From big blockbusters to arthouse indies, we dive into the best films of the past twelve months...
The Banshees of Inisherin
Will Martin McDonagh ever make a bad film? Not yet, that's for sure. Five years after his phenomenal, Oscar-winning drama Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, the Londoner returned with another uniquely dark and twisted, yet charming and engaging, outing in The Banshees of Inisherin. Bringing together his old In Bruges pals Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson, this tale of a friendship gone sour is quintessentially McDonagh, underpinning a sick sense of humour and no-holds-barred storytelling with genuine heart. Farrell puts in one of his finest ever performances as the delightfully likeable Pádraic, the script is razor sharp, and every shot is a work of art. Faultless. George White
Honourable mentions: The Worst Person in the World; Top Gun: Maverick; Everything Everywhere All at Once; Scream; Fresh; The Northman; Emergency; Freaks Out; Bones and All
Scream
Set 25 years after the initial Woodsboro murders, Scream (2022) is an absolute treat for lovers of Wes Craven's 1996 classic, with Ghostface targeting a whole new group of teens who are, to varying degrees, connected to the original murders. My favourite of the year, the film feels nostalgic while also fresh – and, above all, it is a lot of fun, full of constant self-aware jabs at the horror genre. Plus, we really see Jenna Ortega thrive as the central protagonist, Tara, only further solidifying her as a modern day Scream Queen, following her similar roles in Netflix show You and A24 slasher X. The best of the sequels in my opinion, it’s well worth a watch. Lizzy O’Riordan (Assistant Editor)
Crimes of the Future
David Cronenberg's return to the screen is nothing short of astounding. A late period work that continues his dedication to making uncompromising and provocative images that remain with you long after the credits roll. Crimes of the Future is a brilliant exercise in minimalist filmmaking, with every element of the piece stripped back so much that it becomes an incredibly primitive film; there are no establishing shots, a discouraging lack of continuity and the plot and themes are inexplicably dense. It has taken Cronenberg eight years to release a new film and he still remains one of the finest directors of all time. Let's hope we don't have to wait so long for the next one. Oliver Parker (Screen Co-Editor)
Honourable mentions: Memoria; Elvis; The Stars at Noon; Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy; Ambulance; Decision to Leave; Benediction; Faya Dayi; Armageddon Time
The Batman
I’ll admit it: I wasn’t exactly thrilled when Robert Pattinson was revealed to be taking over the mantle of Batman back in 2019. As a big fan of Ben Affleck’s short-lived portrayal (there are dozens of us!) I rolled my eyes at the idea of another reboot, and the former Twilight star certainly wouldn’t have been my first pick to lead it. But isn’t it great to be proven wrong sometimes?
Helmed by Matt Reeves – who seems to have a knack for crafting beautifully gritty drama out of classic IP – this is the best live-action Batman adaptation since the Nineties, and the most thoroughly engrossing film I’ve seen all year. Pattinson is excellent as Bruce, Gotham City is the scariest it’s ever been, and the mystery-focused plot is a welcome return to the franchise’s pulpy comic book roots. It’s rare that superhero blockbusters get to be this director-led – but when they are, they can be bloody good. Jamie Morris (Screen Co-Editor)
Honourable mentions: Escape From Mogadishu; Inu-oh; Nope; Decision to Leave; Belle; One Piece Film: Red; Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy; Onoda; Hustle
Jurassic World Dominion
I saw this film not once but twice when it was first released in cinemas this summer, something that I don’t find myself doing very often. And while the critic score for Jurassic World Dominion is pretty dire on Rotten Tomatoes (29%... ouch) hear me out here. Despite my enjoyment of the film, I will admit that it should probably be the last one – mainly because seeing the defining characters of the original Jurassic Park film (Alan Grant, Ian Malcolm, Ellie Sattler) being reunited with each other would be the perfect end to the franchise. Things truly do come full circle in Jurassic World Dominion, with them happening to conveniently stumble into the newer characters that were introduced in the more recent Jurassic World films (Claire Dearing, Owen Grady, Maisie Lockwood). Unrealistic and far-fetched? Absolutely. But when has a Jurassic Park film been anything other than that? Gemma Cockrell
Living
Fans of novelist Kazuo Ishiguro have long been used to his tales of isolation and regret, captured so mournfully in The Remains of the Day and Never Let Me Go. Now Ishiguro has turned his hand to screenwriting with Living, an homage to Japanese film classic Ikiru.
Bill Nighy, in a beautiful, restrained performance, is Mr Williams, a doleful widower who runs the Public Works department at 1950s London Council. Following a diagnosis of terminal cancer, Mr Williams realises he has let time slip away and wants to have one last shot at life. With the help of a young friend, Miss Harris (Aimee Lou Wood), and his team at Public Works, he devotes his remaining time to lunching at Fortnum’s and building a children’s playground.
It's not much, you might think, but this is a film that celebrates the small incidents that make up a life. It is also gently mocking, honouring and damning of our idea of Englishness all at once. An understated beauty. Sue Barsby
Honourable mention: Eric Ravilious – Drawn to War
Red Rocket
Over the last twenty-odd years, Sean Baker has solidified himself as not only one of the great American visionaries, but one of cinema's most vital flagbearers for the marginalised. Red Rocket is a blistering character study which delivers one of this century's most abrasive conmen in Mikey Saber – a washed up pornstar chased out of LA back to his Texas hometown. If you’re someone who’s partial to an on-screen bastard, this film is a must-watch.
As always, the way Baker holds a microscope up to bare life swallows us up completely with a compelling vibrancy. His pastoral is distinctly American, yet the rags to riches-ish story, the compassionate exploration of small-town, and razor sharp satire harmonises with the common human experience. Aaron Roe
The Gray Man
The Gray Man was one of those films I only really heard about through social media, but I was glad I finally gave it a watch. Based on the novel series, the film follows Courtland Gentry (Ryan Gosling), codename Sierra Six, an ex-con picked up by the CIA to be part of an elite task force. In this instalment, he has to rescue the niece of his old boss, who has been taken hostage by the sociopathic Lloyd Hansen (Chris Evans) – a very different role to the Captain America we're used to him playing, but very well-portrayed nonetheless. Granted, it's a bit of a slow starter, but once it picks up it's nonstop action as Six and Hansen chase each other around the globe in an epic thrill-ride of action, which comes to a nail-biting conclusion as the pair go head-to-head. Although the obviously corrupt CIA agents don't make much of an appearance overall in this outing, there's plenty of sequel material that could easily revolve around them. Emma Walsh
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