When the mercury creeps upwards during a long, mercilessly hot Perth summer, you have two options: lean into the heat, or try to escape it.
The first one involves getting to the beach before the sand is hot enough to melt your double-pluggers or the Freo Doctor threatens to blow them off your feet.
And ever since shark alerts became a thing, it’s hard to get the Jaws theme completely out of your head.
But taking the latter option is not without risk, either. Braving post-Christmas sales in a huge suburban shopping centre? That’s a hard pass.
Thankfully, there is a tried and tested way to enjoy air-conditioned comfort over summer without the hardship — the humble cinema.
This icon of entertainment is unchanged in principle from its origins in the late 19th century: get a bunch of people in a dark room, and wow them with moving pictures.
Of course, pretty much everything else about modern cinema has changed dramatically over the years, from the technology to the snacks.
Talking about snacks, the price of popcorn might also be a touch higher than it was when it was introduced as a cost-effective treat for moviegoers during the Great Depression.
But that won’t stop punters flocking to multiplexes and independent cinemas during the hottest months, keen to see a slate of films that may be a little light on blockbusters but punches above its weight in quality.
So, let’s dig into the movies to see this summer.
Better Man
Boxing Day
What separates this biopic on Robbie Williams from all the other musical jukebox films we’ve had in recent years? The decision by Greatest Showman director Michael Gracey to depict the singer as a CGI, Planet of the Apes-esque chimpanzee. Amazingly, it works.
ANORA
Boxing Day
The latest movie from US indie filmmaker Sean Baker (Red Rocket) is his most accessible and arguably his best. Mikey Madison is a revelation as a Brooklyn sex worker in a movie that could be the best you’ll see all year.
SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 3
Boxing Day
This franchise adapted from a successful video game is a hit in its own right. Starring James Marsden and Jim Carrey as lead humans, this third instalment has a voice cast that includes Idris Elba and Keanu Reeves.
A Real Pain
Boxing Day
Jesse Eisenberg writes, directs and stars in this tale of two cousins tracing their grandma’s journey through Poland as a Holocaust survivor. The casting of Succession’s Keiran Culkin opposite Eisenberg is a masterstroke. Funny and poignant.
The Room Next Door
Boxing Day
Spanish auteur Pedro Almodovar is back, this time with a movie about two women who were close friends in their youth and now reunite many years later. The friends are played by Tilda Swinton and Julianne Moore. Say less.
Nosferatu
January 1
Director Robert Eggers is a master of historical terror, so who better to adapt one of cinema’s oldest and most influential horror movies? The original was based on Bram Stoker’s Dracula, and this remake is painstakingly reverential with the source material. Starring Lily-Rose Depp, Willem Dafoe and Nicholas Hoult, it’s a masterpiece of the genre.
Paddington in Peru
January 1
The aura around Paddington doesn’t quite feel the same since the bear lost his good mate, Queen Elizabeth II. But the beloved bear is keeping a stiff upper lip and carrying on in South America, no doubt with a few marmalade sandwiches stashed in his hat in case of emergency.
Conclave
January 9
The great Ralph Fiennes and Stanley Tucci star as cardinals in the Vatican tasked with electing a new Pope. Where there’s white smoke, there’s fire (and also a new Pope in the Catholic church), so you’d better believe things get heated in this tense thriller. An Oscar contender.
We Live In Time
January 16
The chemistry of Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh are at the heart of this weepy romance about a couple dealing with a tragic diagnosis. How we live and how we die is put under the microscope, so make sure to bring a few tissues to this one.
Magic Beach
January 16
Alison Lester’s beloved children’s book is brought to life by Paper Planes director Robert Connolly.
Wolf Man
January 16
Ryan Gosling serves as producer of this remake of the 1941 horror film of the same name, which stars Christoper Abbott and Julia Garner.
A Complete Unknown
January 23
Timothee Chalamet as Bob Dylan? Take our money already. FYI, Chalamet actually sings Dylan’s songs in this biopic directed by James Mangold.
The Brutalist
January 23
Adrien Brody, Guy Pearce and Felicity Jones head this extremely long but very good drama about a Hungarian-Jewish architect trying to make it in American after surviving the Holocaust.
Maria
January 30
This biographical drama about opera singer Maria Callas stars Angelina Jolie in the title role. Jolie is in line for an Oscar nomination for this.
Babygirl
January 30
Our very own Nicole Kidman won the best actress prize at the Venice International Film Festival, where this erotic thriller made its debut. The movie is about Kidman’s character, a CEO, embarking on a forbidden romance with an intern, played by English actor Harris Dickinson.
Queer
February 6
Call Me By Your Name director Luca Guadagnino casts Daniel “007” Craig as an American expat in 1950s Mexico who trawls bars looking for younger men. Unlike Bond’s famous martini, you’ll be shaken AND stirred by this one.
Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy
February 13
Renee Zellweger, Hugh Grant and Colin Firth are back for this fourth instalment of a franchise that specialises in cringe-tastic British comedy.
Captain America: Brave New World
February 13
After releasing just one film this year, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has a bunch coming in 2025, starting with Anthony Mackie’s big-screen debut as the new Captain America. No pressure.
All We Imagine As Light
February 13
With a female director and three women as lead characters, both very rare for Bollywood, this stunning tale of three nurses living together in Mumbai is a must-see.
https://thewest.com.au/entertainment/movies/ben-osheas-guide-to-the-hottest-summer-movies-of-2025-c-17102434
