

The Next Best Picture Podcast
Evergreen Podcasts
A podcast by NextBestPicture.com that reviews the latest film and television releases and discusses various topics within the world of the awards season race.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Sep 15, 2025 • 27min
Interview With "Lost In The Jungle" Filmmakers Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi & Juan Camilo Cruz
"Lost In The Jungle" is a documentary film about four siblings who survived 40 days in the Colombian jungle after a plane crash, directed by Jimmy Chin, Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, and Juan Camilo Cruz. It premiered at the Telluride Film Festival to positive reviews and is now available to stream online. Chai Vasarhelyi and Camilo Cruz were kind enough during the Telluride Film Festival to spend 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 available to stream on Disney+ and Hulu. Thank you, and enjoy!
Check out more on NextBestPicture.com
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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

Sep 14, 2025 • 3h 24min
Episode 457 - Recapping The 2025 Toronto International Film Festival, "Wake Up Dead Man," "Song Sung Blue," "Christy" & "Nouvelle Vague" Trailers
For Episode 457, Ema Sasic, Dan Bayer, Giovanni Lago and I are back from the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival to deliver our super-sized recap of all the films we saw and what impact they will have on the Oscar race, including this year's People's Choice Award Winners (You can also listen to our previous podcasts recapping the Venice and Telluride Film Festivals). We reveal the winner of last week's poll, where we asked "Which Film Do You Think Is Going To Win The 2025 TIFF People's Choice Award?" For this week's poll, we're asking, "Which Films Are You Most Excited To See From The 2025 Toronto International Film Festival?" We also share our reactions to the trailers for "Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery," "Christy," "Song Sung Blue," "Nouvelle Vague," answer your fan-submitted questions, and more! Thank you all for listening, supporting, subscribing, and voting. 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

Sep 13, 2025 • 1h 22min
"The Long Walk"
For this week's main podcast review, Dan Bayer and Giovanni Lago join me to review and discuss "The Long Walk," starring Cooper Hoffman, David Jonsson, Garrett Wareing, Tut Nyuot, Charlie Plummer, Ben Wang, Roman Griffin Davis, Jordan Gonzalez, Josh Hamilton, Judy Greer, and Mark Hamill. It is an adaptation of Stephen King's 1979 novel of the same name, written by "Strange Darling" filmmaker JT Mollner and directed by "The Hunger Games" filmmaker Francis Lawrence. What did we think of it? Please tune in as we discuss the themes, direction, performances, 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

Sep 13, 2025 • 21min
Interview With "Twinless" Filmmaker James Sweeney & Star Dylan O'Brien
"Twinless" is an American indie black comedy psychological drama film written, directed, co-produced, and co-starring James Sweeney alongside Dylan O'Brien. It had its world premiere at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival in the U.S. Dramatic Competition, where it received critical acclaim for its direction, writing, and performances and won the Audience Award. Sweeney and O'Brien were kind enough to spend 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, now playing in theaters from Lionsgate & Roadside Attractions. 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

Sep 13, 2025 • 19min
Interview With "The Threesome" Stars Zoey Deutch, Jonah Hauer-King & Ruby Cruz
"The Threesome" is an American romantic comedy drama film starring Zoey Deutch, Jonah Hauer-King, and Ruby Cruz, directed by Chad Hartigan, and written by Ethan Ogilby. The film had its world premiere at the South by Southwest Film & TV Festival, where it received positive reviews for its screenplay, three main performances, humor, and nuance in such a precarious situation. Deutch, Hauer-King, and Cruz were all kind enough to spend 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, now playing in theaters from Vertical. 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

Sep 12, 2025 • 22min
Interview With "The Baltimorons" Stars Michael Strassner, Liz Larsen & Filmmaker Jay Duplass
"The Baltimorons" is an independent American comedy film directed by Jay Duplass, who co-wrote the screenplay with Michael Strassner. Strassner, Liz Larsen, and Olivia Luccardi star in the movie. It premiered at the 2025 South by Southwest Film & TV Festival and received positive reviews for its writing, chemistry between Strassner and Larsen, and Duplass's understated but effective direction, making this a heartfelt holiday comedy. Duplass, Strassner, and Larsen were all kind enough to spend 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, now playing in theaters from Independent Film Company. Thank you, and enjoy!
Check out more on NextBestPicture.com
Please subscribe on...
Apple Podcasts - https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/negs-best-film-podcast/id1087678387?mt=2
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

Sep 10, 2025 • 2h 46min
The Next Best Series Podcast: Episode 55 - Our Final Winner Predictions For The 2025 Emmy Awards
The Next Best Series Podcast is back with Megan Lachinski, Giovanni Lago, Nadia Dalimonte, Daniel Howat, and Alyssa Christian for Episode 55, where they discuss the latest television shows and, more importantly, reveal their final winner predictions for the 77th Annual Emmy Primetime Awards on Sunday, September 14th. The Creative Arts Emmy Award winners have already been announced, and this conversation was recorded a few days ago, before they took place, so excuse us if some of the content discussed is no longer relevant. We hope you enjoy us arguing over who we think will win in the writing, directing, acting, and series categories. Will Apple dominate with "The Studio" and "Severance?" Or will HBO Max come up from behind with "Hacks" and "The Pitt?" What will "The Penguin" walk away with? Is "Adolescence" also going to steamroll the evening? Please tune in and find out. We'll return with a reaction episode to the winners after the ceremony! Until then, thank you, as always, for listening. We hope you enjoy this free full-length episode!
Check out more on NextBestPicture.com
Please subscribe on...
Apple Podcasts - https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/negs-best-film-podcast/id1087678387?mt=2
Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/7IMIzpYehTqeUa1d9EC4jT
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

Sep 9, 2025 • 2h 11min
A Recap Of The 2025 Venice Film Festival
The 2025 Venice Film Festival has concluded. While most of us are in Toronto at the moment, Cody Dericks and Josh Parham took some time after they got home from Venice to discuss the international film festival. World premieres discussed include "Bugonia," "Jay Kelly," "Frankenstein," "The Testament of Ann Lee," "A House of Dynamite," "The Voice of Hind Rajab," "No Other Choice," "The Smashing Machine," and Golden Lion winner "Father Mother Sister Brother," along with many more! We hope you enjoy this recap. 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

Sep 6, 2025 • 2h 24min
"Highest 2 Lowest"
For this week's main podcast review, Josh Parham, Giovanni Lago, Daniel Howat, Brendan Hodges, and Tom O'Brien join me to review and discuss the latest Spike Lee joint, "Highest 2 Lowest," starring Denzel Washington, Jeffrey Wright, Ilfenesh Hadera & ASAP Rocky. It is an English-language remake and reinterpretation of Akira Kurosawa's 1963 Japanese film High and Low, itself based on the 1959 novel King's Ransom by Ed McBain. It marks the first collaboration between Lee and Washington since "Inside Man" in 2006. The film premiered at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival to positive reviews, but what did we think of it? Please tune in as we discuss the direction, themes, performances, music, 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

Sep 3, 2025 • 19min
Interviews With "Splitsville" Stars Dakota Johnson, Adria Arjona & Filmmakers
"Splitsville" is a comedy film directed by Michael Angelo Covino, from a screenplay he co-wrote with Kyle Marvin. The pair previously worked together on "The Climb," but this time around, they also looped in stars Dakota Johnson (who also serves as the film's producer), Adria Arjona, Nicholas Braun, David Castañeda, O-T Fagbenle, Charlie Gillespie, and Simon Webster to tell the story of two couples whose friendship erupts into conflict when the husband of the divorcing couple sleeps with the wife of the open marriage couple. It premiered at the Cannes Film Festival to lots of laughs and positive reviews. Johnson, Arjona, Covino, and Marvin were all kind enough to spend 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 NEON and will expand nationwide on September 5th. 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