The 2025 BAFTAs (British Academy of Film and Television Awards) were this past Sunday, February 16, and there were some honest surprises.
In the past, the Academy Awards and the BAFTAs tend to always align, give or take, one or two categories differ, and this year one should expect nothing different.
Last year at the BAFTAs, Oppenheimer took home awards for cinematography, editing, score, direction, supporting actor, lead actor, and best film, and then proceeded to win those same awards at the Academy Awards a few weeks later. In the year before, winners differed a little more, with Austin Butler winning the BAFTA for his performance as Elvis, but then to the surprise of film viewers, Brendan Fraser took home the Oscar for his lead actor role in The Whale.
Needless to say, if you don’t want to watch any of this years’ films, but want to guess the winners for the Oscars, take a look at the BAFTAs before you fill out the ballot.
This year’s BAFTAs were hosted by the hilarious David Tenant who started the awards in a kilt and sang “I would Walk 500 Miles”…. To host one BAFTAs more.
One of the biggest shocks of the award night however was Mark Hammil’s pants falling down while presenting the award for Best Film, which then went to Conclave.
Emilia Pérez one of the most talked of films of the year won only two awards, Best Film Not in the English Language and Best Supporting Actress, while Wicked the most loved film of the year won for Best Costume Design and Best Production. After Sunday night, Emilia Pérez definitely secured at least the win for Best Foreign Film and Best Supporting Actress for the Oscars, and it is safe to say that Wicked will also take home the Oscar for Best Achievement in Production Design and Best Achievement in Costume Design.
Emilia Pérez tells the story of a Mexican cartel leader switching their gender to find happiness.
Wicked follows Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) and her unlikely friend Galinda (Ariana Grande), as they meet the Wizard of Oz and transform into the Wicked Witch of the West and Galinda the Good.
However Wicked’s win leaves one of the more underrated films of the year Gladiator II without a BAFTA win and Oscar win.
Gladiator II follows Lucius(Paul Mescal) as he leaves his home and is forced to fight as a gladiator in the Colosseum.
Gladiator II lost the BAFTA for Outstanding British Film of the Year, Best Achievement in Special Visual Effects, and Best Sound; consequently, with Wicked winning Best Costume in the BAFTAs it is unlikely that the Oscars will choose Gladiator II to win the one award they are nominated for, Best Achievement in Costume Design.
Moving on to the bigger awards of the night. Conclave, a film about a Cardinal finding secrets and conspiracies within the Catholic Church while selecting a new Pope, won Best Film and Outstanding British Film, Adapted Screenplay, and Editing. Conclave could very easily take these awards at the Oscars; however, Emilia Pérez, The Brutalist, and Anora still have a very strong Oscar push.
Leading Actress went to Mikey Madison for Anora, a film about a young sex worker meeting and marrying the son of a Russian oligarch. This was a major surprise as Demi Moore for The Substance had a lot of momentum for sweeping the awards season, but Moore still has a chance for the Oscars.
The Brutalist, starring Adrien Brody, follows an architect and his wife trying to leave Europe after World War II and start a new life in the United States. This film, which has gathered major Oscar buzz, took home the awards for Best Director, Best Cinematography, Original Score, and Best Leading Actor. This film has been credited as a masterpiece and most likely be a worthy Oscar nominee.
The award for Supporting Actor and Supporting Actress went to Kieran Culkin for A Real Pain and Zoe Saldaña for Emilia Pérez. There should be no surprise here as either performance was phenomenal and these two have carried the momentum as winners for the entire award season. A Real Pain which also won Jesse Eisenberg a BAFTA for Original Screenplay follows two different cousins as they reunite for a tour through Poland to honor the memory of their grandmother.
The Substance, one the most insane movies one has watched in a while, followed Gladiator II’s example and did not come home with a single award. This film, directed by a woman, is a satire focusing on the unrealistic beauty standards Hollywood and society create. This film concentrates on Elisabeth(Demi Moore) a fading celebrity who takes a drug that creates a more desirable version of herself.
On Sunday, February 23rd, the Screen Actors Guild Awards takes place on Netflix at 8:00 PM Eastern Time, hosted by Kristen Bell. The winners of the BAFTAs and SAG Awards will help give a more direct path to who will take home the highest award in film on ‘Hollywood’s Biggest Night’ – the Academy Awards on March 2nd.