Dallas Film Now.

My hometown critics’ group, the Dallas/Fort Worth Film Critics Association, has selected Paul Thomas Anderson’s spectacular One Battle After Another as the Best Film of 2025. (Yay! My personal pick, too.) 

Leonardo DiCaprio was chosen as Best Actor for his performance as a father brought back to the fight in One Battle After Another, with Teyana Taylor honored as Best Supporting Actress in the same film for her role as a zealous activist. 

Rose Byrne’s devastating portrayal of a woman in crisis was our pick as Best Actress in If I Had Legs I’d Kick You; Stellan Skarsgard was selected as Best Supporting Actor for his performance as a film director seeking to reconnect with his daughter in Joachim Trier’s Sentimental Value, which was also chosen as Best Foreign Language Film. 

Paul Thomas Anderson was voted as Best Director and also Best Screenplay for his galvanic One Battle After Another. For Best Documentary, we recognized the chaotic and intense The Perfect Neighbor. 

Autumn Durald Arkapaw was honored with Best Cinematography and Ludwig Goransson, for Best Score, both for Sinners. 

As Best Foreign Language film, we somehow chose Kpop Demon Hunters. Our Russell Smith Award, for best low-budget or cutting-edge independent film, was awarded to Jafar Panahi’s It Was Just An Accident. 

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The complete tabulation of winners and runners-up is listed below, quoted from the official announcement: 

SUMMARY OF AWARD WINNERS

2025 Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association

(Choices listed in order of votes received)

BEST PICTURE

Winner: ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER

Runners-up: SINNERS (2); MARTY SUPREME (3); HAMNET (4); SENTIMENTAL VALUE (5); TRAIN DREAMS (6); FRANKENSTEIN (7); JAY KELLY (8); BUGONIA (9); IT WAS JUST AN ACCIDENT (10)

BEST ACTOR

Winner: Leonardo DiCaprio, ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER

Runners-up: Timothee Chalamet, MARTY SUPREME (2); Michael B. Jordan, SINNERS (3); Ethan Hawke, BLUE MOON (4); Joel Edgerton, TRAIN DREAMS (5)

BEST ACTRESS

Winner: Rose Byrne, IF I HAD LEGS I’D KICK YOU 

Runners-up: Jessie Buckley, HAMNET (2); Renate Reinsve, SENTIMENTAL VALUE (3); Emma Stone, BUGONIA (4); Chase Infiniti, ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER (5)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Winner: Stellan Skarsgard, SENTIMENTAL VALUE

Runners-up: Benicio del Toro, ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER (2); Sean Penn, ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER (3); Paul Mescal, HAMNET (4); Adam Sandler, JAY KELLY (5)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Winner: Teyana Taylor, ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER

Runners-up: Amy Madigan, WEAPONS (2); Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas, SENTIMENTAL VALUE (3); Odessa A’zion, MARTY SUPREME (4); Wunmi Mosaku, SINNERS (5)

BEST DIRECTOR

Winner: Paul Thomas Anderson, ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER

Runners-up: Ryan Coogler, SINNERS (2); Chloe Zhao, HAMNET (3); Josh Safdie, MARTY SUPREME (4); Guillermo del Toro, FRANKENSTEIN (5)

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

Winner: SENTIMENTAL VALUE

Runners-up: IT WAS JUST AN ACCIDENT (2); THE SECRET AGENT (3); NO OTHER CHOICE (4); SIRAT (5)

BEST DOCUMENTARY

Winner: THE PERFECT NEIGHBOR

Runners-up: 2000 METERS TO ANDRIIVKA (2); ORWELL: 2+2=5 (3); COVER-UP (4); COME SEE ME IN THE GOOD LIGHT (5)

BEST ANIMATED FILM

Winner: KPOP DEMON HUNTERS

Runner-up: ARCO

BEST SCREENPLAY

Winner: Paul Thomas Anderson, ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER

Runner-up: Ryan Coogler, SINNERS

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

Winner: Autumn Durald Arkapaw, SINNERS

Runner-up: Adolpho Veloso, TRAIN DREAMS

BEST MUSICAL SCORE

Winner: Ludwig Goransson, SINNERS

Runner-up: Alexandre Desplat, FRANKENSTEIN

RUSSELL SMITH AWARD (best low-budget or cutting-edge independent film)

Winner: IT WAS JUST AN ACCIDENT