‘Spotlight,’ ‘Carol,’ and Michael B. Jordan Win Big at National Society of Film Critics

A new year may be upon us but we’ll still be honoring the best films of 2015 for another two months or so. Today brought us the winners of the National Society of Film Critics, the last of the “big” three critical groups (Los Angeles Film Critics Association, New York Film Critics Circle) to announce their favorites of the past year of cinema. Spotlight prevailed and was named Best Picture by the group as was many of the favorites of the season- Todd Haynes was cited for directing Carol and critical favorites Charlotte Rampling (45 Years), Mark Rylance (Bridge of Spies) and Kristen Stewart (Clouds of Sils Maria) won acting prizes.

The biggest surprise, perhaps, made by the group was Michael B. Jordan won the Best Actor award for his performance in Creed. Sylvester Stallone has been earning the majority of Creed‘s prizes thus far (and was nominated for Golden Globe), yet this was the biggest get yet for the young actor and star of the movie. Jordan broke out in big way with 2013’s Fruitvale Station (both that film and Creed were directed by Ryan Coogler).

The National Society of Film Critics was founded in 1966 with a membership that consists of prominent film critics from around the country. The group is sometimes known for their outre picks: last year, for instance, they went for Jean-Luc Goddard’s Goodbye to Language instead of Oscar favorites Birdman or Boyhood. Take a look at the full list of winners (and runners-up) below:

PICTURE

1. Spotlight– 23 points
2. Carol– 17 points
3. Mad Max: Fury Road– 13 points

DIRECTOR

1. Todd Haynes, Carol– 21 points
2. Tom McCarthy, Spotlight – 21 points (because he was on fewer ballots; a winner must be on a majority of ballots)
3. George Miller, Mad Max: Fury Road– 20 points

ACTOR

1. Michael B. Jordan, Creed– 29 points
2. Geza Rohrig, Son of Saul– 18 points
3. Tom Courtenay, 45 Years– 15 points

ACTRESS

1. Charlotte Rampling, 45 Years– 57 points
2. Saoirse Ronan, Brooklyn– 30 points
3. Nina Hoss, Phoenix– 22 points

SUPPORTING ACTOR

1. Mark Rylance, Bridge of Spies– 56 points
2. Michael Shannon, 99 Homes– 16 points
3. Sylvester Stallone, Creed– 14 points

SUPPORTING ACTRESS

1. Kristen Stewart, Clouds of Sils Maria– 52 points
2. Alicia Vikander, Ex Machina– 23 points
3. Kate Winslet, Steve Jobs– 17 points
4. Elizabeth Banks, Love & Mercy– 17 points

SCREENPLAY

1. Spotlight– written by Josh Singer and Tom McCarthy- 21 points
2. Anomalisa– written by Charlie Kaufman- 15 points
3. The Big Short– written by Charles Randolph and Adam McKay- 15 points

FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

1. Timbuktu– 22 points
2. Phoenix– 20 points
3. The Assassin– 16 points

NON-FICTION FILM

1. Amy– 23 points
2. In Jackson Heights– 18 points
3. Seymour: An Introduction– 15 points 

CINEMATOGRAPHY

1. Carol– Ed Lachman- 25 points
2. The Assassin– Mark Lee Ping-bin- 22 points
3. Mad Max: Fury Road– John Seale- 12 points

FILM HERITAGE AWARD

• Film Society of Lincoln Center and the programmers Jake Perlin and Michelle Materre, for the series Tell It Like It Is: Black Independents in New York, 1968-1986
• The Criterion Collection and L’Immagine Ritrovata for the restoration and packaging of the reconstructed version of The Apu Trilogy by Satyajit Ray
• Association Chaplin for supervising the digital restoration of Charlie Chaplin’s Essanay Films
• SPECIAL CITATION for a film awaiting American distribution: One Floor Below, a Romanian film directed by Radu Muntean.