The Next Best Picture Podcast

For Episode 372, I am joined by Josh Parham & Dan Bayer. This week, we have much to review as we discuss the Film Independent Spirit Award Nominations, the NBR winners, and the AFI's Top 10 Films of 2023. We provide our predictions for what will be nominated for the Golden Globe & Critics Choice Awards this week and what will win LAFCA (while it was being announced). We also give our reactions to...

For this week's main podcast review, I am joined by Ema Sasic, Josh Parham, Dan Bayer & Tom O'Brien. Today, we are reviewing the newest film from director Yorgos Lanthimos, "Poor Things," starring Emma Stone, Mark Ruffalo, Willem Dafoe, Ramy Youssef, Christopher Abbott & Jerrod Carmichael. Re-uniting Lanthimos, Stone, and screenwriter Tony McNamara after the award-winning success of "The Favourite...

"Poor Things" had its world premiere at the Venice International Film Festival, where it received arguably the best reviews of the festival, winning the Golden Lion for Best Film in the process before screening at the Telluride and New York Film Festivals to equal raves and rapturous response from critics and audiences. The highly creative film is now playing in limited release from Searchlight Pi...

German filmmaker Wim Wenders is a cinematic legend who has given us many classic films, including "Paris, Texas," "Wings Of Desire," "Until the End of the World," "Buena Vista Social Club," "Pina," "The Salt of the Earth," this year's "Perfect Days" and now, his latest documentary "Anselm." Shot in stunning 3D, the look at German painter and sculptor Anselm Kiefer's works of art is striking in its...

No one has had more of a breakout year than Ayo Edebiri. With over thirteen credits in the last year including performances in "The Bear" (for which she's nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in A Comedy Series), "Bottoms," "Abbott Elementary," "The Sweet East," "Black Mirror," "Theater Camp," "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem," "What We Do In The Shadows," and "Spid...

"Four Daughters" had its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in the Main Competition section, where it competed for the Palm d'Or and won the L'Œil d'or (Shared with "The Mother Of All Lies"). Director Kaouther Ben Hania's ("The Man Who Sold His Skin") film recently won the Gotham Award for Best Documentary Feature and has now been nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for Best Document...

"Memory" had its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival, where actor Peter Sarsgaard won the Volpi Cup for Best Actor for his performance in Michel Franco's latest film. Acting opposite Jessica Chastain, Sarsgaard convincingly plays a man with dementia in a surprisingly uplifting human drama and love story where light can be found in the sometimes darkest places. He was kind enough to spend a...

"May December" had its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, receiving positive reviews for Todd Haynes' direction, the performances from Natalie Portman, Julianne Moore, and Charles Melton, and the writing from Samy Burch. Shortly after its screening at the New York Film Festival (and free of the writer's strike), Samy Burch spoke with Ema Sasic about her experience working on the film. And...

For Episode 371, I am joined by Josh Parham, Cody Dericks & Giovanni Lago. This week, we're discussing the Gotham Award & New York Film Critics Circle (NYFCC) winners. We also predict what will be nominated at the Spirit Awards and what will win at NBR this next week, give our reactions to the trailers for "Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga" & "Memory," go over the polls, answer your fan-submitted questions...

For this week's main podcast review, I am joined by Nadia Dalimonte, Josh Parham, Sara Clements & Giovanni Lago. Today, we are reviewing the newest film from director Todd Haynes, "May December," starring Natalie Portman, Julianne Moore, and Charles Melton. After premiering at the Cannes Film Festival back in May, the film is now streaming on Netflix this December and has everyone talking about it...

"Shayda" had its world premiere at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival, where it won the Audience Award for World Cinema Dramatic Competition. It has been selected as an Australian entry in the Best International Feature Film category for the 96th Academy Awards and stars Cannes Best Actress winner Zar Amir Ebrahimi ("Holy Spider") in a powerful role that has been moving audiences across various film...

For this month's second throwback podcast review, I am joined by Nadia Dalimonte and Dan Bayer to discuss Todd Haynes' first collaboration with Academy Award-winner Julianne Moore, "Safe" (1995), also starring Peter Friedman, Xander Berkeley, Susan Norman, Kate McGregor-Stewart & James LeGros. Steeped in ambiguity with many interpretations, the film has inspired a tremendous amount of discussion o...

"John Wick: Chapter 4" is the culmination of years of hard work, creative ambition, and four exhilarating films that gave audiences an iconic new action movie character worth rooting for. The fourth installment of the franchise, started by director Chad Stahelski and star Keanu Reeves in 2014, has gone on to achieve the highest critical and financial success for the franchise, leaving audiences cl...

Joel Kinnaman is no stranger to the action film genre. After starring in large films such as the 2014 "Robocop," both "Suicide Squad" and "The Suicide Squad" and the television series "Altered Carbon," he may have found his most physically and emotionally demanding role to date in legendary director John Woo's newest film "Silent Night." Having to play the role of a father who goes on a quest for...

"Saltburn" had its world premiere at the Telluride Film Festival, receiving passionate responses from those who loved it and those who hated it. The film has continued to divide audiences as more have seen it and inspired exciting conversations around its story and themes. Following the Oscar-winning "Promising Young Woman," you wouldn't expect anything less from Director/Writer Emerald Fennell. S...

For Episode 370, I am joined by Nadia Dalimonte, Josh Parham & Alyssa Christian. This week, we predict what we feel will win at the Gotham Awards, New York Film Critics Circle (NYFCC), and British Independent Film Awards (BIFA). We also give our reactions to the trailer for "Our Son," go over the polls, discuss other news and updates within the film industry, answer your fan-submitted questions, a...

For this week's main podcast review, I am joined by Lauren Cohen, Josh Parham, Cody Dericks, Will Mavity & Giovanni Lago. Today, we are reviewing the newest film from Academy Award-winner Emerald Fennell, "Saltburn," starring Barry Keoghan, Jacob Elordi, Rosamund Pike, Richard E. Grant, Alison Oliver, Archie Madekwe & Carey Mulligan. After the success of "Promising Young Woman," Emerald Fennell ha...

"Leo" is only the second animated film from Happy Madison Productions following "Eight Crazy Nights." It has garnered positive reviews for its animation, comedy, voice-acting, and music and stars the voice talents of Adam Sandler, Bill Burr, and Cecily Strong. Co-directors Robert Marianetti and David Wachtenheim made their feature directorial debuts with this film (and co-directed alongside "The W...

"Concrete Utopia" had its North American premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, where it received positive reviews for its strong storytelling of class struggle, its powerful performances from its ensemble cast, and the epic-scaled production design showcasing Seoul in the aftermath of an earthquake that devastates the entire city except for one high-rise apartment building. Director...

For this week's second podcast review, I am joined by Dan Bayer & Tom O'Brien. Today, we are reviewing the newest film from director Ridley Scott, "Napoleon," starring Joaquin Phoenix, Vanessa Kirby, and Tahar Rahim. Based on the rise and fall of Napoleon Bonaparte, the historical epic contains large battle scenes, petulant behavior, coup d'états, marital drama, and enough Joaquin Phoenix memes to...

"Fallen Leaves" had its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, where it won the Jury Prize and received critical acclaim for Aki Kaurismäki's direction, screenplay, and the performances from Alma Pöysti & Jussi Vatanen. Finland has selected the MUBI film as their official selection for Best International Feature at the 96th Academy Awards, and it is now playing in limited release. Actors Alma...

"Rustin" had its world premiere at the Telluride Film Festival, where it received strong reviews for Colman Domingo's captivating, charismatic, and empathetic performance as civil rights activist Bayard Rustin. The film has already been praised along the film festival circuit and will be honored with the Icon & Creator Tribute for Social Justice at the 2023 Gotham Awards. Domingo and co-screenwrit...

For Episode 369, I am joined by Josh Parham, Dan Bayer & Tom O'Brien. This week, we're discussing how the studios are in full campaign mode with the actors back from the strike before the Thanksgiving holiday and what that has done for our perceptions of the Oscar race before the precursors begin. We also give our reactions to the trailers for "Anyone But You," "Madame Web," and "Imaginary," go ov...

For this week's main podcast review, I am joined by Lauren LaMagna, Josh Parham & guest Katie Luxford. Today, we are reviewing the newest film in "The Hunger Games" franchise, "The Hunger Games: The Ballad Of Songbirds & Snakes," starring Tom Blyth, Rachel Zegler, Josh Andrés Rivera, Hunter Schafer, Jason Schwartzman, Peter Dinklage & Viola Davis. A prequel to the other films in the franchise with...

"Trolls Band Together" is the third entry in the "Trolls" franchise, with director Walt Dohrn and producer Gina Shay returning to direct and producer, respectively, following the success of the first two films. The two of them were kind enough to sit down and speak with us about the film's story, animation, how they got NSYNC back together for the first time in 22 years for the film's hit song "Be...