The Best Movies of 2025

Summary

Podcast Summary: All Of It with Alison Stewart

Episode: The Best Movies of 2025
Date: December 29, 2025
Host: Alison Stewart
Guest: Alyssa Wilkinson (New York Times film critic)

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Episode Overview

In this lively year-end episode, Alison Stewart and NYT film critic Alyssa Wilkinson dive into the most memorable movies of 2025. Together with call-in and text contributions from listeners across New York and beyond, they discuss the year's most talked-about films—blockbusters, indies, documentaries, and awards hopefuls—analyzing their themes, performances, and cultural resonance. The episode spotlights how 2025's films explore the weight of history on the present, the evolution of genres and stars, and the ongoing love for original, conversation-starting cinema.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Exploring 2025's Defining Cinematic Themes

• The Persistence of History:
  Alyssa Wilkinson observes a common thread: “The movies that landed on my list were mostly looking at the way that history seeps into the present.” (02:41)
  • Examples include One Battle After Another, Sinners, The Testament of Ann Lee, and My Undesirable Friends.
  • These films “are about how history has a lot of weight in the present. And I think that really resonated with a lot of people this year in our real lives too.” (02:55)

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“One Battle After Another” (Paul Thomas Anderson)

• Plot Summary: Follows a group of far-left revolutionaries; the story jumps in time as one member’s child grows up, leading to a generational chase and reckoning with inherited ideals.
• Key Themes: Generational struggle, the cyclical nature of political passion, and the comedy of failed ideals.
• Casting:
  • Leonardo DiCaprio (as the father, Pat Calhoun): “We’re not used to seeing Leonardo DiCaprio in this fatherly role… he’s hilarious.” (04:23, 06:22)
  • Chase Infinity (as the daughter): “This is her first role in this lead, and she’s incredible in it.”
  • Teyana Taylor: “Unforgettable… she’s got this swagger that’s hard to beat.”
• Memorable Clip: DiCaprio’s comedic, disoriented monologue about a forgotten code phrase is highlighted – “I have abused drugs and alcohol for the past 30 years, man. I’m a drug and alcohol lover. And I cannot remember for the life of me or the life of my only child the answer to your question. What time is it?” (05:29-05:58)

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Listener Contributions: Standout Films

• F1: Praised for intimate cinematography and storytelling, rare in a race car movie. (06:42)
• Hamnet: A powerful Shakespeare biopic; one listener found it “a profound spiritual experience at the end…so moved by the ending of this movie…almost a religious experience.” (07:11-08:05)
• Deliver Me From Nowhere: Springsteen/Nebraska docudrama described as “an investigation of how depression affects people, even high performing people like Bruce Springsteen.” (08:12-09:14)

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“Sinners” (Dir. Ryan Coogler)

• Unique Genre Blend: Southern gothic vampire tale set in Mississippi, starring B. Jordan in dual roles as the Smokestack Twins.
• Critical Success:
  • Both a box office hit and a subject of “months and months” of debate for its symbolism and themes.
  • “It’s not just the vampire thing, it’s also the music. The music is unforgettable in this film and remarkable and it tells a story. And also the film has a lot going on inside of it. Right? It’s thinking about racism, colonialism, how all of those things, again, seep into the future.” (10:22)
• Cultural Commentary:
  • “Anytime you can make a movie where people want to keep talking about it months and months after it comes out, that’s really exciting.” (10:57)
  • Notably, Ryan Coogler retains ownership rights after 25 years—a rare move showing commitment to creative legacy. (11:42)
• Memorable Moment: Clip features a tense, witty exchange between a freshly turned vampire and suspicious relatives, blending humor with subtext about race and trust. (12:14-13:23)

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Other Listener and Critic Favorites

• Superman (dir. James Gunn): “Had such a poignant message about hope and about doing the right thing… breakout performances by David Cornswet and Rachel Brosnahan.” (13:43)
• Spinal Tap: The End Continues: “Deals with losing your identity, holding on, trying to claim…they were all speaking about themselves and their lives and reviewing them.” (14:36)
• The History of Sound: Called “the most beautiful and unique love story I’ve seen in many years.” (15:33-15:49)

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“The Testament of Ann Lee”

• Premise: Biographical musical about the obscure founder of Shakerism, played by Amanda Seyfried.
• Unique Tone: Alyssa: “It’s really more of a movie about religious ecstasy and you know, a woman who was way ahead of her time in thinking about gender equality…really unlike anything I’ve ever seen.” (16:16-17:26)
• Creative Collaboration: Directed by Mona Fasvold (co-writer of The Brutalist), with her “partner in life and art.”
• Memorable Clip: “The Shakers lived their life in song. That was part of their worship.” (17:37)
• Clarifies Misleading Marketing: “It’s not at all a horror film… it’s a very beautiful film. Even though many bad things happen to her. I very much think it’s worth a shot.” (18:01-18:16)

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“Marty Supreme” (Josh Safdie)

• Plot: Set in 1950s NY, about a Jewish kid (Timothée Chalamet) aiming for ping pong stardom; deals with identity and belonging.
• Critic’s Take: “If you liked Uncut Gems, you’ll probably like this one…so much energy. Great music. Timothée Chalamet is fantastic…He’s always been good, but he’s great in this.” (19:05-20:09)

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Notable Documentaries

• Orwell 2/25: Lauded as “must-see for all citizens of all nations.” (20:18)
• My Undesirable Friends: Five-hour documentary about Russian journalists before the Ukraine invasion—“It’s unbelievable…most compelling film you will see this year.” (20:34)
• Predators: Examines society’s fascination with the now-infamous To Catch a Predator. (20:34)
• 2,000 Meters to Andrifka & Ken Burns’ American Revolution: PBS docs praised for immersion and perspective on Ukraine and American history. (22:02-22:50)

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Other Highlights

• Sorry, Baby: Described by a friend as “a gentle movie about a terrible thing.” (22:58)
• Aphas: “A baseball film, but not really…wonderful, gentle…just sort of a sit and watch guys hang out with each other movie.” (23:06-23:46)
• Guilty Pleasures and Honorable Mentions: Minimal but embraced as joyful, low-stakes, or experimental watches.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On DiCaprio’s comedic turn:
  “He’s hilarious. And I think for someone like me, I grew up watching him be my age, and now he’s the dad. So even for me, I’m understanding this generational shift in the film.” (06:22, Alyssa Wilkinson)

• On “Sinners” sparking debate:
  “Anytime you can make a movie where people want to keep talking about it months and months after it comes out, that’s really exciting.” (10:57, Alyssa Wilkinson)

• On “Hamnet’s” impact:
  “I couldn’t move. It was such a profound spiritual experience at the end.” (07:11-08:05, Debbie, caller)

• On “Marty Supreme’s” surprise:
  “I went in with my arms crossed… and I loved it.” (19:05, Alyssa Wilkinson)

• On “Testament of Ann Lee”:
  “I have no idea. Who was, you know, gunning for the biopic of the founder of Shakerism? That’s musical. I don’t know…It’s really unlike anything I’ve ever seen.” (16:16, Alyssa Wilkinson)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Opening & Movie Theme Intro: 00:07-02:41
• Alyssa Wilkinson on 2025's Cinematic Themes: 02:41-03:12
• One Battle After Another Breakdown & Clip: 03:12-06:35
• Listener Calls—F1, Hamnet, Springsteen Doc: 06:35-09:19
• “Sinners” Analysis & Clip: 10:22-13:23
• Superman & Spinal Tap Listener Praise: 13:43-15:17
• The History of Sound & Testament of Ann Lee Discussion: 15:28-18:16
• Marty Supreme Discussion: 18:22-20:10
• Documentary Highlights (“Orwell 2/25”, others): 20:09-22:51
• Final Recommendations & Episode Wrap: 22:58-23:54

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Final Thoughts

Alison Stewart and Alyssa Wilkinson chart a vibrant, thoughtful course through 2025’s movie landscape, celebrating films that challenge, provoke, and resonate long after the credits roll. With a mix of blockbuster appeal and indie spirit, 2025's movies are remembered for their emotional impact, thematic richness, and their ability to get audiences—and critics—talking, arguing, and thinking together.

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Transcript

[A]

This is all of it. I'm Alison Stewart live from the WNYC studios in soho. Thank you for spending part of your day with us. Whether you're listening on the radio, live streaming or the on demand, I am grateful that you're here. I'm especially grateful to everyone who has donated to WNYC this year. Your support really matters now. Coming up on the show today, Jamel Shabazz is here to talk about his new book, Prospect Park Photographs of a Brooklyn Oasis. Lauren Pessell will join us to wrap up this year in podcasting. And we want to know what your favorite podcasts were. And we'll talk about the importance of free speech with author Danao Mengestu, who has just been elected president of PEN America. That's the plan. So let's get this started with your favorite movie of 2020. We're in the final days of 2025, and the movie arguments are going strong. What's been the best film of the year? Does everyone agree? Absolutely not. Are you a believer in the Southern gothic horror film Sinners, about a town overrun by vampires? Or did you like the action thriller One Battle After Another, about a family of far left revolutionaries? Or maybe you like something from the indie side of the fence, like Lurker, a dark and unsettling look at what happens when a fan gets too close to a pop star on the edge of fame. Or maybe you agreed with George Clooney, who played Jay Kelly, who had this to say about the art form.

[B]

All my memories are movies.

[C]

That's what movies are for us.

[B]

Pieces of time. Pieces of Time.

[A]

In her best of lists, New York Times movie critic Alyssa Wilkinson wrote about the theme she saw in some of the films this year. She joins us now to share what which films rose the top of her lists and why. Welcome Alys, Alyssa. Thanks.

[C]

It's good to be here.

[A]

All right, calling all movie lovers, we want to hear from you right now. What was the best film you watched in 2025? What made you hit play or buy a ticket? And how has that movie stayed with you all year? You can call in now at 2124-3396-9221-2433. WNY YC okay, so many movies, so many themes, so many different casts, so many. But was there a theme, an ethos to the films of 2025?

[C]

I think there were a couple, but the movies that landed on my list were mostly looking at the way that history seeps into the present. So whether it was movies like One Battle after another or sinners. Or even a movie like the Testament of Ann Lee, which was a movie on my list, or My Undesirable Friends, or it was just an accident. All these movies are about how history has a lot of weight in the present. And I think that really resonated with a lot of people this year in our real lives too.

[A]

Let's start with your list. One battle after another. Pta Paul Thomas Anderson. Many people have seen the trailer already. Help us understand what the film's about.

[C]

So the film starts out with a group of far left revolutionaries who are kind of very excited by what they're doing. It's a very thrilling time for them. And then one of them has a baby. And then we jump forward in time and the group has gone into hiding. The baby is now a teenager, and Leonardo DiCaprio is playing her father. And the they kind of get caught up in a sort of thrilling kind of chase, right? And. And what we end up watching is this chase, this relationship between this father and the daughter. And the whole gist of the movie is really that every generation has its own battles to fight and that we pass those battles on to the next generation and nobody ever really captures their own ideals, but that every generation has to kind of carry on the work of the previous generation. So it's a comedy, it's a thriller, it's an adventure, it's really exciting.

[A]

What did you make of the casting of this family? Leonardo DiCaprio, Teyana Taylor and Chase Infinity as their daughter?

[C]

Yeah, I mean, for me, it was a really fun casting because we're not really used to seeing Leonardo DiCaprio in this fatherly role. Chase Infinity, this is her first role in this kind of, you know, lead role, and she's incredible in it. And Teyana Taylor is unforgettable in this role. She's got this swagger that's hard to beat. And watching them together, you really understand how these people would have been thrown together, how they would have been excited in their youth to be together and how they would have ended up in this situation. And you can see both these parents in Chase Infinity's performance.

[A]

Let's listen to a clip from one battle after another. This is Leonardo DiCaprio's character, Pat Calhoun, and he's trying to confirm a rendezvous point to protect his daughter from the people who are after her. But he's old, he's been smoking a lot of weed, and he can't remember the code.

[B]

Okay, look, look, maybe I can. Maybe I can give you some information and then you give me some information, all right? We'll just share a little information. My name is Bob Ferguson. I don't know if you've ever heard.

[A]

Of me, all right?

[B]

I was part of French 75 for years, years and years, all right? They used to call me Ghetto Pat, Rocket man, stuff like that. Only problem is I. I fried my brain. Since then, man, I have abused drugs and alcohol for the past 30 years, man. I'm a drug and alcohol lover. And I cannot remember for the life of me or the life of my only child the answer to your question. What time is it?

[C]

8:15.

[B]

Now, I. I need this rendezvous point. You understand what I'm saying? I need it. I understand. And the question is, what time is it? If you don't give me the rendezvous point, I swear to God, I will hunt you down and stick a loaded hot piece of dynamite right up your.

[A]

As you said, it's a comedy as well.

[C]

It is. It very much is. And Leo is hilarious. And I think for someone like me, you know, I've grown up watching him be my age, and now he's the dad, right? So even for me, I'm understanding this generational shift in the. In the film.

[A]

Let's talk to Carlin, who's calling in from Carmel. Hey, Carlin, thanks for calling, all of it. What did you see this year?

[B]

Hi. Thank you for taking my call. I saw F1.

[C]

Mm.

[A]

What'd you like about it?

[B]

Yeah, so I just thought it was. Thought the cinematography was very good. It was very intimate for a race car movie. And. And. And the story was, well. Was done well, too. I like a good story in a movie.

[A]

Thanks so much for calling in. Let's talk to Debbie from Branchville, New Jersey. Hi, Debbie, thanks for calling, all of it. What film did you watch?

[B]

Hamnet. I. You know, it's a later arrival. I didn't have the privilege of reading the book yet. I intend to, but I know for most people that know about this, about Shakespeare, his marriage to Anne Hathaway, and the fact that they had to read children, that's known in the history books. And this was a slight twist on that, and I don't want to do a spoiler, but I didn't cry for the reasons that you would think. I was so moved by the ending of this movie, by the way. It was staged by the. It was almost a religious experience. And as it ended, I was one of. I think I was the only person in the theater. I went to an early showing. I couldn't move. It was such a Profound spiritual experience at the end. And the casting for two of the actors for two of the characters was absolutely brilliant. And I can't tell you what it was because I don't want to spoil it for other people.

[A]

Thank you, Debbie, for calling in. John is calling from Millburn, New Jersey and hey, John, what film did you see?

[B]

Hey, I saw Deliver Me From Nowhere, the movie about Springsteen and making a Nebraska. I would say for me it was a very memorable movie. Not because of the music, which was spectacular, and Springsteen himself, but it was more to me an investigation of or an explanation of how depression affects people, even high performing people like Bruce Springsteen and how they grapple with it. And that you. That I didn't see that, that I just, it goes be, you know, just passes me by and I might not realize a person is struggling, you know, with some sort of emotional conflict. But that's, that's what it drove home for me because, you know, I had no inkling as a long term Bruce Springsteen fan that he was even going through that stuff. So that's it.

[A]

That is an interesting point of view. John, thank you so much for calling in. Do you agree with John?

[C]

Yeah, absolutely. And you know, Hamnet and the Springsteen film, both are kind of looking at the story behind the story that we know, which I think for a lot of people, I mean, Hamlet and Nebraska perhaps are two very different things, but maybe not as different as we might think.

[A]

We're talking about the best films of 2025 with New York Times movie critic Alyssa Wilkinson. Give us a call or send us a text to share your verdict for the best movie of 2025. Our number is 212-433-WNYC 212-433-9692. I want to talk about sinners. We got a big text here with a. With so many emojis, it just says sinners across it. On one level, it's a vampire movie. It's in Mississippi there. B. Jordan plays two parts in the film the Smokestack Twins. What is something that critics continue to rave about this film? I have an idea, but you tell me what you think.

[C]

I mean, critics and audiences alike, you know, keep watching it. I think it's not just the vampire thing, it's also the music. The music is unforgettable in this film and remarkable and it tells a story. And also I think the film has a lot to going on inside of it. Right? It's. It's thinking about racism, it's thinking about colonialism, it's thinking about how all of those things, again, seep into the future how Irish colonialism has resonance in, you know, American racism. And I have been at multiple, you know, dinner parties or whatever where people have argued over what does this film actually mean. And anytime you can make a movie where people want to keep talking about it months and months after it comes out, that's really exciting. We don't actually get a lot of movies that do that and also make a ton of money. I feel like everybody I talk to this year has seen this movie at least once. So that is an incredible feat for a director to pull off. And this movie is going to finish in the top 10 box office this year. In addition to being highly critically acclaimed and beloved by audiences, that's. That just makes it a remarkable film and one that nobody expected to happen.

[A]

It's also intellectual property.

[C]

Yes, it's. That's right.

[A]

Fresh intellectual property.

[C]

Fresh intellectual property that Ryan Coogler, the director, managed to get the studio to agree, will revert to him in 25 years. So he actually will have the rights to it as well, which is super rare and in keeping with the themes of the film as well.

[A]

And as we said, it's about vampires.

[C]

And it's about vampires.

[A]

Let's listen to a clip. In this scene, Smoke's friend Kornbread has been turned into a vampire and wants to be invited in, as vampires do. But his estranged wife, Annie knows something's not quite right.

[B]

God, dawg, what happened to you, Smoke? Stack D happened to you. I'm sorry. All right, well, let me in so I can help.

[A]

Hold on.

[B]

What y' all doing? Just step aside and let me on in. Now, why you need him to do that? You big and strong enough to push past us? Well, that wouldn't be too polite, now, would it, Miss Annie? I don't know why I'm talking to you anyway. Probably your fish sandwich messed up my guts in the first place using old stale grease. I ain't never used stale grease. And you know. Shut up, Annie. Don't talk to him. You talking to me right now. Why you can't just walk your big ass up in here without an invite, huh? Go ahead, admit to it. Admit to what? That you dead. That one of them white folks out there kill you. And you a hate now. So you listening to this?

[C]

I love her.

[A]

She's all, hell, no, you are not coming in here.

[C]

Yep, she knows exactly what's up at that moment, and she's the one who spots it a mile away.

[A]

Let's take some more calls. Let's talk to Chris and Merrick. Hey, Chris, thanks for taking the time to call, all of it.

[B]

Hi. Thanks. I wanted to talk to you guys about Superman. Briefly saw a few movies, but I think Superman. Superman might have been my favorite this year. It just had such a poignant message about hope and about doing the right thing, even if you know people don't want you to. Even if other people don't want you to do it. On the breakout performances by David Corn Sweat and Rachel Brosnahan, they had such great on screen chemistry. Nicholas Holt had such a delightfully evil performance of Lex Luthor. And the direction, James Gunn, he knows how to make a good superhero movie.

[A]

He does. And the dog was funny. Great dog. The dog was awesome. Let's talk to Veronica, who is calling in from Manhattan. Hey, Veronica, what did you see in 2025?

[B]

Well, thank you for taking my call. I want to push for Spinal Tap. The End continues. I loved it in many ways, even more than the first. It has stuck with me. It deals with losing your identity, holding on, trying to claim with all those amazing superstars that did cameos, they understood because they were all speaking about themselves and their lives and reviewing them. It has stuck with me. And with the loss of the director, that has added something. But without that, with him going on to be 200 years old, in my dreams, the movie is going to stay with me.

[A]

Thank you so much for calling in. We got a text that says begonia, exclamation point. We'll leave that there. And I think this is a dual call of Allie and Aaron. Hey, are you both there?

[B]

Hello? Hi. Yes, we're here. Hello. We're here.

[A]

Okay. What did you two go see?

[B]

The History of Sound?

[C]

Ooh. Yes.

[B]

I think it was the most beautiful and unique love story I've seen in many years.

[A]

Thank you so much for calling in History of Sound. Do you agree, Alyssa?

[C]

Yeah. Paul Mescal and Josh o', Connor, who both had other movies this year, but it's a really lovely historical romance. Lots of longing. That's pretty much all I want to say. People should just look it up and see it themselves.

[A]

Here's one you mentioned early on in the show. The Testament of Ann Lee. Amanda Seyfried plays the title character, and it takes place in an obscure Shaker sect. How do you think the pitch for that went?

[C]

I have no idea. I mean, who was, you know, gunning for the biopic of the founder of Shakerism? That's musical. I don't know. It's very much A movie for me. And of course a lot of it is set up state near Albany where the, the first Shaker plant, you know, village was planted. But it's just a really incredibly beautiful and unique film. I think even if it doesn't sound interesting to you, it's kind of worth seeing because I've never seen a movie like it. And I think in many other hands it would have been made into a horror film. But really it's more of a movie about like religious ecstasy and you know, a woman who was way ahead of her time in thinking about gender equality and think how to be close to God and all these things. But it's, it's really unlike anything I've ever seen. The director is Mona Fasvold, who last year is the co writer of the Brutalist and the director of that film is her partner in life and art and he co wrote this film with her. So it's a very interesting, very unique film. It's only playing in a couple cities right now, but if you have the opportunity to see it, I definitely recommend.

[A]

Yeah. Listen to a clip of Amanda Seyfried and director Mona Fastoff talking about the testament of Ann Lee.

[C]

The testament of an Lee is about.

[B]

The woman who started the Shaker movement.

[C]

The Shakers lived their life in song. That was part of their worship.

[A]

They moved and they shook and they were ecstatic.

[C]

Using the rhythms of these breaths, these body slaps. That rhythm would take you through the film.

[B]

Legend has it this is what happened to Ann Lee.

[A]

Is it a horror film?

[C]

It's not at all a horror film. You would really expect that and even the marketing kind of implies that. But no, it's, it's a very beautiful film. Even though many bad things happen to her. I very much think it's worth a shot.

[A]

Let's talk to Laurie, who's calling in from Chelsea. Hey Laurie, thanks for calling all of it.

[B]

Hi. Oh, I've seen all these movies. I don't know if you guys talked about Marty supreme yet. So I've seen like almost everything you've talked about. And I saw Marty supreme two nights ago. First of all, you get like free ping pong balls when you come in if you go to some of the theaters. But I think it was one of the most spectacular movies I have ever seen. It is so complex, so involved. And a year ago Timothee Chalamet had to become Bob Dylan. And this year he's a master ping pong player. And it's just a little bit about ping pong. It's this very complex story. I mean, I absolutely loved it.

[A]

Thanks so much. That's on your list as well. Why was it on your list, Alyssa?

[C]

So it is Josh Safdie's first solo outing and it has kind of the vibe of uncut gems. So if you liked that movie, you'll probably like this one. But it is a historical film. It's about a Jewish kid in 1950s New York who wants to become a champion ping pong player. And really it's about him trying to kind of figure out where he belongs in the social hierarchy as a Jewish kid in 1950s New York. And so if you go in with knowing that, you'll see it kind of layered into the film. But it also has an amazing performance by Gwyneth Paltrow. It has an amazing performance from Fran Drescher, which is really not what I was expecting. Tons of cameos. But yeah, Timothee Chalamet is fantastic. And it's not something we've seen him do before and he's always been good, but he's great in this and it's. There's so much energy. Great music. Everybody who's gone and seen it over Christmas has come out going, wow. So, yeah, it's it. It sort of. I went in with my arms crossed. I was ready to not like it. And I loved it.

[A]

It lived up to the hype.

[C]

Yeah, it did.

[A]

This text says, I'm surprised no one has talked about weapons yet.

[C]

Oh, yeah. What a movie.

[A]

That is a movie, that's for sure. Let's leave it there. Best documentary Orwell 2/25 should be must see for all citizens of all nations. That was a terrific film. I think we interviewed Raoul Peck. What other documentaries do you think people should check out?

[C]

So there are a couple of different ones. One that I really love. It currently doesn't have distribution, but it's playing dates in different cities. It's a five hour documentary that also I think everyone should see called My Undesirable Friends that follows a group of independent Russian journalists in Moscow in the months of leading up to the invasion of Ukraine. And it sort of shows the ability to do independent journalism kind of coming apart at the seams under Putin regime. It's unbelievable. I know five hours sounds like a tough sit. It's really not. It's the most compelling film you will see this year, so if you get the opportunity to see it, you must again, it doesn't have distribution, so you can't stream it right now, but ask your theater to book It. And there's another film called Predators that is currently streaming on Paramount. Plus, this one is about To Catch a Predator, this show, but it's really not about that. It's more about why do we watch shows like this and the culture that has developed around that show since it went off the air. There's a whole Culture of YouTube Kind of people who are imitating it. It's, you know, it's kind of harrowing in some ways, but it's really kind of examining what it is inside of us that makes us want to watch these sorts of, of things. Very much recommend that as well.

[A]

Let's talk to Edith from Manhattan, since we're talking about documentaries. Edith, what did you watch?

[B]

Oh, yes, I called in about documentaries. Well, there's two that I saw, and I think they're both available on PBS, actually. But one was very similar to the one you just spoke about, and I'm going to have to watch that one. It's 2,000 meters to Andrifka. Two eyes, you know, totally immersive. I love immersive documentaries, you know, where they're not talking all the time and it's, you know, it's about the Ukraine war and right now, like, what's going on right now. So it's, it's really riveting and immersive. And then the other one I have to mention, this is Ken Burns the American Revolution series that he did. So those are, those were two of the things that really stuck with me this year.

[C]

Those are great.

[A]

Thanks so much for calling in. This says sorry, baby, as a friend stated, a gentle movie about a terrible thing.

[C]

That was an excellent, excellent movie.

[A]

Anything else you want to mention before we wrap up? Any other film that really maybe a guilty pleasure.

[C]

Oh, boy. Well, well, I did want to mention one film called Aphas that was on my list. It is a baseball film, but not really a baseball film. It's sort of a hangout film set in western Massachusetts about a sort of like a men's recreational league on the last day that they'll ever get to play on their field. It's so wonderful. It's so gentle. It's so kind of nothing ever happens, but it's just lovely. And if you like that kind of thing, you'll love this film. So, yeah, I love a baseball movie, but this is also just sort of a sit and watch guys hang out with each other movie.

[A]

Alyssa Wilkinson is a film critic for the New York Times. I hope you come back again.

[C]

I'd love to.

[A]

Thanks so much. For joining us.

[B]

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