‘One Battle After Another’ Dominates National Board of Review, Sweeping Top Honors

New Delhi, December 04, 2025: The highly anticipated awards season officially kicked off with a major victory for Paul Thomas Anderson’s epic, ‘One Battle After Another,’ which was named the Best Film of 2025 by the National Board of Review (NBR). The organization, composed of film enthusiasts, filmmakers, academics, and professionals, recognized the sprawling adventure epic with a total of five major awards, cementing its status as an early Oscar front-runner.

The win is the third major top prize for the film in less than a week, following Best Feature wins at the Gotham Awards and the New York Film Critics Circle.

🌟 A Clean Sweep for Anderson’s Epic

‘One Battle After Another’ didn’t just win Best Film; it completely dominated the major categories. Acclaimed filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson was honored with Best Director for his work on the project. The film, loosely based on Thomas Pynchon’s 1990 novel Vineland, is described by NBR President Annie Schulhof as a “bold, funny, and thrilling movie” that is both a significant commentary on the world today and a tender story of a father and daughter’s connection through “wildest events.” The plot centers on an ex-revolutionary, Bob Ferguson (played by DiCaprio), forced back into his former combative life when his daughter goes missing and an old enemy resurfaces.

The film’s stars also saw significant recognition:

• Best Actor: Leonardo DiCaprio, for his portrayal of the paranoid, washed-up revolutionary Bob Ferguson.
• Best Supporting Actor: Benicio Del Toro, who plays Sensei Sergio, an old comrade and martial arts mentor.
• Breakthrough Performance: Chase Infiniti, for her role as Willa, the spirited teenage daughter at the heart of the story.

Other Major Winners

While ‘One Battle After Another’ was the undeniable star of the day, other films and performances managed to break through its sweep.

In the acting categories, Rose Byrne won Best Actress for her performance in the independent film, If I Had Legs I’d Kick You. The award adds to her growing awards season momentum. Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas secured Best Supporting Actress for her work in Sentimental Value.

The writing awards celebrated two different films: Ryan Coogler won Best Original Screenplay for his drama, Sinners, which also won for Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography. Meanwhile, the team of Clint Bentley and Greg Kwedar took home Best Adapted Screenplay for the film Train Dreams.

Eva Victor was recognized for Best Directorial Debut for her Sundance premiere, Sorry, Baby.

The National Board of Review’s choices often provide an early indicator of which films will have strong traction throughout the rest of the awards circuit, culminating in the Academy Awards. With its multiple wins, ‘One Battle After Another’ is now clearly positioned as a top contender for the industry’s biggest prizes.