My top-rated films this winter
The five-star watches of the season
With such a stacked winter behind me, I can’t wait for my 2025 Letterboxd Wrapped already. From mid-December to mid-March, here are the films I rated 4.5 or 5 stars out of 5.
Saturday Night
Oh, this film was divisive. Little White Lies, safe haven for cinema, was not a fan. Most Rotten Tomatoes critics weren't fans. On the other hand, I absolutely ate this up. Young talent, breakthrough performances, real time comedy, what's not to love?
Sure, there's been criticisms of SNL for years and it's not something loved dearly here in the UK. Nevertheless, I felt the humour hit the nail on the head and navigated the trickiness of a Chevy Chase performance quite deftly. A full five stars from me and if anything, I wished it was longer!
Memoir Of A Snail
Lucky as I was to watch this in the company of director Adam Elliot, I was in tears by the end. Elliot is either a troubled man or likes to make troubled men. If you started your year like most with the new Wallace and Gromit, this would make for an interesting double bill.
It’s refreshing to see the medium of stopmotion be subverted for the adult lens, covering themes that I certainly haven’t seen on-screen for a while: let alone in an animated form. If only to appreciate the labour of love this film is, I’d definitely recommend it. Another five stars from me.
Bob Trevino Likes It
I’d barely heard about this and gratefully received a screener from Protagonist Pictures for Glasgow Film Festival. I was surprised to have not heard of it considering Barbie Ferreira and John Leguizamo co-star. Watching this in bed with a pre-existing illness sniffle did not pair well.
Needless to say, the sniffle was enhanced by the end, I was wrecked. The film handles estrangement, belonging, parenting and daughterhood in ways that Lady Bird can’t, because sometimes it’s the films with less hype that strike the strongest chord.
My Dead Friend Zoe
I’d also barely heard of this one, and also received the screener for Glasgow Film Festival: shoutout Glasgow for spotlighting such amazing independent films! Was once again surprised to have not heard of this with Ed Harris and Morgan Freeman starring in smaller roles, not taking the spotlight away from the amazing leads.
On paper, I thought this was a guaranteed snooze-fest but with director Kyle Stokes having a lived experience of PTSD, his representation of grief and the varied results of a life at war was eye-opening: with an exceptionally pertinent message at the end of the film.
Four Mothers
I have watched this film three times. Not on purpose, it’s just happened. I’d like to make it clear that each watch was just as entertaining as the first, and thanks to the beautiful Irish accent and the marvellous charm of the older actors, I found myself anticipating my favourite moments.
It’s rare for me to find ninety-minute films that aren’t cheapened by the gimmick of being background noise on a random streamer, and Four Mothers from Darren Thornton comfortably and confidently fills that gap.
I'm Still Here
I have watched this film two times, and this time it was on purpose. I watched it once at the BFI and another time at a Cineworld in Glasgow to almost full audiences both times, and I was absolutely buzzing when it received the praise it deserved at the Oscars.
I poured my heart and soul into asking people to watch this, and forgive my poor expression of love through a metaphor that doesn’t come close, but even though it was a foreign language film, you feel so close to the story that the intimacies of a tongue you don’t understand slowly begin to make sense to you. I don’t know, I was moved to say the least. Another five stars here.
On Falling
Ken Loach, you have inspired a generation and with that, brought us the genius of debut director Laura Carreira. I was grateful to see a preview of this film with Carreira present, where she spoke about Jeanne Dielman as an influence on this incredibly harrowing social realist drama.
I didn’t check my watch once during this showing and I think that speaks to the irresistible immersion of this British-Portuguese film. I’m seated for whatever Carreira works on next and indeed, whatever comes out of Loach’s production company. Another five stars from me.
What were your favourite films of the past three months? Let me know in the comments!