Action-packed dark comedy One Battle After Another led the BAFTA Film Awards nominations on Tuesday, with vampire thriller Sinners also receiving widespread recognition at Britain’s top movie honors.
One Battle After Another, in which Leonardo DiCaprio plays a washed-up revolutionary whose daughter is kidnapped, earned 14 nominations. Five of those were for acting, including nods for DiCaprio and Chase Infiniti, who plays his daughter. Co-stars Teyana Taylor, Sean Penn, and Benicio del Toro received supporting actor nominations.
The film also secured a best director nomination for Paul Thomas Anderson and is up for best film alongside Sinners, Hamnet, Marty Supreme, and Sentimental Value.
Sinners Receives 13 Nominations, Hamnet 11
Sinners, celebrating blues music and Black culture in the Segregation-era U.S. South, received 13 nominations. Michael B. Jordan was recognized for his dual role as twins returning to their hometown to open a juke joint. Director Ryan Coogler received nods for directing and original screenplay, while Wunmi Mosaku was nominated for supporting actress.
“It’s a great year for filmmaking, with strong, bold storytelling,” BAFTA CEO Jane Millichip told Reuters.
Hamnet, which fictionalizes the relationship between William Shakespeare and his wife Agnes and the death of their son, followed with 11 nominations. Jessie Buckley was nominated for leading actress for her role as Agnes, while Paul Mescal received a supporting actor nod for playing Shakespeare. Directed by Chloe Zhao, adapted from Maggie O’Farrell’s 2020 novel, the film explores their love and grief, inspiring Shakespeare’s Hamlet.
“Hamnet is the most nominated film directed by a woman in BAFTA history, which is very positive,” said BAFTA Chair Sara Putt. She added that over a quarter of the 46 nominated films were directed by women.
Competition for Best Director
Alongside Anderson, Coogler, and Zhao, the best director category includes Josh Safdie for table tennis drama Marty Supreme, Yorgos Lanthimos for absurdist sci-fi comedy Bugonia, and Joachim Trier for Norwegian family drama Sentimental Value.
Marty Supreme also earned 11 nominations, including recognition for Timothée Chalamet in the lead role.
Leading actor nominees include Robert Aramayo (I Swear), Ethan Hawke (Blue Moon), Michael B. Jordan (Sinners), and Jesse Plemons (Bugonia). Leading actress nods went to Emma Stone (Bugonia), Rose Byrne (If I Had Legs I’d Kick You), Kate Hudson (Song Sung Blue), and Renate Reinsve (Sentimental Value).
Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande were snubbed for Wicked: For Good, which was only nominated for costume design and makeup and hair. Its predecessor had seven BAFTA nominations.
The BAFTA Film Awards will be held in London on February 22.
