Empire Gift Guide 2025: Movie Box Sets And Blu-Rays
The countdown to Christmas is on – which means it’s time to start buying...
The countdown to Christmas is on – which means it’s time to start buying gifts galore. And if you have a movie-lover in your life (or, if you are that movie-lover and want to add to your own gift list), step right this way: the Empire team has hand-picked a selection of must have Blu-rays, box sets, 4K releases, steelbooks and more to please casual film fans and die-hard cinephiles alike.
From this year’s biggest hits, to all-time-greats now available on 4K, to all-singing-all-dancing collector’s editions of cult classics, there’s something for everyone here. Scroll through our suggestions, and find the perfect gift before last-minute panic sets in.
Sinners – 4K Ultra-HD
One of the most talked-about films of 2025, Ryan Coogler’s vampire tale is a multi-layered music-fuelled must-see – spinning the tale of twin gangsters Smoke and Stack (both Michael B. Jordan), who return home to open a juke joint and have their opening night overrun by bloodsuckers. Big thrills, excellent characters, and some of the most mindblowing sequences of the year can all be found here.
Boogie Nights – 4K Ultra-HD Steelbook
Knocked out by One Battle After Another? Revisit this early Paul Thomas Anderson gem, his sprawling and wildly ambitious porn-industry hangout charting the rise and fall of Mark Wahlberg’s Dirk Diggler – now on 4K, and available on collectible steelbook.
Disney Classics: Complete 62 Film Collection Blu-Ray
Take a trip through Hollywood history with every Walt Disney Animation Studios film – from the early classics (Bambi, Fantasia), to underseen oddities (Saludos Amigos, The Black Cauldron) and beloved favourites (Moana, Sleeping Beauty). It all comes in deluxe packaging, with a 128-page coffee table book, and art cards. Pure Disney magic.
A History Of Violence – Criterion Collection 4K Ultra-HD
Viggo Mortensen has rarely been better than in his first David Cronenberg team-up, as a quiet family man whose former life of violence come spilling back out after he thwarts a robbery. The Criterion release features a new 4K remaster, a making-of documentary, and plenty more special features.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps – 4K Ultra-HD
Marvel’s first family entered the MCU with tons of retro-futuristic production design and a stellar cast, led by Pedro Pascal. Come for the swinging ‘60s vibe, stay for the mighty Galactus and some rollocking space set pieces.
Predator: 5-Movie Collection – 4K Ultra-HD
It’s a good time to be a Predator fan, with a string of stellar recent outings. Now, the first five Predator films are collected on 4K, from the legendary original, to the underrated Predators, to must-see recent entry Prey. Rippling biceps optional.
Pearl / MaXXXine – Second Sight 4K Ultra-HD Collector’s Edition
For horror-heads, Ti West’s X trilogy has been a highlight of the 2020s – a trio of era-hopping slashers telling a multigenerational story of stardom and sexual repression, anchored by a trio of stellar Mia Goth performances. The early 1900s-set Pearl and ‘80s-themed finale MaXXXine have got the deluxe Second Sight treatment, presenting each film with deluxe packaging, essay-packed books, art cards, and all kinds of special features.
Buy Pearl now / Buy MaXXXine now
Godzilla Vs. Biollante – Criterion Collection 4K Ultra-HD
Criterion continues to scrub up the original Toho Godzilla films, moving into the Heisei era with this 1989 monster mash. With massive practical effects and a killer kaiju antagonist, it brings a previously hard-to-find ‘zilla film to a far bigger audience. And, since it’s Criterion, it’s filled with extras too.
Black Bag – Blu-ray
Chances are, this spy thriller might have passed you by. But while not going for Bond- or Bourne-like action setpieces, it’s a tense and exciting twisty tale, starring Michael Fassbender and Cate Blanchett as married spies required to hold each other (and everyone else they work with) under suspicion. A sure movie-night hit.
Thunderbolts* – 4K Ultra-HD
The Marvel team-up nobody expected, resulted in a surprisingly affecting adventure – taking the likes of Yelena Belova, Bucky Barnes, Red Guardian and more, delivering them an untimely death sentence, followed by a sense of actual purpose.
Nightmare Alley – Criterion Collection 4K Ultra-HD
Before he finally made Frankenstein, Guillermo del Toro took audiences into the dark heart of the circus with this noir thriller – boasting outstanding performances from Bradley Cooper and Cate Blanchett. This Criterion set includes the original film, the black-and-white cut, and a new extended director’s cut too – with fresh del Toro commentaries and more. A must for Guillermo die-hards.
The Florida Project – Second Sight 4K Ultra-HD Collector’s Edition
Before Anora, filmmaker Sean Baker presented this beautiful drama – equally beautiful and bleak, drenched in Orlando sunshine and vibrant colours. Youngster Moonee and her mum Halley eke out an existence in the shadow of Walt Disney World, quite literally a world away from their everyday life. It’s a modern classic – and Second Sight’s version is packed with new interviews, a 160-page book of essays, photo cards, and deluxe packaging.
Cronos – 4K Ultra-HD Limited Edition
Right from his first film, Guillermo del Toro was twisting movie monsters in new ways. Cronos presents a unique take on the vampire mythos, a film that signposts exactly where the filmmaker would go over the course of his astonishing career. This BFI set is packed with special features, and comes in deluxe packaging with a 60-page book, postcards, a fold-out poster and more.
28 Years Later – 4K Ultra-HD
Finally. Many (not quite 28) years later, Danny Boyle and Alex Garland reunited, and returned to the game-changing zombie saga they spawned in the early ‘00s. The results are outstanding – scary, surprisingly emotional, and fuelled by decades of British insanity. Ripe for a rewatch before the next chapter, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, hits cinemas in January.
The Beatles: A Hard Day’s Night – Criterion Collection 4K Ultra-HD
Getting ready for the impending four Beatles biopics? Revisit this swinging ‘60s classic, that finds the Fab Four at the height of their charm – a pure slice of Beatlemania. The Criterion disc features a 4K restoration of the film, tons of documentaries and behind-the-scenes footage. Groovy!
Akira Kurosawa Samurai Collection – Blu-Ray Box Set
The samurai-centred films from Kurosawa aren’t just legendary in their own right – they’re also some of the most influential movies of all time, major touchstones for several Hollywood favourites. Go back to the originals in this set, which includes Seven Samurai, Throne Of Blood, Hidden Fortress, Yojimbo, and Sanjuro.
Possession – Second Sight 4K Ultra-HD Limited Edition
Andrzej Żuławski’s notoriously wild psychological horror – charting the relationship breakdown between Sam Neill’s spy Mark, and his wife Anna (Isabelle Adjani) – is an unforgettable watch, not for the faint-hearted. But for its cult fandom, this is the ultimate version – a massive deluxe set, including not just the film on 4K and a book of essays, but the complete original shooting script too.
Perfect Blue – 4K Deluxe Edition
Beyond its breathtaking animation, Perfect Blue stands as a classic psychological thriller. Satoshi Kon’s remarkably timely exploration of fame, mega-fans, and fracturing psyches has been hugely inspirational to the likes of David Fincher and Christopher Nolan – now available for the first time in 4K. This set – packed with essays and art cards – is perfect for fans and first-time watchers alike.
Barry Lyndon – 4K Ultra-HD Steelbook
The Christmas break is the perfect time for a Barry Lyndon rewatch. Stanley Kubrick’s three-hour historical epic is famously one of the most beautiful films ever made – full of breathtaking painterly frames. Now it’s on 4K, it can be appreciated in all its glory.
Re-Animator – Second Sight 4K Ultra-HD Collector’s Edition
Gory and gooey, Stuart Gordon’s zombie classic has its tentacles in both Lovecraft country, and producer Brian Yuzna’s legendary splatter effects. Those eye-popping scenes are sharper than ever in 4K, and Second Sight’s set oozes special features.
One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest – 4K Ultra-HD
Celebrating 50 years since it was first released, this rebellious classic – featuring one of Jack Nicholson’s greatest ever performances – has been scrubbed upon 4K for the first time. Get ready for that gut-punch ending all over again.
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