The end of the year provides an opportunity to look back on all the media and entertainment I enjoyed over the last 12 months. I like taking some time to reflect on what had an impact on me, and why I liked it. It's fun to do during the holidays when I generally have more free time to write.
So without further ado, here's my favourite music, film, and TV from 2025...
Music
Song: S P E Y S I D E - Bon Iver
Speyside is off of Bon Iver's 2025 album SABLE, fABLE. It's a relatively straightforward composition—just an acoustic guitar, some violin, and Vernon's soft vocals. But the lack of elements allows each one to stand out and add exactly what it needs to the sound. Each twang of the guitar rides along with Vernon's crooning in beautiful harmony. And small breaks, the sonic negative space, gives breathing room for the lyrics to sink in.
A minimal masterpiece, in my opinion.
Artist: Milky Chance
I've been a fan of Milky Chance since university. Their first big hit, Stolen Dance, was one of my favourite songs back in those days, which was like...2013. Damn.
In the (many) years since, this German duo released several more albums and EPs. I've always found a few tracks on those releases I liked. Their sound has stayed consistent—spaced-out, electronic folk rock. It's funky and easy to get lost in.
Their latest release, Trip Tape III, is a continuation of their Trip Tape series. As the name implies, they're mixtapes instead of a proper album. They contain covers, unreleased demos and original songs all blended together into a perfect lazy-day-on-the-beach soundtrack. Or a summer road trip. Or playing pickleball with your Uncle. Whatever it is, they make good vibes.
I had Trip Tape III on repeat for months this year. I love Camouflage, Million Dollar Baby, and Naked and Alive—all standout tracks for me. So for this stellar mixtape, and for continuing to deliver these upbeat indie vibes for over a decade, Milky Chance is my artist of the year.
Album: Loner - Barry Can't Swim
First off, this guy's name isn't Barry, it's Joshua Mainnie. Secondly, I'm unsure whether he can swim or not. But what I am sure of is his ability to make incredible dance music.
Barry's—err, Joshua's—first album, When Will We Land was a launching point for his career (no pun intended). It received praise for the vibrant, "organic" sound superbly crafted by Mainnie. It's upbeat, unruly and has plenty of variety.
Barry Can't Swim released his second album, Loner, this summer. It's reminiscent of his first album in all the right ways. Samples, beat patterns, and instruments all layered into an evolving melody that blends seamlessly as the album plays out. It's all danceable but feels very raw and emotional at the same time, probably because of the heavy use of vocal samples.
Loner opens with the insanity inducing The Person You'd Like to Be, a sort of sonic ego trip that includes positive affirmations from robots and drawn out chords that sound like sirens. But after this crazed start, Mainnie takes us on a ride to a daytime dance party. Kimpton is bouncy and bright, complete with horns, steel drums, and some sort of chanting chorus. Things start to mellow out near the end of the album—Like It's Part of the Dance is a favourite of mine.
Movies
Film: Past Lives
I watched Past Lives while on vacation last February. I'd heard good things about it—it premiered in 2023 and received lots of praise, including Oscar nominations for Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay.
It was one of those stories that leaves you with an odd nostalgic feeling afterwards, and not only because it's a story about childhood love. It's also the way the movie is structured; It takes place over 3 periods separated by 12 years in between: 1999, 2011, and 2023. Thus it provided a bird's eye view into the main character's life at these different stages. You see how she grows up and how certain paths she takes have ripple effects years into the future. It all just made me think about about quickly we age, and how our life will only ever play out once.
I also appreciated how un-Hollywood the story was. It doesn't end with any grand gestures or dramatic rekindling of a childhood love. It ends very realistically, just a quiet goodbye between two friends and an acknowledgement of life's what if's. Life will take you in many directions but you'll always carry your memories (or, past lives) within you.
Director: Matt Johnson
Okay, so I first watched Blackberry back in 2023 when it came out in theatres. But I re-watched it earlier this year, so it still counts.
Matt Johnson is a Canadian director best known for his television series Nirvanna the Band the Show. It's a hilarious mockumentary series that stars him and co-creator Jay McCarrol conspiring to get their band—named Nirvanna the Band—a gig at the Rivoli. It's one of my favourite TV shows of all time. Not just because of it's hyper-local setting and comedy, it's also a uniquely funny show.
Blackberry was Johnson's "breakout" film in the sense that it was his first with a multi-million dollar budget. It received critical acclaim and numerous awards at the Canadian Screen Awards. And rightly so, because it's a masterfully executed film. Johnson carefully interweaves his signature fast-paced comedy into a real story about the rise and fall of one of the landmark technologies of the 21st century: the Blackberry. It was dramatic, nerdy, and seriously funny at the same time.
just casually showing up for your movie premiere in sweatpants and a Jays T-shirt
In 2025, Johnson premiered his next film, Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie—a spiritual successor to the TV show. I unfortunately haven't seen it yet; I'll have to wait for the theatrical release in early 2026.
I really appreciate Johnson's love for his home and how he stays true to this in his work. He wants to change the idea that Canada is just a cheap place to film American movies and TV. It's also a place with it's own stories; stories that deserve to be told.
I'm looking forward to seeing what Johnson will sink his teeth into next. I read he's directing an Anthony Bourdain biopic and a Dungeons & Dragons movie.
Documentary: The Present
I didn't watch too many documentaries this year to be honest. In any case, my selection for the most impactful documentary I watched is The Present. And fortunately for you, it's available in it's entirety on YouTube.
It's a short, but beautiful film about Dimitri Poffé, a young man from France who was diagnosed with Huntington's disease in his 20s. The documentary follows Dimitri's bikepacking journey across Central and South America in an effort to raise awareness for the disease. As a novice bikepacker, the premise was enough to hook me. But it turned out to be much more than just another YouTube bikepacking recap.
Overlaid with an incredible monologue from Dimitri himself, The Present focuses on time, and specifically the time we have here on Earth. What we can do with it and what we're capable of. It was really moving and sad at times, but ultimately it delivers an important message that anyone could benefit from hearing.
Adventure becomes a way to feel truly alive. It becomes a way, even for a moment, to stop the ticking clock of life
— Dimitri Poffé
TV
Show: Demon Slayer
I'm not finished Demon Slayer yet, but this has undoubtedly been the most entertaining TV I've watched all year. Normally I'm not a huge fan of Anime, but I decided to give this show a try based on a recommendation from a friend.
Demon Slayer is an adaptation of the Japanese manga series of the same name, published between 2016-2020. The anime is a few years behind, so it only concluded in July of this year. It's action-packed, it doesn't take itself too seriously, and the art direction is wildly creative. Demon Slayer takes place in a fantastical version of Japan full of demons and demon slayers, all of whom have a flair for the dramatic.
If you're like me and haven't watched much anime, then the dialogue might throw you off a bit. It's very...explicit. Every character states their intentions and actions directly, either out loud or as an internal monologue. It can sound a bit melodramatic at times.
Overall—it's a really fun show to watch.
only downside is Zenitsu is the most annoying character on television
Episode: The Studio - The Oner (S01E02)
Seth Rogan's The Studio was a rollercoaster ride of a series. The concept is probably the easiest thing to get greenlit from a studio, Hollywood loves a show or film about itself.
The cinematography stands out for me; the show is mostly composed of long running shots and dialogue driven scenes. And it moves along at a breakneck pace—always tense and on the verge of collapse. This makes for good comedy albeit with an elevated heartrate.
I also loved the music in The Studio. The show uses an original score of mostly drums with only small flourishes from other instruments at key moments. This percussion-heavy soundtrack complements the show's pace and emotionally-charged dialogue so well.
Episode 2, The Oner, exemplifies all the best aspects of The Studio. It takes the extended shot theme to it's extreme by filming the whole thing as a single shot. Not only that, the episode is about a movie set where the crew is attempting to film a single-shot sequence. So it's all very meta and self-aware. It's completely unhinged and disastrous due to Rogan's character (the studio executive) trying to be helpful but accomplishing the opposite. It also establishes the kind of person he is for the rest of the series—idealistic, friendly, but lacking self-awareness.
It's hilarious TV, give it a watch if you're looking for a laugh.