Anderson’s thriller sweeps critics awards

Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another swept Best Picture honors from three major film critics organizations on December 20—the Boston Society of Film Critics, Philadelphia Film Critics Circle, and Boston Online Film Critics Association—adding to the political action thriller’s December 17 win from the Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Associationawardsradar.
The film, which stars Leonardo DiCaprio as a washed-up revolutionary protecting his daughter, earned Anderson Best Director awards across all four organizations while Benicio del Toro won Best Supporting Actor from three groups for his role as a karate instructorawardsradar.
The critical dominance follows the film’s nine Golden Globe nominations announced December 8, positioning Anderson—who holds 11 Oscar nominations without a win—as a frontrunner heading into the Academy Awardstheguardian.

Paul Thomas Anderson’s ‘One Battle After Another’ Dominates Film Critics Awards

Paul Thomas Anderson’s political action thriller “One Battle After Another” swept film critics awards on December 20, winning Best Picture honors from three major organizations—the Boston Society of Film Critics, Philadelphia Film Critics Circle, and Boston Online Film Critics Association. Combined with the Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association’s top prize announced December 17, the Leonardo DiCaprio-led film has emerged as the dominant force in the early awards season.

The film, which follows a washed-up revolutionary scrambling to rescue his abducted daughter, earned Anderson Best Director awards across all four organizations. Benicio del Toro, who plays karate instructor Sergio St. Carlos, won Best Supporting Actor from the Boston Society of Film Critics, Philadelphia Film Critics Circle, and Boston Online Film Critics Association.awardsradar

Industry Momentum Builds

The critical consensus arrives as “One Battle After Another” leads the 83rd Golden Globe Awards with nine nominations announced December 8, including Best Picture, Best Director, and acting nods for DiCaprio, del Toro, Sean Penn, Teyana Taylor, and newcomer Chase Infiniti. Earlier in December, the National Board of Review crowned it the year’s best film, while the Los Angeles Film Critics Association and New York Film Critics Circle also awarded it top honors.theguardian

According to Time magazine, which named DiCaprio “Artist of the Year 2025” on December 7, the film has grossed over $200 million worldwide despite initial box office skepticism. The action thriller stars DiCaprio as Bob Ferguson, a paranoid ex-member of the revolutionary group French 75, who must confront his past when his daughter Willa goes missing after his nemesis—Penn’s white supremacist Colonel Steven J. Lockjaw—resurfaces after 16 years.deultimominuto

The Philadelphia Film Critics Circle highlighted the film’s dominance over Ryan Coogler’s “Sinners,” with the two films splitting nine categories between them as either winner or runner-up. While “One Battle After Another” took Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Supporting Actor, “Sinners” captured Best Script, Best Cinematography, and Best Musical Score.awardswatch

Recognition Across Categories

Beyond the top prizes, Anderson’s film earned widespread recognition in supporting categories. Teyana Taylor, who plays Bob’s revolutionary partner Perfidia Beverly Hills, won Best Supporting Actress from both Philadelphia and Dallas-Fort Worth critics. Chase Infiniti, making her feature film debut as daughter Willa Ferguson, received the Breakthrough Performance award from Philadelphia and has been gaining traction in Best Actress categories.awardswatch

The Boston Society of Film Critics named “Sinners” as their runner-up, while also awarding Amy Madigan Best Supporting Actress for “Weapons” and Wagner Moura Best Actor for “The Secret Agent”. The critical acclaim positions Anderson, who has 11 Oscar nominations without a win, as a frontrunner heading into the Academy Awards.awardsradar