Next Best Picture Podcast

"Fantasy Life" is an American comedy film written and directed by Matthew Shear in his directorial debut. It stars Amanda Peet, Shear, Alessandro Nivola, Judd Hirsch, Bob Balaban, Andrea Martin, Zosia Mamet, Jessica Harper, Holland Taylor, and Sheng Wang. It had its world premiere at the 2025 South by Southwest Film & TV Festival, where it received positive reviews for Shear's writing and direction, as well as Peet's performance. Shear 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 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 u

"Our Hero, Balthazar" is an American dark comedy-drama film directed and produced by Oscar Boyson in his directorial debut, from a screenplay by Boyson and Ricky Camilleri. It stars Jaeden Martell, Asa Butterfield, Chris Bauer, Jennifer Ehle, Anna Baryshnikov, Noah Centineo, Becky Ann Baker, Avan Jogia, and Pippa Knowles. It tells the story of a wealthy teenager who tries to gain his crush's attention by posting videos pleading for stricter gun laws. As an online troll begins mocking his videos, he becomes convinced the troll is a mass shooter, and travels to Texas to confront him. It had its world premiere at the 2025 Tribeca Festival, where it received positive reviews for its performances, direction, and writing. Martell, Butterfield, Boyson, and Camilleri were all kind enough to spend some time speaking with us about their work and experiences on the film, which you can listen to below. Please be sure to check out the film, which is now playing in NY, opening in Los Angeles on April 3rd, and expanding nat

"Kontinental '25" is a Romanian absurdist black comedy-drama film written and directed by Radu Jude. It stars Eszter Tompa as a bailiff in Cluj-Napoca who faces a moral crisis when a homeless man she has evicted kills himself. Its title is inspired by the Roberto Rossellini film Europe '51. An international co-production between Romania, Brazil, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and Luxembourg, the film premiered at the 2025 Berlin International Film Festival, where it won the Silver Bear for Best Screenplay. Jude was kind enough to return to the podcast and 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 YouTub

For Episode 485, I am joined by Josh Parham, Aaron Danielle, and Giovanni Lago as we look back on the first three months of 2026 to name our favorite, least favorite, most surprising, and disappointing film releases of the year so far. Tying into this week's poll question, we're asking everyone: "Which Has Been Your Favorite Film Of Q1 2026?" We also reveal the winner of last week's poll asking "Which 2026 Awards Season Contenders Are You Most Looking Forward To?," share our reactions to the trailers for "Moana," "Forgotten Island," "The Furious," "Rosebush Pruning," "Stop! That! Train!," answer your fan-submitted questions, and more! Thank you all for listening, subscribing, and supporting us. We hope you 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

For this week's main podcast review, Katie Johnson, Josh Parham, Aaron Isenstein, Dan Bayer, and Tom O'Brien join me to discuss "They Will Kill You," starring Zazie Beetz, Myha'la, Paterson Joseph, Tom Felton, Heather Graham & Patricia Arquette. Written and directed by Kirill Sokolov (co-written with Alex Litvak), the action-horror-comedy combines many genres into B-movie shlock to provide bloodthirsty audiences with as much entertainment as possible from its simple premise: a woman desperately searching for her sister encounters a satanic cult in a foreboding New York City high-rise. What did we think of it, though? Please tune in as we discuss the action, Zazie Beetz's performance, the wacky directions the story takes, whether the "eat the rich" trope is getting played out, whether we think there will be a sequel, 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/podcas

"Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice" is an American science fiction action comedy film written and directed by BenDavid Grabinski and produced by Andrew Lazar and starring Vince Vaughn, James Marsden, Eiza González, Keith David, and Jimmy Tatro. It premiered at the 2026 South by Southwest Film & TV Festival, where it received positive reviews for its blending of different genres and dual performance from Vaughn. Grabinski 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 available to stream on Disney+ and Hulu. Thank you, and enjoy! Check out more on NextBestPicture.com Please subscribe on... Apple Podcasts - https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/negs-best-film-podcast/id1087678387?mt=2 Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/7IMIzpYehTqeUa1d9EC4jT YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWA7KiotcWmHiYYy6wJqwOw And be sure to help support us on Patreon for as little as $

"The AI Doc: Or How I Became An Apocaloptimist" is a 2026 American documentary film directed by Daniel Roher and Charlie Tyrell. It is produced by the Academy Award-winning teams behind "Everything Everywhere All at Once" (Daniel Kwan and Jonathan Wang) and "Navalny" (Shane Boris and Diane Becker). The film premiered at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival and received positive reviews for the questions it asked (and answered) about the threat or uses for good in the world about AI, Roher's personal journey of becoming a father while developing the documentary, its editing, and handcrafted animation and artwork made by humans. Roher was kind enough to be our first fully produced in-studio interview and spent a good forty minutes 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 opening in theaters on March 27th from Focus Features. Thank you, and enjoy! Check out more on NextBestPicture.com Please subscribe on... Ap

"Yes!" is a drama film written and directed by Nadav Lapid. It stars Ariel Bronz, Efrat Dor, Naama Preis, Aleksei Serebryakov, and Sharon Alexander. The film had its world premiere in the Directors' Fortnight section of the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, where it received positive reviews for its audacious filmmaking, biting satire, and political commentary. Lapid 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 opening in New York theaters on March 27th 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/Ne

"Pretty Lethal" is an action thriller film directed by Vicky Jewson and written by Kate Freund. It follows a dysfunctional ballet troupe that is forced to take shelter when their bus breaks down en route to a prestigious competition and must use their training to fight back when a gang of armed men targets them. It premiered at the 2026 South by Southwest Film & TV Festival and stars Iris Apatow, Lana Condor, Millicent Simmonds, Avantika, Maddie Ziegler, and Uma Thurman. Jewson 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 available to stream on Amazon Prime Video. 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/UCWA7KiotcWmHiYYy6wJq

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, Lauren LaMagna, Josh Parham, Dan Bayer, and Larry Fried join me to discuss "Ready Or Not 2: Here I Come" starring Samara Weaving, Kathryn Newton, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Shawn Hatosy, David Cronenberg, and Elijah Wood. Directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, and written by Guy Busick and R. Christopher Murphy, the film serves as a direct sequel to "Ready or Not" (2019), with Grace trying to protect her estranged sister while being hunted by several elite families in a high-stakes ritual to claim a seat of ultimate power. The film premiered at the 2026 South by Southwest Film & TV Festival, where it received generally positive reviews. What did we think of it, though? Please tune in as we discuss the story, performances, humor, the large amounts of blood and other gory bits from the fil

"Late Shift" is a drama film written and directed by Petra Volpe, inspired by the book "Unser Beruf ist nicht das Problem: Es sind die Umstände" by Madeline Calvelage. Starring Leonie Benesch, the film centers on a young nurse, Floria, who works with unwavering dedication in an understaffed hospital ward, but on this day, her shift becomes a nerve-racking race against time. The film had its world premiere in the Berlinale Special Gala section of the 75th Berlin International Film Festival last year. It received positive reviews and was selected as the Swiss entry for the Best International Feature Film at the 98th Academy Awards, making the December shortlist. Volpe 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 New York at The Quad Cinema and Los Angeles at the Laemmle Royal, and will be followed by a nationwide rollout from Music Box Films. Thank you, and enjoy!

For Episode 484, I am joined by Katie Johnson, Dan Bayer, Lauren LaMagna, Amy Kim, and Will Mavity as we say goodbye to the 2025 film awards season and look ahead to what's to come in 2026. Part of that is recapping the best films that played at this year's SXSW, and part is asking this week's poll question: "Which 2026 Awards Season Contenders Are You Most Looking Forward To?" We also reveal the winner of last week's poll asking "Which Was Your Favorite Oscar Win From The 98th Academy Awards?," share our reactions to the trailers for "Dune: Part Three," "Spider-Man: Brand New Day," "Wild Horse Nine," "Outcome" (Seriously, what was going on with trailers this week?), answer your fan-submitted questions and more! Thank you all for listening, subscribing, and supporting us. We hope you 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/7IMIzpYehTqeUa1

For this week's main podcast review, Sara Clements, Josh Parham, Cody Dericks, Brendan Hodges, and Tom O'Brien join me to discuss the latest film from Phil Lord and Chris Miller, "Project Hail Mary" starring Ryan Gosling, Sandra Hüller, James Ortiz, Lionel Boyce, Ken Leung, and Milana Vayntrub. Written by Drew Goddard, based on the 2021 novel of the same name by Andy Weir, the epic sci-fi/comedy film already has a built-in fan base and is a crowdpleaser designed to enthrall, entertain, and emotionally move newcomers. Whether you see it on IMAX or the big screen, there's no denying it's the film event of Q1 2026. What did we think of it, though? Please tune in as we discuss the story, Ryan Gosling's performance, the direction from Phil Lord and Chris Miller, the crafts, its awards 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/i

"Lumière, Le Cinéma!" (or "Lumière! The Adventure Continues") is a documentary film directed by Thierry Frémaux, director of the Institute Lumière, of the Lumière Film Festival, and of the Cannes Film Festival. Frémaux serves as a curator and guide through a collection of over 100 short films by Auguste and Louis Lumière and their collaborators, showcasing both well-known and rarely seen works. The film explores the origins of cinema and how the Lumière brothers pioneered filmmaking techniques such as framing, staging, and early narrative storytelling. This curated presentation offers both a historical account of the birth of film and a meditation on cinema's ability to capture reality and imagination. The film highlights the enduring legacy of the Lumières and their foundational impact on the art form. Frémaux 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 at MOMA in Ne

"Dead Lover" is a 2025 Canadian comedy film directed, co-written, produced by, and starring Grace Glowicki, co-writer Ben Petrie, Leah Doz, and Lowen Morrow. Inspired by Mary Shelley's 1818 novel "Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus," it follows a woman's attempt to resurrect her deceased lover. The film debuted at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival in the Midnight category, where it received positive reviews for Glowicki's direction, performance, writing, as well as the makeup, production design, sound, and lighting. Glowicki 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 Cartuna and Dweck Productions. 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

"Two Prosecutors" is a 2025 historical drama film written and directed by Ukrainian filmmaker Sergei Loznitsa, based on the novella of the same name by Georgy Demidov. Starring Aleksandr Kuznetsov and Aleksandr Filippenko, the film follows a young Soviet prosecutor seeking justice for a political prisoner during Joseph Stalin's ongoing Great Purge. The film had its world premiere in the main competition of the 78th Cannes Film Festival, where it received positive reviews and won the festival's François Chalais Prize. Sergei 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 March 20th 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 - ht

"Ready Or Not 2: Here I Come" is an American comedy-horror film directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett (aka "Radio Silence"), and written by Guy Busick and R. Christopher Murphy. It serves as a direct sequel to "Ready or Not" (2019), with Samara Weaving reprising her role as Grace MacCaullay. The film also stars Kathryn Newton, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Shawn Hatosy, David Cronenberg, and Elijah Wood. Set immediately after the events of the first film, it follows Grace as she must protect her estranged sister while being hunted by four rival elite families in a high-stakes ritual to claim a seat of ultimate power. The film premiered at the 2026 South by Southwest Film & TV Festival and received generally positive reviews from critics. Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett were both kind enough to spend some time speaking with us about their work on the film, which you can listen to below. Please be sure to check out the film, which will open in theaters from Searchlight Pictures on March 20th. Thank you, and

THIS IS A PREVIEW PODCAST. NOT THE FULL EPISODE. Please check out the full podcast episode on our Patreon Page by subscribing over at - https://www.patreon.com/NextBestPicture The 98th Academy Awards are officially over. Another awards season is behind us, and it was a night to remember with some tight races, deserved wins, and an extravagant ceremony that featured breathtaking musical performances, a hilarious Conan O'Brien, and quite possibly the best In Memoriam segment ever produced. We witnessed the final battle between Ryan Coogler's all-time Oscar nomination leader "Sinners" and Paul Thomas Anderson's political thriller-comedy "One Battle After Another," a historic win for Autumn Durald Arkapaw as the first female Best Cinematography winner, a rare, shocking tie, moving speeches, and memories that will last a lifetime. Cody Dericks, Nadia Dalimonte, and Alyssa Christian reacted to the winners with me this morning after the ceremony ended last night. Please tune in as we share our reactions to this y

For Episode 483, I am joined by Nadia Dalimonte, the day before the 98th Academy Awards, to discuss what's on our minds, how we're feeling, and answer your last-minute fan questions. We have traditionally done this with the NBP Film Community in years past. Still, circumstances this year pushed this to be a last-minute episode for the podcast before the big show tomorrow evening. With that said, we reveal the winner of last week's poll, asking, "Which Film Do You Think Will Be The Next Best Picture Oscar Winner?" We also share our reactions to the trailers for "Power Ballad," "Hokum," "Obsession," and "Fuze." We're as anxious as all of you, but in less than 24 hours, we'll know the final outcome. We cannot wait to experience the show with all of you! Once again, thank you for listening, subscribing, and supporting us through another fun and eventful awards season. Enjoy! Check out more on NextBestPicture.com Please subscribe on... Apple Podcasts - https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/negs-best-film-po

"Undertone" is a Canadian horror film written and directed by Ian Tuason, in his directorial debut. The film stars Nina Kiri as Evy, a woman who hosts a paranormal podcast with her friend Justin (Adam DiMarco), where she is the skeptic to his believer. After Evy moves back home to become the caregiver to her dying mother (Michèle Duquet), she and Justin are sent recordings by a married couple (Keana Lyn Bastidas and Jeff Yung) experiencing paranormal noises in their home, drawing Evy into fear and paranoia. Evy and her mother are the only characters to be shown on-screen in the film. All other characters are heard as off-screen voices, thus conveying the film's horror through its sound design. The film had its world premiere at Fantasia Fest on July 27th, 2025, and later screened in the Midnight section of the 2026 Sundance Film Festival, where it received positive reviews from critics, with praise for Tuason's directing, atmosphere, and Kiri's performance. Tuason was kind enough to spend some time speaking w