The 2025 National Society of Film Critics (NSFC) Awards turned into a remarkable night for One Battle After Another, which claimed the coveted Best Picture title along with three additional trophies. According to Variety, the film emerged as the evening’s biggest victor, underscoring its sweeping critical acclaim.
Director Paul Thomas Anderson took home the Best Director honour for his exceptional work on One Battle After Another, while Teyana Taylor and Benicio del Toro earned recognition in the supporting acting categories, further solidifying the film’s dominance.
Although One Battle After Another led the winners’ circle, its star Leonardo DiCaprio missed out on the Best Actor award. That prize went to Ethan Hawke for his portrayal of lyricist Lorenz Hart in Richard Linklater’s Blue Moon. The runners-up for Best Actor included Wagner Moura for The Secret Agent and Michael B. Jordan for Sinners.
In the international and technical categories, The Secret Agent was honoured as the Best Film Not in the English Language, while Sinners captured the award for Best Cinematography thanks to the exceptional work of Autumn Durald Arkapaw. My Undesirable Friends: Part I – Last Air in Moscow triumphed as Best Nonfiction Film, and Kathleen Chalfant’s moving performance in Familiar Touch earned her the Best Actress accolade.
NSFC chair Justin Chang described 2025 as “a remarkable year for cinema,” highlighting how many of the winning films explored themes of revolution, resilience, and solidarity. He noted that it was particularly meaningful to celebrate titles such as One Battle After Another, The Secret Agent, Sinners, and It Was Just an Accident after a challenging year for both journalism and filmmaking.
Other noteworthy winners included Jafar Panahi, who earned Best Screenplay for It Was Just an Accident, and Morning Circle by Basma al-Sharif, which won Best Experimental Film. The special award for a film awaiting U.S. distribution went to Lucrecia Martel’s Landmarks.
Film Heritage Awards were presented to Cinema Tropical for its efforts in promoting Latin American cinema in the U.S., The Film Desk for making international titles accessible to audiences, and Ken and Flo Jacobs for their enduring contributions to experimental filmmaking.
The 2025 NSFC Awards underscored a year rich in creative storytelling and global cinematic excellence, with One Battle After Another standing tall as the night’s defining success story.
