Movie fans the 2025 Oscars happened and wow what a night! Cillian Murphy was there to present fresh off his own Oscar win last year. But the real story? A small movie called Anora totally dominated. Get ready for some surprises snubs and a whole lot of indie film love because the 97th Academy Awards were definitely one to remember.
'Anora' Shocks Hollywood Wins Best Picture and Multiple Oscars at 2025 Ceremony
Seriously folks Anora came out of nowhere and cleaned up. This movie a quirky little film about sex work took home five Oscars including the big one Best Picture. It is a bit of a non-traditional winner. It is definitely not your typical blockbuster. But the Academy seems to be changing getting younger maybe a bit edgier and definitely not just focused on box office hits.
Sean Baker the director of Anora was a big winner himself. He snagged Oscars for Directing Original Screenplay AND Editing. That is impressive! And Mikey Madison the lead actress in Anora won Best Actress. Lots of people thought Demi Moore might win but Madison pulled off an upset. Baker dedicated his screenwriting award to the sex worker community and his directing Oscar to his mom. How sweet is that?
Anora is a truly indie film. It only cost $6 million to make. And get this it has the lowest box office for a Best Picture winner in years only around $15.7 million in the US. That shows you the Academy is really looking beyond just popularity now.
Adrien Brody Wins Best Actor AGAIN! 'The Brutalist' Earns Three Oscars
Another movie that did well was The Brutalist. This film also an indie project took home three Oscars. Adrien Brody won Best Actor for it his second Oscar win. He won his first way back in 2003 for The Pianist also playing a Holocaust survivor. It seems Brody is really good at these roles.
The Brutalist also won for Cinematography and Score. Brody in his speech called for a "happier healthier and more inclusive world". He also mentioned not letting "hate go unchecked". Powerful words from a powerful performance.
Zoe Saldaña and Kieran Culkin Take Home Supporting Acting Oscars
Zoe Saldaña won Best Supporting Actress for the Netflix musical Emilia Pérez . She gave a shout-out to her immigrant parents in her speech which was really moving. Kieran Culkin won Best Supporting Actor for A Real Pain. Both Saldaña and Culkin's wins were kind of expected. Some people even thought they should have been nominated for lead roles.
'Emilia Pérez' Leads Nominations But Controversy Derails Best Picture Chances
Remember Emilia Pérez? It had the most nominations a whopping 13! It even won two Oscars for Song and Supporting Actress for Zoe Saldaña. But it did not win Best Picture. What happened? Well some controversies popped up. Apparently the star Karla Sofía Gascón had some old online comments resurface that caused a stir. It seems like voter support for the movie faded pretty fast.
Conan O'Brien Hosts Oscars with Light Touch and Other Notable Wins
Conan O'Brien hosted the Oscars for the first time. He kept things light not too much roasting or politics. Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo from Wicked performed and Ariana Grande even sang "Somewhere Over the Rainbow". Dune: Part Two also won two Oscars for Sound and Visual Effects. Conclave won for Adapted Screenplay and Flow an animated movie from Latvia won Best Animated Film beating out big names like Inside Out 2.
Oscar Night's Key Moments and Winners:
- Best Picture: Anora
- Best Director: Sean Baker (Anora)
- Best Actress: Mikey Madison (Anora)
- Best Actor: Adrien Brody (The Brutalist)
- Best Supporting Actress: Zoe Saldaña (Emilia Pérez)
- Best Supporting Actor: Kieran Culkin (A Real Pain)
- Best Original Screenplay: Sean Baker (Anora)
- Best Adapted Screenplay: Conclave
- Best Animated Feature: Flow
- Best International Feature: I’m Still Here (Brazil)
- Best Documentary Feature: No Other Land
Indie Films Triumph at 2025 Oscars: A Shift in Hollywood?
Overall the 2025 Oscars were definitely interesting. Indie films like Anora and The Brutalist were the big winners. It felt like a different kind of Oscars a bit less mainstream and more focused on smaller more artistic movies. Even though Emilia Pérez had the most nominations it was Anora that took home the biggest prize. Maybe this is a sign of things changing in Hollywood. Maybe smaller films are having a bigger moment. What do you think of the 2025 Oscar winners? Let us know in the comments!