Los Angeles, United States. The darkly comic thriller “One Battle After Another” won best picture at the Academy Awards, leading a total of six trophies. The film traded wins through the night with the vampire story “Sinners” at the Dolby Theatre.
Best picture and major wins
Director Paul Thomas Anderson took the stage after “One Battle After Another” was announced as best picture and said, “Let’s have a martini! This is pretty amazing,” according to remarks during the ceremony.
The Warner Bros WBD.O movie stars Leonardo DiCaprio as a one-time revolutionary who becomes a weed-smoking single father of a teenager. Anderson also won best director and best adapted screenplay.
Before this year, Anderson had 11 career Oscar nominations and no wins.
Sean Penn wins supporting actor award in absence
“One Battle After Another” star Sean Penn was named best supporting actor for his role as an obsessed military officer. It was Penn’s third Oscar, and he was not in the Dolby Theatre audience.
Presenter Kieran Culkin said, “Sean Penn couldn’t be here, or didn’t want to, so I’ll accept the award on his behalf.”
“Sinners” earns four awards, Michael B. Jordan wins best actor
“Sinners” finished with four awards, including best actor for Michael B. Jordan, who played dual roles as twin brothers Smoke and Stack.
Set in the Segregation-era U.S. South, the film was described during the awards coverage as a celebration of blues and Black culture with a supernatural twist.
Jordan said, “I stand here because of the people that came before me,” and named previous Black Oscar winners including Sidney Poitier, Denzel Washington and Halle Berry, adding, “I’m going to keep stepping up and I’m going to keep being the best version of myself.”
Which of the night’s winners do you plan to watch next?
