The Next Best Picture Podcast

"Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery" had its world premiere at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival, where it received just as strong reviews as the first two entries in the franchise, "Knives Out" and "Glass Onion," with praise directed at Rian Johnson's direction, writing, and the performances of the cast. Johnson, along with members of the cast and crew, were all kind enough to spend some time speaking with Next Best Picture over the past few weeks, and you can listen to those conversations below. First, we have my interview with Rian Johnson and Josh O'Connor, followed...

For Episode 470, Nadia Dalimonte, Giovanni Lago, Lauren LaMagna, and Megan Lachinski join me for another packed episode of awards season news and madness. This week, we go over the Golden Globe Award nominations, the Los Angeles Film Critics Association (LAFCA) winners, and the Costume Designer Guild (CDG) nominations. We also briefly look over the 2026 Sundance Film Festival lineup announcement and predict what may happen this week with the Oscar shortlists. For this week's poll, for the release of James Cameron's "Avatar: Fire And Ash", we're asking everyone: "Which Is Your Favorite James Cameron Film?" We also reveal the winner of last we...

For this week's main podcast review, Katie Johnson, Dan Bayer, Daniel Howat, and Brendan Hodges join me to discuss the latest film from Academy Award-nominee Rian Johnson in the "Knives Out" franchise "Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery," starring Daniel Craig, Josh O'Connor, Glenn Close, Josh Brolin, Mila Kunis, Jeremy Renner, Kerry Washington, Andrew Scott, Cailee Spaeny, Daryl McCormack, and Thomas Haden Church. The second film to premiere on Netflix following "Glass Onion" and the third in the franchise overall, this latest murder-mystery sees Craig's Benoit Blanc return in a case that will take him to religious highs...

"Dust Bunny" is an American horror-thriller film written and directed by Bryan Fuller in his feature directorial debut, starring Mads Mikkelsen, Sophie Sloan, Sheila Atim, David Dastmalchian, and Sigourney Weaver. It tells the story of an eight-year-old girl who asks her hitman neighbor to kill the monster under her bed. The film premiered at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival and received positive reviews for Mads Mikkelsen and Sophie Sloan's chemistry, Fuller's imaginative direction, and its blending of genres to create a fantastical horror film for kids. Fuller was kind enough to spend some time talking with us about his...

"Goodbye June" is a 2025 Christmas family drama film directed by Kate Winslet in her directorial debut, from a screenplay written by her son Joe Anders. It stars an ensemble cast that includes Toni Collette, Johnny Flynn, Andrea Riseborough, Timothy Spall, Helen Mirren, and Winslet herself. The film is set during Christmas, when the characters gather around their dying mother and confront themes of grief, reconciliation, and love. Winslet was kind enough to spend some time talking with us about her work and experience making the film, which you can listen to below. Please be sure to check out the...

"The Tale Of Silyan" is a Macedonian documentary film produced, written and directed by Tamara Kotevska. It follows Macedonian farmer Nikola Conev and his family against the backdrop of the country's economic instability. While Conev forms a bond with an injured white stork, his daughter and wife move to Germany in search of a better life. The film had its world premiere out of competition at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival and has been selected as the Macedonian entry for the Best International Feature Film at the 98th Academy Awards. Director Tamara Kotevska and cinematographer Jean Dakar were...

"The Long Walk" is an American dystopian survival thriller film directed and produced by Francis Lawrence from a screenplay by JT Mollner, based on the 1979 novel of the same name by Stephen King. The film stars Cooper Hoffman, David Jonsson, Garrett Wareing, Tut Nyuot, Charlie Plummer, Ben Wang, Roman Griffin Davis, Josh Hamilton, Judy Greer, and Mark Hamill and has been awarded the Robert Altman Award for Best Ensemble at the 2025 Film Independent Spirit Awards. Screenwriter JT Mollner and casting director Rich Delia were kind enough to spend some time talking with us about their work and experiences making...

"Resurrection" is a science fiction drama film written and directed by Bi Gan. It follows Miss Shu (Shu Qi) in a future where most of humanity has lost the capacity to dream, who discovers that one inhuman creature (Jackson Yee) is still able to experience them. She enters the monster's dreams, using her ability to perceive illusions to determine the truth in its visions of Chinese history. The film is structured into six chapters, each corresponding to one of the six senses recognized in Buddhist thought: sight, hearing, smell, taste, touch, and mind. The film had its world premiere...

"Come See Me In The Good Light" is a 2025 American documentary film directed by Ryan White, following poet/activist Andrea Gibson and Megan Falley as they navigate an examination of love and mortality after Gibson is diagnosed with terminal ovarian cancer. Singer-songwriters Sara Bareilles and Brandi Carlile serve as among the executive producers; they co-wrote a song for the documentary, "Salt Then Sour Then Sweet," with Gibson. The film had its world premiere at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival, where it received positive reviews and won the Festival Favorite Award. Bareilles was kind enough to spend some time talking with...

"Highest 2 Lowest" is an American crime thriller film directed by Spike Lee from a screenplay by Alan Fox. It is an English-language remake of Akira Kurosawa's 1963 Japanese film "High and Low," itself based on Ed McBain's 1959 novel "King's Ransom." The film stars Denzel Washington, Jeffrey Wright, Ilfenesh Hadera, ASAP Rocky, John Douglas Thompson, Dean Winters, LaChanze, Princess Nokia, and Ice Spice (in her film debut). The film had its world premiere at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival out of competition, where it received positive reviews for its performances, music, and direction from Lee. Composer Howard Drossin and songwriter/performer Aiyana-Lee...

"Materialists" is an American romantic comedy-drama film written and directed by Celine Song, starring Dakota Johnson, Chris Evans, and Pedro Pascal. Set against the backdrop of New York City's luxury-driven dating culture, it follows a love triangle among a matchmaker, her ex-boyfriend, an aspiring actor, and a charming millionaire. Released over the summer by A24, it received generally positive reviews from critics and grossed $108 million worldwide, becoming A24's third-highest-grossing film and Song's highest-grossing film. Japanese Breakfast vocalist, guitarist, and primary songwriter Michelle Zauner wrote the end-credits song "My Baby (Got Nothing At All)" for the film and was...

"The Secret Agent" is a historical political thriller film written and directed by Kleber Mendonça Filho that follows Armando (NYFCC Best Actor winner Wagner Moura), a former professor caught in the political turmoil of the final years of the Brazilian military dictatorship, attempting to flee persecution and resist an authoritarian, deceitful regime. The film had its world premiere at the main competition of the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, where it received widespread acclaim and was the festival's most awarded film, winning the Best Actor award for Moura, the Best Director award for Mendonça Filho, the Art House Cinema Aw...

"No Other Choice" is a 2025 South Korean satirical black comedy thriller film co-written, produced, and directed by Park Chan-wook and based on "The Ax" by Donald Westlake. The film stars Lee Byung-hun as a desperate paper industry expert who decides to kill his competitors to secure the job he seeks and maintain his way of life. The film had its world premiere in the main competition of the 82nd Venice International Film Festival, where it received universal critical acclaim for its writing, direction, editing and lead performance from Lee Byung-hun. At the 83rd Golden Globe Awards, it was nominated...

"The Chronology Of Water" is a biographical psychological drama film written for the screen, co-produced, and directed by Kristen Stewart in her feature film directorial debut, based on the 2011 book of the same name by Lidia Yuknavitch. It stars Imogen Poots as Yuknavitch, along with Thora Birch, Susannah Flood, Tom Sturridge, Kim Gordon, Michael Epp, Earl Cave, Esmé Creed-Miles, and Jim Belushi in supporting roles. The film had its world premiere in the Un Certain Regard section of the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, where it received positive reviews from critics. Stewart and Poots were both kind enough to spend some t...

For Episode 469, Josh Parham, Giovanni Lago, Daniel Howat, and Tom O'Brien join me for what is one of the biggest episodes of the year. We knew heading into this week we would have to discuss the Gotham, NYFCC, and NBR winners, the AFI Top 10 films of the year, the CCA and Spirit Award nominations, and briefly touch on the Golden Globe Award nominations before they're announced. But then the industry dropped a bombshell: Netflix will acquire Warner Bros., a power move that threatens to be a seismic shift across the industry, with many implications for the future. For this week's poll, we...

For this week's main podcast review, Megan Lachinski, Josh Parham, Dan Bayer, and Brendan Hodges join me to discuss the latest film from Academy Award-winner Chloé Zhao, "Hamnet," starring Jessie Buckley, Paul Mescal, Emily Watson, Joe Alwyn, Jacobi Jupe, and Noah Jupe. The historical drama film co-written by Maggie O'Farrell, the author of the title novel this film is based on is a largely fictional story dramatizing the marriage between Anne Hathaway (Agnes Hathaway in the novel and film) and William Shakespeare, and the impact of the tragic death of their 11-year-old son Hamnet on their relationship, which inspired Shakes...

"Jay Kelly" had its world premiere at the 2025 Venice International Film Festival and later screened at the Telluride Film Festival, the New York Film Festival, and the AFI Film Festival. It received positive reviews for its casting and performances, particularly from George Clooney, Adam Sandler, Laura Dern, and Billy Crudup; the direction and writing by Noah Baumbach (co-written with Emily Mortimer); and the score by Nicholas Britell. Members of the cast and crew were kind enough to spend some time speaking with Next Best Picture over the past few weeks, and you can listen to those conversations below. First...

THIS IS A PREVIEW PODCAST. NOT THE FULL REVIEW. Please check out the full podcast review on our Patreon Page by subscribing over at - https://www.patreon.com/NextBestPicture

For this week's second podcast review, Josh Parham, Dan Bayer, Daniel Howat, and Will Mavity join me to review and discuss the latest film from Noah Baumbach, "Jay Kelly," starring George Clooney, Adam Sandler, Laura Dern, Billy Crudup, Riley Keough, Grace Edwards, Stacy Keach, Jim Broadbent, Patrick Wilson, Eve Hewson, Greta Gerwig, Alba Rohrwacher, Josh Hamilton, Lenny Henry, Emily Mortimer, Nicôle Lecky, Thaddea Grah...

"Fackham Hall" is a period parody comedy film set in 1930s England that crosses "Downton Abbey" with "Airplane!" and "Monty Python." It is directed by Jim O'Hanlon and written by comedian Jimmy Carr (in his screenwriting feature debut) with Patrick Carr and The Dawson Brothers. It stars Damian Lewis, Thomasin McKenzie, Ben Radcliffe, Katherine Waterston, Tom Felton, and Jimmy Carr. It follows loveable pick-pocket Eric Noone (Radcliffe) as he lands a job at a unique English manor house. He quickly rises through the ranks, and a forbidden romance with the lady of the house, Rose Davenport (McKenzie), blossoms. But...

"La Grazia" is an Italian drama film written and directed by Paolo Sorrentino. It stars Toni Servillo as the President of Italy, Mariano De Santis, a staunch Catholic and experienced jurist, who is conflicted about whether he should sign into law a bill legalizing euthanasia, and at the same time has to consider the pardon petitions of two individuals who murdered their partners. The film had its world premiere as the opening film of the 82nd Venice International Film Festival, where Servillo won the Volpi Cup for Best Actor. Servillo was kind enough to spend some time speaking with...

"Rosemead" is a drama film, directed by Eric Lin in his directorial debut, from a screenplay by Marilyn Fu, based on a 2017 LA Times column by Frank Shyong. It stars Lucy Liu as an ailing woman who is stricken by the discovery of her teenage son’s violent obsessions and must go to great lengths to protect him, and possibly others, in this portrait of a Chinese American family. The film premiered at the 2025 Tribeca Festival to positive reviews, particularly for Liu, who received the best notices of her career. Liu was kind enough to spend some time speaking wi...

For Episode 468, Cody Dericks, Nadia Dalimonte and Giovanni Lago join me for a packed week of awards season predictions as December looms around the corner and the precursors for the 98th Academy Awards officially begin. We predict the Gotham Awards, New York Film Critics Circle (NYFCC), Los Angeles Film Critics Association (LAFCA), and National Board of Review (NBR) winners, along with what we believe will place in the AFI Top 10 films of the year. We also attempt to predict the likely nominees for the Critics' Choice Awards (CCA) and the Film Independent Spirit Awards. For this week's poll, in celeb...

For this week's main podcast review, Sara Clements, Cody Dericks, Alyssa Christian, Brendan Hodges & Joselyn Safadi join me to discuss the sequel to 2016's Oscar-winning animated film "Zootopia," titled "Zootopia 2," starring the voice talents of Ginnifer Goodwin, Jason Bateman, Ke Huy Quan, Fortune Feimster, Andy Samberg, David Strathairn, Shakira, Idris Elba, Patrick Warburton, Quinta Brunson, Danny Trejo, Alan Tudyk, Nate Torrence, Don Lake, Bonnie Hunt, and Jenny Slate. The story follows the returning officers Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde, who are now "partners" and go undercover to pursue Zootopia's new and mysterious reptilian resident, Gary De'Snake. Nearly a decade after...

"The Thing With Feathers" is a British independent drama film starring Benedict Cumberbatch that is written and directed by Dylan Southern and adapted from the book "Grief Is the Thing with Feathers" by Max Porter. It had its world premiere at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival, where Cumberbatch's haunting performance as a grief-stricken father was praised. Cumberbatch was kind enough to spend some time speaking with us about his experience working on the film, which you can listen to below. Please be sure to check out the film, which is now playing in limited theatrical release from Briarcliff Entertainment. Thank you, and...

"Eternity" had its world premiere at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival where it received positive reviews for its clever premise about a woman who must choose between two men with whom to spend eternity in the afterlife co-written and directed by David Freyne along with the trio of heartwarming an heartbreaking performances from Miles Teller, Elizabeth Olsen, Callum Turner, and hilarious supporting work from John Early, Olga Merediz and Academy Award-winner Da'Vine Joy Randolph. Freyne was kind enough to spend some time talking with Ema Sasic about his experience making the film, while I had the pleasure of speaking wi...

"In Your Dreams" is an American animated adventure-comedy film directed by Alex Woo and co-directed by Erik Benson, from a script by Woo and Benson and a story by Woo, Benson, and Stanley Moore. It tells the story of Stevie (Jolie Hoang-Rappaport) and her little brother Elliot (Elias Janssen), who journey into the wildly absurd landscape of their own dreams to ask the Sandman to grant them the perfect family. Produced by Netflix Animation and Kuku Studios, it received generally positive reviews from critics. Director/co-writer Woo was kind enough to spend some time speaking with us about his...

THIS IS A PREVIEW PODCAST. NOT THE FULL REVIEW. Please check out the full podcast review on our Patreon Page by subscribing over at - https://www.patreon.com/NextBestPicture

For this week's second podcast review, Josh Parham and Nadia Dalimonte join me to review and discuss the latest film from Hikari, "Rental Family," starring Brendan Fraser, Takehiro Hira, Mari Yamamoto, Shannon Mahina Gorman, and Akira Emoto. The comedy-drama film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival to a warm reception, with praise for Fraser's performance, and Hikari's direction and writing (co-written with Stephen Bla...

"All That's Left Of You" is a drama film produced, written, and directed by Cherien Dabis, who also stars alongside Saleh Bakri, Mohammad Bakri, Adam Bakri, Maria Zreik, Muhammad Abed Elrahman, Sanad Alkabareti, and Salah El Din. It follows a Palestinian family across three generations during the history of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. The film had its world premiere at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival and later screened at the Telluride Film Festival, receiving positive reviews for its storytelling and performances. It has been selected as the Jordanian entry for the Best International Feature Film at the 98th Academy Awards. Fi...

For Episode 467, Lauren LaMagna, Dan Bayer, Tom O'Brien, and I are here to discuss the Academy's announcement of the eligible films for Best Animated, Documentary, and International Feature Film for the 98th Academy Awards, as well as other recent developments in the awards season race, including the awards status of "Wicked: For Good." For this week's poll, we ask, "Which Films Will Be Oscar-Nominated For Best International Feature Film At The 98th Academy Awards?" We also reveal the winner of last week's poll, for the release of "Rental Family," where we asked, "Which Is Your Favorite Film Starring Brendan Fraser?"...

For this week's main podcast review, Katie Johnson, Josh Parham, Lauren LaMagna & Cody Dericks join me to discuss the sequel to last year's "Wicked," titled "Wicked: For Good," starring Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Ethan Slater, Bowen Yang, Michelle Yeoh, and Jeff Goldblum. The film adapts the second act of the 2003 stage musical by Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holzman, which was loosely based on Gregory Maguire's 1995 novel, a reimagining of L. Frank Baum's 1900 novel "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" and its 1939 film adaptation. Darker and more complex to bring to the big screen, Set in the Land of Oz befo...

"Kokuho" is a Japanese drama film directed by Lee Sang-il, written by Satoko Okudera, and based on a novel of the same name by Shuichi Yoshida, starring Ryo Yoshizawa, Ryusei Yokohama, Mitsuki Takahata, Shinobu Terajima, Min Tanaka, and Ken Watanabe. It tells the story of a young boy who devotes himself to the traditional theatre of kabuki under the tutelage of a famous actor, aspiring for the same level of greatness someday. The film had its world premiere in the Directors' Fortnight section of the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, where it received critical acclaim. It would go on to find...

"Train Dreams" had its world premiere at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival and later screened at the Toronto and AFI Film Festivals. It received positive reviews for its adaptation of the 2011 novella of the same name, Clint Bentley's direction, Joel Edgerton's leading performance, its cinematography, and its score by Bryce Dessner. Members of the cast and crew were kind enough to spend some time speaking with Next Best Picture over the past few weeks, and you can watch or listen to those conversations below. First, we have Daniel Howat's interview with Joel Edgerton and Felicity Jones. Then, we have my in...

THIS IS A PREVIEW PODCAST. NOT THE FULL REVIEW. Please check out the full podcast review on our Patreon Page by subscribing over at - https://www.patreon.com/NextBestPicture

For this week's third podcast review, Dan Bayer, Megan Lachinski, and Will Mavity join me to review and discuss the latest film from Clint Bentley, "Train Dreams," starring Joel Edgerton, Felicity Jones, Clifton Collins Jr., Kerry Condon, and William H. Macy. Based on the 2011 novella of the same name by Denis Johnson, and co-written with fellow Academy Award-nominee Greg Kwedar, the duo are back foll...

"Cutting Through Rocks" is a documentary film directed by Mohammadreza Eyni and Sara Khaki in their feature debut. It follows the story of the first Iranian woman elected as a councilwoman in a rural, poor village. The film had its world premiere in the World Documentary Competition section of the 2025 Sundance Film Festival, where it received positive reviews and won the Grand Jury Prize – World Documentary Competition. Mohammadreza Eyni and Sara Khaki were kind enough to spend some time speaking with us about their work and experience making the film, which you can listen to below. Please be sure to...

"Put Your Soul On Your Hand And Walk" is a documentary film directed by Sepideh Farsi, depicting life in Gaza during the ongoing Israeli military campaign, captured through Farsi's video calls with a young Palestinian photojournalist living there named Fatima Hassouna. The documentary had its world premiere at the ACID parallel section of the 2025 Cannes Film Festival. A day after the filmmakers found out the film had been selected for the festival, Hassouna was killed in an Israeli airstrike alongside nine members of her family on April 16th. The film is dedicated to her memory and has garnered positive...

THIS IS A PREVIEW PODCAST. NOT THE FULL REVIEW. Please check out the full podcast review on our Patreon Page by subscribing over at - https://www.patreon.com/NextBestPicture

For this week's second podcast review, Giovanni Lago, Alyssa Christian, and Tom O'Brien join me to review and discuss the latest film from James Vanderbilt, "Nuremberg," starring Russell Crowe, Rami Malek, Leo Woodall, John Slattery, Mark O'Brien, Colin Hanks, Wrenn Schmidt, Lydia Peckham, Richard E. Grant, and Michael Shannon. It is based on the 2013 book "The Nazi and the Psychiatrist" by Jack El-Hai and tell...

"Rental Family" is a comedy-drama film directed by Hikari, who co-wrote the script with Stephen Blahut, starring Brendan Fraser, Takehiro Hira, Mari Yamamoto, Shannon Mahina Gorman, and Akira Emoto. The film premiered at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival, where it received positive reviews for its direction, writing, and heartwarming performances. Hikari and Emoto were both kind enough to spend a few minutes speaking with Ema Sasic and Giovanni Lago, respectively, about their work and experiences making the film, which you can listen to below. Please be sure to check out the film, which is scheduled to be released in...

For Episode 466, Josh Parham, Dan Bayer, and I are here to discuss the awards prospects for the final films that need to screen and release before the end of the year to qualify for the 98th Academy Awards. We leave no stone unturned as we discuss the reactions and expectations for "Hamnet," "Marty Supreme," "Avatar: Fire And Ash," "Wicked: For Good," "No Other Choice," "The Testament Of Ann Lee," "Jay Kelly," "The Secret Agent," and more! For this week's poll, for the release of "Rental Family," we ask, "Which Is Your Favorite Film Starring Brendan Fraser?" and we reveal the...

For this week's main podcast review, Katie Johnson, Giovanni Lago & Amy Kim join me to discuss the latest film from Edgar Wright, "The Running Man," starring Glen Powell, William H. Macy, Lee Pace, Michael Cera, Emilia Jones, Daniel Ezra, Jayme Lawson, Sean Hayes, Colman Domingo, and Josh Brolin. It is the second adaptation of the 1982 novel by Stephen King, following the 1987 film starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, with Wright's 2025 version adhering closer to the novel and its themes. What did we think of it, though? Please tune in as we discuss the adaptation, Powell's lead performance, Wright's action direction, its awards season...

"Rebuilding" is an American independent drama film written and directed by Max Walker-Silverman, starring Josh O'Connor, Lily LaTorre, Meghann Fahy, Kali Reis, and Amy Madigan. The film follows a cowboy named Dusty (O'Connor), who ends up in a FEMA camp after a wildfire destroys his ranch, and he finds community with others who have lost their homes, including his daughter and ex-wife. The film had its world premiere at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival, where it received positive reviews for Max Walker-Silverman's storytelling and filmmaking, as well as O'Connor's nuanced lead performance. O'Connor and Walter-Silverman were both kind enough to...

"Arco" is a French animated science fantasy film written and directed by Ugo Bienvenu and produced by Natalie Portman. It stars Swann Arlaud, Alma Jodorowsky, Margot Ringard Oldra, Oscar Tresanini, Vincent Macaigne, Louis Garrel, William Lebghil, and Oxmo Puccino in the French version, with Will Ferrell, America Ferrera, Flea, Natalie Portman, Mark Ruffalo, and Andy Samberg in the English dubbed version. The film had its world premiere in the Special Screenings section of the 78th Cannes Film Festival earlier this year, where it received positive reviews. It would later go on to win the Cristal Award for Best Feature...

THIS IS A PREVIEW PODCAST. NOT THE FULL REVIEW. Please check out the full podcast review on our Patreon Page by subscribing over at - https://www.patreon.com/NextBestPicture

For this week's third podcast review, Ema Sasic, Josh Parham, and Giovanni Lago join me to review and discuss the latest film from Joachim Trier, "Sentimental Value," starring Renate Reinsve, Stellan Skarsgård, Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas, and Elle Fanning. The film had its world premiere at the main competition of the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, where it received widespread acclaim and won the Grand Prix. It has...

"Nouvelle Vague" is a black and white comedy-drama film directed by Richard Linklater starring Guillaume Marbeck as Jean-Luc Godard, Zoey Deutch as Jean Seberg, and Aubry Dullin as Jean-Paul Belmondo. It follows the shooting of "Breathless," one of the first feature films of the Nouvelle Vague era of French cinema, in 1959. The film had its world premiere at the main competition of the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, where it received positive reviews for its casting, performances, writing, and direction from Linklater, who was working in the French language for the first time in his career. Linklater, Marbeck, Deutch, and Dullin...

"Sirāt" is a drama film directed by Óliver Laxe, co-written by Santiago Fillol and Laxe. It follows Luis (Sergi López), a father in search of his missing daughter in the deserts of southern Morocco. The film had its world premiere in the main competition of the 78th Cannes Film Festival, where it won the Jury Prize. It's since been selected as the Spanish submission for the Best International Feature Film at the 98th Academy Awards. It has also been nominated for a Gotham Award for Best Director and a British Independent Film Award for Best International Independent Fil...

THIS IS A PREVIEW PODCAST. NOT THE FULL REVIEW. Please check out the full podcast review on our Patreon Page by subscribing over at - https://www.patreon.com/NextBestPicture

For this week's second podcast review, Ema Sasic, Dan Bayer, and Nadia Dalimonte join me to review and discuss the latest film from Lynne Ramsay, "Die My Love," starring Jennifer Lawrence, Robert Pattinson, Sissy Spacek, LaKeith Stanfield & Nick Nolte. The film follows Grace (Lawrence), a young mother who develops postpartum depression and, alongside her partner, Jackson (Pattinson), enters into psychosis. It had its world premi...

"Left-Handed Girl" is an international indie drama written, directed, and produced by Shih-Ching Tsou, starring Janel Tsai, Shih-Yuan Ma, Nina Ye, Brando Huang, Akio Chen, and Xin-Yan Chao. Multi Academy Award-winner Sean Baker served as co-writer, producer, and editor. The film had its world premiere at the Critics' Week section of the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, where it received positive reviews for its direction, writing, and performances. It has been selected as the Taiwanese entry for Best International Feature Film at the 98th Academy Awards. Shih-Ching Tsou was kind enough to spend some time speaking with us about her work...

"Now You See Me: Now You Don't" is an American heist film directed by Ruben Fleischer from a screenplay by Michael Lesslie, the writing duo of Paul Wernick and Rhett Reese, and Seth Grahame-Smith, based on a story by Eric Warren Singer and Lesslie. The film is the sequel to "Now You See Me 2" (2016) and the third installment in the "Now You See Me" film series. The cast includes returning actors Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Dave Franco, Isla Fisher, and Morgan Freeman, as well as new cast members Justice Smith, Dominic Sessa, Ariana Greenblatt, and Rosamund Pike. Fleischer was...

"Come See Me In The Good Light" is a documentary film directed by Ryan White, following poet/activist Andrea Gibson and Megan Falley as they navigate an examination of love and mortality after Gibson is diagnosed with terminal ovarian cancer. This tearjerking film on love and loss had its world premiere at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival, where it received positive reviews and the Festival Favorite Award. White was kind enough to spend a few minutes speaking with us about his work and experience making the film, which you can listen to below. Please be sure to check out the...

For Episode 465, Megan Lachinski, Cody Dericks, Daniel Howat, Tom O'Brien, and I are here to preview what's to come over the next several weeks for the 2025-2026 awards season as more nominations roll in from groups such as the British Independent Film Awards (BIFA) and Hollywood Music In Media Awards (HMMA). For this week's poll, we're revisiting our famous question, "Which Film Do You Think Is Going To Be The Next Best Picture Oscar Winner?" We also reveal the winner of last week's poll, for the wide and limited releases of "Predator: Badlands" and "Sentimental Value" respectively, "Which Is Your Fa...

For this week's main podcast review, Katie Johnson, Josh Parham, Joselyn Safadi, Dan Bayer & Daniel Howat join me to discuss the latest film from David Michôd, "Christy," starring Sydney Sweeney, Ben Foster, Merritt Wever, and Katy O'Brian. Based on former professional boxer Christy Martin, the film chronicles Martin's rise to becoming America's most well-known female boxer in the 1990s, and later her abusive relationship with her husband/trainer. The film premiered at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival to positive reviews for Sweeney and Foster's performances, but what did we think of it? Please tune in as we discuss that, th...

"Belén" is an Argentine historical legal drama film directed by and starring Dolores Fonzi from a screenplay she co-wrote with Laura Paredes, Agustina San Martín, and Nicolás Britos. It is based on the non-fiction book Somos Belén by Ana Correa, which follows a lawyer's quest for justice when her client is falsely imprisoned for committing an illegal abortion. The film has been selected as the Argentine entry for Best International Feature Film at the 98th Academy Awards. Fonzi was kind enough to spend time speaking with us about her work and experience making the film, whic...

"Nuremberg" is an American historical drama film written, co-produced, and directed by James Vanderbilt. It is based on the 2013 book "The Nazi and the Psychiatrist" by Jack El-Hai and tells the story of a psychiatrist, Douglas Kelley (Rami Malek), who is challenged with determining if Hermann Göring (Russell Crowe) is fit to stand trial at the Nuremberg trials. Leo Woodall, John Slattery, Mark O'Brien, Colin Hanks, Wrenn Schmidt, Lydia Peckham, Richard E. Grant, and Michael Shannon have supporting roles in the film. The film's world premiere was in the Gala Presentations section of the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival i...

"Tinsman Road" is a found-footage horror thriller directed by Robbie Banfitch, who also stars in the film. Set in the backwoods of New Jersey, the film follows a young man as he investigates the mysterious disappearance of his sister and returns to his family's secluded home. The film employs slow-burn dread, utilizing quiet, naturalistic pacing to build tension in a found footage style, and has received very positive notices during its festival run. Banfitch was kind enough to spend a few minutes speaking with us about his work and experience making the film, which you can listen to below...

For this week's third podcast review, Sara Clements, Dan Bayer, and Aaron Isenstein join me to review and discuss the latest film from Richard Linklater (and his second this year), "Nouvelle Vague," starring Guillaume Marbeck, Zoey Deutch, and Aubry Dullin. Marbeck plays Jean-Luc Godard as he shoots his feature debut film, "Breathless," one of the first feature films of the French New Wave in 1959, alongside American actress Jean Seberg (Deutch) and French star Jean-Paul Belmondo (Dullin). The film had its world premiere at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, where it received positive reviews for its witty screenplay, Linklater's direction, and unca...

"Christy" is an American biographical sports drama film about the former professional boxer Christy Martin, played by Sydney Sweeney (she also served as one of the film's producers), directed by David Michôd and co-starring Ben Foster. The film chronicles Martin's rise to becoming America's most well-known female boxer in the 1990s, and later her husband's attempt to murder her in 2010. The film had its world premiere at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival, where it received positive reviews for Sweeney and Foster's performances. Michôd, Sweeney and Foster were all kind enough to spend a few minutes speaking with us...

THIS IS A PREVIEW PODCAST. NOT THE FULL REVIEW. Please check out the full podcast review on our Patreon Page by subscribing over at - https://www.patreon.com/NextBestPicture

For this week's second podcast review, Josh Parham, Megan Lachinski, Dan Bayer, and Giovanni Lago join me to review and discuss the latest film from master Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi, "It Was Just An Accident," starring Vahid Mobasseri, Mariam Afshari, Ebrahim Azizi, Hadis Pakbaten, Majid Panahi, Mohamad Ali Elyasmehr, Delnaz Najafi, Afssaneh Najmabadi, and Georges Hashemzadeh. The film had its world premiere at the 2025 Can...

"Die My Love" is the latest film from acclaimed filmmaker Lynne Ramsay, written by Ramsay, Enda Walsh, and Alice Birch, based on the 2012 novel "Die, My Love" by Ariana Harwicz. It follows Grace (Jennifer Lawrence), a young mother who develops postpartum depression and, alongside her partner Jackson (Robert Pattinson), enters psychosis. The film had its world premiere at the main competition of the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, where it was nominated for the Palme d'Or and received positive reviews for Lawrence's performance and Lynne's filmmaking. Ramsay and Lawrence were both kind enough to spend a few minutes speaking with us...

"Frankenstein" had its world premiere at the 2024 Venice International Film Festival and later screened at the Telluride and Toronto International Film Festivals. It received positive reviews for its direction and adaptation by Guillermo del Toro of Mary Shelley's beloved, iconic novel, as well as incredible craftsmanship from all areas of production, and performances from Oscar Isaac, Jacob Elordi, and Mia Goth. Members of the cast and crew were kind enough to spend some time speaking with members of Next Best Picture over the past few weeks, which you can listen to below. First, we have Nadia Dalimonte speaking with...

"Little Amélie or the Character of Rain" is an animated feature directed by Maïlys Vallade and Liane-Cho Han. Produced by Maybe Movies and Ikki Films, it adapts Amélie Nothomb's acclaimed novel "The Character of Rain." The film premiered in the Special Screenings section at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival and received positive reviews for its animation, storytelling, music, and voice acting. Directors and co-writers Maïlys Vallade and Liane-Cho Han were kind enough to spend time speaking with us about their work and experience making the film, which you can listen to below. Please be sure to chec...

For Episode 464, Josh Parham, Giovanni Lago, and I are here to recap the 2025 Gotham Film Award Nominations. For this week's poll, as "Predator: Badlands" is set for a wide release and "Sentimental Value" is scheduled for a limited release in theaters this weekend, we're asking, "Which Is Your Favorite Film Starring Elle Fanning?" We also reveal the winner of last week's poll, for the release of "Bugonia," in which we asked, "Which Is Your Favorite Yorgos Lanthimos Film?" We also share our reactions to the trailers for "Scream 7," "Dead Man's Wire," "Little Amélie or the Character of Rain," "Sirāt,"...

For this week's main podcast review, Ema Sasic, Will Mavity, and guest Ben Langford join me to discuss the latest film from Yorgos Lanthimos, "Bugonia," starring Emma Stone, Jesse Plemons, Aidan Delbis, Stavros Halkias, and Alicia Silverstone. With a screenplay by Will Tracy, the film is an English-language remake of the 2003 South Korean film "Save the Green Planet!" by Jang Joon-hwan that had its world premiere at the Venice International Film Festival, where it received positive reviews for its compelling performances, pitch-black comedic writing, and otherworldly direction from Lanthimos. What did we think of it, though? Put on your consp...

"Hallow Road" a psychological thriller film directed by Babak Anvari and written by William Gillies. It stars Rosamund Pike and Matthew Rhys as a couple who receive a distressing late-night call from their teenage daughter (Megan McDonnell) after she accidentally hits a pedestrian. Jumping in their car, they race to get there before anyone else stumbles across the scene. As they head deeper into the night, disturbing revelations threaten to tear the family apart. The film premiered at the 2025 SXSW Film Festival to positive reviews for its clever premise, taut direction, and strong performances from Pike and Rhys. Director...

"Hedda" is a dramatic adaptation of Henrik Ibsen's "Hedda Gabler" written and directed by Nia DaCosta, starring Tessa Thompson in the title role, with Imogen Poots, Tom Bateman, Nicholas Pinnock, and Nina Hoss in supporting roles. The film premiered at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival to positive reviews for its performances, DaCosta's direction, and modern take on the material. Hoss and Bateman were kind enough to spend time speaking with Ema Sasic about their work and experiences making the film. This is followed by my conversation with the film's casting directors, Dez Hamilton and Joe Harris, and concludes with...

THIS IS A PREVIEW PODCAST. NOT THE FULL REVIEW. Please check out the full podcast review on our Patreon Page by subscribing over at - https://www.patreon.com/NextBestPicture

With the recent release of "Frankenstein" and the arrival of Halloween, the Next Best Picture team decided to revisit director Guillermo del Toro's 2015 gothic romance film "Crimson Peak," starring Mia Wasikowska, Jessica Chastain, Tom Hiddleston, Charlie Hunnam & Jim Beaver. The film was considered a disappointment by some who had expected more of a horror movie 10 years ago, but it has been reevaluated in the...

"Bugonia" is an absurdist black comedy film directed by Yorgos Lanthimos from a screenplay by Will Tracy that adapts the 2003 South Korean film "Save the Green Planet!" by Jang Joon-hwan. The film follows two young men who kidnap a powerful CEO, suspecting that she is secretly an alien who wants to destroy Earth. The film stars Emma Stone, Jesse Plemons, Aidan Delbis, Stavros Halkias, and Alicia Silverstone. It had its world premiere in the main competition of the 82nd Venice International Film Festival and also screened at the Telluride Film Festival to positive reviews. Stone, Plemons, Lanthimos, and Tracy...

"Ballad Of A Small Player" is a British psychological thriller directed by Edward Berger and written by Rowan Joffé, adapted from Lawrence Osborne's 2014 novel of the same name. The film stars Academy Award-nominee Colin Farrell as Lord Doyle, a high-stakes gambler laying low in Macau, where he spends his nights playing baccarat. As his debts spiral out of control, Doyle finds an unlikely lifeline in Dao Ming (Fala Chen), a casino hostess who holds secrets of her own. The film had its world premiere at the 52nd Telluride Film Festival before continuing its run at TIFF, where it received s...

For Episode 463, Megan Lachinski, Dan Bayer, Alyssa Christian, Tom O'Brien, and I are here to recap the 2025 AFI Fest in Los Angeles, including the world premiere of "Song Sung Blue" and "The SpongeBob Movie: Search For Squarepants," how films such as "Jay Kelly," "The Testament Of Ann Lee" and "Train Dreams" played on a rewatch. For this week's poll, for the expansion of "Bugonia" to more theaters this weekend, we're asking, "Which Is Your Favorite Yorgos Lanthimos Film?" We also reveal the winner of last week's poll, in which we asked, "Which Is Your Favorite Guillermo del Toro Film?" for the...

"Dracula" is a Romanian satirical comedy-drama film written and directed by Radu Jude. The film title is inspired by the Gothic horror novel by Irish author Bram Stoker, "Dracula." Set in contemporary Transylvania, it explores the legend of Dracula through Romanian lenses while examining modern dystopia through the timeless allure of vampire lore, crafting a biting, gleefully profane takedown of AI, capitalism, and our decaying culture. The film had its world premiere in the main competition of the 78th Locarno Film Festival, where it received polarizing reviews. It's par the course for Jude, but he still has his own...

After Charlie Kaufman utilized one of Eva H.D.'s poems in his 2020 feature "I'm Thinking of Ending Things," the pair hit it off. While Eva had never worked in film before, Kaufman had likewise never directed another writer's work before. Nevertheless, the pair were kindred spirits, and set off to continue working together, and made their first short film together, "Jackals and Fireflies" in 2023. Now, they're back with another short film making the film festival rounds, "How To Shoot a Ghost." Set in Athens, the short follows two recently deceased people, played by Jessie Buckley and Josef Akiki, a...

For this week's main podcast review, Ema Sasic, Katie Johnson, and Tom O'Brien join me to discuss the latest film from Scott Cooper, "Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere," starring Jeremy Allen White, Jeremy Strong, Paul Walter Hauser, Stephen Graham, Odessa Young, Gaby Hoffmann, Marc Maron & David Krumholtz. Written and directed by Scott Cooper and based on the 2023 book "Deliver Me from Nowhere" by Warren Zanes, as well as some elements from Bruce Springsteen's autobiography "Born to Run," it chronicles Springsteen's personal and professional struggles during the conception of his 1982 album "Nebraska." The film had its world premiere at the 2025 T...

"A House Of Dynamite" is an American apocalyptic political thriller film directed by Kathryn Bigelow and written by Noah Oppenheim. The film features an ensemble cast that includes Idris Elba, Rebecca Ferguson, Gabriel Basso, Jared Harris, Tracy Letts, Anthony Ramos, Moses Ingram, Jonah Hauer-King, Greta Lee, and Jason Clarke playing members of the U.S. government as they navigate an official response to a single nuclear missile launched by an unidentified enemy. The film premiered at the 2025 Venice International Film Festival, where it received positive reviews. Academy Award-winning film editor Kirk Baxter and Academy Award-winning Supervising Sound Editor & Re-Recording...

"Shelby Oaks" is a supernatural horror mystery film produced, written, and directed by former YouTuber turned filmmaker Chris Stuckmann in his feature directorial debut, with Mike Flanagan as an executive producer. It stars Camille Sullivan, Brendan Sexton III, Keith David, Sarah Durn, Robin Bartlett, and Michael Beach. Expanding upon an online found-footage series centered on a paranormal investigation team called the Paranormal Paranoids, which also featured Durn, the film follows a woman (Sullivan) desperate to find her sister (Durn) after she vanishes while exploring the eerie, abandoned town of Shelby Oaks. The film premiered at the 28th Fantasia International...

"Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere" is a biographical musical drama film starring Jeremy Allen White as Bruce Springsteen. Written and directed by Scott Cooper and based on the 2023 book "Deliver Me from Nowhere" by Warren Zanes, it chronicles Springsteen's personal and professional struggles during the conception of his 1982 album Nebraska. The film had its world premiere at the Telluride Film Festival, where it received positive reviews for its performances, grounded tone, and psychological look into what makes Springsteen such a thoughtful and compelling artist. Cooper was kind enough to spend some time speaking with us about his experience working...

THIS IS A PREVIEW PODCAST. NOT THE FULL REVIEW. Please check out the full podcast review on our Patreon Page by subscribing over at - https://www.patreon.com/NextBestPicture

For this week's third podcast review, Josh Parham and Giovanni Lago join me to review and discuss the latest film from Kathryn Bigelow, "A House Of Dynamite," starring Idris Elba, Rebecca Ferguson, Gabriel Basso, Jared Harris, Tracy Letts, Anthony Ramos, Moses Ingram, Jonah Hauer-King, Greta Lee, and Jason Clarke. The plot follows the U.S. government navigating an official response to a single nuclear mis...

THIS IS A PREVIEW PODCAST. NOT THE FULL REVIEW. Please check out the full podcast review on our Patreon Page by subscribing over at - https://www.patreon.com/NextBestPicture

For this week's second podcast review, Nadia Dalimonte, Dan Bayer, Brendan Hodges, and Will Mavity join me to review and discuss the latest film from Guillermo del Toro, "Frankenstein," starring Oscar Isaac, Jacob Elordi, Mia Goth, Christoph Waltz, Felix Kammerer, Lars Mikkelsen, Charles Dance, and David Bradley. Based on Mary Shelley's classic 1818 novel of the same name, the Netflix film has been a passion pro...

"Hal & Harper" is an American comedy drama television series created, written, and directed by Cooper Raiff and starring Raiff, Lili Reinhart, Betty Gilpin, and Mark Ruffalo. The series had its world premiere at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival where it received positive reviews for its writing, performances and decision to use the older actors to play their younger selves in flashbacks. Raiff was kind enough to spend some time speaking with us about his work and experience making the show, which you can listen to below. Please be sure to check out the show, which is now available to stream...

For Episode 462, Dan Bayer, Will Mavity, and I are here to preview the 2025 AFI Fest in Los Angeles, including the world premieres of "Song Sung Blue" and "The SpongeBob Movie: Search For Squarepants," and discuss the 2025 Critics' Choice Documentary Award (CCDA) nominations. For this week's poll, for the release of "Frankenstein" in theaters this weekend, we're asking, "Which Is Your Favorite Guillermo del Toro Film?" We also reveal the winner of last week's poll, where we asked "Which Is Your Favorite Luca Guadagnino Film?" for the release of "After The Hunt." We also share our reactions to the trailers for...

For this week's main podcast review, Katie Johnson, Dan Bayer, Lauren LaMagna, Giovanni Lago, and Joselyn Safadi join me to discuss the latest film from Luca Guadagnino, "After The Hunt," starring Julia Roberts, Ayo Edebiri, Andrew Garfield, Michael Stuhlbarg, and Chloë Sevigny. After having its world premiere out of competition at the 2025 Venice Film Festival, the psychological thriller (generous), written by Nora Garrett, has divided critics and audiences on its story about a college professor caught between a sexual abuse accusation involving one of her students and a colleague. What did we think of it? Please tune in as we dis...

"It Was Just An Accident" is a thriller film written and directed by legendary Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi. The film is a co-production between Iran, Luxembourg, and France, the latter selecting it as the country's official submission for Best International Feature Film at the 98th Academy Awards. The film explores political repression in Iran and morality as a group of former political prisoners kidnap their torturer and decide what to do with him. Panahi, who is critical of the Iranian government and has been imprisoned several times, made the film without official filming permission from the Iranian authorities. The...

"After The Hunt" is a psychological thriller film directed by Luca Guadagnino and written by Nora Garrett that premiered at the 2025 Venice International Film Festival out of competition and opened the 63rd New York Film Festival. Starring Julia Roberts, Ayo Edebiri, Andrew Garfield, Michael Stuhlbarg and Chloë Sevigny, it contains a number of powerhouse performances from big and small names. In our first casting director interview for this awards season (brought on by the fact that there is now a new Oscar for Best Casting being bestowed at the 98th Academy Awards), Jessica Ronane was kind enough to spend s...

THIS IS A PREVIEW PODCAST. NOT THE FULL REVIEW. Please check out the full podcast review on our Patreon Page by subscribing over at - https://www.patreon.com/NextBestPicture

For this week's third podcast review, Nadia Dalimonte, Dan Bayer, Katie Johnson, and Giovanni Lago join me to review and discuss the latest film from Mary Bronstein, "If I Had Legs I'd Kick You," starring Rose Byrne, Conan O'Brien, Danielle Macdonald, Christian Slater, and ASAP Rocky. It is a psychological, nerve-wracking comedy-drama film that follows a mother desperately trying to navigate her daughter's mysterious illn...

"Blue Moon" is an American biographical comedy-drama film directed by Richard Linklater and written by Robert Kaplow. The film follows songwriter Lorenz Hart (Ethan Hawke) as he reflects on himself and his work on the opening night of "Oklahoma!," the iconic musical by his former colleague Richard Rodgers (Andrew Scott). It also stars Margaret Qualley, Bobby Cannavale, and Jonah Lees. The film had its world premiere at the 75th Berlin International Film Festival, where it won the Silver Bear for Best Supporting Performance for Scott and received positive reviews for Kaplow's writing, Linklater's focused direction, and Hawke's multi-layered performance...

"The Smashing Machine" is a biographical sports drama film written, directed, produced, and edited by Benny Safdie. It stars Dwayne Johnson as former amateur wrestler and MMA fighter Mark Kerr, alongside Emily Blunt as Kerr's girlfriend Dawn Staples, with Ryan Bader, Bas Rutten, and Oleksandr Usyk in supporting roles. The film had its world premiere in the main competition of the 82nd Venice International Film Festival, where it won the Silver Lion and received positive reviews for the performances, notably Johnson's committed and transformational work and Safdie's re-creation of the world of MMA and the UFC during its early...

"John Candy: I Like Me" is a celebrity biopic documentary film directed by Colin Hanks about Canadian actor John Candy. The documentary premiered as the opening night film of the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival, where it received positive reviews. Hanks, who also produced the film, along with film participants and Co-Executive Producers Chris Candy & Jennifer Candy-Sullivan, were all kind enough to spend some time speaking with us about their work and experience on making the film, which you can listen to below. Please be sure to check out the film, which is now available to stream on Amazon Prime...

THIS IS A PREVIEW PODCAST. NOT THE FULL REVIEW. Please check out the full podcast review on our Patreon Page by subscribing over at - https://www.patreon.com/NextBestPicture

For this week's second podcast review, Ema Sasic, Josh Parham, Lauren LaMagna, Dan Bayer, and Cody Dericks join me to review and discuss the latest film from Bill Condon, "Kiss Of The Spider Woman," starring Diego Luna, Tonatiuh, and Jennifer Lopez. It is an American musical drama that is a film adaptation of the 1992 stage musical, itself based on the 1976 novel. It is the second...

"Urchin" is a British independent drama film written and directed by Harris Dickinson, in his feature-length directorial debut, that stars Frank Dillane as a homeless young man in London, struggling with addiction and poverty. The film had its world premiere at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival in the Un Certain Regard section, where Dickinson won the FIPRESCI Prize and Dillane won the section's Best Actor award. Dickinson and Daillane were both kind enough to spendsome time speaking with us about their work and experience working on the film, which you can listen to below.Please be sure to check out t...

"The Woman In Cabin 10" is a psychological thriller film directed by Simon Stone, who co-wrote the screenplay with Joe Shrapnel and Anna Waterhouse. It is based on the 2016 novel by Ruth Ware. The film stars Keira Knightley, Guy Pearce, David Ajala, Art Malik, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Kaya Scodelario, David Morrissey, Daniel Ings, and Hannah Waddingham. Filmmaker Stone was kind enough to spend some time speaking with us about his experience working on the film, which you can listen to below. Please be sure to check out the film, which is now available to stream on Netflix. Thank you, and enjoy!<...

For Episode 461, Lauren LaMagna, Giovanni Lago, Alyssa Christian, Tom O'Brien, and I are here to talk about the end of the 2025 New York Film Festival (NYFF63), including the "secret screening" world premiere of Josh Safdie's "Marty Supreme," the Closing Night world premiere of Bradley Cooper's "Is This Thing On?." For this week's poll, for the release of "After The Hunt" this weekend, we're asking, "Which Is Your Favorite Luca Guadagnino Film?" We also reveal the winner of last week's poll, where we asked "Which Is Your Favorite Channing Tatum Performance?" for the release of "Roofman." We also share our reacti...

For this week's main podcast review, Katie Johnson, Dan Bayer, Sara Clements, Daniel Howat, and Tom O'Brien join me to review and discuss the latest film from Derek Cianfrance, "Roofman," starring Channing Tatum, Kirsten Dunst, Ben Mendelsohn, LaKeith Stanfield, Juno Temple, Melonie Diaz, Uzo Aduba, Lily Collias, Jimmy O. Yang, and Peter Dinklage. Based on the real-life story of robber Jeffrey Manchester, who hid out in a toy store from law enforcement, the film had its world premiere at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival, where it received positive reviews for Tatum and Dunst's performances, as well as Cianfrance's writing and di...

"Mussolini: Son of the Century" is a biographical historical drama television series directed by Joe Wright, based on the 2018 novel "M: Son of the Century" by Antonio Scurati. Starring Luca Marinelli as Benito Mussolini, the series centers on Mussolini's early political career in the 1920s. It premiered at the 81st Venice International Film Festival to positive reviews for its direction, score, and Marinelli's performance. Wright was kind enough to spend some time speaking with us about his experience working on the series, which you can listen to below. Please be sure to check out the series, which is now...

THIS IS A PREVIEW PODCAST. NOT THE FULL REVIEW. Please check out the full podcast review on our Patreon Page by subscribing over at - https://www.patreon.com/NextBestPicture

For this week's second podcast review, Josh Parham and Dan Bayer join me to review and discuss the directorial debut of Ronan Day-Lewis, "Anemone," starring Daniel Day-Lewis, Sean Bean, and Samantha Morton. Co-written with his son, the 3-time Academy Award-winning legendary actor Daniel Day-Lewis came out of "retirement" to star in his son's first feature film. The film tells the original story of a trou...

"If I Had Legs I'd Kick You" is an independent psychological comedy-drama film, written and directed by Mary Bronstein. It stars Rose Byrne, Conan O'Brien, Danielle Macdonald, Christian Slater, and ASAP Rocky. The film had its world premiere at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival, where it received positive reviews for Byrne's performance (for which she won the Silver Bear for Best Leading Performance at the 75th Berlin International Film Festival), Bronstein's script, direction, and the supporting performances from O'Brien and Rocky. Byrne and Bronstein were kind enough to spend time speaking with us about their work and experience making the...

"Kiss Of The Spider Woman" is an American musical drama film written and directed by Bill Condon. Based on the stage musical by Terrence McNally, John Kander, and Fred Ebb, it is the second film adaptation of the 1976 novel by Argentine author Manuel Puig, following the Oscar-winning 1985 film. Jennifer Lopez stars in the titular role, alongside Diego Luna and Tonatiuh. The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, where it received generally positive reviews from critics for its direction, performances, and craftsmanship. Costume Designers Colleen Atwood and Christine L. Cantella were kind enough to spend time speaking with us a...

"The Perfect Neighbor" is an American documentary film, directed and produced by Geeta Gandbhir, that follows the killing of Ajike Owens, primarily told through bodycam footage, exploring several suburban disputes that led to the murder. It had its world premiere at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival, where it received positive reviews for its direction, editing, and harrowing true story, which serves as an example of exploring the "stand-your-ground" law. Gandbhir was kind enough to spend time speaking with us about her work and experience making the film, which you can listen to below. Please be sure to check out the...

"Roofman" is an American biographical crime comedy film directed by Derek Cianfrance starring Channing Tatum, Kirsten Dunst, Ben Mendelsohn, LaKeith Stanfield, Juno Temple, Melonie Diaz, Uzo Aduba, Lily Collias, Jimmy O. Yang, and Peter Dinklage. The film chronicles the exploits of convicted spree robber Jeffrey Manchester, portrayed by Tatum, and the single mother and Toys "R" Us employee he falls for, Leigh Wainscott (played by Dunst). The film had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, where it received positive reviews for its performances, writing, and direction from Cianfrance. Tatum, Dunst, and director/co-writer Cianfrance were all...

For Episode 460, Josh Parham, Dan Bayer, Megan Lachinski, and I are here to talk about how the 2025 New York Film Festival (NYFF63) is going so far including, the Centerpiece North American Premiere of "Father Mother Sister Brother," the announcement of a "Secret Screening" tomorrow night, and more. We also talk about the AFI FEST lineup and other recent announcements in the world of awards season. For this week's poll, for the release of "Roofman" this weekend, we're asking, "Which Is Your Favorite Canning Tatum Performance?" We also reveal the winner of last week's poll, where we asked "Which Is...

For this week's main podcast review, Josh Parham, Joselyn Safadi, Dan Bayer, and Giovanni Lago join me to review and discuss the latest film from Benny Safdie (his first solo directorial credit after working with his brother, Josh, throughout his career), "The Smashing Machine," starring Dwayne Johnson, Emily Blunt, Ryan Bader, Bas Rutten, and Oleksandr Usyk. Based on the 2002 documentary "The Smashing Machine: The Life and Times of Extreme Fighter Mark Kerr," the film had its world premiere at the 2025 Venice Film Festival, where it received the best reviews of Johnson's career for his committed performance and won the...

"The Alabama Solution" is an independent American documentary film about the prison system in Alabama from the perspective of incarcerated inmates, from footage they recorded with contraband phones. The documentary, directed by Andrew Jarecki and Charlotte Kaufman, premiered at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival to rave reviews. Jarecki and Kaufman were kind enough to spend some time speaking with us about their work and experience on making the film, which you can listen to below. Please be sure to check out the film, now playing in limited release and available to stream on HBO and HBO Max starting October 10th...

"Orwell: 2+2=5" is a documentary film, directed and produced by Raoul Peck. It follows the life and career of George Orwell, examining how his political observations remain relevant in the present day, particularly the lessons from his novel "Nineteen Eighty-Four." Damian Lewis narrates the film as Orwell. The film premiered at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival in the Cannes Premiere section, where it received positive reviews and was nominated for the L'Œil d'Or. Peck was kind enough to spend some time speaking with us about his work and experience on making the film, which you can listen to below. Please b...

"Black Rabbit" is an American crime thriller television miniseries created by Zach Baylin and Kate Susman for Netflix, starring Jude Law and Jason Bateman. It premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and was released on Netflix on September 18th. It tells the story of the owner of a New York City hotspot (Law) who allows his chaotic brother (Bateman) back in his life, opening the door to escalating dangers that threaten to bring down everything he's built. Director Ben Semanoff (Episodes 5 and 6) was kind enough to spend some time speaking with us about his work on the series...