The New York Film Critics Circle just dropped their 2025 winners, and it’s a game-changer for the awards season. Warner Bros’ One Battle After Another took home the top prize for Best Film, marking its second major win after sweeping the Gotham Awards. But here’s where it gets controversial: could this be the year the NYFCC finally aligns with the Oscars for Best Picture? It hasn’t happened since The Artist in 2011, but with such a strong showing, anything’s possible.
The NYFCC, the oldest critics group in the U.S., is known for its lengthy voting process—this year’s began at 9:16 AM EST and stretched for nearly four hours. The result? A sweeping four awards for Warner Bros, including Best Supporting Actor for Benicio Del Toro (his second NYFCC win after Traffic in 2000) and Best Supporting Actress for Amy Madigan in Weapons. And this is the part most people miss: Ryan Coogler’s Sinners snagged Best Cinematography, proving Warner Bros’ dominance this year.
But let’s talk about the elephant in the room: Jafar Panahi. The Iranian director won Best Director for It Was Just an Accident, a Cannes Palme d’Or winner. Yet, just days ago, he was sentenced to a year in prison and a two-year travel ban by the Tehran Islamic Revolutionary Court. Panahi dedicated his Gotham Award for Best Screenplay to filmmakers “deprived of the right to see and be seen.” It raises a thought-provoking question: How can we celebrate art while its creators face such oppression?
Other highlights include Carson Lund’s Eephus, a heartfelt story about a recreational baseball game on its final day, which won Best First Film. Kleber Mendonça Filho’s The Secret Agent took home Best International Film, with Wagner Moura winning Best Actor. And in a surprising twist, KPop Demon Hunters won Best Animated Film—yes, you read that right.
Last year’s NYFCC winners like The Brutalist and Adrien Brody’s Best Actor win for the same film saw some overlap with the Oscars, but will this year follow suit? Only time will tell.
Winners at a Glance:
- Film: One Battle After Another
- Director: Jafar Panahi, It Was Just an Accident
- Actor: Wagner Moura, The Secret Agent
- Actress: Rose Byrne, If I Had Legs I’d Kick You
- Supporting Actor: Benicio Del Toro, One Battle After Another
- Supporting Actress: Amy Madigan, Weapons
- Screenplay: Marty Supreme by Josh Safdie and Ronald Bronstein
- Animated Film: KPop Demon Hunters
- Cinematography: Autumn Durald Arkapaw, Sinners
- Non-Fiction Film: My Undesirable Friends: Part I – Last Air in Moscow
- International Film: The Secret Agent
- First Film: Carson Lund’s Eephus
Special prizes went to the Museum of Moving Image and Screen Slate, while student prizes were awarded to London Xhudo (NYU) and Tan Zhiyuan (The New School).
So, what do you think? Is One Battle After Another Oscar-bound? And how should the film industry respond to cases like Jafar Panahi’s? Let’s hear your thoughts in the comments!
