Very Good Movies from 2025

 by Rob DiCristino

A quick salute to some also-rans worth mentioning.

1. Hedda (Dir. Nia DaCosta)

Nia DaCosta’s queer reimagining of Ibsen’s Hedda Gabler is exactly the sort of flirty, raucous delight that breaks up the awards season slog. Transposing the play from 19th-century Germany to 1950s England, DaCosta brings us one crazy night at the palatial estate of Hedda (Tessa Thompson) and George (Tom Bateman), a pair of newlyweds looking to schmooze their way into the British upper class. All’s well until the arrival of Eileen (Nina Hoss), Hedda’s former lover and George’s professional rival, whose haughty showboating triggers Hedda’s dormant kink for deception and sabotage. Thompson’s having the time of her life as one of the Western canon’s great Messy Bitches, buzzing across DaCosta’s sumptuous sets like a heat-seeking, bisexual cruise missile hell-bent on destroying everything in her path. Refusing to doom her brassy heroine to her original fate, DaCosta exchanges Ibsen’s dour, paternalistic ending for one better-suited to her Hedda, one that acknowledges her girl’s transgressions but doesn’t forget how much fun it is to transgress.

Hedda is available to stream on Amazon Prime now.

2. Lesbian Space Princess (Dirs. Emma Hough Hobbs and Leela Varghese)

It might be best to describe Emma Hugh Hobbs and Leela Varghese’s Lesbian Space Princess as “Scott Pilgrim for Zoomers,” as the Australian duo’s new animated epic blends irreverent sci-fi/fantasy comedy with a bi-/pan-/omnisexual sensibility that used to only exist in the depths of Tumblr — in my day, we were ashamed of our lust for cartoons — but has now gone mainstream. Sick of her sheltered existence as reigning princess of the planet Clitopolis, the manic-depressive Saira (Shabana Azeez) embarks on an intergalactic mission to save her ex-girlfriend Kiki (Bernie Van Tiel) from the clutches of the vile Straight White Maliens, who plan to use her battle axe — a labrys, natch— as an energy source for their Chick Magnet. Cruising aboard a “Problematic Ship” whose computer (Richard Roxborough) makes your drunk uncle look PC, Saira overcomes her figurative and literal demons and learns the power of self-respect. No, Lesbian Space Princess isn’t exactly subtle, but it’s warm and endearing in a way that few movies for teens ever have the guts to be.

Lesbian Space Princess is available to stream on Amazon Prime now.

3. The Life of Chuck (Dir. Mike Flanagan)

Speaking of which, I didn’t want the year to end without throwing more support behind Mike Flanagan’s latest Stephen King adaptation, a film I’ve seen subjected to such baffling vitriol that I’ve had to question how many of its most vocal detractors have endured Back in Action, Snow White, or Captain America: Brave New World. Like its source material, Flanagan’s film revels in its caramel-coated sentimentality, its refusal to cower before the — admittedly frightening — vast nothingness of eternity. Is King getting more mawkish in his dotage? He is! Does his writing get less inspired as he ages? It does! But as the septuagenarian titan prepares for his own journey into eternity, it’s hard to fault him for wanting to remind the rest of us just how lucky we are to exist. Perhaps it's because The Life of Chuck came to me at a time when I really needed to drop my briefcase and move my hips to the beat of the drums, but I don’t think some of you smack-talking assholes have Been Through It enough to appreciate Chuck’s message. You contain multitudes, you motherfuckers, and so do I.

The Life of Chuck is available to rent on VOD platforms now.

4. Novocaine (Dirs. Dan Berk and Robert Olsen)

It’s hard to argue that Hollywood scion Jack Quaid isn’t having a wonderful early career, but I’m genuinely concerned that his penchant for offbeat material — everything from the sociopathic villain of Companion to the kind-hearted Ensign Boimler of Star Trek: Lower Decks — is taking him out of the running for the mainstream leading man parts we’ve started handing to Glen Powell and Paul Mescal. At least we’re getting demented shit like Novocaine, Dan Berk and Robert Olsen’s exquisitely violent action-comedy about an introverted middle manager (Quaid as Nathan) — whose rare nerve disorder prevents him from feeling pain — forced to rescue his girlfriend (Prey’s Amber Midthunder) from a bank robber (co-nepo baby Ray Nicholson) with whom she shares a secret past. Though it’s a shade overwritten and often abuses the F-bomb like a 6th grader who just learned it, Novocaine gives Quaid a chance to turn Nathan’s aw-shucks sweetness into genuine action hero bravado, which is all the convincing audiences should need that he’s the Real Deal.

Novocaine is available to stream on Amazon Prime now.

5. The Ballad of Wallis Island (Dir. James Griffiths)

Let’s close with something sweet, an understated British indie about a former folk duo (Tom Basden and Carey Mulligan) who reunites at the behest of a mild-mannered lottery winner (Tim Key, who co-writes with Basden) who lives on a remote island off the coast of Wales. A feature-length version of Key and Basden’s 2007 short film, The Ballad of Wallis Island is a charming character study headlined by an outstanding turn from Key that blends joy and sadness as only the Brits can. His Charles is a lonely widower looking to make good on his late wife’s final wishes, a cause worthy enough to employ a little deception in getting Mortimer McGwyer — Mulligan and Basden, respectively, whose characters were once also romantically involved — back together for one last concert. Though initially put off by Charles’ chatty overeagerness, the former partners soon come to appreciate his insight into their work and relationship, insights that only come with unabashed devotion to our favorite artists. If nothing else, Wallis Island’s cozy coastal vibes make it an ideal comfort watch this holiday season.

The Ballad of Wallis Island is available to stream on Amazon Prime now.