Best Villain — Gladys (Amy Madigan) in Weapons (tied)
The mystery that shrouds horror hit Weapons is what pulls you in — but Gladys is what makes you stay up at night. Played by Amy Madigan, she’s a villain of unimaginable power and, surprisingly, unforgettable style. 

At first, Gladys seems like a kooky aunt breezing into town in cheerful outfits and making odd little remarks. Then an entire classroom of children vanishes, and suddenly her timing feels far less harmless. Teacher Justine (Julia Garner) and a desperate father (Josh Brolin) begin following the trail of breadcrumbs — and every path leads back to Gladys. 

Madigan plays her with an unsettling bubbliness, as if her schemes are almost a joke — until the bloodlust creeps in. The whimsy curdles into something horrific, and by the time the truth is revealed, it’s far too late to look away. 

Best Villain — Steven J. Lockjaw (Sean Penn) in One Battle After Another (tied)
What makes a villain terrifying? In the case of One Battle After Another, it’s not plans for world domination, but obsession. Sean Penn’s Colonel Steven J. Lockjaw is less a grand mastermind than a dangerous, pathetic man driven by fixation and hatred. 

Steven is determined to hunt down Willa (Chase Infiniti), the daughter of washed-up revolutionary Bob (Leonardo DiCaprio), while Bob’s former partner Perfidia (Teyana Taylor) remains missing after fleeing witness protection. Sixteen years after Bob tried to bury his past, Steven resurfaces — a looming threat desperate to erase his own failures through violence. 

Penn embodies a villain who is both intimidating and pitiful, carrying himself with an awkward, unsettling bravado. DiCaprio may be the headlining star of the film, but Penn steals his scenes.

Best Kiss — Superman and Lois Lane’s flying kiss in Superman
Speaking of some of the most memorable happenings on the silver screen last year, how could we forget the return of the legendary Man of Steel? David Corenswet’s portrayal of Superman was everything that comic book fans wanted — right down to his bright red trunks. His arrival heralds the new era of a DC universe helmed by James Gunn, known for his success during his forays with Marvel Studios. 

Viewers would expect iconic moments in an iconic franchise, and they certainly got them. Towards the end of the movie, we got what was perhaps the dreamiest onscreen kiss of 2025. Superman meets Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan) for another ‘interview’, and the chemistry is instant. The two slip into an empty mall, share a quiet moment, and then Superman literally sweeps Lois off her feet. 

Floating midair and wrapped in an embrace, the two kiss. She tells him she loves him. He smiles and kisses her again. Honestly, what could beat that? 

Most Heated Rivalry — F1: The Movie (Sonny Hayes vs Joshua Pearce) 
It’s a tale as old as time: the grizzled veteran versus the hungry young upstart. In F1: The Movie, that rivalry came in the form of Brad Pitt’s Sonny Hayes locking horns with Damson Idris’ Joshua Pearce. Tensions run high as the duo vie for top seat in a fictional motorsport team. The rivalry is fuelled by ego, ambition, and the fight to keep their struggling team from the bottom of the rankings. Eventually, though, that antagonistic relationship gives way to beautiful camaraderie and a mutual respect between the two. 

Produced by real-life F1 champion Lewis Hamilton, the film delivers state-of-the-art racing spectacle with plenty of drama in the cockpit.

Best Hairdo — Emma Stone in Bugonia
Sometimes the best hairdo is no hair. In Bugonia, Emma Stone’s shaved head becomes instantly inseparable from the film’s unnerving identity.  And unsettling it definitely is — Bugonia is, after all, directed by renowned provocateur Yorgos Lanthimos.

Stone plays Michelle Fuller, a CEO kidnapped by conspiracy theorist Teddy Gatz (Jesse Plemons), who believes she’s an alien — and that her hair is the key to communicating with her species.  

In a discomfiting but visceral scene,  Michelle’s locks are chopped and her bald head is covered in cream. What makes this scene so memorable is that Emma Stone actually shaved her head for it — there’s no digital wizardry or wigs involved — and it was all caught in a single take.

Weirdest Ending — Bugonia 
For most of Bugonia, you’ll be questioning everything: is Michelle really an alien, or is Teddy completely unhinged? The film taps into modern paranoia and distrust, as Teddy and his brother Don spiral deeper into their mission to liberate the world from the extraterrestrials. The film asks this question: how far are we willing to lose our humanity in order to save it?

Then comes the ending, which we won’t spoil. Like most Yorgos Lanthimos films, it’s bizarre, haunting, and open to interpretation. But one thing is clear: humanity may not be as in control as it thinks.

Most Dramatic Transformation — Dwayne Johnson in The Smashing Machine 
For years, Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson has faced criticism for playing it safe — protecting his image, avoiding vulnerability, and never letting his characters lose.

But the biographical sports drama The Smashing Machine is his hard pivot into serious dramatic territory. To portray MMA fighter Mark Kerr, Johnson underwent an intense physical and cosmetic transformation, complete with heavy prosthetics by legendary makeup artist Kazu Hiro. Tattoos were covered, scars were added, and Johnson reshaped his body through months of training to gain 30 pounds of muscle. In short, the star went through a dramatic transformation to prove his dramatic chops.

The result? A version of Johnson audiences have never quite seen before.