Ann Hornaday, a longtime film critic for The Washington Post, died Sunday at her home in Baltimore following a battle with glioblastoma, a form of brain cancer. She was 66 years old.
Hornaday spent more than 20 years at the Post, joining in 2002 and leaving in 2025. During her tenure at the Post, she wrote hundreds of in-depth reviews, profiles and stories, including in-depth analyzes of films like “The Hurt Locker,” “Jaws” and “Oppenheimer.”
“For many years, Post readers have been blessed by Ann’s informed, insightful, warm, approachable and totally unique voice,” Washington Post editor Matt Murray said in a statement released by the newspaper. “Reading his work was like speaking with a close friend, albeit much more knowledgeable.”
Hornaday was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Criticism in 2008, submitting his review of “There Will Be Blood,” among other works, in his finalist entry. She also authored “Talking Pictures,” a book about watching movies, and, before her death, a book about the making of “All the President’s Men.”
Before Hornaday became the influential critic she is remembered for, she worked as a freelance writer in New York, contributing to publications such as the New York Times and Premiere magazine. Before that, she worked for two years at Ms. Magazine as Gloria Steinem’s personal assistant. She was a film critic for the Baltimore Sun and the Austin American-Statesman before joining the Post.
Ann Mills Hornaday was born March 9, 1960, in Iowa City. At birth, she was adopted by William R. Hornaday Jr. and his wife, Mary Mills. Hornaday grew up in Des Moines and attended Smith College, graduating in 1982 with a major in government.
While being a film critic, she was also a parishioner and Sunday school teacher in Baltimore.
She is survived by her husband of 26 years, Dennis Greenia; their daughter, Victoria Greenia; a daughter-in-law, Leila Greenia; and a brother, William Hornaday III.
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