“One Battle After Another,” a political thriller set in a police state version of America, triumphed at the 98th Academy Awards on Sunday, winning six Oscars, including best picture. Paul Thomas Anderson, the creative force behind the film, was named best director and picked up an Oscar for best adapted screenplay.
“I wrote this movie for my kids to say sorry for the housekeeping mess that we left in this world we’re handing off to them, but also with the encouragement that they will be the generation that hopefully brings us some common sense and decency,” Anderson said while accepting his screenplay prize.
“One Battle After Another” was followed closely by “Sinners,” which earned four prizes, including awards for Ryan Coogler’s original screenplay and Michael B. Jordan’s lead performance. Both films were released by Warner Bros., capping a sizzling 2025 for the company, which included the release of hits like “Superman,” “A Minecraft Movie” and “Weapons.” The studio clearly has a lot to celebrate, but its victories come at a tumultuous moment in its history, and that of Hollywood. Warner Bros. Discovery has a deal to sell itself to Paramount for nearly $111 billion. If the sale gets regulatory approval, it is expected to lead to thousands of layoffs and could trigger even more consolidation in an industry reeling from painful job losses.
Jessie Buckley was named best lead actress for her searing portrayal of a woman coping with the death of her young son in “Hamnet,” while Jordan was recognized for playing the twin owners of a Delta juke joint in “Sinners.”
“God is good,” an emotional Jordan said. He went on to thank Coogler, with whom he has made five features. “You gave me opportunity and space to be seen,” Jordan said.
Buckley noted that her win coincided with mother’s day in the United Kingdom. “I’d like to dedicate this to the beautiful chaos of a mother’s heart,” she said. “We all come from a lineage of women who continue to create against all odds.”
Supporting actor prizes went to Sean Penn for playing a racist soldier determined to become a member of a secret society in “One Battle After Another” and Amy Madigan for her scene-stealing turn as a witch with some of the wildest makeup in movies in “Weapons.” Penn, a previous winner for “Milk” and “Mystic River,” did not show up to collect his prize as he became only the fourth male performer to win three Oscars, joining Daniel Day-Lewis, Jack Nicholson and Walter Brennan. “He couldn’t be here this evening or didn’t want to,” presenter Kieran Culkin quipped of the awards-averse Penn.
Madigan, a veteran character actress, was last nominated for an Oscar for 1985’s “Twice in a Lifetime.””It’s been 40 years, and, you know, what’s different about this time? What’s different is this little gold guy,” Madigan said, gesturing to her statue.
This year’s ceremony unfolded as the movie business continues to struggle to resonate with younger viewers who are more interested in gaming and YouTube than cinema, and as the box office remains a shadow of its pre-pandemic self. It also was broadcast as much of the world’s attention is on the war in Iran. Because of FBI alerts of a possible Iranian drone attack on California, security, which is always extensive at the Oscars, was even more omnipresent with police dogs visible on the red carpet and choppers circling overhead.
It was a politically charged ceremony, with presenters like Jimmy Kimmel mocking President Donal(d Trump by pointing out that his wife Melania’s self-titled documentary wasn’t up for any awards, and other stars using their time on stage to advocate for different causes.
(Excerpt) Read more and See a List of Winners at Variety