Mad Max: Fury Road has been named best film of 2015 by the US National Board of Review in a sign that the dystopian action romp could be set for a surprise Oscars run.
George Miller’s futuristic epic has been one of the best-reviewed films of the year, and currently boasts a spectacular 97% “fresh” rating on the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes. But Oscars voters are notoriously unwilling to reward genre fare, with the last big winner on a science fiction or fantasy tip being 2003’s Lord of the Rings sequel Return of the King. Intriguingly, Fury Road did not win in any other categories.
The National Board of Review (NBR), whose best-of list is voted for by critics, film-makers and academics, is one of the earliest awards season bellwethers. However, it has been a poor indicator of Oscars success in recent years.
In 2014, NBR voters handed the best film prize to JC Chandor’s A Most Violent Year, which failed to make a significant impact at the Oscars. Eventual best actress Oscar-winner Julianne Moore did pick up the identical NBR prize for her role as a woman with Alzheimer’s in Still Alice.
Other big NBR winners this year include space thriller The Martian, which won best director (for Ridley Scott), best actor (Matt Damon) and best adapted screenplay (Drew Goddard). Western The Hateful Eight also did well, winning best original screenplay for writer-director Quentin Tarantino and best supporting actress for Jennifer Jason Leigh.
Another notable prizewinner was Sylvester Stallone, recognised for his return to the role of Rocky Balboa in the boxing spin-off Creed. Brie Larson, widely tipped for an Oscars run, received best actress for her turn as a young mother imprisoned against her will in the Lenny Abrahamson drama Room. Best animation went to Pixar’s Inside Out, while Son of Saul won best foreign language film.
Full list of winners
Best film: Mad Max: Fury Road
Best director: Ridley Scott – The Martian
Best actor: Matt Damon – The Martian
Best actress: Brie Larson – Room
Best supporting actor: Sylvester Stallone – Creed
Best supporting actress: Jennifer Jason Leigh – The Hateful Eight
Best original screenplay: Quentin Tarantino – The Hateful Eight
Best adapted screenplay: Drew Goddard – The Martian
Best animated feature: Inside Out
Breakthrough performance: Abraham Attah – Beasts of No Nation and Jacob Tremblay – Room
Best directorial debut: Jonas Carpignano – Mediterranea
Best foreign language film: Son of Saul
Best documentary: Amy
William K Everson film history award: Cecilia DeMille Presley
Best ensemble: The Big Short
Spotlight award: Sicario for outstanding collaborative vision
NBR freedom of expression award: Beasts of No Nation and Mustang
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