The annual Golden Globe Awards took place Sunday, Jan. 11 in Beverly Hills, California, bringing some of Hollywood’s biggest film stars together to honor and applaud their peers.
While the night offered many notable moments and highlighted hit films such as “Sinners,” “Weapons” and “Marty Supreme,” it also sparked strong reactions from film and television fans. Viewers praised the ceremony for recognizing emotionally driven films, while also questioning several notable snubs. Film students at Grand Valley State University reflected on the wins and losses of the night, while displaying a passion for their favorite filmmakers and stars.
Cayden St. John, a senior film major, said he was quite pleased with the winners this year and largely agreed with many of the acclaimed individuals. Specifically, he pointed to Rose Byrne’s Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy win for “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You.” According to St. John, the film has been severely overlooked by the general public, making Byrne’s win especially gratifying.
“She absolutely deserves it,” St. John said. “She was an emotional powerhouse in that movie and kept the film grounded.”
Byrne’s victory was also the biggest surprise for St. John, given the strength of the category.
“She had incredibly steep competition,” St. John said, referencing nominees Cynthia Erivo and Emma Stone. “I’m happy she took the award home against the odds.”
However, he noted that “Bugonia” was the most disappointing omission of the night. The film, starring Jesse Plemons and Emma Stone, explores the story of two conspiracists who kidnap the CEO of a major company, convinced she is an alien plotting against Earth. Despite the creative plot and storytelling, it went home without an award.
“The movie had phenomenal central performances and told an incredibly compelling story with interesting set design and worldbuilding,” St. John said.
Junior film major Jackson Brandt echoed these sentiments and praised “Bugonia” despite its lack of acclaim at the Globes.
“I personally feel attracted to smaller-scale, character-driven movies, and this film scratches that itch very well, with only three characters and one recurring side character,” said Brandt. “It tackles very modern and topical concepts, seemingly an outlet for the director to let out his frustrations.”
While Brandt was disappointed to see this film miss out on an award during the ceremony, he was surprised by one of the wins, “One Battle After Another,” taking home the award for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy.
“While I loved that movie, considering it to be a comedy is just a weird choice to make,” said Brandt. “It was definitely funny, but calling it a ‘comedy’ is doing a disservice to the film itself.”
Brandt believes the example highlights an issue with the Golden Globes, separating what should be ‘Best Picture’ into two awards, ‘Best Drama’ and ‘Best Comedy or Musical’.
“It’s hard to narrow down movies into those categories when the best movies tend to be a combination of both,” Brandt said.
“Marty Supreme,” one of the most notable films of 2025 and a competitor of “One Battle After Another,” did not win Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy. However, this lack of recognition did not deter St. John from praising one of his favorite nominations of the evening.
“Going on his downward spiral with (Marty) was the most fun and riveting movie experience I have had all year,” St. John said.
He added that while “One Battle After Another” was a worthy winner, he would have personally given the award to “Marty Supreme.”
Looking at the ceremony as a whole, St. John said this year’s Golden Globes ceremony suggests that Hollywood is prioritizing films with “deep emotional cores” over traditional blockbusters and telling stories in more unique, creative ways.
“This brings me hope for the future of the movie industry,” St. John said.
