The Big Picture

The Oscar nominations are here! Sean and Amanda break 'em all down, including the big surprises and the final tally for the Best Picture race (1:00). Then, Sean is joined by Belgian writer-director and newly minted Oscar nominee Lukas Dhont to discuss his new film, ‘Close’ (59:00). Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins Guest: Lukas Dhont Producer: Bobby Wagner Learn more about your ad choices....

An action-packed episode! Chris Ryan joins Sean and Amanda to share some final Oscar nomination predictions (1:00) before engaging in a truly chaotic 2023 movie auction. Then, the team from ‘Babylon’—writer-director Damien Chazelle, actor-producer Olivia Hamilton, and producer Matthew Plouffe—talk with Sean about making their ambitious Hollywood feature, and the hive that has grown around it (1:21...

Sean and Amanda are joined by Chris Ryan to discuss the dark horse Oscar contender ‘All Quiet on the Western Front’ and their favorite films about war. Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins Guest: Chris Ryan Producer: Bobby Wagner Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

With the SAG, PGA, and DGA nominations out, Amanda and Sean analyze the results and what they mean for an increasingly confusing awards season (1:00). Then, they dig deep into the first box-office hit of 2023, the hilarious killer doll horror movie ‘M3GAN’ (36:00). Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins Producer: Bobby Wagner Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The 80th annual Golden Globes returned to the airwaves and carved a path for the next two months of this awards season. Sean and Amanda break down a big night for ‘The Fabelmans,’ ‘The Banshees of Inisherin,’ Angela Bassett, and Austin Butler’s Elvis voice. Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins Producer: Bobby Wagner Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We’re back to power rank! With the release of Sarah Polley’s ‘Women Talking,’ Sean and Amanda are joined by Joanna Robinson to discuss the new film (1:00) and see where it stands in the Best Picture race (44:00). Then, Polley talks with Sean about her new film (1:04:00). Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins Guests: Sarah Polley and Joanna Robinson Producer: Bobby Wagner Learn more about your a...

Happy New Year! Amanda and Sean are gearing up for 2023 at the movies. On this episode, they talk about what happened at the box office over the holidays (1:00) and pick their most eagerly awaited films of the year to come (11:00). Then, Sean is joined by Nikyatu Jusu to discuss her film, ‘Nanny’ (1:20:00). Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins Guest: Nikyatu Jusu Producer: Bobby Wagner Learn m...

Sean is joined by Charles Holmes to talk about the amazing stop-motion achievement ‘Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio’ and the best animated movies of 2022. Host: Sean Fennessey Guest: Charles Holmes Producer: Bobby Wagner Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sean and Amanda double dip into two maximal extravaganzas from two of our most exciting auteurs. First up: Damien Chazelle’s Silent Era Hollywood bacchanalia ‘Babylon’ and then their top 5 movies about Hollywood (1:00). Then, they discuss Noah Baumbach’s adaptation of Don DeLillo’s novel, ‘White Noise’ (1:14:00). Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins Producer: Bobby Wagner Learn more about your...

Sean and Amanda dive deep into Rian Johnson’s ‘Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery,’ the delightful sequel to his smash murder mystery (1:00). Then, they share their five favorite puzzle movies (50:00). Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins Producer: Bobby Wagner Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We are drafting again! And Amanda is back! She and Sean are joined by Chris Ryan to pick their faves and foil their pals in a draft of the movies from 2019. Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins Guest: Chris Ryan Producer: Bobby Wagner Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sean and Amanda share their 10 favorite performances of the year (1:00). Then, Adam Nayman joins the show to discuss Alejandro González Iñárritu’s new Netflix film ‘Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths’ (33:00). Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins Guest: Adam Nayman Producer: Bobby Wagner Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Big Jim! We’re goin’ back to Pandora, baby! James Cameron’s ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ is here, 13 years after the original dominated the movie world. Sean and Amanda discuss the film in depth, from the extraordinary technological achievements to its familiar-seeming story (1:00). Then, Chris Ryan joins to put Cameron’s filmography in context by ranking all of the director’s films, many of which a...

Alan Siegel interviews some of James Cameron's creative collaborators to find out the secrets of the blockbuster director's success. You can read the written version of this feature at TheRinger.com. Host: Alan Siegel Edited by Andrew Gruttadaro Produced by Steve Ahlman and Vikram Patel Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Zach Baron joins Sean and Amanda for an action-packed episode that hits on the Golden Globe nominations; Will Smith’s new movie, ‘Emancipation’; and the new Brendan Fraser film, ‘The Whale.’ Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins Guest: Zach Baron Producer: Bobby Wagner Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Happy holidays! Actor Timothy Simons joins Sean for the ultimate gift: a conversation about how to build a Blu-ray collection—how to shop for them, what to play them on, the best ones to buy, whether it’s an addiction or not, and so much more (1:00). Then, filmmaker Park Chan-wook stops by to talk with Sean about his film ‘Decision to Leave’ (1:23:00). Host: Sean Fennessey Guests: Park Chan-wook a...

It’s here—time for year-end lists! Adam Nayman and Chris Ryan join Sean and Amanda to discuss Sight and Sound’s Greatest Films of All Time poll before diving into 2022 and sharing their top five movies of the year. Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins Guests: Chris Ryan and Adam Nayman Producer: Bobby Wagner Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Oscar season is … here? Sean and Amanda briefly dig into the 2022 Sight and Sound poll before discussing the touching new Robert Downey Jr. family documentary 'Sr.' (1:00) . Then, they run through their first power ranking of the 2023 race, ordering all the contenders for Best Picture (1:08:00). Finally, Sean is joined by documentary filmmaker Laura Poitras to talk about her new film, ‘All the Bea...

It’s been a long year at the movies. We’ve covered *almost* everything on the show. But a few titles slipped through the cracks. Sean and Amanda run through a list of recent releases and 2022 titles they missed (1:00). Then, Sean is joined by ‘Bones and All’ director Luca Guadagnino to discuss his new film (1:17:00). Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins Guest: Luca Guadagnino Producer: Bobby W...

‘The Fabelmans,’ Spielberg’s deeply personal new film, opens wide this holiday weekend. To celebrate, Joanna Robinson joins Sean and Amanda to break down the movie and rank all 35 of his films. Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins Guest: Joanna Robinson Producer: Kai Grady Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

‘Mr. Robot’ creator and filmmaker Sam Esmail returns to the show for a wide-ranging conversation about the state of movies and how he made his forthcoming 2023 film, ‘Leave the World Behind,’ from conception to completion. Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins Guest: Sam Esmail Producer: Bobby Wagner Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

‘She Said,’ a new installment in the long history of journalism films, premieres this weekend. Bryan Curtis, the host of the 'Press Box' podcast, joins Sean and Amanda to dig into the film, break down its Oscar chances, and answer some of your media movie questions from the mailbag. Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins Guests: Bryan Curtis Producer: Jade Whaley Learn more about your ad choices...

We are drafting again! And Amanda is back! She and Sean are joined by Chris Ryan to pick their faves and foil their pals in a draft of the movies from 1997. Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins Guest: Chris Ryan Producer: Bobby Wagner Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The sequel to Ryan Coogler’s box office–dominating, culture-shifting, Oscar-nominated 2018 film is here. Van Lathan joins Sean and Amanda to break it all down. Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins Guest: Van Lathan Producer: Bobby Wagner Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

More than 20 months ago, Sean and Amanda embarked on their first-ever Movie Star Ranking. It's become a yearly tradition, and with the streaming release of two under-35 star-led vehicles, Harry Styles's 'My Policeman' and Jennifer Lawrence's 'Causeway,' we're running it back. Who's up, who's down, who's aged out, and who's hitting the scene hard? Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins Producer: ...