Entertainment highlights of 2025
Last year consisted of quitting a lot of things that didn’t bring me joy, especially books and TV series. No more Murakami fiction for me, no matter how good the blurb sounds, or how many people tell me he’s amazing. But I also got diagnosed with ADHD, so maybe my attention is just at its worst. Either way, there’s still been a ridiculous amount of incredible media to keep me entertained.
As always, my highlights of the year are things I read, watched or listened to for the first time. They do not have to have been released or published in 2025. I do my best to indulge in some classics to mix things up, but often get distracted by the new and shiny.
There’s plenty of entertainment I missed this year, but still desperately want to catch up on. I haven’t watched Pluribus (I’m waiting to binge it all), Adult Swim’s The Elephant, Stranger Things, and I’m still looking forward to The Substance and Weapons. I couldn’t begin to count the books I wanted to read this year, but they included The Compound by Aisling Rawle and We Do Not Part by Han Kang.
Anyway, let’s get on with my top entertainment of 2025.
Best Books of 2025
The God of the Woods by Liz Moore
The God of the Woods is a haunting story of missing children and the lengths an affluent family will go to protect their reputation.
It’s the summer of 1975, and 13-year-old Barbara Van Laars disappears overnight. While spending her first season at her family-owned camp, her roommates wake to find her gone.
Barbara’s vanishing also shines a light on the unsolved disappearance of her older brother, Bear Van Laars. Fourteen years earlier, he went for a walk with his grandfather, never to be seen again.
Can tragedy really strike twice? Or is there more to the Van Laars disappearances?
Liz Moore’s writing is complex in storyline but fluid and accessible in style. It also has a strong cinematic touch, which really helps you feel immersed in the world she’s created. I can very much see this adapted to screen, as was her previous novel, Long Bright River.
This novel is packed with twists and turns that don’t let up for a second. I’ve read a fair bit of crime this year, and this one stood out miles above the rest.
Fundamentally by Mussaibag Younis
Attempting to appear independent after her relationship ends, academic Nadia accepts a controversial job rehabilitating ISIS women with the United Nations in Iraq. However, she’s only written a paper on ISIS rehabilitation and has no hands-on experience. It immediately shows.
Immediately lonely and dealing with culture shock, she attempts to settle in as the leader of her new team. Even though they’re a ramshackle bunch with various personality defects, even they don’t think she can hack it.
On her first visit to a detention camp, she meets Sara. Nadia sees herself in the foul-mouthed Londoner who joined ISIS at 15 years old. She makes it her mission to free Sara, no matter what.
You might not expect a book about an academic rehabilitating ISIS women to be laugh-out-loud funny, but you’d be wrong. I raced through this book and relished the flow of Nussaibah Younis’ writing. Fun, fast and touching, this novel pulled me out of a reading slump and reminded me what I love about books.
Fundamentally takes an evocative and political minefield of a subject and treats it with as much humanity as it does humour. I couldn’t recommend it highly enough.
Helm by Sarah Hall
Sarah Hall is one of my favourite authors of all time. I’d like to be buried with The Electric Michelangelo, Mrs Fox is an annual read, and Burntcoat had me bawling last year. I never need to read the back of a Sarah Hall book; whatever she’s written will captivate me and leave me thinking.
Helm is a step away from her norm, with the main character being a rare type of wind. Following the wind from the early days of man to the modern day, this book is unlike anything I’ve ever read before. Chapters switch between how the wind impacts various people and time frames, to how the wind experiences the world.
While this novel is unique and beautifully written, I did miss Sarah Hall’s focus on humanity. One of the aspects I adore in her work is how she constructs incredible characters that can live in your bones years after you’ve read her stories. I felt that slightly lacking in Helm, but maybe that’s the point. Instead of people, she’s brought to life a weather phenomenon.
That may sound negative, but Helm still easily made my favourite books of the year with its beautiful writing and imaginative approach to storytelling.
Annie is 37 weeks pregnant and shopping alone for a baby crib in Ikea when the earthquake hits.
After dragging herself from the rubble and scrabbling to safety, there’s only one thing she can focus on. She needs to find her husband. As she feels the world crumbling around her, she’s compelled to embrace the life she’s been pushing away.
Tilt is an emotional tale of self-acceptance, wrapped in a disaster story. After surviving the earthquake, during her long walk through the wreckage, Annie reflects. She looks back on the promise she had as a teenager, the opportunities she didn’t seize and the experiences she could’ve embraced, but ignored.
I’m a sucker for disaster stories, and this novel
The chapters of Tilt alternate between Annie’s past and the journey to find her husband. I really enjoyed this approach as it created an enjoyable balance of reflection and action. I’ve always been a sucker for disaster stories, but this novel adds heart and depth to make it truly immersive. It may be cliché, but Tilt really is an emotional rollercoaster, and one I really enjoyed.
Best TV of 2025
The Studio
The Studio follows Matt Remick as the newly appointed head of Continental Studios. Driven by creative ambition, but constricted by corporate responsibilities and the changing business of film.
That sounds pretty dry, but The Studio is by far one of the funniest and most stressful shows I watched this year. It’s a ridiculously self-aware romp of a show with a razor-sharp script, packed with incredible characters and some of the best cameo appearances ever. My personal favourite being Dave Franco. On top of all that, it’s visually stunning. Watching Matt’s (Seth Rogen) lush cars change every episode is a delight in itself.
While Seth Rogan is perfect as the lead, every one of the supporting actors knocks it out of the park. Special recognition here for the wonder that is Kathryn Hahn, wearing some of the most wonderously vile outfits ever.
Bring on season two, whose rough release date of late 2026 or early 2027 can’t come soon enough.
The Residence
When White House Chief Usher A. B. Wynter is murdered during a state dinner, detective Cordelia Cupp is called in to investigate.
The White House is locked down as Cordelia questions everyone from the Australian Foreign Minister to a drunken server.
To me, The Residence is peak cosy crime, and Cordelia Cupp is a quirky, modern Poirot. Are the characters over the top? Yes. Has it got slight Scooby Doo vibes? Yes. Will I watch anything with Randall Park in? (He plays Cordelia’s assistant.) Yes.
I hadn’t realised how much I enjoyed this lighthearted series until I came home from surgery in early December, and this warm hug of a show was all that appealed.
Sadly, Netflix have already decided this will be the only adventure for Cordelia. However, if you want something fun, cosy but twisty enough to keep your attention, this is it.
All Her Fault
When Marissa goes to collect her son from an after-school play date, the person who answers the door looks at her blankly. The person she thought lived at the address doesn’t, and her son is nowhere to be seen. What follows is a parent’s worst nightmare.
This show wasn’t on my radar until the brilliant author James Smythe mentioned his work on an episode via his Instagram. (First, read James Smythe’s books. Second, follow him online because his recommendations are great!)
What starts as a luxurious-looking family crime unravels across eight episodes to become a fabulously twisty psychological tale I thoroughly enjoyed. I was expecting a good show, but there were several twists to this that I didn’t begin to see coming. The music was occasionally heavy-handed enough to break my concentration, but overall, All Her Fault was an enthralling show with great feminist undertones. I’m sure many parents have questioned their past actions after watching the first episode (and many mums will have given their partner a side-eye).
Severance
Do I even need to explain Severance at this point?
Ok, so Mark agrees to a job that involves the severance procedure after his wife passes away. Severance is an operation leading to a complete disconnect between your memory inside and outside of work. When Mark leaves the office, he has no memory of his work or his colleagues. At work, he has no memory of life outside of those four walls.
As the series progresses, we’re slowly given more clues as to what the company does. Mark also attempts to undo the severance procedure, leading to flashes of memory that he doesn’t understand.
I’ve avoided all spoilers here because those nuggets of information are what make the show. That and Tramell Tilman, who plays Milcheck, a manager within the company. His performance really shone during the second season, and I’d be fascinated to see his origin story.
There have been plenty of complaints that after two seasons, we don’t know too much more about what’s going on. That’s accurate, but I’m loving the ride, so all I’m doing is looking forward to more.
The Rehearsal
Not enough people in the UK are talking about this programme, so I’m happy to shout about it from the rooftops.
The Rehearsal is the latest show from comedian Nathan Fielder. The premise is finding people who want to rehearse life-changing decisions and their consequences before taking the plunge. To simplify it, he’s taken the brain of someone with anxiety who has to make a big decision and made it into a TV series.
The very first episode sees Nathan help trivia addict Kor confess he lied about having a master’s degree to his bar/pub trivia team mate. Nathan builds a life-size replica of the bar and employs actors, so Kor can practice his confession and every outcome of the conversation.
This is just the first episode; the following story of a woman (and Nathan) wanting to test parenthood stretches across the rest of the first season. I would give anything to know more about the blurring of fact and fiction through this storyline, but that’s half the fun. What does become clear is that Nathan is as fascinated with the psychology of his work as I am as a viewer.
The Rehearsal is a mesmerising and incredibly moving show. Honestly, I bawled through the end of the first episode (in a good way). Nathan Fielder’s commitment to seeing through various possibilities makes for incredible viewing. When you think he’s gone as far as he can with a rehearsal, he goes one step further. It’s both admirable and overwhelming. I really wasn’t expecting this show to hit me as hard as it did, but that’s one of the many reasons I couldn’t recommend it enough.
Dispatches from Elsewhere
My partner, Gary, stumbled across Dispatches from Elsewhere while searching for something similar to Severance. However, there’s much more wonder and magic than science fiction in the writing of this fascinating show.
Dispatches from Elsewhere opens with Peter (Jason Segal, also the show writer) seeing some unusual posters on his everyday walk to work. In an out-of-character move, he takes the phone number and calls to learn more.
He’s invited to the mysterious Jejune Institute. Confused by the Institute’s motives, he makes a run for it. But things get even stranger when he’s sent to another address.
Curiosity gets the best of him, and soon Peter is mixed up in a gathering of people who are invited to play a life-changing game. Assigned to a group of four, he and his teammates decide whether to carry on and fully commit to a game they don’t understand.
I started watching Dispatches from Elsewhere with no expectations whatsoever, and I think that’s the perfect viewing experience, so I won’t describe it any further.
What I’m happy to write about is the absolute joyous adventure this show is. It’s a story of art, adventure, belief and taking risks. The four main characters; Jason Segal, Eve Lindley, Sally Field and Andre 3000 are simply incredible. While Jason and Eve dominate the beginning of the series, when Sally and Andre get their character-focused episodes, they’re equally mesmerising.
If you fancy a big arty, beautiful hug of a TV series that injects a bit of wonder into your day, this is for you.
Interior Chinatown
Interior Chinatown is a crime story told from the perspective of an extra (or NPC) inside a fictional cop show. Sounding a bit meta? Then you’re on the right track.
After witnessing a kidnapping, Willis realises there might be more to life than being a background character. He figures out ways to access parts of the city he’s never been able to before and even gets inside the police station. Soon he uncovers there’s a connection between disappearances across Chinatown, including his own brother’s.
I’ve added this to my list with a slight caveat. The overall story isn’t what captured my attention, and I thought the pacing left real room for improvement. However, the approach to storytelling and the way it was filmed felt fresh and interesting.
Alongside that, I thought the lead, Willis (played by Jimmy O Yang) and his best friend Fatty Choi (played by Ronny Chieng) were absolutely brilliant.
This show has got me thinking about visual storytelling more than any other show this year, and I love that.
Best Movies of 2025
Blink Twice
Tech billionaire Slater King whisks cocktail waitress Sarah and her best friend to his private.
Surrounded by beauty and wealth, Sarah can’t believe her luck. Then she wakes up one morning and is told her best friend has gone home. The dream vacation soon turns into an unbelievable nightmare.
If the words ‘private island’ wave a red flag for you, you’re on the right track. This is a disgusting tale of rich men and abuse.
It’s a vile, gut-churning story that’s beautifully constructed. Visually, it’s stunning, and I found the acting truly compelling. It was also nice to see Channing Tatum in a role with a bit more depth than his usual heartthrobs.
While I couldn’t call this film enjoyable, quite the opposite, it had me absolutely gripped. I put it on as a background movie, but it quickly had me totally absorbed and sitting on the edge of my sofa.
Not one to watch if you’re already feeling low, but if your head’s in a positive place, I really recommend Blink Twice.
Together
When Tim and Millie move from the hustle and bustle of the city to the quiet countryside, she hopes it’ll bring them closer. During a stormy hike near their new home, they lose the trail and fall into a hole. Finding themselves in what appears to be an old place of worship, they decide to wait out the storm and camp for the night.
The couple wake up to find their legs stuck together. After managing to separate themselves, they dismiss it as a result of mould or something similar in the cave. However, after getting home, Tim finds himself physically drawn to Millie in a whole new way. He starts to feel sick when he’s not around her, but their doctor dismisses it as anxiety. Soon, their bodies need to be close to each other becomes stronger than either of them could’ve imagined.
Together was one of the movies I looked forward to most this year, and it didn’t disappoint. Real life couple Alison Brie (Millie) and Dave Franco (Tim) give great performances that had me both laughing and gagging. While this is a body horror, there’s not too much blood and gore; it focuses far more on psychological horror (which I personally prefer). For example, not a whole spoiler, the scene that stays with me months later is focused on Millie’s hair; I still get shivers thinking about it.
Commenting on codependency and the fear of being alone, Together succeeds in being as fun as it is disturbing. A rare achievement. Overall, this horror felt fresh in a way I haven’t felt outside some of Jordan Peele’s ventures and early Blumhouse productions. I really hope there’s more to come from this couple.
The Holdovers
Set in the early 1970s, The Holdovers tells the tale of a disenfranchised tutor forced to babysit an unruly student during the Christmas holidays, alongside the school’s cook. Together, the three of them struggle to connect until they start to understand each other’s challenges over the festive period.
I try my best to watch all the movies nominated for the Oscar Best Picture category, which is what led me to The Holdovers. To be honest, the trailer didn’t massively appeal, but the multiple award nominations caught my attention. So I sat down to watch it, expecting it to be good, but possibly not my cup of tea. I couldn’t have been more wrong.
I love unlikely friendship stories, and The Holdovers fits into that bracket perfectly. All three characters are stuck in a situation they don’t want to be in. Mr Hunman is being forced to look after Angus. Angus has been abandoned by his mother for her new husband. And Mary, the cook, is busying herself during her first Christmas following her son’s death in the Vietnam War. Each is battling with loneliness in their own way, and their character arcs are perfectly crafted to pull you in and utterly destroy you. I laughed, I cried, and the moment it finished, I wanted to watch it all over again. This is a new Christmas must-watch!
Frankenstein
Frankenstein is simply one of the best books ever written, and I’ll happily die on that hill. Who better to bring this classic to life than the master of screen monsters, Guillermo del Toro?
While del Toro stays very close to the original story of Victor Frankenstein’s attempts to create a human, he does add a few of his own touches. I wasn’t too surprised by this, as all his stories sympathise with monsters. His version of Frankenstein reduces the violence of the creature and increases the cruelty of Victor. It also enhances Elizabeth’s character, allowing more depth and interaction with the creature.
First up – I adored this film. However, I am so glad I saw it at the cinema first. On the big screen, the music, the costumes, the acting, the CGI all had more impact. I’ll admit, I originally had my doubts about Jacob Elordi playing the creature, but this was another occasion where I was happy to be proved wrong. Both he and Oscar Isaac (as Victor), with the support of Mia Goth (Elizabeth), shine. While I revelled in Elizabeth’s costumes throughout, I adored the scenes where Victor starts to realise the disappointment of his achievement.
To make the most of this film, I also highly recommend the ‘Making of…’ documentary on Netflix. If you’re not aware of how del Toro works, it provides a superb insight into his passion for the story and the craftsmanship that brought it to the screen. From the real boat at the beginning of the movie to the creature’s first steps and Victor’s downfall, this movie was a visual delight.
One Battle After Another
Leonardo DiCaprio plays Bob, a past-his-prime revolutionary who goes into hiding with his baby daughter following his partner’s capture during a bombing attempt.
Sixteen years later, Bob and his daughter, Willa, are living a quiet life off-grid in Mexico. He’s drilled into her self-defence skills and many of his survival routines, paranoid that his old life will catch up with them. Eventually, his paranoia becomes a reality when the man who arrested her mother vows to track Willa down.
One Battle After Another is a fun comedy, action-packed with exaggerated characters and great performances. I really enjoyed seeing DiCaprio playing a scatty, paranoid father, and Sean Penn succeeded in being completely vile in a multitude of ways. But for me, this movie was elevated by incredible supporting actors. Benicio del Toro plays Willa’s karate teacher and community leader, who adds heart and humour. Regina Hall plays Deandra, another member of the revolutionary group, whose commitment to Willa is heartbreaking. Willa herself, played by Chase Infiniti, also gave an incredible performance. This movie is in most of the ‘best movies of the year’ lists, and it’s easy to see why.
Sound of Metal
Riz Ahmed stars as metal drummer Ruben Stone, who starts to lose his hearing while on tour with his singer girlfriend, Lou. Even after being told to stop all exposure to loud sounds, he can’t bring himself to tell Lou the truth or step away from their music. Mid-gig, his hearing deteriorates to a point where he can’t continue, and he storms out. Unable to hide his deafness and feeling his grip on sobriety slip, he asks Lou for help.
He’s accepted into a shelter for deaf recovering addicts, where he’s unable to see Lou and is asked to accept his deafness and learn to live with it. The community is based on coming to terms with deafness and not having treatment like cochlear implants, which Ruben was hoping for.
Seeing the shelter as his only hope, Lou leaves him, and Nathan does his best to stay sober and come to terms with his new life.
The trailer I saw for Sound of Metal gave me the impression that this is a story of slow descent into deafness, which it isn’t. The touring, drumming and going deaf section of the movie probably takes about 15-20 minutes. Once I realised this is actually a story about belonging and hope, I couldn’t look away. It’s filmed beautifully, and the irregular, often uncomfortable sound is used to represent Ruben’s hearing to great effect.
Riz Ahmed (as in everything I’ve seen him in) is mesmerising throughout and carries the whole film on his shoulders with ease. If you want a movie that’ll have you sitting in contemplative silence afterwards and stay with you even longer, this is it.
A Real Pain
Estranged cousins David (Jesse Eisenberg) and Benji (Kieran Culkin) reunite for a journey through Poland in memory of their late grandmother. They join a Jewish heritage coach tour, visiting monuments, the Old Jewish Cemetery and the Majdanek concentration camp.
Struggling to fit in during the tour, David envies Benji’s ease with everyone, his ability to be open and draw strangers into his fun. Before long, Benji’s emotions get the best of him, and they ramp up to a point where the others find him odd and troubling. David defends his cousin, but also finds himself reflecting on how he can both envy and pity a man he loves like a brother.
As you can probably guess from the subject matter, A Real Pain is an incredibly moving and thought-provoking film, reminiscing on the treatment of the Jewish community during the Second World War. Alongside that, it succeeds at portraying Benji’s mental health struggles sensitively and realistically. While he’s not labelled with a diagnosis, Kieran Culkin does an incredible job in portraying a character who feels everything so intensely.
A Real Pain was a great surprise of a movie as I didn’t quite know what to expect. It feels wrong to say I enjoyed it, but I really did. While filming in concentration camps isn’t normally allowed, I can see why an exception was made for this picture. Those scenes are quiet and thoughtful, giving them room to be absorbed, separate from the character arcs. Important and evocative, this film hit me hard and left a real impact.
Sinners
In 1930s Mississippi, identical twins Smoke and Stack return from Chicago to their hometown of Clarksdale to open a juke joint/bar for the locals. They employ a singer and guitarist, knowing the blues will be essential to the venue’s popularity.
On opening night, the music attracts nearby vampires who attack the bar, beginning an unending battle.
Sadly, I didn’t get to see Sinners at the cinema, but I can imagine it would’ve been incredible. Even on the small screen, this movie packed such a punch. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a historical horror done with such obvious passion and care. Everything from the scene setting and costumes to the music and script were exceptional. While the action was great, my favourite scene represented the transcendence of music and how that differs across time frames and nationalities. Simply put, it was the kind of scene that makes you realise the true power of film. I’d rewatch Sinners for those few minutes alone.
Whatever you do, please don’t classify this as ‘just another vampire movie’. There’s so much more to Sinners, and you’d be truly missing out.
Best Podcasts of 2025
What Went Wrong
Hosts Chris Winterbauer and Lizzie Bassett take a sneaky peek behind the scenes of some of our favourite movies (with a brief and brilliant exception for the Lost TV series). Until this show, I knew nothing about the accidental hanging of Brendan Fraser on the set of The Mummy, the insane puppetry work behind Gremlins, and the levels of creepy behind the curse of The Omen.
I’ve been absorbed in movie-based podcasts this year, and What Went Wrong has been my absolute favourite. It’s even stolen my top spot away from How Did This Get Made? My favourite episodes so far include deep dives into Galaxy Quest, Lost and Blade Runner. I’ve even enjoyed episodes on movies I’ve never seen before. Because of that, I’ve been encouraged to watch the films before listening to their episodes, which means I haven’t been able to race through the back catalogue as quickly as I would normally.
I really like Chris and Lizzie’s relationship as they’re quite happy to completely disagree in a friendly way, and they both bring valuable insight and opinions to the table. I’m looking forward to devouring so much more of this in 2026.
Very Special Episodes
Hosts Dana Schwartz, Zaron Burnett and Jason English come together once a week to uncover a fascinating true story.
I took a random punt on this podcast after it popped up in my Pocket Casts recommendations and threw on the 37th episode – How Gatsby Went From Total Flop to Great American Novel. Who knew publishers released special pocket-sized books for troops during the Second World War? I certainly didn’t, and as a bookish person, I was fascinated to hear all about the armed service editions, their popularity and how they changed the face of publishing for years to come.
Other great episodes include Night of a Thousand Weddings, where people rushed to get married ahead of the Vietnam War, and Spider-Man’s Surreal Adventures on Broadway, the theatre production you never knew hit setback after setback.
This recommendation does come with a slight caveat. I adore the stories, but am not a big fan of the host’s discussions. I never normally skip host talks, but they often veer so far off topic in quite a self-indulgent way that I just get bored. There’s so much to love about this podcast, but if you’re anything like me, you’ll want to skip the chatter.
The Case of… (formerly known as Mushroom Case Daily)
I’ve attempted various new true crime podcasts this year, and none have stuck as ongoing listens apart from The Case of… Where I’ve found many podcasts revel in the shock value of crimes too much, The Case of… focuses on court proceedings. I’ve always found the court part of the justice system interesting, so it really works for me.
Originally called Mushroom Case Daily, this podcast spent most of the year focusing on the suspected poisoner, Erin Patterson. Accused of murdering three of her family members and injuring a fourth by feeding them death cap mushrooms as part of a beef wellington, this podcast gave a neutral and factual reporting of the case as it was revealed in court.
This podcast became daily listening for me throughout the case. Now it’s over, they’ve changed the title and have followed a couple of other Australian-based court cases. It hasn’t felt quite as cohesive as they dip in and out of other cases, but I’m sticking with it to see where it goes.
If you have any interest in the mushroom case, I highly recommend giving it a listen. It certainly blows the Netflix documentary out of the water.
And there we have it, another year of entertainment wrapped up. What did I miss? Reach out and let me know your highlights because I love a recommendation!
