Best Movies, Performances and TV Shows

Winner: “The Secret Agent” — Kleber Mendonça Filho, Emilie Lesclaux, Wagner Moura, Brent Travers

Kleber Mendonça Filho’s slow-burning Brazilian thriller is a masterclass in atmospheric tension. Every frame feels loaded with moral ambiguity and political dread. It’s the kind of film that accumulates its brilliance, scene by methodical scene, until you realize you’ve been holding your breath.

Notable mentions: “Dead Man’s Wire” (Row K Entertainment); “Eternity” (A24); “A House of Dynamite” (Netflix); “Is This Thing On?” (Searchlight Pictures); “Little Amélie or the Character of Rain” (GKids); “The Plague” (IFC); “Superman” (DC Studios); “The Testament of Ann Lee” (Searchlight Pictures); “Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery” (Netflix); “Wicked: For Good” (Universal Pictures)

WINNER: Kaouther Ben Hania

Ben Hania directs with urgency and restraint in equal measure, refusing to sensationalize Gaza’s ongoing tragedy while ensuring we feel every agonizing second. Her camera work is intimate without being invasive, and observational without being detached. She understands that bearing witness is an active choice, not a passive act, and “The Voice of Hind Rajab” becomes a document of both crisis and humanity.

Notable mentions: Clint Bentley (“Train Dreams”); Mona Fastvold (“The Testament of Ann Lee”); Yorgos Lanthimos (“Bugonia”); Richard Linklater (“Nouvelle Vague”); Jafar Panahi (“It Was Just an Accident”)

WINNER: Wagner Moura

Moura delivers a performance of coiled intensity and weary intelligence as a man navigating Brazil’s labyrinthine political underworld. His work is largely internal with flickers of doubt, suppressed panic and dangerous calculations playing out behind tired eyes. This is acting rooted in the understanding that power isn’t loud; it’s the choice to stay silent when speaking out could cost everything.

Notable mentions: Will Arnett (“Is This Thing On?”); Russell Crowe (“Nuremberg”); Paul Mescal (“Hamnet”); Sean Penn (“One Battle After Another”); Jesse Plemons (“Bugonia”); Tonatiuh (“Kiss of the Spider Woman”)

WINNER: Jessie Buckley

Buckley’s portrayal of Agnes, a mother undone by grief, is nearly unbearable and impossible to look away from. She inhabits sorrow and its physical weight, bending posture, fracturing speech and draining energy from the body. Buckley captures the brutal truth that grief isn’t singular but cyclical: rage, numbness, guilt and suddenly, a piercing clarity colliding without warning. In “Hamnet,” her performance has the potential to be considered an all-timer — one that we may look back on 50 years from now and wonder how she ever did it.

Notable mentions: Cynthia Erivo (“Wicked: For Good”); Ariana Grande (“Wicked: For Good”); Elizabeth Olsen (“Eternity”); Amanda Seyfried (“The Testament of Ann Lee”); Emma Stone (“Bugonia”)

WINNER: Miles Caton

Caton arrives in “Sinners” and immediately claims space alongside Michael B. Jordan’s dual powerhouse performance without flinching. His work is grounded, specific and emotionally and musically transparent. Caton brings a naturalism that anchors the film’s more heightened elements, reminding us that even in genre storytelling, the smallest human gestures matter most. This is a breakout performance that doesn’t feel like one; it feels like watching an actor who’s been doing this forever.

Notable mentions: Damson Idris, “F1” (Apple Original Films/Warner Bros.); Jacobi Jupe (“Hamnet”); Lewis Pullman (“The Testament of Ann Lee”); Alexander Skarsgård, “Pillion” (A24); Leo Woodall (“Nuremberg”)

WINNER: Odessa A’zion

A’zion steals every scene she’s in with a turn that balances old Hollywood glamour with modern ferocity. She understands that supporting work isn’t about fading into the background — even if you are sharing the screen with Timothée Chalamet — it’s about knowing exactly when to step forward and take control of the entire room. A’zion plays intelligence as flirtation and ambition as survival, never letting the character become a type. Her work in “Marty Supreme” is electric, funny and surprisingly moving.

Notable mentions: Emily Blunt (“The Smashing Machine”); Zoey Deutch (“Nouvelle Vague”); Regina Hall (“One Battle After Another”); Wunmi Mosaku (“Sinners”); Mari Yamamoto (“Rental Family”)

WINNER: “The Secret Agent”

Filho’s script is a miracle of structure and restraint. He builds tension through conversation, paranoia through silence, and political commentary through character. “The Secret Agent” never stops to explain itself, trusting that audiences can navigate moral complexity without a map. The dialogue crackles with subtext and every exchange feels like a negotiation over life and death.

Notable mentions: “Black Bag” (Focus Features); “A House of Dynamite” (Netflix); “Is This Thing On?” (Searchlight Pictures); “It Was Just an Accident” (Neon); “The Voice of Hind Rajab” (Willa)

WINNER: “Hamnet”

O’Farrell and Zhao adapt grief into something cinematic without diminishing its literary power. “Hamnet” never loses sight of what the story is actually about — a parent’s unbearable loss and a marriage tested by sorrow. The script makes space for silence, for the moments when language fails, and structures the narrative like memory itself.

Notable mentions: “Frankenstein” (Netflix); “Lilo & Stitch” (Walt Disney Pictures); “Nuremberg” (Sony Pictures Classics); “Superman” (DC Studios); “Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery” (Netflix)

WINNER: “Nouvelle Vague”

Batut’s casting for “Nouvelle Vague” feels like discovering a secret. The ensemble operates as a true collective, each actor bringing specificity without overwhelming the whole. Batut understands that casting isn’t just about finding the “right” actor for each role; it’s about building a chemistry that makes the entire film feel alive. Especially when looking for the actors to play Jean-Luc Godard, Jean Seberg and Jean-Paul Belmondo.

Notable mentions: “Bugonia” (Focus Features); “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You” (A24); “Lilo and Stitch” (Walt Disney Pictures); “The Secret Agent” (Neon); “Sirât” (Neon); “Weapons” (Warner Bros.)

WINNER: “Little Amélie or the Character of Rain”

This animated gem finds wonder in the most minor details. “Little Amélie or the Character of Rain” is quietly radical in its refusal to overexplain or condescend. The animation is painterly and patient, allowing moments to breathe and images to linger. It truly is one of the year’s most delightful movies.

Notable mentions: “The Bad Guys 2” (DreamWorks Animation); “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle” (Crunchyroll); “Elio” (Pixar); “Predator: Killer of Killers” (Hulu);

WINNER: “Hamnet”

“Hamnet” doesn’t merely recreate the Globe Theatre — it conjures a world where grief is present within walls. Every room feels lived-in, and every texture worn by hands and time. This is design work that understands its job isn’t decoration but is to tell a story, using space and objects to make the invisible visible.

Notable mentions: “Bugonia” (Focus Features); “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” (Marvel Studios); “Frankenstein” (Netflix); “Nouvelle Vague” (Netflix); Train Dreams” (Netflix)

WINNER: “Train Dreams”

Veloso shoots the American West like a fading memory. It’s beautiful, harsh and disappearing even as we watch. His work in “Train Dreams” is all long takes and patient observation, allowing landscapes to dwarf the human figure while never losing sight of the man within them. The cinematography knows that loneliness is a spatial relationship. Shatters the heart into pieces.

Notable mentions: “Black Bag” (Focus Features); “The Chronology of Water” (The Forge); “F1” (Apple Original Films/Warner Bros.); “Sentimental Value” (Neon); “Sirāt” (Neon)

WINNER: “Wicked: For Good”

“Wicked: For Good” is a riot of color, texture and character specificity. Every outfit tells a story about who these characters are becoming, how power shapes presentation, and how rebellion looks when it refuses to be drab. The costumes balance fantasy with truth, never letting spectacle overwhelm character.

Notable mentions: “Hamnet” (Focus Features); “Sinners” (Warner Bros.); “Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere” (20th Century Studios); “The Testament of Ann Lee” (Searchlight Pictures); “The Ugly Stepsister” (IFC)

WINNER: “The Secret Agent”

Farias and Serrano edit “The Secret Agent” like a suspense mechanism tightening one notch at a time. It plays to an impeccable rhythm. The editing creates paranoia through pacing, making every transition feel loaded with a potential threat.

Notable mentions: “Bugonia” (Focus Features); “F1” (Apple Original Films/Warner Bros.); “A House of Dynamite” (Netflix); “Sinners” (Warner Bros.); “The Voice of Hind Rajab” (Willa)

WINNER: “The Ugly Stepsister”

The hidden, underseen masterful work this year is the reinvention of the “Cinderella” tale. The work is fantastical without being alienating, and bold without being garish. The transformations are total, but never lose the performance underneath, a balance that’s harder than it looks.

Notable mentions: “28 Years Later” (Sony Pictures); “Frankenstein” (Netflix); “Kiss of the Spider Woman” (Lionsgate/Roadside Attractions); “Predator: Badlands” (20th Century Studios); “Weapons” (Warner Bros.)

WINNER: “Sirāt”

The sound design in “Sirāt” is an assault in the best possible way — overwhelming, immersive and essential to the film’s apocalyptic power. Every engine roar, every scrape of metal, every moment of sudden silence becomes a narrative beat. This is sound work that creates a sensory experience that demands the biggest, loudest theater you can find.

Notable mentions: “Bugonia” (Focus Features); “Frankenstein” (Netflix); “KPop Demon Hunters” (Netflix); “Sinners” (Warner Bros.); “Warfare” (A24)

WINNER: “F1”

The visual effects in “F1” are so seamlessly integrated that you forget you’re watching them. The racing sequences feel tactile and dangerous, putting you inside the car without ever breaking immersion. The effects team knows the spectacle means nothing without spatial coherence. Nonetheless, you always know where you are, how fast you’re going, and what the stakes are. This is effects work in the service of storytelling rather than spectacle for its own sake.

WINNER: “Sinners”

Ludwig Göransson’s music in “Sinners” is a miracle of mood. He knows when to swell and when to disappear, when to underscore emotion and when to let the visuals do the work. The music feels both period-appropriate and utterly contemporary, blending genres and textures into something that sounds like nothing else.

Notable mentions: “A House of Dynamite” (Netflix); “One Battle After Another” (Warner Bros.); “The Plague” (IFC); “Superman” (DC Studios); “Wicked: For Good” (Universal Pictures)

WINNER: “I Lied to You” from “Sinners”

“I Lied to You” is haunting and impossible to shake. The song functions as an emotional anchor, a blues lament that carries the film’s themes of loss, survival and resilience, partnered with the hope for the future. Aside from being, in my estimation, the scene of the year, it’s the kind of song that feels like it’s always existed and has been a part of us.

Notable mentions: “Free” from “KPop Demon Hunters” (Netflix); “Last Time (I Seen the Sun)” from “Sinners” (Warner Bros.); “Clothed by the Sun” from “The Testament of Ann Lee” (Searchlight Pictures)

WINNER: “Come See Me in the Good Light”

A meditation on memory, aging and dignity, the filmmaking of Ryan White’s beautiful ode to a beautiful life is patient and compassionate, never rushing its subjects or imposing external narrative. “Come See Me in the Good Light” lets people speak for themselves, trusts their stories to land without manipulation, and finds profound beauty in ordinary lives lived with intention.

Notable mentions: “Apocalypse in the Tropics” (Netflix); “BLACKNWS: Terms & Conditions” (Rich Spirit); “It’s Never Over, Jeff Buckley” (Magnolia Pictures); “Stiller & Meara: Nothing Is Lost” (Apple Original Films); “2000 Meters to Andriivka” (PBS)

WINNER: “The Secret Agent”

Brazil’s “The Secret Agent” is a political thriller that feels urgently contemporary no matter where you’re watching it. Kleber Mendonça Filho crafts a suspenseful work without being flashy, and political without being didactic. It’s proof that great filmmaking transcends borders and languages.

Notable mentions: “Belén” (Amazon MGM Studios); “My Father’s Shadow” (Mubi); “Palestine 36” (Watermelon Pictures); “The President’s Cake” (Sony Pictures Classics); “Sentimental Value” (Neon)

Top 10 TV Series

Notable mentions: “Couples Therapy” (Paramount+); “The Paper” (Peacock); “Pee-wee as Himself” (HBO Max); “The Traitors” (Peacock); “The Valley” (Bravo)