dirtbag

 

My poem, "Dirtbag," here at @poet_ryhole.

Photo source here.

the 2025 jdb awards!

 Again, just for fun, here are my personal awards for 2025 films!

Picture

MARTY SUPREME

nominees: 

HAMNET

IT WAS JUST AN ACCIDENT

THE MASTERMIND

MESSY

MY UNDESIRABLE FRIENDS: PART I  - LAST AIR IN MOSCOW

ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER

THE SECRET AGENT

SENTIMENTAL VALUE

WEAPONS

Director

Kleber Mendonça Filho, THE SECRET AGENT

nominees:

Paul Thomas Anderson, ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER

Julia Loktev, MY UNDESIRABLE FRIENDS: PART I - LAST AIR IN MOSCOW

Josh Safdie, MARTY SUPREME

Joachim Trier, SENTIMENTAL VALUE

Actor

Timothee Chalamet, MARTY SUPREME 

nominees:

Leonardo DiCaprio, ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER

Ethan Hawke, BLUE MOON

Wagner Moura, THE SECRET AGENT

Dylan O'Brien, TWINLESS

Actress

Tessa Thompson, HEDDA 

nominees:

Jessie Buckley, HAMNET

Jennifer Lawrence, DIE MY LOVE

Renate Reinsve, SENTIMENTAL VALUE

Alexi Wasser, MESSY

Supporting Actor

Stellan Skarsgård, SENTIMENTAL VALUE 

nominees:

Benicio Del Toro, ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER

Jacobi Jupe, HAMNET

Dylan O'Brien, PONYBOI

Alexander Skarsgård, PILLION

Supporting Actress

Kirsten Dunst, ROOFMAN

nominees:

Nina Hoss, HEDDA

Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas, SENTIMENTAL VALUE

Amy Madigan, WEAPONS

Tânia Maria, THE SECRET AGENT

Ensemble

SENTIMENTAL VALUE 

nominees:

MARTY SUPREME

ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER

THE SECRET AGENT

SINNERS

International Film

SENTIMENTAL VALUE 

nominees:

ALL THAT'S LEFT OF YOU

BELEN

IT WAS JUST AN ACCIDENT

MISERICORDIA

MY UNDESIRABLE FRIENDS: PART I - LAST AIR IN MOSCOW

THE SECRET AGENT

SONGS OF SLOW BURNING EARTH

THE TALE OF SILYAN

2000 METERS TO ANDRIIVKA

Documentary

MY UNDESIRABLE FRIENDS: PART I - LAST AIR IN MOSCOW

nominees:

COME SEE ME IN THE GOOD LIGHT

FOLKTALES

LANDMARKS

MARLEE MATLIN: NOT ALONE ANYMORE

THE PERFECT NEIGHBOR

SONGS OF SLOW BURNING EARTH

STRANGE JOURNEY: THE STORY OF ROCKY HORROR

THE TALE OF SILYAN

2000 METERS TO ADRIIVKA

Adapted Screenplay

Chloé Zhao & Maggie O'Farrell, HAMNET 

nominees:

Paul Thomas Anderson, ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER

Nia DaCosta, HEDDA

Dolores Fonzi, Laura Paredes, Agustina San Martín, & Nicolás Britos, BELEN

Harry Lighton, PILLION

Original Screenplay

Joachim Trier & Eskil Vogt, SENTIMENTAL VALUE 

nominees:

Ronald Bronstein & Josh Safdie, MARTY SUPREME

Kleber Mendonça Filho, THE SECRET AGENT

Jafar Panahi, IT WAS JUST AN ACCIDENT

Alexi Wasser, MESSY

Cinematography

Dong Jingsong, RESURRECTION 

nominees:

Evgenia Alexandrova, THE SECRET AGENT

Steven Breckon, THE PLAGUE

Mark Jenkin, ROSE OF NEVADA

Manuel Dacosse, REFLECTION IN A DEAD DIAMOND

Editing

Andy Jurgensen, ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER 

nominees:

Ronald Bronstein & Josh Safdie, MARTY SUPREME

Viridiana Lieberman, THE PERFECT NEIGHBOR

Joe Murphy, WEAPONS

Michael P. Shawver, SINNERS

Score

Daniel Lopatin, MARTY SUPREME 

nominees:

Nicholas Britell, JAY KELLY

Jonny Greenwood, ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER

Johan Lenox, THE PLAGUE

Kangding Ray, SIRĀT

Song

“Love and Obsession,” LURKER 

nominees:

"Clothed By the Sun," THE TESTAMENT OF ANN LEE

"I Lied to You," SINNERS

"Last Time (I Seen the Sun)," SINNERS

"My Baby (Got Nothing At All)," MATERIALISTS

Art Direction / Set Decoration

MARTY SUPREME 

nominees:

NO OTHER CHOICE

RESURRECTION

THE SECRET AGENT

SINNERS

Costume Design

Lindsay Pugh, HEDDA 

nominees:

Rita Azevedo, THE SECRET AGENT

Miyako Bellizz, MARTY SUPREME

Ruth E. Carter, SINNERS

Jeriana San Juan, ON SWIFT HORSES

Make-Up & Hair

WEAPONS

other nominees:

BRING HER BACK

NO OTHER CHOICE

REFLECTION IN A DEAD DIAMOND

SINNERS

Sound

SIRĀT

MARTY SUPREME

ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER

ROSE OF NEVADA

SINNERS

Visual Effects

RESURRECTION 

nominees:

MICKEY 17

NO OTHER CHOICE

SINNERS

WEAPONS

A look back at the 2024 awards where Mike Leigh's Hard Truths snagged Picture and Actress.

jeffery berg's top films of 2025!

Amid industry shifts of looming mergers and ever-shrinking theatrical-to-streaming windows, a number of vibrant, original pictures broke through. At this midpoint of the decade, it feels as though cinema is approaching yet another inflection point.

Here goes my Top Films of 2025!

10.

THE MASTERMIND

Kelly Reichardt's film is part shaggy vintage heist movie and a character study of an opaque, drifty character.

9.

IT WAS JUST AN ACCIDENT

Another dryly humorous and powerful piece from Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi, this one taking elements of old Hollywood screwball comedies to illustrate the brutal realities of a ragtag group confronting past ghosts.

8.

MESSY

Alexi Wasser's neurotic, ribald comedy harkening back to flicks like An Unmarried Woman, is completely refreshing. I caught this at the Provincetown Film Festival and was practically levitating afterwards. 

7.

 WEAPONS

As a fan of Zach Cregger's inventive chiller Barbarian, I was surprised he was able to follow with an even better, bonkers, consistently surprising movie.

6.

HAMNET

It was a brief balm to watch the communal bonding in this film's powerful final sequence. Adapted from Maggie O'Farrell's imaginative novel.

5.

ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER

Definitely the year's most-discussed in movie nerd world, Paul Thomas Anderson's opus is a slick, technically impressive achievement. The rolling hills car chase sequence was one of the few moments I can think of where I actually felt a movie in a physical way (especially in theatrical VistaVision).

4. 

MY UNDESIRABLE FRIENDS: PART I - LAST AIR IN MOSCOW

My heart was in my throat (cliché to say, I guess) in the final moments when the walls begin to close in on the subjects in Julia Loktev's sprawling, vital documentary.

3.

THE SECRET AGENT

A perfect companion to his mesmerizing documentary on Brazilian cinema-going in Pictures of Ghosts, I love Kleber Mendonça Filho's attention to details and use of genre film references in this compelling story of a man trying to outrun his fate.

2.

SENTIMENTAL VALUE

Joachim Trier's aching, drum-tight family drama, with a wonderful cast within a very memorable, lived-in house. Noticed some of its layered, symbolic visual motifs on subsequent viewings (his films often reward even more deeply on repeat watches). 

1.

MARTY SUPREME

I was smitten and surprised by the energy of Josh Safdie's picture: its eclectic ensemble, nostalgic, sweeping synth score (a reminder of big budget adult dramas of the 80s and early 90s), Darius Khondji's cinematography capturing the beautifully grimy look of Marty's perspective.

Other notable films of the year (in approximate order):

Sinners, Hedda, Misericordia, The Perfect Neighbor, Songs of Slow Burning Earth, Twinless, Companion, Blue Moon, Plainclothes, Lurker, Roofman, The Plague, 2000 Meters to Andriivka, Belen, Pillion, The Tale of Silyan, Nouvelle Vague, Sorry, Baby, Familiar Touch, Presence, Train Dreams, All That’s Left of You, The Voice of Hind Rajab, Ponyboi, Christy, Materialists, On Swift Horses, Black Bag, Windless, Caught By the Tides, The Testament of Ann Lee, Throuple, Eephus, Folktales, Rose of Nevada, After the Hunt, Viet and Nam, The Wedding Banquet, Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore, Resurrection, Jay Kelly, Kontinental ‘25, Bugonia, Homebound, Come See Me in teh Good Light, Highest 2 Lowest, No Other Choice, When the Phone Rang, Strange Journey: The Story of Rocky Horror, Landmarks, Rebuilding, Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere, Die My Love, East of Wall, The President’s Cake, A Private Life, Urchin, Secret Mall Apartment, The Love That Remains, Griffin in Summer, Jimpa, Bonjour Tristesse, 100,000,000,000,000, Everything Moves, Zodiac Killer Project, Miroirs No. 3, Romeria, Opus, Is This Thing On?, Elementary, Garland Jeffreys: The King of in Between, Best Wishes to All, Gavagai, Sirāt, Sound of Falling, Anemone, BLKNWS: Terms & Conditions, Come Closer

A look back at my 2024 favorites!

-Jeffery Berg

miroirs no. 3

I saw Christian Petzold's delicate music box puzzle of a film at the New York Film Festival. 

It's coming to theaters this year, opening at Film at Lincoln Center and IFC Center in New York, and Laemmle Royal in LA on March 20.

jeffery berg's top 10 singles of 2025!

Here goes my Top 10 singles of 2025!

10.

Voodoo / Micah Dailey-White 

A grand, mischievous neo-soul doozy.

9. 

Night to Night / The Magician

The Magician dizzy dance song reworks Baltimora's "Tarazan Boy" with a murderous bass lick.

8.

Ends Meet / Panda Bear

A dreamy, swirling confection.

7.

Crème Brûlée / David Archuleta

Criminally overlooked sticky, slinky pop number.

6.

Relationships / Haim

The harmonies are gorgeous on Haim's topsy turvy, mixed emotion relationship drama.

5.

Orlando in Love / Japanese Breakfast

Referencing the poetry of Matteo Maria Boiardo, this song is a wonderful mesh of Michelle Zauner's vulnerable vocals with a longing, guitar strummed melody.

4.

Dracula / Tame Impala

The party goes on into the AM, with Tame Impala's infectious clubber. A refreshing ditty to hit the pop charts this year.

3. 

Sweet Danger / Obongjayar

Obongjayar's bumping banger delivers simmering seduction. 

2. 

Before You Break My Heart / Jade

Effectively sampling The Supremes with a rubbery pop beat, Jade's notched another sublime tune in her young discography.

1. 

Puddle of (Me) / Saya Gray

With its echoing beats and layered guitars and catchy chord changes, this unique tune from the talented Canadian artist goes on a surprising journey.

 

All the best of 2025 is available below on my Spotify list!

jeffery berg's top 10 albums of 2025!

2025 brought forth a slew of tense, fraught records across all genres.

10.

NO VALIDATION / Che Noir & The Other Guys

Mesmerizing flows, jazzy beats and contemplative lyrics from the New York-based rapper and production duo. 

9.

THE SUMMER PORTRAITS / Ludovico Einaudi

Before Summer broke, I planted marigolds to Einaudi's pleasing melodies and orchestrations on this disc of ekphrastic pieces.

8.

LET GOD SORT 'EM OUT / Clipse

Clipse's first album in over 15 years, is plentiful with crisp, Pharrell-produced tracks. Nearly every cut kills.

7.

WEST END GIRL / Lily Allen

Terse and achingly sad, Allen's delivered what could be one of the all-time tell-all's. 

6.

LOTUS / Little Simz

A continuation of Little Simz's grand talents boiled down to a more stripped-down than usual, but still potent, effort.

5.

I QUIT / HAIM

Sunny Californian melodies and breezy idiosyncrasies shine on the sisters's wide-ranging, relentlessly appealing record.

4.

THAT'S SHOWBIZ BABY! / JADE    

The long-awaited full LP release from JADE, whose litany of previous singles were heavyweights since 2024, delivered and then some.

3. 

DON'T TAP THE GLASS / Tyler, the Creator

Another vivacious work from the talented artist (his last record, 2024's Chromakopia, was also extraordinary). This one is in a poppier, vintage R&B vein. Th album was marketed with brilliant anti-marketing marketing. 

2.

EURASEXUA / EURASEXUA AFTERGLOW / FKA twigs

An elegant mishmash of pop and electronica over FKA twigs' gossamer vocals.

1.

PARADISE NOW / Obongjayar

I hadn't really listened to Nigerian, London-based Obongjayar's solo work prior to 2025 (his Little Simz duet, "Point and Kill," a 2021 jewel), his bouncy, deceptively pleasurable sophomore record quickly became a favorite. 

I associate utopia with a destination. We’re constantly searching for a better “elsewhere”, because our current situation never seems good enough. But the ugliness we project onto our environment is just a mental construct, as if we had created the very obstacles we wish to overcome. On that cover, I’m trying to break through a glass ceiling – the one I created myself. -Obongjayar

Obongjayar photo by George Muncey.

A look back at my Top 10 of 2024 when the Pet Shop Boys slayed.

A massive Spotify playlist of all my 2025 favorites here!