Coogler’s ‘Sinners’ leads year-end critics polls

Ryan Coogler’s vampire horror film Sinners swept year-end critics polls, winning Best Film from the Boston Society of Film Critics with four total awards and topping HeyUGuys’ UK critics aggregate with 37 votes, signaling rare cross-critical agreement.awardswatch

Set in 1930s Jim Crow-era Mississippi, the film stars Michael B. Jordan in dual roles as twin brothers who encounter vampires after opening a juke joint, marking Coogler’s first entirely original work and his fifth collaboration with Jordan.npr

The film earned a record-breaking 21 Black Reel Awards nominations and tied for most mentions on Oscar shortlists with eight categories, though it faces competition from Paul Thomas Anderson’s “One Battle After Another,” which won IndieWire’s critics poll with 573 points.blackgirlnerds

Ryan Coogler’s ‘Sinners’ Dominates Year-End Critics Polls as Consensus Favorite Emerges

Ryan Coogler’s vampire horror film “Sinners” has established itself as a critical darling in year-end polling, topping multiple prestigious critics organizations in December and emerging as one of the most celebrated films of 2025 alongside Paul Thomas Anderson’s “One Battle After Another.”

The film scored its most decisive victory in HeyUGuys’ aggregated UK critics poll, where it received 37 votes to claim the top spot as Critics’ Film of the Year. The tally represented “rare cross-critical agreement” across mainstream publications and specialist film writers, according to the outlet. Anderson’s “One Battle After Another” followed closely with 31 votes, with the two films forming “a clear top tier” before a noticeable gap to third-place finisher “Weapons” with 19 votes.heyuguys

On December 14, the Boston Society of Film Critics handed “Sinners” four awards including Best Film and Best Director for Coogler, along with honors for Ludwig Göransson’s score and Autumn Durald Arkapaw’s cinematography. The Black Film Critics Circle followed suit three days later, naming “Sinners” Best Film of 2025 and awarding it seven prizes across 13 categories.awardswatch

Set in 1930s Jim Crow-era Mississippi, “Sinners” stars Michael B. Jordan in a dual role as twin brothers Smoke and Stack who return to their hometown to open a juke joint, only to encounter a group of vampires drawn to the Delta blues music. The film marks Coogler’s first entirely original work and his fifth collaboration with Jordan.npr

Awards Season Momentum

The critical acclaim has translated into awards season dominance. “Sinners” received a record-breaking 21 nominations at the Black Reel Awards on December 17, the most in the organization’s 26-year history. The film earned recognition across major categories and an unprecedented four Original Song nominations.blackgirlnerds

According to Oscar shortlists announced December 16, “Sinners” and “Wicked: For Good” tied for the most mentions with eight categories each, including Casting, Score, and Visual Effects. Awards Watch currently predicts “Sinners” to lead the field with casting director Francine Maisler positioned as frontrunner in the Academy’s new Best Casting category.variety

However, the race remains competitive. In IndieWire’s poll of 148 critics, “One Battle After Another” claimed top honors with 573 points and 43 first-place votes, while “Sinners” placed third with 479 points. The Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association similarly chose “One Battle After Another” first, followed by “Sinners” in second.yahoo

The Austin Film Critics Association named “One Battle After Another” Best Film, though “Sinners” topped their separate Top 10 list. Multiple critics organizations have split between the two films, with Anderson winning Best Director in several polls where “Sinners” also received recognition.reddit