I realised that it has been a full five years since I reviewed my favourite movies list, so decided it was time for an update!

So here, as of May 2025, is the list of my personal favourite films.

In brackets after each entry is its position on the previous list, to compare.

Quite a number of new films have been added, some of them new in the last few years, others films I’ve discovered, and some ones who I’ve come to appreciate even more.

Some films have gone up the list, as I go back to them again and again, and find my enjoyment improves with each viewing.

Some films have of course only dropped because they’ve been displaced by new entries.

Others have dropped because, over time, perhaps my enthusiasm has waned a little. Indeed, there’s a number of films I was clearly excited by on first viewing, but haven’t come back to as much as I expected.

Matt Damon remains the best represented actor, with films placing at 2, 10, 11, 75, and 128.

However, the update places Timotheé Chalamet well, with films at 9, 21, 22, and 142.

As always, keen to hear comments!

DK

1. Empire of the Sun (1)

2. Good Will Hunting (2)

3. A Few Good Men (5)

4. Jurassic Park (6)

5. American Pie (3)

6. Cruel Intentions (4)

7. Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (19)

8. Crimson Tide (37)

9. Call Me By Your Name (12)

10. Dogma (10)

11. The Talented Mr Ripley (24)

12. Conspiracy (54)

13. Catch Me If You Can (31)

14. Argo (27)

15. Saltburn (New)

16. Summersturm (11)

17. Star Wars V: The Empire Strikes Back (22)

18. Signs (66)

19. The Social Network (18)

20. Primary Colors (45)

21. A Complete Unknown (New)

22. Dune Pt 2 (New)

23. Money Ball (99)

24. Manchester By The Sea (15)

25. The Big Short (14)

26. Up In the Air (21)

27. Sing Street (8)

28. Lady Bird (7)

29. Galaxy Quest (17)

30. Love, Simon (9)

31. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (100)

32. The Deal (113)

33. Star Trek VI: The Voyage Home (95)

34. A Real Pain (New)

35. The Rock (71)

36. The Bridge on the River Kwai (New)

37. Jojo Rabbit (New)

38. Dune (New)

39. Pleasantville (42)

40. The Great Escape  (New)

41. The Place Beyond the Pines (23)

42. Stand By Me (47)

43. Avengers: Endgame (New)

44. Jaws (26)

45. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (New)

46. Milk (48)

47. Bridge of Spies (New)

48. Brooklyn (16)

49. Rocketman (New)

50. Spotlight (New)

51. Chariots of Fire (59)

52. The Lion King (70)

53. Clerks (78)

54. Conclave (New)

55. Detroit (39)

56. 1917 (New)

57. Paul (49)

58. The Devil Wears Prada (New)

59. Truman (102)

60. Downfall (67)

61. In the Loop (94)

62. Nixon (112)

63. My Own Private Idaho (58)

64. The Two Popes (New)

65. Philadelphia (62)

66. The Blues Brothers (93)

67. Edge of Seventeen [1998] (20)

68. Mysterious Skin (103)

69. It [2017] (74)

70. Evita (57)

71. Dead Poet’s Society (34)

72. The American President (36)

73. Jurassic Park II (46)

74. Neverending Story (43)

75. Invictus (90)

76. Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (69)

77. The History Boys (85)

78. Nowhere Boy (38)

79. Remember the Titans (98)

80. Tick, Tick… Boom! (New)

81. (500) Days of Summer (50)

82. Monty Python’s Life of Brian (51)

83. Silence of the Lambs (76)

84. Three Billboards Outside Epping, Missouri (33)

85. Parkland (New)

86. The Village

87. Sunflower (New)

88. Star Wars (73)

89. Spoiler Alert (New)

90. The Emperor’s Club (72)

91. The Martian (64)

92. God’s Own Country (120)

93. Schindler’s list (New)

94. The Perks of Being a Wallflower (13)

95. Full Metal Jacket (110)

96. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (30)

97. Civil War (New)

98. Star Wars VI: Return of the Jedi (63)

99. Juno (80)

100. Judy (New)

101. Starship Troopers (117)

102. Juror #2 (New)

103. Avengers: Infinity War (79)

104. Kingsmen (77)

105. X-Men (New)

106. Tolkien (New)

107. The Muppet Movie (44)

108. Dr Who and the Daleks (104)

109. The Fablemans (New)

110. Star Trek: Generations (New)

111. Zero Dark Thirty (New)

112. Chronicle (28)

113. Zone of Interest (New)

114. Alien (108)

115. We Need To Talk About Kevin (29)

116. Boyhood (25)

117. Deep Blue Sea (109)

118. The Queen (119)

119. Into the Wild (92)

120. Help! (61)

121. Beaches (83)

122. Running on Empty (89)

123. 2001: A Space Odyssey (118)

124. Belfast (New)

125. Moonlight (87)

126. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (84)

127. Dr Strangelove (111)

128. Oppenheimer (New)

129. The Basketball Diaries (32)

130. Love, Actually (35)

131. Kill Your Darlings (86)

132. Lord of the Flies (121)

133. The Way, Way Back (40)

134. The Great Dictator (68)

135. What Dreams May Come (88)

136. War for the Planet of the Apes (91)

137. Jurassic World (52)

138. Serenity (114)

139. Saving Mr Banks (56)

140. All Quiet on the Western Front (New)

141. Elvis (New)

142. Little Women (New)

143. How I Live Now (101)

144. Love and Mercy (75)

145. Batman (1966)

146. Dalek Invasion Earth 2150A (123)

147. Batman [1989] (107)

148. An Ungentlemanly Act (New)

149. The Maze Runner (New)

150. Red, White, and Royal Blue (New)

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2023 is done!

I was able to see 54 movies in the cinema in 2023, which is the first time I’ve cracked 50 since 2018’s 52.

I found when I was ranking the list that there were a lot of movies in 2023 which were good, enjoyable, and generally ok, and not a lot I really disliked.

However, if you take out the 2022 Oscar movies which I wasn’t able to see in Australia until January 2023 (of which there are four in my top ten) there weren’t as many classics either. A very homogenous year. Most of the movies were very enjoyable, but not amazing.

As usual, movies which I saw new somewhere other than the theatre (usually on streaming) will be listed where I have them ranked, but without a number.

1. Saltburn

My favourite of the year, but I acknowledge that this is a movie very suited to my personal tastes, and most certainly won’t be for everyone. But when it’s anticedents would seem to include Brideshead Revisited and The Talented Mr Ripley, you’re likely on a winner with me.

That cast is exceptional, especially Barry Keoghan and Rosemund Pike.

But it’s the script and direction which really makes this movie work, as I laughed when I should, was enticed when I should be, was disturbed when I should be, and was able to spot enough of the clues to be rewarded by the outcomes, without all the twists being obvious or cliché. 

It won’t be for everyone, but I loved it.

2. The Fablemans 

The Fablemans is really just Steven Spielberg doing what he does so well: telling a good story with lovely characters. The story itself is nothing revelatory, but the warmth with which it’s told makes it superb. Every shot is simply gorgeous.

Paul Dano and Michelle Williams have long been favourites of mine, and newer actor Gabriel LaBelle is exceptional.

It’s just a really perfect piece of cinema.

3. Oppenheimer

I’m generally not a fan of Nolan’s work, but Oppenheimer is a truly magnificent piece of cinema.

The sound design, visuals, and cinematography all combine for an exceptional experience. 

Like many films about historical events it needs to add tension for an audience who knows the ending of the story, and Oppenheimer certainly does that.

Robert Downey Jr is back after taking a decade long break from acting, and deserves to be the frontrunner for the Oscar here.

It’s a Nolan piece, so perhaps a few threads which could be trimmed, but in my opinion perhaps his best ever work.

4. Tár

Cate Blanchett’s the star of this movie, and gives an incredible performance. The shades of grey between villain and anti-hero are perhaps my favourite part of this film, along with just enjoying the ride of Blanchett’s performance.

Plus, it included Elgar’s Cello Concerto, my favourite piece of music. 

5. Spoiler Alert

This movie makes the top five because of the way the moments in the film lingered and haunted me for so long after I saw it.

Based on the book “Spoiler Alert: The Hero Dies”, the audience knows the ending from the beginning, but the drama doesn’t come from suspense of wondering what will happen, but the humanity of experiencing those events with the characters.

After escaping the sitcom world Jim Parsons shows what sort of performances he’s really capable of.

6. Barbie

I simply really enjoyed watching this! Seen in a full cinema at the height of Barbenheimer, this was a great experience.

Greta Gerwig (who is a regular at the top of my movie rankings) does a remarkable job of balancing all the technical and design aspects of this movie, whilst telling a fun story. 

The tale deliberately slaps down more extreme messaging whilst making a point it’s hard not to nod along with.

Robbie and Gosling also make dialogue which could have seemed ridiculous work.

But yes, it’s just fun!

7. All Quiet on the Western Front

Went into this with some trepidation given the contents of the novel, but it really is an excellent adaption, with some great cinematography. 

The additional story line also works very well.

Harrowing, but brilliantly done.

8. Golda 

Narrower in focus than I expected, a strong example of making a history film tense, even when you know the ending. 

Helen Mirren is excellent – one of her best performances for some time – although barely recognisable under the makeup. 

9. Close

A beautiful Dutch film, which uses the different locations and styles to tell a nice, if sad, story.

Red, White, and Royal Blue*

The first twenty minutes of this has a lot of cliched and cringy humour, with moments seeming almost forced. But once it gets past that it becomes a very enjoyable and heart-warming film, with some touching and amusing moments.

The performances of Taylor Perez and Nicholas Galitzine make it work, and Uma Thurman as the President is a delight.

10. Hunger Games: Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes

I’ve had mixed views on the Hunger Games franchise over the years, but simply really enjoyed this movie.

Does the action really well, and sets up the dystopian society far better than the other Hunger Games films.

I hope we’ll see a lot more of Tom Blyth, especially as Snow.

11. Napoleon

Appropriate to have this at number 11, as it really was a “near great” of 2023.

As a piece of cinema is it properly epic. Some amazingly filmed scenes, excellent sound, and a good story to carry all the action.

But as a study of Napoleon the man it does rather fail, and I’m not really convinced by Joaquin Phoenix’s performance.

But very worth seeing in the cinema.

12. Wonka

Another of the “near greats”, Wonka is a wonderful, fun movie.

Timotheé Chalemet successfully captures the whimsy of Wonka, although as others have noted, the darkness of Gene Wilder’s performance isn’t yet there.

Also, Hugh Grant just enjoying himself.

A really good movie, but perhaps just a little too shallow to be top 10.

13. Uproar

If you asked me to list the top movies of 2023, Uproar wouldn’t jump into my head. However, the more I reflect on it, the harder it is to fault.

Set in New Zealand of the early 1980s, the film does an excellent job of capturing the troubles of the times, without ever feeling like it’s lecturing or hectoring.

Julian Dennison gives another strong performance, although there is a danger that he’s starting to play the same character in every film.

14. Of an Age

A rare Australian film that I don’t hate!

Of an Age makes good use of the northern suburbs of Melbourne in the 1990s to tell a coming of age/coming out story that feels real and of its time and place.

Nothing amazing, and certainly not top 10 quality, but I thought it worked very well.

Seeing Dance Academy’s Thom Green turn up as the lead was also nice.

15. Dumb Money

In the same genre as The Big Short, Dumb Money is very good, but doesn’t quite land the punches it wants to. 

The performances are great, especially Paul Dano, and there’s a wonderful cameo from Dane DeHaan!

The story is well told with a lot of tension, but, in the end it doesn’t really explain why we should care, and as much as I enjoyed the ride, the end left me feeling a little indifferent.

16. Knock at the Cabin

Mostly a very good movie, with some quality scares and bizarre moments. 

It’s one of M. Night’s better films for a while, and the cast is excellent. Jonathon Groff and Ben Aldridge are good, and David Bautista and Rupert Grint get to do something a bit different!

However, it’s one of those Shyamalan movies where the excellent build up isn’t matched by the ending, and trying to surprise audiences by changing the ending of the book just makes things worse.

Still very good, but could have been so much better.

17. Good (Live)

A cinema showing of the London stage show starring David Tennant, this is excellent, as you watch the moral failings of a man in Nazi Germany play out.

18. Maestro

I’ve thought a lot about the placement of this film, and I think 18^th is about right.

When it’s good, it’s very good, feeling like a brilliantly personal film. However, it’s also very indulgent, and as both director and lead actor there were just a few too many moments where I felt Bradley Cooper was trying too hard to win an Oscar.

It also has that common biopic failing of not really explaining WHY we should care, just assuming we’ll all love the main character.

Don’t get me wrong, there’s a lot to like. But definitely on the list of “near greats” for 2023.

19. No Hard Feelings

Honestly only saw this because I enjoyed Andrew Feldman’s musical theatre work, but turned out I actually quite enjoyed. There’s nothing amazing or especially new here, but it’s well done and fun.

20. Air

I came into this not really having any interest in the topic, as neither basketball or shoes are things that excite me. But it’s a really good story! Certainly lives on the performances of cast members including Affleck, Damon, and Bateman. Looking back there aren’t really any moments that stand out in the memory, so hard to rank it higher, but a solid film.

21. Theatre Camp

Ben Platt’s movie is designed for fans of musical theatre, and works well in that sense. The plot in entirely predictable, but the in-jokes and enjoyment of the cast makes it work.

22. Five Nights at Freddie’s

I still have absolutely no idea what the hell this movie was about, but I was pretty engaged watching it so I guess it worked?!

The only big problem is that when your entire cast is about five people, the “who’s the baddie” twist doesn’t really work…

23. Scream VI

I’m a sucker for a Scream film, and this did everything I want from such a movie well. The New York setting added something new, and the climax was good. But, not quite enough death for me.

24. One Life

A solid tale about an important event. Nothing here blew me out of the water, but it told the story well.

25. A Haunting in Venice

Another Poirot movie where I enjoyed the script and direction, but not really sold on some of Branaugh’s interesting acting choices… although he was certainly better here than in Death on the Nile.

26. Guardians of the Galaxy 3

Another example of an MCU film doing something that would have been extraordinary a decade ago, but now just seems run of the mill. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a good movie, and one of the better MCU films for a while. But reflecting upon it nothing really stood out for me. Very enjoyable, but a bit disposable. 

Will Poulter the best part of the film for me, and I hope we see more of him.

27. Star Wars: Return of the Jedi

A great movie, which I’ve now seen three times in the cinema. It lacks the consistency to be one of the truly great Star Wars movies, as it moves between some very different and unrelated stories, and watching it in the cinema you appreciate just how much the middle drags. However, the climax is properly epic, and it contains the single greatest light sabre duel in the franchise. 

The audience did cheer when Sebastian Shaw turned up at the end!

28. Dungeons and Dragons

This was hugely entertaining! Knew what it had to do, and just did it well! There’s a place for movies like this!

Tetris*

A good movie for streaming, as the visuals were nothing spectacular. Taron Egerton is a good lead, and the ins and outs of Tetris (and Russia) are interesting, but I can’t say it was ever gripping.

29. Blue Beetle

DC trying something a little different with this one paid off, but once again it’s a comic book movie which feels a little late to the party.

When focusing of the action and adventure I thought this really worked well, however, it clearly feels that it has to be funny, and makes multiple characters the comic relief, feeling a bit forced. But I’d certainly come back for another one, and very glad to have a DC movie just having some fun for a change.

30. Merkel

A really good documentary on the life of Angela Merkel.

31. The Flash

I found it really hard to judge this film, as there’s a lot I liked about it. Keaton back as Batman was really cool, and I enjoyed a lot of Ezra Miller’s performance as The Flash. The central ideas are also really good. But there are parts of Miller’s performance which feel a little too staged, and I’m not sure all the good ideas hang together that well. As a result, this is in the middle of the list with all the fun adventures, but nothing higher.

I did cheer though when the reference to Kevin Smith’s Superman was on the screen!

32. Indiana Jones & the Dial of Destiny

Another entry in the Indiana Jones franchise which is a fun adventure, and that was enough for me.

33. Antman & the Wasp Quantamania

Whilst I enjoyed watching this movie, and it looked great, the story was honestly a bit of a mess, and the climax was pretty weak.

34. Renfield

I watched this for Nicholas Hoult and Nicholas Cage, and wasn’t disappointed. The story is a bit of a nonsense, but I don’t care on this occasion… I just want to watch Cage and Hoult having fun!

35. Shazam: Fury of the Gods

I really enjoyed the first Shazam movie, as it focused on the main character discovering his powers and all that comes with it. Those parts of this movie were easily my favourite parts, and there were plenty of good scenes. However, the need to be “bigger” than the first doesn’t really work, and it’s yet another comic book movie where the ending is a bit of a mess and doesn’t land.

36. Sweet As

A really nice Australian movie which is very well made, and has a strong cast. I feel a little bad only having it at 36, but, there wasn’t really anything new in the story so has to be in with the “good not great” section. But it is a nice movie, and if you watched it I doubt you’d be disappointed.

37. Women Talking

I know this got a lot of buzz at Oscar season last year, and I appreciate the important points the movie is trying to make. But, I honestly found it pretty dull. Well made, but not gripping, and honestly not especially thought provoking either; the dilemmas of the women never really had the gravity they were meant to.

38. Grand Tarismo

Visually pretty cool, and with a couple of “wow” moments.

39. Operation Fortune

This was a lot of fun! A mess, but a very fun mess!

40. The Meg 2: The Trench

Not as good as the first one, there was plenty of action, but not enough sharks. But certainly kept me entertained.

Teen Wolf*

I really enjoyed the Teen Wolf series, but this movie suffered from having to bring the cast together and tell a story, and from the lack of Dylan O’Brien. Lots of nice references and moments for fans, but spent far too much time getting things in place, and not enough time telling a story.

41. Aquaman 2

There was nothing in this movie I hadn’t seen before, and apart from one scene Aquaman never actually did any Aqua things, and could have been any super hero. The ending was also incredibly weak.

42. The Creator

I really wanted to rank this movie higher, as the core ideas and concepts are excellent. But, the execution was often really plodding, and the ending totally failed to land. I’m glad I saw it, but a real missed opportunity in my view.

43. The Son

Laura Dern is great in this, but I’m not sure Hugh Jackman quite knows where to land his performance. Newcomer Zen McGrath did very well, and I hope we see more of him.

The movie’s problem is that you can see the ending coming a mile off, and never quite buy the parents’ decisions. This is compounded by a terrible fake out ending, which just doesn’t work.

The Good Nurse*

A run of the mill “based on real events” crime movie, which is fine, but lacks any real revelations or twists, especially because of Eddie Redmayne’s performance.

44. Foe

Another movie I really want to like more because the concept is incredibly interesting, but, the delivery was sadly just dull, and utterly failed to land the punches it should have.

45. Mission Impossible 7

My first entry into the Mission Impossible franchise, and it did its job well, but was a bit forgettable. The ending especially felt very contrived just to get to the big stunt.

46. Aftersun

Paul Mescal gives a good performance, but I think this movie was trying so hard to be weird and smart and make the audience wonder what it was all about, that it forgot to actually BE about anything.

47. Emily

I just didn’t think this worked at all. Ideas and messaging all over the shop, and I didn’t think Emma Mackey nailed the lead performance.

48. What’s Love got to Do With It

Never gets beyond the basic premise, and has an ending which was obvious from the trailer. A few nice moments in the early parts of the film, but goes absolutely nowhere.

49. Bottoms

Neither original or funny.

50. 65

Adam Driver fighting Dinosaurs should have been a lot better than this, but somehow they contrived to make it incredibly boring, which is something of an achievement. 

51. Bank of Dave

This movie clearly thinks its making a profound statement about something, but really isn’t. The characters are two dimensional and cliché, and there’s no big plot moments. A really earnest plodder.

52. Killers of the Flower Moon

Three hours of utter boredom; I was really tempted to walk out of this one, and probably would have had Jesse Plemons’ arrival not given me some hope that something was going to happen (it didn’t). 

The importance of the issue being highlighted doesn’t excuse the film from needing a plot. Killing people we’ve only just met (sometimes literally in the scene in which they’re killed!) is not interesting. Leo mumbling his way through the film is not great acting, it’s just mumbling. 

Utterly tedious.

43. Blueback

There’s some nice ocean filming in this Australian movie, but when in the end your most important character is a fish, it’s hard to really get involved in the plot.

My Policeman*

I had a lot of hope for this film, but it was utterly turgid. Harry Styles really struggled with the material, the wife’s behaviour was at no point believable, and the framing device was completely disconnected from the main plot. Just a waste of an idea.

54. Babylon

A truly terrible movie. Lots of unconnected, badly created set pieces, linked by unlikable characters, and a lot of garish moments. Just awful.

An interesting year in movies, as the industry recovers from the pandemic. A number of big movies held over for the return of audiences to the cinema hit early in the year, and a few of the US summer blockbusters landed well, but it was also clear in the second half of the year that the pandemic had effected the movie pipeline, and there just wasn’t the content you’d expect.

Lots of really good and fun movies this year, less great movies.

The industry is also getting much better at making good smaller budget movies.

41 movies seen in the cinema this year, which isn’t bad considering the circumstances.

As I’ve done in the past couple of years, I’ll list new movies which I saw on streaming (either because they were direct to streaming, or I missed the cinema window), but as I didn’t see them in the cinema they don’t get a number.

1. Belfast

Belfast won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay, and for my money should have won Kenneth Branagh the Best Director Oscar this year. It’s a delightful and perfectly crafted film, which tells the story of Belfast in the late 1960s through some wonderful characters. It always feels real and personal, and is just lovely. Judi Dench with her best role in years.

2. Elvis

This was a spectacular show; the colour and the movement and the sound were at the peak of what a film can do. Austin Butler was incredible in the title role, making Elvis seem both real and legend, and surely deserves a Best Actor nomination come awards time.

Most Elvis biopics very obviously can’t wait to get to the “fat Elvis” part of the story, so this one gets big points for instead focusing on the earlier part of the story. Only downside was Tom Hanks’ bizarre performance.

3. The Menu

Hard to find anything wrong with this movie. I was utterly gripped by the plot and the performances, and genuinely had NO idea where the movie was going to go, or what would happen next. Visually sumptuous, it was just an excellent movie.

However, don’t think about the plot too hard; I fear if I do it’ll all fall apart a little too easily!

Glass Onion

Even better than Knives Out, this was just an engaging movie. Packed with a cast of actors and actresses big at the moment, and directed with a light touch which keeps the pace up without every seeming forced, and uses neat tricks without ever seeming showy.

Possibly Daniel Craig’s most enjoyable role.

But I did think Hugh Grant was the butler.

4. The Batman

This makes the top 5 because of the cinematography and sound. Another truly spectacular movie from 2022. Paul Dano was excellent as The Riddler, easily the best Batman villain for quite a while. Went a little off the rails in the last act, but then, so did The Dark Knight.

5. Sublet

An Israeli film set in Tel Aviv, about a gay travel writer who sublets a room from a younger gay local. The film explores the beauty of life in Tel Aviv, whilst exploring the cultural clash between two gay men from very different generations. The script often leads you to expect the characters will follow movie conventions, but then has them act like real people instead. A really lovely film.

6. Top Gun: Maverick

Whilst not a fan of the rather dull original, I walked out of the highest grossing movie of 2022 just smiling! It’s just incredible fun, even more visually exciting than the first, but actually has a plot and characters, setting it above the 1980 version. Tom Cruise shows why he’s such a successful actor, and Miles Teller is the perfect foil. Sometimes movies should just be FUN, and this is INCREDIBLY FUN!

7. See How They Run

A very witty and enjoyable tribute to The Mousetrap, starring Sam Rockwell and Saoirse Ronan, which is a hoot from end to end. Plenty of laughs, and some very clever moments.

8. Everything Everywhere all at Once

One of the movies in 2022 which really grew an audience by word of mouth, and rightly so. This clever sci-fi premise throws some big and bizarre concepts at the audience, but never leaves them confused. Michelle Yeoh is superb, and deserves high recognition, as do the directors.

9. The Banshees of Inisherin

A simple tale set on an island off the coast of Ireland, as the end of the Civil War. Director Martin McDonagh uses the scenic Irish coastal location perfectly, but it’s the performances which make this story work. Colin Farrell gives a career best performance full of depth and subtlety, and Barry Keoghan deserves the Best Supporting Actor Oscar for this film. The plot is unusual, raw, and leaves the audience guessing. Very worthy of the Top10.

10. Where the Crawdads Sing

Another film which seemed to come from nowhere this year, and find a strong audience over several weeks. The story starts in one place, and finishes in a very different place, with a couple of nicely played twists. The beautiful North Carolina location is a big party of the story, which is part murder mystery and part coming of age. Daisy Edgar-Jones & Harris Dickinson the stand outs.

11. Jurassic World Dominion

A fun film with lots of cool dinosaurs, which I really enjoyed.

The lack of really following through on the “dinosaurs out in the world” premise though means it doesn’t make the top 10.

12. Scream

There are a lot of Scream sequels which are “ok”, but this one was really good! Hits all the notes you want a Scream movie to hit, and throws in a couple of fresh ideas as well which build neatly on the “meta” concept of the franchise. Another film this year with lots of cast members for stuff you’ve seen recently.

13. The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent

It’s Nicholas Cage and Pedro Pascal having a lot of fun, in a silly little movie. What’s not to love? It’s not groundbreaking or profound, but I walked out very happy.

14. The King’s Man

I’m a fan of this franchise, and this movie delivered well. All the action and adventure you’d expect of these movies, along with the darker moments and throwing a few effective story punches. Harris Dickenson strong in his first lead role.

15. Black Adam

The DC movies aren’t sure where to go at the moment, but this was a solid entry for them. A good superhero movie, with some good laughs, which didn’t outstay its welcome. All things rarer than they should be at the moment.

16. Speer Goes to Hollywood

This documentary is a fascinating insight into how history is formed, as we see first hand accounts of how Albert Speer tried to create a legacy as “the good Nazi” contrasted with the reality we now know.

17. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

It’s very hard to fairly rate this movie, given the death of Chadwick Boseman. The tributes to Boseman are classy and powerful, and the story works well. There are plenty of nice set pieces. But I didn’t find much of it really lasting. A very good job in the circumstances, but good rather than great.

18. The Lost City

A really enjoyable romp! Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum are a perfect pairing, but remembering to enjoy the movie, whilst Daniel Radcliffe is ideal as a fun villain. Brad Pitt takes the whole think to another level. A fun adventure!

19. Ticket to Paradise

George Clooney and Julia Roberts paired up in a rom-com almost feels like cheating, but it works just as well as you’d expect. The scenery is beautiful, and whilst the plot is entirely predictable, you’re watching for the cast.

20. Uncharted

Tom Holland pairs up with Marky Mark in another adventure romp for 2022, and equally enjoyable. Lacks the knowing winks of The Lost City, but has the advantage of some great locations. Perhaps gets a little too silly in the end, but still plenty to enjoy.

21. Woman King

This is a well shot and very interesting film, with incredibly strong female leads, especially Viola Davis. As a film it all works, but the film makes both the protagonists AND the antagonists slave traders (set long after the British banned the slave trade), without ever giving the impression the film is about that deliberate moral ambiguity.

22. Margrete: Queen of the North

A Danish historical movie, this was an solid story set in Scandinavia.

23. Dalek Invasion Earth 2150AD

My first time seeing this movie in the cinema, and it was impressive as a piece of the UK’s 1960s movie age.

24. Dr Who & the Daleks

With all the colour of a movie from the era of Dr No or The Pink Panther, this was a very fun, very camp movie, although weaker than the sequel (see #23).

The Adam Project

Ryan Reynolds does his usual excellent job of taking a simple family sci-fi-adventure film and making it really enjoyable.

Better Nate than Ever

A Disney+ movie about a boy who wants to make it on Broadway, there’s a lot of heart in this movie, but it never takes itself too seriously. It has a few too many clichés to be great, but it’s all very watchable. Avoids outright labeling the main character as gay, but doesn’t avoid it either; the scene on the bus were an older New York lady says she’ll explain to the girl with a crush on Nate why he isn’t noticing her works really well without needing labels.

25. Armageddon Time

A nice tale of a Jewish family in 1980s New York. Nothing especially profound, but it’s Anne Hathaway and Anthony Hopkins, so just enjoy.

26. Thor: Love and Thunder

Although a lot to enjoy here, it often feels like it’s trying TOO hard to make us laugh, lacking the effortless humour of the previous Thor movie. Christian Bale is great, but in a completely different film to everyone else. Very watchable, but a step down.

27. I Wanna Dance With Somebody

This Whitney Houston biopic is a very good movie, with plenty of exceptional musical moments, and a lovely performance from Stanley Tucci. The nature of Houston’s life however means there’s a very discordant vibe to the whole thing, which bumps it a little further down the list.

28. Everything in Between

An Australian film so small it doesn’t even have a wikipedia page. It’s a nice film, a sad film, and tells the story it wants to tell really well.

Weird: The Al Yankovic Story

This is a lot of fun, as the film is a perfect point by point skewering of the musical biopic genre, and Daniel Radcliffe throws himself into the role. Like many parody films however, it struggles a little to fill the length of a full movie, or to land a dramatic ending.

29. Don’t Worry Darling

This was a really interesting movie. The mystery builds well, with a strong sci-fi premise at the heart. The direction is very effective, with a lot of great colour. I found myself nicely engaged by the whole thing, and trying to piece it all together. It does require a little TOO much suspension of disbelief however, with some things happening in the final third that really don’t make sense. Chris Pine is great, though.

30. Death on the Nile

A reasonable adaption, but often looks a little cheap. Branagh’s choice of accent and comedy mustache makes too large a portion of his dialogue unintelligible, and his character seems too much of a dick to be the great detective he insists of continually telling us he is.

31. Triangle of Sadness

A movie of three parts. The first part – focused on Harris Dickinson and Charibi Dean – is the most entertaining. The second part however really struggles, trying just a little too obviously to be weird. Woody Harrelson turns up for this segment to play his usual character. The final third – as it goes full Lord of the Flies – is the most interesting, and works well. I’m not sure the ambiguous ending works, though. Lots to like, but doesn’t hang well enough together to be in the top half of the list.

Munich – The Edge of War

George MacKay gives a strong performance, but overall this soft and historically wrong tone just doesn’t work.

32. Ghost Busters: Afterlife

This was a perfectly ok family movie. I suspect if I’d ever managed to finish the original Ghost Busters it would have meant more to me.

33. Dr Strange 2

Unlike the first Dr Strange movie, I was able to finish it. Much like the first Dr Strange movie, I don’t really remember much about it. Some ok ideas, but it didn’t amount to much.

34. King Richard

I’m not quite sure what the point of this movie was. I’m not quite sure what it was trying to say about the lead character. And I’m not entirely sure what note Will Smith was going for. All a bit pointless, in my opinion.

35. Avatar 2: The Way of Water

Yes, the visuals were spectacular, and the change to a water location works well. There was slightly more plot than the first, but that’s coming off a very low bar. Made tighter and more focused this could have been great, but it’s all just a bit too indulgent, and outstays its welcome.

Not Okay

Like a lot of made for streaming movies, Not Okay has a reasonable premise – what happens when someone fakes a story on social media and is caught. But also like a lot of these movies, it’s better suited to a 50 minute episode of something than an 100 minute movie; there just isn’t the material in there.

36. Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore

So it wasn’t as boring as the second Fantastic Beasts movie, and had a few nice set pieces, mostly involved Eddie Redmayne and actual fantastic beasts. But mostly it was a mess.

37. Bones and All

It’s possible there’s a really profound message in this film which I missed, and would make it all work as a film. But lacking that, there was a lot of gore, and very little actual plot.

Being the Richardos

As a tribute to I Love Lucy there were some nice moments, but again, didn’t really have a plot, or a point, beyond nostalgia. I think it meant a lot more to the industry than it did the public.

38. House of Gucci

Lots of unlikable people I don’t care about doing unlikable things I don’t care about. Adam Driver was good, but I didn’t think Lady Gaga was all that great. Jared Leto was embarrassing, and made large sections of the film cringeworthy.

39. The Railway Children Return

This wasn’t a bad film, with a nice little story and a nice English location. But… in the end I didn’t really know what the point of it all was, and it tries just a little too hard to be twee.

40. Bros

I really don’t like putting this movie so low, as the first twenty minutes was quite good, and had some genuinely funny moments. But the main character is incredibly unlikable, so there’s no one in the movie to root for, or relate to. Most of the scenarios were equally unrelatable, and there was nothing very original about the plot.

Don’t Look Up

On first watching I assumed this movie was an attack on Dr Fauci, but apparently it wasn’t. Whilst the movie thinks it’s making clever points, it’s mostly just treating everyone as stupid, so misses landing any genuine satire. The cast all seem to be doing different things on different pages. So basically a mess, trying to tell you you’re stupid.

41. Amsterdam

Just…. Boring. Dull, disjointed, and unmemorable.

With people doing a lot of reading, I decided to present my 100(ish) top books from my bookshelves.

Rules are:
– It must be sitting there on my shelves!
– No more than two pure author.

A must as possible the covers used are the ones on my shelves.

This is clearly just a sample – hundreds more on the shelves I could have included! And obviously this is my collection, so skews to my personal interests…

Topics covered:
– British Monarchs
– UK Politics
– US Politics
– Israeli Politics
– Australian Politics
– General Non Fiction
– Science & Philosphy
– Sport
– General – Autobiographical
– General Fiction
– Science Fiction
– Science Fiction related Biographical

I hope you get some ideas!

 

Non Fiction

British Monarchs

King John: Treachery, Tyranny, and the Road to Magna Carta
Marc Morris

This one cuts beneath the assumed knowledge and myth and presents a well researched and balanced account of the period.

 

Edward II: The Unconventional King
Kathryn Warner

All Warner’s history books are excellent, but this is a definitive work on Edward II.

 

Richard III & the Princes in the Tower
Alison Weir

Weir is another wonderful author of English history, and this is another book that uses proper research to explore a controversial set of events.

 

Henry VIII: King & Court
Alison Weir

Edward VI: The Lost King of England
Chris Skidmore

A pivotal but underwritten period of English history.

Elizabeth
David Starkey

If you read one Starkey book, make it this one. He goes into detail on the early life of Elizabeth I.

 

Victoria The Queen
Julia Baird

 

UK Politics

The Tories and the Nation State 1922-97
Alan Clark

If you want to understand the Conservative Party and Europe, read this.

The Prime Minister
Peter Hennessy

A neat summary of post-war leaders of Britain, and how the office has evolved.

William Pitt the Younger
William Hague

An incredibly good piece of work on a political hero of mine.

 

Robert Peel
Douglas Hurd

Gladstone
Roy Jenkins

Another excellent and well written book on one of my political heroes.

Churchill
Roy Jenkins

The best book I’ve personally read on the subject.

Rab Butler: The Best Prime Minister We Never Had?
Michael Jago

Decades of Conservative Party government explored through the influential MP who twice just missed out on being Prime Minister.

Downing Street Diary
Bernard Donoghue

An insider look at Harold Wilson’s time as Labour PM in the 1970s.

Jeremy Thorpe
Michael Bloch

Scandalous!

The Path to Power/The Downing Street Years
Margaret Thatcher

Combined one of the very best political autobiographies out there. The Path to Power is an especially insightful look at the Conservative party between the 1950s and 1980s, and developed of Thatcher as a politician and leader.

The Alan Clark Diaries
Alan Clark

Witty and honest and interesting; a look inside the Thatcher/Major Governments from MP and junior Minister.

A Political Suicide
Norman Fowler

Senior Cabinet Minister gives his take on the decline and end of the Conservative Government in the 1990s.

John Major: The Autobiography
John Major

The Third Man
Peter Mandalson

The best book I’ve yet read on the Blair-Brown years of the Labour Party, including the lead up under Kinnock.

Coalition Diaries
David Laws

 

US Politics

Second Acts
Mark K. Updegrove

This is a fascinating look at the role of US Presidents after the Presidency.

John Adams
David McCullough

Definitive work on a lesser known founding father.

Truman
David McCullough

One of the best Presidential biographies I’ve read.

Kennedy & Nixon
Christopher Matthews

This is a really interesting book which looks and the close friendship and parallels between these men in their time before the Presidency.

An Unfinished Life: John F Kennedy
Robert Dallek

Dallek is one of the best writers, and this is the best book on JFK I’ve yet read.

RFK: A Candid Biography
C. David Haymann

Simply one of my favourite books.

Flawed Giant: Lyndon Johnson
Robert Dallek

Another great work from Dallek, and the best book on LBJ, in my opinion.

In Retrospect
Robert S. McNamara

When the Centre Held
Donald Rumsfeld

Rumsfeld gives an honest and inside view of an overlooked President.

Jimmy Carter
Peter G. Bourne

Another favourite of mine, this is a work that tracks Carter from State politics to President and beyond, with a detailed look at primaries, elections, the Camp David accords, etc.

Ronald Reagan: An American Life

Read it.

George Bush: The Life of a Lone Star Yankee
Herbert S Parmet

The definitive work on arguably the most qualified President of the 20th century.

41: A Portrait of My Father
George W Bush

Clinton: The President they Deserve
Martin Walker

A bare and honest account of Clinton making it to the Presidency.

Primary Colors
Anonymous

Technically fiction, but a barely disguised story of Clinton’s primary campaign in 1992.

Inventing Al Gore
Bill Turque

Written in the lead up for Gore’s 2000 campaign, and interesting look at Democrat politics in the 80s and 90s.

Shadow
Bob Woodward

Woodward is an amazing author with incredible access. If you read just one of his books, read this one.

Decision Points
George W Bush

Bush chooses not to write a standard life story, instead framing his memoirs around several key decisions and leadership moments.

Bush At War
Bob Woodward

Woodward explores in detail the early years of the war on terror.

In My Time
Dick Cheney

The sheer expanse of Cheney’s role in Government over four decades makes this a really interesting read.

Worth the Fighting For
John McCain

An honest look at McCain’s life and his thoughts on his failed 2000 Presidential run, as well as the best assessment on US foreign policy I’ve read.

Double Down
Halperin & Heilemann

Account of the 2012 Obama and Romney campaigns. Game Change by the same authors is also very worth a read.

The Shortest Way Home
Pete Buttigieg

Mayor Pete!

 

Israeli Politics

The Prime Ministers
Yehuda Avner

Ally
Michael B Oren

A close look at US-Israeli relations.

 

Australian Politics

Head of State
David Smith

THE work on the office of Governor-General and all the debate which flows from it.

The End of Certainty
Paul Kelly

THE book on Australian politics in the 1980s.

Menzies’ Child
Gerard Henderson

A look at the founding and development of the Liberal Party in each state.

The Menzies Era
John Howard

The Chance of Politics
Paul Hasluck

Posthumously published extracts from former Governor-General and Foreign Minister’s private assessments of other politicians.

Hayden
Bill Hayden

This is a very well written insight into ALP politics in the 60s, 70s, and early 80s former the former ALP leader and Governor-General.

As it Happened
John Button

After a decade as Senate Leader in the Hawke and Keating governments, this is a very entertaining autobiography!

Keating: The Inside Story
John Edwards

Its really very good.

The Kennett Revolution
Brian Costar & Nick Economou

An academic look at the Kennett Government and Victorian politics in the 1990s.
(My copy signed of course by both authors, and Jeff!)

Lazarus Rising
John Howard

Amazing.

Loner: Insider a Labor Tragedy
Bernard Lagan

Easily the best work on the 2004 election.

Betrayal: The Underbelly of Australian Labor
Simon Benson

This is an incredible and brutal insight into NSW Labor politics, and beyond.

General Non Fiction

The Defence of the Realm: The Authorised History of MI5
Christopher Andrew

Eichmann
David Cesarani

Stalin’s Englishman
Andrew Lownie

A look at the Cambridge spies.

East & West
Chris Patten

Written more than twenty years ago, but perhaps more relevant that ever?

Line of Fire
Darren Goodsir

The detailed account of the Roger Rogerson/Michael Drury shooting and related events in the NSW police.

Ten Caesars
Barry Strauss

Of all the books on Roman history I have, this is the one to start with.

Twentieth Century Speeches
Brian MacArthur (editor)

 

Science & Philosophy

God, No!
Penn Jilette

Entertaining, but a lot of unexpected depth to this one.

Cosmos
Carl Sagan

Inspiring

The Blind Watchmaker
Richard Dawkins

I have several of Dawkins’ books, but this is surely the most important?

The Justice Game
Geoffrey Robinson

Sport

Broadside
Stuart Broad

No Regrets
Steve Waugh

Twists and Turns
Matthew Mitcham

 

Autobiographical-general

Beautiful Boy
David Sheff

Empire of the Sun
JG Ballard

I mean, they based my favourite movie on this one…

Catch Me if You Can
Frank W Abagnale

Beautiful People
Simon Doonan

Unreliable Memoirs
Clive James

Fiction – General

The Hound of the Baskervilles
Arthur Conan Coyle

The one Sherlock Holmes book I really like….

The Halfmen of O
Maurice Gee

Classic young adult fantasy.

Kidnapped
Robert Louis Stevenson

My pick of his excellent collection of work.

The Once & Future King
TH White

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
JK Rowling

In my view the peak of this series.

The Magican’s Nephew
CS Lewis

The 6th book in the series, and in my view the best.

The Ancient Solitary Reign
Martin Hocke

A bizarre bit gripping story about a colony of owls…

Watership Down
Richard Adams

Its a classic….

On the Road
Jack Kerouac

Defining…

Animal Farm
George Orwell

In my view cleverer and more subtle than 1984, but I have them both and both worth a read.

The Picture of Doreian Grey
Oscar Wilde

The most brilliant work but this brilliant mind.

The Day of the Triffids
John Wyndham

Almost included Chocky, but went with this to represent Wyhndham collection of great books.

A Christmas Carol
Charles Dickens

Again, could just as easily have been Oliver Twist, but this is the Dickins I most come back to.

I, Claudius
Rupert Graves

Incredible novel set in the time of the early Ceasers.

We Need to Talk About Kevin
Lionel Shriver

Chilling. A mum struggles to raise a psychopathic child.

The Night of the Scorpion
Anthony Horowitz

Another piece of YL fiction of which I’m very fond.

Moby Dick
Herman Melville

As good as its reputation says.

Seven Little Australians
Ethel Turner

To Serve Them All My Days
RF Delderfield

Wonderful story of a school master between the wars.

Brideshead Revisited
Evelyn Waugh

Simply my favourite novel

Brave New World
Aldous Huxley

If you’re going to read one dystopian novel, make it this one!

 

Love, Simon
Becky Albertalli

Call Me By Your Name
Andre Aciman

 

Science Fiction

Star Trek: The Next Generation – Boogeymen
Mel Gilden

One of my favourite’s of this series, along with Q-in-Law. Both fun, capture the spirit of the show, and plenty of Wesley!

Star Trek: The Next Generation – Imazdi
Peter David

Easily the best of the “hardcover” novels from this time (although Reunion is a close second).

Star Trek: Prime Directive
Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens

Another favourite Trek book, this time from the original series.

Doctor Who novelisations:
– The Cave Monsters (Malcolm Hulke)
– The Dinosaur Invasion (Malcolm Hulke)
– Remembrance of the Dalerks (Ben Aaronovitch)

My top 3 of these books (yes, I have the full set).

Doctor Who: The New Adventures/The Missing Adventures
– Timewyrm: Exodus (Terrence Dicks)
– The Highest Science (Gareth Roberts)
– Bad Therepy (Matthew Jones)
– The Romance of Crime (Gareth Roberts)
– Killing Ground (Steve Lyons)

Again, my favourites of this range (and again, I have the complete sets!).

Lethbridge Stewart: The Laughing Gnome – Rise of the Dominator
Robert Mammone

A very involving original novel!

Blake’s 7
Trevor Hoyle

Novelisation of the first four epsiodes of my favourite TV series.

Life, the Universe, and Everything
Douglas Adams

ANY of Adams’ books could be on this list, but I’ve picked my favourite to represent him.

Red Dwarf Omnibus
Grant Naylor

This book goes way beyond the TV series, and is an incredable book in its own right.

Star Wars – The Timothy Zahn Thrawn Trilogy
– Heir to the Empire
– Dark Force Rising
– The Last Command

The best Star Wars story ever. Full stop.

 

Science Fiction Related Biography

JNT: The Life and Scandalous Times
Richard Marson

An amazing read, going into detail about Dr Who, its 1980s producer, but also just about UK television in general at that time.

Blue Box Boy
Matthew Waterhouse

Memories of the Future
Wil Wheaton

Child out of Time
Hayden Gribble

Thank you for reading!