Pair fine match in movie that has it all

2025 was a great year for watching movies at the cinema. These performances are why, Mark John writes.

One Battle After Another

Leonardo Dicaprio and Sean Penn

Paul Thomas Anderson’s second attempt at a Thomas Pynchon novel was far more digestible than the first — Inherent Vice (which I love but admit is not easy watching). OBAA had so many moments that paid off tenfold and I left the cinema feeling ABSOLUTELY satisfied. The near three-hour run time was not an issue — I watched the movie twice and could watch it a third time. It has everything: a plot with a lot of heart, a Benicio del Toro cameo, great locations and a banging soundtrack. Two masters of their craft, Leonardo DiCaprio and Sean Penn, offered balance to each other’s performance as hero and villain. Leo was perfectly cast in the role as a stoner dad who lost his edge as a radical leader in a lefty rebellion to raise a daughter abandoned by a mother who perhaps did not have her priorities in check. Spicoli, on the other hand, is a hard-nosed military man seeking acceptance from his right-wing, silver fox white comrades. His one "flaw" oddly links him to his nemesis — his love for black women. Both actors complemented and enhanced each other’s performance. Leo’s timing was perfect and made Bob feel authentic when he could’ve easily felt corny. The details in Penn’s performance such as his limp, stubborn facial expressions and commitment to being a complete psycho were duly noted.

The Smashing Machine

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson

Are A24/Safdie (brothers) movies still considered independent productions? Surely one starring the people’s champion is not. Typically big budget blockbuster heavyweight, The Rock decided to give arthouse acting a crack and he nailed it (or rocked), He portrayed two-time UFC Heavyweight Tournament Champion Mark Kerr with great nuance as a gentle giant whose brutality in the ring/cage starkly contrasts with his soft nature outside it. The Rock was believable and lovable. The movie itself was a little obvious but The Rock’s performance was layered.

Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning

Tom Cruise

I don’t think we talk about how great Tom Cruise is enough. He is Hollywood’s last megastar but more importantly he is a pioneer of film-creating technology that is taking cinema forward and making the movie-going experience an event again. Each instalment of the MI franchise offers a new and exciting stunt performed by the death-defying veteran actor himself. While every stunt the 63-year-old has performed has been amazing, there are two in The Final Reckoning that just seem impossible. It made going to the movies so worth it. "I'll tell you what freedom is: no fear. Like Tom f...... Cruise." — Sensei Sergio St Carlos