Yes, you read that correctly. The smash hit, by director George Miller, has just nabbed the coveted best picture from The National Board of Review. Mad Max: Fury Road now joins the ranks of legendary films such as Citizen Kane, Schindler’s List and Pulp Fiction, who are all best picture winners.
While Mad Max was one of the most positively received films of 2015, this may come as a bit of a shock to most. High octane action films like Mad Max: Fury Road do not normally win these kind of awards, regardless of their quality. Looking back at previous Best Picture winners from The National Board of Review, we can see a very slim number of films that could be categorized within the action film genre. Letters to Iwo Jima and Zero Dark Thirty standout in this film genre, but Mad Max: Fury Road is certainly a movie that takes it to another level entirely. With a Best Picture award under its’ belt, one can only wonder how it will fare during Oscar season, especially since it joined the race not too long ago.
For those who may not know, The National Board of Review has been around for 106 years and describes itself as a group who have “…dedicated its efforts to the support of film, domestic or foreign, as both art and entertainment.” Mad Max: Fury Road did not win any other categories, this is a massive leap forward for both the genre and director George Miller. Notable absences include The Revenant, and Star Wars: The Force Awakens, while Ridley Scott’s The Martian, and the yet to be released The Hateful Eight won a fair amount of the other awards.
Other categories and winners are as followed:
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 De Mille Presley
Best Ensemble: “The Big Short”
Spotlight Award: “Sicario” for outstanding collaborative vision
NBR Freedom of Expression Award: “Beasts of No Nation” and “Mustang”
What do you think of Mad Max: Fury Road winning Best Picture? Did it deserve it or not? Will it get an Oscar nod? Sound off below!
