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Culture 2025: the best in film, TV and music

Overview

Shownote

Highlights

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Culture 2025: the best in film, TV and music

Today in Focus

2025/12/19
Today in Focus

Today in Focus

2025/12/19
OverviewShownoteHighlightsTranscriptChaptersPins

Shownote

Guardian critics Ben Beaumont-Thomas, Catherine Shoard and Hannah J Davies look back at some of the best (and worst) of the year. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus

Highlights

A year of bold artistic visions and unexpected triumphs defined 2025's cultural landscape, as The Guardian's critics reflect on the moments that resonated across music, film, and television. From operatic album concepts to gripping reality TV, the conversation reveals a diverse array of works that captured attention—and a few that missed the mark entirely.
00:00
Ben Beaumont-Thomas names Sleep Token worse than Taylor Swift
14:41
CMAT's 'Euro Country Here' is the second-best album of 2025
18:15
'2000 Metres to Andryfka' captures the harrowing reality of war in Ukraine
20:49
Lux by Rosalía is the top album of the year, sung in 14 languages with operatic grandeur.
23:52
'Severance' Season 2 is a genre-defying sci-fi mystery that portrays grief with emotional depth.

Chapters

What Made (and Broke) 2025’s Cultural Scene?
00:00
Which Hidden Gems Rose to the Top in Music and TV?
12:27
How Did a Reality Show Captivate a Nation?
17:24
What Does an Album Inspired by Opera Sound Like?
20:49
Was This the Most Important Film of the Year?
23:52
What’s Coming Next in Culture After 2025?
29:17

Transcript

Hannah J Davies: This is The Guardian. Nosheen Iqbal: Today, a culture roundtable, reviewing the very best of 2025. Hannah J Davies: Take control of the numbers and supercharge your small business with Xero. That's X-E-R-O. With our easy-to-use accountin...