My Favourite Movies I Saw This Year (Modern Version)

I watched a lot of great 'modern' films this year, partially thanks to subscribing to the Criterion Channel, but also just taking advantage of the arthouse options in my city and watching more modern fare on streaming. 

Here are some of the ones I especially loved this year (in no particular order)!

The Worst Person in the World (2021)

via fitz-skimmons

Renate Reinsve, you break my heart. What a revelation. 

Bugonia (2025)

via gethimback

I loved this. Loved everything about it. Emma, Yorgos, please keep making movies together!

The Last Showgirl (2024)

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This movie is right up my alley, vibes-wise. I love the Vegas showgirl aesthetic, the patina that grows behind the scenes of it all, and Pamela Anderson was definitely robbed of an Oscar nomination for The Last Showgirl. 

To Die For (1995)

via fyeahmovies

Nicole Kidman is, if not my favourite modern actress, certainly top three. And shame on me for never having seen To Die For. This was phenomenal.

Smooth Talk (1985)

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I was browsing Letterboxd when I saw the Criterion movie poster for Smooth Talk, and that's what made me want to get the Criterion Channel. This feels like a perfect picture of that awkward in-between moment of teenage girlhood where, to quote Britney, you're not a girl and not yet a woman. Laura Dern is devastating as she navigates the complexities of this character. Such a wonderful performance.

Asteroid City (2023)

via fangerine

Before The Phoenician Scheme came out I had a quest to finish all of Wes Anderson's previous movies. I've yet to see Bottle Rocket, but otherwise, I was successful. I love the colours of Asteroid City, the meandering story and the play-within-a-play setting. To live in his mind must be a trip.

One Battle After Another (2025)

via bongjoonhoe

I'm a Leonardo DiCaprio ride-or-die. He puts out a movie, I'll watch it. Teyana Taylor, Chase Infiniti, Sean Penn, Regina Hall, and Benecio del Toro also gave such magnificent performances!

Snow White (2025)

via simplymanuela

Don't judge me, but I loved this. Simply put, I have not been able to stop thinking about this movie. I'm a sucker for fairy tales and happily ever afters, and even though the animated Snow White is nowhere near the top of my Disney movie rankings, this live action version is kinda near the top of the live action ranking...

Thunderbolts* (2025)

via mrsducky

I've been kinda off Marvel since Endgame, though I did enjoy Wandavision and Loki both tremendously. But with Thunderbolts* I felt for the first time, in a long time, that Marvel is back.

The Phoenician Scheme (2025)

via bongjoonhoe

I loved this story and the visuals. Also Kate Winslet's daughter was a fun revelation!

The Beast (Le Bête) (2023)

via erikakohuts

Well, this is a pretty bleak future... 

Mickey 17 (2025)

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I low-key love that Robert Pattinson turned into a kook post-Twilight because we get such great performances out of him. Good on him for not going the leading man route. I loved Mickey 17, I loved the premise, I love Bong Joon Ho, and I love the little Creepers. This is fun, you should watch!

The Secret Agent (O Agente Secreto) (2025)

via natalierso

I loved the cinematography of this. The colours were at times so lush and vibrant and then so sombre and earthen. To say nothing of Wagner Mouras' performance! I hope we hear his name called for an Oscar nomination!

ALSO LOVED: 

Civil War (2024)
Baby Girl (2024)
That Thing You Do! (1996)
Booksmart (2019)
The Darjeeling Limited (2007)
I'm Still Here (2024)
Nickel Boys (2024)
The Substance (2024)
Zola (2020)
Materialists (2025)
Superman (2025)
Wicked: For Good (2025)
Ocean's Eight (2018)
Dogtooth (2009)
In the Mood for Love (2000)
Hamnet (2025)
Sentimental Value (2025)