Next Best Picture Podcast

"28 Years Later: The Bone Temple" is a 2026 post-apocalyptic horror film directed by Nia DaCosta and written by Alex Garland. It was shot back-to-back with its predecessor, "28 Years Later," and is the fourth installment in the "28 Days Later" film series. The film stars Ralph Fiennes, Jack O'Connell, Alfie Williams, Erin Kellyman, and Chi Lewis-Parry. Much like "28 Years Later," the film has received acclaim from critics, with praise for Fiennes' and O'Connell's performances, Garland's writing, and DaCosta's direction, with some believing it to be superior to its predecessor. DaCosta and O'Connell were both kind enough to spend some time speaking with us about their work and experiences making 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. 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

"F1" (marketed as "F1: The Movie") is an American sports drama film starring Brad Pitt as Formula One (F1) racing driver Sonny Hayes, who returns after a 30-year absence to save his former teammate's underdog team, APXGP, from collapse. The film was directed by Joseph Kosinski and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer with a screenplay by Ehren Kruger, following their previous collaboration on "Top Gun: Maverick." The film received positive reviews from critics, became the ninth-highest-grossing film of 2025, and grossed $631.5 million worldwide against a $200–300 million budget. As of 2025, the film is also the highest-grossing auto racing film of all time, the highest-grossing film by Apple Studios, and the highest-grossing film of Pitt's career. The Next Best Picture team was lucky enough to spend some time speaking with various members of the production over the last couple of weeks, including editor Stephen Mirrione, the sound team, which consists of Supervising sound editors Al Nelson and Gwendolyn Yates Whittl

"Sound Of Falling" is a German drama film co-written and directed by Mascha Schilinski. Starring Hanna Heckt, Lena Urzendowsky, Laeni Geiseler, Susanne Wuest, Luise Heyer, and Lea Drinda, it follows four generations of girls connected by a farm in the Altmark region of Germany. The film premiered in competition at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, where it won the Jury Prize. It has been selected as the German entry for Best International Feature Film at the upcoming 98th Academy Awards, making the Oscar shortlist for that category, as well as for Best Cinematography by Fabian Gamper. Mascha Schilinski was kind enough to spend some time talking 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 playing in theaters from MUBI and is up for your consideration for the 98th Academy Awards in all eligible categories. Thank you, and enjoy! Check out more on NextBestPicture.com Please subscribe on... Apple Podcasts - https://i

"Sirāt" is the new film from filmmaker Óliver Laxe, starring Sergi López as a father in search of his missing daughter, along with his son and a group of ravers in the deserts of southern Morocco. The film had its world premiere in the main competition of the 78th Cannes Film Festival, where it won the Jury Prize. At the 83rd Golden Globe Awards, it was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film and Best Original Score. It was also selected as the Spanish submission for Best International Feature Film at the 98th Academy Awards, making the shortlist alongside Best Casting, Cinematography, Original Score, and Sound. Sound Designer Laia Casanovas and Composer Kangding Ray were both kind enough to spend some time talking 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 playing in theaters from NEON and is up for your consideration for the 98th Academy Awards in all eligible categories. Thank you, and enjoy! Check out more

"The Ugly Stepsister" is a 2025 satirical black comedy, body horror film written and directed by Emilie Blichfeldt in her directorial debut. Drawing on the fairy tale "Cinderella," it retells a twisted tale of Elvira, who competes with her beautiful stepsister in a bloody battle for beauty. The film had its world premiere as the opening film of the Midnight section of the 2025 Sundance Film Festival and has been shortlisted for Best Makeup & Hairstyling at the 98th Academy Awards. Hair & Makeup Designer Anne Catherine Sauerberg and Prosthetic Makeup Effects Designer Thomas Foldberg were both kind enough to spend some time talking 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 Shudder from Independent Film Company. 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

"Wicked: For Good" is a musical fantasy sequel directed by Jon M. Chu that adapts the second act of the "Wicked" stage musical, itself inspired by Gregory Maguire's reimagining of "The Wizard of Oz." Starring returning cast members Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, and others, the film follows Elphaba and Glinda as they embrace their identities as the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good. Developed over a decade and split into two films to preserve the story's depth, production faced delays due to the pandemic and the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike. Released by Universal Pictures in November 2025, the film grossed $523 million worldwide, earned awards recognition from the Critics' Choice Awards and the Golden Globes, and was named one of the top ten films of the year by both the National Board of Review and the American Film Institute. Ever since its release, the Next Best Picture team has been conducting a series of interviews with many people involved in the making of the film, which we're proud

"Song Sung Blue" is an American biographical musical drama film written, co-produced, and directed by Craig Brewer. It is based on the 2008 documentary film of the same name by Greg Kohs and stars Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson as Mike and Claire Sardina, who performed as the Neil Diamond tribute band Lightning & Thunder. The film had its world premiere at the AFI Film Festival, where it received positive reviews, especially for Kate Hudson's performance, with many calling it the best of her career. She has been nominated for the Golden Globe Award and the Actor Award for Best Lead Actress for her performance in the film. Hudson was kind enough to spend some time talking 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 playing in theaters from Focus Features. 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/

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 Following the airing of the 3rd annual Golden Globe Awards on CBS, Daniel Howat, Ema Sasic & Dan Bayer hopped on the podcast to deliver their immediate reactions to the winners from the evening, celebrating the best in film and television for 2025. How did the wins and speeches help shape the Oscar race? What did they think of Nikki Glazer's return to hosting the ceremony? There's plenty to discuss as awards season continues and Oscar voting begins today, with the nominations announcement looming 10 days away. Please tune in as they discuss these points and more in this special, exclusive Patreon episode. 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

For Episode 474, Katie Johnson, Cody Dericks, Megan Lachinski, and Tom O'Brien join me for this exciting episode to discuss the Critics' Choice Award winners, give our predictions for the Golden Globe Awards, and discuss the fallout of the Actor/PGA/DGA nominations and the BAFTA Longlists as we get closer to the Oscar nominations. For last week's poll, we asked "Which Film Are You Most Looking Forward To In 2026?" And for this week's poll, for the release of "28 Years Later: The Bone Temple," we ask, "Which Is Your Favorite Ralph Fiennes Performance?" We also give our reactions to the trailers for "The Death Of Robin Hood" and "Undertone," answer your fan-submitted questions, and more. Thank you all for listening, supporting, and subscribing. Enjoy as this year's awards season continues. 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/7IMIzpYehTqeUa1d9E

For this week's main podcast review, Dan Bayer, Giovanni Lago, and Tom O'Brien join me to discuss the killer monkey horror movie "Primate," starring Johnny Sequoyah, Jessica Alexander, and Academy Award winner Troy Kotsur. Directed by Johannes Roberts, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Ernest Riera, the film had its world premiere at Fantastic Fest 2025, where it received positive reviews for its gore effects, the decision to have the rabid chimpanzee portrayed by an actor in a costume rather than created through CGI, and its effective handling of tone with a brisk runtime. What did we think of it though? Please tune in as we discuss these elements 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/UCWA7KiotcWmH

"The Voice Of Hind Rajab" is a docudrama film written and directed by Kaouther Ben Hania. It follows the Red Crescent response to the killing of Hind Rajab, a five-year-old Palestinian girl, by the Israel Defense Forces during the Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip. It stars Saja Kilani, Motaz Malhees, Amer Hlehel, and Clara Khoury. The film had its world premiere in the main competition of the 82nd Venice International Film Festival, where it won the Grand Jury Prize and other six parallel prizes. It has been selected as the Tunisian entry for the Best International Feature Film at the 98th Academy Awards, earning a spot on the Oscar shortlist. At the 83rd Golden Globe Awards, it was nominated for Best Non-English Language Film. Ben Hania was kind enough to spend some time talking 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 playing in theaters from Willa. Thank you, and enjoy! Check out more on NextBestPicture.com

"Familiar Touch" is an independent drama film, written and directed by Sarah Friedland, that stars Kathleen Chalfant as an octogenarian woman transitioning to assisted living, contending with her relationship to herself and her caregivers as she navigates cognitive decline. Billed as a coming of (old) age film, it had its world premiere at the 81st Venice International Film Festival in 2024, where it won the Lion of the Future and the Orizzonti section Best Director and Best Actress prizes. Friedland and Chalfant were both kind enough to spend some time talking 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 rent and own from Music Box Films. 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 - http

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 It's been many years since our last review for "Stranger Things" on the Next Best Picture Podcast. Our Season 4 review went up on July 6th, 2022, and we are here now, all these years later, to discuss the entirety of the final season of Netflix's flagship, global phenomenon of a show. Tune is as we break down Vol I, Vol II, and the still-discussed finale of one of the biggest shows on the planet. Did the ending meet our expectations? What do we think of the performances, the visual effects, the storytelling, and the character arcs for these beloved characters we've been following for nearly a decade? For this epic, final deep dive into the Duffer Brothers' creation, I have Amy Kim, Giovanni Lago, and Daniel Howat joining me to discuss these elements, its Emmy awards season chances, and more in our review. Please take a listen below as

For Episode 473, Cody Dericks, Lauren LaMagna, and Dan Bayer join me for this very quick episode on the morning of the Critics' Choice Awards, to give our predictions for what we feel is going to win at tonight's awards ceremony, and what will be nominated for the SAG/PGA/DGA awards this week. We also discuss our most anticipated films of 2026, which is this week's poll: "Which Film Are You Most Looking Forward To In 2026?" We also reveal the winner of last week's poll, for the end of the 2025 film year, "Which Is Your Favorite Film Of 2025?" There are no trailers to discuss this week, but we do answer your fan-submitted questions, and more. Thank you all for listening, supporting, and subscribing. We really appreciate it, even with a breezier episode than usual this week! We'll see you next week to discuss all of these awards, BAFTA Longlists, Golden Globes, and more! Enjoy as this year's awards season continues. Check out more on NextBestPicture.com Please subscribe on... Apple Podcasts - https://i

For this week's main podcast review, Sara Clements, Josh Parham, and Cody Dericks join me to discuss the feature directorial debut from Charlie Polinger, "The Plague" starring Everett Blunck, Kayo Martin, Kenny Rasmussen & Joel Edgerton. The film follows a socially anxious 12-year-old boy, who is pulled into a cruel tradition at an all-boys water polo camp. The film had its world premiere in the Un Certain Regard section of the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, where it received positive reviews for its writing, direction, performances, and psychologically horrifying craftsmanship. What did we think of this independent film? Please tune in as we discuss these elements, how it brought back a flood of traumatic childhood memories for all of us, 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 -

"We Bury The Dead" is a zombie-survival thriller written and directed by Zak Hilditch, starring Daisy Ridley as a desperate woman searching for her husband in the aftermath of a catastrophic military experiment. Hoping to find him alive, Ava joins a "body retrieval unit," but her search takes a chilling turn when the corpses she's burying start showing signs of life. The film had its world premiere at the 2025 South by Southwest Film & TV Festival and received positive reviews for its premise and Ridley's performance. Ridley was kind enough to spend some time talking 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 playing in theaters from Vertical Entertainment. 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 -

Mike Flanagan knows horror. Any fan of the genre will tell you that he's one of the most exciting directors working today, creating haunting and uniquely terrifying films like "Oculus," "Gerald's Game," and "Doctor Sleep," not to mention his many Netflix series, including "The Haunting of Hill House" and "The Fall of the House of Usher." His latest film, "The Life of Chuck," may therefore seem like a bit of a departure. It doesn't explicitly aim to scare viewers in the ways that they might expect from a Flanagan production. But as the filmmaker himself would explain, it's a logical continuation of the kinds of stories he likes to explore. Namely, it concerns itself with big thematic topics, like the impact of one person on others and the peculiarities of living a finite existence. It's a moving, expansive film that has the capacity to horrify, stun, and affect its audience just as much as anything he's made before, even if it has no broken-neck ghosts or bathtub-dwelling ghouls. Mike Flanagan was kind enough

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, Ema Sasic and Dan Bayer join me to discuss the latest film from Craig Brewer, "Song Sung Blue" starring Hugh Jackman, Kate Hudson, Michael Imperioli, Ella Anderson, Fisher Stevens, Jim Belushi, King Princess, Mustafa Shakir, Hudson Hensley & John Beckwith. Based on the 2008 documentary film of the same name by Greg Kohs, the film follows Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson as Mike and Claire Sardina, who performed as the Neil Diamond tribute band Lightning & Thunder before their lives took an unexpected turn for the worse. The film premiered at the 2025 AFI Festival to positive reviews, but what did we think of it? Please tune in as we discuss the performances, the tone, music, story, craftsmanship, its awards season chances, and more in our SPOILER-FILLED review. Thank you for listening, and enjoy! C

"The Smashing Machine" is a biographical sports drama film written, directed, produced, and edited by Benny Safdie, starring Golden Globe nominee Dwayne Johnson as former amateur wrestler and MMA fighter Mark Kerr, alongside Academy Award nominee Emily Blunt as Kerr's girlfriend Dawn Staples. The film had its world premiere in the main competition of the 82nd Venice International Film Festival, where it won the Silver Lion and received positive reviews for the performances, notably for Johnson's transformational work, brought to life by multi Academy Award-winning prosthetics designer Kazu Hiro. Johnson, Blunt, and Hiro were all kind enough to spend some time speaking with me, Cody Dericks, and Dan Bayer, respectively, about their work and experiences making the film, which you can listen to below. Please be sure to check out the film, which is now available to rent or own digitally from A24 and is up for your consideration in all eligible categories for this year's Academy Awards. Thank you, and enjoy! Ch

For Episode 472, Nadia Dalimonte, Josh Parham, and Dan Bayer join me to say goodbye to the year 2025 at the movies as we discuss our favorite films, performances, moments, scenes, and experiences in this special recap episode ahead of the New Year. For this week's poll, for the end of the year, we're asking everyone: "Which Is Your Favorite Film Of 2025?" We also reveal the winner of last week's poll, for the release of Mona Fastvold's "The Testament Of Ann Lee," where we asked "Which Is Your Favorite Amanda Seyfried Performance?" In addition, we share our reactions to the trailers for "The Odyssey," "Apex," "Nirvanna The Band The Show The Movie," answer your fan-submitted questions, and more. Thank you all for listening, supporting, and subscribing. We really appreciate it and wish you all a happy New Year this week with your family, friends, and loved ones! Enjoy! Check out more on NextBestPicture.com Please subscribe on... Apple Podcasts - https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/negs-best-film-podcast