The National Board of Review Honors One Battle After Another

Posted on December 3, 2025 by Lisa Marie Bowman

The National Board of Review has spoken. *Yawn*

Best Film: One Battle After Another
Best Director: Paul Thomas Anderson – One Battle After Another
Best Actor: Leonardo DiCaprio – One Battle After Another
Best Actress: Rose Byrne – If I Had Legs I’d Kick You
Best Supporting Actor: Benicio Del Toro – One Battle After Another
Best Supporting Actress: Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas – Sentimental Value
Best Directorial Debut: Eva Victor – Sorry, Baby
Breakthrough Performance: Chase Infiniti – One Battle After Another
Best Original Screenplay: Ryan Coogler – Sinners
Best Adapted Screenplay: Clint Bentley and Greg Kwedar – Train Dreams
Best Animated Feature: Arco
Best International Film: It Was Just an Accident
Best Documentary: Cover-Up
Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography: Autumn Durald Arkapaw – Sinners
Outstanding Achievement in Stunt Artistry: Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning
NBR Freedom of Expression Award: Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk

TOP FILMS (in alphabetical order)
Avatar: Fire and Ash
F1
Frankenstein
Jay Kelly
Marty Supreme
Rental Family
Sinners
Train Dreams
Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery
Wicked: For Good

TOP 5 INTERNATIONAL FILMS (in alphabetical order)
Left-Handed Girl
The Love That Remains
The Secret Agent
Sentimental Value
Sirāt

TOP 5 DOCUMENTARIES (in alphabetical order)
2000 Meters to Andriivka
Come See Me in the Good Light
My Mom Jayne
Natchez
Orwell: 2+2=5

TOP 10 INDEPENDENT FILMS (in alphabetical order)
The Baltimorons
Bring Her Back
Father Mother Sister Brother
Friendship
Good Boy
If I Had Legs I’d Kick You
The Mastermind
Rebuilding
Sorry, Baby
Urchin

One Battle After Another Wins In Atlanta

Posted on December 3, 2025 by Lisa Marie Bowman

I’m getting the feeling this is going to be a boring awards season. The Atlanta Film Critics Circle has announced its picks for the best of 2025 and One Battle After Another won …. again. And that’s fine! It’s just that, from a blogging point of view, I always prefer an unpredictable season to a predictable one.

Anyway, here are the winners in Atlanta!

BEST FILM: One Battle After Another

TOP 10 FILMS (ranked):

One Battle After Another
Sinners
Weapons
Hamnet
Marty Supreme
It Was Just an Accident
No Other Choice
Sentimental Value
Train Dreams
The Secret Agent

BEST LEAD ACTOR: Leonardo DiCaprio, One Battle After Another
Runner-up: Michael B. Jordan, Sinners

BEST LEAD ACTRESS: Jessie Buckley, Hamnet
Runner-up: Rose Byrne, If I Had Legs I’d Kick You

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Benicio del Toro, One Battle After Another
Runner-up: Sean Penn, One Battle After Another

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Amy Madigan, Weapons
Runner-up: Teyana Taylor, One Battle After Another

BEST ENSEMBLE CAST: One Battle After Another
Runner-up: Sinners

BEST DIRECTOR: Paul Thomas Anderson, One Battle After Another
Runner-up: Ryan Coogler, Sinners

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: Sinners
Runner-up: Weapons

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: One Battle After Another
Runner-up: Hamnet

BEST DOCUMENTARY: The Perfect Neighbor
Runner-up: The Alabama Solution

BEST INTERNATIONAL FEATURE: It Was Just an Accident
Runner-up: No Other Choice

BEST ANIMATED FILM: KPop Demon Hunters
Runner-up: Arco

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY: One Battle After Another
Runner-up: Sinners

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE: Sinners
Runner-up: One Battle After Another

BEST STUNT WORK: Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning
Runner-up: F1

BEST VOICE PERFORMANCE: Arden Cho, KPop Demon Hunters
Runner-up: Jason Bateman, Zootopia 2

BEST BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE: Chase Infiniti, One Battle After Another

BEST FIRST FEATURE: Eva Victor, Sorry, Baby

The New York Film Critics Circle Honors One Battle After Another

Posted on December 2, 2025 by Lisa Marie Bowman

The New York Film Critics Circle has announced its picks for the best of 2025. And here they are:

Best Film: One Battle After Another

Best Actress: Rose Byrne, If I Had Legs I’d Kick You

Best Director: Jafar Panahi, It Was Just An Accident

Best Screenplay: Marty Supreme

Best Actor: Wagner Moura, The Secret Agent

Cinematography: Sinners

Supporting Actress: Amy Madigan, Weapons

Best Non-Fiction Film: My Undesirable Friends: Part I – Last Air in Moscow

Best Animated Film: KPop Demon Hunters

Best First Film: Eephus

Best Supporting Actor: Benicio Del Toro, One Battle After Another

Best International Film: The Secret Agent

Lisa Marie’s Oscar Predictions For October

Posted on October 31, 2025 by Lisa Marie Bowman

Really? Oscar predictions on Halloween night?

Eh. Why not?

Click here for my April and May and June and July and August and September predictions!

Best Picture

Hamnet

It Was Just An Accident

Jay Kelly

Marty Supreme

One Battle After Another

Sentimental Value

Sinners

The Smashing Machine

Train Dreams

Wicked For Good

Best Director

Paul Thomas Anderson for One Battle After Another

Ryan Coogler for Sinners

Benny Safdie for The Smashing Machine

Joachim Trier for Sentimental Value

Chloe Zhao for Hamnet

Best Actor

Timothee Chalamet in Marty Supreme

Joel Edgerton in Train Dreams

Ethan Hawke in Blue Moon

Dwayne Johnson in The Smashing Machine

Wagner Moura in The Secret Agent

Best Actress

Jessie Buckley in Hamnet

Cynthia Erivo in Wicked For Good

Kate Hudson in Song Sung Blue

Renate Reinsve in Sentimental Valure

Sydney Sweeney in Christy

Best Supporting Actor

Benicio del Toro in One Battle After Another

Jacob Elordi in Frankenstein

Paul Mescal in Hamnet

Adam Sandler in Jay Kelly

Stellan Skarsgard in Sentimental Value

Best Supporting Actress

Emily Blunt in The Smashing Machine

Elle Fanning in Sentimental Value

Ariana Grande in Wicked For Good

Regina Hall in One Battle After Another

Amy Madigan in Weapons

Lisa Marie’s Way Too Early Oscar Predictions For July

Posted on July 31, 2025 by Lisa Marie Bowman

As July comes to a close, the Oscar picture is still pretty fuzzy. To be honest, it’s hard to get that excited about any of the contenders that have been mentioned. It all pretty much sounds like more of the same, with the exception of Sinners.

Anyway, with that inspiring introduction out of the way, here are my predictions for July.

Click here for my April and May and June predictions!

Best Picture

It Was Just An Accident

Jay Kelly

Nouvelle Vague

Nuremberg

The Secret Agent

Sentimental Value

Sinners

The Smashing Machine

Wicked For Good

Best Director

Jon M. Chu for Wicked For Good

Ryan Coogler for Sinners

Richard Linklater for Nouvelle Vague

Jafar Panahi for It Was Just An Accident

Joachim Trier for Sentimental Value

Best Actor

George Clooney in Jay Kelly

Dwayne Johnson in The Smashing Machine

Michael B. Jordan in Sinners

Wagner Moura in The Secret Agent

Jeremy Allen White in Deliver Me From Nowhere

Best Actress

Cynthia Erivo in Wicked For Good

Jennifer Lawrence in Die My Love

Renate Reinsve in Sentimental Valure

Julia Roberts in After The Hunt

June Squibb in Eleanor The Great

Best Supporting Actor

Miles Caton in Sinners

Russell Crowe in Nuremberg

Adam Sandler in Jay Kelly

Stellan Skarsgard in Sentimental Value

Christoph Waltz in Frankenstein

Best Supporting Actress

Emily Blunt in The Smashing Machine

Ayo Edebiri in After The Hunt

Elle Fanning in Sentimental Value

Ariana Grande in Wicked For Good

Jennifer Lopez in Kiss of the Spider Woman

Lisa Marie’s Way Too Early Oscar Predictions For June

Posted on June 30, 2025 by Lisa Marie Bowman

Click here for my April and May predictions!

Best Picture

Avatar: Fire and Ash

Deliver Me From Nowhere

Hamnet

It Was Just An Accident

The Secret Agent

Sentimental Value

Sinners

The Smashing Machine

Wicked For Good

Best Director

Jon M. Chu for Wicked For Good

Ryan Coogler for Sinners

Joseph Kosinski for F1

Jafar Panahi for It Was Just An Accident

Joachim Trier for Sentimental Value

Best Actor

Timothee Chalamet in Marty Supreme

Dwayne Johnson in The Smashing Machine

Michael B. Jordan in Sinners

Wagner Moura in The Secret Agent

Jeremy Allen White in Deliver Me From Nowhere

Best Actress

Cynthia Erivo in Wicked For Good

Lucy Liu in Rosemead

Renate Reinsve in Sentimental Valure

Amanda Seyfried in Ann Lee

June Squibb in Eleanor The Great

Best Supporting Actor

Miles Caton in Sinners

Colman Domingo in Michael

Paul Mescal in Hamnet

Stellan Skarsgard in Sentimental Value

Christoph Waltz in Frankenstein

Best Supporting Actress

Elle Fanning in Sentimental Value

Ariana Grande in Wicked For Good

Gabby Hofman in Deliver Me From Nowhere

Kate Hudson in Song Song Blue

Nia Long in Michael

Lisa Marie’s Way Too Early Oscar Predictions For May

Posted on May 31, 2025 by Lisa Marie Bowman

We’re taking just a short break from our Eastwood-a-thon so that I can share my Oscar predictions for May.

As I say every month, don’t read too much into anything this early in the year. I do think Sinners has a decent chance of getting nominated, despite being released early in the year. And since Cannes has now emerged as a semi-reliable precursor, you’ll find a lot of this year’s winners mentioned below. That said, in all probability, the actual Oscar nominations will look completely different from what’s below. That’s part of the fun of doing monthly predictions!

I should note that Clint Eastwood is apparently working on another film. Given how quickly he directs, he might be directing this year’s next sudden contender.

Click here for my April predictions!

Best Picture

Avatar: Fire and Ash

Deliver Me From Nowhere

Hamnet

It Was Just An Accident

The Secret Agent

Sentimental Value

Sinners

The Smashing Machine

Wicked For Good

Best Director

Jon M. Chu for Wicked For Good

Ryan Coogler for Sinners

Joseph Kosinski for F1

Jafar Panahi for It Was Just An Accident

Joachim Trier for Sentimental Value

Best Actor

Timothee Chalamet in Marty Supreme

Dwayne Johnson in The Smashing Machine

Michael B. Jordan in Sinners

Wagner Moura in The Secret Agent

Jeremy Allen White in Deliver Me From Nowhere

Best Actress

Cynthia Erivo in Wicked For Good

Lucy Liu in Rosemead

Renate Reinsve in Sentimental Valure

Amanda Seyfried in Ann Lee

June Squibb in Eleanor The Great

Best Supporting Actor

Miles Caton in Sinners

Colman Domingo in Michael

Paul Mescal in Hamnet

Stellan Skarsgard in Sentimental Value

Christoph Waltz in Frankenstein

Best Supporting Actress

Elle Fanning in Sentimental Value

Ariana Grande in Wicked For Good

Gabby Hofman in Deliver Me From Nowhere

Kate Hudson in Song Song Blue

Nia Long in Michael

Here’s What Won At Cannes

Posted on May 24, 2025 by Lisa Marie Bowman

Here’s what won at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. As the Academy’s membership has become more international, Cannes has been transformed into an Oscar precursor over the past few years. Time will tell if that’s the case this year. (Of the film’s that did win this year, The Secret Agent sounds like the most Oscar-friendly)

Palme d’Or
Jafar Panahi for It Was Just an Accident

Grand Prix
Joachim Trier for Sentimental Value

Jury Prize
Mascha Schilinski for Sound of Falling and Oliver Laxe for Sirat (tie)

Best Director
Kleber Mendonça Filho for The Secret Agent

Best Screenplay
Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne for Young Mothers

Best Actress
Nadia Melliti for The Little Sister

Best Actor
Wagner Moura for The Secret Agent

Special Prize
Resurrection, dir. Bi Gan

Camera d’Or for Best First Film
The President’s Cake, dir: Hassan Hadi

Palme d’Or for Best Short Film
I’m Glad You’re Dead Now, dir: Tawfeek Barhom