This annual poll is a great chance to let our film-loving staff flex their muscles and tell us what they’ve loved seeing on the big screen. Though last year’s poll saw some titles like Oppenheimer, Barbie, and the winner Rye Lane dominate selections, this year saw a remarkably diverse spread of picks.
We couldn’t include every selection here or you’d be reading until the 2025 blog, but one film did run away with the number one spot…
Our film of the year: KNEECAP
Director: Rich Peppiatt
Starring: Móglaí Bap, Mo Chara, DJ Próvai
An energic ride of a film! The exploration of language as a key connecter to identity and culture really hit home for me… (Bex Hill, Screen Programme Manager)
A captivating film that mixes silly and fun with quiet and deep all about language and identity. This definitely made me put Irish hip hop on my playlists! (Paulina Rubin, Talent and Culture Trainee)
Probably biased as both a fan of Kneecap and it being my first Pictureville experience but a great watch even if you’re not (yet) a fan of the Irish rap trio. Electric and fun without undermining the message of language and cultural preservation at its core. (Alice Browne, Senior Press Officer)
And here’s the best of the rest…
I saw the TV glow
Director: Jane Schoenbrun
Starring: Brigette Lundy-Paine, Justice Smith, Conner O’Malley
An absolute treat of surreal cinema with incredible queer resonance; this is one of the best movies of all time, not just the year. I’ve spent the last few months telling people ‘I can’t explain, you just gotta watch this.’ (Lewis Pollard, Curator of Television and Broadcast)
Poor Things
Director: Yorgos Lanthimos
Starring: Emma Stone, Mark Ruffalo
Two words – Mark Ruffalo. (Bex Hill, Screen Programme Manager)
Sumptuously over the top. (Toni Booth, Curator of Film)
La Chimera
Director: Alice Rohrwacher
Starring: Josh O’Connor, Isabella Rossellini, Alba Rohrwacher
What a year for Josh O’Connor! Not only did he dazzle in Luca Guadagnino’s messy love triangle Challengers, but he gave arguably the performance of the year in La Chimera. He plays a melancholy English gravedigger, roaming Italy after the loss of his true love and Alice Rohrwacher’s tender, magic realist depiction of this lost soul had me moved from the very first few seconds. (Tom Naylor, Cinema Marketing Officer)
The First Omen
Director: Arkasha Stevenson
Starring: Bill Nighy, Ralph Ineson, Nell Tiger Free
Arkasha Stevenson directs Nell Tiger Free in this classic horror prequel. Visually stunning with brilliant cinematography and fantastic lighting. The score was ominous and well executed. And the body horror elements are sublime. (Jack Weedon, Festivals and Cinema Events Coordinator)
Crossing
Director: Levan Akin
Starring: Mzia Arabuli, Lucas Kankava, Deniz Dumanli
A beautifully gentle film. Loved the development of the relationship between the key characters. (Bex Hill, Screen Programme Manager)
A beautifully human film I’ve not stopped talking about since! The dancing scenes and shots of Istanbul alone made my heart very happy. (Alice Browne, Senior Press Officer)
Alien: Romulus
Director: Fede Alvarez
Starring: Cailee Spaeny, Isabela Merced, Archie Renaux
It was a return to form for the franchise and felt like a modern take on the classic ‘stalked on a spaceship’ formula. (Matt Horsfall, Game Technologies Curator)
Anatomy of a Fall
Director: Justine Triet
Starring: Sandra Hüller, Swann Arlaud, Jehnny Beth
An incredible film that slowly builds a sense of unease and tension from the start, with strong performances and haunting use of sound. (Sally Folkard, Head of Screen and Cultural Engagement)
Wicked
Director: John M. Chu
Starring: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo
The epic backstory to the Wizard of Oz contemplating if people are born evil or made evil. Packed with Hollywood’s glitter and pomp it makes you sing along and try to learn choreographies. It is just fun to watch Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo playing the roles of their lives! (Paulina Rubin, Talent and Culture Trainee)
Grand Theft Hamlet
Director: Pinny Grylls, Sam Crane
Starring: Sam Crane, Mark Oosterveen, Pinny Grylls
A melding of gaming and cinema I had never seen before. (Toni Booth, Curator of Film)
A Different Man
Director: Aaron Schimberg
Starring: Sebastian Stan, Adam Pearson, Renate Reinsve
I loved this darkly funny New York comedy which explores identity and appearance, playing with our expectations as a neurotic actor learns an increasingly surreal lesson about being careful what you wish for. (Tom Naylor, Cinema Marketing Assistant)
Joy
Director: Ben Taylor
Starring: Bill Nighy, Thomasin McKenzie, James Norton
I thought this film was brilliant in the way it showed how IVF came about and the changes in people’s attitude about the whole process. It did also make me a little sad as I am just about old enough to remember the newspaper headlines when it actually happened. (Michele Jones, Learning Coordinator)
All We Imagine As Light
Director: Payal Kapadia
Starring: Chaya Kadam, Divya Prabha, Hridhu Haroon
A beautiful story of three women in Mumbai discovering that love can take many forms, from romantic to platonic to learning to love your own life again. (Cathy Pilkington, Marketing Manager)
Inside Out 2
Director: Kelsey Mann
Starring: Amy Poehler, Tony Hale, Lewis Black
Another great example of how to talk about important emotions in a simple but effective way. (Emma Hart, Schools and Families Producer)
Deadpool & Wolverine
Director: Shawn Levy
Starring: Hugh Jackman, Ryan Reynolds, Matthew Macfadyen
It was a really fun sequel to Deadpool with lots of cool action sequences, funny bits and it was a nice homage to the Fox Marvel Era. (Saquib Idrees, Assistant Curator)
Challengers
Director: Luca Guadagnino
Starring: Zendaya, Mike Faist, Josh O’Connor
The drama! The soundtrack!! Just a great time at the cinema. (Cathy Pilkington, Marketing Manager)