The Next Best Picture Podcast

For Episode 430, I am joined by Nadia Dalimonte, Cody Dericks, and Giovanni Lago as we react to the 2024 BAFTA Film Award winners during the recording. We discuss the WGA, ADG, MUAHS, and VES winners and give our predictions for who we think will win at the SAG and Film Independent Spirit Awards. We also reveal the winner of last week's poll, asking, "Which Film Do You Want To See Become The Next...

For this week's main podcast review, Lauren LaMagna, Cody Dericks, Brendan Hodges and I are here to discuss and review the latest edition in the MCU, "Captain America: Brave New World," starring Anthony Mackie, Danny Ramirez, Shira Haas, Carl Lumbly, Xosha Roquemore, Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson, Giancarlo Esposito, Tim Blake Nelson & Harrison Ford. After many years, delays re-shoots, and a Disney+...

"I'm Not A Robot" had its world premiere at the Netherlands Film Festival in the Golden Calf Competition. Starring Ellen Parren, Henry van Loon, Thekla Reuten, Juliette van Ardenne, and Asma El Mouden, the short film follows Lara, who plunges into a strange new reality after a series of failed CAPTCHA tests. Director/Writer Victoria Warmerdam and Producer Trent were both kind enough to spend some...

"Instruments Of A Beating Heart" had its world premiere in the Shorts Program: One-of-a-Kind of DC/DOX Film Festival 2024. Edited down from Ema Ryan Yamazaki's 2023 feature "The Making of a Japanese," the film documents the challenge presented to the first graders in a Tokyo public elementary school of performing "Ode to Joy" at the ceremony for the new incoming first graders as their assignment f...

"The Gorge" blends action, romance, and science fiction all into one entertaining package as two elite military snipers are assigned to posts in guard towers on opposite sides of a vast and highly classified gorge, protecting the world from a mysterious evil that lurks within. Starring Miles Teller and Anya Taylor-Joy, the film has received solid reviews and is now available to stream on Apple TV+...

"Armand" had its world premiere at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival in the Un Certain Regard section, where it won the Caméra d'Or for Best Debut Feature Film. It was chosen as the Norwegian entry for Best International Feature Film at the 97th Academy Awards and made the December shortlist. Director/Writer Halfdan Ullmann Tøndel & Star Renate Reinsve were both kind enough to spend some time speaking...

"The Only Girl In The Orchestra" is a short documentary film directed by Molly O'Brien that had its world premiere at DOC NYC in SHORTS: SHE STORIES section and was released globally on Netflix before the end of the year. The film follows Molly's aunt, Orin O'Brien, a trailblazing double bassist who became the New York Philharmonic's first female musician in 1966, hired by Leonard Bernstein. Now 8...

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 release of "Conclave," Ralph Fiennes is finally an Oscar nominee once again after nearly thirty years since his last nomination for Anthony Minghella's 1996 film "The English Patient." The epic romance WWII drama went...

"Better Man" had its world premiere at the 2024 Telluride Film Festival, where it received positive reviews for its elaborately staged and choreographed musical sequences from director Michael Gracey ("The Greatest Showman") and the raw honesty with which global pop star Robbie Williams allowed his story to be told (all the while being portrayed on-screen by a CGI monkey). The Oscar-nominated Visu...

"The Wild Robot" had its world premiere at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival, where it received enthusiastic reviews for its animation, story, heart, and music. An adaptation of Peter Brown's beloved, award-winning, No. 1 New York Times bestseller, the Dreamworks Animation film has gone on to gross over $300 million worldwide, won more Best Animated Feature prizes than any other film in...

For Episode 429, I am joined by Dan Bayer and Cody Dericks to discuss the fallout of the Critics Choice, PGA, and DGA awards this week, which all went to "Anora," thus solidifying it as our official frontrunner for Best Picture at the Oscars. We also deliver our winner predictions for the BAFTA awards next week. We also reveal the winner of last week's poll, asking, "Which Films Are You Most Looki...

For this week's main podcast review, Ema Sasic, Josh Parham, Dan Bayer, Cody Dericks, and I are here to discuss and review "Love Hurts" starring Ke Huy Quan, Ariana DeBose, Daniel Wu, Marshawn Lynch, Mustafa Shakir, Lio Tipton, Rhys Darby, André Eriksen & Sean Astin. Coming off both of their Oscar wins, Quan and DeBose lead this romantic action comedy from 87North Productions with very mixed (if w...

"Parthenope" had its world premiere at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, where newcomer Celeste Dalla Porta stunned audiences with her debut performance leading Paolo Sorrentino's film. Dalla Porta (along with her interpreter, Lilia Pino Blouin) was kind enough to spend some time talking with us about her experience getting the role, making the film, working with Sorrentino, and more, which you can l...

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 "I'm Still Here" had its world premiere at the 81st Venice International Film Festival, where it received positive reviews and has since gone on to win the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama for st...

It's that time of the year! It's our annual Sundance Film Festival recap podcast. For the 2025 film festival, we have Ema Sasic and Cody Dericks from Next Best Picture, along with guests Ryan Casselman, Yvette Angulo, Brandon Lewis & Alex Papaioannou. Please take a listen as we reveal our favorite films from the festival by each section and give you all a preview of what's to come in 2025. Thank y...

"Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes" represents a vast technological breakthrough in visual effects technology as the "Planet of the Apes" franchise continues to push the boundaries of what's possible in visual effects with each passing installment. The work on Wes Ball's 2024 blockbuster has received nominations from the Critics Choice, BAFTA, Visual Effects Society, and now, the Academy Awards. W...

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 its two Oscar nominations for Best Animated Feature and Best International Feature Film, Alyssa Christian, Dan Bayer, Daniel Howat, and I have come together to deliver a proper review for Gints Zilbalodis's animated featu...

For Episode 428, I am joined by Josh Parham, Dan Bayer, and Giovanni Lago to deliver our winner predictions for the Critics Choice, PGA, and DGA awards this week. But there's also much to discuss regarding "Emilia Pérez" and the fallout of the numerous controversies surrounding its Oscar-nominated star, Karla Sofía Gascón. We also reveal the winner of last week's poll, asking, "Which Film Do You T...

For this week's main podcast review, Giovanni Lago, Dan Bayer, and I, along with guests Lexi Lane and Reyna Cervantes, are here to discuss and review the feature directorial debut from Drew Hancock, "Companion," starring Sophie Thatcher, Jack Quaid, Lukas Gage, Megan Suri, Harvey Guillén & Rupert Friend. A sci-fi romantic thriller with themes of dependency on relationships and technology, the twis...

"You're Cordially Invited" is the new romantic comedy from acclaimed comedy director Nicholas Stoller starring Reese Witherspoon and Will Ferrell, about a bride and her father discovering their dream wedding venue has been double booked for another bride and her wedding-planner sister. Stoller was kind enough to spend some time speaking with us about his work on the film, which you can listen to b...

"Companion" is a romantic, horror sci-fi-thriller starring Sophie Thatcher and Jack Quaid that follows a weekend getaway among friends at a remote cabin, which unravels into chaos after a revelation that one of the guests is a companion robot. The film has received positive reviews and functions as the perfect date movie for audiences. Quiad and Thatcher were both kind enough to spend some time sp...

"Inheritance" just opened in theaters recently and marks Neil Burger's first time shooting a film on the iPhone. Burger wanted to try making a film with an experimental style with no rehearsals, makeup, or camera checks beforehand, which could benefit the globe-trotting paranoia thriller. Burger and one of the film's stars, Rhys Ifans, were both kind enough to spend some time talking with us about...

For Episode 427, while Matt Neglia is away at Sundance, Daniel Howat hosts this week's episode featuring Lauren LaMagna and Will Mavity as they discuss the 2025 Oscar nominations, the fallout of the announcement from last week and what it means for the Best Picture race. They also discuss the SXSW & Berlinale lineups, reveal the winner of last week's poll, asking, "Which Oscar Nomination For The 9...

For this week's main podcast review, Giovanni Lago, Dan Bayer, and Brendan Hodges come together in my absence while I'm at Sundance to review and discuss the latest film from Steven Soderbergh, "Presence" starring Lucy Liu, Chris Sullivan, Callina Liang, Eddy Maday & West Mulholland. After premiering at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival, the first-person perspective ghost story has finally been rele...

THIS IS A PREVIEW PODCAST. NOT THE FULL EPISODE. Please check out the full podcast episode on our Patreon Page by subscribing over at - https://www.patreon.com/NextBestPicture Rachel Sennott & Bowen Yang were up bright and early yesterday morning to announce the 97th annual Academy Awards nominations. As usual, there were many surprises, shocking omissions, and lots of high emotions from the Next...