It’s one of the weirdest (and most wonderful) times of the year: Twixmas, that cosy week between Christmas and New Year, where time stands still and it truly feels like anything goes. Leftover Christmas trifle for breakfast? Sure. A cheese board as a light snack? Essential.
And Twixmas is also about indulging your cultural diet because it’s the perfect time to catch up on all those films and TV shows that took over your entire social feed in 2025, but you didn’t get around to watching at the time. Warner Bros Discovery Home Entertainment is packed with the year’s must-watch cultural moments, so that by the time your NYE party comes around, you’re the one leading the conversation.
Here are the eight must-see films and shows you should put at the top of your Twixmas list:
Superman
In 2025, James Gunn’s DC universe entered a new era by reimagining one of its most iconic heroes: Superman. The latest film is a heartfelt, humanising take on the Man of Steel, who has been saving the world in various incarnations since 1938. David Corenswet – whose initials, rather serendipitously, are “DC” – brings optimism and warmth to Clark Kent, who has traditionally been portrayed as an isolated, aloof character.
This time, we see him in a more relatable and vulnerable light, feeding into Gunn’s core message: that Superman is “as human as anyone”. The film combines old favourites with new additions, including Rachel Brosnahan as heroine Lois Lane, with Nicholas Hoult as arch villain Lex Luthor.
An especially adorable newbie is Krypto the Superdog, who won over audiences with his canine charm while also deepening Superman’s sense of connection with the people (and four-legged friends) he cares about most. Originally released in July 2025, the film is a modern take on a timeless hero.
Sinners
Want to be on the edge of your seat for two hours 17 minutes? Then Sinners is the nailbiting film for you. It takes us deep into the 1932 Mississippi Delta, where twin brothers – Elijah “Smoke” Moore and Elias “Stack” Moore – return to their home town to open a juke joint.
What begins as a dream of music and community rapidly turns into a struggle for survival when a mysterious supernatural force emerges, testing their bond and forcing them to confront hidden memories of grief and loss.
This film is all about Michael B Jordan, who delivers a remarkable dual performance, giving each brother a distinct identity. Smoke’s guarded resilience is a total contrast with Stack’s restless ambition, making this film one of the most complex roles of Jordan’s career.
Written and directed by Ryan Coogler, Sinners is currently generating significant awards season buzz, with its blend of southern gothic atmosphere, period horror and a sense of mystery. The blues-infused soundtrack is also woven into the storytelling, linking the characters with their own history, while adding to the supernatural vibe of the film.
The White Lotus (Season Three)
The third season of Mike White’s discourse-setting, meme-making HBO show takes us to the exotic paradise of Thailand. Here, a new set of gorgeous-but-miserable rich people take it upon themselves to prove that – surprise, surprise! – money doesn’t buy happiness.
Season three really has it all: a feuding group of passive-aggressive girlfriends, Parker Posey speaking in a fabulous southern accent, seduction, lies, and the possibility of Tanya (Jennifer Coolidge) finally being avenged. This nailbiting season truly keeps you guessing right up until the last moment, with Thailand’s quiet, spiritual aura becoming its own character in the show, toying with the characters who are seeking redemption and forgiveness.
In keeping with Mike White’s signature approach of mixing together a mostly new cast of characters with returning favourites, the third season takes on a slightly darker edge, with storylines full of difficult choices, which ask some pretty profound questions about morality.
The Last of Us (Season Two)
I’d never describe myself as a “gamer”, which makes it even more surprising that The Last of Us is one of my favourite TV shows of 2025. The second season of HBO’s dramatisation of the video game series ramps up the heartbreak, humanity and horror – sometimes all in the same scene.
Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey return as Joel and Ellie, an unlikely father-daughter duo whose lives became entwined during a zombie apocalypse. And somehow, their chemistry hits even harder this time around. Pascal brings quiet warmth to Joel’s distant, stoic character, while Ramsey perfectly captures Ellie’s teenage angst and mischievousness.
The first season of The Last of Us was a matter of survival against the “infected”. But season two, set five years later, shows us that humans will always be our own worst enemy, even during a literal apocalypse.
The characters deal with betrayal and impossible decisions, with the constant threat of extinction making us think about what it means to be alive. HBO’s adaptation continues to prove that a show based on a video game can carry real emotional weight. In fact, it might just break your heart.
One Battle After Another
One Battle After Another is a pulse-pounding action thriller starring Leonardo DiCaprio. The film follows Bob Ferguson, a former leftwing revolutionary turned off-grid father whose past catches up with him when his daughter suddenly disappears. When he tries to find her, an old enemy resurfaces.
Directed, written and produced by Paul Thomas Anderson, the film features an electric ensemble cast, including Teyana Taylor, Benicio del Toro, Sean Penn and Regina Hall. And there is nothing “guilty” about this pleasure: with One Battle After Another garnering five-star reviews and a near-perfect 95% Rotten Tomatoes rating. Originally released in September 2025, it centres high-stakes rescue missions, radical politics and the kind of sweaty, morally tangled storytelling Anderson does best – for which we can expect to see him and the picture in high contention for best director and best film stakes come awards season, not to mention Leo for his masterful turn in the starring role as Bob Ferguson.
Weapons
Weapons is that rare type of horror-mystery that sneaks up on you, and ends up staying in your mind for a long time after you’ve watched it.
Directed and written by Zach Cregger, the film opens on a chilling note: at 2.17 am one morning, 17 children from the same classroom simply vanish into the night. In their absence, the entire community is left scrambling for answers.
Anchored by a stellar ensemble cast – including Josh Brolin, Julia Garner, Benedict Wong and Alden Ehrenreich – the story weaves multiple viewpoints of parents, teachers and detectives who are all grappling with the inexplicable disappearance. As we gradually learn more about what happened, the only certainty is that nothing is quite as it seems. Weapons is a dark ride – and one of the year’s standout horror films.
The Penguin
We love a villain origin story; and The Penguin is a classic of this emerging genre, helping us to understand how one of Batman’s most iconic nemeses came to be. Set in the shadowy underbelly of Gotham City, the award-winning miniseries turns the spotlight on Oswald “Oz” Cobb, a socially awkward former right-hand man of a notorious crime lord. As he was in 2022’s The Batman, Colin Farrell – who took home a Golden Globe for the role – is almost unrecognisable in the show, wearing heavy prosthetics and a body suit, which required three hours of makeup each morning. And that’s not the only award-winning performance to look out for either, with Christine Miloti taking the honours at the Emmys for best lead actress in a limited series.
But back to the Penguin himself: hidden beneath Oz’s gangster veneer are his brutal street-smarts, mummy issues (what else?) and ruthless ambition. The series has the tone of a sleek crime drama, while still keeping the weirdness that we’ve come to expect from Batman villains.
A Minecraft Movie
A Minecraft Movie transforms one of the most popular children’s video games of all time into a live-action adventure for the entire family. Directed by Jared Hess and starring Jason Momoa, Jack Black and Danielle Brooks, the film follows four real-world misfits who stumble through a portal into the cubic, blocky world of Minecraft.
In their new surroundings, they must master the rules of the “overworld” to find their way home. This film was devised way back in 2014, and went through multiple directors before Hess stepped in. And to the surprise of some critics, it was one of 2025’s biggest box office hits, raking in (almost) $1bn and becoming the highest-grossing video-game-adapted film ever.
Packed with Easter eggs for game-obsessed viewers, plus secret YouTuber cameos, the movie balances a playful sense of chaos with big-screen spectacle, creating a story that celebrates creativity and courage.
