Brady Corbet’s period drama film The Brutalist has won the best picture at the London Critics’ Circle awards.
Held at the May Fair Hotel and hosted by Mark Kermode, the event saw 15 films honoured across 18 categories.
The Brutalist spans 30 years and explores the life of Hungarian Jewish architect László Tóth, played by Adrien Brody, who survives the Holocaust and, after emigrating to America with his wife, played by Felicity Jones, crosses paths with the mysterious Harrison Lee Van Buren, played by Guy Pearce, who changes the course of his life.
In a video message, Corbet thanked Universal Pictures and the Critics Circle for the award, adding: “I’m genuinely touched by the recognition – it means a lot to us.”
The Brutalist, which has already won three Golden Globes and is a major frontrunner at the Oscars, has been embroiled in controversy after revelations that AI was used to enhance the performances of the film’s leads.
However, best picture was The Brutalist’s only award this evening, with best director going to RaMell Ross for his adaptation of Colson Whitehead’s Nickel Boys, which also won the technical achievement award for Jomo Fray’s cinematography.
Conclave, Edward Berger’s adaptation of the Robert Harris Vatican thriller, took home two awards—British/Irish film of the year and the actor of the year for lead Ralph Fiennes.
“I feel very delighted to receive this, but I think in my heart I scratch my head about the concept [of] there being winners when you are acting,” Fiennes said at the ceremony.
“I look at the wonderful work of my fellow nominees, Daniel [Craig], Adrien [Brody], Timothée [Chalamet], Colman [Domingo], I’m blown away. I’m moved by their artistry and the depth in the way they inhabit their characters. So I feel honoured to be included with them, among them.”
Jesse Eisenberg’s dark comedy A Real Pain was also one of the big honourees of the evening, taking home screenwriter of the year for Eisenberg and best supporting actor for Kieran Culkin.
A Real Pain follows cousins David Kaplan (Eisenberg) and Benjamin Kaplan (Culkin) on a “Holocaust tour” in Poland to honour their late grandmother.
Marianne Jean-Baptiste won actor of the year for her role in Mike Leigh’s Hard Truths, while Saoirse Ronan took home British/Irish performer of the year for her work in The Outrun and Blitz.
Indian director Payal Kapadia’s All We Imagine As Light won the award for foreign language film of the year, Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl won the animated feature of the year prize, and documentary No Other Land, made by a Palestinian-Israeli collective, took home documentary of the year.
Mikey Madison won the award for breakthrough performer, for her role as Anora Mikheeva in Sean Baker’s Anora, and Kneecap director Rich Peppiatt won the award for breakthrough British/Irish filmmaker.
Madison has also been nominated for best actress at the Academy Awards, set to be held on 2 March.
Zoe Saldaña took home best supporting actress for Emilia Perez, as well as the Derek Malcolm award for innovation.
This is the first award ceremony since controversy erupted over offensive social media posts by Saldaña’s Emilia Perez co-star Karla Sofía Gascón. There has been massive speculation over whether the controversy would hurt the film’s chances at the Oscars, where it has received 13 nominations in major categories, including best picture, best director, and best actor.
The second honorary award, the Dilys Powell award for excellence in film went to Daniel Craig, for his role in Luca Guadagnino’s Queer. Craig received the award 20 years after he won the Circle’s British actor of the year for Enduring Love.
The 45th London Critics’ Circle Film Awards were voted on by the 210 members of the Film Section of the Critics’ Circle, the UK’s longest standing and most prestigious critics’ organisation. Films are eligible if they are released in UK cinemas or on streaming services between mid-February 2024 and mid-February 2025.
