Really Tall Guy

“Cinema is the beating heart of our communities.” – Pope Leo XIV

This time of year is great for reflection, both external and internal. A time to catch up with family members whom you cannot wait to flaunt life updates in front of. Maybe this is a sad time, overwhelmed with the loss of one of the family members who brought a nice warmth to this time of year. Many of us experience a moment of “what should I watch” while looking around aimlessly at the group of people in front of us, trying to decide on a film that we all would enjoy. As I think ahead to what those films would look like for my family, it got me reflecting on how cool it is to be the family member others go to for suggestions. I have the movies I would absolutely recommend, but I also started thinking of ones that provided positive thoughts for me. These films have brought meaning to my life, even if that meaning was fleeting, in 2025.

The Wizard of Oz (1939)

Wicked: For Good softly reintroduces the iconic girl from Kansas, looking for a way home. Thinking about the color-grading criticisms from the film, I started to imagine what it was like to see Dorothy walk into Technicolor for the first time in 1939. The film is not only momentous in movie history, but also in American culture. The moment still holds up. Creeping into an unknown space after a huge, traumatic event, only to discover that there can be other worlds out there for us to explore. New connections to make while discovering what Home really means.

Sinners (2025)

The beginning of the year seemed bleak when it came to original, mainstream filmmaking. Then Sinners entered the fray. A film that has made over $365 million at the box office, it not only made a splash for cinephiles but also allowed others the excuse to see something bold, fresh, and original. It helped Warner Bros. prove a point that if you put something out that is undeniably good and inject a solid marketing effort, the payoff will be exponential. The film cemented Ryan Coogler as a modern master filmmaker. It also broadened the horizon of how studios can get audiences back into a theater. The entire piece is wrapped in an unapologetic pronouncement of blues/jazz/genre filmmaking in Black culture. A rare film that packs a punch with intention and knocks us all out in the first round. A hopeful beacon of light for the cinema-going experience.

Phantom Thread (2017)

After seeing One Battle After Another, I realized Paul Thomas Anderson is a hit-or-miss filmmaker for me. I also seem to go against the grain with ranking his films, as I feel Phantom Thread to be his most subtly sophisticated work. The above scene captures what I love about the film. Quiet emotions against the backdrop of so much motion, yet the whole time, we are so focused on what our character wants. It is both razor-focused and so gentle in its presentation. Emotions that creep into your skin and never let go.

Barbarian (2022)

Warner Bros. was at it again this year with Weapons. Their plan seemed to have been to release sure-fire hits (the last Conjuring film + Minecraft Movie) along with more riskier fare (One Battle After Another, this, and Sinners). The riskier fare was less of a risk because of the almost-guaranteed success of the former. I was not surprised with the film’s success. I remember walking into Barbarian with no concept of anything and having the time of my life. Not only that, everyone else was too! It was a film that slipped under the Post-COVID movie-going cemetery. I urged so many people to visit this film after expressing their “love” for Aunt Gladys and her kids. It is by no means a perfect film, but, like Sinners, reminded the business how things can be run in a modern world competing against AI and streamers. There is simply nothing like being in a packed theater of people reacting together to a film unfolding before them.

Citizen Kane (1941)

You can revoke my Cinephile Card all you want, but this year was the first time I had ever seen Citizen Kane. (It was a 4k re-release, I could not say no!!!) What I certainly was not expecting was just how current this film felt. From the above scene: “You know, Mr. Thatcher, if I hadn’t been very rich, I might have been a really great man.” That line floored me. The story of a man so engrossed in his own legacy in society, all tied to events of his childhood. It felt like a jolting reminder that history rhymes more than repeats. I love it when a film does that, especially one made decades ago in a completely different time in American history. A stunning reminder of the power of art and its ability to provide perspective and emotion at the same time. A film that has cemented itself amongst some of the best in American history, and for good reason.

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Most of the films listed stemmed from watching a movie that came out this year. A nice reminder that film as an art form can have impacts beyond the single viewing experience. A bad film can lead to you questioning an actor’s choices, leading you to a previous good film. A good film can make you crave more, more, more. Both expand the film palette and both provide positive benefits. When we see films, we allow ourselves to be in touch with a deeper part of our emotions. New ways of living are reflected, and we, the audience, get to choose if we want to engage with that way of thinking in our daily lives. It is that personal choice that I am most thankful for. I cannot wait for more of those choices in 2026.