Michael Mann Picks Surprising Standout Film of 2025

There was no shortage of big releases in 2025, with punters spoilt for choice. Titles like Weapons, Sinners, The Secret Agent, One Battle After Another, Train Dreams, and Bugonia all made a splash. But for the bloke behind Heat, Michael Mann, one film towered above the rest. It’s not the one most critics would’ve picked, but Mann’s got his reasons. He’s the director who gave us Thief, Collateral, and The Insider, so his opinion carries a bit of weight. His choice? The three-hour-plus epic Avatar: Fire and Ash. It’s a bold pick, considering the competition, but that’s where he landed.

Landing in cinemas right at the end of December, the third Avatar instalment didn’t exactly set the world on fire with critics, but it still managed to rake in over a billion dollars at the box office. It’s now sitting as the 39th highest-grossing film ever. Not bad for a flick that seemed to sneak in under the radar. You’d be hard-pressed to find many locals who said they were keen to see it, but somehow, it pulled the crowds. The story continues James Cameron’s saga of the Na’avi, those towering blue folks with tails, flying about on dragons and getting into all sorts of strife. To be honest, I only caught the first one back in 2009, so I’m a bit out of the loop.

Mann’s Take on Cameron’s Vision

Despite the lukewarm critical response, Mann was full of praise. Speaking to Variety, he said,

“Jim Cameron’s third Avatar: Fire and Ash is a massive achievement. The towering originality of Jim’s visualisation is a given; what makes Fire and Ash so potent is its believability.”

It’s a fair question how believable a yarn about nine-foot blue aliens on a distant moon really is, but Mann stands by his pick. He went on,

“No writer-director I can think of has invented as large a three-dimensional world of his own imagining as has Jim. Fire and Ash, on its own, is an incredible achievement. From some point in the future, when regarded historically, the whole of Avatar will be seen as the magnum opus it truly is.”

That’s some serious praise, even if we won’t know for sure until at least 2031, which sounds like something out of a sci-fi flick itself. That’s when the fifth and final Avatar is due to land.

What’s Next for Mann and Cameron

For those not fussed about more Avatar, there’s something else to look forward to. Mann’s plans for Heat 2 are moving ahead. The follow-up to what many reckon is his best work—and one of the sharpest thrillers ever—looks set to start filming soon. Mann penned the novel in 2022, and now the adaptation is lining up a cast that’s nothing short of stacked: Leonardo DiCaprio, Adam Driver, Christian Bale, Austin Butler, and Bradley Cooper are all on board. Mann’s back in the director’s chair for this one.

Meanwhile, Cameron’s been keeping busy between Avatar shoots. He’s taken a different tack, directing a film that captures Billie Eilish’s last tour, Hit Me Hard and Soft. True to form, he’s not just filming the pop star from a few creative angles—he’s gone and done it in 3D, for anyone who fancies donning those cinema glasses again.