Next Best Picture Podcast

For Episode 449, Katie Johnson, Dan Bayer, Cody Dericks, and I are here to discuss our first Oscar Predictions of the year in the above-the-line categories. We tie this conversation into last week's poll results, as we asked, "Which Possible Oscar Contenders Are You Most Looking Forward To For The Rest Of 2025?" For the release of James Gunn's "Superman," for this week's poll, we ask, "Which is Your Favorite DC Comics Film?" We also share our reactions to the trailers for "Sentimental Value," "Project Hail Mary," "The Running Man," "Relay," and "Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale," answer your fan-submitted questions, and more! Thank you all for listening, supporting, and subscribing. We look forward to seeing you all again next week, as we'll start turning our eyes toward the upcoming fall film festivals. 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, Ema Sasic, Josh Parham & Lauren LaMagna join me to review and discuss the newest entry in the "Jurassic World/Park" franchise, "Jurassic World Rebirth," starring Scarlett Johansson, Mahershala Ali, Jonathan Bailey, Rupert Friend, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo & Ed Skrein. With a whole new cast, Gareth Edwards directing, and mutated dinosaurs, the franchise is receiving a number of new elements to re-energize itself, but does it work? Or is it time for this once great franchise to go extinct? Please tune in as we discuss the story, performances, characters, thrilling action sequences, Alexandre Desplat's score, the future of the franchise, 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

"This Is Spinal Tap" (1984), also known as "This Is Spın̈al Tap: A Rockumentary by Martin Di Bergi," is a mockumentary comedy directed by the legendary Rob Reiner in his feature debut and co-written with stars Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, and Harry Shearer, who play members of the fictional heavy metal band Spinal Tap, hilariously dubbed "one of England's loudest bands." Satirizing rock star excess and the earnest style of classic rock documentaries, the largely improvised film earned critical acclaim, modest box office returns, and later a devoted cult following that cemented its status as a landmark of the mockumentary genre and the source of the iconic phrase "Up to eleven." Selected for preservation by the Library of Congress in 2002, the film will finally get a sequel, "Spinal Tap II: The End Continues," with Reiner, Guest, McKean, and Shearer reuniting for one last concert in September 2025. Director Rob Reiner was kind enough to speak with us about his work and experience making the film, which you can listen to below. Please be sure to check out The Golden 41st Anniversary 4K restoration of "This Is Spinal Tap" (with a special intro from Rob Reiner) in theaters from July 5th-7th, 2025 (get your tickets here) from Bleecker Street and will feature the first look at "Spinal Tap II: The End Continues." 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 Old Guard 2" is a sequel to 2020's "The Old Guard" starring Charlize Theron, KiKi Layne, Matthias Schoenaerts, Marwan Kenzari, Luca Marinelli, Veronica Ngô, and Chiwetel Ejiofor reprising their roles from the first film while Henry Golding and Uma Thurman join the cast. Director Victoria Mahoney was kind enough to speak 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 streaming on Netflix. 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

"Jurassic World Rebirth" is a standalone sequel to "Jurassic World Dominion" (2022), the fourth "Jurassic World" film and the seventh installment overall in the "Jurassic Park franchise." With a whole new cast and shot on 35mm using anamorphic lenses, the film from director Gareth Edwards is an attempt to harken back to what thrilled audiences most about the original movie. Before the film's world premiere, Edwards was kind enough to 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 in theaters nationwide from Universal 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

"40 Acres" had its world premiere at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival, where it received positive reviews for Danielle Deadwyler's performance, the tension and action created by R.T. Thorne, and the supporting performances by the rest of the cast, including Michael Greyeyes. The film follows a family of African American descendants who settled in rural Canada in 1875, after the American Civil War, and are now fighting for their survival amid a post-apocalyptic world two hundred years later. Thorne and Deadwyler were both kind enough to speak 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 scheduled to be released in theaters by Magnolia Pictures on July 2nd, 2025. 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

"Heads Of State" is the new action-comedy from director Ilya Naishuller ("Hardcore Henry" and "Nobody"), starring John Cena and Idris Elba, two world leaders who must set aside their rivalry to thwart a global conspiracy after becoming targets of a ruthless foreign adversary. Co-starring Priyanka Chopra, Jack Quaid, Paddy Considine, Stephen Root, and Carla Gugino, the film features numerous laughs and elaborate action set pieces for your friends and family to enjoy over the Fourth of July weekend. Naishuller was kind enough to 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 scheduled to be released on Amazon Prime Video on July 2nd, 2025. 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 448, Nadia Dalimonte, Sara Clements, Alyssa Christian, Will Mavity, and I are here to discuss our Midyear Oscar Winners and our most anticipated Oscar contenders from the second half of 2025. We tie this conversation into this week's poll as we ask, "Which Possible Oscar Contenders Are You Most Looking Forward To For The Rest Of 2025?" We also reveal the winner of last week's poll, where we asked, "Which Is The Best Film Of 2025 So Far?" We also share our reactions to the trailers for "Bugonia," "Roofman," "Eden," and "Splitsville," answer your fan-submitted questions and more! Thank you all for listening, supporting, and subscribing. We look forward to seeing you all again next week as we'll start turning a specific eye toward the upcoming fall film festivals. 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, Giovanni Lago, Joselyn Safadi, Brendan Hodges & Will Mavity join me to review and discuss the newest film from Joseph Kosinski, "F1" (Or "F1 The Movie" depending on who you ask) starring Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Tobias Menzies & Javier Bardem. Set in the world of Formula One racing, Kosinski and producer Jerry Bruckheimer aim to deliver the most authentic and immersive racing movie ever made while retaining the magic that made their last collaboration, "Top Gun: Maverick," such a success. What did we think of it? Please tune in as we discuss the story, performances, racing sequences, Hans Zimmer's score, 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

"Sorry, Baby" had its world premiere at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival, where it won the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award and received ecstatic reviews for Eva Victor, making her feature directorial debut (she also wrote and stars in the film). Following its screening at the Cannes Film Festival in the Directors' Fortnight section, Victor was kind enough to speak 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 select theaters from A24 on June 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