Next Best Picture Podcast

For Episode 449, Katie Johnson, Dan Bayer, Cody Dericks, and I are here to discuss our first Oscar Predictions of the year in the above-the-line categories. We tie this conversation into last week's poll results, as we asked, "Which Possible Oscar Contenders Are You Most Looking Forward To For The Rest Of 2025?" For the release of James Gunn's "Superman," for this week's poll, we ask, "Which is Your Favorite DC Comics Film?" We also share our reactions to the trailers for "Sentimental Value," "Project Hail Mary," "The Running Man," "Relay," and "Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale," answer your fan-submitted questions, and more! Thank you all for listening, supporting, and subscribing. We look forward to seeing you all again next week, as we'll start turning our eyes toward the upcoming fall film festivals. Check out more on NextBestPicture.com Please subscribe on... Apple Podcasts - https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/negs-best-film-podcast/id1087678387?mt=2 Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/7I

For this week's main podcast review, Ema Sasic, Josh Parham & Lauren LaMagna join me to review and discuss the newest entry in the "Jurassic World/Park" franchise, "Jurassic World Rebirth," starring Scarlett Johansson, Mahershala Ali, Jonathan Bailey, Rupert Friend, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo & Ed Skrein. With a whole new cast, Gareth Edwards directing, and mutated dinosaurs, the franchise is receiving a number of new elements to re-energize itself, but does it work? Or is it time for this once great franchise to go extinct? Please tune in as we discuss the story, performances, characters, thrilling action sequences, Alexandre Desplat's score, the future of the franchise, its awards season chances, and more in our SPOILER-FILLED review. Thank you for listening, and enjoy! Check out more on NextBestPicture.com Please subscribe on... Apple Podcasts - https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/negs-best-film-podcast/id1087678387?mt=2 Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/7IMIzpYehTqeUa1d9EC4jT YouTube - https

"This Is Spinal Tap" (1984), also known as "This Is Spın̈al Tap: A Rockumentary by Martin Di Bergi," is a mockumentary comedy directed by the legendary Rob Reiner in his feature debut and co-written with stars Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, and Harry Shearer, who play members of the fictional heavy metal band Spinal Tap, hilariously dubbed "one of England's loudest bands." Satirizing rock star excess and the earnest style of classic rock documentaries, the largely improvised film earned critical acclaim, modest box office returns, and later a devoted cult following that cemented its status as a landmark of the mockumentary genre and the source of the iconic phrase "Up to eleven." Selected for preservation by the Library of Congress in 2002, the film will finally get a sequel, "Spinal Tap II: The End Continues," with Reiner, Guest, McKean, and Shearer reuniting for one last concert in September 2025. Director Rob Reiner was kind enough to speak with us about his work and experience making the film, which y

"The Old Guard 2" is a sequel to 2020's "The Old Guard" starring Charlize Theron, KiKi Layne, Matthias Schoenaerts, Marwan Kenzari, Luca Marinelli, Veronica Ngô, and Chiwetel Ejiofor reprising their roles from the first film while Henry Golding and Uma Thurman join the cast. Director Victoria Mahoney was kind enough to speak 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 is now streaming on Netflix. Thank you, and enjoy! Check out more on NextBestPicture.com Please subscribe on... Apple Podcasts - https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/negs-best-film-podcast/id1087678387?mt=2 Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/7IMIzpYehTqeUa1d9EC4jT YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWA7KiotcWmHiYYy6wJqwOw And be sure to help support us on Patreon for as little as $1 a month at https://www.patreon.com/NextBestPicture and listen to this podcast ad-free Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"Jurassic World Rebirth" is a standalone sequel to "Jurassic World Dominion" (2022), the fourth "Jurassic World" film and the seventh installment overall in the "Jurassic Park franchise." With a whole new cast and shot on 35mm using anamorphic lenses, the film from director Gareth Edwards is an attempt to harken back to what thrilled audiences most about the original movie. Before the film's world premiere, Edwards was kind enough to speak 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 nationwide from Universal Pictures. Thank you, and enjoy! Check out more on NextBestPicture.com Please subscribe on... Apple Podcasts - https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/negs-best-film-podcast/id1087678387?mt=2 Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/7IMIzpYehTqeUa1d9EC4jT YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWA7KiotcWmHiYYy6wJqwOw And be sure to help support us on Patreon for as little as $1

"40 Acres" had its world premiere at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival, where it received positive reviews for Danielle Deadwyler's performance, the tension and action created by R.T. Thorne, and the supporting performances by the rest of the cast, including Michael Greyeyes. The film follows a family of African American descendants who settled in rural Canada in 1875, after the American Civil War, and are now fighting for their survival amid a post-apocalyptic world two hundred years later. Thorne and Deadwyler were both kind enough to speak 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 scheduled to be released in theaters by Magnolia Pictures on July 2nd, 2025. Thank you, and enjoy! Check out more on NextBestPicture.com Please subscribe on... Apple Podcasts - https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/negs-best-film-podcast/id1087678387?mt=2 Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/7IMIzpYehTqeUa1d9EC4jT

"Heads Of State" is the new action-comedy from director Ilya Naishuller ("Hardcore Henry" and "Nobody"), starring John Cena and Idris Elba, two world leaders who must set aside their rivalry to thwart a global conspiracy after becoming targets of a ruthless foreign adversary. Co-starring Priyanka Chopra, Jack Quaid, Paddy Considine, Stephen Root, and Carla Gugino, the film features numerous laughs and elaborate action set pieces for your friends and family to enjoy over the Fourth of July weekend. Naishuller was kind enough to speak 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 scheduled to be released on Amazon Prime Video on July 2nd, 2025. Thank you, and enjoy! Check out more on NextBestPicture.com Please subscribe on... Apple Podcasts - https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/negs-best-film-podcast/id1087678387?mt=2 Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/7IMIzpYehTqeUa1d9EC4jT YouTube - https://www.youtube.c

For Episode 448, Nadia Dalimonte, Sara Clements, Alyssa Christian, Will Mavity, and I are here to discuss our Midyear Oscar Winners and our most anticipated Oscar contenders from the second half of 2025. We tie this conversation into this week's poll as we ask, "Which Possible Oscar Contenders Are You Most Looking Forward To For The Rest Of 2025?" We also reveal the winner of last week's poll, where we asked, "Which Is The Best Film Of 2025 So Far?" We also share our reactions to the trailers for "Bugonia," "Roofman," "Eden," and "Splitsville," answer your fan-submitted questions and more! Thank you all for listening, supporting, and subscribing. We look forward to seeing you all again next week as we'll start turning a specific eye toward the upcoming fall film festivals. Check out more on NextBestPicture.com Please subscribe on... Apple Podcasts - https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/negs-best-film-podcast/id1087678387?mt=2 Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/7IMIzpYehTqeUa1d9EC4jT YouTube

For this week's main podcast review, Katie Johnson, Giovanni Lago, Joselyn Safadi, Brendan Hodges & Will Mavity join me to review and discuss the newest film from Joseph Kosinski, "F1" (Or "F1 The Movie" depending on who you ask) starring Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Tobias Menzies & Javier Bardem. Set in the world of Formula One racing, Kosinski and producer Jerry Bruckheimer aim to deliver the most authentic and immersive racing movie ever made while retaining the magic that made their last collaboration, "Top Gun: Maverick," such a success. What did we think of it? Please tune in as we discuss the story, performances, racing sequences, Hans Zimmer's score, its awards season chances, and more in our SPOILER-FILLED review. Thank you for listening, and enjoy! Check out more on NextBestPicture.com Please subscribe on... Apple Podcasts - https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/negs-best-film-podcast/id1087678387?mt=2 Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/7IMIzpYehTqeUa1d9EC4jT YouTube - h

"Sorry, Baby" had its world premiere at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival, where it won the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award and received ecstatic reviews for Eva Victor, making her feature directorial debut (she also wrote and stars in the film). Following its screening at the Cannes Film Festival in the Directors' Fortnight section, Victor was kind enough to speak 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 select theaters from A24 on June 27th. Thank you, and enjoy! Check out more on NextBestPicture.com Please subscribe on... Apple Podcasts - https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/negs-best-film-podcast/id1087678387?mt=2 Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/7IMIzpYehTqeUa1d9EC4jT YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWA7KiotcWmHiYYy6wJqwOw And be sure to help support us on Patreon for as little as $1 a month at https://www.patreon.com/NextBestPicture and listen to this podcast ad-free Le

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 memorable summer blockbusters of that year, J. J. Abrams's reboot of "Star Trek" starring a whole new cast including John Cho, Ben Cross, Bruce Greenwood, Simon Pegg, Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Winona Ryder, Zoe Saldaña, Karl Urban, Anton Yelchin, Eric Bana, and the returning Leonard Nimoy. Seen as a success the year it was released, it spawned two sequels and renewed interest in "Star Trek" as a franchise, which continues on television to this day. But how has this particular film aged in the 16 years since? Please join Josh Parham & Dan Bayer, and me as we discuss the cast, their performances, Abrams's direction, the story's themes, the visual effects, Michael Giacchino's score, its awards season run, and more in our SPOILER-FILLED review. We appreciate your support and hope you

"Hot Milk" is a drama film written and directed by Rebecca Lenkiewicz (making her directorial debut) based on the 2016 novel by Deborah Levy. The film was selected in Competition at the 75th Berlin International Film Festival, where it competed for the Golden Bear. It tells the story of a mother (Fiona Shaw) with a strange illness and her daughter (Emma Mackey) embarking on a journey to the Spanish coast to find a cure. Lenkiewicz and Shaw were kind enough to speak 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 nationwide in theaters from Independent Film Company on June 27th. Thank you, and enjoy! Check out more on NextBestPicture.com Please subscribe on... Apple Podcasts - https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/negs-best-film-podcast/id1087678387?mt=2 Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/7IMIzpYehTqeUa1d9EC4jT YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWA7KiotcWmHiYYy6wJqwOw And be sure to help

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, Cody Dericks, and Brendan Hodges join me to review and discuss the latest film from Academy Award-winning Director Danny Boyle and Academy Award-nominated Screenwriter Alex Garland, "28 Years Later," starring Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Jack O'Connell, Alfie Williams & Ralph Fiennes. The much-anticipated sequel to Boyle and Garland's 2002 genre-redefining horror film "28 Days Later," the film has been met with much enthusiasm and some spirited discussion regarding tone, themes, and franchise direction as it paves the way for a second film coming in January 2026 from Nia DaCosta and a potential third which would see Boyle return to direct. What did we think of it? Please tune in as we discuss the story, performances, Boyle's iPhone-shot direction, Garland's world-building, the d

"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 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. Creator, Executive Producer, Showrunner, and Writer Debora Cahn was kind enough to spend some time speaking with us about her experience working on the second season, 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! Check out more on NextBestPicture.com Please subscribe on... Apple Podcasts - https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/negs-best-film-podcast/id1087678387?mt=2 Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/7IMIzpYehTqeUa1d9EC4jT YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWA7KiotcWmHiYYy6wJqwOw And be sure to he

"Presumed Innocent" is an American legal thriller television series created by David E. Kelley, based on the 1987 novel of the same name by Scott Turow. The book was previously adapted into the 1990 film starring Harrison Ford and Brian Dennehy. The series premiered on Apple TV+ last summer and received positive reviews, which led to the series being renewed for a second season. Peter Sarsgaard, who plays Tommy Molto, was kind enough to speak with us about his 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! Check out more on NextBestPicture.com Please subscribe on... Apple Podcasts - https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/negs-best-film-podcast/id1087678387?mt=2 Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/7IMIzpYehTqeUa1d9EC4jT YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWA7KiotcWmHiYYy6wJqwOw And be sure to help support us on Patreon for as little as $1 a month at https://www.patre

"Squid Game" is one of the most popular shows in the world. The first season of the South Korean series was a ginormous success for Netflix and became a pop culture phenomenon. The second season dared to go even bigger, bringing back Emmy Award-winner Lee Jung-jae as Seong Gi-hun as he sets out to end the games and the Front Man, played by Lee Byung-hun. Both Lee Jung-jae and Lee Byung-hun, along with Emmy Award-winning series director Hwang Dong-hyuk, were all kind enough to spend some time speaking with us about their work on the second season, 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! Check out more on NextBestPicture.com Please subscribe on... Apple Podcasts - https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/negs-best-film-podcast/id1087678387?mt=2 Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/7IMIzpYehTqeUa1d9EC4jT YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWA7KiotcWmHiYYy6wJqwOw And be sure to help su

For Episode 447, Lauren LaMagna, Dan Bayer, Katie Johnson, Sara Clements, and I are here to discuss which films are our favorites from the first half of 2025 and which we deem to be realistic Oscar contenders. We tie this conversation into this week's poll as we ask, "Which Is The Best Film Of 2025 So Far?" We also reveal the winner of last week's poll for the release of "28 Years Later," where we asked, "Which Is Your Favorite Danny Boyle Film?" We also give our reactions to the trailer for "Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere," answer your fan-submitted questions, and more! Thank you all for listening, supporting, and subscribing. We know the world is a scary place at the moment, but we sincerely hope you enjoy this episode and the show overall as we do our best to provide you comfort during these difficult and uncertain times. We'll see you all again next week. Check out more on NextBestPicture.com Please subscribe on... Apple Podcasts - https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/negs-best-film-podcast/

For this week's main podcast review, Josh Parham, Alyssa Christian, Cody Dericks & Daniel Howat join me to review and discuss the newest Pixar film, "Elio," starring Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldaña, Remy Edgerly, Brandon Moon, Brad Garrett & Jameela Jamil. With a long and troubled production that resulted in multiple directors and screenwriters being accredited, the original animated film has finally been released in theaters. Now we're left wondering how it compares to the best Pixar has had to offer. Please tune in as we discuss the themes, characters, voice performances, animation, score, awards season chances, and more in our SPOILER-FILLED review. Thank you for listening, and enjoy! Check out more on NextBestPicture.com Please subscribe on... Apple Podcasts - https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/negs-best-film-podcast/id1087678387?mt=2 Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/7IMIzpYehTqeUa1d9EC4jT YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWA7KiotcWmHiYYy6wJqwOw And be sure to help support u

"American Primeval" is an American Western television miniseries created and written by Mark L. Smith and directed by Peter Berg. Starring Taylor Kitsch, Betty Gilpin, Dane DeHaan, Jai Courtney, and Shea Whigham, the series is set in 1857 during the Utah War and received positive reviews when it premiered earlier this year in January. Berg 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 series, which is now available to stream in full on Netflix. Thank you, and enjoy! Check out more on NextBestPicture.com Please subscribe on... Apple Podcasts - https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/negs-best-film-podcast/id1087678387?mt=2 Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/7IMIzpYehTqeUa1d9EC4jT YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWA7KiotcWmHiYYy6wJqwOw And be sure to help support us on Patreon for as little as $1 a month at https://www.patreon.com/NextBestPicture and listen to this podcast ad-free Lea

"Social Studies" is an American documentary series Lauren Greenfield created, directed, and produced. It follows teenagers over a school year in Los Angeles, exploring how the generation has grown up online. It premiered at the 51st Telluride Film Festival to positive reviews and later aired on FX in September 2024. Greenfield 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 in full on Disney+ and Hulu. Thank you, and enjoy! Check out more on NextBestPicture.com Please subscribe on... Apple Podcasts - https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/negs-best-film-podcast/id1087678387?mt=2 Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/7IMIzpYehTqeUa1d9EC4jT YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWA7KiotcWmHiYYy6wJqwOw And be sure to help support us on Patreon for as little as $1 a month at https://www.patreon.com/NextBestPicture and listen to this podcast ad-free Learn m