Winners Announced: National Society of Film Critics Awards
The National Society of Film Critics has announced the winners for its 2025 awards. The top honor for Best Picture was awarded to “One Battle After Another,” which garnered a total of four awards this year. The film’s director, Paul Thomas Anderson, also secured the Best Director award. Additionally, Teyana Taylor and Benicio del Toro won Best Supporting Actress and Best Supporting Actor, respectively.
Major Award Winners
While Leonardo DiCaprio starred in “One Battle After Another,” he was unexpectedly absent from the Best Actor category. That accolade went to Ethan Hawke for his performance as Lorenz Hart in Richard Linklater’s film “Blue Moon.”
Runners-Up for Key Categories
- Best Picture Runners-Up:
- “Sinners”
- “The Secret Agent”
- Best Director Runners-Up:
- Jafar Panahi for “It Was Just an Accident”
- Richard Linklater for “Blue Moon”
- Nouvelle Vague
- Best Actress: Kathleen Chalfant for “Familiar Touch”
- Best Actor Runners-Up: Wagner Moura for “The Secret Agent,” Michael B. Jordan for “Sinners”
Additional Recognition
Aside from the major awards, the NSFC also honored several other noteworthy films. “The Secret Agent” was recognized as Best Film Not in the English Language, while “Sinners” won for Best Cinematography. Jafar Panahi’s “It Was Just an Accident” took home the Best Screenplay award.
Special Awards
- Best Nonfiction Film: “My Undesirable Friends: Part I — Last Air in Moscow”
- Best Experimental Film: “Morning Circle” by Basma al-Sharif
- Special Award: “Landmarks” by Lucrecia Martel, awaiting U.S. distribution
Film Heritage Awards
This year, the Film Heritage Awards were presented to various organizations for their contributions to cinema. Recognitions included:
- Cinema Tropical for promoting Latin American cinema in the U.S.
- The Film Desk for releasing significant international films in 35mm prints and on home video.
- Ken and Flo Jacobs for their influential role in American avant-garde cinema.
Justin Chang, chair of the NSFC, remarked on the significance of this year’s films. He noted a surge in narratives exploring revolution and solidarity. Despite challenges in journalism and filmmaking, he expressed excitement in celebrating all winners and runners-up.
