Here Are The 2025 Nominations of the New York Film Critics Online


Here are the 2025 nominations of the New York Film Critics Online!

PICTURE
Hamnet
If I Had Legs I’d Kick You
It Was Just an Accident
Marty Supreme
No Other Choice
Nuremberg
One Battle After Another
Sentimental Value
Sinners
Train Dreams

DIRECTOR
Paul Thomas Anderson – One Battle After Another
Park Chan-wook – No Other Choice
Ryan Coogler – Sinners
Mona Fastvold – The Testament of Ann Lee
Olivier Laxe – Sirāt
Jafar Panahi – It Was Just an Accident
Lynne Ramsey – Die, My Love
Josh Safdie – Marty Supreme
Joachim Trier – Sentimental Value
Chloe Zhao – Hamnet

SCREENPLAY
Bugonia
Hamnet
If I Had Legs I’d Kick You
It Was Just an Accident
Marty Supreme
One Battle After Another
Sentimental Value
Sinners
Sorry, Baby
Train Dreams
Twinless

ACTOR
Timothee Chalamet – Marty Supreme
Leonardo DiCaprio – One Battle After Another
Sope Dirisu – My Father’s Shadow
Joel Edgerton – Train Dreams
Ethan Hawke – Blue Moon
Lee Byung Hun – No Other Choice
Dylan O’Brien – Twinless
Michael B. Jordan – Sinners
Wagner Moura – The Secret Agent
Jesse Plemons – Bugonia

ACTRESS
Rose Byrne – If I Had Legs I’d Kick You
Jessie Buckley – Hamnet
Kathleen Chalfant – Familiar Touch
Kate Hudson – Song Sung Blue
Jennifer Lawrence – Die, My Love
Renate Reinsve – Sentimental Value
Amanda Seyfried – The Testament of Ann Lee
Emma Stone – Bugonia
Sydney Sweeney – Christy
Tessa Thompson – Hedda

SUPPORTING ACTOR
Michael Cera – The Phoenician Scheme
Benicio Del Toro – One Battle After Another
Jacob Elordi – Frankenstein
Noah Jupe – Hamnet
Delroy Lindo – Sinners
Pierre Lottin – When Fall is Coming
Paul Mescal – Hamnet
Sean Penn – One Battle After Another
Adam Sandler – Jay Kelly
Alexander Skarsgard – Pillion
Stellan Skarsgard – Sentimental Value

SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Odessa A’zion – Marty Supreme
Glenn Close – Wake Up Dead Man
Elle Fanning – Sentimental Value
Ariana Grande – Wicked: For Good
Regina Hall – One Battle After Another
Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas – Sentimental Value
Amy Madigan – Weapons
Wunmi Mosaku – Sinners
Da’Vine Joy Randolph – Eternity
Teyana Taylor – One Battle After Another

ENSEMBLE CAST
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Hamnet
It Was Just an Accident
Marty Supreme
No Other Choice
One Battle After Another
Sentimental Value
Sinners
The Testament of Ann Lee
Wake Up Dead Man

USE OF MUSIC
Hamnet
KPop Demon Hunters
Marty Supreme
One Battle After Another
Sinners
Sirāt
Song Sung Blue
Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere
The Testament of Ann Lee
Wicked: For Good

CINEMATOGRAPHY
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Frankenstein
Hamnet
No Other Choice
One Battle After Another
Sinners
Sirāt
Train Dreams
The Testament of Ann Lee
28 Years Later
Wicked: For Good

DEBUT DIRECTOR
Akinola Davies Jr. – My Father’s Shadow
Harris Dickerson – Urchin
Sarah Friedland – Familiar Touch
Scarlett Johansson – Eleanor the Great
Harry Lighton – Pillion
Carson Lund – Eephus
Charlie Polinger – The Plague
Kristen Stewart – The Chronology of Water
Constance Tsang – Blue Sun Palace
Eva Victor – Sorry, Baby

BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMER
Odessa A’zion
Everett Blunck
Miles Caton
Chase Infiniti
Jacob Jupe
Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas
Kayo Martin
Abou Sangare
Eva Victor

ANIMATION
A Magnificent Life
Arco
Elio
KPop Demon Hunters
Little Amelie or the Character of Rain
100 Meters
Predator: Killer of Killers
Scarlet
Zootopia 2

INTERNATIONAL FEATURE
It Was Just an Accident
Left-Handed Girl
No Other Choice
Resurrection
The Secret Agent
Sentimental Value
Sirāt
Sound of Falling
The Voice of Hind Rajib
We Will Not Be Moved

DOCUMENTARY
Afternoons of Solitude
BLKNWS: Terms & Conditions
Come See Me in the Good Light
Cover-Up
My Undesirable Friends: Part 1 — Last Air in Moscow
Pee-wee as Himself
Put Your Soul in Your Hand and Walk
The Perfect Neighbor
The Alabama Solution
2000 Meters to Andriivka

Sinners Wins In Michigan


The Michigan Movie Critics Guild has announced it picks for the best of 2025.  The winners are listed in bold!

Best Picture
Frankenstein
Hamnet
Marty Supreme
One Battle After Another
Sinners

Best Director
Paul Thomas Anderson – One Battle After Another
Ryan Coogler – Sinners
Guillermo del Toro – Frankenstein
Josh Safdie – Marty Supreme
Chloé Zhao – Hamnet

Best Actor
Timothée Chalamet – Marty Supreme
Joel Edgerton – Train Dreams
Leonardo DiCaprio – One Battle After Another
Brendan Fraser – Rental Family
Michael B. Jordan – Sinners

Best Actress
Rose Byrne – If I Had Legs I’d Kick You
Chase Infiniti – One Battle After Another
Cynthia Erivo – Wicked: For Good
Jessie Buckley – Hamnet
Emma Stone – Bugonia

Best Supporting Actor
Miles Caton – Sinners
Jacob Elordi – Frankenstein
Benicio del Toro – One Battle After Another
Paul Mescal – Hamnet
Sean Penn – One Battle After Another

Best Supporting Actress
Ariana Grande – Wicked: For Good
Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas – Sentimental Value
Wunmi Mosaku – Sinners
Hailee Steinfeld – Sinners
Teyana Taylor – One Battle After Another

Best Animated Film
Arco
Dog Man
K-Pop Demon Hunters
Little Amélie or the Character of Rain
Zootopia 2

Best Documentary
Orwell: 2+2=5
Pee-Wee as Himself
Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk
The Perfect Neighbor
The Tale of Silyan

Best Ensemble
Avatar: Fire And Ash
Marty Supreme
One Battle After Another
Sinners
Wake Up Dead Man
Wicked: For Good

Best Screenplay
Hamnet
Marty Supreme
One Battle After Another
Sorry, Baby
Sinners

Best Cinematography
Avatar: Fire And Ash
Frankenstein
One Battle After Another
Sinners
Train Dreams

Breakthrough
Miles Caton – (Actor) Sinners
Chase Infiniti – (Actress) One Battle After Another
Jacob Elordi – (Actor) Frankenstein
Jacobi Jupe – (Actor) Hamnet
Eva Victor – (Writer, Director, Actor) Sorry, Baby

Best Stunts
Avatar: Fire And Ash
Ballerina
Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning
Nobody 2
One Battle After Another

The MMCG Award for Film Excellence
Paul Feig – (Director) The Housemaid / Another Simple Favor
Judy Greer – (Actress) The Long Walk
Paul Walter Hauser – (Actor) The Naked Gun / Fantastic Four: First Steps
Tim Robinson – (Actor/Writer) Friendship
J.K. Simmons – (Actor) The Accountant 2

Here Are The 2025 Golden Globe Nominations


Does anyone care about the Golden Globes any more?  I remember that there was a feeling of relief when it looked like we would finally be free from having to worry about them.  Of course, the Globes are back and under new management.  They’re clawing their way back to relevancy, or at least they’re trying.

To be honest, I don’t trust the nominations below.  I think it’s all about getting people to watch their ceremony again.  Still, the Golden Globes are a thing and here are the film nominations for this year.  The winners will be revealed on January 11th.

BEST MOTION PICTURE, DRAMA
Frankenstein
Hamnet
It Was Just an Accident
The Secret Agent
Sentimental Value
Sinners

BEST MOTION PICTURE, MUSICAL OR COMEDY
Blue Moon
Bugonia
Marty Supreme
No Other Choice
Nouvelle Vague
One Battle After Another

BEST DIRECTOR, MOTION PICTURE
Paul Thomas Anderson – One Battle After Another
Ryan Coogler – Sinners
Guillermo del Toro – Frankenstein
Jafar Panahi – It Was Just an Accident
Joachim Trier – Sentimental Value
Chloe Zhao – Hamnet

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE, DRAMA
Jessie Buckley – Hamnet
Jennifer Lawrence – Die, My Love
Renate Reinsve – Sentimental Value
Julia Roberts – After the Hunt
Tessa Thompson – Hedda
Eva Victor – Sorry, Baby

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE, MUSICAL, OR COMEDY
Rose Byrne – If I Had Legs I’d Kick You
Cynthia Erivo – Wicked: For Good
Kate Hudson – Song Sung Blue
Chase Infiniti – One Battle After Another
Amanda Seyfried – The Testament of Ann Lee
Emma Stone – Bugonia

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN ANY MOTION PICTURE
Emily Blunt – The Smashing Machine
Elle Fanning – Sentimental Value
Ariana Grande – Wicked: For Good
Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas – Sentimental Value
Amy Madigan – Weapons
Teyana Taylor – One Battle After Another

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE, DRAMA
Joel Edgerton – Train Dreams
Oscar Isaac – Frankenstein
Dwayne Johnson – The Smashing Machine
Michael B. Jordan – Sinners
Wagner Moura – The Secret Agent
Jeremy Allen White – Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE, MUSICAL, OR COMEDY
Lee Byung-hun – No Other Choice
Timothee Chalamet – Marty Supreme
George Clooney – Jay Kelly
Leonardo DiCaprio – One Battle After Another
Ethan Hawke – Blue Moon
Jesse Plemons – Bugonia

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN ANY MOTION PICTURE
Benicio Del Toro – One Battle After Another
Jacob Elordi – Frankenstein
Paul Mescal – Hamnet
Sean Penn – One Battle After Another
Adam Sandler – Jay Kelly
Stellan Skarsgård – Sentimental Value

BEST SCREENPLAY, MOTION PICTURE
Hamnet
It Was Just an Accident
Marty Supreme
One Battle After Another
Sentimental Value
Sinners

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE, MOTION PICTURE
F1: The Movie
Frankenstein
Hamnet
One Battle After Another
Sinners
Sirat

BEST ORIGINAL SONG, MOTION PICTURE
Avatar: Fire and Ash – “Dream as One”
KPop Demon Hunters – “Golden”
Sinners – “I Lied to You”
Train Dreams – “Train Dreams”
Wicked: For Good – “No Place Life Home”
Wicked: For Good – “The Girl in the Bubble”

BEST MOTION PICTURE, ANIMATED
Arco
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba The Movie
Elio
KPop Demon Hunters
Little Amelie or the Character of Rain
Zootopia 2

BEST MOTION PICTURE, FOREIGN LANGUAGE
It Was Just an Accident
No Other Choice
The Secret Agent
Sentimental Value
Sirat
The Voice of Hind Rajab

GOLDEN GLOBE FOR CINEMATIC & BOX OFFICE ACHIEVEMENT
Avatar: Fire and Ash
F1: The Movie
KPop Demon Hunters
Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning
Sinners
Weapons
Wicked: For Good
Zootopia 2

Holidays on the Lens: Christmas Reservations (dir by Deanne Foley)


Melissa Joan Hart — Sabrina! — plays the events coordinator at a ski lodge in this 2019 Christmas movie.  It’s the holiday season and the everyone wants to go skiing …. including her ex-boyfriend!

I like this film.  It has nice scenery, it has holiday cheer, it has Ted McGinley, and it has Melissa Joan Hart.  It has all the necessary ingredients for a fun Lifetime holiday film.

Join #MondayMania For Mommy, I Didn’t Do It!


Hi, everyone!  Tonight, on twitter, I will be hosting one of my favorite films for #MondayMania!  Join us for 2017’s Mommy, I Didn’t Do It!

You can find the movie on Prime and then you can join us on twitter at 9 pm central time!  (That’s 10 pm for you folks on the East Coast.)  See you then!

4 Shots From 4 Films: Special Richard Fleischer Edition


4 Or More Shots From 4 Or More Films is just what it says it is, 4 shots from 4 of our favorite films. As opposed to the reviews and recaps that we usually post, 4 Shots From 4 Films lets the visuals do the talking!

Director Richard Fleischer was born 109 years ago today.

4 Shots From 4 Richard Fleischer Films

Fantastic Voyage (1966, directed by Richard Fleischer)

Soylent Green (1973, directed by Richard Fleischer)

Mr. Majestyk (1974, directed by Richard Fleischer)

Red Sonja (1985, directed by Richard Fleischer)

Monday Live Tweet Alert: Join Us for Riot!


As some of our regular readers undoubtedly know, I am involved in hosting a few weekly live tweets on twitter and occasion ally Mastodon.  I host #FridayNightFlix every Friday, I co-host #ScarySocial on Saturday, and I am one of the five hosts of Mastodon’s #MondayActionMovie!  Every week, we get together.  We watch a movie.  We snark our way through it.

Tonight, for #MondayActionMovie, the film will be 1996’s Riot!

It should make for a night of fun viewing and I invite all of you to join in.  If you want to join the live tweets, just hop onto Mastodon, pull up Riot on YouTube, start the movie at 8 pm et, and use the #MondayActionMovie hashtag!

Enjoy!

 

Here Are The 2025 Nominations of the St. Louis Film Critics Association


Here are the wonderfully quirky 2025 nominations of the St. Lous Film Critics Association!  Thank you, St. Louis, for thinking outside the box.

BEST FILM
Frankenstein
Hamnet
It Was Just an Accident
Marty Supreme
One Battle After Another
The Phoenician Scheme
The Secret Agent
Sinners
Superman
Weapons

BEST DIRECTOR
Paul Thomas Anderson – “One Battle After Another”
Ryan Coogler – “Sinners”
Jafar Panahi – “It Was Just an Accident”
Josh Safdie – “Marty Supreme”
Chloe Zhao – “Hamnet”

BEST ACTRESS
Jessie Buckley – “Hamnet”
Rose Byrne – “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You”
Chase Infiniti – “One Battle After Another”
Amanda Seyfried – “The Testament of Ann Lee”
Emma Stone – “Bugonia”

BEST ACTOR
Timothee Chalamet – “Marty Supreme”
Leonardo DiCaprio – “One Battle After Another”
Ethan Hawke – “Blue Moon”
Michael B. Jordan – “Sinners”
Wagner Moura – “The Secret Agent”

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Glenn Close – “Wake Up Dead Man”
Elle Fanning – “Sentimental Value”
Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas – “Sentimental Value”
Amy Madigan – “Weapons”
Teyana Taylor – “One Battle After Another”

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Benecio del Toro – “One Battle After Another”
Paul Mescal – “Hamnet”
Sean Penn – “One Battle After Another”
Andrew Scott – “Blue Moon”
Stellan Skarsgard – “Sentimental Value”

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Frankenstein
Hamnet
One Battle After Another
Train Dreams
Wake Up Dead Man

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Blue Moon
It Was Just an Accident
Marty Supreme
Sinners
Sorry, Baby
Weapons

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Frankenstein
Hamnet
One Battle After Another
Sinners
Train Dreams

BEST COSTUME DESIGN
Frankenstein
Hamnet
Sinners
The Testament of Ann Lee
Wicked: For Good

BEST EDITING
F1
A House of Dynamite
Marty Supreme
One Battle After Another
Sinners

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
Frankenstein
Hamnet
The Phoenician Scheme
Sinners
Wicked: For Good

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
Frankenstein
Hamnet
One Battle After Another
Sinners
The Testament of Ann Lee

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
Avatar: Fire and Ash
F1
Sinners
Superman
Tron: Ares

BEST SOUNDTRACK
KPop Demon Hunters
Marty Supreme
Sinners
Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere
Wicked: For Good

BEST VOCAL PERFORMANCE

Arden Cho – “KPop Demon Hunters”
Ginnifer Goodwin – “Zootopia 2”
Damian Lewis – “Orwell: 2+2=5”
Will Patton – “Train Dreams”
Scarlet Sher – “Weapons”

BEST ANIMATED FILM
Arco
Elio
KPop Demon Hunters
Ne Zha II
Zootopia 2

BEST ENSEMBLE

Black Bag
Hamnet
A House of Dynamite
One Battle After Another
Sinners

BEST HORROR FILM
28 Years Later
Companion
Frankenstein
Sinners
Weapons

BEST STUNTS
Ballerina
F1
Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning
One Battle After Another
Warfare

BEST COMEDY FILM
Eephus
Friendship
Good Fortune
The Naked Gun
The Phoenician Scheme

BEST ACTION FILM
F1
Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning
One Battle After Another
Superman
Warfare

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
2000 Meters to Andriivka
Afternoons of Solitude
Deaf President Now
Orwell: 2+2=5
The Perfect Neighbor

BEST INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM
It Was Just an Accident
No Other Choice
The Secret Agent
Sentimental Value
Sirāt

BEST FIRST FEATURE FILM
Emilie Blichfeldt – “The Ugly Stepsister”
Andrew DeYoung – “Friendship”
Drew Hancock – “Companion”
Carson Lund – “Eephus”
Eva Victor – “Sorry, Baby”

BEST SCENE
The Globe theatrical production in “Hamnet”
Finale in “It Was Just an Accident”
Music evolution “I Lied to You” in “Sinners”
Baktan Cross Car Chase Scene in “One Battle After Another”
The fate of Aunt Gladys in “Weapons”

Sinners Wins In Washington!


The Washington DC Area Film Critics Association have announced their picks for the best of 2025!  The winners are in bold!

Film
Hamnet
Marty Supreme
One Battle After Another
Sentimental Value
Sinners

Director
Paul Thomas Anderson – One Battle After Another
Ryan Coogler – Sinners
Jafar Panahi – It Was Just an Accident
Josh Safdie – Marty Supreme
Chloé Zhao – Hamnet

Actor
Timothée Chalamet – Marty Supreme
Leonardo DiCaprio – One Battle After Another
Joel Edgerton – Train Dreams
Ethan Hawke – Blue Moon
Michael B. Jordan – Sinners

Actress
Jessie Buckley – Hamnet
Rose Byrne – If I Had Legs I’d Kick You
Cynthia Erivo – Wicked: For Good
Chase Infiniti – One Battle After Another
Renate Reinsve – Sentimental Value

Supporting Actor
Benicio del Toro – One Battle After Another
Jacob Elordi – Frankenstein
Delroy Lindo – Sinners
Sean Penn – One Battle After Another
Stellan Skarsgård – Sentimental Value

Supporting Actress
Ariana Grande – Wicked: For Good
Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas – Sentimental Value
Amy Madigan – Weapons
Wunmi Mosaku – Sinners
Teyana Taylor – One Battle After Another

Youth Performance
Miles Caton – Sinners
Cary Christopher – Weapons
Shannon Mahina Gorman – Rental Family
Jacobi Jupe – Hamnet
Mason Thames – How to Train Your Dragon
Nina Ye – Left-Handed Girl

Voice Performance
Jason Bateman – Zootopia 2
Arden Cho – KPop Demon Hunters
Ginnifer Goodwin – Zootopia 2
Yonas Kibreab – Elio
Ke Huy Quan – Zootopia 2

Motion Capture Performance
Oona Chaplin – Avatar: Fire And Ash
Stephen Lang – Avatar: Fire And Ash
Zoe Saldaña – Avatar: Fire And Ash
Sigourney Weaver – Avatar: Fire And Ash
Sam Worthington – Avatar: Fire And Ash

Ensemble
Hamnet
It Was Just an Accident
Marty Supreme
One Battle After Another
Sentimental Value
Sinners
Wake Up Dead Man

Original Screenplay
It Was Just an Accident
Marty Supreme
Sentimental Value
Sinners
Weapons

Adapted Screenplay
Bugonia
Frankenstein
Hamnet
One Battle After Another
Train Dreams

Animated Film
Arco
Elio
KPop Demon Hunters
Little Amélie Or The Character Of Rain
Zootopia 2

Production Design
The Fantastic Four: First Steps
Frankenstein
Hamnet
Sinners
Wicked: For Good

Cinematography
Frankenstein
Marty Supreme
One Battle After Another
Sinners
Train Dreams

Editing
F1: The Movie
Hamnet
Marty Supreme
One Battle After Another
Sinners

Score
Frankenstein
Hamnet
Marty Supreme
One Battle After Another
Sinners

Joe Barber Award for Portrayal of Washington, DC
Anniversary
Captain America: Brave New World
A House of Dynamite
Nuremberg
Thunderbolts

Stunts
F1: The Movie
Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning
One Battle After Another
Sinners
Superman

Documentary
Come See Me in the Good Light
The Librarians
Orwell: 2+2=5
The Perfect Neighbor
Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk

Foreign Language Film
It Was Just an Accident
Left-Handed Girl
No Other Choice
The Secret Agent
Sentimental Value

Why I Love Elf (2003, Dir. by Jon Favreau)


I love Elf!

I’m an adult and I learned the truth about Santa Claus a long time ago but I still put up the tree the day after Thanksgiving, still hang stockings with the names of my sisters on them, and I still get excited when I see the Christmas lights going up across the neighborhood.  I am unapologetically, deliriously in love with Christmas. And every single year, without fail, I curl up with the same worn-out blanket, the same bowl of freshly-popped popcorn, and I watch Elf.  I don’t watch it because it’s cool or ironic.  I watch it because it’s as unabashedly in love with Christmas as I am.

The older you get, the more cynical the world wants you to be about everything.  Elf doesn’t have time for cynicism.  Will Ferrell plays Buddy, a human who was raised by Santa’s elves and who goes to New York City to find his real father (James Caan) and who never loses his innocence and Christmas spirit, no matter what the world throws at him.  Buddy isn’t dumb, not really.  He’s someone who still believes in giving and celebration and love.  When he tells the fake Santa that he sits on a throne of lies, he’s not trying to make trouble.  Buddy knows the real Santa and he’s not going to let some fake in a beard steal the credit for his work.  (Especially when he’s played by Artie Lange!) Buddy is ridiculous. He’s too tall, too loud, too earnest, too everything. He puts maple syrup on spaghetti and calls it gourmet. He spins in revolving doors until he’s dizzy with joy.  Everyone should be as lucky as Buddy.  Everyone should be as filled with joy and wonder as Buddy.  Buddy doesn’t let the world get him down but, even more importantly, he never loses his belief.  Just as Linus will always wait for the Great Pumpkin, Buddy will always believe that Santa is coming.

This is my favorite Will Ferrell performance.  The way he throws himself into every moment makes me smile every time.  But I like everyone in this film, from Bob Newhart as Buddy’s adopted father to James Caan as his real father to Ed Asner as Santa.  When Zooey Deschanel starts singing Santa Claus Is Coming To Town, I feel it in my heart because I believe it.  Elf believes it too, without apology.  That’s what makes Elf a great movie.

I’m an adult.  I’ve been an adult for a while.  I still love Elf and I always will!