Next Best Picture Podcast

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

The 78th annual Tony Awards will be held this Sunday, June 8th, and for this latest episode of Next Best Theatre, we are here with special guests to deliver our final predictions on who we think will win in all 26 categories. For this comprehensive episode, Cody Dericks, Lauren LaMagna, and Dan Bayer are joined by Joselyn Safadi and Tom O'Brien. We'll be back with another episode this season to give you our reactions to the show and winners. Thank you, and enjoy the show this Sunday!

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"Daredevil: Born Again" continues the story of "Daredevil" following its cancellation in 2018 with Charlie Cox reprising his role as Matt Murdock / Daredevil from Marvel's Netflix television series and prior Marvel Studios productions. It was a long journey to get to this point, but the superhero show was met with critical acclaim when it premiered on Disney+ earlier this spring, with season 2 currently in production. Cox was kind enough to spend some time speaking with us about his work and experience making the series, which you can listen to below. Please be sure to check out the show, which is now available to stream on Disney+. Thank you, and enjoy!

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"From The World Of John Wick: Ballerina" (or just "Ballerina" for short) is the fifth film in the "John Wick" franchise, serving as a spin-off set between the events of "John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum" (2019) and "John Wick: Chapter 4" (2023). It is the first installment not to be directed by Chad Stahelski, with action director Len Wiseman taking over the reins and featuring Ana de Armas in a new role while Keanu Reeves, Anjelica Huston, Lance Reddick (in his final screen appearance before his untimely death), and Ian McShane reprise their roles from the franchise. Wiseman was kind enough to spend some time speaking with us about his work and experience making the film, which you can listen to below. Please be sure to check out the film, which will open in theaters on June 6th from Lionsgate. Thank you, and enjoy!

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It has been 23 years since the release of Danny Boyle and Alex Garland's genre re-defining film "28 Days Later," which has received quite a devoted following over the years. Now, the director and writer have reunited to deliver "28 Years Later," a post-apocalyptic horror film that continues from "28 Weeks Later" (2007) and stars a new cast of characters played by Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Ralph Fiennes, Alfie Williams, and Jack O'Connell. Cinematographer Anthony Dod Mantle has also returned to shoot the film, predominantly using the iPhone (maintaining a consistent look with how audiences experienced the first Canon XL1 digital video-shot film in 2002), and it will kickstart a new trilogy of films with "28 Years Later: The Bone Temple" being directed by Nia DaCosta, to come next. After viewing the first 28 minutes of the film, Academy Award-winner Danny Boyle was kind enough to spend some time in the Sony offices in New York speaking with me about his work and experience making the anticipated sequel, which you can listen to below. Please be sure to check out the film, which will be released in theaters on June 20th by Sony Pictures. Thank you, and enjoy!

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"Tornado" is the latest film from director John Maclean, who previously directed "Slow West" a decade ago. The western film follows Tornado (Kōki), a young woman who vows to seek vengeance for her father against a notorious gang and forge her own destiny by stealing their ill-gotten gold. The film additionally stars Tim Roth, Jack Lowden, Takehiro Hira, and Joanne Whalley and received positive reviews after its world premiere at the 2025 Glasgow Film Festival. Lowden was kind enough to spend some time speaking with us about his experience making the film, which you can listen to below! Please be sure to check out the film, which is now playing in theaters from Independent Film Company. Thank you, and enjoy!

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For Episode 444, Josh Parham, Dan Bayer, and I are here to preview the 2025 Tribeca Festival, which will take place from June 4th to 15th. We also go over the announcements from Netflix's Tudum event, including the trailer for Guillermo del Toro's "Frankenstein." For this week's poll, for the release of Wes Anderson's "The Phoenician Scheme," we're asking, "Which Is Your Favorite Wes Anderson Film?" We also reveal the winner of last week's poll as we wrap up our Cannes Film Festival coverage, asking, "Which Films From The 2025 Cannes Film Festival Are You Most Excited To See?" We also check on some other news of the week, answer your fan-submitted questions and more! Thank you all for listening, supporting, and subscribing. We hope you enjoy this episode, and we'll see you next week.

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For this week's main podcast review, Nadia Dalimonte, Dan Bayer, Katie Johnson, and Cody Dericks join me to review and discuss Danny Philippou & Michael Philippou's "Bring Her Back," starring Billy Barratt, Sora Wong, Sally Hawkins & Jonah Wren Phillips. Following up on their acclaimed debut film "Talk To Me," the former YouTubers turned filmmakers are back to traumatize audiences with a brutal and surprisingly emotional take on grief. What did we think of it? Please tune in as we touch upon the story, its themes, the performances, the craftsmanship, and more in our SPOILER-FILLED review. Thank you for listening, and enjoy!

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"The Last Of Us," the Emmy Award-winning drama series from Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann, partially adapts the 2020 game "The Last Of Us Part II" with dazzling action sequences, immersive production design, and state-of-the-art visual and practical effects. One element that gets sometimes overlooked when talking about the crafts of Naughty Dog's world is the costumes by Ann Foley. Foley was kind enough to spend some time speaking with us about her work on the series, which you can listen to below. Please be sure to check out the show, which is now available to stream in full on HBO Max. Thank you, and enjoy!

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"Hacks," the Emmy Award-winning comedy series from Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs & Jen Statsky, has just concluded its fourth season. The reigning Emmy Award-winner for Outstanding Comedy Series continues to push its characters in interesting and hilarious directions. This year was no different, with the show continually topping itself in terms of acting, writing, and direction to deliver its best season yet. Paul W. Downs was kind enough to spend some time speaking with us about his work on the series, which you can listen to below. Please be sure to check out the show, which is now available to stream in full on HBO Max. Thank you, and enjoy!

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“Adults" is a brand new ensemble comedy series created by Ben Kronengold and Rebecca Shaw about a group of friends in their twenties experiencing adulthood in Queens, New York. The show premiered yesterday on FX with its first two episodes, and two new episodes will be released weekly. Executive Producer, Director & Writer Stefani Robinson was kind enough to spend some time speaking with us about her work on the series, which you can listen to below. Please be sure to check out the series, which is now available to stream on Hulu. Thank you, and enjoy!

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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

Our 2009 retrospective continues with one of Quentin Tarantino's most acclaimed and beloved films, "Inglourious Basterds," starring an all-star international cast including Brad Pitt, Christoph Waltz, Michael Fassbender, Eli Roth, Diane Kruger, Daniel Brühl, Til Schweiger, Mélanie Laurent, August Diehl, Julie Dreyfus, Sylvester Groth, Jacky Ido, Denis Ménochet, Mike Myers, Rod Taylor, Martin Wuttke & B.J. Novak. Taking us back to WWII and re-writing history in the process through the power of cinema, how does the film hold up all these years later? Please join Sara Clements, Josh Parham, Dan Bayer, guest Patreon supporter Brian Percival, and me as we discuss our thoughts on the chaptered story, characters, performances, editing, music, humor, action, tension, its awards season run, and more in our SPOILER-FILLED review. We appreciate your support and hope you enjoy our review! Thank you!

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"The Phoenician Scheme" is the latest film from Academy Award-winner Wes Anderson, reuniting him with Benicio del Toro and working with Mia Threapleton and Michael Cera for the first time. The three actors were kind enough to spend some time speaking with us about their experience making the film, working with Anderson, what they all learned from each other, and more, which you can listen to below! Please be sure to check out the film, which is opening in limited release on May 30th from Focus Features before expanding nationwide on June 6th. Thank you, and enjoy!

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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, Dan Bayer, Alyssa Christian, Daniel Howat & Giovanni Lago join me to review and discuss the final "Mission: Impossible" film, "Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning" starring Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Henry Czerny, Angela Bassett, Esai Morales, Pom Klementieff, Holt McCallany, Janet McTeer, Nick Offerman, Hannah Waddingham, Shea Whigham, Greg Tarzan Davis, Charles Parnell, Mark Gatiss, Tramell Tillman & Katy O'Brian. Directed by Christopher McQuarrie and continuing where "Dead Reckoning" left off, with one of the largest production budgets in history, the longest runtime of the franchise, and as the cumulative eighth film in a nearly thirty-year franchise, this is by far the biggest "Mission: Impossible" film to date. But does bigger always mean better? Please tune in as we discuss the story, character arcs, set pieces, stunts, craftsmanship, the franchise's future, its awards season chances, and more in our SPOILER-FILLED review. Thank you for listening. We hope you enjoy...one last time.

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"Jane Austen Wrecked My Life" had its world premiere at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival, where it received positive reviews for its writing, performances, and use of Jane Austen's material to craft a fresh rom-com. Director/writer Laura Piani and star Camille Rutherford were kind enough to spend some time speaking with us about their work and experience making the latest film, which you can listen to or watch below. Please be sure to check out the film, which is now playing in limited release from Sony Pictures Classics and will expand to more theaters on May 30th. Thank you, and enjoy!

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For Episode 443, Dan Bayer and I are back from the south of France to give you Part 2 of our 2025 Cannes Film Festival recap, including our reactions to the award winners. Tune in as we touch on many of the movies which premiered in the second week of the festival including the Palme d'Or winner "It Was Just An Accident," "Sentimental Value," "Resurrection," "Alpha," "Pillion," "Highest 2 Lowest," "Splitsville," "Eleanor The Great," "A Private Life," "The History Of Sound," "The Mastermind," "Honey Don't!" and more! For this week's poll, as the festival ends, we ask, "Which Film From The 2025 Cannes Film Festival Are You Most Looking Forward To Seeing?" We also reveal the winner of last week's poll for the release of "Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning," asking, "Which Is Your Favorite "Mission: Impossible" Film?" give our reactions to the trailer for Darren Aronofsky's "Caught Stealing," answer your fan-submitted questions and more! Thank you all for following us on this incredible journey by listening, supporting, and subscribing. We hope you enjoy this episode, and we'll see you next week.

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For this week's main podcast review, Ema Sasic, Katie Johnson, and Joselyn Safadi are reviewing and discussing "Lilo & Stitch," starring Maia Kealoha, Sydney Agudong, Billy Magnussen, Hannah Waddingham, Chris Sanders, Courtney B. Vance & Zach Galifianakis. Directed by Dean Fleischer Camp ("Marcel The Shell With Shoes On"), this is yet another Disney live-action remake of a beloved 2D animated film. Is it as good or better than the original, or is it just as many of these cash-grab remakes tend to go (pretty poorly)? Please tune in as we touch upon the story, the performances, humor, visual effects, and more in our SPOILER-FILLED review. Thank you for listening, and enjoy!

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"Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning" marks the eighth and possibly final "Mission: Impossible" film. Continuing the story from "Dead Reckoning," the stakes have never been higher, and the story and stunts have never been as big. Two new faces to the franchise, Hayley Atwell (Grace) and Greg Tarzan Davis (Degas), were kind enough to spend some time speaking with us about their work and experience making the latest film, which you can listen to below. Please be sure to check out the film, which is opening in theaters on May 23rd from Paramount Pictures. Thank you, and enjoy!

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Bonjour NBP Community! For Episode 442, I am joined by Dan Bayer on the Croisette in France for the 2025 Cannes Film Festival. In this week's episode, we take a break from the film festival at the midway point to discuss the various films we've been watching, including "Die, My Love," "Eddington," "Sirat," "Sound Of Falling," "The Chronology Of Water," "Nouvelle Vague," "The Secret Agent," "The Phoenician Scheme" and more! We also go over the polls for the release of "Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning," asking, "Which Is Your Favorite "Mission: Impossible" Film?" We also reveal the winner of last week's poll asking," "Which Films From The 2025 Cannes Film Festival Are You Most Excited To See?"There are no trailers or answers to your fan-submitted questions, but we hope you enjoy hearing about what movies you have to look forward to with another recap to come for the second week of the festival next week! Thank you all for listening, supporting, and subscribing. We hope you enjoy this episode.

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For this week's main podcast review, Giovanni Lago, Josh Parham, Tom O'Brien, and Will Mavity are reviewing and discussing "Final Destination Bloodlines," starring Kaitlyn Santa, Juana Teo Briones, Richard Harmon, Owen Patrick Joyner, Anna Lore, Brec Bassinger & Tony Todd. It's sixth installment in the "Final Destination" film series following 2011's "Final Destination 5." Did the break from the franchise do it some good? How does it play in IMAX? What did we think of the kills? Please tune in as we touch upon these points and more in our SPOILER-FILLED review. Thank you for listening, and enjoy!

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"The Damned" had its world premiere in the Un Certain Regard section of the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, where it won the Best Director award for filmmaker Roberto Minervini. Set in 1862 against the backdrop of the American Civil War, the film follows a group of volunteer Union soldiers. Minervini was kind enough to spend some time speaking with us about his work and experience making the film, which you can listen to below. Please be sure to check out the film, which will open in theaters on May 16th from Grasshopper Film. Thank you, and enjoy!

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"Hurry Up Tomorrow" is the new film from Trey Edward Shults, the filmmaker behind films such as "Krisha," "It Comes At Night" and "Waves." The film acts as a companion piece to Abel "The Weeknd" Tesfaye's sixth studio album of the same name, which was produced in conjunction with the film. It stars Tesfaye as a fictionalized version of himself, an insomniac musician on the verge of a mental breakdown who is pulled into an existential odyssey by a mysterious stranger, with actors Jenna Ortega and Barry Keoghan also starring. Shults was kind enough to spend some time speaking with us about his work and experience making the film, which you can listen to below. Please be sure to check out the film, which will open in theaters on May 16th from Lionsgate. Thank you, and enjoy!

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For Episode 441, on Mother's Day and the night of our departure to Cannes, I am joined by Dan Bayer & Giovanni Lago as we deliver our final preview of the 2025 Cannes Film Festival and which films we're most excited to see, which is also the theme of this week's poll as we ask, "Which Films From The 2025 Cannes Film Festival Are You Most Excited To See?" We also reveal the winner of last week's poll asking, "Which 2025 Summer Movie Are You Most Looking Forward To Seeing?" We also give our reactions to the trailers for "Highest 2 Lowest," "Honey Don't," "The Long Walk," and "The Conjuring: Last Rites," answer your fan-submitted questions and more! Thank you all for listening, supporting, and subscribing. We hope you enjoy this episode. We will see you all next week on the Croisette. Au revoir!

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For this week's main podcast review, Cody Dericks, Ema Sasic, Josh Parham, Katie Johnson, and Dan Bayer are reviewing and discussing "Clown In A Cornfield," based on the 2020 novel of the same name, directed and co-written by Eli Craig and starring Katie Douglas, Aaron Abrams, Carson MacCormac, Kevin Durand & Will Sasso. The slasher film premiered at the SXSW Film Festival to positive reviews and is being released by RLJE Films and Shudder. What did we think of the adaptation, the kills, the story, and its comedy? Please tune in as we touch upon these points and more in our SPOILER-FILLED review. Thank you for listening, and enjoy!

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Over the past several decades, Jia Zhangke has emerged as China's foremost cinematic chronicler, capturing the nation's rapid 21st-century transformation and its impact on everyday lives with a uniquely expressive, ethnographic lens. His first fiction film in six years, "Caught by the Tides" (which premiered at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival to positive reviews), is the purest distillation of his work, a grand, impressionistic mosaic blending two decades of footage, behind-the-scenes reels, and fictionalized elements to reflect on cultural and emotional shifts. Though narratively abstract and best appreciated by those familiar with his oeuvre, the film's patient, almost hypnotic structure, culminating in a poignant love story centered on longtime collaborator Zhao Tao, offers a moving, cosmic meditation on time, place, and the digital age's effect on human experience. Zhangke was kind enough to spend some time speaking with us over Zoom about his work and experience making the film, which you can listen to below. Be sure to check out the film, which is now playing in New York theaters and will expand next week from Janus Films and Sideshow. Thank you, and enjoy!

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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

Our 2009 retrospective continues with the first animated Best Picture nominee since 1991's "Beauty And The Beast," Disney Pixar's "Up," starring Ed Asner, Christopher Plummer, Jordan Nagai & Bob Peterson. Hot off the heels of "Wall-E"the year prior, Pete Docter's film about an elderly man who gets reconnected with life in the aftermath of his wife's passing continued Pixar's hot streak with critics, audiences, and the Academy. Did this one float to the top of our favorite Pixar films? Please join Alyssa Christian, Josh Parham, Dan Bayer, Cody Dericks, guest Nick Spake and me as we discuss our thoughts on the story, characters, animation, score, iconic opening montage, its awards season run, and more in our SPOILER-FILLED review. We appreciate your support and hope you enjoy our review! Thank you!

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"Clown In A Cornfield" had its world premiere at the 2025 SXSW Film Festival, where it received positive reviews for its adaptation of the 2020 novel by Adam Cesare, the performances from the cast, and the bloody fun direction from filmmaker Eli Craig. Craig and stars Katie Douglas and Kevin Durand were all kind enough to spend some time speaking with us about their work and experience making the film, which you can listen to below. Please be sure to check out the film, which will open in theaters on May 9th from RLJE Films and Shudder. Thank you, and enjoy!

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Few shows face the criticism from all sides that “The Oscars” do. Raj Kapoor and Katy Mullan know that better than most. They’ve produced the last two Academy Awards, facing the challenge head-on and boosting ratings along the way. The Academy and ABC have taken notice, quickly announcing Kapoor and Mullan as the producers of next year’s Oscars, along with returning host Conan O’Brien. In an exclusive conversation with Daniel Howat from Next Best Picture, Raj Kapoor and Katy Mullan discuss their approach to producing “The Oscars,” honoring the crafts behind the films, and the challenge of the time crunch.

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"Adolescence" is quite possibly the buzziest and best show of 2025. A cultural phenomenon all over the world, particularly within the UK (it was the first streaming show to place at the top of the Barb Audiences weekly television ratings), the series has received universal critical acclaim for its directing, writing, one-take cinematography, and performances. Director Philip Barantini was kind enough to spend some time speaking with Daniel Howat about his work on all four episodes of the series while star Erin Doherty spoke with Nadia Dalimonte about her haunting work in Episode 3, which you can listen to below. Please be sure to check out the series, which is now available to stream in full on Netflix. Thank you, and enjoy!

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"Mid-Century Modern" is a new American comedy television series created by Max Mutchnick and David Kohan that stars Nathan Lane, Matt Bomer, Linda Lavin, and Nathan Lee Graham. It tells the story of three gay best friends of a certain age, after an unexpected death, who move in together in Palm Springs, California. Living with the wealthiest friend's mother, they navigate their golden years as a chosen family, supporting each other through life's challenges. It has received positive reviews, and the first ten episodes are now available to stream. Nathan Lee Graham was kind enough to spend some time speaking with us about his work and experience making the series, which you can listen to below. Please be sure to check out the show, which is now available to stream on Hulu and Disney+. Thank you, and enjoy!

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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

The nominations for the 78th annual Tony Awards were announced earlier this week and were led by "Buena Vista Social Club," "Death Becomes Her," and "Maybe Happy Ending," with ten nominations each. "Dead Outlaw," "The Hills of California," "John Proctor Is the Villain" and "Sunset Boulevard" followed with seven nominations each. What did Cody Dericks, Lauren LaMagna & Dan Bayer think of this year's nominees? Which nominations surprised them, made them happy, and left them feeling the most disappointed? Please tune in below to listen to their thoughts and find out. NBT will return with a winner predictions episode shortly before the 2025 Tony Awards on June 8th. Thank you for all of your support. Enjoy!

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For Episode 440, I am joined by Josh Parham, Nadia Dalimonte, Dan Bayer & Giovanni Lago as we preview the 2025 Summer Movie Season with the films we're most excited to see. This is also the theme of this week's poll as we ask, "Which 2025 Summer Movie Are You Most Looking Forward To Seeing?" and we reveal the winner of last week's poll for the release of "Thunderbolts*" asking, "What Is Your Favorite Movie About A Ragtag Group Of Misfits?" We also give our reactions to the trailers for "The Smashing Machine," "Weapons," "Sorry, Baby," "Now You See Me: Now You Don't," answer your fan-submitted questions, and more! Thank you all for listening, supporting, and subscribing. We hope you enjoy this episode, and we will see you all next week.

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For this week's main podcast review, Lauren LaMagna, Cody Dericks, Tom O'Brien, and I are reviewing and discussing the latest film from Marvel Studios, "Thunderbolts*," starring Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan, Wyatt Russell, Olga Kurylenko, Lewis Pullman, Geraldine Viswanathan, David Harbour, Hannah John-Kamen & Julia Louis-Dreyfus. At a time when the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) needs a shot in the arm, this ragtag group of antiheroes has come together under the direction of "Beef" filmmaker Jake Schreier to deliver one of the franchise's freshest films in years as it tackles themes of loneliness, depression, and camaraderie. What did we think of the story, performances, action, humor, score, and how it sets up the future of the MCU? Please tune in as we touch upon these points and more in our SPOILER-FILLED review. Thank you for listening, and enjoy!

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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

The Next Best Series Podcast is back to discuss the latest television shows, including the season finale of "The White Lotus," and the returns of "The Last Of Us," "Andor," and reigning Outstanding Comedy Series champion "Hacks." We also go over the second annual Gotham TV Award nominations, the trailers for "Wednesday" Season Two, "Duster," "Sirens," and "The Better Sister." Please tune in as Megan Lachinski, Daniel Howat, and Giovanni Lago join me to discuss these topics and shows such as "Dying For Sex," "Paradise," "Say Nothing," "Your Friends & Neighbors," "The Rehearsal," "The Four Seasons" and more! Please tune in as we examine which ones might receive Emmy nominations and more as Emmy season continues! We'll be back with another new episode later this month. Thank you for your continued support. We hope you enjoy it!

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"The Surfer" had its world premiere at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival in the Midnight section, where it received positive reviews for its style, placing you in the psychological headspace of Nicolas Cage's character as he revisits his childhood beach to surf with his son. Humiliated by locals, he becomes entangled in an escalating conflict that pushes him to his limits. Director Lorcan Finnegan was kind enough to spend some time speaking with us about his work and experience making the film, which you can listen to below. Please be sure to check out the film, which is now playing in theaters from Lionsgate and Roadside Attractions. Thank you, and enjoy!

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"Another Simple Favor" had its world premiere at the 2025 SXSW Film Festival, where it received positive reviews for its sharp writing, juicy performances, and delicious costume design. Continuing the story from 2018's "A Simple Favor," director Paul Feig and stars Anna Kendrick, Blake Lively, Andrew Rannells, and Henry Golding, all returned, along with new faces and a new setting in Capri Italy for the Amazon Prime Video release. The result is a bigger movie in nearly every regard, with plenty of twists and turns in Stephanie and Emily's relationship. Feig was kind enough to spend some time speaking with us about his work and experience making the film, which you can listen to below. Please be sure to check out the film, which is now available to stream on Amazon Prime Video. Thank you, and enjoy!

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Our 2009 retrospective continues with the breakout English Sundance hit of the year, "An Education," starring Carey Mulligan, Peter Sarsgaard, Alfred Molina, Rosamund Pike, Dominic Cooper, Olivia Williams, and Emma Thompson. Nominated for Best Picture, Best Actress, and Best Adapted Screenplay, the film was acclaimed by critics, audiences, and the Academy and singlehandedly shot Carey Mulligan to stardom. How does it hold up 16 years later? What do we think of it? Please join Ema Sasic, Alyssa Christian, Josh Parham, Dan Bayer, and me as we discuss our thoughts on the performances from the ensemble, the writing, the ending, its awards season run, and more in our SPOILER-FILLED review. We appreciate your support and hope you enjoy our review! Thank you!

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"Out Of My Mind" had its world premiere at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival, where it received positive reviews for its performances, portrayal of cerebral palsy, writing, and direction. Based on Sharon M. Draper's 2010 novel of the same name, the film tells the story of Melody Brooks, a nonverbal young girl with cerebral palsy who has a sharp mind and a photographic memory. The movie follows her journey as she navigates sixth grade and fights to be heard and understood. She eventually receives a speech-generating device to express her thoughts and feelings. Actors Phoebe-Rae Taylor, Luke Kirby, and Director Ambert Sealey were all kind enough to spend some time speaking with us about their work and experience making the film, which you can listen to below. Please be sure to check out the film, which is now available to stream on Disney+. Thank you, and enjoy!

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"Severance" is one of the most beloved and popular series in the world right now. After waiting for the second season for nearly three years, it was finally released to positive reviews and an enthusiastic response from fans earlier this year. One of the brightest spots of this season was the character of Gemma Scout/Ms. Casey, played by Dichen Lachman. Lachman was given a showcase in "Chikhai Bardo," episode seven of the second season, as Gemma and Mark's backstory was fleshed out, allowing Lachman to delve deeper into the character. Lachman was kind enough to spend some time speaking with us about her work on the show, which you can listen to below. Please be sure to check out the series, which is now available to stream in full on Apple TV+. Thank you, and enjoy!

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"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 and the film's Oscar-nominated composers, Ryan Lott, Rafiq Bhatia, and Ian Chang (otherwise known as "Son Lux"), were all kind enough to spend some time speaking with us about their work and experience making the film, which you can listen to below. Please be sure to check out the film, which is opening in theaters on May 2nd from Marvel Studios and Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. Thank you, and enjoy!

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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 "Thunderbolts*" asking "What Is Your Favorite Movie About A Ragtag Group Of Misfits?" We also react to the trailers for "Predator: Badlands," "I Know What You Did Last Summer," "Heads Of State," answer your fan-submitted questions, and more! Thank you all for listening, supporting, and subscribing. We hope you enjoy this episode, and we will see you all next week.

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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. Now, the creative forces behind that film are finally back to give us a more entertaining sequel that leans on the brother relationship between Chris and Braxton, allowing Affleck and Bernthal to charm audiences and simultaneously kick human traffickers' asses. What did we think of the story, performances, humor, and action? Please tune in as we touch upon these points and more in our SPOILER-FILLED review. Thank you for listening, and enjoy!

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"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 Wolff, and Joe Apollonio were all kind enough to spend some time speaking with us about their experience making the film, which you can listen to below. Please be sure to check out the film, which is now playing in New York theaters from MUBI and will expand to additional cities starting May 2nd. Thank you, and enjoy!

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"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 kind enough to spend some time speaking with us about his work and experience making the sequel, which you can listen to below. Please be sure to check out the film, which is now playing in theaters from Amazon MGM Studios. Thank you, and enjoy!

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"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 below. Please be sure to check out the series, which is now available to stream in full on Netflix. Thank you, and enjoy!

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"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 their town. Stars Adarsh Gourav, Vineet Kumar Singh, Shashank Arora, Director Reema Kagti, Producer Zoya Akthar, Writer Varun Grover and subject Nasir Shaikh were all kind enough to spend some time speaking with us about their work and experience making the film, which you can listen to below. Please be sure to check out the film, which is now available to stream on Prime Video. Thank you, and enjoy!

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"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. Kulumbegashvili was kind enough to spend some time speaking with us about her work and experience making the film, which you can listen to below. Please be sure to check out the film, which will be released in theaters by Metrograph Pictures on April 24th. Thank you, and enjoy!

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"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 spend some time speaking with us about their work on the debut season, which you can listen to below. Please be sure to check out the series, which is set to premiere on Amazon Prime Video on April 24th. Thank you, and enjoy!

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"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, was kind enough to spend some time speaking with us about her work on the first season, which you can listen to below. Please be sure to check out the series, which is now available to stream on HBO Max. Thank you, and enjoy!

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"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 Academy Award-nominee Nicholas Britell. For season 2, showrunner Tony Gilroy brought on Emmy Award-winner Brandon Roberts to continue the story of Cassian Andor through his music compositions for the show. Roberts was kind enough to spend some time speaking with us about his work on the second season, which you can listen to below. Please be sure to check out the series, which is scheduled to premiere on April 22nd, with three episodes released weekly until May 13th. Thank you, and enjoy!

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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 week's poll question for the release of "The Accountant 2," asking "Which Is Your Favorite Ben Affleck performance?" We also react to the trailers for "Another Simple Favor," "The Life Of Chuck," "The Roses," and "Him," answer your fan-submitted questions and more! Thank you all for listening, supporting, and subscribing. We hope you enjoy this episode, and we will see you all next week.

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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 best Black filmmakers working today but one of the best filmmakers working today, period. What Coogler has created has given us many different talking points, from the electrifying music to the performances, shot-for-IMAX cinematography, and themes of the story dealing with assimilation, appropriation, and striving for freedom, literal and metaphorical. Tune in as we touch upon these points and more, including its Oscar potential in our SPOILER-FILLED review. Thank you for listening, and enjoy!

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"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, which you can listen to below. Please be sure to check out the film, which is now playing in limited release from A24 and will expand to more theaters on April 25th. Thank you, and enjoy!

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"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 Lea Myren and Thea Sofie Loch Næss were all kind enough to speak with us about their work on the film, which you can listen to below. Please be sure to check out the film, which will open in theaters on April 18th from IFC Films. Thank you, and enjoy!

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"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. It's clear the Emmy Awards are next as the show looks to gain more than just Russell this year. Among them is director Alex Graves, who directed more than half of the second season. Graves was kind enough to spend some time speaking with us about his experience directing the second season, which you can listen to below. Please be sure to check out the series, which is now available to stream on Netflix. Thank you, and enjoy!

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"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 on the film, which you can listen to below. Please be sure to check out the film, which will be available to stream on MUBI on April 18th. Thank you, and enjoy!

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"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-creator/writer Aeysha Carr were both kind enough to spend some time speaking with us about their experience making the series, which you can listen to below. Please be sure to check out the series, which is now available to stream on Apple TV+. Thank you, and enjoy!

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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 Gladstone, Kelly Marie Tran, Han Gi-chan, and Joan Chen were all kind enough to spend some time talking with Ema Sasic about their experience working on the film, while Cody Dericks spoke separately with Ahn, which you can listen to below. Please be sure to check out the film, which will open in theaters from Bleecker Street on April 18th. Thank you, and enjoy!

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"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 nearly 40 years. Cronenberg was kind enough to speak with us at the New York Film Festival about his work on the film, which you can listen to below. Please be sure to check out the film, which will open in NY & LA theaters on April 18th before expanding nationwide from Janus Films & Sideshow on April 25th. Thank you, and enjoy!

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"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 Benson Miller, Li Jun Li, and Delroy Lindo were all kind enough to spend some time talking with us about their experience working on the film, which you can watch or listen to below. Please be sure to check out the film, which will open in theaters from Warner Bros. Pictures on April 18th. Thank you, and enjoy!

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"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 what took place that day. The film stars an incredible cast of promising up-and-coming talent, and two of them, D'Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai and Kit Connor were kind enough to spend some time talking with us about their experience working on the film, which you can watch or listen to below. Please be sure to check out the film, which is now playing in theaters from A24. Thank you, and enjoy!

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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 Cannes Film Festival, "Which Film From The 2025 Cannes Film Festival Are You Most Looking Forward To Seeing?" We also react to the trailers for "The Phoenician Scheme," "Havoc," and "The Kingdom," answer your fan-submitted questions and more! Thank you all for listening, supporting, and subscribing. We hope you enjoy this episode, and we will see you all next week.

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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 same year, the film tells the story of a CIA decoder who goes rogue on a global mission for justice after his wife is killed in a London terrorist attack when his superiors refuse to act, using nothing but his intellect. What did we think of it? Please tune in as we discuss the story, performances, thrills, potential for a sequel, and more in our SPOILER-FILLED review. Thank you for listening, and enjoy!

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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," starring D'Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai, Will Poulter, Charles Melton, Joseph Quinn, Cosmo Jarvis, Kit Connor, Michael Gandolfini, Noah Centineo, Finn Bennett & Taylor John Smith. Taking place in real-time, abandoning typical war genre storytelling conventions and stitched together from the memory of those who lived it, the A24 war film is providing audiences with an immersive experience that is unlike anything else out there. What did we think of it? Please tune in as we discuss its politics, craftsmanship, performances, awards season chances, and more in our SPOILER-FILLED review. Thank you for listening, and enjoy!

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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

Our 2009 retrospective is continuing with one of the best films of the year, one which greatly benefitted from the Academy expanding the Best Picture field to ten nominees: Joel Coen and Ethan Coen's "A Serious Man," starring Michael Stuhlbarg, Richard Kind, Fred Melamed, Sari Lennick, Aaron Wolff, Amy Landecker, Simon Helberg & Adam Arkin. Mixing the personal with the existential and philosophical, the seriously funny Jewish film about one man going through a series of trials and tribulations, all while searching for the meaning behind it all, is regarded as one of the Coen Bros. best films. What do we think of it? Join Lauren LaMagna, Dan Bayer, Tom O'Brien, guest Charlie Bright, and me as we discuss our thoughts on the writing, its themes, characters, performances, best gags, craftsmanship, its awards season run, and more in our SPOILER-FILLED review. We appreciate your support and hope you enjoy our review! Thank you!

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"Sacramento" had its world premiere at the 2024 Tribeca Festival, receiving strong reviews for its acting, writing, and direction from Michael Angarano. The independent film is very personal for the television and film actor as it also stars his wife, Maya Erksine, and tells a story about two friends who take an impromptu road trip from Los Angeles to Sacramento, something that really happened between Angarano and co-writer Chris Smith. Angarano was kind enough to speak with me about his work on the film (for a second time because our first recording was unusable), which you can listen to below. Please be sure to check out the film, which will open in theaters on April 11th from Vertical. Thank you, and enjoy!

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"One To One: John & Yoko" had its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival and went on to screen at the Telluride and Sundance Film Festivals, receiving strong reviews for its audio mastering of the concert footage and recording tapes featuring John Lennon and Yoko Ono. Co-directed by Kevin Macdonald and Sam Rice-Edwards, the follows the couple of years Lennon and Ono spent in their Greenwich Village apartment while also tracing developments in American politics like the presidency of Richard Nixon and opposition to United States involvement in the Vietnam War, culminating in their "One to One" benefit concert for the children at Willowbrook. Macdonald was kind enough to speak with me about his work on the film, which you can listen to below. Please be sure to check out the film, which will open exclusively in IMAX theaters on April 11th, before expanding to more markets from Magnolia Pictures. Thank you, and enjoy!

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"The Amateur" is a new American vigilante action spy thriller film directed by James Hawes ("One Life" & "Slow Horses") and written by Ken Nolan and Gary Spinelli, based on the 1981 novel of the same name by Robert Littell which was previously adapted into a Canadian film that same year. It stars Rami Malek, Rachel Brosnahan, Caitríona Balfe, Jon Bernthal, Michael Stuhlbarg, Holt McCallany, Julianne Nicholson, Adrian Martinez, Danny Sapani, and Laurence Fishburne. Hawes was kind enough to speak with me about his work on the film, which you can listen to or watch below. Please be sure to check out the film, which will open in theaters everywhere from 20th Century Studios on April 11th. Please be aware there are SPOILERS in this conversation. Thank you, and enjoy!

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"Psycho Therapy: The Shallow Tale Of A Writer Who Decided To Write About A Serial Killer" had its world premiere at the 2024 Tribeca Festival, where it received positive reviews for its twisted, darkly comedic story and performances from Steve Buscemi, John Magaro and Britt Lower. Director and writer Tolga Karaçelik was kind enough to spend some time speaking with us about his work on the film, which you can listen to below. Please be sure to check out the film, which is now playing in NY theaters from Brainstorm Media and will expand to more markets, and be available on VOD on April 11th. Thank you, and enjoy!

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For Episode 436, I am joined by Daniel Howat and Katie Johnson to discuss what we think will be announced this week for the 2025 Cannes Film Festival and recap what was announced at CinemaCon this week. We also reveal the winner of last week's poll, asking, "Which Is Your Favorite Film From Q1 2025?" and pose this week's poll question for the release of "Warfare" asking, "Which Is Your Favorite Project Alex Garland Has Written And/Or Directed?" We also react to the trailers for "Tron: Ares," "M3GAN 2.0," "Bring Her Back," "Fountain Of Youth," answer your fan-submitted questions, and more! Thank you all for listening, supporting, and subscribing. We hope you enjoy this episode, and we will see you all next week.

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For this week's main podcast review, Katie Johnson, Giovanni Lago, and I are reviewing and discussing "A Minecraft Movie" starring Jason Momoa, Jack Black, Danielle Brooks, Emma Myers & Sebastian Hansen. Adapted from the immensely popular 2011 video game Minecraft by Mojang Studios, the film is directed by Academy Award-nominee Jared Hess and celebrates the power of creativity. What did we think of it? Please tune in as we discuss the performances, visuals, story and more in our SPOILER-FILLED review. Thank you for listening, and enjoy!

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"The Friend" had its world premiere at the 2024 Telluride Film Festival, where it received positive reviews for its performances from Naomi Watts, Bill Murray, and the Great Dane Bing, and the writing and direction from filmmakers Scott McGehee & David Siegel that made audiences laugh and cry. Based on the 2018 novel by Sigrid Nunez, the film tells the story of a New York City writer who reluctantly inherits a Great Dane named Apollo from her dearly departed friend but soon comes to realize it may be the best thing that's ever happened for her in order to move on from her grief. McGehee & Siegel were both kind enough to speak with me about their work on the film, which you can listen to below. Please be sure to check out the film, which is now playing in theaters from Bleecker Street. Thank you, and enjoy!

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"Freaky Tales" had its world premiere at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival, where it received positive reviews for its homage to 80's genre films and Oakland, California, with a game cast who were all tuned in to filmmakers Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck's distinct vision for the anthology film. Starring Pedro Pascal, Jay Ellis, Normani Kordei Hamilton, Dominque Thorne, Ben Mendelsohn, Ji-young Yoo, Jack Champion, Angus Cloud & Kier Gilchrist, the film depicts four interconnected stories taking place at real locations and during real historical events in 1987 Oakland, California. Boden and Fleck were both kind enough to speak with me about their work on the film, which you can listen to below. Please be sure to check out the film, which is now playing in theaters from Lionsgate. Thank you, and enjoy!

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After making its return in the last episode discussing the Emmy contenders that received Critics Choice, Golden Globe, and SAG nominations, the Next Best Series Podcast is back to discuss the hit new shows contending for Emmy nominations that didn't receive any of those previous precursors. Ema Sasic, Nadia Dalimonte, Giovanni Lago, and Tom O'Brien all join me to discuss shows such as "The Pitt," "The Studio," "Adolescence," "Severance," "The White Lotus" and more! Please tune in as we examine which ones might receive Emmy nominations and review our first nomination predictions for the season! We'll be back with another new episode in two weeks. Thank you for your continued support. We hope you enjoy!

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"Gazer" had its world premiere at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, where it received positive reviews for its homage to film-noir, guerrilla-style independent filmmaking, and lead performance from Ariella Mastroianni. Director/Writer/Producer/Editor Ryan J. Sloan (making his feature directorial debut with this film) and Mastroianni, who also co-wrote and produced alongside Sloan were both kind enough to spend some time speaking with me about their work on the film, which you can listen to below. Please be sure to check out the film, which will open in theaters from Metrograph Pictures on Friday, April 4th. Thank you, and enjoy!

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"Hell Of A Summer" had its world premiere at the 2023 Toronto International Festival in the Midnight Madness section, where it received positive reviews for its homage to slasher films, the mixture of comedy and horror, and performances from its young cast of up and coming actors. Directors, writers, producers, stars, and friends Finn Wolfhard and Billy Bryk, along with star Fred Hechinger, were all kind enough to spend some time speaking with me about their work on the film, which you can listen to below. Please be sure to check out the film, which will open in theaters from NEON on Friday, April 4th. Thank you, and enjoy!

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"Eric LaRue" had its world premiere at the 2024 Tribeca Festival, where it received positive reviews for its performances and direction from Academy Award-nominated actor Michael Shannon (making his feature directorial debut) as he brought Brett Neveu's play of the same name to the screen. Shannon was kind enough to spend some time speaking with me about his work on the film, while Dan Bayer spoke with two of the film's stars, Judy Greer and Alexander Skarsgård, which you can listen to below. Please be sure to check out the film, which will open in theaters from Magnolia Pictures on Friday, April 4th. Thank you, and enjoy!

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"Julie Keeps Quiet" had its world premiere at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival in the Critics' Week section, where it won the Gan Foundation Award for Distribution and SACD Award. Leonardo Van Dijl (in his directorial debut), along with his co-writer Ruth Becquart, tells a quiet story of abuse in the world of tennis. It received positive reviews and was chosen as the Belgian entry for the Best International Feature Film at the 97th Academy Awards. Van Dijl was kind enough to spend some time speaking with us about his work on the film, which you can listen to below. Please be sure to check out the film, which is now playing in limited release from Paradiso Films. Thank you, and enjoy!

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For Episode 435, I am joined by Josh Parham and Katie Johnson to discuss our favorite movies from Q1 of 2025. We also talk about other various pieces of news this week within the film industry, reveal the winner of last week's poll, asking, "Which Is Your Favorite Movie To Feature A Unicorn?" and pose this week's poll question asking, "Which Is Your Favorite Film From Q1 2025?" We also react to the trailers for "One Battle After Another," "Final Destination: Bloodlines," answer your fan-submitted questions and more! Thank you all for listening, supporting, and subscribing. We hope you enjoy this episode, and we will see you all next week.

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For this week's main podcast review, Katie Johnson, Joselyn Safadi, and I are reviewing and discussing the feature directorial debut of Alex Scharfman, "Death Of A Unicorn," starring Paul Rudd, Jenna Ortega, Will Poulter, Téa Leoni, Richard E. Grant & Anthony Carrigan. The film takes a highly unique concept and attempts to blend comedy with creature thrills and a heartfelt drama between a father and daughter. It had its world premiere at the SXSW Film Festival, where it received mixed reviews, but what did we think of it? Please tune in as we discuss the writing, humor, visual effects, unicorn kills, and more in our SPOILER-FILLED review. Thank you for listening, and enjoy!

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"Audrey's Children" had its world premiere at the 2024 Tribeca Festival, where it received positive reviews for its depiction of healthcare pioneer and Ronald McDonald House Charities co-founder Dr. Audrey Evans (played by Natalie Dormer), who served as Chief of Pediatric Oncology at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Director Ami Canaan Mann was kind enough to spend some time speaking with us about her work on the film, which you can listen to below. Please be sure to check out the film, which is now playing in theaters. Thank you, and enjoy!

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"The Penguin Lessons" had its world premiere at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), where it received positive reviews for its heartwarming true story adapted from Tom Michell's 2016 memoir and Steve Coogan's charming performance. Director Peter Cattaneo and Coogan were both kind enough to spend some time speaking with us about their work on the film, which you can listen to below. Please be sure to check out the film, which is now playing in theaters from Sony Pictures Classics. Thank you, and enjoy!

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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

Our 2009 retrospective continues with one of the most controversial Best Picture nominees in recent memory. A film that was immensely successful upon its theatrical release but has lowered in estimation over the years. We're talking about John Lee Hancock's true story sports biopic about football player Michael Oher, "The Blind Side," starring Sandra Bullock, Quinton Aaron, Tim McGraw, Jae Head, Lily Collins, and Kathy Bates. The movie was nominated for two Academy Awards, winning Best Actress for its star Sandra Bullock, but should it have taken the perspective of Leigh Anne Tuohy and her family instead of Oher? Join Ema Sasic, Lauren LaMagna, Alyssa Christian, Dan Bayer, and me as we discuss our thoughts on the story, its reputation, the performances, its awards season run, and more in our SPOILER-FILLED review. We appreciate your support and hope you enjoy our discussion!

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"Death Of A Unicorn" had its world premiere at the 2025 SXSW Film Festival, where it received positive reviews for its horror/comedy/fantasy premise from feature debut director Alex Scharfman and hilarious performances from Paul Rudd, Jenna Ortega, Will Poulter, Téa Leoni & Richard E. Grant. Poulter and Scharfman were kind enough to spend some time speaking with us about their work on the film, which you can listen to below. Please be sure to check out the film, which will open in theaters from A24 on Friday, March 28th. Thank you, and enjoy!

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"The Ballad Of Wallis Island" had its world premiere at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival, where it received positive reviews for its heartwarming story written by its two leads, Tom Basden and Tim Key, lovable performances and music. Co-starring Academy Award-nominee Carey Mulligan, the independent UK film later screened at the SXSW Film Festival, which is where this interview took place. Director James Griffiths, Basen, and Key were all kind enough to spend some time speaking with us during the festival about their work on the film, which you can listen to below. Please be sure to check out the film, which is in select theaters this Friday and will be showing everywhere on April 18th from Focus Features. Thank you, and enjoy!

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"The Assessment" had its world premiere at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), where it received positive reviews for its sci-fi drama concept and performances from Elizabeth Olsen, Alicia Vikander & Himesh Patel. The film, set in a futuristic society destroyed by climate change, tells the story of a successful young couple who must face heavy scrutiny from a female assessor over the course of seven days to observe, evaluate, and determine if they are worthy of having a child. Olsen and Vikander were both kind enough to spend some time speaking with us about their work on the film, which you can listen to below. Please be sure to check out the film, which is now playing in theaters, from Magnolia Pictures. Thank you, and enjoy!

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For Episode 434, I am joined by Dan Bayer, Cody Dericks, Tom O'Brien, and Will Mavity to discuss the announcement of the date for the 98th Academy Awards with Conan O'Brien returning to host, the recent Warner Bros. release date changes, Tom Cruise receiving the BFI Fellowship Award, and more. We reveal the winner of last week's poll, asking, "Which 2025 Oscar Contender Are You Most Looking Forward To Seeing?" and pose this week's poll question for the release of "Death Of A Unicorn" asking, "Which Is Your Favorite Movie To Feature A Unicorn?" We also react to the trailers for "Materialists," "Together," "The Ugly Stepsister," "Happy Gilmore 2," answer your fan-submitted questions, and more! Thank you all for listening, supporting, and subscribing. We hope you enjoy this episode, and we will see you all next week.

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For this week's main podcast review, Josh Parham, Dan Bayer, and I are joined by guest Megan Lachinski for the first time to review and discuss the latest Disney live-action remake, "Snow White," starring Rachel Zegler, Andrew Burnap, Gal Gadot, Ansu Kabia, Patrick Page, Andrew Barth Feldman, Tituss Burgess, Martin Klebba, Jason Kravits, George Salazar, Jeremy Swift & Andy Grotelueschen. Directed by Marc Webb, with new music from Pasek and Paul, the film has received mixed reviews and generated much controversy. What did we think of it, though? Please tune in as we discuss the acting, adaptation, songs, visual effects, awards season chances, and more in our SPOILER-FILLED review. Thank you for listening, and enjoy!

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"Ash" had its world premiere at the 2025 SXSW Film Festival, where it received positive reviews for the performances from Eiza González and Aaron Paul, director Flying Lotus's score and use of sound and the gruesome creature effects. González, Paul, and Flying Lotus were all kind enough to spend some time speaking with us during SXSW about their work on the film, which you can listen to below. Please be sure to check out the film, which is now playing in theaters from RLJE Films and Shudder. Thank you, and enjoy!

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Our 2009 retrospective has begun!! And we're kicking things off with Scott Cooper's film directorial debut, which won Jeff Bridges his Oscar, "Crazy Heart," which also stars Maggie Gyllenhaal, Robert Duvall, and Colin Farrell. With original music by T Bone Burnett, Stephen Bruton, and Ryan Bingham, the film received positive reviews upon release and was nominated for three Academy Awards, winning two for Bridges and for the song "The Weary Kind." How does it hold up today? Join Josh Parham, Dan Bayer, Brendan Hodges, and me as we discuss our thoughts on the performances, writing, direction, music, its awards season run, and more in our SPOILER-FILLED review. We appreciate your support and hope you enjoy our discussion!

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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

The Next Best Series Podcast is back as Nadia Dalimonte and Giovanni Lago join me to discuss the latest series, shows, and awards season updates for all things television! On this return episode, we discuss the shows which did or did not receive an early boost from the Critics Choice, Golden Globe and SAG Awards including "The Penguin," "Only Murders in the Building," "Nobody Wants This," "Disclaimer," "Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story," "Shrinking," "The Bear," "Slow Horses," "The Diplomat," "House Of The Dragon" and more! Please tune in as we examine which ones might carry over to the Emmys, who we feel are the early frontrunners, and we also answer your fan-submitted questions! We'll be posting new episodes every two weeks this year (as opposed to three weeks last year), and on our next episode, we'll talk about all the new shows contending for Emmy gold. Thank you for your continued support. It feels good to be back. We hope you enjoy this episode and all the others still to come this Emmy Awards season.

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"Anora" is our latest Oscar Best Picture winner. At the 97th Academy Awards, Sean Baker's film won 5 awards in total, including Best Director, Actress for Mikey Madison, Original Screenplay, and Film Editing. Co-producer Alex Coco was kind enough following the awards season to sit with us and reflect on the Best Picture win, the reaction from audiences towards the movie for good and for bad, and what the win means for the state of independent cinema moving forward, which can be listened to down below. Please be sure to check out the film, which is now available to stream on Hulu and will be available to purchase through the Criterion Collection on April 29th. Thank you, and enjoy!

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For Episode 433, I am joined by Lauren LaMagna, Cody Dericks, Giovanni Lago, and Will Mavity to discuss the Oscar contenders we are most looking forward to in 2025. We also talk about the end of the SXSW Film Festival and the movies some of us had the privilege of seeing there. Both topics tie into the polls as we reveal the winner of last week's poll, asking, "Which Films From SXSW 2025 Are You Most Looking Forward To Seeing?" and ask this week's poll question, "Which 2025 Oscar Contender Are You Most Looking Forward To Seeing?" We also answer your fan-submitted questions, react to the trailers for "Lilo & Stitch," "Freakier Friday," and more! Thank you all for listening, supporting, and subscribing. We hope you enjoy this episode, and we will see you all next week.

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For this week's main podcast review, Nadia Dalimonte, Josh Parham, Giovanni Lago, and I are here to discuss the latest film from Academy Award-winning director Steven Soderbergh, "Black Bag," starring Michael Fassbender, Cate Blanchett, Regé-Jean Page, Marisa Abella, Naomie Harris, Tom Burke & Pierce Brosnan. Written by David Koepp and set within the British world of spies where trust is scarce, the film is a sexy, slick, stylish thriller where the words are the action, and the relationships at home and at work matter. What did we think of the story, the characters, performances, dialogue, and direction from Soderbergh (not to mention his editing and cinematography)? Please tune in as we discuss these elements, its awards season chances, and more in our SPOILER-FILLED review. Thank you for listening, and enjoy!

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"Novocaine" stars Jack Quaid as Nathan Caine, a bank executive with the inability to feel pain who goes out to rescue his co-worker after a group of bank robbers takes her hostage. The film has received positive reviews for its comedy, action, and charming lead performance from Jack Quaid. Directors Dan Berk & Robert Olsen were both kind enough to spend some time speaking with us about their work on the film, which you can listen to below. Please be sure to check out the film, which is now playing in theaters, from Paramount Pictures. Thank you, and enjoy!

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"Misericordia" had its world premiere at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival in the Premiere section, where it competed for the Queer Palm. It received positive reviews and later went to screen at the Telluride and New York Film Festivals (where this interview took place). Director/Writer Alain Guiraudie was kind enough to spend some time speaking with us about his work on the film, which you can listen to below. Please be sure to check out the film, which will open in theaters on March 14th, from Janus Sideshow Films. Thank you, and enjoy!

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"The Day The Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie" has had a long road to release, and there was a time when many weren't sure if it would get a theatrical release. It is the first fully animated and theatrically released film in the Looney Tunes franchise based on entirely original material. The voice of the iconic characters Daffy Duck and Porky Pig, Emmy Award-winning actor Eric Bauza, was kind enough to spend some time speaking with us about his work on the film, which you can listen to below. Please be sure to check out the film, which will open in theaters on March 14th from Ketchup Entertainment. Thank you, and enjoy!

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For Episode 432, I am joined by Dan Bayer and Giovanni Lago to discuss the fallout of the 97th Academy Awards and all the online discourse that came along with it. We also talk about the beginning of the SXSW Film Festival and the movies that have been screened there so far. We also reveal the winner of last week's poll, asking, "Which Oscar Win Made You The Happiest Last Night?" and ask this week's poll question for the last time this awards season, "Which Films From SXSW 2025 Are You Most Looking Forward To Seeing?" We also answer your fan-submitted questions and give our reactions to the trailer for "The Woman In The Yard." Thank you all for listening, supporting, and subscribing. We hope you enjoy this episode, and we will see you all next week.

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For this week's main podcast review, Josh Parham, Giovanni Lago, Brendan Hodges, Tom O'Brien, and I are here to discuss and review the latest film from Academy Award-winning South Korean filmmaking Bong Joon Ho, his much-anticipated follow-up to his historic Best Picture Oscar-winning film, "Parasite," an adaptation of the 2022 sci-fi novel "Mickey 7," titled "Mickey 17," starring Robert Pattinson, Naomi Ackie, Steven Yeun, Toni Collette, and Mark Ruffalo. After numerous delays, clashes with Warner Bros., and the highest budget Bong has ever had to work with, the film had a ton of skepticism heading into it but received positive reviews following its world premiere at the Berlin International Film Festival. What did we think of it? Please tune in as we discuss the performances, themes, filmmaking, and more in our SPOILER-FILLED review. Thank you for listening, and enjoy!

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