Welcome to the 2025 SiftPop.com Sifties!
This year, the SiftPop writers came together to nominate five movies for Best Visual Experience. Since two of the major pieces that work together to create a complete cinematic experience are a film’s visuals and audio, we thought it would be important to highlight them for our Siftie awards.
A lot was made in the leadup to the F1: The Movie’s release about how much the film was on site during race days, how it filmed on actual tracks, how they used cameras on the cars, and how it even had the great Lewis Hamilton help make the racing seem more realistic. That’s due in no small part to the cooperation and collaboration between the filmmakers and F1, which allows for the access and the know-how to make the set pieces truly shine. And when the cars are on the track, it shows. There’s a kinetic energy, an adrenaline-pumping tension to the way that the action is filmed. It really helps the movie stand out from other racing films. A lot of that is due to Joseph Kosinski choosing to put the camera on the cars themselves, putting you in the thick of the action. Much like in Top Gun: Maverick, it’s a decision that pays off and gives audiences some of the best action of the year.
Sony Animation Studios is on a roll right now with K-Pop Demon Hunters being the latest entry that shows just how stunning the animation studio has become. The use of light and colors elevates how beautiful the animation in this is. Each musical sequence is unique and special visually. For instance, “Golden” has beautiful gold imagery and moments, whereas “Your Idol” is dark with bright colors. Think back to that final moment of the movie, where everyone’s singing helps Huntrix. The gorgeous animation makes that scene so much more impactful. In addition, between the real world and the demon world, the animation conveys two distinct settings. Perhaps the best part of the visual experience is how amazing the demon colors are on characters. Some scars are part of them, and “This Is What It Sounds Like” beautifully shows this.
If there’s one thing that people remember the Avatar films for, it is their visual mastery. 2009’s original film was a breakthrough, but it’s stunning how, when compared to Fire and Ash, Avatar looks incredibly dated. And while it’s one thing for visuals to improve over 16 years, Fire and Ash even improves upon 2022’s The Way of Water. Each frame of the almost entirely digitally rendered film looks photorealistic. It’s not a stretch to say that no other movie’s visual effects have ever looked this good, because not only are the Na’vi beautifully rendered, but so are every other creature and bit of environment.
Blending the Great Depression-era South with vampiric horror results in a fascinating combination in Sinners. Though the audio plays a big role in a pivotal piercing the veil scene, it wouldn’t have nearly the impact it does without pairing it with the visual flair that hammers home the impact of the sequence. Outside of the show-stopping number, there are two major important visual aspects that really make it sing. Before things go haywire, the film does an exquisite job in its production design in creating a sense of place and immersing the audience in both the time period and the setting. That foundation being laid allows for the darker second half (both in tone and visuals) to shine as the celebration turns into a horror show. It’s a tricky balance to pull off, and Sinners does it masterfully.
Danny Boyle is always pushing the envelope visually with his movies, but he takes it to a whole new level in 28 Years Later. He and his team created new rigs to mount iPhones to capture his images, and it makes for one of the most exciting visual experiences of the year. You can feel Boyle’s passion from behind the camera.
Make sure to check out the previous 2025 Sifties winners, and check back tomorrow for the winner of Best Narrative Experience!