It’s December, which means awards season is starting with the Golden Globes, Critics’ Choice Awards, and eventually the Oscars. Many Hollywood films, from Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another to Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein to Norwegian filmmaker Joachim Trier’s Sentimental Value, are all extraordinary. Now rolling stone has also released its list of top 20 films of the year. Read more to know which movie took the number 1 spot.
20) weapon
The year’s hottest horror film, directed by Jack Krieger, revolves around a small-town mystery involving the sudden disappearance of several children. Julia Garner plays the school’s class teacher, who is at the center of the allegations as questions pile up regarding her mysterious disappearance.
(Also Read: Weapons of Freedom first review: Audiences say the hype is real for this horror film, calling it ‘an unforgettable new classic’)
19) Frankenstein
The adaptation of Guillermo del Toro’s classic novel stars Oscar Isaac, Mia Goth, Christoph Waltz and Jacob Elordi. This film is available to watch on Netflix.
(Also Read: Frankenstein Twitter review: Fans call Guillermo del Toro film one of the best films of the year, laud Jacob Elordi’s performance)
18) Caught by the tide
The Chinese drama film directed by Jia Zhangke tells the story of two lovers who are separated and reunited over the course of nearly two decades. The film has been made from 22 years of footage.
17) Phoenician plan
The black comedy thriller film produced, written and directed by Wes Anderson tells the story of a billionaire arms dealer who, while trying to save his empire, reunites with his estranged daughter and goes on an adventure with her and a teacher.
16) On becoming a guinea fowl
The black comedy drama film written and directed by Rungano Nyoni stars Susan Chardy and Elizabeth Chisela. The film is set in Zambia and deals with grief and deep family secrets.
15) Orwell: 2+2=5
The documentary film produced, written and directed by Raoul Peck follows the enduring legacy of acclaimed author George Orwell. Through his actions, diary entries and political commentaries, the film provides important insight into the totalitarianism of the current era.
14) Best wishes to all
The Japanese horror film is directed by Yuta Shimotsu. It tells the story of a college student who visits her grandparents in the countryside. She is happy to see them, but starts feeling uneasy. Then she begins to see that there is more to the place than meets the eye.
13) Universal language
Universal Language is a Canadian absurdist comedy-drama film co-written and directed by Matthew Rankin. It weaves together several stories taking place in a fictional region located between Winnipeg and Tehran.
12) Eddington
Written and directed by Ari Aster, this neo-Western thriller stars Joaquin Phoenix, Pedro Pascal, Luke Grimes, and Emma Stone. It follows a fictional New Mexico town in May 2020, focusing on the power struggle between Sheriff Joe Cross (Joaquin Phoenix) and Mayor Ted Garcia (Pedro Pascal) during the COVID-19 pandemic and Black Lives Matter protests.
11) Peter Hujar Day
The biographical drama film, written and directed by Ira Sachs, follows a day in the life of acclaimed gay photographer Peter Hujar (Ben Whishaw) as he interacts with writer Linda Rosencrantz (Rebecca Hall).
10) Sentimental value
After The Worst Person in the World, Joachim Trier returns with a comedy-drama film about a dysfunctional family who are somehow united in their love for art and cinema. It stars Renate Reinsway, Stellan Skarsgård, Inga Ibsdotter Lilias and Elle Fanning.
9) Shaheed Supreme
Timothée Chalamet is garnering strong Oscar buzz for his performance as an NYC ping pong hustler in Marty Supreme. The film, inspired by the life of American table tennis champion Marty Reisman, is directed by Josh Safdie.
8) Sorry, baby
A reclusive college literature professor struggles with depression after sexual assault in this acclaimed directorial debut from Eva Victor. The film had its world premiere at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival where it won the Screenplay Award.
7) No other option
South Korean auteur Park Chan-wook, who directed Oldboy, is back with No Other Choice, a satirical black comedy thriller that tells the story of a mill manager. After being fired from his job, he becomes desperate and begins attempting increasingly violent methods to get a new job by eliminating the competition.
6) It was just an accident
Jafar Panahi won the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival this year for this thriller. Hailed as his bravest and most political film to date, it tells the story of a group of former Iranian political prisoners who encounter the man they believe to be their torturer.
5) Nouvelle Vague
Directed by Richard Linklater, the film re-imagines the 1959 shooting of Breathless, one of the first feature films of the Nouvelle Vague era of French cinema. It stars Guillaume Marbec as Jean-Luc Godard, Zoey Deutch as Jean Seberg and Aubrey Dulin as Jean-Paul Belmondo.
4) Train Dreams
Based on the novel by Dennis Johnson, the film follows a railroad worker’s decades-long journey across the Pacific Northwest in the early 20th century. Their lives are defined by their relationships and the many changes in American society. Directed by Clint Bentley, the film stars Joel Edgerton and Felicity Jones.
(Also read: Train Dreams review: Joel Edgerton is excellent in this gorgeous and poetic drama about life’s many adjustments)
3) black bag
When British intelligence officer George Woodhouse (Michael Fassbender) is assigned to investigate a list of suspected traitors, he discovers that one of them is his wife Catherine (Cate Blanchett). What follows is a deep, intriguing new offering from Steven Soderbergh.
2) Hamnett
Chloé Zhao’s new film Hamnet stars Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal. This adaptation is a fictional account of the life of William Shakespeare’s wife Agnes Hathaway and the tragic death of their 11-year-old son Hamnet from the plague.
1) one on one fight
Back-to-back battles with Paul Thomas Anderson took the top spot. Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Sean Penn, Teyana Taylor, Regina Hall, Chase Infinity and Benicio del Toro, the film follows a group of ex-revolutionaries who reunite to save the daughter of one of their own.
(Also Read: Back to Back Fight review: Sean Penn, Leonardo DiCaprio shine in Paul Thomas Anderson’s satire on Trump’s America)