The 2025 New York Film Festival came to a close on October 13, but not before screening 34 features in its “Main Slate” program, showcasing 26 countries and including 13 U.S. premieres. While I was unable to access a few of the most celebrated titles (Jim Jarmusch’s Father Mother Sister Brother, Christian Petzold’s Mirrors No. 3, Lav Diaz’s Magellan, Joachim Trier’s Sentimental Value, and No Other Choice by Park Chan-wook), here are eight spoiler-free reviews of my absolute favorites among those I did catch. Write them down in your upcoming movie diary for 2026—and check out my Fick’s Picks from the festival’s experimental program here.

It Was Just an Accident (یک تصادف ساده, Un simple accident, Iran/France/Luxembourg) The biggest excitement at this year’s NYFF63 was the sudden in-person

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