Every time I start to dismiss the idea of Drive My Car as a possible best picture nominee, it picks up another award for another critics group.  Today, it was named best picture of 2021 by the National Society of Film Critics.  At this point, I have to say that it’s definitely possible — perhaps even probable — that Drive My Car will be nominated for both Best Picture and Best International FIlm.

Here are the winners and the runner-ups!

Best Picture
Winner: DRIVE MY CAR (48 points)
Runners-up: PETITE MAMAN (25 points) & THE POWER OF THE DOG (23 points)

Best Director
Winner: Ryusuke Hamaguchi, DRIVE MY CAR and WHEEL OF FORTUNE AND FANTASY (46 points)
Runners-up: Jane Campion, THE POWER OF THE DOG (36 points) & Céline Sciamma, PETITE MAMAN (28 points)

Best Actress
Winner: Penélope Cruz, PARALLEL MOTHERS (55 points)
Runners-up: Renate Reinsve, THE WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD (42 points) & Alana Haim, LICORICE PIZZA (32 points)

Best Actor
Winner: Hidetoshi Nishijima, DRIVE MY CAR (63 points)
Runners-up: Benedict Cumberbatch, THE POWER OF THE DOG (44 points) & Simon Rex, RED ROCKET (30 points)

Best Supporting Actress
Winner: Ruth Negga, PASSING (46 points)
Runners-up: Ariana DeBose, WEST SIDE STORY (22 points) & Jessie Buckley, THE LOST DAUGHTER (21 points)

Best Supporting Actor
​Winner: Anders Danielsen Lie, THE WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD (54 points)
Runners-up: Vincent Lindon, TITANE (33 points), Mike Faist, WEST SIDE STORY & Kodi Smit-McPhee, THE POWER OF THE DOG (26 points)

Best Screenplay
Winner: Ryusuke Hamaguchi and Takamasa Oe, DRIVE MY CAR (46 points)
Runners-up: Pedro Almodóvar, PARALLEL MOTHERS (22 points) & Paul Thomas Anderson, LICORICE PIZZA (20 points)​

Best Cinematography
Winner: Andrew Droz Palermo, THE GREEN KNIGHT (52 points)
Runners-up: Ari Wegner, THE POWER OF THE DOG (40 points) & Sayombhu Mukdeeprom, MEMORIA (35 points)