The Next Best Picture Podcast

For this week's main podcast review, Katie Johnson, Josh Parham, Ema Sasic, Sara Clements & Joselyn Safadie join me to review the latest film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), "The Fantastic Four: First Steps," starring Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Joseph Quinn, Julia Garner, Ralph Ineson, Natasha Lyonne, Paul Walter Hauser & Sarah Niles. Directed by Matt Shakman, this is the second reboot of the "Fantastic Four" film series and the first time Marvel's first family has entered the MCU. What did we think of the 1960s-inspired retro-futuristic design, the score, casting, story, and the visual effects? Please tune in as we discuss these elements, its awards season chances, and more in our SPOILER-FILLED review. Thank you for listening, and enjoy! 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

"2000 Meters To Andriivka" had its world premiere at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival, where it received a strong, positive reception, with critics praising it as a worthy follow-up to Mstyslav Chernov's Academy Award-winning film, "20 Days In Mariupol." The film follows Chernov and journalist Alex Babenko as they follow a Ukrainian platoon on a mission to liberate the Russian-occupied village of Andriivka across 2000 meters of land surrounded by landmines. Chernov was kind enough to return to the podcast and speak with us about his work and experience making the film, which you can listen to below. Please be sure to check out the film, which is now playing theatrically in New York with a national rollout to follow from PBS Distribution, and a broadcast on Frontline scheduled for December. 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

"Oh, Hi!" had its world premiere at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival, where it received positive reviews for its story about a situationship by filmmaker Sophie Brooks, involving a new couple (Molly Gordon and Logan Lerman) who go on a weekend road trip that takes an unexpected turn. Both Gordon & Lerman were 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 will open in theaters on July 25th 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 Fantastic Four: First Steps" is the latest attempt to bring Marvel's first family, the Fantastic Four, to the big screen, following the 2005 and 2015 films. It is the 37th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) and stars Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, and Joseph Quinn as the titular team, alongside Julia Garner, Sarah Niles, Mark Gatiss, Natasha Lyonne, Paul Walter Hauser, and Ralph Ineson. Garner, Ineson, and director Matt Shakman were 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 will open in theaters on July 25th from Walt Disney Studios Motion 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

THIS IS A PREVIEW PODCAST. NOT THE FULL REVIEW. Please check out the full podcast review on our Patreon Page by subscribing over at - https://www.patreon.com/NextBestPicture For this week's second podcast review, Dan Bayer, Giovanni Lago, Daniel Howat & Brendan Hodges, join me to review and discuss the latest film from Ari Aster, "Eddington," starring Joaquin Phoenix, Pedro Pascal, Luke Grimes, Deirdre O'Connell, Micheal Ward, Austin Butler & Emma Stone. After its world premiere at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, much like Aster's other films, his COVID-19 pandemic-set Western has sparked an intense discussion surrounding its themes, execution, and intention. Like the characters in the movie itself, no one can seem to see eye to eye on anything regarding it. What did we think of it? Please tune in as we discuss the story, its themes and style, performances, cinematography, our experiences with the pandemic and how it changed the world, the film's awards season chances, and more in our SPOILER-FILLED review. Thank you super duper very much for listening. We hope you enjoy it! 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

"Together" is a new supernatural body horror film written and directed by Michael Shanks, making his directorial debut. The film stars real-life married actors Dave Franco and Alison Brie as a couple who move to the countryside but find themselves encountering a mysterious force that horrifically causes changes in their bodies. Shanks was kind enough to speak with us about his work and experience making the film, which you can listen to or watch below. Please be sure to check out the film, which will be released in theaters on July 30th from NEON. 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 451, Megan Lachinski, Josh Parham, Will Mavity, and I are here to predict what films we specifically feel will be announced to have their world premieres at the 2025 Venice Film Festival this week on Tuesday and the Toronto International Film Festival throughout the week. For this week's poll, with the fall film festival announcements about to come in full force with expected announcements from the aforementioned Venice, TIFF, and NYFF, and Oscar season quickly approaching, we ask for the first time this year, "Which Film Do You Feel Will Be The Next Best Picture Oscar Winner?" And for last week's poll, for the release of "Eddington," we reveal your top 10 results for "Which Is Your Favorite Film Set Against The Backdrop Of The COVID-19 Pandemic?" We also share our reactions to the trailer for Luca Guadagnino's much-anticipated Oscar contender "After The Hunt," answer your fan-submitted questions, and more! Please be sure to vote on the 2009 NBP Film Community Award Nominations if you have not already done so. Voting ends this week before July 26th. Thank you all for listening, supporting, and subscribing. We look forward to seeing you all again next week! Check out more on NextBestPicture.com Please subscribe on... Apple Podcasts - https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/negs-best-film-podcast/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 and Dan Bayer join me along with returning guest Ryan C. Showers, to review "I Know What You Did Last Summer" starring Jennifer Love Hewitt, Freddie Prinze Jr., Madelyn Cline, Chase Sui Wonders, Jonah Hauer-King, Tyriq Withers, Sarah Pidgeon, Billy Campbell & Austin Nichols. A legacyquel to the 1997 original and its 1998 sequel, the film brings together old and new cast members for another summer of murder in Southport, driven by the shared guilt a group of friends feel after they fail to report an accident they were witness to the summer prior. What did we think of it? Please tune in as we discuss the story, its characters, the humor, kills, twist ending, 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

"Eddington" had its world premiere at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival where it received mixed reviews for its story of the fictional town of Eddington, New Mexico, set during 2020, where a rivalry between Sheriff Joe Cross (Joaquin Phoenix) and Mayor Ted Garcia (Pedro Pascal) reaches a combustible state of political and social turmoil caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Director and writer, Ari Aster, the masterful filmmaker behind films such as "Hereditary," "Midsommar" and "Beau Is Afraid" is not unfamiliar with this kind of polarizing response to his provocative films and in fact, he welcomes the debate, discussion and reflection in hopes that his work will bring us closer together during a time where we're more divided than ever before. Aster and Academy Award-winning star Joaquin Phoenix were kind enough to speak 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 nationwide 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

THIS IS A PREVIEW PODCAST. NOT THE FULL REVIEW. Please check out the full podcast review on our Patreon Page by subscribing over at - https://www.patreon.com/NextBestPicture Our 2009 retrospective continues with another Best Picture nominee, "Precious: Based On The Novel 'Push' By Sapphire" starring Gabourey Sidibe, Mo'Nique, Paula Patton, Mariah Carey & Lenny Kravitz. Directed by Oscar-nominee Lee Daniels (the first openly gay Black nominated director) and written by Academy Award-winner Geoffrey Fletcher (the first Black screenwriter Oscar winner), the film was an indie sensation following its premiere at Sundance and festival run, leading to a wave of Black centered stories that had both positive and negative impacts on the industry. How does the film hold up today? Please join Josh Parham & Dan Bayer, and me as we discuss the incredible performances, Lee's direction, the writing, editing, its awards season run, and more in our SPOILER-FILLED review. We appreciate your support and hope you enjoy our review! Thank you! 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