Even in the rush of life, traditions must hold.
My Top 9 Films of 2025:
1. The Sinners
The “Dance of the Vampires” sequence is destined to become a permanent fixture in cinematic history.
2. F1
The only film in years that truly compelled me to seek out the big-screen experience.
3. One Battle After Another
Sean Penn’s performance is nothing short of a masterclass.
4. The Last Dance
I delayed watching this for a year, out of fear.
The tears kept flowing regardless.
For this film, for Hong Kong cinema, and for myself.
5. Conclave
The precision of its composition is breathtakingly suffocating.
6. No Other Choice
If Parasite explores the ceiling of the upper class,
No Other Choice is the execution line where the elite plunge into the abyss.
7. Sentimental Value
Life should be lived with a “heavy heart but a light touch.”
Laugh through the tears, then keep laughing.
8. Hamnet
Directed by Chloé Zhao. Enough said.
9. 2000 Meters from Andreevka
The finest war documentary I have ever seen.
A raw glimpse into the Donbas front:
“All the war propaganda, all the screaming and lies and hatred,
comes invariably from people who are not fighting.”
(Ranked in no particular order.)
