Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics: ‘The Power of the Dog,’ Kristen Stewart, Ariana DeBose top best of list

Erik Anderson December 20, 2021

The Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association voted the Western drama The Power of the Dog as the best film of 2021, according to the results of its 28th annual critics’ poll released today.

The Jane Campion film also won awards for Best Actor (Benedict Cumberbatch), Supporting Actor (Kodi Smit-McPhee), Best Director and Screenplay. Kristen Stewart (Spencer) was named Best Actress and Ariana DeBose was named Best Supporting Actress for West Side Story.

Due to adjusted eligibility guidelines for this year, films released only after March 1, 2021, were considered in all categories. The Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association consists of 33 broadcast, print and online journalists from throughout North Texas.

Here is the complete list of award winners, with choices listed in order of votes received.

BEST PICTURE

Winner: THE POWER OF THE DOG

Runners-up: BELFAST (2); KING RICHARD (3); WEST SIDE STORY (4); LICORICE PIZZA (5); DUNE (6); NIGHTMARE ALLEY (7); THE FRENCH DISPATCH (8); THE LOST DAUGHTER (9); CODA (10)

BEST ACTOR

Winner: Benedict Cumberbatch, THE POWER OF THE DOG

Runners-up: Will Smith, KING RICHARD (2); Andrew Garfield, TICK, TICK, BOOM! (3); Peter Dinklage, CYRANO (4); Denzel Washington, THE TRAGEDY OF MACBETH (5)

BEST ACTRESS

Winner: Kristen Stewart, SPENCER

Runners-up: Olivia Colman, THE LOST DAUGHTER (2); Jessica Chastain, THE EYES OF TAMMY FAYE (3); Lady Gaga, HOUSE OF GUCCI (4); Nicole Kidman, BEING THE RICARDOS (5)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Winner: Kodi Smit-McPhee, THE POWER OF THE DOG

Runners-up: Troy Kotsur, CODA (2); Ciaran Hinds, BELFAST (3); Ben Affleck, THE TENDER BAR (4); Jesse Plemons, THE POWER OF THE DOG (5)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Winner: Ariana DeBose, WEST SIDE STORY

Runners-up: Kirsten Dunst, THE POWER OF THE DOG (2); Aunjanue Ellis, KING RICHARD (3); Caitriona Balfe, BELFAST (4); Ruth Negga, PASSING (5)

BEST DIRECTOR

Winner: Jane Campion, THE POWER OF THE DOG

Runners-up: Steven Spielberg, WEST SIDE STORY (2); Kenneth Branagh, BELFAST (3), Denis Villeneuve, DUNE (4); Paul Thomas Anderson, LICORICE PIZZA (5)

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

Winner: DRIVE MY CAR

Runners-up: A HERO (2); THE WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD (3); THE HAND OF GOD (4); FLEE (5)

BEST DOCUMENTARY

Winner: SUMMER OF SOUL

Runners-up: FLEE (2); THE RESCUE (3); PROCESSION (4); VAL (5)

BEST ANIMATED FILM

Winner: ENCANTO

Runner-up: THE MITCHELLS VS. THE MACHINES

BEST SCREENPLAY

Winner: Jane Campion, THE POWER OF THE DOG

Runner-up: Paul Thomas Anderson, LICORICE PIZZA; Kenneth Branagh, BELFAST (tie)

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

Winner: Greig Fraser, DUNE

Runner-up: Ari Wegner, THE POWER OF THE DOG

BEST MUSICAL SCORE

Winner: Hans Zimmer, DUNE

Runner-up: Jonny Greenwood, THE POWER OF THE DOG

RUSSELL SMITH AWARD (best low-budget or cutting-edge independent film)

Winner: FLEE

Photo: Kirsty Griffin/NETFLIX

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Erik Anderson

Erik Anderson is the founder/owner and Editor-in-Chief of AwardsWatch and has always loved all things Oscar, having watched the Academy Awards since he was in single digits; making lists, rankings and predictions throughout the show. This led him down the path to obsessing about awards. Much later, he found himself in film school and the film forums of GoldDerby, and then migrated over to the former Oscarwatch (now AwardsDaily), before breaking off to create AwardsWatch in 2013.

He is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic, accredited by the Cannes Film Festival, Telluride Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival and more, is a member of the International Cinephile Society (ICS), The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics (GALECA), Hollywood Critics Association (HCA) and the International Press Academy. Among his many achieved goals with AwardsWatch, he has given a platform to underrepresented writers and critics and supplied them with access to film festivals and the industry and calls the Bay Area his home where he lives with his husband and son.