365 Movies in 2025 Top Films: 5-1

5. Simple Like Silver (2021)

Shot entirely on an iPhone, Damien K. Lahey's microbudget black and white film is a small arthouse wonder. It tells the intersecting stories of three characters, all dealing with life-altering situations. I learned about the film because Cristina Marsillach, who plays Lucia, starred in Dario Argento's Opera (1987). Told through voiceovers, the narrative unfolds slowly, but the luscious cinematography is so engaging that the film would be worth watching without the eventually connected narrative arc. The bright Florida setting offsets the horrific obstacles that the characters face, yet the film provides glimmers of hope within their connections. Through Lucia's interactions with the young boy, Joe, (Hudson Sims) the film approaches catharsis. Severin Films released a deluxe Blu-ray edition in 2024 that is worth seeking out.

4. The Flowers of Saint Francis (1950)

Filled with scene after scene of pure joy,  Roberto Rossellini's filmic series of parables rewards repeat watches. Each vignette speaks to the best in human nature through honest interaction between the amateur cast of monks. The humorous parables cover the  range of human emotion, and Nazario Gerardi's stoic performance as Saint Francis and Severino Pisacane's clownish performance particularly bring passion and realism to their roles. Gerardi's quiet grace infuses every scene in which he appears while Pisacane shines in the scene where he travels and attempts to proselytize to Nicolaio the tyrant, played by the production's only professional actor, Aldo Fabrizi, in a hysterically over-the-top performance that stands out next to the simplicity of the rest.

3. Burden of Dreams (1982)/ Fitzcarraldo (1982)

I watched quite a few Werner Herzog movies this past year, and his filmography has been a challenge, mostly because of the quality of his output. I regret leaving both Stroszek (1977), an amazing study in misery and mental illness, and My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done (2009), another examination of obsession, starring Michael Shannon in an iconic performance, off the list. In Herzog's epic Fitzcarraldo, another study in obsession, Brian Sweeney Fitzgerald's (Klaus Kinski) mission to transport a steamship into the Andes Mountains practically kills him and everyone involved. Kinski's performance adds levels of stress to an already fraught venture. Watching the film along with Les Blank's accompanying documentary, Burden of Dreams, will clarify the choices Herzog made, but it will also show the tension that Kinski brought to any film. Blank is masterful at covering relationships and showing what makes us human. In this case, he traces the "friendship" between Herzog and Kinski along with the horrific circumstances surrounding the filming of nearly impossible scenes. The film is breezy and entertaining in ways that Fitzcarraldo is not, showing the actual humanity of all involved. For more on Herzog and Kinski's contentious partnership, I also recommend Herzog's My Best Fiend (1999), which covers all the films the two made together over a twenty five year period. 

2. To Sleep With Anger (1990)

Danny Glover in a rare 1990s nonheroic role, as the film was released between Lethal Weapon 2 (1989) and Predator 2 (1990), brings pathos and mood to Charles Burnett's family drama. Although the film is often referred to as a dark comedy, like many of Burnett's other films, this genre-bending picture tells a typical family story. Glover plays Harry, a returning relative who changes the family dynamic for the worse. He brings a negative energy that causes the family to come to terms with long simmering problems. The film's folkloric tropes, including juju charms and an understanding of how black magic can follow a person, provide more reasons for the tension that arises. I love this one for the tight storytelling and the family dynamic. Suzie (Mary Alice) does her best to hold the family together while her sons Junior (Carl Lumbly) and Samuel (Richard Brooks) embody the rifts that can occur between brothers despite their best efforts. 

1. Nebraska (2013)

I'm closing out my list with another family drama, Alexander Payne's heartfelt exploration of the father/son dynamic and the weirdness of family interaction. There is much to like about this film, particularly the seeming honesty of the family and how they struggle to show their love. In the main plot, David Grant (Will Forte in a wide-eyed performance) takes his father Woody Grant (played in an impeccably curmudgeonly way as only he can by Bruce Dern) go to Nebraska to  retrieve the mail order sweepstakes Woody believes he has won. They run into various citizens of the father's hometown who want the money, including a bombastic Stacy Keach as Ed Pegram, Woody's former business associate. When the others discover that there is no money, the family must take a stand. Every performance in the film rings true: June Squibb as Woody's long suffering wife and Bob Odenkirk as the other son, Ross, stand out. However, Payne's understanding of the dysfunctional family dynamic is what really makes this film work. After writing about To Sleep With Anger and Nebraska, I want to watch them back to back. It was hard to pick which one I liked better.