The Next Best Picture Podcast

"Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story" is the second season of the American biographical crime drama anthology television series Monster, created by Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan for Netflix. The season centers on the 1989 parricides of José (Javier Bardem) and Kitty Menendez (Chloë Sevigny), who were killed by their sons, Lyle (Nicholas Alexander Chavez) and Erik (Cooper Koch). It uses the Rashomon effect as a narrative device by presenting key events through multiple perspectives and unreliable narrators, leaving the "truth" open to interpretation.  The season achieved global commercial success, debuting as the number-one series on Netflix worldwide, the most-viewed streaming content on the Nielsen Streaming Chart, and the third most-watched Netflix series in the second half of 2024. At the 77th Primetime Emmy Awards, it earned 11 nominations, including Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series, Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie, and Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for Koch and Sevigny, respectively. Koch and Sevigny were both kind enough to spend some time speaking with us about their work and experiences on the limited series, which you can listen to below. Please be sure to check out the series, which is now available to watch in full 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

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 has come to an end with our final review, that year's Best Picture Oscar winner, Kathryn Bigelow's "The Hurt Locker" starring Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie, Brian Geraghty, Evangeline Lilly, Ralph Fiennes, David Morse & Guy Pearce. The film received a massive wave of critical support after its long film festival run, which led to industry recognition, a historic Best Director win for Bigelow, making her the first female winner of the category, and Best Picture itself. The film follows an Iraq War Explosive Ordnance Disposal team who are targeted by insurgents and shows their psychological reactions to the stress of combat. Oscar-winning screenwriter Marc Boal drew on his experience during embedded access to write the screenplay. How does it hold up 16 years later? Please join Lauren LaMagna, Dan Bayer, Alyssa Christian, Giovanni Lago, and me as we discuss the performances, direction, writing, craftsmanship, its awards season run, and more in our SPOILER-FILLED review. You can view the winners of the 2009 NBP Film Community Awards here, and we'll announce our internal winners next week. Thank you so much for your support through this entire retrospective. Please check out our past reviews for "Crazy Heart," "The Blind Side," "A Serious Man," "An Education," "Up," "Inglourious Basterds," "District 9," "Star Trek," "Precious," "Up In The Air," and "The Secret In Their Eyes." We appreciate your support and hope you enjoy our review! 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

"Lurker" is an independent psychological drama thriller film written and directed by Alex Russell and stars Théodore Pellerin, Archie Madekwe, Zack Fox, Havana Rose Liu, Wale Onayemi, Daniel Zolghadri, and Sunny Suljic. It premiered at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival, where it received strong reviews for its writing, direction, performances, and music. Russell, Pellerin, and Madekwe were all 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 will be released in theaters on August 22nd from MUBI. 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

"Eden" is an American survival thriller film directed by Ron Howard and written by Noah Pink from a story by Pink and Howard. It stars Jude Law, Ana de Armas, Vanessa Kirby, Sydney Sweeney, Daniel Brühl, Felix Kammerer, Toby Wallace, and Richard Roxburgh. It is based on the true story of a few European settlers arriving at Floreana Island, in the Galápagos Islands, Ecuador. It premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, where it received mixed positive reviews for its dark story and performances. Howard 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 will be released in theaters on August 22nd from Vertical 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 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

"6:00 P.M." is the twelfth episode of the American medical drama television series "The Pitt." The episode was written by co-executive producer Joe Sachs and series creator R. Scott Gemmill, and directed by Amanda Marsalis. The series is set in Pittsburgh, following the staff of the Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Hospital ER (nicknamed "The Pitt") during a 15-hour emergency department shift. The series mainly follows Dr. Michael "Robby" Robinavitch, a senior attending still reeling from some traumas. In this particular episode, the team must deal with dozens of patients flooding the ER following a mass shooting. The episode received critical acclaim, with reviewers praising the pacing, tension, writing, and performances, and single-handedly helped many newcomers to the series pick up on the show's buzz and start watching, leading to a significant increase in viewership. Marsalis was nominated for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series at the 77th Primetime Emmy Awards for directing this episode. Marsalis was kind enough to spend some time speaking with us about her work on the episode, which you can listen to below. Please be sure to check out the series, which is now available to watch in full on HBO Max. 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

"Say Nothing" is a historical drama limited series created by Joshua Zetumer and produced by FX Productions, adapted from the 2018 book by Patrick Radden Keefe, and details four decades in Northern Ireland during The Troubles. The series premiered in late 2024 and garnered strong word of mouth, resulting in positive reviews, a Peabody Award, and now, an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Writing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for "The People in the Dirt." Zetumer and the episode's director, Michael Lennox, were both kind enough to spend some time speaking with us about their work on the limited series, which you can listen to below. Please be sure to check out the series, which is now available to watch in full on Hulu on FX. 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

Since it premiered in 2009, "RuPaul's Drag Race" has steadily grown to become one of the most popular reality competition shows on television. It has won a total of 29 Primetime Emmys and spawned multiple spin-offs, including the ever-popular "RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars," which just completed its 10th season, and numerous international competitions. For its 17th season, "RuPaul's Drag Race" recently earned eight Emmy nominations, including for Outstanding Makeup for a Variety, Nonfiction or Reality Program. Previous Emmy winners Natasha Marcelina and former contestant Raven are two of the show's nominees in this category, and they were kind enough to chat with us about their most recent nominations, how the show changed their lives, and what working on such an unapologetically queer program means to them. Please listen to the interview below, and be sure to check out "RuPaul's Drag Race," which is now available to stream on various streaming services and is up for your consideration for this year's Emmys. 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 White Lotus" returned for a third season this year, once again, with all eight episodes written and directed by Mike White. The season features an ensemble cast of Leslie Bibb, Carrie Coon, Walton Goggins, Sarah Catherine Hook, Jason Isaacs, Lalisa Manobal, Michelle Monaghan, Sam Nivola, Lek Patravadi, Parker Posey, Patrick Schwarzenegger, Tayme Thapthimthong, Aimee Lou Wood, Sam Rockwell, and Scott Glenn, with Natasha Rothwell and Jon Gries reprising their roles from prior seasons. The series follows the lives of the staff and wealthy guests at a wellness resort in Thailand. The season mainly received positive reviews from critics, garnering 10 nominations at the 77th Primetime Emmy Awards and 13 nominations at the 77th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards. Isaacs was kind enough to spend some time speaking with us about his experience working on the season, which you can listen to below. Please be sure to check out the drama series, which is now available to stream on HBO Max and is up for your consideration for the 77th Primetime Emmy Awards, where it's nominated for Outstanding Drama Series and Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for Isaacs. 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 Next Best Series Podcast is back for Episode 54 to discuss the latest television shows, including Lena Dunham's "Too Much," Noah Hawley's "Alien: Earth," "The Hunting Wives," what is going on with "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert," and the latest outrageous season of "South Park." We also advocate for who we believe Emmy Award voters should consider when casting their winner ballots for the 77th annual Emmy Primetime Awards from August 18th until the 27th. Please tune in as Megan Lachinski and Giovanni Lago join me to discuss these topics, shows, and more on this week's episode! We'll return with another new episode next month to deliver our final Emmy Award Winner Predictions. Thank you for your continued support. 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

For Episode 455, I am joined by Katie Johnson, Josh Parham & Tom O'Brien to discuss the 2025 New York Film Festival (NYFF) Spotlight announcement and the final additions to the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) lineup. We reveal the winner of last week's poll for NYFF63, where we asked, "Which Film From The 2025 New York Film Festival Main Slate Are You Most Looking Forward To Seeing?" For this week's poll, now that we know the full lineups for Venice, TIFF50 and NYFF63 (with Telluride to announce still, but with many of its titles already inferred), we're asking, "Which 2025 Fall Film Festival Films Are You Most Excited To See?" We also share our reactions to the trailers for "Marty Supreme," "It Was Just An Accident," "Eleanor The Great," "Steve," reveal the 2009 NBP Film Community Award Winners, answer your fan-submitted questions, and more! Thank you all for listening, supporting, subscribing, and voting. We will see 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