The National Society of Film Critics Awards 2025 clearly crowned the favorites, and it was a great night one fight after anotherPaul Thomas Anderson’s film emerged as the big winner, taking home the awards for Best Director, Best Supporting Actress and Best Supporting Actor as well as Best Film,

one fight after another won Best Picture, while Anderson was honored for Best Director. The film also picked up acting trophies for Teyana Taylor (Best Supporting Actress) and Benicio del Toro (Best Supporting Actor), continuing its dominance at this year’s critics awards.

In the lead acting categories, Ethan Hawke won Best Actor for his performance in Blue Moon, while Kathleen Chalfant was awarded Best Actress for Familiar Touch.

The list of runners-up reflects a strong year for international and independent cinema. One Battle After Another went to Sinners and The Secret Agent in the Best Picture category. For Best Director, Jafar Panahi (It Was Just an Accident) and Richard Linklater (Blue Moon and Nouvelle Vague) were named runners-up.

In the acting categories, Rose Byrne (If I Had Legs I’d Kick You) and Renate Reinsway (Sentimental Values) were runners-up for Best Actress, while Wagner Moura (The Secret Agent) and Michael B. Jordan (Sinners) finished second behind Ethan Hawke for Best Actor. Supporting acting runners-up included Inga Ibsdotter Lilias, Wunmi Mosaku, Delroy Lindo, and Stellan Skarsgård.

Panahi also won Best Screenplay for It Was Just an Accident, while Blue Moon and The Secret Agent were runners-up. The Secret Agent was awarded Best Film in the English Language, while My Unwanted Friends: Part I – Last Air in Moscow won Best Nonfiction Film.

National Society of Film Critics Awards 2025 – Winners and Runners-up

best picture
Winner: One on One Battle
Runner up:
– sinner
– secret agent

best director
Winner: Paul Thomas Anderson (One on One Fight)
Runner up:
– Zafar Panahi (It was just an accident)
-Richard Linklater (Blue Moon; Nouvelle Vague)

best Actress
Winner: Kathleen Chalfant (Familiar Touch)
Runner up:
– Rose Byrne (If I had legs I’d kick you)
– Renate Reinsway (Sentimental Values)

best Supporting Actress
Winner: Teyana Taylor (One on One Battle)
Runner up:
– Inga Ibsdotter Lilias (Sentimental Value)
– Wunmi Mosaku (Sinner)

best Actor
Winner: Ethan Hawke (Blue Moon)
Runner up:
– Wagner Moura (The Secret Agent)
– Michael B. Jordan (Sinners)

Best Supporting Actor
Winner: Benicio Del Toro (One on One Fight)
Runner up:
– Delroy Lindo (Sinner)
– Stellan Skarsgård (Sentimental Value)

best screenplay
Winner: Jafar Panahi (It Was Just an Accident)
Runner up:
– Robert Kaplow (Blue Moon)
– Kleber Mendonada Filho (The Secret Agent)

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Not the best film in the English language
Winner: Secret Agent
Runner up:
– It was just an accident
– sentimental value

Best Nonfiction Film
Winner: My Unwanted Friends: Part I – Final Broadcast in Moscow
Runner up:
– perfect neighbor
– Orwell: 2+2=5

Best Cinematography
Winner: Autumn Durald Arkapaw (Sinners)
Runner up:
– Adolfo Veloso (Train Dreams)
– Michael Baumann (One on One Fight)

Best Experimental Film
Winner: Morning Circle (Basma Al-Sharif)

Special Award – Film Awaiting US Distribution
Winner: Landmarks (Lucrecia Martel)

The 2025 honors underlined critics’ continued support for bold storytelling, global cinema and filmmaker-driven narratives.