Film critic watches 400 movies and only four get a five star | Films | Entertainment

Plenty of huge blockbusters have graced our screens in 2025.

Mickey 17, A Minecraft Movie and Sinners are among the new flicks to take cinemas by storm. There were also plenty of franchises and remakes for people to get stuck into.

Avatar: Fire and Ash, Zootopia 2, Captain America: Brave New World, How to Train Your Dragon, Jurassic World: Rebirth, 28 Years Later and The Conjuring: Last Rites, were among the familiar favourites.

However, none of these films actually made the top list for reviewer Luke Eccleston. In fact, the dedicated critic watched 400 movies in 2025 and only gave four of them a five star rating.

So which ones should you add to your watch list this Christmas? Check out all the details below…

1. One Battle After Another

This Paul Thomas Anderson film stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Sean Penn, Teyana Taylor and Chase Infiniti and was released this year.

It tells the story of an ex-revolutionary living off-grid with his daughter. However, he is forced to confront his extreme past when a white supremacist starts wants to settle an old score.

As you can imagine, it’s a pretty intense storyline that explores themes including radicalism, government control and family ties.

Luke said: “This film is perfection, absolutely loved everything about it. From DiCaprio to Chase Infiniti, everything about it is just absolutely fantastic. It’s an action-packed film that I honestly couldn’t recommend enough.”

2. Amadeus

Even though this film won the Academy Award for Best Picture back in 1985, some film fans are only just getting around to watching it. Luke is one of them – and he’s so glad he finally took the plunge!

Amadeus tells the fictional story of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and rival Antonio Salieri, who becomes obsessed with the iconic composer’s talent and wild lifestyle.

The critic said: “Now I put this film off for a very long time. Everyone talks about it being one of the best films of all time – and I can totally agree. It follows an incredible rivalry, incredible music and some of the best cinematography you will ever see in your life.

“I watched the director’s cut of this film and – trust me – you need to watch this version of the film because it just makes the story all that more better.”

3. Sentimental Value

This film is set for release on Boxing Day and follows two sisters that reunite with their estranged father who left Norway to pursue life as a movie director.

When he returns, he attempts to rekindle both his family bond and waning career. However, after casting an American actress in his upcoming movie, the relatives are forced to confront their intergenerational issues.

Luke said: “I was lucky enough to go to a film festival and watch this early. Trust me, you’re going to see this film a lot when it comes to the Oscar season.

“It’s truly a spectacular, emotional, heartbreaking film that genuinely brought me to tears so many times… One of the most stunning pieces of film of the year and it is my favourite film of the year. So make sure you see this one!”

4. Marty Supreme

This is another film that’s set for release on Boxing Day. It follows Marty Mauser and is loosely based on the life of American table tennis player Marty Reisman.

Big name stars are in the movie – including Timothee Chalamet, Gwyneth Paltrow, Fran Drescher and Tyler, The Creator – so it’s bound to be a popular one.

Luke said: “This is out Boxing Day and I was lucky enough to see it early. This film was brilliant – Timothee Chalamet gives the best performance of the year.

“It’s hilarious, it’s action-packed, it does not stop one single moment, it’s truly a five star film everyone needs to see when it comes out.”