Ann Hornaday, Washington Post critic, dies at 66

Washington Post film critic Ann Hornaday has died at age 66 from brain cancer. Friends and fellow critics remembered her as a thoughtful, generous writer who helped shape film criticism for decades.

Hornaday was respected for writing clearly and for reaching readers without talking down to them. Her work earned her a Pulitzer Prize finalist spot in 2008, and she also wrote the book “Talking Pictures: How to Watch Movies” in 2017.

She spent years covering film for major outlets, including the Austin American-Statesman, the Baltimore Sun, and The Washington Post, where she worked from 2002 until taking a buyout in 2025. She was also known for supporting other women in the industry and in journalism.

Born in Iowa City in 1960 and raised in Des Moines, Hornaday is survived by her husband, daughter, stepdaughter, and brother. Before her death, she finished a book about the making of “All the President’s Men,” which is expected to come out in 2028.