As the year draws to a close, The Guardian's chief film critic Peter Bradshaw has unveiled his highly anticipated personal awards for 2025, the 'Braddies'. This list offers a distinct and individual perspective, separate from the newspaper's official Top 50 films countdown, celebrating the cinematic achievements released in UK cinemas over the past twelve months.
The Shadow of AI and Celebrating Human Artistry
Bradshaw's reflections on the year are framed by a significant concern: the rise of artificial intelligence in filmmaking. He singles out Tilly Norwood, a female AI star launched in October 2025, as the 'villain' of the year. While acknowledging her convincing and cost-effective nature, Bradshaw laments her as a symptom of a 'blandified film culture'. He argues that despite guardrails established after the writers' strike, the vast cost gap between AI generation and real-world filming is making synthetic performers an increasingly tempting prospect for producers, threatening the essence of human performance.
Against this backdrop, Bradshaw celebrates the triumphs of human creativity. He praises Jafar Panahi's Palme d'Or-winning drama-thriller It Was Just an Accident and Jim Jarmusch's Golden Lion recipient Father Mother Sister Brother. He also notes powerful responses to global events, such as Kaouther Ben Hania's Palestinian-themed film The Voice of Hind Rajab. However, he did not shy away from criticism, labelling projects like Noah Baumbach and George Clooney's Jay Kelly and Luca Guadagnino's After the Hunt as significant disappointments.
The 2025 Braddies Winners Revealed
Bradshaw's awards are divided into multiple categories. For Best Film, his eclectic top ten includes titles such as One Battle After Another, Young Mothers, The Ice Tower, and Marty Supreme, the latter featuring Timothée Chalamet as a ping-pong player.
The Best Actress category is particularly competitive. Bradshaw's list features Jennifer Lawrence for Die My Love, Radhika Apte for Sister Midnight, and Emma Thompson for Dead of Winter. A standout mention is for Shahana Goswami, whose performance in Santosh prompts Bradshaw to speculate she could be the best actress of the year. Emma Stone also earns a nod for her 'dead-eyed' role in Bugonia.
In the Best Actor field, honourees range from Tom Cruise for his Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning swan song to Cillian Murphy for Steve, and Timothée Chalamet for dual roles in A Complete Unknown and Marty Supreme.
Supporting Roles and Technical Excellence
The supporting categories are equally star-studded. Best Supporting Actress nominees include Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor for Nickel Boys and Geeta Agrawal Sharma, also for Santosh. The Best Supporting Actor list features Guy Pearce for The Brutalist and a wittily cast Russell Crowe as Hermann Göring in Nuremberg.
Other categories highlight behind-the-camera talent. Paul Thomas Anderson is named Best Director for One Battle After Another, while cinematography accolades go to the likes of Lol Crawley for The Brutalist. The Best Documentary list includes Hung Up on a Dream: The Zombies Documentary and Grenfell: Uncovered.
Bradshaw concludes by championing cinema as a 'fantastically competitive, low-cost experience' compared to other arts and sports, urging audiences to support it. He invites readers to debate his selections and point out their own favourites, keeping the conversation about a challenging but artistically rich year for film alive.
