Top 5 Films To Watch This Month
Here’s our pick of the top 5 films to watch this month, from the comfort of your home or immersed on the big screen. We’ve narrowed it down so you can spend less time scrolling and more time watching.
One Battle After Another - Available in Cinemas
Paul Thomas Anderson’s newest is a daring, propulsive blend of political allegory, action and familial drama. Leonardo DiCaprio plays Bob, a reclusive former radical whose attempt at quiet domestic life unravels when past conflicts resurface. Critics admire how Anderson fuses genre thrills with emotional weight, calling it one of his most audacious and unpredictable works to date.
Underneath the spectacle lies a meditation on power, legacy and disillusionment. As the film shifts between chaos and stillness, it asks whether memory and ideology can ever truly be disentangled - and whether redemption is attainable in a world always leaning toward extremism.
2h 50m | Comedy/Drama | 15
Available in Cinemas
I Swear - Available in Cinemas
I Swear dramatizes the true story of John Davidson, a Scottish man diagnosed with Tourette syndrome who grows into a public advocate for understanding and dignity. Robert Aramayo leads with nuanced strength, depicting John’s involuntary tics as part of his life rather than all of it.
The film maps Davidson’s journey from adolescence to adulthood, showing the frustration, resilience, and occasional absurdity that come with being misunderstood. While some critics note melodramatic turns, most agree I Swear succeeds in marrying sincerity and accessibility. It’s a story of difference, perseverance, and finding voice in silence.
2h 0m | Drama/Biopic | 15
Available in Cinemas
The Smashing Machine - Available in Cinemas
The Smashing Machine deconstructs the standard sports biopic in favor of raw psychological depth. Dwayne Johnson transforms into MMA legend Mark Kerr, showing a man at war with himself rather than his opponents. Safdie’s direction emphasizes consequence over glory - fight scenes feel bruising and physical, often presented from disorienting angles to underline the cost.
Critics have celebrated the film’s emotional honesty and thematic restraint. Rather than chase easy catharsis, it lingers in vulnerability - onlookers, relapses, silences. It’s a film that pushes you into discomfort, rewarding you with empathy rather than spectacle.
2h 3m | Sport/Drama | 15
Available in Cinemas
Steve - Stream on Netflix
Set within a struggling British reform school, Steve follows its titular headteacher (Cillian Murphy) as he battles mounting institutional pressure, personal demons, and the constant gaze of a documentary crew. The Guardian calls it “ferocious” and highlights Murphy’s role as both a moral anchor and a man unraveling under strain. Critics praise its visual tension - tight frames, shifting focus, abrupt cuts - that mirror the chaos within the school walls.
Though some reviews argue that student perspectives aren’t always fully fleshed out, Murphy’s performance grounds the film emotionally, giving it a human center amid institutional breakdown. Steve is neither neat nor comfortable, but its moments of grace emerge from persistence and flawed care in a flawed system.
1h 32m | Comedy/Drama | 15
Play Dirty - Stream on Prime Video
Play Dirty taps into Shane Black’s affinity for antiheroes, combining crime’s grit with snappy repartee. Mark Wahlberg plays a seasoned thief whose life becomes entangled with that of LaKeith Stanfield’s enigmatic newcomer. Reviews commend the chemistry between the leads and the film’s ability to oscillate between swaggering action and rueful introspection.
While the plot occasionally meanders, the film’s real strength lies in tone. The heists land, the dialogue cuts sharp, and there’s a sense of lived-in grime that feels satisfying. It’s energetic, sometimes messy, but always anchored by character.
2h 8m | Thriller/Action | 15
