(2025 dir. Samuel Van Grinsven) Date Seen: January 1 2026
TOBY'S PRIVATE WATCHLIST & THOUGHTS ON FILM.. PLEASE DON'T READ THESE
Thursday, January 1, 2026
2025 YEAR-END BALLOT
the point of this exercise isn't merely to stand in contrast to industry awards shows but to shine light on other works/achievements/performances that might've not gotten enough consideration during their initial releases
Past ballots at The Wandering Image:
1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024
To view my Top 30 films of 2025, visit the Final Cinema.
Note: I'm not going to separate foreign language films from english films on my ballot. It's b.s. and the academy shouldn't do it anymore either. Also, Oscar winner predictions will be added later this year beneath my *top pick in each category.
To view my Top 30 films of 2025, visit the Final Cinema.
Note: I'm not going to separate foreign language films from english films on my ballot. It's b.s. and the academy shouldn't do it anymore either. Also, Oscar winner predictions will be added later this year beneath my *top pick in each category.
CAUGHT BY THE TIDES
CACTUS PEARS
SINNERS
REFLET DANS UN DIAMANT MORT
BRING HER BACK
ARCO
MARTY SUPREME
MISERICORDIA
THE SHROUDS
NO OTHER CHOICE
SPLITSVILLE
CLOUD
ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER
IT WAS JUST AN ACCIDENT
FATHER MOTHER SISTER BROTHER
A LITTLE PRAYER
THE LEGEND OF OCHI
EEPHUS
TORNADO
2025
*Bi Gan for RESURRECTION
Ryan Coogler for SINNERS
Hélène Cattet & Bruno Forzani for
REFLECTION IN A DEAD DIAMOND
Jia Zhangke for CAUGHT BY THE TIDES
Rohan Kanawade for CACTUS PEARS
Josh Safdie for MARTY SUPREME
2025
*Kathleen Chalfant in FAMILIAR TOUCH
Zhao Tao in CAUGHT BY THE TIDES
Rose Byrne in IF I HAD LEGS I'D KICK YOU
Imogen Poots in CHRONOLOGY OF WATER
Anamaria Vartolomei in BEING MARIA
Renate Reinsve in SENTIMENTAL VALUE
2025
Leonardo DiCaprio in ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER
Timothée Chalamet in MARTY SUPREME
David Strathairn in A LITTLE PRAYER
Benicio Del Toro in THE PHOENICIAN SCHEME
2025
*Amy Madigan in WEAPONS
Sally Hawkins in BRING HER BACK
Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas in SENTIMENTAL VALUE
Jane Levy in A LITTLE PRAYER
Elle Fanning in SENTIMENTAL VALUE
2025
*Ben Foster in CHRISTY
Tonatiuh in KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN
Stellan Skarsgård in SENTIMENTAL VALUE
William H. Macy in TRAIN DREAMS
Matt Dillon in BEING MARIA
Delroy Lindo in SINNERS
2025
*SINNERS - Ryan Coogler
IT WAS JUST AN ACCIDENT - Jafar Panahi
SORRY, BABY - Eva Victor
WEAPONS - Zach Cregger
A LITTLE PRAYER - Angus MacLachlan
FATHER MOTHER SISTER BROTHER - Jim Jarmusch
THE SHROUDS - David Cronenberg
SENTIMENTAL VALUE - Joachim Trier, Eskil Vogt
2025
*ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER
- Paul Thomas Anderson
BUGONIA - Will Tracy
WAKE UP DEAD MAN - Rian Johnson
THE CHRONOLOGY OF WATER - Kristen Stewart
LUCKIEST MAN IN AMERICA - Maggie Briggs, Samir Oliveros
NO OTHER CHOICE - Park Chan-wook, Lee Kyoung-mi,
Don McKellar, Jahye Lee
2025
*HENRY FONDA FOR PRESIDENT
THE GULLSPÅNG MIRACLE
VIDEOHEAVEN
MY UNDESIRABLE FRIENDS I: LAST AIR IN MOSCOW
PAVEMENTS
BLKNWS: TERMS & CONDITIONS
SLY LIVES! (AKA THE BURDEN OF BLACK GENIUS)
2000 METERS TO ANDRIIVKA
OMAR & CEDRIC: IF THIS EVER GETS WEIRD
MOGWAI: IF THE STARS HAD A SOUND
2025
ENDLESS COOKIE
MARCEL ET MONSIEUR PAGNOL
CHAINSAW MAN: THE MOVIE - REZE ARC
NIGHT OF THE ZOOPOCALYPSE
LIGHT OF THE WORLD
THE TWITS
AMÉLIE ET LA MÉTAPHYSIQUE DES TUBES
BOYS GO TO JUPITER
DAN DA DAN: EVIL EYE
2025
*SINNERS
RESURRECTION - M83 >
MARTY SUPREME - Daniel Lopatin >
28 YEARS LATER - Young Fathers >
BUGONIA - Jerskin Fendrix >
ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER - Jonny Greenwood >
TRON: ARES - Nine Inch Nails >
HAMNET - Max Richter >
F1 - Hans Zimmer >
2025.
*THE LEGEND OF SLEEPY FLOYD
[FREAKY TALES]
MAGDALENA BAY: SECOND SLEEP
TYLER, THE CREATOR: SUGAR ON MY TONGUE
THE VOICE OF HIND RAJAB
FUN SIZE by Casper Kelly [V/H/S/HALLOWEEN]
DEVON AGAIN: CHERRY COLA
THE GILMAN STRIKES BACK [FREAKY TALES]
2025
by Anu-Laura Tuttelberg
THE NIGHT BOOTS [LES BOTTES DE LA NUIT]
THE SWORD [PREDATOR: KILLER OF KILLERS]
FLAVOR OF CASSAVA LEAF OVER RICE
THE QUINTA'S GHOST
PLAYING GOD by Matteo Burani
TMNT: CHROME ALONE 2 - LOST IN NEW JERSEY
categories below this point are
↓for you technical craft lovers↓
2025
*RESURRECTION
- Jingsong Dong, CNSC
28 YEARS LATER - Anthony Dod Mantle, DFF, BSC
TRAIN DREAMS - Adolpho Veloso, ASC
SINNERS - Autumn Durald Arkapaw, ASC
ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER - Michael Bauman, ASC
REFLECTION IN A DEAD DIAMOND - Manuel Dacosse, SBC
ASH - Richard Bluck, ASC
WENT UP THE HILL - Tyson Perkins, ACS, NZCS
F1 - Claudio Miranda, ASC
THE LEGEND OF OCHI - Evan Prosofsky, ASC
2025
*REFLECTION IN A DEAD DIAMOND
- Bernard Beets
RESURRECTION - Bi Gan
28 YEARS LATER - Jon Harris
CHRONOLOGY OF WATER - Jon Harris
ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER - Olivia Neergaard-Holm
HENRY FONDA FOR PRESIDENT - Michael Palm
ICK - Chancler Haynes
F1 - Stephen Mirrione
MARTY SUPREME - Josh Safdie & Ronald Bronstein
GOOD BOY - Ben Leonberg / Curtis Roberts
2025
-Tamara Deverell, Shane Vieau
WICKED: FOR GOOD - Nathan Crowley, Lee Sandales
LEGEND OF OCHI - Jason Kisvarday, Kelsi Ephraim
REFLECTION IN A DEAD DIAMOND - Laurie Colson / Afyonlu
/ J.O. Barros Ribeiro / Dhyvert / Le Dauphin / Ritz
ASH - Ross McGarva, Gui Taccetti
MICKEY 17 - Fiona Crombie, Alice Felton, Emily Beswarick
THE PHOENICIAN SCHEME - Adam Stockhausen, Anna Pinnock
NO! YOU’RE WRONG - David Brothers, Crispin Glover
PADDINGTON IN PERU - Andy Kelly, Cathy Cosgrove
THE FANTASTIC 4: FIRST STEPS - Kasra Farahani, Jille Azis
2025
- Paul Tazewell
SINNERS - Ruth E. Carter
LEGEND OF OCHI - Elizabeth Warn
REFLECTION IN A DEAD DIAMOND - Jackye Fauconnier
THE PHOENICIAN SCHEME - Milena Canonero
HAMNET - Malgosia Turzanska
FRANKENSTEIN - Kate Hawley
2025
*FRANKENSTEIN
THE TOXIC AVENGER
THE SMASHING MACHINE
WICKED: FOR GOOD
SINNERS
STAR TREK: SECTION 31
2025
*F1
ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER
GOOD BOY
AVATAR: FIRE AND ASH
THE WOLF MAN
SKETCH
WARFARE
AVATAR: FIRE & ASH
THE ELECTRIC STATE
DEATHSTALKER
SUPERMAN
TRON: ARES
JURASSIC WORLD REBIRTH
ASH
↓muriel awards categories:
2025
- ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER
2) 1999 New Year's Eve long one-shot - RESURRECTION
3) Remmick and the vampires in the sunlight - SINNERS
4) a merciful viking funeral w/ swirling embers. Spike
climbs the Bone Temple - 28 YEARS LATER
5) bloody katana showdown finale - TORNADO
6) the dance to Dionne Warwick - FAMILIAR TOUCH
7) first depiction of Rainbow time-travel - ARCO
8) fight centerpiece - SPLITSVILLE
9) reversing Gladys' attack spell - WEAPONS
10) hospital reunion at finale - MARTY SUPREME
11) the "Bone Bison" gets split down
the middle w/ a plasma sword - PREDATOR BADLANDS
12) getting preserved via honey sap swirly - KEEPER
13) Pearce's sudden crash - F1
14) risky & impulsive 2-on-2 basketball match
- THE PHOENICIAN SCHEME
15) intro nighttime hunting party - LEGEND OF OCHI
16) winner's ending wish & ambiguity - LONG WALK
17) Quartich vs Sully
& Spider within flux vortex IMAX 3D - AVATAR 3
18) Metamorpho heals Kal
@ pocket dimension prison - SUPERMAN
-tie- 18) Toxie slaughters the terrible nu-metal band
"the Killer Nutz" live on stage - TOXIC AVENGER remake
19) swarm of "Eye-ders" corner the bathroom - SKETCH
20) the Medusa club shootout / fight sequence - HAVOC
also, this ↓
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