Next Best Picture Podcast

"One Battle After Another" is an American black comedy action-thriller film produced, written, and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson. It is inspired by the 1990 novel "Vineland" by Thomas Pynchon and features an ensemble cast led by Leonardo DiCaprio, with Sean Penn, Benicio del Toro, Regina Hall, Teyana Taylor, and Chase Infiniti (in her film debut). The story follows an ex-revolutionary who is forced back into his former life of violence when a corrupt military officer pursues him and his daughter. With a budget of $130–175 million, it is the most expensive film of Anderson's career. It garnered widespread acclaim and numerous accolades. These include three wins at the 31st Critics' Choice Awards (including Best Picture), four wins at the 83rd Golden Globes (including Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy), one win and a record seven nominations at the 32nd Actor Awards (including Outstanding Performance by a Cast), six wins at the 79th British Academy Film Awards (including Best Film), and thirteen nominations at the 98th Academy Awards (including Best Picture). The American Film Institute also listed the film among the top ten films of 2025, and it won five awards from the National Board of Review (including Best Film), as well as Best Picture prizes from the New York Film Critics Circle, the Los Angeles Film Critics Association, and the National Society of Film Critics. Teyana Taylor and cinematographer Michael Bauman were kind enough to spend some time speaking with Next Best Picture Owner & Editor In Chief Matt Neglia. Ema Sasic spoke with Chase Infiniti, and Brendan Hodges spoke with the film's editor, Andy Jurgensen. You can listen to all of these interviews below. Please be sure to check out the film, which is now available to watch at home on 4K UHD from Warner Bros. Pictures and is up for your consideration for the 98th Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Director (Anderson), Best Actor (DiCaprio), Best Supporting Actor (Del Toro and Penn), Best Supporting Actress (Taylor), Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Casting, Best Cinematography, Best Film Editing, Best Production Design, Best Original Score, and Best Sound. 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

"Sinners" is an American horror film produced, written, and directed by Ryan Coogler. Set in 1932 in the Mississippi Delta, the film stars Michael B. Jordan in dual roles as identical twin criminal brothers who return to their hometown in the Jim Crow South, where they are confronted by a supernatural evil. It co-stars Hailee Steinfeld, Miles Caton (in his film debut), Jack O'Connell, Wunmi Mosaku, Jayme Lawson, Omar Benson Miller, and Delroy Lindo. The film has received critical acclaim and was a commercial success, grossing $369 million worldwide on a $90–100 million budget. In addition, the National Board of Review and the American Film Institute listed it among the top 10 films of 2025. The film garnered several awards and nominations, including a record 16 nominations at the 98th Academy Awards and 13 at the 79th British Academy Film Awards, with Coogler winning the award for Best Original Screenplay at the latter. The film also earned record-breaking nominations and wins at the 57th NAACP Image Awards, scoring 18 nominations and 13 wins, including the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Motion Picture. It also earned four wins at the 31st Critics' Choice Awards, two wins at the 83rd Golden Globe Awards (including Cinematic and Box Office Achievement), and two wins at the 32nd Actor Awards (including Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture). Delroy Lindo and the film's visual effects team (VFX Producer James Alexander and VFX Supervisor Michael Ralla) were kind enough to spend some time speaking with Will Mavity, while Nadia Dalimonte got the chance to speak with Wunmi Mosaku, Giovanni Lago spoke with Miles Caton, and Next Best Picture Owner & Editor In Chief Matt Neglia had the opportunity to speak with cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw and the film's sound team (Production Sound Mixer Chris Welcker, Supervising Sound Editor Benny Burtt, and Re-Recording Mixers Brandon Proctor & Steve Boedderker). You can listen to all of the interviews below. Please be sure to check out the film, which is now available to watch at home from Warner Bros. Pictures and is up for your consideration for the 98th Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Director (Coogler), Best Actor (Michael B. Jordan), Best Supporting Actor (Lindo), Best Supporting Actress (Mosaku), Best Original Screenplay, Best Casting, Best Cinematography, Best Costume Design, Best Film Editing, Best Makeup & Hairstyling, Best Production Design, Best Original Score, Best Original Song ("I Lied To You"), Best Sound and Best Visual Effects. 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

"In The Blink Of An Eye" is an American science fiction drama film directed by Andrew Stanton and written by Colby Day, starring Kate McKinnon, Rashida Jones, and Daveed Diggs. The film depicts three interconnected stories exploring the history of the world. The first story is set in prehistoric times (about 45,000 years ago), the second story is set in the present day with a research scientist, and the third story takes place in the future aboard a spaceship heading toward the Kepler system. It premiered at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival, where it won the Alfred P. Sloan Prize. Stanton was kind enough to spend some time speaking with us about his work and experience making the film, which you can listen to down below. Please be sure to check out the film, which is now available to stream on Hulu from Searchlight 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 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

"Sentimental Value" is a drama film directed by Joachim Trier, who co-wrote it with Eskil Vogt, following their critically acclaimed, Oscar-nominated hit "The Worst Person In The World." Their latest follows sisters Nora (Renate Reinsve) and Agnes (Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas) as they reunite with their estranged father, Gustav (Stellan Skarsgård), a film director looking to make a film with American star Rachel Kemp (Elle Fanning). The film premiered in the main competition of the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, where it received widespread critical acclaim and won the Grand Prix. At the 83rd Golden Globe Awards, it was nominated for Best Motion Picture – Drama, and won Best Supporting Actor for Skarsgård. Joachim Trier, Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas, and film editor Olivier Bugge Couté were all kind enough to spend some time speaking with Next Best Picture Owner & Editor In Chief Matt Neglia, while Ema Sasic got the chance to speak with Renate Reinsve, Elle Fanning, Eskil Vogt, and casting director Yngvill Kolset Haga, and Giovanni Lago had the opportunity to speak with Stellan Skarsgård. You can listen to all of the interviews below. Please be sure to check out the film, now playing in select theaters from NEON. The film is up for your consideration for the 98th Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Director (Trier), Best Actress (Reinsve), Best Supporting Actor (Skarsgård), Best Supporting Actress (Fanning and Lilleaas), Best Original Screenplay, Best Film Editing, and Best International Feature Film. 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

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 Last night, the Actor Awards (SAG-AFTRA) held their 32nd annual ceremony, honoring the best acting in film and television for 2025. For the fourth year in a row, the ceremony was streamed through Netflix. There were some heartfelt tributes and montages, a touching honorary award given to Harrison Ford and some delightful moments featuring Kristen Bell as host. There were some expected winners and slightly unexpected ones, rousing speeches, and a lot of doubt about our final Oscar winner predictions. Joining me for this instant reactions podcast are Dan Bayer, Ema Sasic, Daniel Howatand Alyssa Christian. Please tune in below to listen 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

For Episode 481, Amy Kim, Josh Parham, Dan Bayer, and Ben Langford join me for a jam-packed episode two weeks before the 98th Academy Awards. We discuss the fallout from the BAFTA Awards, including the John Davidson controversy, the seismic news of Paramount purchasing Warner Bros. Discovery, the Producers Guild of America (PGA) winners, along with the American Cinema Editors (ACE), Art Directors Guild (ADG), and Visual Effects Society (VES) award winners this week. We also give our predictions for what we feel will win tonight's Actor Awards and reveal the winners for our 2025 NBP Film Awards (You can see the Community Winners here). For the Actor Awards, in last week's poll, we asked everyone, "Which Was Your Favorite Oscar-Nominated Acting Performance Of 2025?" and now, for this week's poll, with our final Oscar winner predictions episode approaching next week, we're asking, "Which Film Do You Think Should Be The Next Best Picture Oscar Winner?" We also give our reactions to the trailers for "The Christophers," "Hamlet" (Yes, another one), "Mortal Kombat II," answer your fan-submitted questions, and more. Thank you all for listening, supporting, and subscribing. 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

For this week's main podcast review, Katie Johnson, Dan Bayer, and Aaron Isenstein join me to discuss the latest film in the "Scream" franchise, "Scream 7" with Neve Campbell, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Mason Gooding, David Arquette, Matthew Lillard, and Courteney Cox reprising their roles from the previous films, and Isabel May, Anna Camp, Michelle Randolph, Jimmy Tatro, Mckenna Grace, Asa Germann, Celeste O'Connor, Sam Rechner, Mark Consuelos, Tim Simons, and Joel McHale also starring. Following the exit of "Scream" (2022) and "Scream VI" directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett in August 2023, Christopher Landon was hired to direct the film. However, the film underwent creative retooling after the firing of star Melissa Barrera and the departure of Jenna Ortega in late 2023, with Landon also leaving the project. In March 2024, Campbell confirmed her return to the franchise after being absent from the last film, with series creator Kevin Williamson hired to direct the film after serving as writer and producer on the early films in the series. This latest entry follows a new Ghostface killer who targets Sidney Prescott's daughter. After all the controversy surrounding its production, what did we think of the final product? Tune in as we discuss the story, its use of legacy characters, its themes of AI technology and generational trauma, the brutal kills, the franchise's future, 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 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

"Dreams" is a drama film produced, written, and directed by Michel Franco. It follows the secret affair of wealthy socialite Jennifer (Jessica Chastain) with Mexican ballet dancer and undocumented immigrant Fernando (Isaac Hernández). The supporting cast includes Rupert Friend, Marshall Bell, Eligio Meléndez, and Mercedes Hernández. The film had its world premiere in the main competition of the 75th Berlin International Film Festival, where it was nominated for the Golden Bear. Franco, Chastain and Hernández were all kind enough to spend some time speaking with us about their experience and 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 Greenwich 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 - 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

"Hamnet" is a biographical period film directed by Chloé Zhao, who co-wrote the screenplay with Maggie O'Farrell, based on O'Farrell's 2020 novel. The film dramatizes the family life of William Shakespeare and his wife Agnes, as they cope with the death of their 11-year-old son Hamnet. It stars Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal as Agnes and William, alongside Emily Watson, Joe Alwyn, and Noah Jupe in supporting roles. The film had its world premiere at the 52nd Telluride Film Festival and received glowing reviews, with Buckley's performance receiving particular praise. The film has received numerous accolades, including winning the Best Motion Picture – Drama and Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama for Buckley at the 83rd Golden Globe Awards, and eight nominations at the 98th Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director for Zhao, and Best Actress for Buckley. It was listed among the top ten films of 2025 by the American Film Institute. Zhao, Mescal, and composer Max Richter were all kind enough to spend some time speaking with Next Best Picture Owner & Editor In Chief Matt Neglia, while Ema Sasic got the chance to speak with Jacobi Jupe, production designer Fiona Crombie spoke with Dan Bayer, and Cody Dericks had the opportunity to chat with costume designer Malgosia Turzanska. Please be sure to check out the film, now playing in select theaters from Focus Features and available to watch from home. The film is up for your consideration for the 98th Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Casting, Best Costume Design, Best Production Design, and Best Original Score. 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

"Butcher's Stain" is a live-action short film, directed, written by, and starring Meyer Levinson-Blount, co-starring Omar Sameer and Rona Toledano. The film follows Samir, an Arab Israeli working in a supermarket in Tel Aviv, who is accused of tearing down hostage posters in the break room. He sets out to prove his innocence to keep this job that he desperately needs. Since its release, it has been nominated for the Oscar for Best Live Action Short Film at the 98th Academy Awards. Meyer Levinson-Blount was kind enough to spend some time speaking with us about his experience and work on the film, which you can listen to below. Please be sure to check out the film, which is up for your consideration for this year's Academy Awards. 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

"Two People Exchanging Saliva" is a French-language short drama film written and directed by Natalie Musteata and Alexandre Singh. A United States-France co-production, it stars Zar Amir Ebrahimi, Luàna Bajrami, Aurélie Boquien, and Vicky Krieps. It premiered at the 51st Telluride Film Festival, where it received very positive reviews. It has been nominated for the Best Live Action Short Film at the 98th Academy Awards. Musteata and Singh were both kind enough to spend some time speaking with us about their experience and work on the film, which you can listen to below. Please be sure to check out the film, which is now available to watch on YouTube via. The New Yorker, and is up for your consideration for this year's Academy Awards. 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

"The Devil Is Busy" is an American documentary short film, directed by Geeta Gandbhir and Christalyn Hampton, which follows an Atlanta abortion clinic besieged by protesters. Following its world premiere at Doc NYC, producer HBO Documentary Films released the film for streaming, and it has since been nominated for the Best Documentary Short Film at the 98th Academy Awards. Gandbhir and Hampton were both kind enough to spend some time speaking with us about their experience and work on the film, which you can listen to below. Please be sure to check out the film, which is now available to stream on HBO Max and is up for your consideration for this year's Academy Awards. 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

For Episode 480, Nadia Dalimonte, Dan Bayer, Amy Kim, and Will Mavity join me for our annual real-time reactions to the EE BAFTA winners as they're announced online hours before the actual broadcast airs. While we wait for the winners, we go over the Film Independent Spirit Award winners, and give our predictions for what we think will win at the Producers Guild of America (PGA), American Cinema Editors (ACE), Art Directors Guild (ADG), and Visual Effects Society (VES) awards this week. We also reveal your winners for the 2025 NBP Film Community Awards and our own nominations for the 2025 NBP Film Awards. For last week's poll, we asked everyone, "Which Is Your Favorite Film Nominated For An Oscar This Year?" and now for this week's poll, we're asking, "Which Was Your Favorite Oscar-Nominated Acting Performance Of 2025?" We also give our reactions to the trailers for "Toy Story 5," "Lee Cronin's The Mummy," "Normal," "Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man," "Pressure," "Is God Is," "Over Your Dead Body," answer your fan-submitted questions, and more. We have a lot to get to as we look ahead to Oscar winner voting starting on February 26th. Thank you all for listening, supporting, and subscribing. 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

For this week's main podcast review, Katie Johnson, Megan Lachinski, and Ben Langford join me to discuss the latest film from John Patton Ford, "How To Make A Killing," starring Glen Powell, Margaret Qualley, Jessica Henwick, Bill Camp, Zach Woods, Topher Grace & Ed Harris. Loosely inspired by the 1949 British film "Kind Hearts and Coronets" by Robert Hamer and John Dighton, the film tells the fictional story of Becket Redfellow, disowned at birth by his wealthy family, who will stop at nothing (not even murder) to reclaim his inheritance from his many relatives who stand in his way. What did we think of it? Tune in as we discuss the story, its narrative structure, themes, Glen Powell's on-screen magnetism and voice-over narration, the supporting performances from the eclectic cast, 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 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

"How To Make A Killing" is a black comedy thriller film written and directed by John Patton Ford. Following his Sundance directorial debut feature film "Emily The Criminal," Ford gathered the talents of Glen Powell, Margaret Qualley, Jessica Henwick, Bill Camp, Zach Woods, Topher Grace, and Ed Harris to bring his loosely inspired contemporary version of the 1949 British film "Kind Hearts and Coronets" to the big screen. It wasn't always the easiest process (when is making a movie ever easy?), and Ford was kind enough to spend some time speaking with us about his experience and 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 A24. 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

"Kpop Demon Hunters" is an American animated musical fantasy film co-written and directed by Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans, produced by Sony Pictures Animation for Netflix and animated by Sony Pictures Imageworks. Premiering on Netflix over the summer, it became the platform's most-watched original film ever, with over 500 million views, and achieved historic box-office success during limited theatrical runs. The soundtrack broke records with four simultaneous top-ten hits on the Billboard Hot 100 and earned double platinum certification. Widely acclaimed, the film won major honors including Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song at the Critics' Choice and Golden Globe Awards, received Academy Award nominations in the same categories, and won a Grammy for the Oscar-nominated song, "Golden." Singers Ejae, Audrey Nuna, Rei Ami, and filmmakers Kang and Appelhans were all 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 available to stream on Netflix and is up for your consideration for Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song at the 98th Academy Awards. 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

"EPiC: Elvis Presley In Concert" is a documentary film about Elvis Presley directed by Baz Luhrmann, acting as a follow-up to Luhrmann's 2022 biographical film "Elvis." The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, where it received extremely positive reviews from critics for its visual and audio restoration, and an electric look at one of the greatest entertainers of all time, fully in his element, on stage in front of an audience. Luhrmann 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 be released exclusively in IMAX theaters by NEON beginning on February 20th, before being released theatrically to the general public one week later on February 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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, Alyssa Christian, Dan Bayer, Giovanni Lago, and Brendan Hodges join me to discuss the latest feature film from renowned Brazilian filmmaker Kleber Mendonça Filho, "The Secret Agent" starring Wagner Moura, Carlos Francisco, Tânia Maria, Robério Diógenes, Alice Carvalho, Gabriel Leone, Maria Fernanda Cândidom, Hermila Guedes, Isabél Zuaa, and Udo Kier. The film had its world premiere at the main competition of the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, where it received widespread acclaim and became the festival's most awarded film, winning the Best Actor award for Moura, the Best Director award for Mendonça Filho, the Art House Cinema Award, and the FIPRESCI Prize for Best Film. At the 2025 Critics' Choice Awards, it won Best Foreign Language Film; at the 83rd Golden Globe Awards, it became the first Brazilian film nominated for Best Motion Picture – Drama, winning Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama (Wagner Moura) and Best Foreign Language Film. At the 98th Academy Awards, it was nominated for Best Picture, Best Actor for Moura, Best Casting, and Best International Feature Film. With all the awards and success, what did we think of it? Please tune in as we discuss the direction, themes, lead performance by Wagner Moura, the rest of the ensemble, its awards season run, how passionate Brazilian fans are, and more in our SPOILER-FILLED review. Thank you for listening. 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

"Zootopia 2" is an American animated buddy cop comedy film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and the sequel to the Oscar-winning "Zootopia" (2016). Directed by Jared Bush and Byron Howard and written by Bush, the film stars Ginnifer Goodwin, Jason Bateman, Shakira, Idris Elba, Alan Tudyk, Nate Torrence, Don Lake, Bonnie Hunt, and Jenny Slate reprising their roles from the first film, with newcomers Ke Huy Quan, Fortune Feimster, Andy Samberg, David Strathairn, Patrick Warburton, Quinta Brunson, and Danny Trejo joining the cast. The film follows Judy Hopps (Goodwin) and Nick Wilde (Bateman) as they pursue a pit viper named Gary De'Snake (Quan) across Zootopia and try to clear their names after being framed. The film received positive reviews from critics and has grossed $1.830 billion worldwide, becoming the second-highest-grossing animated film of all time, the ninth-highest-grossing film of all time, and the second-highest-grossing film of 2025. The film received nominations for Best Animated Feature at the Golden Globes, Critics' Choice Awards, BAFTAs, and the Academy Awards. It additionally received a nomination for Cinematic and Box Office Achievement at the Golden Globes. Goodwin 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 from Walt Disney Animation Studios and is up for your consideration for Best Animated Feature at the 98th Academy Awards. 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

"Scarlet" is a Japanese animated fantasy action film written and directed by Mamoru Hosoda. Inspired by Shakespeare's tragedy "Hamlet," the film follows the eponymous princess, who can cross time and space on a quest for vengeance after her father is murdered. The film had its world premiere out of competition at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival, where it received positive reviews for its scope and scale, animation, and effects. It was nominated for three Annie Awards: Best Feature (Independent), Best Direction, and Best Writing. Hosoda was kind enough to spend some time speaking with us about his work on the film, his work being shown in IMAX, the unique animation techniques used in the making of this film, what he sees for the future of anime in the U.S. and worldwide, and more, 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! 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

For Episode 479, Dan Bayer and Giovanni Lago join me to discuss the 2026 CDG and MUAHS guild winners this week, and give our predictions for the BAFTA and Film Independent Spirit Award winners. We also reveal your nominations for the 2025 NBP Film Community Awards. For last week's poll, we asked everyone, "Which Was The Best Film From 2025 To Not Receive A Single Oscar Nomination?" and now for this week's poll, we're asking, "Which Is Your Favorite Film Nominated For An Oscar This Year?" We also give our reactions to the trailers for "Omaha" and "Rose Of Nevada," answer your fan-submitted questions, and more. Thank you all for listening, supporting, and subscribing. 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

For this week's main podcast review, Katie Johnson, Josh Parham, Cody Dericks, Giovanni Lago, and Daniel Howat join me to discuss the latest film from Emerald Fennell, "Wuthering Heights," starring Margot Robbie, Jacob Elordi, Hong Chau, Shazad Latif, Alison Oliver, Martin Clunes, and Ewan Mitchell. Adapted from Emily Brontë's 1847 novel, the film is a highly subjective reinterpretation by Fennell and has garnered a wide range of opinions and generated a ton of discourse surrounding the casting and book changes/omissions. What did we think of it? Please tune in as we discuss Fennell's direction, writing, the costumes, production design, cinematography, score, songs by Charli xcx, the performances and chemistry from Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi, its awards season chances, and more in our SPOILER-FILLED review. Thank you for listening. Come undone with us and enjoy (or let it drive you mad). 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

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, Lauren LaMagna, Aaron Isenstein, and Tom O'Brien join me to discuss the debut feature film from Harry Lighton, "Pillion" starring Alexander Skarsgård, Harry Melling, Douglas Hodge, Lesley Sharp, Jake Shears, and Anthony Welsh. The film follows Colin (Harry Melling), a timid gay man, as he starts a BDSM relationship with Ray (Alexander Skarsgård), an enigmatic biker who likes to be the dominant one in the relationship. The film had its world premiere at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival in the Un Certain Regard section, where it received widespread praise from critics, and several award nominations and wins throughout the 2025 awards season. What did we think of it, though? Please tune in as we discuss the writing, performances, depiction of the BDSM world, the ending, its awards season run, how far we would go for Skarsgård's Ray, and more in our SPOILER-FILLED review. Thank you for listening. Submit yourself 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

"Train Dreams" has gone on to become the most celebrated film from the 2025 Sundance Film Festival, with praise going to Bentley's direction, Edgerton's performance, and the cinematography. Among its accolades, the film was named as one of the top ten films of 2025 by both the National Board of Review and the American Film Institute. For his performance, Edgerton was nominated for a Golden Globe Award. It received four nominations at the 98th Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Original Song, and Best Cinematography. Brazilian cinematographer Adolpho Veloso has won the Critics' Choice Award for Best Cinematography and has been nominated for the ASC, BAFTA, Spirit Award, and Oscar for Best Cinematography, becoming the first Brazilian to achieve the latter. Veloso was kind enough to spend some time speaking with us about his work on the film, the experience of awards season, his Brazilian roots, and more, which you can listen to below. Please be sure to check out the film, which is now available to stream on Netflix and is up for your consideration for this year's Academy Awards in all eligible categories, including Best Cinematography. 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

"Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die" is a science fiction action-adventure comedy film directed by Gore Verbinski and written by Matthew Robinson. The film stars Sam Rockwell, Haley Lu Richardson, Michael Peña, Zazie Beetz, Asim Chaudhry, Tom Taylor, and Juno Temple. It tells the story of a man from the future who travels to the past and recruits the patrons of a Los Angeles diner he arrives in to help combat a rogue artificial intelligence. The film premiered at the 2025 Fantastic Fest, where it received positive reviews for its premise, performances, and Verbinski's direction on a smaller budget than what we're used to seeing from him. Verbinski, Rockwell, Lu Richardson, Peña, and Beetz were all 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 will open in theaters on February 13th from Briarcliff 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 - 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

"Crime 101" is a crime thriller film written and directed by Bart Layton. It is based on the 2020 novella of the same name by Don Winslow. The film stars Chris Hemsworth as jewel thief Mike Davis, whose heists along the 101 freeway have left the police baffled. When Mike sets his sights on the ultimate score, his plans intersect with those of insurance broker Sharon Colvin, played by Halle Berry. Detective Lou Lubesnick, played by Mark Ruffalo, believes he has cracked Mike's pattern and is determined to bring him down before the next job. The film also stars Barry Keoghan, Monica Barbaro, Corey Hawkins, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Nick Nolte. Layton was kind enough to spend some time talking 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 February 13th from Amazon MGM Studios. 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

"Cold Storage" is an action-horror-comedy film directed by Jonny Campbell, from a screenplay by David Koepp, based on Koepp's 2019 novel of the same name. The film stars Georgina Campbell, Joe Keery, Sosie Bacon, Vanessa Redgrave, Lesley Manville, and Liam Neeson. It follows a group of characters as they attempt to contain a parasitic fungus that leaks from an abandoned military base. Georgina Campbell, Joe Keery, and Liam Neeson were all 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 will open in theaters on February 13th from Samuel Goldwyn 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 - 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

"Mr. Nobody Against Putin" is a documentary film directed by David Borenstein and Pavel Talankin. It follows Talankin in his job at a school in Karabash, a poor mining town near the Ural Mountains. While recording his students, Talankin also documents the Putin administration's movements to control public perception during the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian war. The film had its world premiere at the World Cinema Documentary section of the 2025 Sundance Film Festival, where it won the Special Jury Award. It was selected as the Danish entry for Best International Feature Film at the 98th Academy Awards, but it was not shortlisted for a nomination. However, it was nominated in the Best Documentary Feature Film category. Borenstein and Talankin 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 select theaters from Kino Lorber. 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

"Nirvanna The Band The Show The Movie" is a Canadian time-travel mockumentary-adventure film directed by Matt Johnson ("BlackBerry") and written by Johnson and Jay McCarrol. The film stars Johnson and McCarrol as fictionalised versions of themselves in a band called "Nirvanna the Band" as they attempt to book a gig at the Rivoli, a bar and restaurant in Toronto, even though they have never actually written or recorded a single song, nor taken any steps to contact the Rivoli's management about booking a show. A new plan to play the Rivoli goes wrong, sending Matt, Jay, and their friend/cameraman Jared back in time to 2008, leaving them stranded unless they can find a way back to the future. The film is based on Johnson and McCarrol's 2007–2009 web series "Nirvana the Band the Show," as well as its 2017–2018 sequel television series "Nirvanna the Band the Show." The film had its world premiere at the 2025 South by Southwest film festival, where it received positive reviews for its premise, humor, performances, writing, and direction with such a small budget. Johnson and McCarrol 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 will open in theaters from NEON on February 13th. 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

"Pillion" is an erotic comedy drama film written and directed by Harry Lighton, based on the 2020 novel "Box Hill" by Adam Mars-Jones. The film stars Harry Melling as a timid gay man and Alexander Skarsgård as an enigmatic biker who starts a BDSM relationship. The film had its world premiere in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, where it won the section's Best Screenplay prize and the Palm Dog for Mutt Moment, alongside nominations for the Caméra d'Or and the Queer Palm. It received widespread praise from critics, receiving several nominations and awards, including two British Independent Film Awards and a Gotham Independent Film Award, as well as three British Academy Film Award nominations. Lighton, Melling, and Skarsgård were all 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 A24. 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

For Episode 478, Ema Sasic, Megan Lachinski, Nadia Dalimonte, Amy Kim, and Lauren LaMagna join me to discuss the 2026 DGA, AACTA, BSC, and SCL winners, and how their wins impact the Oscar race. We also give our predictions for what we believe will win the CDG and MUAHS awards later this week. For last week's poll, with the conclusion of the 2026 Sundance Film Festival, we asked, "Which Film From The 2026 Sundance Film Festival Are You Most Looking Forward To?" And for this week's poll, with the 2025 NBP Film Community Award Ballots going out (Due before February 14th), we're asking, "Which Was The Best Film From 2025 To Not Receive A Single Oscar Nomination?" We also give our reactions to the trailers for "The Devil Wears Prada 2," "Tow," and "Exit 8," answer your fan-submitted questions, and more. Thank you all for listening, supporting, and subscribing. 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

For this week's main podcast review, Dan Bayer and Tom O'Brien join me to discuss the latest film from Óliver Laxe, "Sirāt," starring Sergi López, Bruno Núñez Arjona, Richard Bellamy, Stefania Gadda, Joshua Liam Henderson, Tonin Janvier, and Jade Oukid. Co-written with Santiago Fillol, Laxe's film had its world premiere in the main competition at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, where it won the Jury Prize. It has been nominated at the 98th Academy Awards for Best International Feature Film (Spain) and Best Sound, with Amanda Villavieja, Laia Casanovas, and Yasmina Praderas becoming the first all-female sound team nominated. After months of festival screenings, the film is finally out officially from NEON. What did we think of it? Please tune in as we discuss Laxe's direction, the crazy directions the story takes, the music and overall soundscape, the performances led by López, its awards season run, 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 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

"The President's Cake" is a drama film written and directed by Hasan Hadi, starring Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Sajad Mohamad Qasem, Waheed Thabet Khreibat and Rahim AlHaj. The film had its world premiere at the Directors' Fortnight section of the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, where it won the section's Audience Award and the Caméra d'Or. It was selected as the Iraqi entry for Best International Feature Film at the 98th Academy Awards, making the December shortlist. Hadi 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 Sony Pictures Classics. 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

"The Love That Remains" is a comedy-drama written and directed by Hlynur Pálmason, starring Saga Garðarsdóttir and Sverrir Guðnason. It had its world premiere in the Cannes Premiere section of the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, where the lead animal actor, Panda, won the Palm Dog Award. It was selected as the Icelandic entry for Best International Feature Film at the 98th Academy Awards, but it was not nominated. Pálmason 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 Janus 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 - 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

"My Father's Shadow" is a 2025 drama film directed by Akinola Davies Jr. in his feature-length debut, from a screenplay he co-wrote with his brother, Wale Davies, and starring Gotham Award winner Sope Dirisu. It follows a family reunion during the 1993 Nigerian election. The film had its world premiere at the Un Certain Regard section of the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, becoming the first Nigerian film to be selected for the festival's Official Selection. It won the Special Mention for the Caméra d'Or and was critically acclaimed, receiving numerous awards and nominations, including a British Independent Film Award and two Gotham Independent Film Awards. It was also selected as the UK's entry for Best International Feature Film at the 98th Academy Awards, but it was not nominated. Akinola Davies Jr. 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 MUBI. 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

"Kokuho" It is a 2025 Japanese historical drama film directed by Lee Sang-il and written by Satoko Okudera, based on the 2018 novel of the same name by Shuichi Yoshida, starring Ryo Yoshizawa, Ryusei Yokohama, Mitsuki Takahata, Shinobu Terajima, Min Tanaka, and Ken Watanabe. It had its world premiere in the Directors' Fortnight section of the 78th Cannes Film Festival, where it received positive reviews, particularly for its acting, directing, cinematography, makeup, and hairstyling. It has grossed $125 million in Japan, becoming the all-time highest-grossing Japanese live-action film. It was selected as the Japanese entry for Best International Feature Film, making the December shortlist, and was nominated for Best Makeup and Hairstyling at the 98th Academy Awards. Oscar-nominated actor Ken Watanabe 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 GKIDS. 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

It's that time of the year! It's our annual Sundance Film Festival recap podcast. For the 2026 film festival, and the final one in Park City, Utah, we have Ema Sasic, Cody Dericks, Sara Clements, and Daniel Howat joining me from Next Best Picture. Please take a listen as we reveal our favorite films from the festival and give you all a preview of the best that's to come in 2026. Thank you for listening, as always, 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

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, Sara Clements, Dan Bayer, Lauren LaMagna, and Giovanni Lago join me to discuss the latest film from Park Chan-wook, "No Other Choice" starring Lee Byung-hun, Son Ye-jin, Park Hee-soon, Lee Sung-min, Yeom Hye-ran, and Cha Seung-won. Based on "The Ax" by Donald Westlake, the film premiered in the main competition at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival, where it garnered critical acclaim. At the 83rd Golden Globe Awards, it was nominated for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy, Best Foreign Language Film, and Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy (Lee Byung-hun). It was also selected as South Korea's entry for the Best International Feature Film category at the 98th Academy Awards, making the December shortlist, though it was not nominated. What did we think of it though? Please tune in as we discuss the direction, performances, writing, camerawork, editing, its awards season chances (this was recorded before the Oscar nominations--Sorry!), 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 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

"Send Help" is an American survival horror film produced and directed by Sam Raimi and written by Mark Swift and Damian Shannon. The film stars Rachel McAdams and Dylan O'Brien as an employee and her boss, respectively, who become stranded on a deserted island after a plane crash and attempt to survive while tension rises between them. It is Sam Raimi's first conventional horror/thriller film since 2009's "Drag Me To Hell" and has received positive reviews from critics, and grossed $28 million so far against its $40 million production budget. Raimi was kind enough to spend some time speaking with me during the Sundance Film Festival (while I was sitting on the floor of a hotel hallway trying to avoid the noise of the many people who were around me in attendance) 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 20th Century Studios. 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

For Episode 477, Amy Kim, Josh Parham, Dan Bayer, and Ben Langford join me to discuss the 2026 BAFTA, WGA, and ACE nominations, which we received after this year's Oscar nominations. We also give our predictions for what we believe will win the DGA Awards later this week. For last week's poll, for the Oscar nominations we asked, "Which Oscar Nomination For The 98th Academy Awards Made You The Happiest?" And for this week's poll, with the conclusion of the 2026 Sundance Film Festival, we're asking, "Which Film From The 2026 Sundance Film Festival Are You Most Looking Forward To?" We also give our reactions to the trailer for Boots Riley's "I Love Boosters," answer your fan-submitted questions, and more. Thank you all for listening, supporting, and subscribing. 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

For this week's main podcast review, Katie Johnson, Josh Parham, and Cody Dericks join me to discuss the latest film from Sam Raimi, "Send Help," starring Rachel McAdams, Dylan O'Brien, Edyll Ismail, Xavier Samuel, Chris Pang, and Dennis Haysbert. Written by writers Damian Shannon and Mark Swift, the film finds Raimi back in his wheelhouse for the first time since "Drag Me To Hell," embellishing on the gore, horror and shock value of this two-hander survivor premise. What did we think of it, though? Please tune in as we discuss Raimi's direction, the two performances from McAdams and O'Brien, the practical effects, the wild directions the story takes, 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 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

"A Poet" is a tragicomedy film written, co-produced, and directed by Simón Mesa Soto. An international co-production between Colombia, Germany, and Sweden, the film had its world premiere in the Un Certain Regard section of the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, where it won the section's Jury Prize. The film stars Ubeimar Rios as an obsessed poet who has achieved no glory, is aging, erratic, and has become the cliche of the poet in the shadows. When he meets Yurlady (Rebeca Andrade), a teenage girl, he helps cultivate her talent. It was selected as the Colombian entry for the Best International Feature Film at the 98th Academy Awards, but it was not nominated. Simón Mesa Soto was kind enough to spend some time talking 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 1-2 Special. 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

"The Testament Of Ann Lee" had its world premiere in the main competition of the 82nd Venice International Film Festival, where it received positive reviews from critics, with Amanda Seyfried receiving acclaim for her performance (often described as "career-best" and earning nominations from the Golden Globe Award and the Critics' Choice Award for Best Actress. Directed and co-written by Mona Fastvold (with "The Brutalist" filmmaking and real-life partner, Brady Corbet), the historical musical drama follows the founder of the Shaker religious sect in the 18th century with a supporting cast that includes Thomasin McKenzie, Lewis Pullman, Stacy Martin, Tim Blake Nelson, and Christopher Abbott. Fastvold was kind enough to spend some time speaking with Next Best Picture Owner & Editor In Chief Matt Neglia, while Academy Award-winning composer Daniel Blumberg spoke with Dan Bayer, and Cody Dericks had the opportunity to speak with production designer Sam Bader, costume designer Gosia Karpiuk, and hair, makeup, and prosthetics designer Stephanie Pasicov. Please be sure to check out the film, which is now playing in theaters from Searchlight 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 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

The first of Pixar's two films this year, "Hoppers," hits theaters on March 6th. This sci-fi, spy-thriller-influenced nature flick could be considered a major departure for the famed animation studio. While previous Pixar films are plentiful in humor, "Hoppers" is their first truly comedy-first film. Ahead of the film's release in just over a month, Pixar invited Next Best Picture to the studio to check out "Hoppers," along with an extensive look behind the scenes at how they brought this hilarious new adventure to life. We were lucky enough to get to spend some time speaking with Director Daniel Chong and Producer Nicole Grindle, Production Designer Bryan Imagire, Visual Effects Supervisor Beth Albright, and Character Art Director Anna Scott. We hope you enjoy this behind-the-scenes look at Pixar's newest film. 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

For Episode 476, Ema Sasic, Nadia Dalimonte, Dan Bayer, Megan Lachinski, and Alyssa Christian join me to discuss the 2026 Oscar nominations for the 98th Academy Awards after they were unable to do so for our live reaction video to the nominations. It's been a few days since the initial announcement, and already we're looking at potential shifts in momentum, who got in vs. who was left off, and what will happen with BAFTA and WGA nominations this week? For last week's poll, for the Oscar nominations we asked, "Which Film Do You Think Will Be The Next Best Picture Oscar Winner?" And for this week's poll, with the announcement of the Oscar nominations, we're asking, "Which Oscar Nomination For The 98th Academy Awards Made You The Happiest?" We also give our reactions to the trailers for "Masters Of The Universe" and "Tuner," answer your fan-submitted questions, and more. Thank you all for listening, supporting, and subscribing. Daniel Howat, Cody Dericks, and I are still in Sundance and will be back next week with a recap of the festive; as this year's awards season continues. 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

For this week's main podcast review, Megan Lachinski, Josh Parham, and Dan Bayer join me to discuss the latest film from Mona Fasvold, "The Testament Of Ann Lee," starring Amanda Seyfried, Thomasin McKenzie, Lewis Pullman, Stacy Martin, Tim Blake Nelson & Christopher Abbott. Co-written with her partner in work and in life, Brady Corbet, and following up the monumental success of last year's "The Brutalist," the duo is back with another $10 million indie film, this time about the founding leader of the Shakers religious sect in the 18th century that, unfortunately, never quite caught on after its world premiere at the 2025 Venice International Film Festival, resulting in zero Oscar nominations. This recording was done before that announcement, and there's plenty to discuss besides the film's awards season run, including Amanda Seyfried's career-best performance, the jaw-dropping cinematography, production, and costume design, the ungodly score and songs by Daniel Blumberg (inspired by real-life Shaker hymns), Fastvold's singular direction, and more! Please tune in as we discuss these elements, the writing, and yes, our Oscar hopes for it before the Lord God tooketh away, in our SPOILER-FILLED review. Thank you for listening, and enjoy! Praise be! 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

"Dead Man's Wire" is an American crime thriller film directed by Gus Van Sant and written by Austin Kolodney, about the 1977 hostage standoff involving Tony Kiritsis and Richard Hall. It stars Bill Skarsgård as Kiritsis, alongside an ensemble cast including Dacre Montgomery as Hall, Cary Elwes, Myha'la, Colman Domingo, and Al Pacino. The film premiered out of competition at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival and received positive reviews for its performances, direction, and writing. Skarsgård, Montgomery, Elwes, Van Sant and Kolodney were all 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 Row K 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 - 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

For Episode 475, Nadia Dalimonte, Josh Parham, Dan Bayer, Giovanni Lago, Daniel Howat, and Tom O'Brien join me for the year's biggest and most exciting episode to endlessly discuss what we think will be nominated for the 98th Academy Awards. Yes, it's our famous, comprehensive, epic annual final Oscar nomination predictions episode! We recommend you listen to this mammoth-sized episode in three parts: the Shorts categories (4:13), the Below the line categories (1:15:43), and the Above the line categories (3:29:29). There are no fan questions this week and only one trailer discussion for Baz Luhrmann's "EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert." For last week's poll, for the release of "28 Years Later: The Bone Temple," we asked, "Which Is Your Favorite Ralph Fiennes Performance?" And for this week's poll, for the upcoming Oscar nominations, we ask, "Which Film Do You Think Will Be The Next Best Picture Oscar Winner?" Thank you all for listening (no matter what the runtime says), supporting (our Patreon keeps so much of this operation running and could always use your help), and subscribing (every person matters for an independent outlet such as our's). You are the lifeblood that allows us to do what we do, and we cannot thank you enough. Enjoy the nominations this week. Daniel Howat, Cody Dericks, and I will be in Sundance when they drop, but we'll keep you updated with more to come as this year's awards season rolls on. 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

For this week's main podcast review, Katie Johnson, Josh Parham, Dan Bayer, and Giovanni Lago join me to discuss the latest in the "28 Days" franchise, "28 Years Later: The Bone Temple," starring Ralph Fiennes, Jack O'Connell, Alfie Williams, Erin Kellyman & Chi Lewis-Parry. Directed this time by Nia DaCosta with another screenplay in the franchise by Alex Garland (And Danny Boyle serving as a Producer), this is a direct sequel to last year's "28 Years Later,"continuing the stories of Spike and Dr. Ian Kelson in a post-apocalyptic world infected by the rage virus. There is a lot of gore and humanity to be found in this one, with plenty of shocks and surprises. But what did we think of it? Please tune in as we discuss the performances, writing, themes, direction, makeup effects, the needle drops, its awards season potential, 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 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

"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 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

"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 Whittle, Re-recording mixers Gary Rizzo, and Juan Peralta, Production sound mixer Gareth John, and Visual Effects Supervisor Ryan Tudhope. You can listen to the interviews below, and be sure to check out the film, now available to stream on Apple TV and up for your consideration in all eligible categories for the 98th Academy Awards. 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