The Best of 2025: 45th Shadows Awards

As usual, here's a brief summary of my top 10 lists for the year, with much, much more on the 45th Shadows Awards page on the website. These are my favourites - and as usual, I always like to be surprised...

BEST FILMS: 

1. Sirāt (Oliver Laxe)
2. Sinners (Ryan Coogler)
3. Is This Thing On? (Bradley Cooper)
4. Hamnet (Chloé Zhao)
5. Cactus Pears (Rohan Parashuram Kanawade)
6. Good One (India Donaldson)
7. Sentimental Value (Joachim Trier)
8. Sorry, Baby (Eva Victor)
9. 2000 Meters to Andriivka (Mstyslav Chernov)
10. Wake Up Dead Man (Rian Johnson)

DIRECTOR:

1. Chloé Zhao - Hamnet
2. Ray Mendoza & Alex Garland - Warfare
3. Lynne Ramsay - Die My Love
4. Ryan Coogler - Sinners
5. India Donaldson - Good One
6. Oliver Laxe - Sirāt
7. Paul Thomas Anderson - One Battle After Another
8. Kelly Reichardt - The Mastermind
9. Mary Bronstein - If I Had Legs I'd Kick You
10. Celine Song - Materialists

SCREENWRITER:

1. Ryan Coogler - Sinners
2. Eva Victor - Sorry, Baby
3. Rian Johnson - Wake Up Dead Man
4. Jafar Panahi - It Was Just an Accident
5. Harry Lighton - Pillion
6. India Donaldson - Good One
7. Rohan Parashuram Kanawade - Cactus Pears
8. Chloé Zhao & Maggie O'Farrell - Hamnet
9. Eskil Vogt & Joachim Trier - Sentimental Value
10. Kleber Mendonca Filho - The Secret Agent

ACTRESS: 

1. Jessie Buckley - Hamnet
2. Renate Reinsve - Sentimental Value
3. Camila Plaate - Belén
4. Leonie Benesch - Late Shift
5. Jennifer Lawrence - Die My Love
6. Tessa Van den Broeck - Julie Keeps Quiet
7. Yasmine Al Massri - Palestine 36
8. Kate Hudson - Song Sung Blue
9. Laura Dern - Is This Thing On, Jay Kelly
10. Rose Byrne - If I Had Legs I'd Kick You

ACTOR: 

1. Théodore Pellerin - Lurker, Nino
2. Michael B Jordan - Sinners
3. Paul Mescal - The History of Sound, Hamnet
4. Stellan Skarsgard - Sentimental Value
5. Mahmood Bakri - To a Land Unknown
6. Josh O'Connor - The Mastermind, Wake Up Dead Man, The History of Sound, Rebuilding
7. Ryo Yoshizawa - Kokuhō
8. Wagner Moura - The Secret Agent
9. Will Poulter - Warfare, On Swift Horses
10. Sergi Lopez - Sirāt

SUPPORTING ACTRESS: 

1. Nina Hoss - Hedda
2. Glenn Close - Wake Up Dead Man
3. Amy Madigan - Weapons, Rebuilding
4. Youn Yuh-jung - The Wedding Banquet
5. Wunmi Mosaku - Sinners
6. Fiona Shaw - Hot Milk, Park Avenue
7. Mariam Afshari - It Was Just an Accident
8. Naomi Ackie - Mickey 17, Sorry Baby, The Thursday Murder Club
9. Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas - Sentimental Value
10. Maxine Peake - I Swear

SUPPORTING ACTOR: 

1. Miles Caton - Sinners
2. Kit Connor - Warfare
3. Tonatiuh - Kiss of the Spider Woman
4. Alexander Skarsgard - Pillion
5. Min Tanaka - Kokuhō
6. Noah Jupe - Hamnet, The Carpenter's Son
7. Jay Lycurgo - Steve
8. Ken Watanabe - Kokuhō
9. Jack O'Connell - Sinners, 28 Years Later
10. Archie Madekwe - Lurker

WORST FILM: 

1. A Working Man (David Ayer)
2. The Home (James DeMonaco)
3. Star Trek: Section 31 (Olatunde Osunsanmi)
4. Him (Justin Tipping)
5. Night of Violence (Illya Konstantin)
6. The Electric State (Joe & Anthony Russo)
7. Bull Run (Alfredo Barrios Jr)
8. The Pickup (Tim Story)
9. The Ice Tower (Lucile Hadzihalilovic)
10. Harvest (Athina Rachel Tsangari)

TV SERIES: 

1. Adolescence (Netflix)
2. Hacks 4 (Max)
3. The White Lotus 3 (HBO)
4. Chief of War (Apple)
5. Boots (Netflix)
6. Juice 2 (BBC)
7. Only Murders in the Building 5 (Hulu)
8. Too Much (Netflix)
9. Andor 2 (Disney)
10. Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light (BBC)

SINGLE: 

1. Golden - Huntr/x
2. DtMF - Bad Bunny
3. Where Is My Husband - Raye
4. Undressed - Sombr
5. Manchild - Sabrina Carpenter
6. Daisy, When the Wine Runs Out - Role Model
7. The Giver - Chappell Roan
8. Rubber Band Man - Mumford and Sons & Hozier
9. I Lied to You - Miles Caton
10. Show Me Love - WizTheMc, Bees & Honey

On the road: Take the plunge

Being away for the holidays, I've prioritised hanging out with family and friends over work - so I'm a bit behind with everything apart from food! But I've managed to watch a few films here and there. Just out in cinemas here in the US, The Plague stars Joel Edgerton as a boys' water polo coach who seems either unable or unwilling to tackle the horrific bullying on the team. It's strikingly well made, with a terrific central performance by young Everett Blunck. 

The gentle drama Rebuilding features yet another excellent role for Josh O'Connor as a Colorado rancher trying to start over after a wildfire. It's quietly powerful. Ron Howard's Eden tells the true story of Europeans trying to find paradise in the Galápagos in the 1930s, with a cast that includes Jude Law, Vanessa Kirby, Sydney Sweeney and Ana de Armas. The cast makes it watchable even when it gets rather soapy. The documentary The Perfect Neighbor is assembled from body-cam footage as Florida cops teal with a messy situation that escalates until someone dies. It's hard to watch, but important. I also caught up with a few pulpy movies from recent years, including the cat-and-mouse thriller Carry-On in which Jason Bateman terrorises security agent Taron Egerton in Los Angeles airport. It's seriously stupid, but fun. Mel Gibson plays an action-oriented Santa in Fatman, an uneven mix of comedy and violence that never comes together. Walton Goggins is seriously intense as the baddie; Marianne Jean-Baptiste (yes, really) shines as Mrs Claus.

Over this next week, I'll be watching a few more contenders before ballots are due in various awards. I'm also flying back to London, so will no doubt catch up with some gems (!) on the flights. Before that, I will be finalising year-end lists of my best and worst from 2025 - watch this space...

Critical Week: Smile for the camera

I'm travelling these days, visiting friends and family in Southern California, where I was born. I've certainly been enjoying the sunshine and fish tacos! And of course the Christmas spirit. Work has taken a back seat, with no screenings and refreshingly few deadlines. And I'm working on those pesky year-end best lists. The only film I've watched was revisiting the Knives Out sequel Wake Up Dead Man on Netflix - still one of my favourite movies of the year, this is a smart, funny whodunit with some added insight into compassion and faith. The ensemble is fantastic too, led by the excellent Josh O'Connor and Daniel Craig, plus a fabulous scene-stealing Glenn Close.. 

BEST OUT THIS WEEK:
Is This Thing On? • Cover-up
The Voice of Hind Rajab
ALL REVIEWS >

On the plane flight over here, along with various TV episodes, I finally caught up with the guilty pleasure comedy Nonnas, a silly but warmly enjoyable true story starring Vince Vaughn as a guy opening a restaurant in Staten Island with a group of Italian grandmas as chefs. And Mariska Hargitay's documentary My Mom Jayne, is an intimate and involving exploration of her connection with her mother Jayne Mansfield. I also rewatched Frank Capra's classic It's a Wonderful Life somewhere over Greenland. This film never ages - it's just as entertaining and moving as ever. One of the best movies of all time.

Coming up this next week, I still have a few movies I need to watch for awards voting deadlines, but otherwise it's more likely that I'll see a few more holiday classics with friends and family.

Stage: Let it all hang out

Boys in the Buff
words & music Chris Burgess
with Rowan Armitt-Brewster, Adam Norton, Liam Bradbury, Max Rizzo, Tish Weinman
director-choreographer Robbie O’Reilly
musical director Aaron Clingham
lighting Richard Lambert • sets & costumes Alan Meggs
Golden Goose Theatre, London • 10.Dec.25-10.Jan.25 ★★★★

This latest production of the venerable musical comedy has had some of its songs updated, while the story itself remains a rather engaging mix of coy and cheeky. It seems a bit dated to treat nudity as if it's something naughty or transgressive, but the ultimate explosion of happiness is infectious, as if they were making a lot of fuss about nothing really. And the lively, hugely likeable cast is superbly up for this story about conquering insecurities about our body, delivering fabulous full-on song and dance performances.

The story sees host Maxie (Tish Weinman) cast a group of young guys in a show that requires nudity, and each of them has a distinct reaction. Dan (Rowan Armitt-Brewster) puts on a near-naked comedy dance in which his bits remain cleverly covered as he proclaims his love of running around in the altogether. Luca (Max Rizzo) is a fitness addict who used to be fat and has lingering trauma from bullying. Theatre boy Richard (Liam Bradbury) wants to get on with the show. And Phil (Adam Norton) isn't sure he can go through with this.

The key idea here is that we don't need to be ashamed of our bodies, however we look, because everyone is different and the ideal body is a fantasy. This theme is expressed throughout the songs in a variety of sparky, often very funny ways, with smartly written lyrics and eye-catching staging that augments a range of choreography, from Fosse-style pizazz to a French fan dance, with added ballroom, ballet and tap. Plus a Shakespearean burlesque. And the buoyantly performed songs address such questions as whether size matters, the prevalence of the fat jab (a lively Charleston) and the intensity of gym obsession.

More serious moments take on peer pressure and bullying. And Richard sings a power ballad lamenting the loss of his foreskin. Yes, the tone veers entertainingly between the sublime and the ridiculous. But the running theme punches the importance of accepting our imperfections and loving ourselves as we are. While it seems like the cast and crew are jumping through hoops to put off the inevitable, when these guys finally strip off completely, it's a joyous expression of freedom in a variety of personal dance styles. It's as if like they would have rather been performing like this right from the start.

For details, LAMBCO PRODUCTIONS >

photos by Peter Davies • 10.Dec.25

Critical Week: She's behind you!

This past week has been a flurry of awards voting deadlines, watching both contender and holiday releases. Then after several critics' groups started announcing their year-end winners, the Golden Globe nominations came out on Monday, and awards season is now in high gear until Oscar night in March. Among the eclectic group of movies I watched this week, perhaps the most fun was had with The Housemaid, Paul Feig's latest female-led blackly comical thriller, starring Sydney Sweeney and Amanda Seyfried. It's twisty, nasty and entertaining.

BEST OUT THIS WEEK:
Goodbye June • Lurker
The President's Cake
Baby • Scarlet
ALL REVIEWS >

And then there was Nia DaCosta's sequel 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, picking up the story from Danny Boyle's movie last summer, starring Ralph Fiennes and Jack O'Connell. It's brutally nasty, with intriguingly thoughtful moments along the way. Rose Byrne gives a tour fe force performance in If I Had Legs I'd Kick You, a staggeringly immersive drama abotu a woman grappling with motherhood. H Is for Hawk stars the excellent Claire Foy as a woman dealing with grief by raising a feisty goshawk. It's warm, earthy and very moving. From Japan, Kokuho is a lavish, powerfully involving epic about a boy determined to become a great kabuki artist. The scale is both enormous and vividly intimate. Rosamund Pike and Matthew Rhys play frazzled parents in Hallow Road, almost entirely set inside their car. The plot doesn't quite work, but it's riveting. I also finally caught up the wonderfully warm and funny comedy The Ballad of Wallis Island, a ridiculously likeable music-infused British movie starring Tim Key, Tom Basden and Carey Mulligan. And there were two live performances, The Fit Prince at King's Head Theatre and Boys in the Buff (ooh err!) at Golden Goose Theatre, all before flying out to see my family in California for the holidays. 

Coming up this next week, I don't really know what I'll be watching, as I'm spending time with my parents and family members. I'll no doubt see something on the flight! And at some point I do still need to watch The Plague with Joel Edgerton, Rebuilding with Josh O'Connor and, now that it has a Golden Globe nomination, Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle.

Stage: Make the yuletide gay

The Fit Prince
Who Gets Switched on in the Square in the Frosty Castle the Night Before (Insert Public Holiday Here)
writers, directors, actors Linus Karp & Joseph Martin
video guests Tove Lo, Sebastian Croft, Malte Gardinger, Joshua Whitehouse, Misia Butler, Yshee Black, Kate Butch, Geri Allen, Julia Bender
music Leland • choreography Sam Carlyle
design Stella Backman • puppets Hugh Purves
sound Kate Marlais • lighting James Appleby
King's Head Theatre, Islington • 2.Dec.25-3.Jan.26 ★★★★

Awkward Productions brings their latest Fringe hit to London, appropriately during panto season, and it's a riotously camp show that chaotically plays with the traditions of holiday movies and all things Scandinavian. The cast features two gifted actors, plus a harried stage manager, a raft of sparky video performances and several up-for-it audience members, whose dialog appears on screens just as they need to say it. As the show spirals through its deliberately silly plot and messy improvised moments on-stage, the show becomes increasingly absurd and very, very funny.

As it opens, the king of Swedonia has died, and Crown Prince Elian (Linus Karp) can only inherit the kingdom if he marries before Christmas. But he hasn't yet met the man of his dreams. Nevertheless, time is short, so while Elian interviews eligible princes, the palace hires top New York baker Aaron Butcher (Joseph Martin) to make the wedding cake. As they meet-cute, clash, connect and fall out, Elian and Aaron of course are falling in love. Aaron also convinces Elian to leave the castle and explore his country, and they discover an orphanage in need of royal assistance. Meanwhile, the prince's doppelgänger (an audience member) is making a nefarious power move.

Along the way, we also get a raucous concert by national-treasure popstars BAAB, performing a medley of hilarious pastiche hits, from The Loser Gets Nothing to the anthemic Movement King. Yes, this show spins gleefully out of control at every turn, while the engaging Karp and Martin miraculously keep things on track. Alongside their lead roles, they play a variety of amusing side characters, including the female BAAB singers (audience members play the guys) and a couple of puppet characters that have enormous personalities (orphanage director Gerta McMurder is iconic). Meanwhile, starry guests chime in on video screens. To add to the surrealism, the audience member playing the doppelgänger in our performance was Sebastian Croft (Heartstopper), leading to some amusing romantic interaction with himself on video.

Of course, all of this is resolutely queer, with some surprisingly sweet romantic beats alongside the madcap nuttiness. Dialog is packed with witty wordplay and meta-gags, while mercilessly poking fun at Swedishness from saunas to Ikea. Original songs written by Leland are hilariously epic. And the story has a lot of fun subverting the usually strait-laced nature of Christmas romantic comedies. All of this plays out with a slapstick sensibility that will make each performance a different experience. With its rather abruptly tidy ending, the thin narrative even wraps up with a point about the place for a monarchy in the modern world. But we're too busy laughing and cheering to worry about that.

For details, KINGS HEAD >

photos by Dave Bird • 8.Dec.25

Stage: Tale as old as time

He's Behind You! presents
Beauty and the Beast: A Horny Love Story
by Jon Bradfield and Martin Hooper
director Andrew Beckett
with Matthew Baldwin, Matt Kennedy, Chris Lane, Keanu Adolphus Johnson, Laura Anna-Mead, Dani Mirels, Ben Mabberley, Owen Arkrow, Olivia-Grace Weaver
composer Jon Bradfield • choreographer Carole Todd
sets David Shields • costumes Robert Draper
sound Andrew Johnson • lighting Matt Hockley
Charing Cross Theatre, London • 21.Nov.25-11.Jan.26 ★★★★

While this lively pantomime definitely hasn't been made for the kiddies, its bouncy childishness is hugely engaging. The grown-up audience at Charing Cross Theatre may continually roar at the raucously smutty wordplay, but it's the comfy self-aware nuttiness that keeps a smile on our faces. It definitely helps to have such an eye-catching array of sets and costumes, and such an up-for-it cast as this one, led by indefatigable panto-dame legend Matthew Baldwin.

The story is set in the Scottish village of Lickmanochers, where young Bertie (Matt Kennedy) and his sister Bonnie (Laura Anna-Mead) are struggling with their queer identities, because there are so few potential partners here. Their "easily spread" mother Flora (Baldwin) runs the local shop and is also on the prowl, while the villainous Cornelius (Chris Lane) plots against everyone. His big secret is that his cursed beastly brother Charlie (Johnson) is locked up in the family's Traitors-esque castle, and soon both Flora and Bertie get stuck there as well. Flora gets on with the resident ghosts, cooking bouncy scones and a shenanigan-filled Christmas dinner, while Bertie and Charlie of course have a more romantic trajectory.

The plot is resolutely simplistic, but the snappy dialog gives the actors a lot to work with. There's a barrage of hilarious zingers, current political asides and lots of references to the Disney classic. Indeed, the fabulously irreverent pastiche songs include Be Our Slave, crooned by the castle ghosts. And the climactic scene on Cornelius' drilling platform resounds to the strains of Village People-style anthem On an Oil Rig. Romance is on the cards for everyone, as Flora falls for local Harris (Ben Mabberley) and Bonnie meets the tourist Juno (Dani Mirels) and settles down alarmingly quickly.

While Baldwin owns the stage with his razor-sharp timing, iconic costume changes and astonishingly snappy improv, the skilful surrounding cast hold their own. Kennedy is an endearing hero who is very easy to root for, creating terrific chemistry with Johnson's amusingly tetchy beast. Both are able to punch the comedy while also finding deeper resonance. Everyone has a lot of fun with the elaborate costumes, witty songs and riotous Highland Fling-inspired choreography. Most impressive is how the show manages to be both silly and sexy at the same time, with a happy ending that comes complete with an enticingly dubious moral.

For details, HE'S BEHIND YOU! >

photos by Steve Gregson • 4.Dec.25