The Philadelphia Film Critics Circle Fights One Battle After Another

Posted on December 20, 2025 by Lisa Marie Bowman

The Philadelphia Film Critics Circle have named One Battle After Another as the best film of 2025. I guess it makes sense. When you live in Philadelphia, life is one battle after another.

Best Film
Winner: ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER
Runner-Up: SINNERS

Best Director
Winner: Paul Thomas Anderson – ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER
Runner-Up: Ryan Coogler – SINNERS

Best Actress
Winner: Jessie Buckley – HAMNET
Runner-Up: Rose Byrne – IF I HAD LEGS I’D KICK YOU

Best Actor
Winner: Michael B. Jordan – SINNERS
Runner-Up: Ethan Hawke – BLUE MOON

Best Supporting Actress
Winner: Teyana Taylor – ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER
Runner-Up: Wunmi Mosaku – SINNERS

Best Supporting Actor
Winner: Benicio del Toro – ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER
Runner-Up: Delroy Lindo – SINNERS

Best Screenplay
Winner: SINNERS
Runner-Up: ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER

Best Score/Soundtrack
Winner: SINNERS
Runner-Up: ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER

Best Directorial Debut
Winner: Charlie Polinger – THE PLAGUE
Runner-Up: Eva Victor – SORRY, BABY

Best Breakthrough Performance
Winner: Chase Infiniti – ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER
Runner-Up: Miles Caton – SINNERS

Best Cinematography
Winner: SINNERS
Runner-Up: ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER

Best Documentary
Winner: GRAND THEFT HAMLET
Runner-Up: ORWELL: 2+2=5

Best Foreign Film
Winner: IT WAS JUST AN ACCIDENT
Runner-Up: SENTIMENTAL VALUE

Best Animated Film
Winner: KPOP DEMON HUNTERS
Runner-Up: ZOOTOPIA 2

Best Ensemble
Winner: SINNERS
Runner-Up: ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER

The Steve Friedman Award
For a person or film that drives major public discourse on a topic or issue
SINNERS

The Elaine May Award
For a deserving person or film that brings awareness to a story from a woman’s perspective
IF I HAD LEGS I’D KICK YOU

The Cheesesteak Award (Sponsored by Philips Steaks)
Winner: SUPERMAN
Runner-up: PREDATOR: BADLANDS

Anora Wins In Philadelphia

Posted on December 25, 2024 by Lisa Marie Bowman

On the 21st, the Philadelphia Film Critics Circle named Anora the best film of 2024.

Best Film
Winner: ANORA
Runner-Up: THE BRUTALIST

Best Director
Winner: Sean Baker – ANORA
Runner-Up: RaMell Ross – NICKEL BOYS

Best Actress
Winner: Mikey Madison – ANORA
Runner-Up: Demi Moore – THE SUBSTANCE

Best Actor
Winner: Adrien Brody – THE BRUTALIST
Runner-Up: Hugh Grant – HERETIC

Best Supporting Actress
Winner: Margaret Qualley – THE SUBSTANCE
Runner-Up: Aubrey Plaza – MEGALOPOLIS

Best Supporting Actor
Winner: Kieran Culkin – A REAL PAIN
Runner-Up: Guy Pearce – THE BRUTALIST

Best Screenplay
Winner: ANORA
Runner-Up: NICKEL BOYS

Best Score/Soundtrack
Winner: THE BRUTALIST
Runner-Up: DUNE: PART TWO

Best Directorial Debut
Winner: Vera Drew – THE PEOPLE’S JOKER
Runner-Up: India Donaldson – GOOD ONE

Best Breakthrough Performance
Winner: Mikey Madison – ANORA
Runner-Up: Yura Borisov – ANORA

Best Cinematography
Winner: NOSFERATU
Runner-Up: THE BRUTALIST

Best Documentary
Winner: SUPER/MAN: THE CHRISTOPHER REEVE STORY
Runner-Up: WILL & HARPER

Best Foreign Film
Winner: ALL WE IMAGINE AS LIGHT
Runner-Up: THE SEED OF THE SACRED FIG

Best Animated Film
Winner: MEMOIR OF A SNAIL
Runner-Up: FLOW

Best Ensemble
Winner: ANORA
Runner-Up: CONCLAVE

The Elaine May Award – For a deserving person or film that brings awareness to a story from a woman’s perspective
Winner: THE SUBSTANCE

The Cheesesteak Award (Sponsored by Philips Steaks)
Winner: THE FALL GUY
Runner-up: THE BEEKEEPER

The Philadelphia Film Critics Circle Honors Poor Things

Posted on December 17, 2023 by Lisa Marie Bowman

The Philadelphia Film Critics Circle has announced its picks for the best of 2023! Here’s what won in Philadelphia!

Best Film
Winner: Poor Things
Runner-Up: Oppenheimer

Best Director
Winner: Yorgos Lanthimos – Poor Things
Runner-Up: Christopher Nolan – Oppenheimer

Best Actress
Winner: Emma Stone – Poor Things
Runner-Up: Lily Gladstone – Killers of the Flower Moon

Best Actor
Winner: Cillian Murphy – Oppenheimer
Runner-Up: Jeffrey Wright – American Fiction

Best Supporting Actress
Winner: Da’Vine Joy Randolph – The Holdovers
Runner-Up: Julianne Moore – May December

Best Supporting Actor
Winner: Robert Downey Jr. – Oppenheimer
Runner-Up: Charles Melton – May December

Best Animated Film
Winner: The Boy And The Heron
Runner-Up: Robot Dreams

Best Foreign Film
Winner: The Boy And The Heron
Runner-Up: Anatomy Of A Fall

Best Documentary
Winner: 20 Days In Mariupol
Runner-Up: Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie

Best Cinematography
Winner: Oppenheimer
Runner-Up: Poor Things

Best Breakthrough Performance
Winner: Charles Melton – May December
Runner-Up: Abby Ryder Fortson – Are You There God? It’s Me Margaret

Best Directorial Debut
Winner: Celine Song – Past Lives
Runner-Up: Cord Jefferson – American Fiction

Best Screenplay
Winner: Poor Things
Runner-Up: Oppenheimer

Best Score/Soundtrack
Winner: Oppenheimer
Runner-Up: Poor Things

Best Ensemble
Winner: Oppenheimer
Runner-Up: Poor Things

Cheesesteak Award – for a film meant to recognize a blockbuster that’s hard to ignore
Winner: Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One
Runner-Up: Godzilla Minus One

Philadelphia Loves Everything Everywhere All At Once!

Posted on December 18, 2022 by Lisa Marie Bowman

Yesterday, the Philadelphia Film Critics Circle announced their picks for the best of 2022 and they really loved Everything Everywhere All At Once!

Check out the winners:

Best Film
Everything Everywhere All At Once
Runner-Up: TAR

Best Director
Daniel Kahn & Daniel Scheinert – Everything Everywhere All At Once
Runner-Up: Todd Field – TAR

Best Actress
Cate Blanchett – TAR
Runner-Up: Michelle Yeoh – Everything Everywhere All At Once

Best Actor
Brendan Fraser – The Whale
Runner-Up: Bill Nighy – Living

Best Supporting Actress
Janelle Monae – Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery
Runner-Up: Stephanie Hsu – Everything Everywhere All At Once

Best Supporting Actor
Ke Huy Quan – Everything Everywhere All At Once
Runner-Up: Brendan Gleeson – The Banshees Of Inisherin

Best Animated Film
Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio
Runner-Up: Turning Red

Best Foreign Film
RRR
Runner-Up: Holy Spider

Best Documentary
Good Night Oppy
Runner-Up: Fire Of Love

Best Cinematography
RRR
Runner-Up: Top Gun: Maverick

Best Breakthrough Performance
Stephanie Hsu – Everything Everywhere All At Once
Runner-Up: Austin Butler – Elvis

Best Directorial Debut
John Patton Ford – Emily The Criminal
Runner-Up: Goran Stolevski – You Won’t Be Alone

Best Screenplay
Everything Everywhere All At Once
Runners-Up: Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery

Best Score/Soundtrack
RRR
Runner-Up: TAR

Best Ensemble
Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery
Runner-Up: Everything Everywhere All At Once

Cheesesteak Award – for a film meant to recognize a blockbuster that’s hard to ignore
Top Gun: Maverick
Runner-Up: RRR

Elaine May Award – for a deserving person or film that brings awareness to a story from womens’ perspective
Women Talking

The Philadelphia Film Critics Circle Honors The Power Of The Dog!

Posted on December 12, 2021 by Lisa Marie Bowman

Awards season continued today as the Philadelphia Film Critics Circle announced that The Power of the Dog was their pick for the best film of 2021!

Here are the winners from Philly:

Best Film
The Power Of The Dog
Runner-Up: Nightmare Alley

Best Director
Jane Campion – The Power Of The Dog
Runner-Up: Guillermo del Toro – Nightmare Alley

Best Actress
Kristen Stewart – Spencer
Runner-Up: Agathe Rousselle – Titane

Best Actor
Benedict Cumberbatch – The Power Of The Dog
Runner-Up: Bradley Cooper – Nightmare Alley

Best Supporting Actress
Ruth Negga – Passing
Runner-Up: Ariana DeBose – West Side Story

Best Supporting Actor
Kodi Smit-McPhee – The Power Of The Dog
Runner-Up: Colman Domingo – Zola

Best Animated Film
Flee
Runner-Up: Raya And The Last Dragon

Best Foreign Film
Titane
Runner-Up: Flee

Best Documentary
Summer Of Soul
Runner-Up: Flee

Best Cinematography
Nightmare Alley
Runner-Up: Dune

Best Breakthrough Performance
Agathe Rousselle – Titane
Runner-Up: Ariana DeBose – West Side Story

Best Directorial Debut
Rebecca Hall – Passing
Runner-Up: Maggie Gyllenhaal – The Lost Daughter

Best Screenplay
The Power Of The Dog
Runners-Up: The Last Duel, The French Dispatch & Zola

Best Score/Soundtrack
The Power Of The Dog
Runner-Up: Summer Of Soul

The Philadelphia Film Critics Honor Ma Rainey!

Posted on January 18, 2021 by Lisa Marie Bowman

Yesterday, the Philadelphia Film Critics Circle announced their picks for the best of 2020 and it was a sunny day for Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom!

(Folks, it was either make a Parking Wars joke or a It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia joke. I went with It’s Always Sunny and I stand by my decision.)

For those of us who were getting bored with Nomadland winning everything in sight, it was kind of nice to see Philadelphia go with another film. In fact, Netflix should be pretty happy with the results from Philadelphia. Not only was Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom named best picture but Da 5 Bloods was the runner-up. While Ma Rainey‘s Viola Davis took best actress, Da 5 Blood‘s Delroy Lindo and Chadwick Boseman took Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor, respectively. Meanwhile, Mank’s Amanda Seyfried won best supporting actress. That’s not to say that Nomadland was ignored. Chloe Zhao picked up the award for Best Director, preventing Netflix from sweeping the top awards.

Here are the winners from the Parking Wars city, Philadelphia:

Best Film
Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
Runner-Up: Da 5 Bloods

Best Foreign Film
Jumbo
Runner-Up: La Llorona

Best Director
Chloe Zhao – Nomadland
Runner-Up: Kelly Reichardt – First Cow

Best Documentary
Time
Runner-Up: Dick Johnson Is Dead

Best Actress
Viola Davis – Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
Runner-Up: Aubrey Plaza – Black Bear & Carey Mulligan – Promising Young Woman (TIE)

Best Actor
Delroy Lindo – Da 5 Bloods
Runner-Up: Chadwick Boseman – Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom

Best Supporting Actress
Amanda Seyfried – Mank
Runner-Up: Maria Bakalova – Borat Subsequent Moviefilm

Best Supporting Actor
Chadwick Boseman – Da 5 Bloods
Runner-Up: Leslie Odom Jr. – One Night In Miami

Best Animated Film
Soul
Runner-Up: Wolfwalkers

Best Cinematography
Nomadland
Runner-Up: First Cow

Best Breakthrough Performance
Sidney Flanigan – Never Rarely Sometimes Always
Runner-Up: Maria Bakalova – Borat Subsequent Moviefilm

Best Directorial Debut
Regina King – One Night In Miami
Runner-Up: Andrew Patterson – The Vast Of Night

Best Screenplay
First Cow
Runner-Up: Never Rarely Sometimes Always

Best Soundtrack
Soul
Runner-Up: Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom

The Philadelphia Film Critics Name Knives Out The Best of 2019!

Posted on December 9, 2019 by Lisa Marie Bowman

Here are the winners!

Best Picture: Knives Out (Runner-up: Once Upon a Time in Hollywood)

Best Director: Martin Scorsese, The Irishman (Runner-up: Quentin Tarantino, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood)

Best Actor: Adam Driver, Marriage Story (Runner-up: Eddie Murphy, Dolemite Is My Name)
Best Actress: Lupita Nyong’o, Us (Runner-up: Saoirse Ronan, Little Women)
Best Supporting Actor (tie): Joe Pesci, The Irishman and Brad Pitt, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Best Supporting Actress: Florence Pugh, Little Women (Runner-up: Jennifer Lopez, Hustlers)

Best Script: Rian Johnson, Knives Out (Runner-up: Quentin Tarantino, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood)

Best Animated Film: Toy Story 4 (Runner-up: Frozen II)
Best Documentary: Apollo 11 (Runner-up: The Kingmaker)
Best Foreign Film: Parasite (Runner-up: Portrait of a Lady on Fire)

Best Directorial Debut (tie): Joe Talbot, The Last Black Man in San Francisco and Olivia Wilde, Booksmart
Best Breakthrough Performance: Florence Pugh, Little Women (Runner-up: Thomasin McKenzie, Jojo Rabbit)

Best Cinematography: Jarin Blaschke, The Lighthouse (Runner-up: Roger Deakins, 1917)
Best Soundtrack: Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (Runner-up: Us)

Elaine May Award: Harriet
Steve Friedman Award: Joker

It’s Always Sunny As The Philadelphia Film Critics Pick Roma!

Posted on December 9, 2018 by Lisa Marie Bowman

On Saturday, The Philadelphia Film Critics announced their picks for the best of 2018. And, once again, it was Roma that picked up the top prize. However, the Philadelphians did break with tradition by not selecting Ethan Hawke for Best Actor or Lady Gaga for Best Actress. Instead, those prizes went to Christian Bale (Vice) and Viola Davis (Widows).

Best Movie: ROMA

Best Director: Barry Jenkins, If Beale Street Could Talk

Best Actor: Christian Bale, Vice

Best Actress: Viola Davis, Widows

Best Supporting Actor: Richard E. Grant, Can You Ever Forgive Me

Best Supporting Actress: Regina King, If Beale Street Could Talk

Best Foreign Film: ROMA (Mexico)

Best Animated Film: Incredibles 2

Best Documentary: Won’t You Be My Neighbor?

Best Cinematography: ROMA (Alfonso Cuarón)

Best Breakthrough Performance: Kiki Layne, If Beale Street Could Talk

Best Directorial Debut: Boots Riley, Sorry To Bother You

Best Script: Audrey Wells, The Hate U Give

Best Score/Soundtrack: Suspiria (Thom Yorke)

Elaine May Award: RBG

Steve Friedman Award: Black Panther

The Philadelphia Film Critics Pick Get Out For The Best Of 2017!

Posted on December 11, 2017 by Lisa Marie Bowman

Yesterday, the Philadelphia Film Critics announced their picks for the best of 2017!

The awards season is turning out to be a good for Get Out.

Best Picture: GET OUT
Best Director: Jordan Peele, for GET OUT
Best Actress: Sally Hawkins, for THE SHAPE OF WATER
Best Actor: Daniel Day-Lewis for PHANTOM THREAD
Best Supporting Actress: Allison Janney for I, TONYA
Best Supporting Actor: Woody Harrelson, for THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI
Best Directorial Debut: Jordan Peele for GET OUT
Best Script: GET OUT
Best Cinematography: Roger Deakins for BLADE RUNNER 2049
Best Soundtrack/Score: COCO
Best Foreign Language Film: GRADUATION by Cristian Mungiu (Romania)
Best Documentary: JANE, directed by Brett Morgen
Best Breakthrough Performance: Brooklynn Prince, for THE FLORIDA PROJECT