Financial Times Highlights Top Films of 2025 Amid Global Tensions

As the year 2025 draws to a close, the world of cinema also takes stock annually. In a year marked by geopolitical tensions, changes in the audiovisual industry, and new ways of narrating reality, several productions stood out for their artistic quality and ability to interpret the historical moment.

2000 Meters to Andrivka

Mstyslav Chernov’s journey as a journalist brought him to the front lines during Russia’s offensive against Ukraine in February 2022. This experience led to the creation of 20 Days in Mariupol, a raw and powerful piece of realism. Now, with 2000 Meters to Andrivka, Chernov returns to the battlefield, portraying war as a superimposition between memory and what is yet to come.

Set in a minefield-enclosed forest, drones dominate the sky. As Ukrainian troops advance through the mud to reclaim a lost village, echoes of past wars resonate, evoking Without News from the Front. In a context where peace agreements may be on the horizon, Chernov’s films gain even more urgency as direct testimonies of what truly happened.

Eddington

Joaquin Phoenix stars as a “confinement sheriff” in a small New Mexico town during the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020. The story begins with a critical look at the excesses of health restrictions and gradually transforms into a fierce satire that leaves no one unscathed in a politically polarized United States.

The result is a sharp and provocative proposal, as intelligent as elusive, akin to a modern-day Chinatown.

Good One

India Donaldson’s debut in Good One redefines expectations for coming-of-age cinema, subtly enough that the shift almost goes unnoticed. In just 90 minutes, this comedy follows a teenage girl from New York City during a camping trip with her father and the charismatic best friend of the latter, an actor in full verbosity.

While adults exchange confessions about their mid-life crises, the young woman—portrayed with great sensitivity by Lily Collias—observes, listens, and absorbs the conclusions reflected in their gestures.

A House of Dynamite

Kathryn Bigelow’s film has sparked divided opinions, which the director considers a partial success. Bigelow aimed to provoke conversation and remind the world of the ongoing nuclear threat. While some critics have questioned its narrative structure—reconstructing a nuclear attack from three perspectives—there is consensus on the film’s effectiveness in building tension and the relevance of a high-profile Netflix production directly addressing a global issue.

It Was Only an Accident

Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi was released from Evin prison in 2023 after seven months of detention for protesting against the imprisonment of other filmmakers. Soon after, he presented It Was Only an Accident, a film shot outside the law, in open defiance of the regime’s ban imposed by Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei.

As is often the case with Panahi’s work, the very fact that the film was made carries significance. However, its value extends beyond this context: the movie tells the story of a group of former political prisoners who believe they have identified the guard responsible for the torture they endured in prison.

Eddington

Key Takeaways:

• 2000 Meters to Andrivka: Mstyslav Chernov’s raw portrayal of war through the eyes of a journalist on the front lines.
• Eddington: A contemporary period piece starring Joaquin Phoenix, offering a sharp satire of political polarization during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Good One: India Donaldson’s coming-of-age comedy that subtly redefines the genre in just 90 minutes.
• A House of Dynamite: Kathryn Bigelow’s high-profile Netflix film addressing the global nuclear threat.
• It Was Only an Accident: Jafar Panahi’s defiant film shot outside the law, telling the story of former political prisoners seeking justice.