As each award was presented individually by various members of the Chicago Film Critics Association, a thought kept entering my head: this has to be making a run for the most awards a single film has ever won from this organization. Sure enough, it was soon confirmed that writer/director Paul Thomas Anderson’s politically charged yet personable fractured father-daughter relationship thriller One Battle After Another broke that record, nabbing nine awards. In some respects, this is not too surprising; it isn’t just a timely movie of the moment. Instead, this movie arguably IS the moment, loaded with equal parts horror and optimism.
Full disclosure: One Battle After Another was all over my personal ballot for both rounds. It is one of those films that feels like an extraordinary feat of craftsmanship and storytelling that will stand tall for years and decades to come. Some of my passion picks didn’t end up nominated, including 28 Years Later, The Ugly Stepsister, Eddington, Warfare, and Materialists. I bring that up to say that reader/viewer curiosity shouldn’t begin and end with the worthy and exceptional films here that did rise to the top. 2025 was a hell of a year for movies. That discovery is also what I love most about this line of work, and I hope that shines in the reviews I bring you throughout the year. Needless to say, putting together these ballots and making my voice heard, so to speak, is the endgame reward and an immensely gratifying, celebratory feeling.
It is also a joy to be part of a community passionate about the arts and to declare what is the best of the year. Some of my choices did end up with nominations, and there were even a few I wasn’t ecstatic about (I hesitate to say puzzling, because even if I would have preferred seeing something else in a spot, I also understood the nomination). Seeing some love for Eva Victor’s subversively lighthearted take on processing and moving on from trauma with Sorry, Baby was a highlight, as was any nomination for Hamnet, Train Dreams, and Sinners. The lone nomination Eephus notched also made my baseball-obsessed heart happy.
Then there were some pleasant deep-cut nominations, such as Abou Sangare for Promising Performer in Souleymane’s Story, a stressful look at the hardships of a Guinean immigrant working in delivery service jobs while seeking asylum. It’s an under-the-radar film that should be sought out immediately, and a nomination that demonstrates Chicago critics’ coverage spans wide and that no stone, or movie, is being left unwatched and unconsidered.
It is an honor to be part of this voting body, and, as mentioned before, it is the rewarding culmination of what we critics do. That criticism is vital and perhaps necessary now more than ever, so absorb, support, and engage with as much of it as you can. As reported on the Roger Ebert website, here are the winners for the 2025 Chicago Film Critics Awards:
BEST PICTURE: “One Battle After Another”
BEST DIRECTOR: Paul Thomas Anderson, “One Battle After Another”
BEST ACTOR: Timothee Chalamet, “Marty Supreme“
BEST ACTRESS: Rose Byrne, “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You“
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Benicio Del Toro, “One Battle After Another”
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Teyana Taylor, “One Battle After Another”
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: “It Was Just an Accident” by Jafar Panahi
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: “One Battle After Another” by Paul Thomas Anderson
BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM: “It Was Just an Accident”
BEST DOCUMENTARY: “The Perfect Neighbor“
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE: “KPop Demon Hunters“
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY: Michael Bauman, “One Battle After Another”
BEST EDITING: Andy Jurgensen, “One Battle After Another”
BEST ART DIRECTION/PRODUCTION DESIGN: “Frankenstein”
BEST COSTUME DESIGN: Kate Hawley, “Frankenstein”
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE: Jonny Greenwood, “One Battle After Another”
BEST USE OF VISUAL EFFECTS: “Sinners“
MOST PROMISING PERFORMER: Chase Infiniti, “One Battle After Another”
MILOS STEHLIK BREAKTHROUGH FILMMAKER: Eva Victor, “Sorry, Baby“
I will avenge Ralph Fiennes and ensure he gets nominated for The Bone Temple. That gripe aside, this is a terrific crop of winners, and I can’t wait to do it again next year.
Robert Kojder
