed character who is doing everything to make it famous, to get to the top. There has been a long discussion about Chalamet’s body of work and how he truly deserves the Oscar at this point, and surely this is the one which will get him to that award
6) Sinners
Directed by Ryan Coogler
16 Oscar nominations have proven the power of this vampire horror-drama from director Ryan Coogler. After delivering such impressive franchise hits like the Rocky sequel, Creed, and the superhero features Black Panther and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, it is impressive to see an original IP come out of the gates so confident and dripping with style. The film follows a pair of brothers who return home to open a juke joint in their hometown, using the money they robbed from warring gangs to open the bar. When their cousin reveals his powerful use of music, it opens the door for vampire threats to their door, who hope to claim that power for their own. Coogler has crafted one of the most auteur-driven blockbusters in recent memory, delivering the visual effects focused action, the comedy from actors like Delroy Lindo and the horrific bloody visuals and scares you would expect from the horror genre. Coogler also delivers a film which feels like an authentic love letter to music, and specifically African American music, showcasing how important music is to connection, community and cinema.
Sound Design is immense in this feature, alongside some of the most excellent performances of the year, from Academy Award nominated roles from Michael B. Jordan and Wunmi Moskau, and even the main villain played by Jack O’Connell. Coogler defines a story however that feels more meaningful than just vampire action and comedic wit, Sinners is brought together by a look at cultural assimilation, as the vampires act as a hivemind, taking culture from each of their victims and forcing their own roots down on their victims. However, Coogler’s film is more nuanced than just painting the white man as the villain and the African American as the hero, the vampire is depicted as a victim, an Irish villain who has faced almost as much cultural assimilation as the African American protagonists, crafting one of the year’s most memorable antagonists
5) One Battle After Another
Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson
If anyone deserves the best director Oscar at this year’s Oscars, then it is Paul Thomas Anderson, a director who has been long in the game and consistently snubbed from the award. There is a reason why this film has constantly hit the top of many people’s lists for the best films of the year, the 10th film from the director is an entertaining feature which also feels incredibly revolutionary in scope. Feels very similar to a previous film mentioned in this list, Eddington, in how it tackles themes that feel very relevant to the modern day, and could easily be seen as a critique of the current state of America and the world.
The film tackles immigration, the fetishization of African American women by white supremacists, and how the rich upper class controls our way of life, and how far some corrupt individuals will go to become part of that controlling class. The film however does not feel like a depressing vehicle, there is a pure hope for the future, that the next generation can continue fighting for what is right and it will become better for them, that the fight will not be over until every generation fights together. Leonardo DiCaprio leads a cast that has become one of the most nominated casts of the year, with Benicio Del Toro and Teyana Taylor making up a very memorable ensemble. However, it is Sean Penn who walks away with easily the best performance of not just the film, but maybe the year, and leaves the film an entertaining but meaningful big feature
4) Hamnet
Directed by Chloe Zhao
Many adaptations have braced the film and television mediums of William Shakespeare’s works, and namely his most famous work, Hamlet. This year brought one of the most engaging and unique versions of the story, as director Chloe Zhao adapts the novel of the same name, Hamnet, which tells a supposed backstory for why Shakespeare wrote the play he did. Focusing on the death of the writer’s young son, who shares the name of the film, and the reaction from the writer and his wife, Agnes, as they seek resolution of their pain from the art they create. It is a great comeback film from the director who brought us Marvel’s The Eternals, a film which both looks and sounds incredible, with so many shots that look straight out of a stage show and music that will bring a tear to the eye.
The story is depressing and moving, coming from an incredible performance from Jacobi Jupe as the title character, a young actor who is incredibly capable in leading various sequences that are completely soul crushing in tone. Paul Mescal continues his streak of playing depressive father figures, feeling similar in tone to his role in Aftersun at times, and Jessie Buckley has become the favourite for the Best Actress Oscar. This is for good reason, when the film focuses on her in a continuous one take shot in the conclusion, the rest of the film vanishes to focus on such an incredible facial performance where pain gets lost in the love of cinema
3) Sentimental Value
Directed by Joachrim Trier
Joachrim Trier has had an incredible career since releasing his first film in 2006 and only continues to skyrocket upwards as one of the most influential directors of the modern day, off the back of his 2021 film The Worst Person In The World. His newest film, Sentimental Value, marks a continuation into his themes of memory, identity and love as the film tackles a dysfunctional family who come back together when their absent father wants his daughter to play a role in his film, and when she declines, hires an American actress who is playing a character based on both their late mother and the daughter who declined. Standing alongside One Battle After Another as the biggest ensemble to be nominated for acting awards at this year’s Oscars, the film is marked by a phenomenal cast, where each member shines incredibly. Renate Reinsve returns after starring in Trier’s previous film and has an incredibly subtle performance, alongside her on-screen sister Inga Ibsdotter Lilleas.
Elle Fanning delivers a great supporting role, and Stellan Skarsgard delivers one of the most multi-faceted performances of the year, as a father who sees connection through his works, obsessed with fame and unwilling to connect. The film seeks an exploration of identity and self-expression being opposite or entwined with the act we consume and take part in, and how that can rub off on our connections. The film is never melodramatic or incredibly emotional, it just feels more honest and sincere, completely realistic and one of those films that needs to be seen a hundred times to experience every aspect of its very multi-layered narrative
2) No Other Choice
Directed by Park Chan-wook
Do not let the lack of Oscar nominations for this feature fool you, No Other Choice is easily one of the best films of the year. Director Park Chan-Wook delivers a smart and snappy comedic critique of capitalism and work culture, following a man who seeks to keep his job role and his way of life, by killing off his competition in the workplace. Chan-Wook is one of the few filmmakers today who truly offers something unique and different with each of his films, namely in the directorial stance, there is no one else who is delivering such a unique direction in the modern Hollywood studio system. Sequences like the camera moving in tune with a swing shows some of the unique ways Chan-Wook experiments with his direction, his films brimming with personality and pairing perfectly with the dark humour on display.
Based on the Ax by Donald Westlake, being the second film adaptation of that novel, the film pairs perfectly a story of dark humour with an undertone of deep sadness and desperation. Lee Byung-Hun delivers one of the truly best performances of the year, a performance filled with need and deprivation, a character who reflects people’s need to work, people’s identity being linked to their jobs, the money they make and the lack of time outside of those careers. It is a truly deep film which laughs in the face of its deeper message, the perfect way to display something so depressing
1) Train Dreams
Directed by Clint Bentley
The big prize for the best film of the year here goes to Clint Bentley’s Train Dreams. Based on the 2011 novella of the same name by author Denis Johnson, the film represents a beautiful look at the American dream, to work for a living to live with your family, find love and grow old together, but does not shy away from the more painful moments from life. Delivered with perfect narration by Will Patton, who read the audiobook version of the original novella in the past, the film shows the beauty of life, the beautiful nature of connection and how every moment of our lives mean something for our story. Joel Edgerton delivers one of the best leading performances of the year, alongside one of the smallest supporting roles in a film but still one of the most memorable in William H. Macy’s small appearance. Easily features some of the most gorgeous lighting and cinematography of the year, looking like a documentary at times and a painting at the same time. This is one of those films that balances the sadness that came from this year’s slew of films but keeps enough humanity in between each emotional beat, and reminds you why life is so uplifting and purposeful
Rhys Reviews 
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