Critics Choice Awards 2025: Red Carpet Review

I missed the Critics Choice Awards last night, but I did a full review of the red carpet fashions this morning. Lots of black (but a handful of delightful colors), lots of cut-out styles, more than a few blousy looks, lots of strangely angular hip details, some reticule-style handbags, a surprising amount of bland outfits, and not an insignificant collection of weirdness. Let's start with the looks that were fine, but bland. 

Angelina Jolie's caramel-colored lace Elie Saab dress hit a lot of "Best Dressed" lists, but it just didn't work for me. The skirt was fine; I liked the way it clung at the hip then swept into a fuller, ruffled skirt with a hint of a train. But the bodice was shapeless, clinging at the bust but bloused at the waist, with oddly-finished sleeves that made the top look even blousier and kind of droopy. And although it was a pretty color, it wasn't right for her, and the vivid lip color looked almost clownish by comparison. 

Cristin Milioti's one-sleeved midnight blue column was pretty, but forgettable. The color was great, and it draped nicely, but there was nothing interesting or eye-catching about it. 

Janelle Monae usually wears unusual, even weird, outfits. But her Wardrobe NYC tuxedo jacket minidress, although cute and flattering, was no different than other similar looks we've seen dozens of times, ever since Judy Garland wore it in Get Happy. 

Jennifer Grey wore a black ankle-length pencil skirt and a black sweater with a white satin peter pan collar and notched white cuffs on three-quarter length sleeves. It was fine, just prim and boring and not right for a red carpet event. 

Like Janelle Monae, Justine Lupe wore a double-breasted tuxedo dress, in this case floor length, but with no notable or unusual details. Been there, done that. 

Kate Hudson wore a black sleeveless Thom Browne mermaid gown with a boat neck and oddly angular hip extensions. It was somewhat redeemed by the open back, but it was still surprisingly bland. 

Katja Herbers wore a black long-sleeved minidress with a high round neck and raised, angular shoulders with lumpy, bulky ruching down the sleeves. It came thisclose to being a bad look, based on the big-shouldered silhouette, but fortunately for her it fell on the side of bland rather than terrible. 

Kristen Bell usually rocks the red carpet, but her black sleeveless dress was so bland and basic, with a slim, fitted silhouette and angled armscyes, that it could have come from my local mall rather than a designer's atelier. (Which, since I didn't find a designer credited anywhere, maybe it did.) 

 

Leila George wore a pantsuit by Saint Laurent, with a tuxedo featuring barely-flared low-rise trousers and an open peak lapel jacket worn over a low-cut semi-sheer black camisole. Again, it was nothing we haven't seen dozens of times before, without any interesting details or accessories to set it off. Yawn. 

Margaret Qualley's pale grey chiffon Chanel gown had a floaty full skirt and a bloused sheer bodice with high round neck and bell sleeves with a short capelet over an opaque wide-necked sleeveless underlayer. The fullness of the flared sleeves and the capelet, combined with the curved lines of the bodice and shoulders, gave her a droopy look, and the color was simply dull. Her hair and makeup were lovely, but they couldn't save her overall look from the blahs. 

Naomi Watts wore a black sleeveless Prada sheath dress with a square neckline and wide shoulder straps, plus puffy angular hip extensions similar to Kate Hudson's look. They didn't work here either, and the overall look came off as frumpy at best. 

Rachel Bloom wore a Cinq a Sept black slip dress with a plunging neckline and a narrow black-and-white ribbon bow at the bust that was pretty enough, but just...bland. 

There were a handful of attendees who wore more colorful outfits. Let's look at those next. 

Alice Brooks may have taken the idea of color a little too far in this vividly rainbow-striped sleeveless dress. The silhouette was lovely, with a deep but narrow v-neck, a wide aqua ribbon belt, and an A-line skirt without a train. It wasn't a bad look, but I'd have preferred it in a slightly less vibrant palette, and perhaps with a high updo and a solid-color choker or short gemstone pendant. 

I loved the concept of Allison Tolman's green velvet Nerecina gown, but it needed slightly better tailoring. The wide curved neckline framed her face beautifully, and the almost flat ruffle which fell just to the empire waist was flattering, but the skirt was too tight across the front and clung where it should have fallen away from her body into the full skirt with front slit. But on the whole, a good look for her. 

Amber Sealey chose a good color in this bubblegum-pink dress, but the downward-curved waist seam and long ruffles at the waist and sleeves pulled the viewer's eye down and gave her a droopy, frumpy look in spite of the vivid color. And the pink sneakers with ankle socks weren't doing her look any favors, either.  

Similar to Allison Tolman's gown, Bridget Everett's single-sleeved orange satin dress was better in concept than in execution. It fit her well, but the seams weren't smooth and caused the fabric to pucker along the top of the bodice and at the side seam. I did get a kick out of her whimsical gold-and-white checked "is it Dunks or is it Chanel" logo bag.

Dakota Fanning's strapless pistachio-green chiffon mermaid dress featured a corset-style top that reached to mid-hip, then was wrapped with a diagonal panel to the knee, where it flared into a short train. A slightly more saturated shade might have looked better on her, but the silhouette was lovely and the large diamond necklace she accessorized it with was perfect.  

I can practically hear the rustle of Emily Orozco's one-shouldered mustard yellow taffeta gown. The fabric of the bodice was crushed and wrapped snugly to the hip, then cascaded into a full skirt with all-around train and a thigh-high side slit. It was perfectly tailored to her figure and the unusual color suited her well. *chef's kiss*  

Melissa Rauch wore a deep plum Marchesa Notte dress with a sheer organza overlay with just a hint of mauve at the ruffled wide v-neckline. The voluminous ruffles and full, flared skirt were a little too overwhelming on her petite frame, and the clunky black closed-toe shoes were a clear misstep, but it was not a terrible look. Slim down the volume overall and wear strappy silver heels, and it would be a winner. 

Michelle Yeoh made a rare fashion misstep in this black-and-cobalt Balenciaga design. I loved the wrapped detailing on the bodice, but it was a little lumpy, which might have worked with a sleeker skirt, but the skirt upped the lumpiness with an awkwardly-wrapped silhouette with a small stretch of white piping that emphasized the lumpiness. I couldn't help but think of Ariel's sail-and-rope dress. 

Myha'la Herrold did cobalt blue right in a simple halter shift with rust-colored print and an open back. The simple silhouette paired well with the busy print, and the colors contrasted without clashing. A lovely look. 

Another successful print look was Rachel Kondo's Vungoc & Son sheath dress with attached capelet. The sheen of the metallic pink roses and variegated green leaves against the matte black background was lovely, and the sleekness and simplicity of the sheath balanced the fullness of the ruffled cape. I also loved the silver spangled strap and fringe of her black evening bag.

Skye P. Marshall's red lace Christian Siriano dress featured a structural bodice with raised shoulders and a "rippled" neckline, a slightly raised waist seam, and an asymmetrically angled hem. The graceful curves of the raised shoulders and neckline were just extreme enough to frame her face without feeling out of proportion, and the slim skirt kept the attention upwards. A lovely and interesting look. 

Wendi McLendon-Covey wore a simple sleeveless peach satin column with a little draping across the bodice and hips. The peach was pretty with her blond coloring, and the draped fabric caught the light to add depth of color, which added some old-fashioned Hollywood glamour to the look. 

Zoe Saldana made the bloused look work better than most in a Saint Laurent sleeveless crimson bias-cut satin column with a jewel neck and a clingy, barely flared skirt. She accessorized with a wide black choker with a diamond accent, several large rings, small diamond hoop earrings, and a sleeked-back hairstyle. Glamorous and elegant in its simplicity. 

Gowns with cut-outs in every conceivable shape, size, and location were also very popular. Here are some of the more memorable cut-out looks. 

Caitriona Balfe wore a two-piece silver satin Prada dress. The sleeveless crop top featured a round neck with a row of oversized grommets around it, and the A-line skirt had no waistband, but hung from a wide brown leather belt with metal carabiners and loops. The concept was good, but the belt looked too industrial and masculine for the satin gown. A black satin belt with rings matching the grommets in the bodice would have worked better. 

Camila Perez wore a black-and-white design by McQueen that included too many fussy details for my taste. The bodice consisted of a white lace dickie edged with black trim and studded with tiny black buttons over a black lace bra, with a sheer black lace panel forming a flared peplum below side cut-outs. The tapered black ankle pants were topped with a tiered ruffled black lace skirt that fell just to the crotch in front and to the floor in back. It was just too much, and not working well together. 

Danielle Deadwyler combined the glamour of a blush pink satin sheath with narrow shoulder straps, elbow-length white satin gloves, and a long rectangular train falling from the shoulders, with a sheer sleeveless overlay with a high round neck and a horizontal oval cutout just below the bust. A lovely and elegant look.  

Joey King's Miu Miu gown was another mish-mish of too many unrelated details. I liked most of the details on the skirt, like the two narrow lace bands running vertically down the front, the vertical pleats at the center waist, and the small bow, although I didn't understand what was going on with the short band of blue visible below the hem. But the bodice was a mess. It appeared to be made from a black polyester camisole edged with white, covered with a second, sheer white camisole that had its straps and top folded over, then hemmed to a cropped length in a deep curve and attached to the skirt with multiple lace bands. What? Why?

Kim Matula showed off her impressive abs in this two-piece draped black ensemble. The cropped top featured a jewel neck and draped across her shoulders, falling into a train over one shoulder, and the top of the skirt was also thickly draped at the hip before falling into a slim skirt. The volume of the drape was just enough to emphasize her curves without looking bulky or out of proportion. A very nice look. 

Maisy Stella's black dress featured a plunging zig-zag neckline held together with an invisible cord and a long pearl pendant. I think the look would have been more flattering with a slightly narrower and deeper opening, but the lines were interesting and the gown was well-tailored. 

Marissa Bode wore a  crushed silver gown by Maria Lucia Hohan that featured a narrow shaped bandeau top wrapped with crossed bands of fabric at the waist and a swath running just below the bust leaving a diamond-shaped opening, then angling back over the opposite shoulder, and a full pleated skirt with a deep slit over one leg. The bodice looked a little off-center and asymmetrical, which I didn't love, but the fabric was great, the skirt was great, and she looked absolutely radiant. 

Melanie Zanetti wore a pale green Catherine Regehr sleeveless column with widely-angled cutouts at the waist, drawing in to a pair of oversize rosettes. Without the cutouts, the design would have been overly severe, but combining the cutouts, the rosettes, the delicate hue, and the hint of flare in the skirt added a lovely softness. 

Meredith Hagner wore a white Simkhai column dress with an empire waist seam, a scoop neck, and wide straps, inexplicably circled with a wide silver spangled band above the bust, leaving a small keyhole opening framing her cleavage. It was...not a good look. 

Monica Barbaro's black Prada gown did spangles right with an off-the-shoulder cropped bodice embellished with crystal starbursts and a straight skirt connected by a wide black panel in the front, showing off her toned abs. It was just the right balance of coverage and exposure, and simplicity and spangle. 

Rachel Brosnahan was nearly as successful in a black satin Miu Miu column. The gown featured beaded epaulet-style shoulders and an empire bodice formed by a swath of fabric going from one side of the waistband, twisting over the round collarband, and going back in the other side of the waistband, forming a large triangular opening in front. The overall silhouette of the dress was gorgeous, and I liked the lines of the epaulets and collarband, but the front opening could have been narrowed slightly for a more flattering look. But even as is, I rather liked it. 

Another look that could have benefitted from a narrower keyhole, Stephanie Koenig's white Monot halter gown featured a large diamond-shaped front opening and tiny neck straps that formed a criss-cross lacing across the deep open back. Again, the silhouette was amazing, but the width of the front opening made the dress work a little too hard. 

Before we get to the weird looks of the night, there were quite a few looks worth mentioning that didn't fit into the previous categories. Here are some of them. 

Chelsea Handler wore a short single-shouldered ivory dress by Maticevski which featured a ruffle that wrapped around the side of the skirt to form an asymmetrical hem, and a folded detail along the top of the bodice. 

Cynthia Erivo stunned in a shiny black snakeskin-textured two-piece Giorgio Armani Prive gown. The vest-style bodice featured a plunging v-neck, flared peplum, and double beaded circles at the waist, paired with a super-slim skirt, and accessorized with silver-tipped nails and long silver earrings. Perfection!

Delainey Hayles channeled her inner schoolmarm in a long-sleeved black Dior gown with a large, high-necked, white lace yoke. The yoke was too large and stark against the black, and although it might have worked with a sleeker gown, the A-line dress looked frumpy and old-fashioned.

Ella Hunt's textured metallic silver Fendi column, on the other hand, worked like a charm, with its wide jewel neck, fitted bodice, and slightly flared skirt. Simple and elegant. 

Erin Foster's brown satin Petar Petrov gown featured a sleeveless blousy cowl neck bodice and a narrow skirt. I didn't love the blousiness, but the proportions were right and Foster pulled it off well. 

Issa Lopez saved her just-okay two-piece white Simkhai dress with good accessories. The strapless bodice fell past mid-hip and had a low bustline, which but the narrow belt higher than halfway up the piece, making her look extremely short-waisted, and the pleated dress was hemmed at an awkward not-quite-ankle length. But her statement necklace was stunning, and the brown silk wrap helped balance out the proportions and tied in with her brown strappy sandals. 

Jodie Foster's silver Giorgio Armani Prive coat dress was panned by some critics, but I thought it worked well on her. I loved the black piping trim, and although the buttons on the breast pockets were unfortunately placed, I liked the black-trimmed buttons as well. The silhouette is simple, and flattering, and suits her in a way that more traditionally feminine dresses do not. It's a win in my book. 

Lupita Nyong'o wore a short spaghetti-strap Chanel gown with a scalloped top and hem in a lacy print of pink roses and green leaves on a white background, topped with a long black tulle overpiece that formed a kind of vest and full skirt. I think I would have preferred the overlay in ivory, but I did like the way it muted the pattern of the fabric, and the lines were lovely. 

Maren Morris wore an ankle-length black sleeveless Monique Lhuillier sheath with a wide white band across the top and a flared double-paneled train falling from just above the waist. I loved the way the white panels accented her figure. A very flattering look. 

Marianne Jean-Baptiste was luminous in a white Oscar de la Renta column with a white capelet that cascaded into a train at the back, and was embellished with burgundy flowers and green leaves.

Meg Stalter's shimmering white sleeveless cowl-neck gown was a nice concept, but the execution was horribly unkind to her. The cowl fell to the fullest part of her bust, and the body of the dress was all kinds of lumpy and bulgy instead of skimming and flattering, and even the hem was too long so the skirt didn't hang properly. She deserved better. 

Mikey Madison looked great in a black-and-white strapless gown with a black bandeau bodice and a high-waisted full skirt with a wide sash, accessorized with short black gloves with wide white cuffs. It was charming and different and I found it delightful. 

Natasha Lyonne missed the mark just slightly in a black leather sleeveless gown with a plunging v-neck, a slightly raised waistline with a wide waistband, and a straight skirt with a high center slit. The bodice gapped when she moved, and the skirt was gathered into the waistband at the front in a way that created an unflattering bagginess. A few revised details and it would be a great look. 

 

Nava Mau's metallic silver tea length Fendi halter dress featured a straight silhouette, a sweetheart neckline, and angled black straps. The black of the straps added just enough visual interest to make the whole look work. 

Nicole Kidman rocked it, 1990 Julia Roberts style, in a beige double-breasted, wide-legged Saint Laurent suit over a pinstriped shirt and a polka-dot necktie. I loved her loose blond waves and soft, feminine makeup. A really fun and relaxed look. 

Phoebe-Rae Taylor rocked a completely different style of suit in this black Nadine Merabi jacket with crystal starbursts and solid black pants. I even loved her accessories of a great black-and-silver pendant necklace and cute black-and-white sneakers. 

Sara Foster wore a black strapless sequin Monique Lhuillier column embellished with 3-D pale pink and yellow flowers. It was perfectly fitted to her figure, and the texture of the flowers added just the right finishing touch. 

Sarah Michelle Gellar wore a black strapless Oscar de la Renta column with a fabulous origami-like flat rosette on the bodice, creating an interesting-shaped line at the top of the bodice. I loved her accessories of several oversized rings and a simple black clutch with a large silver and crystal buckle.   

Shanola Hampton's black semi-sheer Valdrin Sahiti gown created gorgeous zig-zag lines by gathering bands of the underlying opaque fabric along one side seam, including at the bodice. The dress also has just a hint of spangle, which is all it needs. Gorgeous.  

Tanya Lapointe's champagne satin Ulla Johnson gown had a grecian feel, with a plunging neckline gathered into a raised waist defined by three narrow ribbons, before falling into a softly pleated full skirt. Shades of Marilyn Monroe at her finest! 

And now, for the weird. Some of these are just a little weird, but some are reeeeaaaalllly weird. 

Ariane Grande wore a champagne Dior Couture cage dress with flower details on the shoulder and skirt, and lots of trailing ribbons at the hem that looked like nothing so much as a jellyfish. She made it work, but it was truly weird. 

Demi Moore wore a midnight blue Schiaparelli fitted sheath with a sweetheart neckline with a spangled projection at the center, and a skirt that turned into draped ribbons at mid-thigh, and laced all the way up the back. It was pretty, but it had a distinct air of weirdness.

Hannah Einbinder wore a chartreuse satin structured Louis Vuitton dress with a strapless princess-seamed bodice which was quite pretty, but then it joined with a lampshade-shaped skirt that looked incredibly uncomfortable and, well, weird. 

Kali Reis wore a two-piece black leather Jovana Louis design comprising a black jacket with extended, squared-off shoulders, long flared sleeves, and raised seaming, and a mermaid skirt with a train. The tailoring of the jacket was not very flattering, emphasizing the straightness of her figure and ending in an off-center notch, and it didn't feel like the style matched with the softer lines of the skirt. It just came off as weird. 

Kathryn Hahn's black strapless Oscar de la Renta gown was weird in a really good way. The fabric looked almost like raffia, with a basket-weave bodice topped with wide, stiff fringe, and a skirt of wider fringe that created a feathery appearance that I really liked, and which definitely tied in to her Agatha All Along character. 

Keri Russell's white boucle Chanel suit combined a very pretty knee-length carwash-hem skirt with a sweatshirt-style jacket featuring a raised collar, cuffed sleeves, a wide band at the hem, slash pockets, and lots of brass buttons. And what was in her right pocket that was making such a distinct (and awkward) bulge at the top of the skirt? The skirt was great, but the overall look was totally weird. 

Kristen Schaal wore a long black sleeveless column with a bright red stripe down the front that actually would have worker on her, except for the skirt suddenly becoming sheer below the knee, which made the striped just look weird. 

Moeka Hoshi wore a red 3-piece Louis Vuitton ensemble consisting of a full long skirt (perfectly fine), a bandeau top (bland, but okay), and a weird ruffled neckpiece with a collar and two bands running across the shoulders hen falling into a hip-length train. Weird. 

But I can't leave you on a note of weirdness, so instead, we'll end with a group of folks who look sharp as sharp can be in their dress blues: members of the Los Angeles and Culver City Fire Departments, who were recognized for their work in fighting the California wildfires. Thank you all for your service!