Philadelphia Film Critics Circle 2021 Winners

Originally posted December 12, 2021

This was my 3rd year being a voting member of THE PHILADELPHIA FILM CRITICS CIRCLE (PFCC) for more on what this entails, check out posts HERE (2020 Winners) & HERE.

For some reason, I felt far more stress trying to see everything in time for nominations this year than the previous 2 years.  I didn’t do Sundance 2021, which is where you can often get a jump on seeing awards worthy films for the next coming season. I did as always, cover The Philadelphia Film Festival which is crucial, as the screeners for a good number of films come after Thanksgiving, which gives you one short week to see about 15-25 films.  Just impossible unless you are a full-time film critic, of which I am not.  We also see the majority of the contenders in the theater, which means clearing the decks and keeping your evenings free Mon-Thur from late October thru the first week in December. It’s fun in that I love seeing movies and knowing what’s being talked about, but it’s also stressful as everything else during this time period, other than my day gig, has to be pushed aside. One of the few times I feel fortunate not to be married with children. At any rate, it’s complete for this year. 

When I post my Best & Worst Films of 2021 List (updated 12/27 now posted) which you can view now on my Letterboxd List, you’ll see there’s a pretty significant difference between my top 10 and what actually took top honors for PFCC. I’m only one person, so each member’s vote only holds so much weight and some of the movies in my top 10 didn’t make the nomination list so…

HERE’S THE PHILADELPHIA FILM CRITICS CIRCLE WINNERS & RUNNERS UP

1st category Winner Best Score or Soundtrack

POWER OF THE DOG (Netflix)
Composer: Jonny Greenwood | Lakeshore Records

Runner-up SUMMER OF SOUL
by Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival

2nd category Winner BEST SCRIPT also goes to

POWER OF THE DOG (Netflix) 
Screenplay Jane Campion |Based on Novel by Thomas Savage

THREE runners-up: THE LAST DUEL (Affleck, Damon, Holofcener), THE FRENCH DISPATCH (Wes Anderson) and ZOLA (Bravo, Harris)

3rd category Winner DIRECTORIAL DEBUT 
REBECCA HALL – PASSING (Netflix)

Runner-up MAGGIE GYLLENHAAL  THE LOST DAUGHTER (Netflix)

4th category Winner Best Breakthrough Performance
AGATHE ROUSSELLE  TITANE (Neon)

Runner-up Ariana DeBose WEST SIDE STORY (20th Century Studios)

5th category Winner Best Cinematography DAN LAUSTSEN
NIGHTMARE ALLEY (Searchlight Pictures)

Runner-up Greig Fraser DUNE (Warner Bros)

6th category Winner Best Documentary Philly’s Own QuestLove
SUMMER OF SOUL (Searchlight Pictures)

Runner-up FLEE
Writer/Director Jonas Poher Rasmussen (Neon)

7th category Winner Best Foreign Language
TITANE
(Neon/France) Writer/Director Julia Ducournau

Runner-up FLEE
Writer/Director Jonas Poher Rasmussen (Neon/Denmark)

8th category Winner Best Animated
FLEE

Writer/Director Jonas Poher Rasmussen (Neon/Denmark)

Runner-up RAYA AND THE LAST DRAGON
 Directors Don Hall & Carlos López Estrada
Screenplay Qui Nguyen & Adele Lim (Disney)

9th category Winner Best Supporting Actor
KODI SMIT-MCPHEE

The Power of the Dog (Netflix)

Runner-up Philly’s Own COLMAN DOMINGO – ZOLA (A24)

10th category Winner Best Supporting Actress
RUTH NEGGA

PASSING (Netflix)

Runner-up Ariana DeBose (who should have won)

WEST SIDE STORY

11th category Winner Best Actor

BENEDICT CUMBERBATCH

The Power of the Dog (Netflix)

Runner-up Philly’s Own BRADLEY COOPER – Nightmare Alley (Warner Bros)

12th category Winner Best Actress

KRISTEN STEWART

SPENCER (Neon)

Runner-up Agathe Rousselle TITANE (Neon)

13th category Winner Best Director

JANE CAMPION

The Power of the Dog (Netflix)

 

Runner-up Guillermo Del Toro
NIGHTMARE ALLEY (Searchlight Pictures)

Final category BEST PICTURE

You Guessed it – THE POWER OF THE DOG

AND THE WINNER IS!!! Philadelphia Film Critics Circle final category Winner – BEST PICTURE: THE POWER OF THE DOG#PoweroftheDog really swept up! @netflix
Based on book by Thomas Savage | written/directed Jane Campion #AwardsSeason #PFCCVote #ThePowerOfTheDog https://t.co/FUgI8KpJLN

— Tinsel & Tine (@tinseltine) December 13, 2021

PFCC Awards Press Release