Entertainment
15 Movies From the Last 5 Years That Are Perfect From Start to Finish
Although it might seem impossible, some movies are the closest thing to perfection that a cinematic effort can get. To most people, this impression is subjective, including the directors who make them. These creators are also avid movie fans, and most of their work is an homage to something they grew up loving and admiring. Over the last five years, there have been movies that have moved the boundaries of what’s been seen so far and have even given some big stars their well-deserved comebacks.
The beauty of film lies in the fact that movies are all in different genres and make people of different ages and sensibilities happy. The flawless movies on this list were released in the last five years and come in various genres and lengths, but serve the same purpose: they show why cinema is so great, so relatable, and so eternally inspiring to people all over the world.
15
‘Godzilla Minus One’ (2023)
It might be surprising that a kaiju movie is on the list, since the Godzilla franchise in the U.S. has turned into a bit of an IP and doesn’t always get the highest quality adaptations and features. However, the first Japanese Godzilla movie since Shin Godzilla of 2016, Godzilla Minus One, was one of the most talked-about movies in 2023. Praised for brilliant and captivating performances, clever and grounded writing, and fantastic visual effects that surpassed most movies that year, Godzilla Minus One really is a perfect movie in every way. It was, as critics said, the first Godzilla movie where you cheer for the people and not the monster.
Godzilla Minus One shows the protagonist, a kamikaze pilot, Shikishima (Ryunosuke Kamiki), landing on the island of Odo for repairs on his plane. While there, he and the mechanics are attacked by a giant deep-sea monster resembling a dinosaur, which the locals dubbed Godzilla. Shikishima soon advances to Tokyo and settles there with a woman and child he finds homeless. As Godzilla advances toward Tokyo, Shikishima joins the experts fighting against the monster to stop it from destroying the entire city. It’s an amazing movie, no doubt about it, and a great testament to Japan’s enduring dedication to making Godzilla the scariest kaiju ever conceived.
14
‘No Other Choice’ (2025)
No Other Choice is the most recent Park Chan-wook feature film, starring Lee Byung-hun. Park and Lee have reunited after 25 years to make another future classic, backed up by Neon and widely praised by filmmakers and critics from all over the world. No Other Choice was based on the novel The Ax by Donald Westlake, and was inspired by the novel’s first adaptation, Costa-Gavras‘ French feature, The Axe; in fact, as the end credits roll on No Other Choice, a dedication “to Costa-Gavras” is shown on the screen. Just before the American premiere of the film, Park issued an invitation to all Fortune 500 CEOs to come and watch this film, as it was “dedicated to them.” Notably, No Other Choice was heavily snubbed with zero Oscar nominations.
No Other Choice follows a longtime employee of a paper company, Yoo Man-su (Lee), and he lives a comfortable life with his wife and two kids. One day, Man-su is fired along with several other middle-aged employees, with the higher-ups saying, “There was no other choice.” Man-su struggles to find work within his expertise, but when an opening comes up, he realizes that the only way to get the job is if he eliminates the competition. No Other Choice is a dark comedy/satire/thriller, and it’s a beautiful, uniquely South Korean feature. The impressive performances and the amount of humor infused into the characters’ desperation make it one of those movies that will make you cry and laugh. Lee stands out as this is one of his funniest roles to date, and Park considers No Other Choice a “lifetime project.”
13
‘Conclave’ (2024)
Conclave garnered a lot of attention in 2025, as people were rewatching it amid the death of Pope Francis. However, even when it first came out, the adoration for it was, just like the movie, quietly powerful. People were cheering for Ralph Fiennes to finally get his long-deserved golden statue at the 2025 Oscars, but alas, just like the Cardinals coveting the title of the Pope, Fiennes was robbed of the victory. Conclave is a thrilling movie without an ounce of action, and one of the best movies of the past five years. It can very easily be considered perfect from start to finish; yes, even the ending is.
Conclave follows the Cardinals in the Vatican, who seal themselves off from the world in the process of selecting the new Pope after the death of the most recent one. The protagonist is Cardinal Lawrence (Fiennes), a man who tries to maintain fairness and nobility in the selection, though he’s often sabotaged in his attempts by other, more power-hungry Cardinals. It’s like Gossip Girl meets the Vatican, in truly the best way possible. Conclave is also incredibly visually beautiful, with stunning photography and camerawork.
12
‘The Banshees of Inisherin’ (2022)
Though Martin McDonagh had no effect on the stunning landscapes of Ireland, his choice of location can be deemed perfect by itself; the beautiful Aran Islands in Galway County made the ideal backdrop for a story about friendship. The Banshees of Inisherin is a black comedy-drama about two lifelong friends, Padraic (Colin Farrell) and Colm (Brendan Gleeson), set in a fictional village called Inisherin. After reaching a breaking point, Colm decides to end his friendship with Padraic, who can’t come to terms with that. As Padraic insistently pursues Colm for an explanation, the latter retreats further, resorting to strict measures.
Farrell does such a wonderful job as Padraic that, in moments, viewers’ hearts could genuinely break for him. On the other hand, Gleeson’s stubborn and stoic portrayal of Colm may sometimes feel heartless through understated but powerful acting. The story explores the loneliness of life on a poor and barely populated island, but more than that, it shows how anger, honesty, and pride can be double-edged swords, even among lifelong friends. The soundtrack by Carter Burwell, McDonagh’s punchy script, and the genuinely fabulous performances from the entire cast make The Banshees of Inisherin one of the perfect movies of the last five years.
11
‘Top Gun: Maverick’ (2022)
With so many sequels, prequels, and spin-offs overtaking Hollywood over the past five to ten years, the fact that a legacy sequel like Top Gun: Maverick was going to be one of the best movies of that year hadn’t occurred to anyone. Except, well, maybe director Joseph Kosinski, leading man Tom Cruise, and the studio heads who approved it. Maverick isn’t only great, but it can be very well argued that it’s one of 2022’s movies that is perfect from start to finish. Real airborne stunts and performances, brilliant action choreographies and directing, and some cheesy, but lovable characters really made Maverick the action masterpiece that Cruise and the crew can be proud of.
Top Gun: Maverick follows the previous movie’s protagonist, Maverick (Cruise), aka Pete Mitchell, as he returns to the Top Gun training school as a teacher. There, he sees the son of his deceased flying partner Goose Bradshaw, Rooster Bradshaw (Miles Teller). Rooster dislikes Maverick, but the two bond over their time at the Top Gun academy. Their relationship, however, is secondary to the exciting main plot, which is training Top Gun pilots to drop bombs on an unsanctioned uranium enrichment plant before any enemy countries get their hands on it. With some great ensemble moments and intense flying scenes, Maverick turns into an incredibly fun and exciting movie that will keep you glued to the screen.
10
‘Aftersun’ (2022)
The loss of someone close can feel like the ground’s been swept away from one’s feet. Aftersun takes viewers through a father-daughter story while slowly, with some hints but just enough not to notice, pulling the ground away from them. Charlotte Wells‘ tribute to her father is so beautifully depicted that the only way to describe the movie’s impact is through the famous line, “Life imitates art.” This coming-of-age drama follows 11-year-old Sophie (Frankie Corio) on a holiday in Turkey with her dad, Calum (Paul Mescal). Sophie records most of the vacation with her camera and uses the footage as a grownup to rewatch and reminisce.
Sophie’s dad, Calum, tries his best to be open with her but exhibits signs of mental anguish that she (unsuccessfully) attempts to fix. In Aftersun, Paul Mescal and Frankie Corio’s dynamics and chemistry are natural; Mescal hasn’t been in a lot since his debut in Normal People, but Aftersun will surely be one of his best-remembered movies. Charlotte Wells’ directorial debut is one of the best movies of the decade and a beautiful way to capture a relationship that will, to her, remain eternal.
9
‘Past Lives’ (2023)
The concept called inyeon is an idea that a current relationship between two lovers is impacted by the relationships they had in over a thousand past lives. This is the driving force behind Celine Song’s devastatingly emotional debut, Past Lives, starring Greta Lee and Teo Yoo. They portray Nora and Hae-sung, two childhood friends from Korea who become separated after Nora’s family moves to the US. They find each other online after twelve years and rekindle the relationship, but life and fate separate them once again for another twelve years.
In the present time, Nora is married to Arthur (John Magaro), and their relationship seems to be stable and well. When Hae-sung reaches out to Nora again, they agree for him to visit her in the US. Arthur notices a shift in Nora’s behavior while she’s forced to navigate her feelings for him and Hae-sung. The pressure of what could have been is a haunting idea for many, often wondering “what if” about someone, trying to understand if what they have now could or should be different. In a heartbreaking final scene, Past Lives concludes a beautiful but sad story about the multitudes of love.
8
‘Anora’ (2024)
The character posters for Anora featured all the characters announcing the movie in a different genre. For example, the poster with Mikey Madison says Anora is a “Cinderella story,” while Karren Karagulian‘s poster says it’s a drama, and Yuri Borisov‘s says it’s a tragedy. It’s a brilliant detail in an already pretty elaborate and layered drama that still depicts a very classic story. Anora won Best Picture, Sean Baker won Best Director, and Madison won Best Actress for Anora at the 2025 Oscars, and though the sweep was surprising, it was very well-deserved. Just the final five minutes of the movie are a film in themselves, showing a completely different yet anticipated side of our fierce and feisty protagonist, Anora.
Anora follows the eponymous Anora, a stripper in an NYC club who prefers to go by Ani. Ani has Russian heritage, and when a young heir to a business mogul, Ivan (Mark Eydelstein), requests a girl who speaks Russian, his and Ani’s paths cross, and the two start spending time together. Ani falls for Ivan, but when he hears his parents might be coming to the US, he vanishes, and Ani’s left to look for him with his goons. It’s a thriller, a drama, a comedy, a tragedy in many ways, and a modern fairytale depending on who you ask; the layers of Anora are worth examining in several rewatches.
7
‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’ (2022)
The ultimate winner of the 2023 Oscars, Everything Everywhere All at Once is a rare offbeat movie that won over mass audiences and most movie critics. It’s not a story that’s easy to retell since it tackles many important topics, from self-discovery and mental illness to disrupting tradition and finding a place to belong. Still, EEAO caused a shift, giving prestigious awards to Asian actors for leading roles, a welcome addition to the wonderful world of film and TV.
EEAO follows Evelyn Quan Wong (Michelle Yeoh), a laundromat owner whose relationships with her husband, father, and daughter are all strained in some way. When she starts becoming different versions of herself from parallel universes, she realizes it’s on her to save existence itself. There’s a genre for everyone in EEAO; Ke Huy Quan is exceptional in the stunning action portions of the sci-fi movie, though Michelle Yeoh doesn’t fall behind. Stephanie Hsu also brings a relatable character as Evelyn’s daughter, an immigrant child with set traditions and rules in place where parental love should be. A masterclass in genre-bending, Everything Everywhere All at Once is still as relevant as it was years ago.
6
‘Flow’ (2024)
Flow is a powerhouse film, most notably because of how it was made, and then because of its unique concept. This animated feature by a Latvian director and animator, Gints Zilbalodis, won the Best Animated Feature Oscar and was nominated for Best International Feature Film. Fun facts about this movie include it being entirely made in the free, open-source 3D software called Blender, not having a storyboard concept, and no deleted scenes; the animals that are introduced throughout the film were Zilbalodis’ practice of rendering and observing the animals from different perspectives, which shaped Flow into a moving story about cooperation and found family.
Flow follows a small black cat in a post-apocalyptic world where water rises occasionally and floods the entire area. The cat fights for survival by hunting and running away from other animals, before it reluctantly joins forces with a Labrador dog, a capybara, a lemur, and a secretarybird. They float around on a boat and learn how to live and work together, forming a tight-knit group of animals. Flow has no words spoken throughout its 85-minute runtime, though the sound designer’s cat did “borrow” its meows to the cat in the film; there’s also a beautifully composed original soundtrack. Flow is a visual feast and an adventure for all ages, a truly beautiful feat of animated film.