‘One Battle After One other’ triumphs at 98th Academy Awards

Paul Thomas Anderson’s ‘One Battle After One other’ was topped ‘Greatest Image’ on the 98th Academy Awards, handing Hollywood’s prime honour to a comic book, multi-generational American saga of political resistance.

The ceremony, which additionally noticed Michael B Jordan win ‘Greatest Actor’ and ‘Sinners’ cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw make Oscar historical past as the primary feminine director of pictures to win the award, was a long-in-coming coronation for Anderson, a San Fernando Valley native who made his first quick at age 18 and has been one among America’s most lionised filmmakers for many years. Earlier than Sunday, Anderson had by no means gained an Oscar.

However ‘One Battle After One other’, the favorite coming in, gained six Oscars, together with ‘Greatest Director’ and ‘Greatest Tailored Screenplay’ for Anderson, the Oscars’ first trophy for ‘Greatest Casting’ and ‘Greatest Supporting Actor’ for an absent Sean Penn.

“I wrote this film for my children to express regret for the housekeeping mess that we left on this world – we’re handing off to them. But in addition, with the encouragement that they would be the technology that hopefully brings us some frequent sense and decency,” stated Anderson whereas accepting the screenplay trophy.

Ryan Coogler’s Jim Crow-set, blues-soaked vampire story ‘Sinners’, which got here in with a report 16 nominations, additionally landed some large and even historic wins. Coogler, the broadly cherished filmmaker, gained the primary Oscar in an unblemished profession that started off with Jordan in 2013’s ‘Fruitvale Station’.

Arkapaw was additionally the primary Black individual to win for ‘Greatest Cinematography’. Solely the fourth feminine cinematographer ever nominated, her win was a long-awaited triumph for ladies behind the digicam. “I actually need all the ladies within the room to face up. As a result of I don’t really feel like I get right here with out you guys,” stated Arkapaw.

And Jordan, one among Hollywood’s most appreciated main males, gained ‘Greatest Actor’ in one of many night time’s closest races. The Dolby Theatre rose to its ft to probably the most thunderous applause of the night time. “Yo, momma, what’s up?” stated Jordan after staggering to the stage.

The Oscar night time belonged to ‘Warner Bros’, the studio of ‘One Battle After One other’ and ‘Sinners’, which scored a record-tying 11 wins. It was an oddly poignant observe of triumph for the fabled studio, which weeks earlier agreed to a sale to ‘Paramount Skydance’, David Ellison’s quickly assembled media monolith. The USD 111 billion deal, which awaits regulatory approval, has Hollywood bracing for extra layoffs.

However ‘Sinners’ and ‘One Battle After One other’ – the much-acclaimed heavyweights of the season had been every Hollywood anomalies: big-budget originals born from a private imaginative and prescient. In a 12 months the place anxiousness over studio contraction and the rise of synthetic intelligence typically consumed the business, each movies gave Hollywood contemporary hope.

Jessie Buckley gained ‘Greatest Actress’ for her efficiency as Agnes Shakespeare in ‘Hamnet’, making her the primary Irish performer to ever win within the class. At an Oscars the place no different performing award appeared a certain factor, Buckley cruised into Sunday’s Oscars on the Dolby Theatre because the overwhelming favorite. “It’s Mom’s Day within the UK. I want to dedicate this to the gorgeous chaos of a mom’s coronary heart,” stated Buckley on the stage.

From the beginning, when host Conan O’Brien sprinted by way of the 12 months’s nominees as Amy Madigan’s character within the horror thriller ‘Weapons’ in a pre-taped bit, Sunday’s ceremony was quirky, a bit of clunky and preoccupied with the shifting place of flicks in tradition. There was, of all issues, a tie for greatest live-action quick movie.

As anticipated, the ‘Netflix’ sensation ‘KPop Demon Hunters’, 2025’s most-watched movie, gained ‘Greatest Animated Characteristic’, in addition to ‘Greatest Music’ for ‘Golden’. It was a giant win for ‘Netflix’ however a extra certified victory for the film’s producer, ‘Sony Footage’ – although it developed and produced the movie, ‘Sony’ bought ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ to the streaming big as an alternative of giving it a theatrical launch.

On Netflix, ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ turned a cultural phenomenon and the streaming platform’s greatest hit. It has greater than 325 million views and counting. “That is for Korea and Koreans all over the place,” stated co-director Maggie Kang.

One other ‘Netflix’ launch, Guillermo del Toro’s ‘Frankenstein’ picked up three awards for its lavish craft, for costume design, make-up and hairstyling and for manufacturing design.

Amy Madigan gained ‘Greatest Supporting Actress’ for her efficiency within the horror thriller ‘Weapons’, a win that got here 40 years after the 75-year-old actor was first nominated, in 1986, for ‘Twice in a Lifetime’. Letting out an enormous snort as she hit the stage, Madigan exclaimed, “That is nice!”

Internet hosting for the second time, O’Brien started the Dolby Theatre present, alluding to ‘chaotic and scary instances’. However he argued that the present geopolitical local weather made the Oscars all of the extra resonant as a globally unifying drive. “We pay tribute tonight, not simply to movie, however to the beliefs of worldwide artistry, collaboration, endurance, resilience and that rarest of qualities at the moment – optimism. We’re going to rejoice. Not as a result of we predict all is properly, however as a result of we work and hope for higher,” O’Brien stated.

All through the present, O’Brien hit a lot of targets, like Timothee Chalamet – who once more missed out on successful his first Oscar, this time for ‘Marty Supreme’ – for his diss of opera and ballet. However the ceremony wasn’t seldom shadowed by politics, whether or not in references to modifications underneath US President Donald Trump or the just lately launched conflict in Iran.

Joachim Trier, whose Norwegian household drama ‘Sentimental Worth’ gained ‘Greatest Worldwide Movie’, quoted James Baldwin in his acceptance speech: “All adults are accountable for all kids. Let’s not vote for politicians that don’t take this severely under consideration,” he stated.

Presenter Jimmy Kimmel, whose late-night present final 12 months was suspended after feedback he made concerning the killing of Charlie Kirk, was among the many bluntest. “There are some international locations that don’t assist free speech. I’m not at liberty to say which. Let’s simply depart it at North Korea and CBS,” stated Kimmel.

Shortly after, ‘Mr. No person Towards Putin’, a movie a couple of Russian main schoolteacher who paperwork his college students’ indoctrination to assist Russia’s conflict with Ukraine, gained ‘Greatest Documentary’.

“‘Mr. No person Towards Putin’ is about the way you lose your nation. And what we noticed when working with this footage is that you simply lose it by way of numerous, small, little acts of complicity,” the co-director stated. He added, “All of us face an ethical selection, however fortunately, a no one is extra highly effective than you suppose.”