Hot Wrecks.
A list of things I've enjoyed in 2025.
Welcome back to the KIOSK.
It’s nice to see you on such a grey day, and as promised, I’ve got a bit of a lighter chat for you this time. Here are the films, TV shows, podcasts and records I’ve been watching and listening to in 2025. Books are always separate for some reason.
It’s not really an end of year list (as you’ll see), but just some stuff you might enjoy in the winter, or during some upcoming seasonal downtime. So, in no particular order, let’s see what’s in there…
5 Films.
As always, it’s films new to me, not necessarily new in 2025.
Probably more a reflection on the times, but my taste has been for just solidly made and entertaining stories this year. Maybe it always is? But my lack of patience for ‘it’s good, but hard work’ and ‘it’s absolute vapid froth’ has led to me recommending these five films.
The Long Good Friday - Bob Hoskins’s mob boss with yuppie aspirations is on the verge of making it big, but he’s having an absolute shocker. Great tour through 70s/80s London, cracking soundtrack, and a perfect final shot.
A Real Pain - Who doesn’t like a road movie? Especially one that’s got actual characters, thoughts and feelings too. See, it’s not that hard, is it?
Escape From New York - I thought I had seen this, but actually think I’d only seen Escape From L.A., and as a result, was always slightly baffled as to why people were so enthusiastic about Kurt Russel’s classic anti-hero. This film is why. A joyous action romp, and sneeringly anti-authoritarian. ‘President of what?’
The Ballad of Wallis Island - Felt like watching a film in the 90s, in that it has its own unique oddities, while still being a rounded and satisfying narrative. Really shouldn’t be that rare, but it was a particular pleasure to watch with other people in the cinema.
One Battle After Another - Another great cinema experience, and a genuine thrill ride too. Also another nod to the collapse of the American Empire, that comes up a lot in this list…
5 TV Shows.
Andor - Despite Stars Wars being genuinely part of my DNA, we parted ways a while back, and it’s been dead to me since. But a slight flicker of curiosity made me give this a chance, and I found a show that not only reminded me why I loved the originals, but also grappled with the politics and passions that interest me as an adult.
There’s so much to enjoy here, and if it’s not your flavour, I do get it, but you will be missing out. Above all, I kind of respect its audacity. Putting this show out now, under Disney, feels like Cbeebies not realising The Anarchist’s Cookbook was being read out as their bedtime story. If Cbeebies were fascists.
American Primeval - Like so many miniseries these days, this came and went, and if you weren’t paying attention that week, you’d be forgiven for knowing nothing about it. This is perfect TV for me, complex and great looking, yet still remembering it’s a piece of entertainment. It won’t be for everyone, but if you believe the American Dream was a blood-soaked lie from from day one, then do get involved!
Common Side Effects - Animated series about repercussions of a miracle cure, not just within the pharmaceutical industry or society, but more specifically, American capitalism. A chaotic caper with a fun set of characters, that definitely shares a stable with One Battle After Another.
Mr Inbetween - Following the life of hitman Ray Shoesmith, both the domestic and the banal, the violent and the sad. The show keeps gently prodding the audience on the idea of ‘violence doesn’t solve anything’ that by the end, you almost feel complicit in the whole thing. The dry, dark humour that runs through it kept me watching.
The American Civil War - Very late to the party here (35 years late…and it’s not a party), but finally watched this incredible Ken Burns documentary series. Like all good non-fiction, I was genuinely surprised at how much I didn’t know. It was an awful, awful time. Fascinating, crucial, and again, depressingly prescient work.
5 Podcasts.
It’s 2025, you must have some hot pod-recs, yeah? Why yes, yes I do. But you’re not going to like ‘em…
Revolutions - Man, have I racked up some hours here this year. Was put onto it by Tony Gilroy when he was talking about the influences on Andor, and it’s essentially the host, Mike Duncan, tracking key revolutions from the English Civil War up to the Russian Revolution. It’s a lot (over 1.5 million words), but it’s delivered with such articulation and clarity that it’s been absolutely fascinating. You also get a huge amount of general modern world history along the way. An incredible and vital undertaking. And again, ever prescient.
Articles of Interest - Avery Trufelman’s exploration of the world via clothes, fashion and design has been a constant source of enjoyment to me. The latest series, focusing on military and outdoor wear, has been no exception. Like any good garment, it’s much more than the sum of its parts.
Made In England - Jack McInroy chats with various creators about an English film of their choosing. Jack’s a good friend of mine, and I was on an early episode (The Guns of Naverone, if you were wondering), but bias aside, it’s a great look at some cinematic hits, misses, and the anomalies in between.
Time to Eat the Dogs - Not really putting out new episodes anymore, but an impressive archive. Just great, straightforward interviews with a expert in their field, examining and revising all we think about ‘exploration’. The diversity of guests and subjects within that purview is superb, and you can’t really go wrong if you get in there and pick one that sounds interesting to you. Refreshingly few bells and whistles. What a great title too.
Strangers On A Bench - Tom Rosenthal approaches a member of the public on a bench and finds out about their life. A genuine breath of fresh air in the celeb carousel podcast landscape. It’s nice to be genuinely surprised, and audio is the perfect medium, allowing the listener to drop any preconceptions and be delightfully wrongfooted. A profoundly human undertaking.
5 Records.
It’s boring to say that as we get older it’s harder to stay on top of new music, but it’s probably true. Anyway, this is what’s be playing in the KIOSK a lot this year that came out in 2025. More or less.
Joshua Burnside - The Teeth of Time. Been listening to this guy’s records for a while now and his latest absolutely holds up the high quality form. If you like a bit of cinematic folk that blends the domestic with the existential, definitely give it a go. Try ‘Marching Round The Ladies’.
Grandma’s House - Anything For You (EP). All female Bristol based punk band with a delightfully grungy, gothic streak running through the middle of it. Try ‘Slaughterhouse’.
Mould - Almost Feels Like Purpose (EP). Another Bristol based punk band, except it’s all lads this time. An absolute riot with some cracking vocal layering. Try ‘Frances’. (possibly track of the year, takes the roof off in 2 minutes flat)
Porridge Radio - The Machine Starts To Sing (EP). This is really an endorsement for the album that came out at the end of 2024, but they released this EP as they also announced their split at the start of this year. Emotionally wrought, but propulsively delivered. Try ‘God Of Everything Else’.
Backxwash - Only Dust Remains. Only became aware of her this year, so this is probably here to point you towards the first record, ‘God Has Nothing To Do With This Leave Him Out Of It’, but this one is great too. If you like your hip-hop industrial and absolutely furious (I do), then this is first class. Try ‘Wake Up’.
That was fun wasn’t it?
I’m not sure exactly why I did this now I think of it, becasue as we all know, in our media saturated landscape, we simply nod along to recommendations, say, ‘Oh yeah, I’ve heard that’s good, it’s on my list’, and go back to whatever else we were doing before. But never mind, I’ve enjoyed our chat. I always do.
Just a reminder for the upcoming season, I still have prints for sale, and it’s still the best way of supporting me and the KIOSK.
All the designs available are HERE. Thank you! You’re good eggs.
A pleasure as always. Stay calm, enjoy the coffee, and I’ll see you next time.
Owen D. Pomery.
