One Battle After Another wins Critics Choice best picture

On Jan. 4, 2026, the Critics Choice Awards in Santa Monica, Calif., handed the best-picture prize to One Battle After Another.

Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, the film about a burned-out revolutionary searching for his daughter won three awards in total, including directing and adapted screenplay. Anderson said, "This is the best time I ever had making a movie, and I feel like it shows."

Top acting honors went to Timothée Chalamet for Marty Supreme and Jessie Buckley for Hamnet; Buckley, who plays William Shakespeare’s wife, said, "This is intense!" Other film winners included Amy Madigan for supporting actress (Weapons) and Jacob Elordi for supporting actor (Frankenstein). Frankenstein also won for costume design and production design, while Ryan Coogler’s Sinners took prizes for score, original screenplay and best young actor, Miles Caton.

The Critics Choice Awards are presented by a group of more than 500 broadcast critics and journalists. After moving to an earlier date this year, the show preceded the Golden Globes, scheduled for Jan. 11, and pundits had watched to see which direction Critics Choice voters would take; The Times published a complete list of winners.

Key Topics

Culture, Paul Thomas Anderson, Timothée Chalamet, Jessie Buckley, Critics Choice Awards, Frankenstein