
Next Best Picture Podcast
A podcast by NextBestPicture.com that reviews the latest film releases and discusses various topics within the world of film and the awards race.
Latest episodes

Feb 28, 2025 • 21min
Interview With "Last Breath" Director/Co-Writer Alex Parkinson
"Last Breath" is a survival thriller film based on a true story, directed and co-written by Alex Parkinson, about a group of deep-sea divers who race to rescue a stranded teammate after an accident. A remake of his own 2019 documentary, the film stars Woody Harrelson, Simu Liu, Finn Cole, and Cliff Curtis. Parkinson was kind enough to spend some time speaking with us about his work on the film, which you can watch or listen to below. Please be sure to check out the film, which is now playing in theaters from Focus Features. Thank you, and enjoy!Check out more on NextBestPicture.comPlease subscribe on...Apple Podcasts - https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/negs-best-film-podcast/id1087678387?mt=2Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/7IMIzpYehTqeUa1d9EC4jTYouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWA7KiotcWmHiYYy6wJqwOwAnd 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

Feb 27, 2025 • 16min
Interview With Former Academy Awards Writer Bruce Vilanch
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/NextBestPictureTwo-time Emmy Award-winner, American comedy writer, songwriter, and actor Bruce Vilanch wrote for the Academy Awards from 1989 to 2014 and was the head writer for his final fifteen years. He was kind enough to come onto our show back in November and lend some insight into the process of writing for the show, his thoughts on the current state of the Oscars, which movies he would've chosen for Best Picture in the years he wrote for the show, and more. Please be sure to listen below and check out the 97th Academy Awards this Sunday on ABC. They will be simultaneously streaming on Hulu, and Conan O'Brien will be hosting. Thank you, and enjoy!Check out more on NextBestPicture.comPlease subscribe on...Apple Podcasts - https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/negs-best-film-podcast/id1087678387?mt=2Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/7IMIzpYehTqeUa1d9EC4jTYouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWA7KiotcWmHiYYy6wJqwOwAnd 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

Feb 24, 2025 • 20min
Our Immediate Reactions To The 2025 SAG Award Winners
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/NextBestPictureLast night, the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) held their 31st annual awards ceremony, rewarding the best acting in film and television for 2024. For the third year in a row, the ceremony was streamed through Netflix. There were some heartfelt tributes to LA in the wake of fires earlier this year and some delightful moments featuring Kristen Bell as host. There were some expected winners and slightly unexpected winners, moving and controversial speeches, and a certain level of doubt cast over our final Oscar predictions (which a whole other group of NBP members recorded before the ceremony, which you can listen to here). Joining me for this instant reactions podcast are Dan Bayer, Lauren LaMagna, Giovanni Lago and Alyssa Christian. Please tune in below to listen and enjoy!Check out more on NextBestPicture.comPlease subscribe on...Apple Podcasts - https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/negs-best-film-podcast/id1087678387?mt=2Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/7IMIzpYehTqeUa1d9EC4jTYouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWA7KiotcWmHiYYy6wJqwOwAnd 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

Feb 23, 2025 • 4h 21min
Episode 431 - Our Final Predictions For The 97th Academy Awards, "Freaky Tales" & "The Actor" Trailers
For Episode 431, I am joined by Nadia Dalimonte, Josh Parham, Daniel Howat, Cody Dericks, Tom O'Brien, and Will Mavity. This is it. It's time for us to deliver our final winner predictions for the 97th Academy Awards, which will be held this Sunday, March 2nd. Tune in as we discuss all 23 categories in detail and use all of the information from this season's precursors to make the best predictions we can. We also reveal the winner of last week's poll, asking, "Which Categories Do You Think Are The Hardest To Predict For The 97th Academy Awards?" and ask this week's poll question for the last time this awards season, "Which Film Do You Think Will Be The Next Best Picture Oscar Winner?" We also answer your fan-submitted questions and give our reactions to the trailers for "Freaky Tales" and "The Actor." We will not have a show next Sunday afternoon, but we will have a post-SAG recap episode and another reactions episode for the Oscar winners following the ceremony next Sunday, all exclusive to our Patreon subscribers. We cannot thank you all enough for always listening, subscribing, and supporting us through another eventful awards season. You're all the absolute best fans any site could ever hope for, and we hope you enjoy this episode and the show this Sunday!Check out more on NextBestPicture.comPlease subscribe on...Apple Podcasts - https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/negs-best-film-podcast/id1087678387?mt=2Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/7IMIzpYehTqeUa1d9EC4jTYouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWA7KiotcWmHiYYy6wJqwOwAnd 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

Feb 22, 2025 • 1h 6min
"The Monkey"
For this week's main podcast review, Sara Clements, Josh Parham, Dan Bayer, Tom O'Brien, and I are here to discuss and review the latest film from Osgood Perkins, "The Monkey," starring Theo James, Tatiana Maslany, Christian Convery, Colin O'Brien, Rohan Campbell, Sarah Levy, Adam Scott & Elijah Wood. Hot off the success of "Longlegs," Perkins decides to switch gears and adapt the 1980 Stephen King short story as a horror comedy, with some of the year's darkest humor and shocking kills. What did we think of this tonal change for the acclaimed horror filmmaker? Please tune in as we discuss the writing, direction, acting, kills, and more in our SPOILER-FILLED review. Thank you for listening, and enjoy!Check out more on NextBestPicture.comPlease subscribe on...Apple Podcasts - https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/negs-best-film-podcast/id1087678387?mt=2Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/7IMIzpYehTqeUa1d9EC4jTYouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWA7KiotcWmHiYYy6wJqwOwAnd 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

Feb 20, 2025 • 19min
Interview With "The Monkey" Actor Theo James
"The Monkey" is the latest horror offering from acclaimed director Osgood Perkins ("Longlegs"). Based on the 1980 short story by Stephen King, the film stars Theo James as twin brothers whose lives are turned upside down by a cursed toy monkey that causes random, horrific deaths. The film has garnered positive reviews for its mixture of gnarly horror and absurd black comedy. Actor Theo James 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 is now playing in theaters from NEON. Thank you, and enjoy!Check out more on NextBestPicture.comPlease subscribe on...Apple Podcasts - https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/negs-best-film-podcast/id1087678387?mt=2Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/7IMIzpYehTqeUa1d9EC4jTYouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWA7KiotcWmHiYYy6wJqwOwAnd 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

Feb 19, 2025 • 21min
Interview With "Universal Language" Director/Co-Writer Matthew Rankin & Co-Writer Ila Firouzabadi
"Universal Language" had its world premiere in the Directors' Fortnight section of the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, where it received universally positive reviews and went on to be the Canadian entry for Best International Feature Film at the 97th Academy Awards. It may not have received the final Oscar nomination, but now the film is currently playing in theaters, and Director/Co-Writer Matthew Rankin & Co-Writer Ila Firouzabadi were 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 playing in limited release from Oscilloscope Laboratories. Thank you, and enjoy!Check out more on NextBestPicture.comPlease subscribe on...Apple Podcasts - https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/negs-best-film-podcast/id1087678387?mt=2Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/7IMIzpYehTqeUa1d9EC4jTYouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWA7KiotcWmHiYYy6wJqwOwAnd 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

Feb 18, 2025 • 36min
Interview With "Incident" Director Bill Morrison & Producer Jamie Kalven
"Incident" examines the 2018 shooting of Harith "Snoop" Augustus by Chicago police officer Dillan Halley through a series of bodycam and surveillance footage montages. The film reconstructs the incident and its aftermath by piecing together perspectives from multiple sources—such as surveillance cameras, CCTV, dashboard cams, and body-worn cameras—into a synchronized split-screen presentation. Director Bill Morrison & Producer Jamie Kalven were 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 YouTube and is nominated for Best Live Action Short Film at the 97th Academy Awards. Thank you, and enjoy!Check out more on NextBestPicture.comPlease subscribe on...Apple Podcasts - https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/negs-best-film-podcast/id1087678387?mt=2Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/7IMIzpYehTqeUa1d9EC4jTYouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWA7KiotcWmHiYYy6wJqwOwAnd 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

Feb 17, 2025 • 32min
Interview With "Anuja" Director/Writer Adam J. Graves & Producer Suchitra Mattai
"Anuja" had its world premiere at the HollyShorts Film Festival, where it received positive reviews for its story of a gifted nine-year-old girl who, alongside her sister Palak, faces a life-changing opportunity that tests their bond and mirrors the struggles of girls worldwide. Philosopher-turned-filmmaker Adam J. Graves and producer Suchitra Mattai were both kind enough to spend some time speaking with us about their work on the film which you can listen to or watch below. Please be sure to check out the film, which is now available to stream on Netflix and is nominated for Best Live Action Short Film at the 97th Academy Awards. Thank you, and enjoy!Check out more on NextBestPicture.comPlease subscribe on...Apple Podcasts - https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/negs-best-film-podcast/id1087678387?mt=2Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/7IMIzpYehTqeUa1d9EC4jTYouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWA7KiotcWmHiYYy6wJqwOwAnd 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

Feb 17, 2025 • 30min
Interview With "The Last Ranger" Director Cindy Lee & Producer/Writer Darwin Shaw
"The Last Ranger" had its premiere at the Pan African Film Festival, where it received positive reviews for its story of rhino poaching and conservation efforts in Amakhala Game Reserve, Eastern Cape, South Africa, during the pandemic. Based on actual life events, the story was brought to the producers by David S. Lee after witnessing the results of a poaching attack. Director Cindy Lee & Producer/Writer Darwin Shaw 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 is now up for your consideration for this year's Academy Awards for Best Live Action Short Film. Thank you, and enjoy!Check out more on NextBestPicture.comPlease subscribe on...Apple Podcasts - https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/negs-best-film-podcast/id1087678387?mt=2Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/7IMIzpYehTqeUa1d9EC4jTYouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWA7KiotcWmHiYYy6wJqwOwAnd 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