“Battle After Battle,” starring Leonardo DiCaprio, has been named the Best Film of 2025.

The National Board of Review (NBR) in the United States has announced the winners of its annual awards, recognising outstanding achievements in the film industry.

The NBR has revealed its list of honourees for 2025, with the crime drama “Battle After Battle”, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, emerging as the top winner. Despite a relatively modest box-office performance, the film earned high praise from critics, who highlighted its exceptional artistic execution and strong dramatic depth.

Major Wins and Actor Recognition

In total, the film received five awards. Paul Thomas Anderson was named Best Director, while the cast secured several key honours:

• Leonardo DiCaprio — Best Actor
• Benicio Del Toro — Best Supporting Actor
• Chase Infinity — Breakthrough Performance, marking his impressive debut on the big screen.

These recognitions reflect the critics’ belief that, despite financial outcomes, the film excelled in performance quality and direction, setting a high benchmark for modern cinema.

Other 2025 Award Winners

Several additional projects were honoured with major awards:

• Best Actress — Rose Byrne for the drama “I Would Kick You If I Could”
• Best Original Screenplay — Ryan Coogler for “Sinners”
• Best Adapted Screenplay — Clint Bentley & Greg Kwedar for “Train Dreams”
• Best Animated Film — the sci-fi feature “Arco”
• Best Foreign Language Film — “A Simple Coincidence”

The award for Outstanding Achievement in Stunt Work went to the concluding chapter of the Mission: Impossible series, “Mission: Impossible – Final Reckoning”, starring Tom Cruise.

Context and Significance

For “Battle After Battle,” the critics’ recognition marks a major milestone. The film previously won at the Gotham Awards on 1 December and was honoured by the New York Film Critics Circle on 2 December. These accolades highlight the film’s importance and show that artistic merit can be celebrated independently of commercial results.

Critics praised the film for its cohesive direction, emotional depth, and convincing portrayal of crime-drama storytelling, helping it stand out among the year's strongest releases.