Into the Woods review – Brothers Grimm gloriously mashed up by Sondheim
Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine’s fairytale adventure follows its archetypal characters into real-world emotion, brilliantly drawn and sung
Ever Since We Small by Celeste Mohammed review – a big-hearted Caribbean tale
This Trinidadian family saga blurs the line between real and imagined to create a multilayered history of an island and its people
The BFG review – RSC’s big friendly mishmash lacks Matilda’s confidence
This adaptation of the beloved tale about an ogre looks beautiful but does not grow into a giant to rival the company’s hit Roald Dahl musical
Flat Earth by Anika Jade Levy review – fear and loathing in New York
This sharp, bleak debut satirises the current cultural moment through the life and loves of a cynical young writer
Don’t Burn Anyone at the Stake Today by Naomi Alderman review – how to navigate the information crisis
The author of The Power looks to the past for lessons in surviving an era of seismic technological change
Silent Sherlock: Three Classic Cases review – on the hunt with Holmes in restored 1920s mysteries
From stealing a photo for the King of Bohemia to battling the Napoleon of crime on a clifftop, Holmes is witty and watchable in these early Conan Doyle-approved dramas
Dracapella review – power ballads and beatboxing as ghoulish comedy gets down for the count
Gleefully leaning into all the cliches and groansome laughs, Dan Patterson and Jez Bond’s musical vampire romp is supremely silly
American Canto by Olivia Nuzzi review – insufferable filler that sidesteps the real issues
The reporter’s alleged affair with Robert F Kennedy Jr raises a whole host of questions, few of which get answers in this pretentious memoir
Preparation for the Next Life review – deeply felt story of love among the marginalised in New York
Bing Liu’s debut feature is an unflinching portrait of an undocumented Uyghur immigrant and a traumatised US veteran whose fragile connection is strained by their pasts
It Girl by Marisa Meltzer review – how Jane Birkin became an icon
The unlikely story of an English girl catapulted to French fame – and a relationship with Serge Gainsbourg that resembled a piece of deranged performance art
On the Calculation of Volume III by Solvej Balle review – how to make a timeloop endlessly interesting
The hypnotic third novel in the hit Danish series grapples with the philosophical realities of being stuck on repeat in 18 November
The Dead of Winter by Sarah Clegg audiobook review – haunting Christmas tales
From horse skulls and Yule cats to Icelandic ogres, a celebration of the dark side of Christmas
The Effingers by Gabriele Tergit review – a vivid portrait of Berlin before the Nazis
Written in 1951 and now translated into English for the first time, this family saga by the acclaimed German author recaptures a golden age for Jewish life
The Curious Case of Mike Lynch by Katie Prescott review – the extraordinary story behind the Bayesian tragedy
A meticulously researched account of the controversial businessman’s rise and shocking demise
The best fiction of 2025
The Guardian’s fiction editor picks the best of the year, from Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Dream Count to Thomas Pynchon’s return, David Szalay’s Booker winner and a remarkable collection of short stories