There was a plethora of great films in 2025. It was an impressive year. If you don’t feel that way, I’m glad you’re here. Now, I feel like I say that every year, but this year feels different. It was the rare year that my list consisted solely of films that I gave 4-star reviews to. It’s not that I was decidedly generous this year; it’s that the films were just that good. It was a challenging year in many ways, and 2026 isn’t letting up. So, let’s take it one day, week, and month at a time, and look out for each other, as we take in the art of cinema.

If I were to make a list of another 10 films from 2025, they would be just as good as my Top Ten listed here, and some of them would have also received 4-star review ratings from me. I really liked Park Chan-wook’s “No Other Choice”, Guillermo del Toro’s “Frankenstein”, Yorgos Lanthimos’ “Bugonia”, Zach Cregger’s “Weapons”, Chloe Zhao’s “Hamnet”, and Ryan Coogler’s “Sinners”, and I loved “Friendship”, but selecting ten films comes with some darlings that I have to kill. Ultimately, my ten consists of films that I still think about, ones that I’ve consistently recommended, and have seen more than once.

Like every year, some of these films I discovered first at the Chicago Critics Film Festival at the Music Box Theatre back in May, and some of those (along with others) I wound up discussing at the After Hours Film Society at the beautiful Tivoli Theatre in Downers Grove, Illinois.

As in past years, once again, my fellow film enthusiasts Mark Lester and Steven Attanasie join me in this endeavor. I thank them for that, and I thank you, dear reader, for following along with this list and yet another year of watching films. And now, here are our Top Ten Films of 2025…

 

 

 

10. 

Mark Lester – KPOP DEMON HUNTERS

A shout-out is in order to the two teen girls at my church’s summer camp last year who brought K-pop Demon Hunters to my attention (Sydney and Gracie, I believe). I originally thought it was a TV series, but they mentioned it was a film, so I gave it a go when I returned home from camp counseling. They said it was a great film, and they were not wrong. I am not alone in saying I knew virtually nothing about K-pop (much less demon hunting) before I saw the film, and I still don’t. When you think of it, the title is the main thing going against it. Once you see it, you realize it has to do with the personal battles we have, and how we are not alone in them. That, and Derpy the cat. Like many, the album was my top-played on Spotify in 2025, as well as my most rewatched of the year. I regret nothing. (Streaming now on Netflix)

Steven Attanasie – WEAPONS

While not his debut film, 2022’s “Barbarian” announced Zach Cregger as an exciting talent to watch in the world of horror, taking a similar approach as many successful genre filmmakers before him by segueing from comedy to horror. His follow-up, Weapons, is an expertly crafted work of homage and originality woven together into a fascinating and crowd-pleasing tapestry. Playing like “Magnolia” if it were a horror film, “Weapons” is a multi-layered story of small-town modern America where the increasingly real terrors faced by ordinary people rival anything Hollywood can dish out. But Cregger’s not here to lecture; he’s here to entertain, and with the help of an outstanding ensemble cast, he does just that. And my goodness, Amy Madigan is incredible, taking over the film in the back half and turning what could and should have been a tone-destroying twist into a devious change of gears. One of the most fun times you could have had at the movies in 2025. (Streaming on HBO Max)

David J. Fowlie – WARFARE

Alex Garland, the writer and director of “Ex Machina”, and Ray Mendoza, a veteran who served as that film’s military advisor, have created a harrowing, visceral, real-time drama that recreates an actual battle between Navy SEALs and al-Qaeda jihadists. Garland’s virtuoso technique and Mendoza’s first-hand experience of war blend in a film of uncompromising focus, which plunges us into the intensity of combat without explanation or backstory. Yet the faces of Joseph Quinn, Will Poulter, Cosmo Jarvis, and D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai are enough to capture the fear and determination of being under siege. Creating characters far from the bravado of typical Hollywood war films, the actors depict courage in battle as a terror-filled endurance test. The film immerses us in that feeling. It is loud and intense, relentless in its barrage of grenades and gunfire, and when the cries of pain from the injured men start, they never stop. “Warfare” is a dazzling technical achievement, but much more than that. Focusing on the personal cost of combat and violence itself rather than the politics of the Iraq conflict, it reinvents the war film with bracing freshness and immediacy. “Warfare” is also the most stressful film of the year. (Streaming on HBO Max) 

 

 

9.

Mark – BUGONIA

I’ve stated in the past how hit-or-miss the films of Yorgos Lanthimos are for me (granted, I have only seen four so far). I admired The Lobster and The Favourite, but Poor Things really was far too much for me (despite a brilliant Emma Stone performance). Stone is back again in his latest film, Bugonia, which is a deep dive into the far deep end of the originality pool. Yet Stone is not the standout to me. That goes to Jesse Plemmons, as a deeply troubled man, determined that the head of his company (Stone) is really an alien. The list of potential Best Actor nominees is (as always) packed, but Plemmons deserves to be in the top five. (Steaming now on Peacock)

Steven – THE RULE OF JENNY PEN

Much like “Weapons,” there is a mischievous spirit at play in co-writer and director James Ashcroft’s “The Rule of Jenny Pen.” The film confronts that greatest of horrors, no one wants to speak about, life in a nursing home, but does it with enough cheek to make the horror linger longer. Perhaps Ashcroft’s wisest decision as a director was to let leads John Lithgow and Geoffrey Rush go absolute ham, tipping the film comfortably into a gender-swapped hagsploitation classic. It’s an authentic entry in the psycho-biddy subgenre in an era when a certain prolific television creator continuously pushes inauthentic versions of it on us. More of this, please.

David – THE LIFE OF CHUCK

2025 saw four feature-length films based on Stephen King works, and “The Life of Chuck”, directed by Mike Flanagan, was by far the best of them. While King and Flanagan are mostly associated with the horror genre, there is definitely an element of this complex, life-affirming story that feels like a ghost story. There’s an apocalyptic opening, the first of three chapters, which strangely winds up being quite moving. One can’t help but think about no matter how you live your life, when it comes to the end of the world, we’re all going out the same way. When we meet Chuck (a sublime Tom Hiddleston), it’s in a chapter that revolves around a spontaneous public dance celebration, a moment of connection in partaking in something he loves to do. Eventually, we learn that the first chapter was actually the third act of the story, but the storytelling approach makes sense in a film that sets out to take stock in how each of us contains multitudes. It’s a poignant look at life in all of its mystery, messiness, and its oh-so-many questions.

 

 

 

8.

Mark – WARFARE

A lot of the best war films add different layers to the experience. They can be poetic, allegorical, or even dreamlike. Directors Alex Garza and Ray Mendoza strip all that away in Warfare. It tells the true story (of which Mendoza was a part) of a group of Navy Seals during one fateful day during the Iraq War. It is incredibly blunt and never even considers pulling any punches. We have all heard that “War is Hell”, but the film still manages to startle you down to your bone marrow, regardless of how many other war films you have seen. 

Steven – IT WAS JUST AN ACCIDENT

The story behind Iranian director Jafar Panahi’s latest film is almost as compelling as the one he puts on screen in “It Was Just an Accident.” This frenetic and turbulent film is in the classic vein of “criminals get in over their heads almost immediately,” but the basic decency and humanity of the film’s main characters, particularly leading man Vahid Mobasseri, keep it feeling fresh and new. The film also features some astonishing one-take sequences, the final of which runs for nearly 15 minutes without a single cut. The most brilliant thing about these scenes is that you’ll frequently realize “oh wow, there hasn’t been a cut in a while” as the actors and camerawork emulate the characters’ frantic states of mind. It’s a film that is completely unpredictable, shockingly funny, brutally realistic, and always compelling. (Available to rent on various platforms)

David – TWINLESS

Each year, I hope to discover a filmmaker or film that just totally surprises me, and in 2025, that was writer/director/actor James Sweeney and his clever, dark comedy, “Twinless”. It’s been a while since I’ve seen a filmmaker take on such a significant tonal challenge with such confidence and ease. It explores grief, death, and deception in surprisingly hilarious ways while also touching on the emotional pain an individual can bear. Sweeney nails it all in such an effortless manner, delivering a funny but sensitive examination of mistakes and human connection, and manages to elicit an unexpectedly accomplished turn from co-star Dylan O’Brien, who successfully portrays two distinct characters. There are also some really great supporting performances from Aisling Franciosi and Lauren Graham. “Twinless” also delivers low-budget technical credits, putting Sweeney to work generating unusual visuals to emphasize the odd dramatic journey of the characters, adding a unique style that makes a very surprising offering all the more engrossing. (Streaming on Hulu)

 

 

 

7.

Mark – F1: THE MOVIE

The major contribution of 2022’s “Top Gun: Maverick” was how it reminded people that films are best seen in theaters. While director Joseph Kosinski followed that up with the rather disappointing “Spiderhead”, he more than bounced back with F1. Kosinski takes the same visceral, almost palpable filmmaking of Maverick and brings it to the race track. As someone with sensitive hearing, this is one of the rare times when I was not covering my ears despite the wonderful sound design. (Available now on Apple TV)

Steven – NO OTHER CHOICE

This is the first time since his 2013 English language debut “Stoker” that I saw one of South Korean filmmaker Park Chan-wook’s films on its initial release, and this has to be one of his best. Transposing a very American story of 1970s corporate greed into a modern Korean landscape where a niche industry like paper production is an even more extinct profession. Star Lee Byung-hun demonstrates not only incredible physical comedy skills, but he also elicits real empathy for a character who attempts to act decisively but lacks any real training outside his own vocation. It is, by turns, hilarious, horrifying, and ultimately depressing as hell to see American values of greed and success at the expense of others seeping into the rest of the world.

David – ROOFMAN

“Roofman” initially seems like a gimmick-driven film, detailing the true story of a man who went from robbing McDonald’s restaurants to secretly living inside a Toys “R” Us store, developing a functional life amid his madness. While there are humorous moments, it’s not solely a comedy; rather, it’s an examination of bad decisions, desperation, and loneliness.  However, co-writer/director Derek Cianfrance doesn’t play the premise for laughs. He’s more interested in characterization and emotional growth, overseeing a sensitive exploration of a troubled man who, by accident, finds himself in a functional relationship, wrestling with the reality that his life is a lie. “Roofman” has humor and heart, and Cianfrance’s tonality is superbly managed, while also delivering an exceptional lead performance from Channing Tatum, which is no small achievement. (Streaming on MGM+ and Paramount+)

 

 

 

 

6.

Mark – 28 YEARS LATER

Very few films surprised me as much in 2025 as 28 Years Later. I never saw the first two when they came out, but did catch up with them (and enjoyed them). Even so, the overall drama of young Spike (newcomer Alfie Williams, truly remarkable) navigating life with his parents (Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Jodie Comer) would have been just as gripping even if it were not in the apocalyptic world of a zombie outbreak. Like Garland, director Danny Boyle does not pull any punches, as he does not shy away from seeing the graphic nature of truly possessed zombies (most without clothes on). I never thought I would see a zombie giving birth, but here we are. (Available on Netflix)

Steven – 28 YEARS LATER

While I had always liked “28 Days Later,” it wasn’t a film I revisited much after seeing it in theaters. I felt I had “gotten the message,” so to speak, in that humans were the real monsters, but the way Alex Garland and Danny Boyle deepened the mythology they created all those years ago reframed both films for me. I find this world they’ve created fascinating, the pop cultural icons that have morphed into something more sinister, while the rest of the world moves on without Great Britain. It has moments of horror, moments of absurdity, and moments of real beauty. It doesn’t play great at a multiplex in the mountains of NC, but I’m so glad Boyle and Garland didn’t feel the need to make a crowd-pleasing blockbuster. 

David – TRAIN DREAMS

I was enraptured by the cinematic experience of watching “Train Dreams” in 35mm at the Music Box Theatre during the Chicago International Film Festival this past November. Director Clint Bentley’s adaptation of Denis Johnson’s novella felt therapeutic, thanks to its lush cinematography (by Adolpho Veloso) and intoxicating storytelling. As we look at life through the experiences of logger and railroad worker Robert Granier (Joel Edgerton), from 1917 to 1968, we can’t help but think of what has transpired in our own lives. Birth, work, love, tragedy, and death, Robert is a participant in it all, whether he wants to or not. Just like us. And just like us, our grief, if left unattended, can build up and close us off from everyone else. This is what we see in Edgerton’s soulful performance as Robert. “Train Dreams” is a beautiful film that captures a solitary life with quiet, respectful dignity. (Available on Netflix)

 

 

 

 

5.

Mark – MARTY SUPREME

At last year’s Actor Awards (formally the SAG awards), Timothée Chalamet (upon winning for playing Bob Dylan in A Complete Unknown) was rather direct: “I know we’re in a subjective business, but the truth is, I’m really in pursuit of greatness.” He may not have won the Oscar for that role (he lost to Adrian Brody for The Brutalist), but that speech truly poured over into his role of Marty Mauser in Marty Supreme. Fun question: who is more driven to succeed, Marty in table tennis or Chalamet in winning an Oscar? The latter is the near frontrunner, but that does not mean we should overlook the truly kinetic filmmaking and the sublime soundtrack (both in score and song choices). Then there is director Josh Safdie, drawing out some truly outstanding performances ranging from Gwyneth Paltrow and Odessa A’zion to Tyler, the Creator and a completely unrecognizable Penn Jillette. (Still playing in theaters)

Steven – IF I HAD LEGS I’D KICK YOU 

As I mentioned in my review, Mary Bronstein’s “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You” is the best version of the sort of pulse-racing indie film that’s become very popular of late. Rose Byrne delivers my favorite performance of the year as Linda, a woman whose increasingly terrible decisions in the wake of several personal crises make her virtually impossible to root for, particularly as you begin to see her from other characters’ perspectives. The thrills aren’t vicarious because they are worst case scenario every single time, but there’s something so relatable about everything she goes through. While everyone else can fall all over themselves for the Marty Supreme’s of the world, I’ll happily take Byrne and Bronstein’s version of that kind of film’s protagonist. (Available to rent on various platforms)

David – SENTIMENTAL VALUE

From its elegiac start, I was hooked on the idea of a house holding memories, a place where people have shared all aspects of life over an expanse of time. Written by Eskil Vogt and Joachim Trier, “Sentimental Value” is an elegant family drama about real people confronting unspoken issues and emotions. The title can refer to the Oslo house that has been in this family for decades, but the complex family dynamics are explored in an unsentimental manner. We’re introduced to Gustav Borg (an excellent Stellan Skarsgård), a brilliant, albeit self-absorbed, film director who, despite genuine love and concern for his two adult daughters, is often hidden behind his microaggressions (and past drinking problem) and has been predominantly absent throughout most of their lives. The resentful daughters, Nora (Renate Reinsve), an actress often stricken with stage fright, and historian Agnes (Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas), married with a young son, are responding to their father’s reemergence in different ways. Complexities abound as Gustav returns to Oslo, aiming to make a personal film based on his mother’s life and her time as a member of the Norwegian resistance movement against the Nazi regime. Add to the mix American actress, Rachel Kemp (Elle Fanning), who’s been cast to play the part Gustav would like Nora to play, and it becomes a deftly handled intersection of art and life. “Sentimental Value” borders melodrama, yet ultimately respects its characters too much to veer into soapiness, and winds up being a touching and reflective viewing experience. (Still playing in theaters) 

 

 

 

 

4. 

Mark – WEAPONS

Horror films are still going strong, and 2025 was no exception. It seems I have had at least one horror film in my top ten the last few years, but this may be the first I can remember having two (along with “28 Years Later”). True, “Sinners” has been stealing most of the spotlight, but to me, no other film was as effective or well-constructed as “Weapons”. The premise of a class of children who all (save one) go missing at 2:17 am (running with arms spread out) is like something out of an OG Twilight Zone episode, but amplified for the 21st Century. This also happens to show some of the best work of recent years for actors like Julia Garner and Josh Brolin (who has had quite a 2025). Yet the standout, of course, is Amy Madigan as Gladys, whom I did not even know was her until the credits rolled.

Steven – ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER

Like all straight white Gen X males, I’m fully in the tank for Paul Thomas Anderson, though his prior outing “Licorice Pizza” is undeniably among his weakest efforts. Thankfully he followed up that film’s gauzy nostalgia with this prescient modern masterpiece, its finger much more firmly on the pulse that “Eddington” was frantically attempting to locate several weeks earlier. Leonardo DiCaprio continues finding depth I truly didn’t know he had as an actor, but more than anything, PTA has crafted a showcase for his actresses including the terrific mother daughter combo of Teyana Taylor and Chase Infiniti, as well as the almost-too-subtly-brilliant Regina Hall. It’s got that propulsion and momentum of his earliest work, combined with the refined and restrained aesthetic of his more recent work, aka the best of both worlds.

David – MARTY SUPREME

“Marty Supreme” was the most insane film of the year. That’s primarily due to Josh Safdie’s kinetic direction, co-written with his frequent collaborator Ronald Bronstein, which features absurdist humor and ecstatic tension throughout. Timothée Chalamet rises to the challenge of matching the film’s tone and pace, turning a selfish cad and ping-pong champion into an endlessly fascinating figure. So determined is the high-spirited, wiry, fast-talking Marty Mauser that he doesn’t even realize how ruthless he is. The pathological protagonist is Chalamet’s best performance to date. At no point is anyone asking us to love Marty; to understand him is enough. It’s a challenging and rewarding watch, with immense rewartchability. The film also boasts some great supporting performances, in particular but not solely from Odessa A’zion and Gwyneth Paltrow. “Marty Supreme” is so lively and fun to watch that it’s irresistible even when its flawed hero isn’t.

 

 

 

3.

Mark – ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER

Sometimes, a film comes along that is so critically monumental you can’t deny its impact on it. One Battle After Another also happens to be nothing short of a lotsa fun. Director Paul Thomas Anderson seems to be going all out with all that has made his past films great: mainly memorable characters in absurd circumstances, all fueled by top-notch performances in roles both big and small. The best films truly only get better with one viewing after another. (Available on HBO Max)

Steven – SUPERMAN

As a filmmaker, James Gunn is a lot of things, but no one would accuse him of being subtle. But when the rest of the superhero movie landscape lacks any nuance whatsoever, his unsubtle take on the big blue boy scout is the exact right superhero movie for our current moment. David Corenswet’s earnest take on the title character is a breath of fresh air and proves the perfect person to sell Gunn’s notion that in a world full of hatred and hostility, kindness is the new punk rock. For a character created nearly 90 years ago to retain his relevance in the modern world is nothing short of a miracle—Disney’s Snow White was created the same year as Supes, and look how she fared at the box office in 2025. If Zack Snyder’s Superman was a creation born of Ayn Randian self-reliance, Gunn’s is one born of that famous Kurt Vonnegut quote, “God damn it, you’ve got to be kind.” (Available on HBO Max)

David – ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER

Up until now, one might have gotten the impression that Paul Thomas Anderson wasn’t interested in setting any of his films in modern-day. Apart from “Punch-Drunk Love”, which is more out of time than of its time, all of his films have been period pieces of some kind. “One Battle After Another” presciently situates its story in our time in an audacious way, while also delivering the pace and humor of an antic comedy. That it also has a deadly serious plot about authoritarian governments and racist conspiracies, while also featuring a touching family drama, is wholly impressive. Nothing is lacking here, and nothing is lagging either. Leonardo DiCaprio is at his comic best as former radical Bob Ferguson, who needs to drive out of his own purple haze in order to save his daughter (played by an amazing Chase Infinity, in a fantastic breakout role), and is surrounded by an incredible cast comprised of Teyana Taylor, Benicio del Toro, Sean Penn, and Regina Hall.  While not a direct adaptation, Anderson channels the social and political themes of Thomas Pynchon’s novel Vineland with intellectual heft, which inspired the film. There are also whip-smart, white-knuckle action scenes that are better than any recent action flick, with enthralling car chases and shootouts. I don’t accept the position of any Oscar prognosticators that this is Anderson’s year because he’s overdue; rather, it’s because “One Battle After Another” mixes art and entertainment with stunning ambition while making it look so damn effortless.

 

 

 

2.

Mark – IT WAS JUST AN ACCIDENT 

There are directors who take risks, and then there is Jafar Panahi. Perhaps it is unfair of me to compare the types of risks a director takes, but I’m not aware of many others that are pursued by their own government for their artistic endeavors, like Panahi is. Strip all that aside, and his latest film, It Was Just an Accident, is still as enthralling a cinematic experience as you will get. Like the aforementioned Josh Safdie and Paul Thomas Anderson, Panahi is able to mine some rather memorable performances from his actors. However, the actors Panahi uses are rookies without much (if any) former experience (other than personal). The story of former prisoners getting possible revenge on a former captor is told so intimately that you feel for every character. The ending one-take segment, where one character is tied to a tree (which I timed on the second viewing at just under 13 minutes), is as harrowing and gripping as anything you will see in a film, regardless of the language it is in. (Available to rent on Amazon Prime)

Steven – SINNERS 

Wow. Anyone who has seen a Ryan Coogler film, from his electrifying debut “Fruitvale Station” to his super-earnest Marvel film “Black Panther,” knows that he is a true talent behind the camera. However, his genre-bending fifth film “Sinners” is a tour de force in taking an incredibly well-researched musical drama and turning it into a stylish horror film, without ever compromising its ever-prescient social messaging about the plight of non-whites in America. Michael B. Jordan is undeniably one of the most captivating and talented actors working, proving it twice over in this film’s dual leading roles. The cast around him is equally committed, with noted stand-outs being the always great Delroy Lindo and Jack O’Connell, as well as Wunmi Mosaku, who manages to combine the spiritual, the maternal, and the sensual in a way you just don’t see very often. “Sinners” is by turns sexy, funny, intense, scary, and features the most incredible scene of the year, where music allows us to reach through time and space itself. A true work of blockbuster cinema. (Streaming on HBO Max)

David – IT WAS JUST AN ACCIDENT

Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi has gotten used to making his films in a clandestine manner due to the Iranian regime’s ban on his art. He’s already served two prison terms for it, and he recently received another one-year sentence and a travel ban. This occurred while he was in the States touring to promote his latest film, “It Was Just an Accident”, which is a lot of things, but most definitely a criticism of the regime. Drawing from his own experiences in prison, as well as accounts from others who were imprisoned, Panahi manages to weave a Hitchcockian thriller out of PTSD and, in turn, presents challenging themes such as revenge, retribution, and forgiveness. Vahid Mobasseri stars as Vahid, a mechanic who overhears a conversation and recognises the voice of the guard who tortured him when he was a political prisoner. He decides to kidnap his tormentor, but there’s one small snag: Vahid was blindfolded in prison, so he can’t be completely sure that he has the right man. The only solution he can think of is to drive around Tehran, asking his fellow ex-prisoners for their advice. The fact that Panahi can weave such humanity, optimism, and comedy into his story says all you need to know about the artist. On how about that ending?

 

 

 

1.

Mark – HAMNET

Despite how much cinema one consumes in a period of time, I still firmly believe one judges a film best with their heart, and no other film this year pierced the layers of my heart more than Chloe Zhao’s Hamnet. The pain of losing a child is something I have no idea how to fathom, but I can only picture it as being unimaginable. I’ve mentioned many films with remarkable performances, but what Jessie Buckley does here is nothing short of revelatory, so much so that the other performances of Emily Watson and Paul Mescal are unfairly overshadowed. Then there is Jacobi Jupe (whose brother Noah shows up in the last part of the film). The year has given us countless youthful performances, but what the young Jupe is asked to do is a tall task for any actor of any age, and he seems to deliver it with very little effort. The film ends with us realizing we are like Orpheus in the underworld, unable to not turn around and look back. (Still playing in theaters)

Steven – FRIENDSHIP

I’m not trying to be funny. I’m not trying to make anyone have the worst top ten list they’ve ever seen. It’s hard to take fans of Tim Robinson’s brand of comedy seriously in conversation because they tend to just quote lines from his various programs back at you, as if that’s supposed to be some sort of answer to your question. Bottom line, one could look at this and think that I’m attempting to emulate that oddly specific brand of trolling by saying that this is my number one film of the year, but that’s simply not the case. I’ll be 47 in four months. I’m too old to waste my time that way. Writer/director Andrew DeYoung clearly had his story unlocked by Robinson’s manic and singular brand of comedy, but this film has something to say about men, masculinity, and the ridiculous lengths to which men will go to befriend people they don’t even like. The unique way that the internet has destroyed civil discourse and shattered behavioral norms in an otherwise polite society has never been presented in a more incisive and hilarious way. Robinson’s Craig seems at first like the typical guy just trying to get by, while Paul Rudd’s weatherman Austin presents the image of a man who has it all. Needless to say, this is all projection, and these two sad and lonely characters kinda deserve one another, no matter how much they try to convince themselves otherwise. Kate Mara keeps it from being a total boys’ club comedy and is devastatingly funny as a woman at the end of her rope from years of dealing with a man-child. The whole film has an air of subdued aggression, threatening to escape through every frustrating encounter with characters who seem to possess little to no common sense. I’ve seen “Friendship” more than I’ve seen any other film this year (I’ll be embarking on my sixth viewing soon), and it reveals new layers of bizarreness and hilarity every single time. (Streaming on HBO Max)

David – THE VOICE OF HIND RAJAB

I had heard great things about “The Voice of Hind Rajab,” but I wasn’t expecting to be absolutely floored by this soul-stirring docudrama. The latest film from writer/director Kaouther Ben Hania, who previously made “The Man Who Sold His Skin” and “Four Daughters,” which were both nominated for Oscars. I expect the same this year. Hind Rajab was a 5-year-old Palestinian girl who was killed by Israeli forces during the Gaza War on January 29, 2024, which also killed six of her family members and two paramedics coming to her rescue. While Ben Hania incorporates actors to portray the group of responders within the Palestine Red Crescent Society to recreate the efforts to rescue Hind Rajab, what we hear on the other end of the line are authentic recordings. It unfolds like a thriller, with the stress and helplessness gradually increasing and weighing heavily on those who desperately desire to help this poor girl. This isn’t entertainment, nor is it education. Ben Hania does all this without ever making the film feel like exploitation. It’s an opportunity for this girl’s voice to be heard and remembered, and, as a result, the film becomes vital viewing. (Still playing in theaters)