The 1922 film Nosferatu was a brilliant bit of cinema magic, so credible that even the crew came to believe their male lead was an evil being. That cinematic marvel hails from the dawn of moviemaking; the magic is not lost today. Great recent films like Oppenheimer and Everything Everywhere All at Once are what make the cinema experience. The films on this list are proven crowd pleasers you can read more about below.
| 🏆Film title | 📆Year released | 🧩Genre | 🌟Starring |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parasite | 2019 2025 (re-release) | Black comedy Thriller | Song Kang-ho Lee Sun-kyun Cho Yeo-jeong Choi Woo-shik |
| The Irishman | 2019 | Gangster epic | Robert De Niro Al Pacino Joe Pesci Harvey Keitel |
| Nomadland | 2020 | Drama | Frances McDormand David Strathairn Linda May Swankie |
| Minari | 2020 | Drama | Steven Yeun Han Ye-ri Alan Kim Noel Kate Cho |
| The Power of the Dog | 2021 | Psychological drama Western | Benedict Cumberbatch Kirsten Dunst Jesse Plemons Kodi Smit-McPhee |
| The Green Night | 2021 | Medieval fantasy Adventure | Dev Patel Alicia Vikander Joel Edgerton Sarita Choudhury |
| Don't Look Up | 2021 | Comedy | Leonardo DiCaprio Jennifer Lawrence Meryl Streep |
| Eternals | 2021 | Fantasy Superrhero | Gemma Chan Richard Madden Kumail Nanjiani Lia McHugh |
| The 355 | 2022 | Action thriller Spy story | Jessica Chastain Penélope Cruz Fan Bingbing Diane Kruger |
| The Banshees of Inisherin | 2022 | Black comedy | Colin Farrell Brendan Gleeson Kerry Condon Barry Keoghan |
| The Super Mario Bros. Movie | 2023 | Animation | Chris Pratt Anya Taylor-Joy Charlie Day Jack Black |
| Oppenheimer | 2023 | Biographical thriller | Cillian Murphy Emily Blunt Matt Damon Robert Downey Jr. |
| Dune Part II | 2024 | Epic Space | Timothée Chalamet Zendaya Rebecca Ferguson Josh Brolin |
| Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl | 2024 | Animated Comedy | Ben Whitehead Peter Kay Lauren Patel Reece Shearsmith |
| Mickey 17 | 2025 | Sci-fi Social commentary | Robert Pattinson Naomi Ackie Steven Yeun Toni Collette |
| Jurassic World Rebirth | 2025 | Sci-fi Thriller Action | Scarlett Johansson Mahershala Ali Jonathan Bailey Rupert Friend |
What Are The Best Films of the Last 5 Years
Film fans tend to populate their watchlists with Hollywood blockbusters. However, roughly half of the best films of the last 5 years come from or bear the influence of other countries. In fact, the best Sci-fi film in the last 5 years was an international production. Now, we preview five top-rated films from this period.
Parasite
A family at the lower end of the social ladder struggles to get by until the son's classmate hands them a unique opportunity.
From then on, it becomes a matter of exploiting their chance at a better life. This dark comedy thriller film is sure to leave you gaping.
💻Where to watch: YouTube, Apple TV+, Prime
🍅Rotten Tomatoes score: 99%
🍿Audience Rating: 8.5/10
Director Bong Joon-ho presents us with a train wreck of characters, setting them in contrast with both extremes of modern society. This 2019 film remains so popular it is resurging as a 2025 re-release to celebrate its 5-year anniversary.
The Irishman
A veteran of the Second World War lies in a nursing home, reflecting on his time as a hitman. Like many who fall in with the Mafia, this Irish-American eases into the business after a show of loyalty.
He soon comes in contact with the highest ranks of organised crime. Their activity plays against the backdrop of the American political landscape.
This late 2019 release feels more relevant than ever in the context of current world happenings.
💻Where to watch: Netflix
🍅Rotten Tomatoes score: 95%
🍿 Metacritic: 7.8/10
Martin Scorsese has been making films for more than a half a century and he still brings something new to every film. Past collaborators De Niro and Pacino make The Irishman feel like Scorsese's films of yore.
Nomadland
A woman loses her life partner and her job in quick succession. Grieving, and with no options where she currently lives, she sells almost everything she owns and takes to the road.
Across the miles and various states, she meets many who are in the same condition she's in. They teach her how to live the nomadic life.
💻Where to watch: Amazon, YouTube, Google, Apple TV
🍅Rotten Tomatoes score: 93%
🍿Audience Rating: 7.3/10
This film shows a dark side of American society. This picture of homelessness and economic uncertainty in the US is far from the reality most in her position today deal with.
Minari
A Korean family moves from a bustling California city to deep-south Arkansas. They encounter much hardship as their plans for a fruitful life don't pan out.
Being far away from urban life makes their situation more difficult. And then, their path to hope and stability crumbles with a final blow.
💻Where to watch: Amazon, YouTube, Google, Apple TV
🍅Rotten Tomatoes score: 98%
🍿 Audience Rating: 7.4/10
Minari's deep-south setting practically screams "You ain't from here!". Though the family isn't necessarily treated as foreigners, they aren't exactly embraced. This 2021 film explores how external factors take their toll on family life.
The Power of the Dog
Wealthy ranchers Phil and George meet an attractive single mother. One of the brothers falls in love, the other believes she's a gold digger.
He does everything possible to drive her away, including bullying her child. That bully gets his comeuppance, in the end.
This film came to British screens late in 2021. It gave us a bit of romance and trickery to take us into the holiday season.
💻Where to watch: Netflix
🍅Rotten Tomatoes score: 94%
🍿Audience Rating: 6.8/10
This film depicts a masterclass on playing the long game, set against a western background. The viewer gets no hint of how malicious the doctor-in-training is until the very end. This story depicts revenge-for-bullying taken to the extreme.
Last 5 Years Movies Critics Loved
It's no surprise that critics love films audiences loathe. They look for production values, how the story comes together, and how characters develop. They estimate the film's emotional impact and how it reflects societal values.
Still critics' reviews are subjective. A critic might pan the best comedy films simply because they don't care for slapstick. Another might disdain sweeping epics because the director swept it contrary to the critic's tastes. With that in mind, this list presents films critics hail as masterpieces that audiences ran from.
| 🏆Film Title | 📆Year | 🎬Director | 🤼Cast |
|---|---|---|---|
| Summer of Soul | 2019 | Questlove | Stevie Wonder Mahalia Jackson Nina Simone and others |
| Quo Vadis, Aida? | 2019 | Jasmila Žbanić | Jasna Đuričić Izudin Bajrović Boris Isaković |
| Ad Astra | 2019 | James Gray | Brad Pitt Dede Gardner Jeremy Kleiner |
| The Vast of Night | 2019 | Andrew Patterson | Sierra McCormick Jake Horowitz |
| Stowaway | 2021 | Joe Penna | Anna Kendrick Daniel Dae Kim Shamier Anderson Toni Collette |
| The Green Knight | 2021 | David Lowery | Dev Patel Alicia Vikander Joel Edgerton Sarita Choudhury |
| Joker | 2019 | Todd Phillips | Joaquin Phoenix Robert De Niro Zazie Beetz |
| Don't Look Up | 2021 | Adam McKay | Leonardo DiCaprio Jennifer Lawrence |
| The Midnight Sky | 2020 | George Clooney | George Clooney Felicity Jones |
The Best Films Last 5 Years: Fan Favourites
The opposite is true, too: audiences rave about films that the critics panned. Indeed, film reviewers turned their noses up at one of the best films ever - the original Star Wars. Today, the tug-of-war continues over film titles fans rave about, versus critics' disdain for them. Audiences fell in love with these cinematic offerings.
Eternals
An Avengers: Endgame tragedy forces a new clan of superheroes out of the shadows. These aliens have been hiding on Earth for thousands of years, quietly living their lives. Now, events compel them to step forward, squaring off against their - and humankind's eternal enemies, the Deviants.
Superhero films were once some of the best animated films. Today, the Marvel Cinematic Universe live-action series seems ever-expanding, but critics didn't care for this stretch. However, audiences found this new crew and storyline refreshing, even if all the standard action remains (or perhaps, because of it).
💻Where to watch:
Amazon, ITV, Rakuten
🍅Rotten Tomatoes score:
43%
🍿 Audience Rating:
77%
The 355
An international female spy corps unites to stop a terrorist organisation from igniting a third World War.
The focus on their personal lives doesn't take away from all the action and intrigue. They leave us with the impression that they will reunite to save the world again.
💻Where to watch: Apple TV, Google Play Movies, and other streaming platforms
🍅Rotten Tomatoes score:
24%
🍿 Audience Rating:
86%
The Super Mario Bros. Movie
Two brothers, partners in a plumbing business, take it upon themselves to repair a major water leak in New York City.
While underground, they get sucked into different pipes, which land them in separate realms. They must best the challenges they face to return to their world.
💻Where to watch: Amazon Prime, Vudu, Apple TV
🍅Rotten Tomatoes score:
59%
🍿 Audience Rating:
95%
| 🏆Film title | 📆Date released (UK) | 🎬Director | 🤼Cast |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1917 | January 2020 | Sam Mendes | George MacKay Dean-Charles Chapman Mark Strong Andrew Scott |
| The Lighthouse | January 2020 | Robert Eggers | Willem Dafoe Robert Pattinson |
| Portrait of a Lady on Fire | February 2020 | Céline Sciamma | Noémie Merlant Adèle Haenel |
| Parasite | February 2020 February 2025 | Bong Joon-ho | Song Kang-ho Lee Sun-kyun Cho Yeo-jeong Choi Woo-shik Park So-dam |
| Wolfwalkers | October 2020 | Ross Stewart | Honor Kneafsey Eva Whittaker Sean Bean |
| Petite Maman | November 2021 | Céline Sciamma | Joséphine Sanz Gabrielle Sanz Stéphane Varupenne |
| Everything Everywhere All At Once | May 2022 | Daniel Kwan | Michelle Yeoh Stephanie Hsu Ke Huy Quan James Hong |
| The Banshees of Inisherin | October 2022 | Martin McDonagh | Colin Farrell Brendan Gleeson Kerry Condon Barry Keoghan |
| Tár | January 2023 | Todd Field | Cate Blanchett Noémie Merlant Nina Hoss Sophie Kauer |
| Oppenheimer | July 2023 | Christopher Nolan | Cillian Murphy Emily Blunt Matt Damon Robert Downey Jr. |
| Barbie | July 2023 | Greta Gerwig | Margot Robbie Ryan Gosling America Ferrera Kate McKinnon |
| The First Slam Dunk | August 2023 | Takehiko Inoue | Shugo Nakamura Jun Kasama Shinichiro Kamio Subaru Kimura |
| Godzilla Minus One | December 2023 | Takashi Yamazaki | Ryunosuke Kamiki Minami Hamabe Yuki Yamada Munetaka Aoki |
Great Recent Films From Last Year
You might have noticed that chart has a lot of movies from early 2020, and fewer from the rest of the years. The COVID pandemic left a huge gap in production of the best movies in the last 5 years. Some say the industry has yet to recover, especially in Hollywood. That's not our take; industry insiders themselves worry over their lack of direction (pun intended).
Luckily, studios in other countries have revved up their entertainment engines to a fever pitch. Last year, we watched what critics hail as one of the best British films, along with a few Italian gems and a return to fantasy.
| 🏆Film | 📆Release date | 🎬Director | 🤼Cast |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dune: Part Two | February 2024 | Denis Villeneuve | Timothée Chalamet Zendaya Rebecca Ferguson Josh Brolin |
| Challengers | April 2024 | Luca Guadagnino | Zendaya Josh O'Connor Mike Faist |
| Love Lies Bleeding | May 2024 | Rose Glass | Kristen Stewart Katy O'Brian Jena Malone Anna Baryshnikov |
| Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga | May 2024 | George Miller | Anya Taylor-Joy Chris Hemsworth Tom Burke Alyla Browne |
| Kidnapped: The Abduction of Edgardo Mortara | May 2024 | Marco Bellocchio | Enea Sala Leonardo Maltese Barbara Ronchi |
| Anora | May 2024 | Sean Baker | Mikey Madison Mark Eydelshteyn Yura Borisov Karren Karagulian |
| All We Imagine As Light | May 2024 | Payal Kapadia | Kani Kusruti Divya Prabha Chhaya Kadam Hridhu Haroon |
| The Fall Guy | May 2024 | David Leitch | Ryan Gosling Emily Blunt Aaron Taylor-Johnson Hannah Waddingham |
| The Great Lillian Hall | May 2024 | Michael Cristofer | Jessica Lange Kathy Bates Lily Rabe |
| Civil War | July 2024 | Alex Garland | Kirsten Dunst Wagner Moura Cailee Spaeny |
| Good One | August 2024 | India Donaldson | Lily Collias James Le Gros Danny McCarthy Sumaya Bouhbal |
| His Three Daughters | September 2024 | Azazel Jacobs | Natasha Lyonne Elizabeth Olsen Carrie Coon Jovan Adepo |
| Wallace and Gromit Vengeance Most Fowl | October 2024 | Merlin Crossingham Nick Park | Ben Whitehead Peter Kay Lauren Patel Reece Shearsmith |
| Girls Will Be Girls | December 2024 | Shuchi Talati | Preeti Panigrahi Kani Kusruti Kesav Binoy Kiron Kajol Chugh |
| On Becoming a Guinea Fowl | December 2024 | Rungano Nyoni | Susan Chardy Roy Chisha Blessings Bhamjee Chungu Bwalya |
You might wonder about all the May releases our list features. It's because studios crank out their best works in time for the Cannes Film Festival, which takes place during that month. Generally, May and December enjoy top movie releases.
Great Recent Films From 2025
Those 2024 top movies prove that the film industry is well and truly back. The trend continues this year, with these top titles.
Caught by the Tides May 2025
Love endures, as this sweeping tale shows. Across distance and time, romance makes promises ironclad, until they can be kept no longer. This film traces the relationship arc between Qiao Qiao and Guao Bin as they face situations destined to break them apart.
Director Jia Zhang-Ke uses archived film clips from past films, as well as newsreels to give this story its nostalgic feel. It hasn't gotten all the exposure it deserves yet, but the Cannes jury was keen enough on it to nominate it for the Palme d'Or.
💻Where to watch:
In theatres
🍅Rotten Tomatoes score:
98%
🍿 Audience Rating:
too soon to know
Jurassic World Rebirth - June 2025
Seventeen years after abandoning the Jurassic World project, science again finds a use for the beasts. A team gathers to secure samples but the dinosaurs aren't happy about intruders in their habitat.
Jurassic franchise fans could hardly contain their excitement over this instalment and, for them, it did not disappoint. However, critics gave it a less enthusiastic reception. Granted, the beasts were more lifelike than ever, but how often can the tropes, clichés, and storylines repeat?
💻Where to watch:
In theatres now
🍅Rotten Tomatoes score:
51%
🍿 Audience Rating:
72%
Now, with a fan favourite and a critic's choice outlined, we turn our attention to other top films released so far in 2025.
| 🏆Film title | 📆Released | 🎬Director | 🤼Cast |
|---|---|---|---|
| I'm Still Here | February 2025 | Walter Salles | Fernanda Torres Selton Mello Valentina Herszage Luiza Kosovski |
| Mickey 17 | February 2025 | Bong Joon-ho | Robert Pattinson Naomi Ackie Steven Yeun Toni Collette |
| Black Bag | March 2025 | Steven Soderbergh | Cate Blanchett Michael Fassbender Marisa Abela Tom Burke |
| The Ballad of Wallis Island | March 2025 | James Griffiths | Tom Basden Tim Key Carey Mulligan Akemnji Ndifernyan |
| Sinners | April 2025 | Ryan Coogler | Michael B. Jordan Hailee Steinfeld Miles Caton Jack O'Connell |
| The Ugly Stepsister | April 2025 | Emilie Blichfeldt | Lea Myren Thea Sofie Loch Næss Ane Dahl Torp Flo Fagerli |
| When Fall Is Coming | April 2025 | François Ozon | Hélène Vincent Josiane Balasko Ludivine Sagnier Pierre Lottin |
| Pavements | May 2025 | Alex Ross Perry | Stephen Malkmus Scott Kannberg Joe Keery Jason Schwartzman |
| Thunderbolts* | May 2025 | Jake Schreier | Florence Pugh Sebastian Stan Wyatt Russell Olga Kurylenko |
| Sorry, Baby | June 2025 | Eva Victor | Eva Victor Naomi Ackie Lucas Hedges John Carroll Lynch |
| KPop Demon Hunters | June 2025 | Maggie Kang Chris Appelhans | Arden Cho Ahn Hyo-seop May Hong Ji-young Yoo |
Do critics' reviews influence your viewing choices?
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