Atlanta Film Critics Circle Honors Sinners, Weapons, & One Battle After Another With 2025 Awards

2025 is weeks away from ending, so the heated debate about the best movies of the last year is about to get started in earnest, especially as awards season looms over Hollywood. Among the first critics groups that announces their annual awards every year is the Atlanta Film Critics Circle (of which I am a voting member), and our voting body is made up of 39 Atlanta-based critics working in newspapers, magazines, and online journalism. Today, we’ve released our Top 10 movies of the entire year, along with specific winners in various categories. Though there are some titles that film fans may be expecting due to already becoming awards darlings, we saw fit to recognize major Hollywood productions that proved to be box office successes in addition to being great films.

In addition to the Top 10 movies of the year, our ballot also includes specific categories for those in front of and behind the camera. Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another was the clear winner this year, not only taking home the top spot in our Top 10 list but also Best Lead Actor, Best Supporting Actor, Best Ensemble Cast, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, and more. That said, Ryan Coogler’s Sinners and Zach Cregger’s Weapons didn’t go home empty-handed either, with those three Warner Bros. movies sitting in the top three spots of our Top 10 (among other wins).

The AFCC also has two annual special awards that we announce every year, including Best Breakthrough Performer and Best First Feature Film. The former category notched another victory for One Battle After Another, with newcomer Chase Infiniti taking the prize. Our Best First Feature Film award went to the indie darling Sorry, Baby from writer/director/star Eva Victor.

You can find the full list of Atlanta Film Critics Circle 2025 winners below!

BEST FILM:
One Battle After Another

TOP 10 FILMS (ranked):

1. One Battle After Another
2. Sinners
3. Weapons
4. Hamnet
5. Marty Supreme
6. It Was Just an Accident
7. No Other Choice
8. Sentimental Value
9. Train Dreams
10. The Secret Agent

BEST LEAD ACTOR:
Leonardo DiCaprio, One Battle After Another
Runner-up: Michael B. Jordan, Sinners

BEST LEAD ACTRESS:
Jessie Buckley, Hamnet
Runner-up: Rose Byrne, If I Had Legs I’d Kick You

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR:
Benicio del Toro, One Battle After Another
Runner-up: Sean Penn, One Battle After Another

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS:
Amy Madigan, Weapons
Runner-up: Teyana Taylor, One Battle After Another

BEST ENSEMBLE CAST:
One Battle After Another
Runner-up: Sinners

BEST DIRECTOR:
Paul Thomas Anderson, One Battle After Another
Runner-up: Ryan Coogler, Sinners

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY:
Sinners
Runner-up: Weapons

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY:
One Battle After Another
Runner-up: Hamnet

BEST DOCUMENTARY:
The Perfect Neighbor
Runner-up: The Alabama Solution

BEST INTERNATIONAL FEATURE:
It Was Just an Accident
Runner-up: No Other Choice

BEST ANIMATED FILM:
KPop Demon Hunters
Runner-up: Arco

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY:
One Battle After Another
Runner-up: Sinners

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE:
Sinners
Runner-up: One Battle After Another

BEST STUNT WORK:
Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning
Runner-up: F1

BEST VOICE PERFORMANCE:
Arden Cho, KPop Demon Hunters
Runner-up: Jason Bateman, Zootopia 2

BEST BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE:
Chase Infiniti, One Battle After Another

BEST FIRST FEATURE:
Eva Victor, Sorry, Baby