Ann Hornaday, the longtime film critic at The Washington Post and a 2008 Pulitzer Prize finalist for criticism, has died at 66. She passed away on Sunday, October 18, 2026, at her home in Baltimore following a battle with glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer. Her husband, Dennis Greenia, confirmed the cause.
Ann Hornaday (Credits: Variety)
Two Decades Shaping Film Culture at the Post
Hornaday joined The Washington Post in 2002 and spent more than two decades as one of its defining cultural voices, departing in 2025. Over her tenure she wrote hundreds of reviews, profiles and in-depth stories, covering everything from contemporary masterworks like The Hurt Locker and Oppenheimer to retrospective examinations of classics like Jaws.
Her criticism stood out for its warmth. Former colleagues noted she wrote well-crafted, carefully considered criticism with the everyday moviegoer in mind — a contrast to critics known for scathing or pretentious takedowns. Washington Post Executive Editor Matt Murray paid tribute: “For many years, Post readers were blessed by Ann’s informed, insightful, warm, accessible, and totally unique voice. Reading her work was like talking with a close — if much more knowledgeable — friend.”
A Journey From Ms. Magazine to the Pulitzer Shortlist
Born in Iowa City and raised in Des Moines, Hornaday graduated from Smith College in 1982 with a degree in government before moving to New York. There she worked at the feminist publication Ms. Magazine as co-founder Gloria Steinem’s administrative assistant — and it was Steinem who urged her to try freelancing, a push that launched her writing career.
Before the Post, she served as film critic for the Baltimore Sun and the Austin American-Statesman, and appeared on WYPR’s “Midday at the Movies.” Her critical voice earned her a place as a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Criticism in 2008. She also shared her love of cinema through her book Talking Pictures: How to Watch Movies, published in 2017, helping readers develop a deeper understanding of film language, performance and storytelling. She had completed a book about the making of All the President’s Men, tentatively scheduled for 2028.
Hornaday adored her adopted home of Baltimore, where she lived with her husband of 26 years, Dennis Greenia. She is also survived by her daughter, stepdaughter and brother.
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Source: Variety — read the full story there.