Boston Critics Name 'Spotlight' Best Picture

Leonardo DiCaprio, Paul Dano, Charlotte Rampling, Kristen Stewart and Mark Rylance were named winners in the acting categories.

The Boston Society of Film Critics, voting Sunday, named Spotlight the best picture of the year, and also recognized the fact-based journalism drama, which follows a group of Boston Globe reporters as they expose sexual abuse within the Catholic Church, for its ensemble cast and script. 

The Beantown critics hailed 45 Years' Charlotte Rampling as best actress, while Love & Mercy's Paul Dano and The Revenant's Leonardo DiCaprio tied as winners in the best actor category.

Todd Haynes received the group's best director honors for Carol; Kristen Stewart and Mark Rylance scored best supporting actress and actor nods for their roles in Clouds of Sils Maria and Bridge of Spies, respectively; and Marielle Heller was named best new filmmaker for The Diary of a Teenage Girl.

The BSFC's best-picture selection differs from that of the Boston Online Film Critics Association, who instead opted for the Society's runner-up, Mad Max: Fury Road.

A list of the announced winners follows:

Best picture: Spotlight

Best director: Todd Haynes, Carol

Best actor (tie): Paul Dano, Love & Mercy and Leonardo DiCaprio, The Revenant

Best actress: Charlotte Rampling, 45 Years

Best supporting actor:  Mark Rylance, Bridge of Spies

Best supporting actress: Kristen Stewart, Clouds of Sils Maria

Best screenplay: Tom McCarthy and Josh Singer, Spotlight

Best cinematography: Edward Lachman, Carol

Best documentary: Amy

Best animated film (tie): Anomalisa and Inside Out

Best film editing: Margaret Sixel, Mad Max: Fury Road

Best new filmmaker: Marielle Heller, The Diary of a Teenage Girl

Best ensemble cast: Spotlight

Best use of music in a film: Love & Mercy

Best foreign-language film: The Look of Silence