One Battle After Another Wins In Chicago


The Chicago Film Critics Association has announced their picks for the best of 2025.  The winners are listed in bold.

BEST PICTURE
It Was Just an Accident
Marty Supreme
One Battle After Another
Sinners
Train Dreams

BEST DIRECTOR
Paul Thomas Anderson – One Battle After Another
Ryan Coogler – Sinners
Mona Fastvold – The Testament of Ann Lee
Jafar Panahi – It Was Just an Accident
Josh Safdie – Marty Supreme

BEST ACTOR
Timothée Chalamet – Marty Supreme
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
Jennifer Lawrence – Die, My Love
Amanda Seyfried – The Testament of Ann Lee
Tessa Thompson – Hedda

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Benicio del Toro – One Battle After Another
Jacob Elordi – Frankenstein
Delroy Lindo – Sinners
Sean Penn – One Battle After Another
Stellan Skarsgard – Sentimental Value

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Odessa A’Zion – Marty Supreme
Nina Hoss – Hedda
Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas – Sentimental Value
Amy Madigan – Weapons
Wunmi Mosaku – Sinners
Teyana Taylor – One Battle After Another

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Blue Moon by Robert Kaplow
It Was Just an Accident by Jafar Panahi
Marty Supreme by Ronald Bronstein & Josh Safdie
Sinners by Ryan Coogler
Sorry, Baby by Eva Victor

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Hamnet by Chloe Zhao & Maggie O’Farrell
No Other Choice by Park Chan-wook – Lee Kyoung-mi – Don McKellar – & Jahye Lee
One Battle After Another by Paul Thomas Anderson
Train Dreams by Clint Bentley & Greg Kwedar
Wake Up Dead Man by Rian Johnson

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
Arco
Boys Go to Jupiter
KPop Demon Hunters
Little Amelie or the Character of Rain
Zootopia 2

BEST DOCUMENTARY
Cover-Up
My Undesirable Friends – Part 1 – Last Air in Moscow
The Perfect Neighbor
Predators
Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
It Was Just an Accident
No Other Choice
The Secret Agent
Sentimental Value
Sirat

BEST ART DIRECTION/PRODUCTION DESIGN
Frankenstein
Marty Supreme
One Battle After Another
The Phoenician Scheme
Sinners

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Dan Laustsen – Frankenstein
Lukasz Zal – Hamnet
Michael Bauman – One Battle After Another
Autumn Durald Arkapaw – Sinners
Adolpho Veloso – Train Dreams

BEST COSTUME DESIGN
Kate Hawley – Frankenstein
Lindsay Pugh – Hedda
Ruth E. Carter – Sinners
Malgorzata Karpiuk – The Testament of Ann Lee
Paul Tazewell – Wicked: For Good

BEST EDITING
Jon Harris – 28 Years Later
Stephen Mirrione & Patrick J. Smith – F1: The Movie
Ronald Bronstein & Josh Safdie – Marty Supreme
Kim Sang-beom & Kim Ho-bin – No Other Choice
Andy Jurgensen – One Battle After Another

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
Rob Mazurek – The Mastermind
Jonny Greenwood – One Battle After Another
Ludwig Goransson – Sinners
Daniel Blumberg – The Testament of Ann Lee
Bryce Dessner – Train Dreams

BEST USE OF VISUAL EFFECTS
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Frankenstein
Mickey 17
Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning
Sinners

MILOS STEHLIK AWARD FOR BREAKTHROUGH FILMMAKER
Mary Bronstein – If I Had Legs I’d Kick You
Sarah Friedland – Familiar Touch
Carson Lund – Eephus
James Sweeney – Twinless
Eva Victor – Sorry, Baby

MOST PROMISING PERFORMER
Miles Caton – Sinners
Chase Infiniti – One Battle After Another
Abou Sangare – Souleymane’s Story
Tonatiuh – Kiss of the Spider Woman
Eva Victor – Sorry, Baby

Here Are The 2025 Nominations of the Chicago Film Critics Association


Here are the 2025 nominations of the Chicago Film Critics Association!

BEST PICTURE
It Was Just an Accident
Marty Supreme
One Battle After Another
Sinners
Train Dreams

BEST DIRECTOR
Paul Thomas Anderson – One Battle After Another
Ryan Coogler – Sinners
Mona Fastvold – The Testament of Ann Lee
Jafar Panahi – It Was Just an Accident
Josh Safdie – Marty Supreme

BEST ACTOR
Timothée Chalamet – Marty Supreme
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
Jennifer Lawrence – Die, My Love
Amanda Seyfried – The Testament of Ann Lee
Tessa Thompson – Hedda

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Benicio del Toro – One Battle After Another
Jacob Elordi – Frankenstein
Delroy Lindo – Sinners
Sean Penn – One Battle After Another
Stellan Skarsgard – Sentimental Value

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Odessa A’Zion – Marty Supreme
Nina Hoss – Hedda
Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas – Sentimental Value
Amy Madigan – Weapons
Wunmi Mosaku – Sinners
Teyana Taylor – One Battle After Another

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Blue Moon by Robert Kaplow
It Was Just an Accident by Jafar Panahi
Marty Supreme by Ronald Bronstein & Josh Safdie
Sinners by Ryan Coogler
Sorry, Baby by Eva Victor

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Hamnet by Chloe Zhao & Maggie O’Farrell
No Other Choice by Park Chan-wook – Lee Kyoung-mi – Don McKellar – & Jahye Lee
One Battle After Another by Paul Thomas Anderson
Train Dreams by Clint Bentley & Greg Kwedar
Wake Up Dead Man by Rian Johnson

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
Arco
Boys Go to Jupiter
KPop Demon Hunters
Little Amelie or the Character of Rain
Zootopia 2

BEST DOCUMENTARY
Cover-Up
My Undesirable Friends – Part 1 – Last Air in Moscow
The Perfect Neighbor
Predators
Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
It Was Just an Accident
No Other Choice
The Secret Agent
Sentimental Value
Sirat

BEST ART DIRECTION/PRODUCTION DESIGN
Frankenstein
Marty Supreme
One Battle After Another
The Phoenician Scheme
Sinners

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Dan Laustsen – Frankenstein
Lukasz Zal – Hamnet
Michael Bauman – One Battle After Another
Autumn Durald Arkapaw – Sinners
Adolpho Veloso – Train Dreams

BEST COSTUME DESIGN
Kate Hawley – Frankenstein
Lindsay Pugh – Hedda
Ruth E. Carter – Sinners
Malgorzata Karpiuk – The Testament of Ann Lee
Paul Tazewell – Wicked: For Good

BEST EDITING
Jon Harris – 28 Years Later
Stephen Mirrione & Patrick J. Smith – F1: The Movie
Ronald Bronstein & Josh Safdie – Marty Supreme
Kim Sang-beom & Kim Ho-bin – No Other Choice
Andy Jurgensen – One Battle After Another

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
Rob Mazurek – The Mastermind
Jonny Greenwood – One Battle After Another
Ludwig Goransson – Sinners
Daniel Blumberg – The Testament of Ann Lee
Bryce Dessner – Train Dreams

BEST USE OF VISUAL EFFECTS
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Frankenstein
Mickey 17
Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning
Sinners

MILOS STEHLIK AWARD FOR BREAKTHROUGH FILMMAKER
Mary Bronstein – If I Had Legs I’d Kick You
Sarah Friedland – Familiar Touch
Carson Lund – Eephus
James Sweeney – Twinless
Eva Victor – Sorry, Baby

MOST PROMISING PERFORMER
Miles Caton – Sinners
Chase Infiniti – One Battle After Another
Abou Sangare – Souleymane’s Story
Tonatiuh – Kiss of the Spider Woman
Eva Victor – Sorry, Baby

One Battle After Another Wins In Toronto


The Toronto Film Critics Association has announced its picks for the best of 2025.  (It’s so cute that Canada has an opinion.)  Here they are:

Best Film
Winner: ​One Battle After Another
Runners-up: Sinners & Hamnet

Best Director
Winner: Paul Thomas Anderson – One Battle After Another
Runners-up: Ryan Coogler – Sinners & Oliver Laxe – Sirāt

Best Lead Performance
Winners: ​Rose Byrne – If I Had Legs I’d Kick You & Ethan Hawke – Blue Moon
Runners-up: Jessie Buckley – Hamnet, Leonardo DiCaprio – One Battle After Another, Michael B. Jordan – Sinners & Wagner Moura – The Secret Agent

Best Lead Performance In A Canadian Film
Winner: Joan Chen – Montreal My Beautiful
Runners-up: Deragh Campbell – Measures for a Funeral & Vincent Cassel – The Shrouds

Best Supporting Performance
Winner: Benicio del Toro – One Battle After Another & Nina Hoss – Hedda
Runners-up: Jacob Elordi – Frankenstein, Amy Madigan – Weapons, Sean Penn – One Battle After Another & Stellan Skarsgard – Sentimental Value

Best Supporting Performance In A Canadian Film
Winner: Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers – Sweet Angel Baby
Runners-up: Charlotte Aubin – Montreal My Beautiful & Troy Kotsur – In Cold Light

Best Breakthrough Performance
Winner: Abou Sangaré – Souleymane’s Story
Runners-up: Miles Caton – Sinners & Chase Infiniti – One Battle After Another

Best Original Screenplay
Winner: Sinners
Runners-up: Marty Supreme & Sentimental Value

Best Adapted Screenplay
Winner: ​One Battle After Another
Runners-up: Hamnet & No Other Choice

Best Foreign Language Film
Winner: Sirāt​
Runners-up: It Was Just an Accident & The Secret Agent

Allan King Best Documentary
Winner: Come See Me in the Good Light
Runners-up: Orwell 2+2=5 & The Tale of Silyan

Best Animated Feature
Winner: Endless Cookie
Runners-up: KPop Demon Hunters & Space Cadet

Best First Feature
Best First Feature: Blue Heron
Runners-up: Eephus & Sorry Baby

The Gothams Honor One Battle After Another


Last night, Awards Season began with the Gotham Awards!  One Battle After Another, which I really don’t want to have to sit through but I guess now I have no choice, won Best Feature.  (Oddly enough, that was the only award that One Battle After Another won, suggesting that the award had more to do with the film’s politics than its quality.)  Far more interesting is the fact that Iranian dissident (who is facing prison if he even returns to his native country) Jafar Panahi won Best Director and Best Screenplay for It Was Just An Accident.  Will the Academy have the courage to also honor him?

The winners are listed in bold below.

Best Feature
Bugonia
East of Wall
Hamnet
If I Had Legs I’d Kick You
Lurker
One Battle After Another
Sorry, Baby
The Testament of Ann Lee
Train Dreams

Best Director
Mary Bronstein – If I Had Legs I’d Kick You
Jafar Panahi – It Was Just an Accident
Kelly Reichardt – The Mastermind
Paul Thomas Anderson – One Battle After Another
Oliver Laxe – Sirât

Outstanding Lead Performance
Jessie Buckley – Hamnet
Lee Byung-hun – No Other Choice
Rose Byrne – If I Had Legs I’d Kick You
Sopé Dìrísù – My Father’s Shadow
Ethan Hawke – Blue Moon
Jennifer Lawrence – Die My Love
Wagner Moura – The Secret Agent
Josh O’Connor – The Mastermind
Amanda Seyfried – The Testament of Ann Lee
Tessa Thompson – Hedda

Outstanding Supporting Performance
Benicio Del Toro – One Battle After Another
Jacob Elordi – Frankenstein
Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas – Sentimental Value
Indya Moore – Father Mother Sister Brother
Wunmi Mosaku – Sinners
Adam Sandler – Jay Kelly
Andrew Scott – Blue Moon
Alexander Skarsgård – Pillion
Stellan Skarsgård – Sentimental Value
Teyana Taylor – One Battle After Another

Best Original Screenplay
If I Had Legs I’d Kick You
It Was Just an Accident
The Secret Agent
Sorry, Baby
Sound of Falling

Best Adapted Screenplay
No Other Choice
One Battle After Another
Pillion
Preparation for the Next Life
Train Dreams

Best International Feature
It Was Just an Accident

No Other Choice
Nouvelle Vague
Resurrection
Sound of Falling

Best Documentary Feature
2000 Meters to Andriivka
BLKNWS: Terms & Conditions
My Undesirable Friends: Part I – Last Air in Moscow
The Perfect Neighbor
Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk

Breakthrough Director
Constance Tsang – Blue Sun Palace
Carson Lund – Eephus
Sarah Friedland – Familiar Touch
Akinola Davies Jr. – My Father’s Shadow
Harris Dickinson – Urchin

Breakthrough Performer
A$AP Rocky – Highest 2 Lowest
Sebiye Behtiyar – Preparation for the Next Life
Chase Infiniti – One Battle After Another
Abou Sangaré – Souleymane’s Story
Tonatiuh – Kiss of the Spider Woman

One Battle After Another Leads The Gotham Nominations


For better or worse, Awards Season started today with the announcement of the Gotham nominations.  The Gothams are supposed to honor independent films, though the line between studio and independent is now so thin that it’s sometimes difficult to tell which is which.

In the past, the Gothams honored obscure films and also low-budget films that captured the public’s imagination.  This year, they gave the majority of their nominations to One Battle After Another, a big-budget film that starred a slew of Hollywood heavyweights.  Meanwhile, Sinners, a genuinely independent feature, received one nomination.

It’s debatable how much of a precursor the Gothams are.  They’re a critic-selected award and it’s always the guild awards that serve as the best precursors.  Still, it always helps to be mentioned somewhere.

Here are the 2025 Gotham nominations!

Best Feature
Bugonia
East of Wall
Hamnet
If I Had Legs I’d Kick You
Lurker
One Battle After Another
Sorry, Baby
The Testament of Ann Lee
Train Dreams

Best Director
Mary Bronstein – If I Had Legs I’d Kick You
Jafar Panahi – It Was Just an Accident
Kelly Reichardt – The Mastermind
Paul Thomas Anderson – One Battle After Another
Oliver Laxe – Sirât

Outstanding Lead Performance
Jessie Buckley – Hamnet
Lee Byung-hun – No Other Choice
Rose Byrne – If I Had Legs I’d Kick You
Sopé Dìrísù – My Father’s Shadow
Ethan Hawke – Blue Moon
Jennifer Lawrence – Die My Love
Wagner Moura – The Secret Agent
Josh O’Connor – The Mastermind
Amanda Seyfried – The Testament of Ann Lee
Tessa Thompson – Hedda

Outstanding Supporting Performance
Benicio Del Toro – One Battle After Another
Jacob Elordi – Frankenstein
Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas – Sentimental Value
Indya Moore – Father Mother Sister Brother
Wunmi Mosaku – Sinners
Adam Sandler – Jay Kelly
Andrew Scott – Blue Moon
Alexander Skarsgård – Pillion
Stellan Skarsgård – Sentimental Value
Teyana Taylor – One Battle After Another

Best Original Screenplay
If I Had Legs I’d Kick You
It Was Just an Accident
The Secret Agent
Sorry, Baby
Sound of Falling

Best Adapted Screenplay
No Other Choice
One Battle After Another
Pillion
Preparation for the Next Life
Train Dreams

Best International Feature
It Was Just an Accident
No Other Choice
Nouvelle Vague
Resurrection
Sound of Falling

Best Documentary Feature
2000 Meters to Andriivka
BLKNWS: Terms & Conditions
My Undesirable Friends: Part I – Last Air in Moscow
The Perfect Neighbor
Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk

Breakthrough Director
Constance Tsang – Blue Sun Palace
Carson Lund – Eephus
Sarah Friedland – Familiar Touch
Akinola Davies Jr. – My Father’s Shadow
Harris Dickinson – Urchin

Breakthrough Performer
A$AP Rocky – Highest 2 Lowest
Sebiye Behtiyar – Preparation for the Next Life
Chase Infiniti – One Battle After Another
Abou Sangaré – Souleymane’s Story
Tonatiuh – Kiss of the Spider Woman