This is the thread where we discuss matters pertaining to the detrius that accompanies the "End of the Year in Cinema" -- 2025

Let's star with the NYFCC.

https://bsky.app/profile/nyfcc.bsky.social

thank you for starting this thread! i was going to start it after the Gotham Awards, which are tonight, but didn't realize NYFCC was voting today, too.

Some nice boosts for Del Toro, Madigan, and Moura. All definitely in the Oscars mix already, but this strengthens their odds.

Ooh, and Rose Byrne, too

I was rooting for Byrne.

I still need to see IIHLIKY

Full list of winners:

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 for Sinners.

Non-Fiction Film: My Undesirable Friends: Part I – Last Air in Moscow

International Film: The Secret Agent

First Film: Carson Lund’s Eephus.

Student Prizes: London Xhudo (Undergraduate, NYU) and Tan Zhiyuan (Graduate, The New School)

Special Prizes: Museum of Moving Image, Screen Slate

We'll see if the Panahi film goes far enough with crit groups. I expect The Secret Agent, a good film, to gain ground as more people see it.

i was going to start it after the Gotham Awards, which are tonight

wait, no, the Gothams were last night!! here are the winners:

Best Feature
One Battle After Another: Paul Thomas Anderson, Sara Murphy, Adam Somner, producers (Warner Bros. Pictures)

Best Director
Jafar Panahi, It Was Just an Accident (Neon)

Outstanding Lead Performance
Sopé Dìrísù, My Father’s Shadow (Mubi)

Outstanding Supporting Performance
Wunmi Mosaku, Sinners (Warner Bros. Pictures)

Breakthrough Performer
Abou Sangaré, Souleymane’s Story (Kino Lorber)

Best Documentary Feature
My Undesirable Friends: Part I – Last Air in Moscow: Julia Loktev, director; Julia Loktev, producer (self-distributed)

Breakthrough Director
Akinola Davies Jr., My Father’s Shadow (Mubi)

Best International Feature
It Was Just an Accident: Philippe Martin, Jafar Panahi, producers (Neon)

Best Adapted Screenplay
Pillion, Harry Lighton (A24)

Best Original Screenplay
It Was Just an Accident, Jafar Panahi (Neon)

I don't know My Father's Shadow at all

Wow, three for Panahi. Clearly the Oscar Frontrunner.

Top ten list from Cahiers du Cinéma is out.

1) “Afternoons of Solitude” (Albert Serra)
2) “One Battle After Another” (Paul Thomas Anderson)
3) “Yes!” (Nadav Lapid)
4) “The Secret Agent” (Kleber Mendonça Filho)
5) “I Only Rest in the Storm” (Pedro Pinho)
6) “L’Aventura” (Sophie Letourneur)
7) “7 Walks With Mark Brown” (Pierre Creton / Vincent Barre)
8) “Nouvelle Vague” (Richard Linklater)
9) “Laurent Dans le Vent” (Anton Balekdjian / Léo Couture / Mattéo Eustachon)
10) “Miroirs No. 3” (Christian Petzold)

Afternoons of Solitude is from 2024, but might also be the best new film I saw in 25.

I haven't watched the Petzold, Pinho, or Lapid.

I've only seen the top two. Pedro Pinhos last film was three hours long, so I'm thinking the new one will be an easier watch.

National Board of Review

Best Film: “One Battle After Another” (Warner Bros.)

Best Director: Paul Thomas Anderson, “One Battle After Another” (Warner Bros.)

Best Actor: Leonardo DiCaprio, “One Battle After Another” (Warner Bros.)

Best Actress: Rose Byrne, “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You” (A24)

Best Supporting Actor: Benicio Del Toro, “One Battle After Another” (Warner Bros.)

Best Supporting Actress: Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas, “Sentimental Value” (Neon)

Best Directorial Debut: Eva Victor, “Sorry, Baby” (A24)

Breakthrough Performance: Chase Infiniti, “One Battle After Another” (Warner Bros.)

Best Original Screenplay: Ryan Coogler, “Sinners” (Warner Bros.)

Best Adapted Screenplay: Clint Bentley and Greg Kwedar, “Train Dreams” (Netflix)

Best Animated Feature: “Arco” (Neon)

Best International Film: “It Was Just an Accident” (Neon)

Best Documentary: “Cover-Up” (Netflix)

Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography: Autumn Durald Arkapaw, “Sinners” (Warner Bros.)

Outstanding Achievement in Stunt Artistry: “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning” (Paramount Pictures)

NBR Freedom of Expression Award: “Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk” (Kino Lorber)

Top 10 Films (in alphabetical order):

“Avatar: Fire and Ash” (20th Century Studios)
“F1” (Apple Original Films/Warner Bros.)
“Frankenstein” (Netflix)
“Jay Kelly” (Netflix)
“Marty Supreme” (A24)
“Rental Family” (Searchlight Pictures)
“Sinners” (Warner Bros.)
“Train Dreams” (Netflix)
“Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery” (Netflix)
“Wicked: For Good” (Universal Pictures)

Top 5 International Films (in alphabetical order):

“Left-Handed Girl” (Netflix)
“The Love That Remains” (Janus Films)
“The Secret Agent” (Neon)
“Sentimental Value” (Neon)
“Sirāt” (Neon)

Top 5 Documentaries (in alphabetical order):

“2000 Meters to Andriivka” (PBS)
“Come See Me in the Good Light” (Apple Original Films)
“My Mom Jayne” (HBO Documentary Films)
“Natchez” (Oscilloscope Laboratories)
“Orwell: 2+2=5” (Neon)

Top 10 Independent Films (in alphabetical order):

“The Baltimorons” (IFC)
“Bring Her Back” (A24)
“Father Mother Sister Brother” (Mubi)
“Friendship” (A24)
“Good Boy” (IFC)
“If I Had Legs I’d Kick You” (A24)
“The Mastermind” (Mubi)
“Rebuilding” (Bleecker Street)
“Sorry, Baby” (A24)
“Urchin” (1-2 Special)

Independent Spirit Awards out today, too.
https://www.filmindependent.org/blog/here-are-your-2026-film-independent-spirit-awards-nominees/

Nice to see Hlynur Pálmason in the top five international films :)

BFI/Sight & Sound Top 50:

https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/polls/50-best-films-2025?brid=4FziS7bBB3Vx0Z-s2ItVQw

justin chang / richard brody’s lists:

https://www.newyorker.com/culture/2025-in-review/the-best-films-of-2025
https://archive.ph/zyhgl

LAFCA voting now:
https://bsky.app/profile/lafilmcritics.bsky.social

Good to see Eephus show up on lists.

Dying to know what ILX thinks of Sirat.

Cool to see that Richard Brody mentioning Invention. I keep directing people to it IRL, to (seemingly) no avail.

xp I loved Sirat

Golden Globe nods: https://deadline.com/lists/golden-globes-nominations-2026-movies-tv/golden-globes-television-series-musical-or-comedy-nominees/

Around the usual bilge the Golden Globes went surprisingly deep. Eva Victor, Reinate Reinsve, Michael B. Jordan, Rose Byrne, Tessa Thompson, Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas, Teyana Taylor, and Lee Byung-Hun.

No real surprises, though. On one hand, I'm glad that the Globes has expanded its voting pool in recent years and now (like the Oscars) recognizes artier, more international fare. On the other hand, it was kind of fun when they'd nominate dreck just because a big movie star was in it (I guess the closest we get to that this year is The Smashing Machine).

A decade ago they would've given Eva Victor and Lee Byung-Hun a hard pass though.

Oh for sure, and those two in particular do seem like genuine surprises, despite what I just said.

I guess the other surprise is that Avatar and Wicked were both passed over for Best Pic noms.

I hope Ben Shapiro isn't taking his snub in the new podcast category too hard. He seemed to really want it.

My critics circle's nominees and I'm proud:

https://nextbestpicture.com/the-2025-florida-film-critics-circle-ffcc-nominations/

Oooh, cool set of nominees

https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/polls/best-films-2025-all-votes

sight and sound

oh ward fowler posted that already. this is the individual ballots