‘The Zone of Interest’ Bags Best Film at London Critics’ Circle Awards

Emma Stone wins Best Actress

On February 4, 2024, the historical drama movie written and directed by Jonathan Glazer, ‘The Zone of Interest,’ which is loosely based on the 2014 namesake novel by Martin Amis, won the top honor, film of the year, at the 44th London Critics’ Circle Film Awards, as well as the best director and a technical award.

American actress and film producer, Emma Stone received the actress of the year for her role in the Comedy/Sci-fi, ‘Poor Things,’ which is directed by Yorgos Lanthimos and written by Tony McNamara.

‘All of Us Strangers’ actor Andrew Scott bagged the actor of the year award, with the British romantic fantasy movie overall winning three nods, similar to ‘The Zone of Interest.’ The series, which is based on the 1987 novel ‘Strangers’ by Taichi Yamada, is written and directed by Andrew Haigh.

The London Critics’ also awarded Da’Vine Joy Randolph as the supporting actress of the year for her work in the American comedy-drama film ‘The Holdovers’ and ‘May December’s Charles Melton won the supporting actor of the year.

Emma Stone, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, and Charles Melton accepted their awards through video messages.

The other winners of the night include Paul Mescal, who was awarded as the British/Irish performer for his body of work in 2023, and Mia McKenna-Bruce who won the critics group’s first international breakthrough performance award for coming-of-age drama film ‘How to Have Sex.’ The foreign-language film of the year was awarded to Celine Song‘s ‘Past Lives’ and Hayao Miyazaki’s ‘The Boy and the Heron’ bagged the new animated film award.

Jeffrey Wright and Colman Domingo were awarded special honors at the star-studded ceremony at the May Fair Hotel in London. ‘American Fiction’ director Cord Jefferson presented the Dilys Powell Award for Excellence in Film to Jeffrey Wright.

Colman Domingo was honored with the inaugural Derek Malcolm Award for Innovation by Oscar nominee Misan Harriman this year for his short film, ‘The After.’ He received the honor in a small videotaped ceremony in London two days earlier.

The London Critics’ Circle Film Awards were voted on by the 210-member film section of the Critics’ Circle, which describes itself as “the U.K.’s longest-standing and most prestigious critics’ organization.” Movies that were released in U.K. cinemas or on premiere streaming services between mid-February 2023 and mid-February 2024 were automatically considered in contention.