One Battle After Another Wins In San Francisco


Last night, the San Francisco Bay Area Film Critics Circle announced their picks for the best of 2025.  The winners and runner-up are in bold.

Best Picture
Hamnet
One Battle After Another (WINNER)
Sentimental Value
Sinners (RUNNER-UP)
Train Dreams

Best Director
Hamnet – Chloé Zhao
It Was Just An Accident – Jafar Panahi
One Battle After Another – Paul Thomas Anderson (WINNER)
Sentimental Value – Joachim Trier
Sinners – Ryan Coogler (RUNNER-UP)

Best Original Screenplay
Sinners – Ryan Coogler (RUNNER-UP)
Sentimental Value – Eskil Vogt, Joachim Trier (WINNER)
Sorry, Baby – Eva Victor
It Was Just An Accident – Jafar Panahi
Weapons – Zach Cregger

Best Adapted Screenplay
Bugonia
Hamnet
No Other Choice
One Battle After Another (WINNER)
Train Dreams (RUNNER-UP)

Best Actor
Leonardo DiCaprio – One Battle After Another (RUNNER-UP)
Joel Edgerton – Train Dreams
Ethan Hawke – Blue Moon (WINNER)
Michael B. Jordan – Sinners
Wagner Moura – The Secret Agent

Best Actress
Jessie Buckley – Hamnet (RUNNER-UP)
Rose Byrne – If I Had Legs I’d Kick You (WINNER)
Renate Reinsve – Sentimental Value
Emma Stone – Bugonia
Eva Victor – Sorry, Baby

Best Supporting Actor
Benicio Del Toro – One Battle After Another (WINNER)
Jacob Elordi – Frankenstein
Paul Mescal – Hamnet
Sean Penn – One Battle After Another
Stellan Skarsgård – Sentimental Value (RUNNER-UP)

Best Supporting Actress
Elle Fanning – Sentimental Value
Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas – Sentimental Value (RUNNER-UP)
Amy Madigan – Weapons (WINNER)
Wunmi Mosaku – Sinners
Teyana Taylor – One Battle After Another

Best Animated Feature
Arco
Elio
KPop Demon Hunters (WINNER)
Little Amélie Or The Character Of Rain
Zootopia 2 (RUNNER-UP)

Best International Feature Film
It Was Just An Accident (WINNER)
No Other Choice
The Secret Agent
Sentimental Value (RUNNER-UP)
Sirat

Best Documentary Feature
The Alabama Solution (RUNNER-UP)
Come See Me In The Good Light
Orwell: 2+2=5 (WINNER)
The Perfect Neighbor
Riefenstahl

Best Cinematography
Frankenstein – Dan Laustsen
Hamnet – Łukasz Żal
One Battle After Another – Michael Bauman
Sinners – Autumn Durald Arkapaw (WINNER)
Train Dreams – Adolpho Veloso (RUNNER-UP)

Best Production Design
Frankenstein – Tamara Deverell (RUNNER-UP)
Hamnet – Fiona Crombie
Marty Supreme – Jack Fisk
One Battle After Another – Florencia Martin
Sinners – Hannah Beachler (WINNER)

Best Film Editing
A House Of Dynamite – Kirk Baxter
F1 – Stephen Mirrione
Marty Supreme – Ronald Bronstein, Josh Safdie
One Battle After Another – Andy Jurgensen (WINNER)
Sinners – Michael P. Shawver (RUNNER-UP)

Best Original Score
Bugonia – Jerskin Fendrix
Frankenstein – Alexandre Desplat
One Battle After Another – Jonny Greenwood (RUNNER-UP)
Sinners – Ludwig Göransson (WINNER)
Train Dreams – Bryce Dessner

Special Citation for Independent Cinema
Brother Verses Brother (RUNNER-UP)
The Encampments
Happyend
Twinless (WINNER)

The Marlon Riggs Award (Goes to someone from or working in the Bay Area)
Karen Larsen – Publicist and Academy member who tirelessly advocates for independent film and giving local people opportunities that build careers beyond the Bay

One Battle After Another Gets Another Win In St. Louis


The St. Louis Film Critics Association has announced its picks for the best of 2025.  The winners are listed in bold.

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”

Here are the 2025 nominations of the San Francisco Bay Area Film Critics Circle


Here are the 2025 nominations of the San Francisco Bay Area Film Critics Circle.

Best Picture
Hamnet
One Battle After Another
Sentimental Value
Sinners
Train Dreams

Best Director
Hamnet – Chloé Zhao
It Was Just An Accident – Jafar Panahi
One Battle After Another – Paul Thomas Anderson
Sentimental Value – Joachim Trier
Sinners – Ryan Coogler

Best Original Screenplay
Sinners – Ryan Coogler
Sentimental Value – Eskil Vogt, Joachim Trier
Sorry, Baby – Eva Victor
It Was Just An Accident – Jafar Panahi
Weapons – Zach Cregger

Best Adapted Screenplay
Bugonia
Hamnet
No Other Choice
One Battle After Another
Train Dreams

Best Actor
Leonardo DiCaprio – One Battle After Another
Joel Edgerton – Train Dreams
Ethan Hawke – Blue Moon
Michael B. Jordan – Sinners
Wagner Moura – The Secret Agent

Best Actress
Jessie Buckley – Hamnet
Rose Byrne – If I Had Legs I’d Kick You
Renate Reinsve – Sentimental Value
Emma Stone – Bugonia
Eva Victor – Sorry, Baby

Best Supporting Actor
Benicio Del Toro – One Battle After Another
Jacob Elordi – Frankenstein
Paul Mescal – Hamnet
Sean Penn – One Battle After Another
Stellan Skarsgård – Sentimental Value

Best Supporting Actress
Elle Fanning – Sentimental Value
Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas – Sentimental Value
Amy Madigan – Weapons
Wunmi Mosaku – Sinners
Teyana Taylor – One Battle After Another

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

Best International Feature Film
It Was Just An Accident
No Other Choice
The Secret Agent
Sentimental Value
Sirat

Best Documentary Feature
The Alabama Solution
Come See Me In The Good Light
Orwell: 2+2=5
The Perfect Neighbor
Riefenstahl

Best Cinematography
Frankenstein – Dan Laustsen
Hamnet – Łukasz Żal
One Battle After Another – Michael Bauman
Sinners – Autumn Durald Arkapaw
Train Dreams – Adolpho Veloso

Best Production Design
Frankenstein – Tamara Deverell
Hamnet – Fiona Crombie
Marty Supreme – Jack Fisk
One Battle After Another – Florencia Martin
Sinners – Hannah Beachler

Best Film Editing
A House Of Dynamite – Kirk Baxter
F1 – Stephen Mirrione
Marty Supreme – Ronald Bronstein, Josh Safdie
One Battle After Another – Andy Jurgensen
Sinners – Michael P. Shawver

Best Original Score
Bugonia – Jerskin Fendrix
Frankenstein – Alexandre Desplat
One Battle After Another – Jonny Greenwood
Sinners – Ludwig Göransson
Train Dreams – Bryce Dessner

Special Citation for Independent Cinema
Brother Verses Brother
The Encampments
Happyend
Twinless

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

Here are the nominations of the Washington DC Area Film Critics Association!


Here are the nominations of the Washington DC Area Film Critics Association!

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

Here Are The 2025 Critics Choice Nominations


The nominations for the Critics Choice Awards — a.k.a. the most pointless awards of the season — were announced on Friday.  The winners will be announced on January 4th.

BEST PICTURE
Bugonia (Focus Features)
Frankenstein (Netflix)
Hamnet (Focus Features)
Jay Kelly (Netflix)
Marty Supreme (A24)
One Battle After Another (Warner Bros.)
Sentimental Value (Neon)
Sinners (Warner Bros.)
Train Dreams (Netflix)
Wicked: For Good (Universal Pictures)

BEST ACTOR
Timothée Chalamet – Marty Supreme (A24)
Leonardo DiCaprio – One Battle After Another (Warner Bros.)
Joel Edgerton – Train Dreams (Netflix)
Ethan Hawke – Blue Moon (Sony Pictures Classics)
Michael B. Jordan – Sinners (Warner Bros.)
Wagner Moura – The Secret Agent (Neon)

BEST ACTRESS
Jessie Buckley – Hamnet (Focus Features)
Rose Byrne – If I Had Legs I’d Kick You (A24)
Chase Infiniti – One Battle After Another (Warner Bros.)
Renate Reinsve – Sentimental Value (Neon)
Amanda Seyfried – The Testament of Ann Lee (Searchlight Pictures)
Emma Stone – Bugonia (Focus Features)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Benicio del Toro – One Battle After Another (Warner Bros.)
Jacob Elordi – Frankenstein (Netflix)
Paul Mescal – Hamnet (Focus Features)
Sean Penn – One Battle After Another (Warner Bros.)
Adam Sandler – Jay Kelly (Netflix)
Stellan Skarsgård – Sentimental Value (Neon)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Elle Fanning – Sentimental Value (Neon)
Ariana Grande – Wicked: For Good (Universal Pictures)
Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas – Sentimental Value (Neon)
Amy Madigan – Weapons (Warner Bros.)
Wunmi Mosaku – Sinners (Warner Bros.)
Teyana Taylor – One Battle After Another (Warner Bros.)

BEST YOUNG ACTOR / ACTRESS
Everett Blunck – The Plague (Independent Film Company)
Miles Caton – Sinners (Warner Bros.)
Cary Christopher – Weapons (Warner Bros.)
Shannon Mahina Gorman – Rental Family (Searchlight Pictures)
Jacobi Jupe – Hamnet (Focus Features)
Nina Ye – Left-Handed Girl (Netflix)

BEST DIRECTOR
Paul Thomas Anderson – One Battle After Another (Warner Bros.)
Ryan Coogler – Sinners (Warner Bros.)
Guillermo del Toro – Frankenstein (Netflix)
Josh Safdie – Marty Supreme (A24)
Joachim Trier – Sentimental Value (Neon)
Chloé Zhao – Hamnet (Focus Features)

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Noah Baumbach, Emily Mortimer – Jay Kelly (Netflix)
Ronald Bronstein, Josh Safdie – Marty Supreme (A24)
Ryan Coogler – Sinners (Warner Bros.)
Zach Cregger – Weapons (Warner Bros.)
Eva Victor – Sorry, Baby (A24)
Eskil Vogt, Joachim Trier – Sentimental Value (Neon)

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Paul Thomas Anderson – One Battle After Another (Warner Bros.)
Clint Bentley, Greg Kwedar – Train Dreams (Netflix)
Park Chan-wook, Lee Kyoung-mi, Don Mckellar, Jahye Lee – No Other Choice (Neon)
Guillermo del Toro – Frankenstein (Netflix)
Will Tracy – Bugonia (Focus Features)
Chloé Zhao, Maggie O’Farrell – Hamnet (Focus Features)

BEST CASTING AND ENSEMBLE
Nina Gold – Hamnet (Focus Features)
Douglas Aibel, Nina Gold – Jay Kelly (Netflix)
Jennifer Venditti – Marty Supreme (A24)
Cassandra Kulukundis – One Battle After Another (Warner Bros.)
Francine Maisler – Sinners (Warner Bros.)
Tiffany Little Canfield, Bernard Telsey – Wicked: For Good (Universal Pictures)

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Claudio Miranda – F1 (Apple Original Films)
Dan Laustsen – Frankenstein (Netflix)
Łukasz Żal – Hamnet (Focus Features)
Michael Bauman – One Battle After Another (Warner Bros.)
Autumn Durald Arkapaw – Sinners (Warner Bros.)
Adolpho Veloso – Train Dreams (Netflix)

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
Kasra Farahani, Jille Azis – The Fantastic Four: First Steps (Marvel Studios)
Tamara Deverell, Shane Vieau – Frankenstein (Netflix)
Fiona Crombie, Alice Felton – Hamnet (Focus Features)
Jack Fisk, Adam Willis – Marty Supreme (A24)
Hannah Beachler, Monique Champagne – Sinners (Warner Bros.)
Nathan Crowley, Lee Sandales – Wicked: For Good (Universal Pictures)

BEST EDITING
Kirk Baxter – A House of Dynamite (Netflix)
Stephen Mirrione – F1 (Apple Original Films)
Ronald Bronstein, Josh Safdie – Marty Supreme (A24)
Andy Jurgensen – One Battle After Another (Warner Bros.)
Viridiana Lieberman – The Perfect Neighbor (Netflix)
Michael P. Shawver – Sinners (Warner Bros.)

BEST COSTUME DESIGN
Kate Hawley – Frankenstein (Netflix)
Malgosia Turzanska – Hamnet (Focus Features)
Lindsay Pugh – Hedda (Amazon MGM Studios)
Colleen Atwood, Christine Cantella – Kiss of the Spider Woman (Lionsgate/Roadside Attractions)
Ruth E. Carter – Sinners (Warner Bros.)
Paul Tazewell – Wicked: For Good (Universal Pictures)

BEST HAIR AND MAKEUP
Flora Moody, John Nolan – 28 Years Later (Sony Pictures)
Mike Hill, Jordan Samuel, Cliona Furey – Frankenstein (Netflix)
Siân Richards, Ken Diaz, Mike Fontaine, Shunika Terry – Sinners (Warner Bros.)
Kazu Hiro, Felix Fox, Mia Neal – The Smashing Machine (A24)
Leo Satkovich, Melizah Wheat, Jason Collins – Weapons (Warner Bros.)
Frances Hannon, Mark Coulier, Laura Blount – Wicked: For Good (Universal Pictures)

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
Joe Letteri, Richard Baneham, Eric Saindon, Daniel Barrett – Avatar: Fire And Ash (20th Century Studios)
Ryan Tudhope, Nikeah Forde, Robert Harrington, Nicolas Chevallier, Eric Leven, Edward Price, Keith Dawson – F1 (Apple Original Films)
Dennis Berardi, Ayo Burgess, Ivan Busquets, José Granell – Frankenstein (Netflix)
Alex Wuttke, Ian Lowe, Jeff Sutherland, Kirstin Hall – Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning (Paramount Pictures)
Michael Ralla, Espen Nordahl, Guido Wolter, Donnie Dean – Sinners (Warner Bros.)
Stephane Ceretti, Enrico Damm, Stéphane Nazé, Guy Williams – Superman (Warner Bros.)

BEST STUNT DESIGN
Stephen Dunlevy, Kyle Gardiner, Jackson Spidell, Jeremy Marinas, Jan Petřina, Domonkos Párdányi, Kinga Kósa-Gavalda – Ballerina (Lionsgate)
Gary Powell, Luciano Bacheta, Craig Dolby – F1 (Apple Original Films)
Wade Eastwood – Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning (Paramount Pictures)
Brian Machleit – One Battle After Another (Warner Bros.)
Andy Gill – Sinners (Warner Bros.)
Giedrius Nagys – Warfare (A24)

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
Arco (Neon)
Elio (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)
In Your Dreams (Netflix)
KPop Demon Hunters (Netflix)
Little Amélie Or The Character Of Rain (GKIDS)
Zootopia 2 (Walt Disney Animation Studios)

BEST COMEDY
The Ballad of Wallis Island (Focus Features)
Eternity (A24)
Friendship (A24)
The Naked Gun (Paramount)
The Phoenician Scheme (Focus Features)
Splitsville (Neon)

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
Belén (Amazon MGM Studios)
It Was Just an Accident (Neon)
Left-Handed Girl (Netflix)
No Other Choice (Neon)
The Secret Agent (Neon)
Sirāt (Neon)

BEST SONG
“Drive” – Ed Sheeran, John Mayer, Blake Slatkin – F1 (Apple Original Films)
“Golden” – Ejae, Mark Sonnenblick, Ido, 24, Teddy – KPop Demon Hunters (Netflix)
“I Lied to You” – Raphael Saadiq, Ludwig Göransson – Sinners (Warner Bros.)
“Clothed by the Sun” – Daniel Blumberg – The Testament of Ann Lee (Searchlight Pictures)
“Train Dreams” – Nick Cave, Bryce Dessner – Train Dreams (Netflix)
“The Girl in the Bubble” – Stephen Schwartz – Wicked: For Good (Universal Pictures)

BEST SCORE
Hans Zimmer – F1 (Apple Original Films)
Alexandre Desplat – Frankenstein (Netflix)
Max Richter – Hamnet (Focus Features)
Daniel Lopatin – Marty Supreme (A24)
Jonny Greenwood – One Battle After Another (Warner Bros.)
Ludwig Göransson – Sinners (Warner Bros.)

BEST SOUND
Al Nelson, Gwendolyn Yates Whittle, Gary A. Rizzo, Juan Peralta, Gareth John – F1 (Apple Original Films)
Nathan Robitaille, Nelson Ferreira, Christian Cooke, Brad Zoern, Greg Chapman – Frankenstein (Netflix)
Jose Antonio Garcia, Christopher Scarabosio, Tony Villaflor – One Battle After Another (Warner Bros.)
Chris Welcker, Benny Burtt, Brandon Proctor, Steve Boeddeker, Felipe Pacheco, David V. Butler – Sinners (Warner Bros.)
Laia Casanovas – Sirāt (Neon)
Mitch Low, Glenn Freemantle, Ben Barker, Howard Bargroff, Richard Spooner – Warfare (A24)

Horror Review: A House of Dynamite (dir. by Kathryn Bigelow)


“So it’s a fucking coin toss? That’s what 50 billion dollars buys us?” — Secretary of Defense Reid Baker

The end of the Cold War was supposed to close a chapter of fear. With the superpowers stepping back from the brink, the world briefly believed it had entered an era of stability. Yet that promise never held. The weapons remained, the rivalries adapted, and the global machinery of deterrence continued to hum beneath the surface. Kathryn Bigelow’s A House of Dynamite faces this reality head-on, transforming the mechanics of modern nuclear defense into something unnervingly human. On the surface, it plays as a high-tension political technothriller, but beneath that precision lies a deeply existential horror film—one built not on shadows or monsters, but on daylight, competence, and the narrow margins of human fallibility.

The premise is piercingly simple. An unidentified missile is detected over the Pacific. Analysts assume it’s a test or a glitch—another false alarm in a world overflowing with them. But within minutes, as conflicting data streams converge, what seemed routine begins to look real. The film unfolds in real time over twenty excruciating minutes, charting the reactions of those charged with interpreting and responding to the potential catastrophe. Bigelow divides the film into three interwoven perspectives: the White House Situation Room, the missile intercept base at Fort Greely, and the President’s mobile command aboard Marine One. The structure allows tension to grow from every direction at once, each perspective magnifying the other until the screen feels ready to collapse under its own pressure.

Capt. Olivia Walker (Rebecca Ferguson), commanding officer of the Situation Room, anchors the story with calm professionalism that gradually frays into disbelief. Ferguson’s performance is clear-eyed and tightly modulated—precise, disciplined, and quietly devastating. She stands as the rational center inside chaos, her composure the last gesture of control in a world that no longer follows reason.

Over her is Adm. Mark Miller (Jason Clarke), Director of the Situation Room, who represents the institutional embodiment of confidence. Clarke plays him with methodical restraint, a man who trusts procedure long after it stops earning trust. Miller’s authority is both comforting and horrifying: a portrait of leadership built on ritual rather than certainty.

At Fort Greely, Anthony Ramos brings an intimate immediacy as the officer charged with the missile intercept. His scenes hum with kinetic dread—the physical execution of decisions made thousands of miles away. Through him, the film captures the most primal kind of fear: acting when hesitation could mean extinction, knowing that success and failure are separated only by chance.

The President, portrayed by Idris Elba, spends much of the crisis in motion—first within the cocoon of the presidential limousine, and later, aboard Marine One as it carves through blinding daylight. Elba gives a performance of subtle, steady erosion. At first, he embodies unshakeable calm, a figure of poise and authority; but as the situation deepens, his steadiness wanes. Words become shorter, pauses longer. Every decision carries consequences too vast for resolution. It is a measured, understated portrait of power giving way to human uncertainty.

Bigelow’s direction is stripped of ornament and focused on precision. Barry Ackroyd’s cinematography heightens the claustrophobia of command centers—the sterile light, the reflective glass, the sense that every surface observes its occupants—while his exterior scenes pierce with harsh brightness, suggesting that no sanctuary exists under full exposure. Kirk Baxter’s editing maintains an unrelenting pulse, cutting with mathematical precision while preserving the eerie stillness of the moments where no one dares to speak.

​A House of Dynamite also shows how even with the most competent experts—military, intelligence, and political—working to manage an escalating crisis, there is no path to victory. The professionals at every level stop seeking to prevent the worst and instead focus on saving what they can when the worst becomes inevitable. The film’s scariest revelation is not the potential for destruction, but the paralysis that intelligence creates. If the brightest, most disciplined people in the world cannot find an answer, what happens when power falls into the hands of those less prepared or less rational? In its quiet way, the film poses that question that we see more and more each day on the news and on social media and we are left with silence and realization of the horror of it all.

Despite its precision, the film isn’t without flaws. Bigelow’s triptych structure—cutting between the three perspectives—works brilliantly to escalate tension, yet the repetition of similar beats slightly blunts the impact. Each segment revisits the same crisis rhythms—a data discrepancy, an argument over authority, another uncertain update—sometimes slowing the natural momentum. While the repetition underlines the futility of bureaucratic systems in chaos, the transitions don’t flow as fluidly as the rest of the film’s airtight craftsmanship. The result is a film that is gripping overall, occasionally uneven in rhythm, but never less than absorbing.

When the final minutes arrive, Bigelow declines to deliver resolution. No mushroom clouds, no catharsis. The President sits in Marine One, head down with the weight of the world on his shoulders as he contemplates his options in the Black Book (options in how to retaliate) and knowing that he has no good choices in front of him. The world remains suspended between survival and oblivion, and the silence that follows feels heavier than sound. The ending resists closure because endings, in the nuclear age, are an illusion—the fear continues no matter what happens next.

In a year crowded with strong horror releases—SinnersWeapons, The Long Walk and Frankenstein among them—A House of Dynamite stands apart. Dressed in the crisp realism of a technothriller, it’s a horror film defined by procedure, light, and silence. Bigelow builds terror from competence, from the steady voices and confident gestures of people trying to manage the unmanageable. This is not the chaos of fiction but the dread of reality, a reminder that the systems meant to preserve and protect might one day fail to deliver on its promise. For all its precision and restraint, A House of Dynamite shakes in the memory long after it ends—the year’s most quietly terrifying film.

Nuclear Close Calls: The situation and question brought up in the film has basis in history as there has been many instances of close calls and false alarms. The film itself doesn’t confirm that the missile detonated, but the implications in past confirmed events just shows how close the world has been to a completed catastrophe.