Next Best Picture Podcast

In this insightful conversation, Lorcan Finnegan, the director of "The Surfer," shares his journey into filmmaking and the emotional depth of his latest project, which premiered at Cannes. He explores themes of masculinity and fatherhood, alongside Nicolas Cage's compelling performance. The discussion dives into the creative process behind casting and the unpredictable magic that comes with pairing actors with roles. Finnegan also reflects on the power of originality in cinema and its resonance with audiences, making for a fascinating listen.

"Another Simple Favor" had its world premiere at the 2025 SXSW Film Festival, where it received positive reviews for its sharp writing, juicy performances, and delicious costume design. Continuing the story from 2018's "A Simple Favor," director Paul Feig and stars Anna Kendrick, Blake Lively, Andrew Rannells, and Henry Golding, all returned, along with new faces and a new setting in Capri Italy for the Amazon Prime Video release. The result is a bigger movie in nearly every regard, with plenty of twists and turns in Stephanie and Emily's relationship. Feig was kind enough to spend some time speaking 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 available to stream on Amazon Prime Video. 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 the breakout English Sundance hit of the year, "An Education," starring Carey Mulligan, Peter Sarsgaard, Alfred Molina, Rosamund Pike, Dominic Cooper, Olivia Williams, and Emma Thompson. Nominated for Best Picture, Best Actress, and Best Adapted Screenplay, the film was acclaimed by critics, audiences, and the Academy and singlehandedly shot Carey Mulligan to stardom. How does it hold up 16 years later? What do we think of it? Please join Ema Sasic, Alyssa Christian, Josh Parham, Dan Bayer, and me as we discuss our thoughts on the performances from the ensemble, the writing, the ending, 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

"Out Of My Mind" had its world premiere at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival, where it received positive reviews for its performances, portrayal of cerebral palsy, writing, and direction. Based on Sharon M. Draper's 2010 novel of the same name, the film tells the story of Melody Brooks, a nonverbal young girl with cerebral palsy who has a sharp mind and a photographic memory. The movie follows her journey as she navigates sixth grade and fights to be heard and understood. She eventually receives a speech-generating device to express her thoughts and feelings. Actors Phoebe-Rae Taylor, Luke Kirby, and Director Ambert Sealey were all kind enough to spend some time speaking 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 now available to stream on Disney+. 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

"Severance" is one of the most beloved and popular series in the world right now. After waiting for the second season for nearly three years, it was finally released to positive reviews and an enthusiastic response from fans earlier this year. One of the brightest spots of this season was the character of Gemma Scout/Ms. Casey, played by Dichen Lachman. Lachman was given a showcase in "Chikhai Bardo," episode seven of the second season, as Gemma and Mark's backstory was fleshed out, allowing Lachman to delve deeper into the character. Lachman was kind enough to spend some time speaking with us about her work on the show, which you can listen to below. Please be sure to check out the series, which is now available to stream in full on Apple TV+. 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

"Thunderbolts*" marks a potentially major turning point within the MCU as it brings a group of anti-heroes together to face a new threat and forces them to confront the darkest corners of their pasts. The marketing has been called out for its A24 style, with particular early positive reactions directed towards the cast and director Jake Schreier's more grounded approach to the filmmaking. Schreier and the film's Oscar-nominated composers, Ryan Lott, Rafiq Bhatia, and Ian Chang (otherwise known as "Son Lux"), were all kind enough to spend some time speaking 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 opening in theaters on May 2nd from Marvel Studios and 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

For Episode 439, I am joined by Katie Johnson, Lauren LaMagna, and Will Mavity to discuss the announcement of the new rules for the Academy Awards and the additions to the 2025 Cannes Film Festival. We also reveal the winner of last week's poll for the release of "The Accountant 2" asking, "Which Is Your Favorite Ben Affleck performance?" and ask this week's poll question for the release of "Thunderbolts*" asking "What Is Your Favorite Movie About A Ragtag Group Of Misfits?" We also react to the trailers for "Predator: Badlands," "I Know What You Did Last Summer," "Heads Of State," answer your fan-submitted questions, and more! Thank you all for listening, supporting, and subscribing. We hope you enjoy this episode, and we will see you all 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, Joselyn Safadi, Giovanni Lago, Megan Lachinski, Will Mavity, and I are reviewing and discussing the latest film from Gavin O'Connor, "The Accountant 2," starring Ben Affleck, Jon Bernthal, Cynthia Addai-Robinson, Daniella Pineda & J. K. Simmons. It's been nine years since the release of "The Accountant," and the film has garnered quite a following since then. Now, the creative forces behind that film are finally back to give us a more entertaining sequel that leans on the brother relationship between Chris and Braxton, allowing Affleck and Bernthal to charm audiences and simultaneously kick human traffickers' asses. What did we think of the story, performances, humor, and action? Please tune in as we touch upon these points 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

"Magic Farm" had its world premiere at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival and later went on to screen at the Berlin International Film Festival. Set against the backdrop of an impending health crisis, it tells the story of a film crew who lands in South America to profile a musician but discover they have arrived in the wrong country. Director/Writer/Star Amalia Ulman and actors Chloë Sevigny, Alex Wolff, and Joe Apollonio were all kind enough to spend some time speaking with us about their experience making the film, which you can listen to below. Please be sure to check out the film, which is now playing in New York theaters from MUBI and will expand to additional cities starting May 2nd. 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

"The Accountant 2" had its world premiere at the 2025 SXSW Film Festival, where it received positive reviews for its deviation from the first film, choosing to highlight the budding relationship between Ben Affleck and Jon Bernthal's characters, while still packing in some action and laughs. Director Gavin O'Connor, who has worked with Affleck previously on the first film and "The Way Back," was kind enough to spend some time speaking with us about his work and experience making the sequel, which you can listen to below. Please be sure to check out the film, which is now playing in theaters from Amazon MGM Studios. 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