The 2026 Oscars feature an unusual controversy surrounding Paul Thomas Anderson's 'One Battle After Another,' a film about Black feminist revolutionaries that some Black feminists are calling a '911 emergency.' The movie, starring Teyana Taylor as a revolutionary leader, has sparked intense debate within the very community it portrays.

This year's awards race pits 'One Battle After Another' against 'Sinners,' which holds the record with 16 nominations. Both films feature Michael B. Jordan in dual roles, with 'Sinners' set in the Jim Crow South as a vampire thriller. The competition has created excitement among Black audiences, though the controversy over Anderson's film adds complexity to the celebration.

Scholar Daphne A. Brooks, a friend of critic Wesley Morris, sent him a text after viewing the film describing it as 'a Black feminist 911 emergency.' The criticism centers on how Anderson depicts Black feminist revolutionaries facing off against a racist, sexist government. The debate highlights ongoing tensions about who gets to tell certain stories and how revolutionary movements are portrayed in mainstream cinema.