The Next Best Picture Podcast

For this week's main podcast review, I am joined by Josh Parham & Nadia Dalimonte to review and discuss the newest film from co-directors/writers Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, "Heretic" starring Hugh Grant, Sophie Thatcher & Chloe East. A psychological thriller on the nature of religion, control, and belief, the confined film has garnered positive reviews since its world premiere at the 2024 Toronto...

"The Piano Lesson" had its world premiere at the 2024 Telluride Film Festival, where it received positive reviews for the performances from its cast and for Malcolm Washington's adaptation of August Wilson's 1987 play to the screen, making his directorial debut in terrific fashion. Malcolm Washington, along with his brother John David Washington, Danielle Deadwyler, Ray Fisher, Samuel L. Jackson,...

For this week's third podcast review, I am joined by Cody Dericks & Lauren LaMagna to review and discuss the newest film from Academy Award nominee Jesse Eisenberg, "A Real Pain," starring Eisenberg, Kieran Culkin, Will Sharpe and Jennifer Gray. With his second feature film, Eisenberg's latest work has garnered positive reactions and critical acclaim, propelling him back into the awards season con...

"Small Things Like These" had its world premiere earlier this year at the 2024 Berlin International Film Festival and received positive reviews for its writing, direction, and performances from Academy Award-winner Cillian Murphy and Academy Award-nominee Emily Watson. Director Tim Mielants was kind enough to spend some time talking with us about his work on the film, which you can listen to below...

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 Robert Zemeckis's latest film "Here," Josh Parham, Dan Bayer, and I are going back 30 years to look at the last time Zemeckis teamed with actors Tom Hanks, Robin Wright, and screenwriter Eric Roth, 1994's O...

For this week's second podcast review, I am joined by Dan Bayer & Tom O'Brien to review and discuss the latest film from Academy Award-winner Robert Zemeckis, "Here," which reunites him with his "Forrest Gump" stars Tom Hanks, Robin Wright and also stars Paul Bettany and Kelly Reilly. With a single fixed camera angle, non-linear storytelling, and de-aging visual effects, what did we think of this...

"Heretic" had its world premiere at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival, where it received strong reviews for its clever writing and tension-filled direction from Scott Beck & Bryan Woods and Hugh Grant's devilish performance. Beck & Woods were kind enough to spend a few minutes speaking with us about their work on the film, which you can listen to below. Please be sure to check out the f...

"Zurawski v Texas" had its world premiere at the 2024 Telluride Film Festival, where it received overwhelmingly positive reviews for holding a microscope under the women in Texas who have been denied abortions despite life-threatening circumstances and are joining forces with a lawyer to file a lawsuit against the state, aiming to restore reproductive rights for themselves and others. Co-Director...

"No Other Land" had its world premiere at the 2024 Berlin International Film Festival, where it received positive reviews, the Panorama Audience Award for Best Documentary Film, and the Berlinale Documentary Film Award. Directors Basel Adra & Yuval Abraham were both kind enough to spend some time speaking with us about their work on the documentary, which you can listen to below. Please be sure to...

"Soundtrack To A Coup d'Etat" had its world premiere at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival, where it won the Special Jury Award for Cinematic Innovation and received critical acclaim for its unique storytelling of how musicians Abbey Lincoln and Max Roach crashed the UN Security Council in protest against the murder of Congolese leader Patrice Lumumba during the Cold War. Director Johan Grimonprez wa...

"Music By John Williams" had its world premiere at the 2024 AFI Film Festival, where it received positive reviews for a look at the life and career of the person often regarded as the greatest film composer to have ever lived, John Williams. Director Laurent Bouzereau was kind enough to spend a few minutes speaking with us about his work on the documentary, which is now available to stream on Disn...

For Episode 415, Josh Parham, Cody Dericks, Giovanni Lago, and I are here this week to discuss the 2024 Gotham Award nominations and how they may officially kickstart another awards season narrative as they have these past few years. We reveal the winners of last week's poll, asking, "Which Film Do You Think Will Be The Next Best Picture Oscar Winner?" and ask this week's poll question, "Which Is...

For this week's main podcast review, I am joined by Josh Parham, Dan Bayer & Daniel Howat to review and discuss Clint Eastwood's latest film "Juror #2," starring Nicholas Hoult, Toni Collette, J. K. Simmons, Chris Messina, Zoey Deutch, Cedric Yarbrough & Kiefer Sutherland. The film had its world premiere at the 2024 AFI Fest last week, where it received solid reviews, but is being unceremoniously...

"Emilia Pérez" had its world premiere at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, where it won the Jury Prize, Soundtrack Award, and Best Actress shared between its ladies, Karla Sofía Gascón, Selena Gomez, Adriana Paz, and Zoe Saldaña. Stars Zoe Saldaña, Selena Gomez, and Édgar Ramírez were all kind enough to spend some time talking with me about their characters, reactions to the script, what went into th...

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 Happy Halloween, dear NBP listeners!! With the previous release of Francis Ford Coppola's "Megalopolis," and the upcoming release of Robert Eggers's "Nosferatu," we decided to take a look at Francis Ford Coppola's own vampire...

"The Remarkable Life Of Ibelin" had its world premiere at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival, where it won the World Cinema Documentary – Audience and Directing Awards. Director Benjamin Ree was kind enough to spend some time talking with us about his work on the film, the tremendous impact Mats Steen has had on the world, the reception the Netflix documentary film has received so far, and more. Plea...

"Blitz" had its world premiere at the 2024 London Film Festival, where it received strong reviews for director Steve McQueen's vision for WWII London during the Blitzkrieg and the performances from Academy Award-nominee Saoirse Ronan and newcomer Elliott Heffernan. Ronan and Heffernan were both kind enough to spend some time talking with me about their experiences working on the film. I also inter...

For this week's main podcast review, I am joined by Ema Sasic, Dan Bayer, Giovanni Lago & Will Mavity to review and discuss Sean Baker's latest film "Anora," starring Mikey Madison, Mark Eydelshteyn, Yuri Borisov, Karren Karagulian, Vache Tovmasyan, Ivy Wolk & Luna Sofia Miranda. After winning the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival, the film became a film festival darling and is now playing in...

For Episode 414, Daniel Howat, Tom O'Brien, and I are coming to you from the 2024 AFI Fest from our hotel room to bring you our recap from the final significant fall film festival of the year, including discussions about the world premieres for "Juror #2," "Here," and "Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl." We reveal the winners of last week's poll, asking, "Which Films Are You Most Looking Forwa...

"La Cocina" had its world premiere at the 2024 Berlinale Film Festival, where it received positive reviews for its direction and writing from filmmaker Alonso Ruizpalacios and lead performance from Raúl Briones Carmona. The film displays life in a New York City restaurant kitchen where the blend of cultures from around the world clashes with the unfair working conditions and unequal distribution o...

For this week's main podcast review, I am joined by Sara Clements, Josh Parham, Alyssa Christian, Dan Bayer & Tom O'Brien to review and discuss Edward Berger's latest film "Conclave," starring Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, Lucian Msamati, Carlos Diehz, Sergio Castellitto & Isabella Rossellini. Following up his Academy Award-winning film, "All Quiet On The Western Front," Edward Berge...

"Your Monster" had its world premiere at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival, where it received positive reviews for its premise in the rom-com genre and the chemistry between the film's stars, Melissa Barrera and Tommy Dewey. Barrera was kind enough to spend some time talking with us about her experience working on the film. Please be sure to check out the film, which is now playing in theaters from...

"Magpie" had its world premiere at the 2024 South By Southwest (SXSW) Film Festival, where it received strong reviews for its direction, writing, and lead performance from Daisy Ridley. Ridley and screenwriter Tom Bateman were kind enough to spend some time talking with us about their experiences working on the film. Please be sure to check out the film, which will open at Village East in New York...

"Black Box Diaries" had its world premiere at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival, where it received universal acclaim for director/producer/subject Shiori Itô's harrowing investigation into her own sexual assault and the subsequent cover-up by the Japanese government. The film was nominated for the World Cinema Documentary Grand Jury Prize and has recently been nominated for Best True Crime Documenta...

"Memoir Of A Snail" had its world premiere at the 2024 Annecy International Animation Film Festival, where it received universal praise for Academy Award-winning filmmaker Adam Elliot's writing, direction, the voice performances, and the stop-motion animation. Adam was gracious enough to take the time to talk with us about his work on the film, which you can listen to below. Please be sure to chec...