As the year draws to a close, we’ve been looking back on the films that stayed with us long after the credits rolled. From boundary-pushing debuts to bold new work from filmmakers we love, these are the movies that sparked conversations at the bar, lingered in our thoughts on the walk home, and reminded us why we love cinema so much.
Every year, we ask the people who make the UPP what it is – our staff and volunteers – to vote for their favourites from all the films we’ve shown at the cinema. The result for 2025 is an eclectic list that speaks to the diversity of our programming and the varied passions of our team – even if the vote count strongly suggests we might secretly be a Paul Thomas Anderson fan club.
Keep reading to find out our top ten, along with quotes from staff and volunteers explaining exactly why they loved these movies…
10. The Mastermind
A wry, melancholy art-heist movie that’s less about the crime than the quiet futility behind it – precise, funny, and carried by a perfectly pitched central performance from everybody’s new favourite actor, Josh O’Connor. This may be Kelly Reichardt’s greatest film so far, and that’s saying something.
“A sly cat’s cradle of art crime, 70s apathy, and suburban malaise unravelling in the form of a young idiot in existential torpor, committing futile rebellion against himself. Crafted by one of the finest directors living, a perfect jazz score illustrating a restless shuffle to the gallows, a sublime punchline of an ending… and as the artless dodger himself, Josh O’Connor once again caught stealing my heart.”
9. Sorry, Baby
A sharp, intimate debut that balances humour and hurt, capturing the messiness of early adulthood and the trauma of sexual assault and its aftermath. Written, directed by and starring Eva Victor, she announced herself as a filmmaker of real confidence and emotional intelligence.
8. I Swear
A disarmingly funny film that sneaks up on you emotionally, finding big feelings in small moments and landing both its laughs and its heartbreak. This was one that staff, volunteers and movie-goers couldn’t stop talking about after each screening.
“So funny but also very emotive”
7. Bugonia
Wild, paranoid, and gloriously unhinged, Yorgos Lanthimos’s latest film showcased great performances from Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons. There’s something genuinely unsettling in how it lingers, its absurdity giving way to a creeping sense of dread. And that ending. Wow, that ending.
6. Sinners
Dark, stylish, and morally thorny, Sinners sees Ryan Coogler working at the height of his powers, anchored by magnetic performances from Michael B. Jordan and Michael B. Jordan.
5. Little Trouble Girls
This debut from Slovenian director Urška Djukić won both the International Film Critics Prize at the 2025 Berlin Film Festival and the hearts of our team of staff and volunteers. A refreshingly frank coming-of-age story, driven by fearless performances and a bold sense of perspective.
“A coming of age movie that felt like the same old sexual awakening in an entirely new way – horny and Catholic and full of really wonderful young actors”
4. Weapons
Scary. Smart. Surprisingly funny. Weapons starts as a mystery and spirals into something weirder, darker, and far more chaotic – the kind of film that makes you laugh nervously and then argue about it afterwards. Somehow both a great horror movie and a truly funny dark comedy.
3. The Seed of the Sacred Fig
Filmed entirely in secret, this gripping political thriller from director Mohammad Rasoulof – long targeted by the Iranian government for his outspoken critiques – sparked threats of harsh punishment and had to be smuggled out of the country to enter European film festivals. Urgent, shocking, completely necessary, and loved by all our staff and volunteers.
“Mind-bending and shocking, I love a film that pulls the rug out half way through. Also feel like we must support filmmaking practices like these as far as we possibly can”
2. The Ballad of Wallis Island
This bittersweet British comedy starred Carey Mulligan alongside the film’s writers – the brilliant Tim Key and Tom Basden – in a story of nostalgia, longing, and the love of music. Like the rest of the country, we were completely beguiled and fell hard for this beautiful and hilarious movie.
“Absurd humour in a beautiful landscape.”
1. One Battle After Another
A delirious, big-hearted epic that somehow balances action, comedy, politics, and tenderness – virtuosic filmmaking that delivered pure cinematic joy. Brilliant performances across the board, including from established stars Leonardo Dicaprio, Sean Penn and Benecio del Toro, and newcomers Teyana Taylor and Chase Infiniti.
“A car chase for the ages, the year’s best needle drop, and Benicio del Toro wiggling his tush at the cops”
“A fantastic Jonny Greenwood score, a father-daughter story that is also a slapstick comedy and an action movie but also ¡Antifa!”
“It absolutely works as a thriller and chase movie, but the vein of eccentricity running through it (and the craftsmanship) propel it in to the stratosphere.”
We also asked our staff and volunteers to reflect on their favourite classic seasons of the year, and their responses revealed three clear standouts. Topping the list was Melodramarama!, a joyful and theatrical season celebrating both classic and contemporary melodramas. Close behind was ANTIFA On Screen, which brought together a powerful lineup of anti-fascist cinema, highlighting films that challenge oppression and champion resistance. Rounding out the top three was The Evolution of Horror podcast’s David Lynch Weekender, a special event dedicated to the visionary surrealist director, showcasing some of his most iconic and influential works.
