The votes are in. On Saturday, January 3, 2026, the National Society of Film Critics announced its picks for the best films of 2025. The big winner was Paul Thomas Anderson‘s movie, One Battle After Another, which took home four awards. This win places the film in a rare group of movies celebrated by all the top critics’ circles. Other winners included Ethan Hawke for Best Actor and Kathleen Chalfant for Best Actress.
A Landmark Win for ‘One Battle After Another’
The film One Battle After Another was named Best Picture by the critics’ group. In addition to the top prize, the film earned awards for Best Director for Paul Thomas Anderson, Best Supporting Actress for Teyana Taylor, and Best Supporting Actor for Benicio del Toro. This sweep marks a significant moment in the current awards season.
This victory is notable because One Battle After Another has now won the top prize from all four major American critics’ groups: the New York Film Critics Circle, the Los Angeles Film Critics Association, the National Board of Review, and the National Society of Film Critics. It is only the fourth film in history to achieve this “grand slam,” joining Schindler’s List, L.A. Confidential, and The Social Network.
“This was a great year for movies and… an especially resonant one for movies about revolution and solidarity,” said Justin Chang, chair of the NSFC.
Complete List of 2025 Winners and Runners-Up
The National Society of Film Critics, founded in 1966, includes more than 60 prominent film critics from across the United States. They use a weighted ballot system where members rank their top three choices in each category. Here is the full list of winners from the 60th annual awards.
- Best Picture:One Battle After Another (57 points)
- Runners-up: Sinners (29 points); The Secret Agent (27 points).
- Best Director:Paul Thomas Anderson for One Battle After Another (54 points)
- Runners-up: Jafar Panahi for It Was Just an Accident (48 points); Richard Linklater for Blue Moon and Nouvelle Vague (39 points).
- Best Actor:Ethan Hawke for Blue Moon (57 points)
- Runners-up: Wagner Moura for The Secret Agent (43 points); Michael B. Jordan for Sinners (36 points).
- Best Actress:Kathleen Chalfant for Familiar Touch (45 points)
- Runners-up: Rose Byrne for If I Had Legs I’d Kick You (39 points); Renate Reinsve for Sentimental Value (37 points).
- Best Supporting Actor:Benicio del Toro for One Battle After Another (54 points)
- Runners-up: Delroy Lindo for Sinners (37 points); Stellan Skarsgård for Sentimental Value (30 points).
- Best Supporting Actress:Teyana Taylor for One Battle After Another (56 points)
- Runners-up: Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas for Sentimental Value (47 points); Wunmi Mosaku for Sinners (41 points).
- Best Screenplay:Jafar Panahi for It Was Just an Accident (53 points)
- Runners-up: Robert Kaplow for Blue Moon (50 points); Kleber Mendonça Filho for The Secret Agent (40 points).
- Best Cinematography:Autumn Durald Arkapaw for Sinners (50 points)
- Runners-up: Adolpho Veloso for Train Dreams (36 points); Michael Bauman for One Battle After Another (29 points). This win makes Arkapaw the first woman of color to win this award from the NSFC.
- Best Film Not in the English Language:The Secret Agent (58 points)
- Runners-up: It Was Just an Accident (57 points); Sentimental Value (38 points).
- Best Nonfiction Film:My Undesirable Friends: Part I — Last Air in Moscow (56 points)
- Runners-up: The Perfect Neighbor (22 points); Orwell: 2+2=5 (18 points).
Special Awards and Industry Recognition
Beyond the main competitive categories, the NSFC also presents special awards to honor important work in film preservation and distribution.
The Film Heritage Awards for 2025 were given to three recipients:
- Cinema Tropical, for its work to distribute and promote Latin American cinema in the United States.
- The Film Desk, for releasing important global films in 35mm prints and on home video.
- Ken and Flo Jacobs, for their defining contributions to American experimental cinema.
A Special Award for a Film Awaiting U.S. Distribution was given to Landmarks, directed by Lucrecia Martel. The award for Best Experimental Film went to Morning Circle by Basma al-Sharif.
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Surprises and Season Highlights
The awards held some surprises for followers of the awards season. While One Battle After Another dominated, its lead actor, Leonardo DiCaprio, was not among the winners for Best Actor. That honor went to Ethan Hawke for his role as lyricist Lorenz Hart in the musical drama Blue Moon.
The win for Kathleen Chalfant as Best Actress was also a notable moment, highlighting a performance in the independent film Familiar Touch. The group continued its tradition of recognizing international cinema, giving the Best Film Not in English award to Kleber Mendonça Filho’s The Secret Agent, which also had strong showings in other categories.
Also Read: To Love, To Lose: New Turkish Drama Release Date, Cast, Plot, and Streaming Info for 2026
