The Next Best Picture Podcast

"Jay Kelly" had its world premiere at the 2025 Venice International Film Festival and later screened at the Telluride Film Festival, the New York Film Festival, and the AFI Film Festival. It received positive reviews for its casting and performances, particularly from George Clooney, Adam Sandler, Laura Dern, and Billy Crudup; the direction and writing by Noah Baumbach (co-written with Emily Mortimer); and the score by Nicholas Britell. Members of the cast and crew were kind enough to spend some time speaking with Next Best Picture over the past few weeks, and you can listen to those conversations below. First, we have my interviews with Clooney, Sandler, Dern, Crudup, Baumbach, Mortimer, and Britell. Then, we have Will Mavity's interview with the film's casting directors, Nina Gold and Doug Aibel. Please be sure to check out the film, which is now available to stream on Netflix, and is up for your consideration for this year's Academy Awards in all eligible categories. 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 For this week's second podcast review, Josh Parham, Dan Bayer, Daniel Howat, and Will Mavity join me to review and discuss the latest film from Noah Baumbach, "Jay Kelly," starring George Clooney, Adam Sandler, Laura Dern, Billy Crudup, Riley Keough, Grace Edwards, Stacy Keach, Jim Broadbent, Patrick Wilson, Eve Hewson, Greta Gerwig, Alba Rohrwacher, Josh Hamilton, Lenny Henry, Emily Mortimer, Nicôle Lecky, Thaddea Graham & Isla Fisher. The Netflix film follows a friendship between a famous actor (Clooney) and his manager (Sandler) as they travel through Europe and reflect on their life choices, relationships, and legacies. It had its world premiere at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival and received positive reviews for its performances, writing, and direction from Baumbach. What did we think of it, though? Please tune in as we discuss these elements, the themes, cinematography, score, its awards season prospects, 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

"Fackham Hall" is a period parody comedy film set in 1930s England that crosses "Downton Abbey" with "Airplane!" and "Monty Python." It is directed by Jim O'Hanlon and written by comedian Jimmy Carr (in his screenwriting feature debut) with Patrick Carr and The Dawson Brothers. It stars Damian Lewis, Thomasin McKenzie, Ben Radcliffe, Katherine Waterston, Tom Felton, and Jimmy Carr. It follows loveable pick-pocket Eric Noone (Radcliffe) as he lands a job at a unique English manor house. He quickly rises through the ranks, and a forbidden romance with the lady of the house, Rose Davenport (McKenzie), blossoms. But when an unexpected murder occurs, Eric gets framed - leaving Rose and her family's future perilously uncertain. McKenzie, Radcliffe and O'Hanlon were all kind enough to spend some time talking with us about their experiences making the film, which you can listen to below. Please be sure to check out the film, which will open in theaters on December 5th from Bleecker Street. 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

"La Grazia" is an Italian drama film written and directed by Paolo Sorrentino. It stars Toni Servillo as the President of Italy, Mariano De Santis, a staunch Catholic and experienced jurist, who is conflicted about whether he should sign into law a bill legalizing euthanasia, and at the same time has to consider the pardon petitions of two individuals who murdered their partners. The film had its world premiere as the opening film of the 82nd Venice International Film Festival, where Servillo won the Volpi Cup for Best Actor. Servillo was kind enough to spend some time speaking with us about his experience working on the film, which you can listen to below. Please be sure to check out the film, which is opening in theaters on December 5th 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

"Rosemead" is a drama film, directed by Eric Lin in his directorial debut, from a screenplay by Marilyn Fu, based on a 2017 LA Times column by Frank Shyong. It stars Lucy Liu as an ailing woman who is stricken by the discovery of her teenage son’s violent obsessions and must go to great lengths to protect him, and possibly others, in this portrait of a Chinese American family. The film premiered at the 2025 Tribeca Festival to positive reviews, particularly for Liu, who received the best notices of her career. Liu was kind enough to spend some time speaking with us about her experience working on the film, which you can listen to below. Please be sure to check out the film, which is releasing in theaters on December 5th 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

For Episode 468, Cody Dericks, Nadia Dalimonte and Giovanni Lago join me for a packed week of awards season predictions as December looms around the corner and the precursors for the 98th Academy Awards officially begin. We predict the Gotham Awards, New York Film Critics Circle (NYFCC), Los Angeles Film Critics Association (LAFCA), and National Board of Review (NBR) winners, along with what we believe will place in the AFI Top 10 films of the year. We also attempt to predict the likely nominees for the Critics' Choice Awards (CCA) and the Film Independent Spirit Awards. For this week's poll, in celebration of the release of "Jay Kelly," we ask: "Which Is Your Favorite George Clooney Performance?" We also reveal the winner of last week's poll, in which we asked, "Which Films Will Be Oscar-Nominated For Best International Feature Film At The 98th Academy Awards?" In addition, we share our reactions to the trailers for "How To Make A Killing" and "Goat," answer your fan-submitted questions, and more. Thank you all for listening, supporting, and subscribing. 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 this week's main podcast review, Sara Clements, Cody Dericks, Alyssa Christian, Brendan Hodges & Joselyn Safadi join me to discuss the sequel to 2016's Oscar-winning animated film "Zootopia," titled "Zootopia 2," starring the voice talents of Ginnifer Goodwin, Jason Bateman, Ke Huy Quan, Fortune Feimster, Andy Samberg, David Strathairn, Shakira, Idris Elba, Patrick Warburton, Quinta Brunson, Danny Trejo, Alan Tudyk, Nate Torrence, Don Lake, Bonnie Hunt, and Jenny Slate. The story follows the returning officers Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde, who are now "partners" and go undercover to pursue Zootopia's new and mysterious reptilian resident, Gary De'Snake. Nearly a decade after the first film, what did we think of this highly anticipated sequel? Please tune in as we discuss the story, voice acting, themes, animation, dozens of references and jokes for kids and adults, 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

"The Thing With Feathers" is a British independent drama film starring Benedict Cumberbatch that is written and directed by Dylan Southern and adapted from the book "Grief Is the Thing with Feathers" by Max Porter. It had its world premiere at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival, where Cumberbatch's haunting performance as a grief-stricken father was praised. Cumberbatch was kind enough to spend some time speaking with us about his experience working on the film, which you can listen to below. Please be sure to check out the film, which is now playing in limited theatrical release from Briarcliff 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

"Eternity" had its world premiere at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival where it received positive reviews for its clever premise about a woman who must choose between two men with whom to spend eternity in the afterlife co-written and directed by David Freyne along with the trio of heartwarming an heartbreaking performances from Miles Teller, Elizabeth Olsen, Callum Turner, and hilarious supporting work from John Early, Olga Merediz and Academy Award-winner Da'Vine Joy Randolph. Freyne was kind enough to spend some time talking with Ema Sasic about his experience making the film, while I had the pleasure of speaking with Joy Randolph about her work on the film. Both interviews are available to listen to below. Please be sure to check out the film, which is now playing in theaters from A24. 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

"In Your Dreams" is an American animated adventure-comedy film directed by Alex Woo and co-directed by Erik Benson, from a script by Woo and Benson and a story by Woo, Benson, and Stanley Moore. It tells the story of Stevie (Jolie Hoang-Rappaport) and her little brother Elliot (Elias Janssen), who journey into the wildly absurd landscape of their own dreams to ask the Sandman to grant them the perfect family. Produced by Netflix Animation and Kuku Studios, it received generally positive reviews from critics. Director/co-writer Woo 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 Netflix and is up for your consideration for Best Animated Feature at the 98th Academy Awards. 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