The Next Best Picture Podcast

"Thunderbolts*" marks a potentially major turning point within the MCU as it brings a group of anti-heroes together to face a new threat and forces them to confront the darkest corners of their pasts. The marketing has been called out for its A24 style, with particular early positive reactions directed towards the cast and director Jake Schreier's more grounded approach to the filmmaking. Schreier...

For Episode 439, I am joined by Katie Johnson, Lauren LaMagna, and Will Mavity to discuss the announcement of the new rules for the Academy Awards and the additions to the 2025 Cannes Film Festival. We also reveal the winner of last week's poll for the release of "The Accountant 2" asking, "Which Is Your Favorite Ben Affleck performance?" and ask this week's poll question for the release of "Thund...

For this week's main podcast review, Joselyn Safadi, Giovanni Lago, Megan Lachinski, Will Mavity, and I are reviewing and discussing the latest film from Gavin O'Connor, "The Accountant 2," starring Ben Affleck, Jon Bernthal, Cynthia Addai-Robinson, Daniella Pineda & J. K. Simmons. It's been nine years since the release of "The Accountant," and the film has garnered quite a following since then. N...

"Magic Farm" had its world premiere at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival and later went on to screen at the Berlin International Film Festival. Set against the backdrop of an impending health crisis, it tells the story of a film crew who lands in South America to profile a musician but discover they have arrived in the wrong country. Director/Writer/Star Amalia Ulman and actors Chloë Sevigny, Alex W...

"The Accountant 2" had its world premiere at the 2025 SXSW Film Festival, where it received positive reviews for its deviation from the first film, choosing to highlight the budding relationship between Ben Affleck and Jon Bernthal's characters, while still packing in some action and laughs. Director Gavin O'Connor, who has worked with Affleck previously on the first film and "The Way Back," was k...

"The Four Seasons" is a new American comedy miniseries written by Tina Fey, Lang Fisher, and Tracey Wigfield for Netflix. It is an adaptation of the 1981 film of the same name, starring Fey, Steve Carell, Colman Domingo, and Will Forte. Creators and writers Lang Fisher and Tracey Wigfield were kind enough to spend some time speaking with us about their work on the show, which you can listen to bel...

"Superboys of Malegaon" had its world premiere at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival, where it received positive reviews for its story, ensemble, charm and odes to classic films and filmmaking. Inspired by the 2008 documentary "Supermen of Malegaon," it is based on the life of Nasir Shaikh and other amateur filmmakers in the small town of Malegao as they band together to make a film for...

"April" had its world premiere at the 2024 Venice Film Festival, where it received positive reviews and won the Special Jury Prize. Filmmaker Déa Kulumbegashvili ("Beginning") takes us into rural Georgia as we follow an obstetrician who aids patients seeking abortions despite legal prohibition and must defend her values and actions when she is accused of negligence and subject to investigation. Ku...

"Étoile" is the newest show from the brilliant creative minds of Amy Sherman-Palladino and Daniel Palladino ("The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel"). Set within the world of elite ballet, two world-renowned ballet companies in New York City and Paris swap their most talented stars in an attempt to save their institutions. Stars Luke Kirby, Charlotte Gainsbourg, and the Palladinos were all kind enough to spen...

"Dune: Prophecy" focuses on the early beginnings of the Bene Gesserit — a formidable order wielding immense social, religious, and political influence over Frank Herbert's "Dune" universe. The sci-fi series serves as a prequel to Denis Villeneuve's "Dune" and "Dune: Part Two," set roughly 10,000 years before the events of those films. Showrunner, writer, and executive producer, Alison Schapker, wa...

"Andor" Season 2 is one of the most brilliant and best television shows of 2025. Closing out what began in Season One and adding a whole new layer of appreciation for "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" while providing the best characters and story the franchise has ever seen, the new season has already garnered significant critical acclaim. One praised element of the first season was the score by Acad...

For Episode 438, I am joined by Dan Bayer, Katie Johnson, Cody Dericks, and Tom O'Brien to discuss the 2025 Cannes Film Festival sidebar sections (Directors' Fortnight, Critics' Week, and ACID) and the 2025 Tribeca Festival lineup announcement. We also reveal the winner of last week's poll asking, "Which Film From The 2025 Cannes Film Festival Are You Most Looking Forward To Seeing?" and ask this...

For this week's main podcast review, Sara Clements, Josh Parham, Giovanni Lago, Joselyn Safadi, and I are reviewing and discussing the latest film from Ryan Coogler, "Sinners," starring Michael B. Jordan, Hailee Steinfeld, Miles Caton, Jack O'Connell, Wunmi Mosaku, Jayme Lawson, Omar Miller, Buddy Guy, Delroy Lindo. A blending of different genres forms a singular vision from not only one of the be...

"The Legend Of Ochi" had its world premiere at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival and received positive reviews for its visuals, performances, use of puppetry, animatronics, matte painting, and fantasy story of found family and connection. Feature debut filmmaker Isaiah Saxon and stars Helena Zengel, Finn Wolfhard, and Emily Watson were all kind enough to speak with us about their work on the film, w...

"The Ugly Stepsister" had its world premiere at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival in the midnight section, where it received positive reviews for its style, performances, and body horror retelling of the fairy tale Cinderella from the point of view of Elvira (the ugly stepsister) who competes against her beautiful stepsister in a bloody battle for beauty. Debut filmmaker Emilie Blichfeldt and stars...

"The Diplomat" is one of Netflix's hottest shows as its first season garnered star Keri Russell award nominations from the Screen Actors Guild, Golden Globes, and Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series. The second season premiered to critical acclaim once again and has so far received more Critics' Choice, Golden Globe, and SAG Award nominations than the first season....

"Grand Tour" had its world premiere at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, where it won the Best Director award for Miguel Gomes. The film follows a man in 1918, Rangoon, who abandons his fiancée on the day they are to be married. He flees in a state of melancholy, contemplating her condition. Determined to be married, his fiancée follows his trail. Gomes was kind enough to speak with us about his work...

"Government Cheese" is the newest comedy series from Apple TV+, which just had its first four-episode premiere today. Starring and executive produced by David Oyelowo, the series follows the Chambers family, an African American family living in the San Fernando Valley in 1968, and the chaos that arises after burglar-turned-inventor Hampton Chambers returns from prison. Oyelowo and series co-creato...

Andrew Ahn's remake of "The Wedding Banquet" had its world premiere at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival, where it received positive reviews for its performances from its delightful cast, sharp writing, and sensitive direction. A remake of the 1993 film, it tells the familiar story, but this time primarily from the women's perspective, thus updating the film for modern times. Cast members Lily Glads...

"The Shrouds" had its world premiere at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, where it received mixed reviews but has steadily been growing in appreciation (as all David Cronenberg films do) as it screened at more film festivals, including TIFF and NYFF Film Festivals. The film is Cronenberg's most personal to date as it deals with the grief he went through following the passing of his beloved wife of ne...

"Sinners" is the newest film by director Ryan Coogler, and it's quite unlike anything else you'll likely see this year. It is a Deep Jim Crow South-era gangster film that turns into a vampire action horror film with its soul infused with blues music. It stars a wonderful cast led by a fantastic dual performance from Michael B. Jordan. Cast members Miles Caton, Jack O'Connell, Jayme Lawson, Omar Be...

"Warfare" is the newest film by director Alex Garland, who co-directed it with Iraq war veteran Ray Mendoza. It's a re-enactment of an encounter Mendoza and his platoon experienced on November 19th, 2006, in the wake of the Battle of Ramadi, as they use memories from Navy SEAL team Alpha One to reconstruct the event in real-time as it happened for one of their fellow soldiers who has no memory of...

For Episode 437, I am joined by Nadia Dalimonte, Katie Johnson, and Megan Lachinski to discuss the 2025 Cannes Film Festival and the long overdue announcement of the Best Stunt Design Oscar. We also reveal the winner of last week's pollfor the release of "Warfare," asking, "Which Is Your Favorite Project Alex Garland Has Written And/Or Directed?" and ask this week's poll question for the 2025 Cann...

For this week's main podcast review, Katie Johnson, Josh Parham, Alyssa Christian, Daniel Howat, and I are reviewing and discussing "The Amateur," starring Rami Malek, Rachel Brosnahan, Caitríona Balfe, Michael Stuhlbarg, Holt McCallany, Julianne Nicholson, and Laurence Fishburne. Based on the 1981 novel of the same name by Robert Littell, which was previously adapted into a Canadian film that sam...

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, Brendan Hodges, Daniel Howat, and I are reviewing and discussing the latest film from Alex Garland and co-directed alongside Iran war veteran Ray Mendoza, "Warfare...