Critics' choice

DFW film critics name One Battle After Another best movie of 2025

Leonardo DiCaprio in One Battle After Another

One Battle After Another was named as the Best Film of 2025 by the Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association.

Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

The Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association has voted Paul Thomas Anderson's action thriller One Battle After Another the best film of 2025, according to the results of its 32nd annual critics’ poll released on Wednesday, December 17.

The top award was one of five wins for the film in the poll, including Leonardo DiCaprio as Best Actor, Teyana Taylor as Best Supporting Actress, and Anderson for both Best Director and Best Screenplay.

After One Battle After Another, the rest of the top 10 films in the poll were, in order, Sinners, Marty Supreme, Hamnet, Sentimental Value, Train Dreams, Frankenstein, Jay Kelly, Bugonia, and It Was Just an Accident.

In addition to DiCaprio and Taylor, other acting awards included Rose Byrne as Best Actress for If I Had Legs, I'd Kick You and Stellan Skarsgård as Best Supporting Actor for Sentimental Value.

The two other behind-the-scenes awards both went to Sinners, including Best Cinematography for Autumn Durald Arkapaw and Best Score for Ludwig Göransson.

Sentimental Value also took home the award for Best Foreign Language Film, while Netflix got double wins with The Perfect Neighbor for Best Documentary and KPop Demon Hunters for Best Animated Film.

The Russell Smith Award, given annually by the DFWFCA to the best low-budget or cutting-edge independent film, went to It Was Just an Accident.

The Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association consists of 26 broadcast, print, and online journalists from throughout North Texas. For more information, visit dfwcritics.com.
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Author Alex Bentley is a member of the Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association.

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RIP Joe

Texas country music singer-songwriter Joe Ely dies at 78

Joe Ely/Facebook

Joe Ely was a major figure in Texas' progressive country scene.

Joe Ely, the legendary songwriter, singer, and storyteller whose career spanned more than five decades, has died from complications related to Lewy Body Dementia, Parkinson’s disease, and pneumonia. He was 78.

According to a statement posted to his Facebook page, Ely died at his home in Taos, New Mexico, with his wife Sharon, and daughter Marie, at his side.

Born February 9, 1947, in Amarillo, Texas, Ely was raised in Lubbock and became a central figure among a generation of influential West Texas musicians. He later settled in Austin, helping shape the city’s reputation as a hub for live music.

"Joe Ely performed American roots music with the fervor of a true believer who knew music could transport souls," said Kyle Young, CEO of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.

In the 1970s, Ely signed with MCA Records, launching a career that included decades of recording and touring around the world. His work and performances left a lasting impact on the music scene and influenced a wide range of artists, including the Clash and Bruce Springsteen, according to Rolling Stone.

"His distinctive musical style could only have emerged from Texas, with its southwestern blend of honky-tonk, rock & roll, roadhouse blues, western swing, and conjunto. He began his career in the Flatlanders, with fellow Lubbock natives Jimmie Dale Gilmore and Butch Hancock, and he would mix their songs with his through 50 years of critically acclaimed recordings."

Read the full story at KVUE.com.

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RIP Joe

Texas country music singer-songwriter Joe Ely dies at 78