films
March 16, 2026
Paul Thomas Anderson endured one snub after another. Now the Oscars have finally seen sense
In honouring One Battle After Another, Academy voters finally welcomed Hollywood’s prodigal son into the fold
TL;DR
- Paul Thomas Anderson's film 'One Battle After Another' won best picture and best director at the Oscars.
- Anderson had previously received 11 nominations without a win, leading to him being called Hollywood's 'prodigal son'.
- 'One Battle After Another' is described as a rambunctious counter-culture thriller, politically overt, and ambitious.
- Anderson also won an adapted screenplay award, dedicating the film to his children.
- The film competed closely with Ryan Coogler's 'Sinners', with 'One Battle After Another' ultimately winning six Oscars to 'Sinners'' four.
- Acting awards saw Jessie Buckley as a certainty for best actress, but other categories like best actor (won by Michael B Jordan for 'Sinners' over Timothée Chalamet) and supporting roles were more unpredictable.
- Warner Bros. was a significant winner, bankrolling and promoting both major contenders, achieving a record-equalling 11 Oscars.
- The success of 'One Battle After Another' and 'Sinners' is seen as a victory for radical, whip-smart mid-budget pictures within the traditional Hollywood system.
Continue reading the original article