Classics Considered

It’s not been the most exciting year for me in terms of non-bookish media. Rather than a steady stream of gems (such as I discovered in the pandemic), this year’s media was a few high highs and many low lows. But a few items were worth mentioning, and I will share them here.

First off, though —if you enjoy film reviews, I have to brag a tiny bit about my husband’s writing. We have a Substack blog called N and M Write, where I (rarely) share personal reflections and Mr H (regularly) shares reviews of films he/we’ve seen. His latest post was a detailed wrap-up of movies from the latter part of this year: Sentimental Value, Frankenstein, et al – 52 Film Year – Weeks 23-28

Looking back, I think the best movie I saw this year was based on a classic novel. I got my parents to come see The Count of Monte Cristo (2024) with me at the last showing in our local cinema. It was a French adaptation starring Pierre Niney, who is rapidly becoming one of my favorite actors (we’ve seen him in Frantz and Black Box as well). The costumes and visuals were absolutely sumptuous, and the subtitles and nearly 3-hour runtime just flew by. We were the only people in the theater (alas), but we soon forgot it as we were swept up in the story. I am already ready to rewatch it. I have not read the novel so can’t speak as to its accuracy, but I could tell the filmmakers loved the original material and were intent on transporting the audience back into the romance and history of the era, which is exactly what I look for in a costume drama.

The other standout movie was one we watched yesterday called Sentimental Value (2025). I am not much of a fan of movies about movie makers (or books about authors), so the fact it kept me on the edge of my seat is significant. Sentimental Value is a tense, hyperrealistic family drama about a father who grew up in the shadow of suicide and his daughters who grew up in his absence. After their mother’s passing, the father reemerges in his daughters’ lives, wanting to connect with his grandson, as well as direct a film based (a bit too closely) on their family history. The film touches on a lot of subjects, including generational war trauma, cultural clash, alcoholism, and European theatre. I was definitely getting some Ibsen vibes from this, with the sheer intensity of the family relations that were somehow always a bit subdued under what seemed like cultural expectations. Elle Fanning plays a Famous American Actress who is the kindly catalyst that breaks the family out of their cold war and, indirectly, forces them to start talking to each other. It’s not exactly a movie I would recommend to anyone, but I thought it was extremely well done, albeit a bit bleak and cyclical.

In terms of music, the main event this year was Twenty One Pilots’ album Breach. In spite of their genre-bending past, TOP went for a straight-up pop-rock album, and I’m not complaining. Breach is less idiosyncratic than Clancy (and, in turn, far less eclectic than TOP’s early work), but it feels more accessible and immediate. I’ve been listening to it more or less steadily since it came out in September. My favorite song (and favorite song of the year), is “Downstairs,” which is the most overtly Christian song on the album and based on an old demo. But the entire album is gold, and truly a joy to listen to. TOP is one of those bands that manages to evolve and experiment without alienating its fans.

Faouzia also released her first album this year. As a huge Faouzia fan, I must admit I was a bit disappointed. It’s not bad or anything, I just feel the album is overprocessed, especially the autotune on her beautiful voice, which feels both unnecessary and outdated. I have not found myself relistening to many songs from this, but I do like “Ornament” and I love the single “Unethical.” Overall, it is still a great album in a field of mediocre offerings from other artists, it’s just not my favorite of her work.

My most surprising musical discovery was the album MAISON by Coline Rio. I know nothing about Rio—this was just one of those serendipitous YouTube algorithm finds that I wish I’d come across more often. MAISON has that nostalgic, old-world vibe I would usually associate with classic French singers like Aznavour, and it’s quite nice to discover an album from 2025 in this style.

Honorable mentions (more mainstream): “Eternity” by Alex Warren and Benson Boone’s first album Fireworks & Rollerblades, which I listened to while clearing out stuff this spring. Summer Salt’s new release Reside has some gems as well, and I’m stoked to see them in concert next year (a Christmas gift from Mr H :)).

I was incredibly blessed to see Deep Sea Diver live for the 2nd and 3rd times this year, once in the US and once in the UK. They are amazing every single time, no matter the weather or the venue. I didn’t love their latest album Billboard Heart as a whole, but it does have some songs that are stunningly good live, especially their single “Shovel.”

I inevitably listened to a lot of old favorites this year, so to wrap things up, I’ll share this collab of “Call Your Mom” from Noah Kahan’s Stick Season, an album that’s aging like fine wine. This song in particular helped me through a tough time a few years ago.