The Next Best Picture Podcast

"The Invite" is a 2026 American comedy film directed by Olivia Wilde and written by Will McCormack and Rashida Jones. It is an English-language remake of the Spanish film "The People Upstairs" by Cesc Gay. It stars Wilde alongside Seth Rogen as a deteriorating couple who invite their enigmatic neighbors, played by Penélope Cruz and Edward Norton, to a dinner party that spirals into unexpected places. The film premiered at the Eccles Theater as a part of the 2026 Sundance Film Festival and received positive reviews from critics for its direction, screenplay, and performances. Wilde was kind enough to spend some time talking 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 scheduled for a limited theatrical release in the United States on June 26th from A24, followed by a nationwide expansion on July 10th. 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

"Skyscraper Live" is a Netflix special in which American climber Alex Honnold ("Free Solo") scaled the Taipei 101 skyscraper in Taiwan without ropes. The ascent was broadcast live on January 25th, 2026. It was hosted by sports broadcaster Elle Duncan, along with professional wrestler Seth Rollins, climber Emily Harrington, climbing broadcaster Pete Woods, and YouTuber Mark Rober. The stunt has been called one of the highest free solo climbs of an urban structure in the world. Honnold was kind enough to spend some time talking with us about his work and experience climbing the skyscraper, which you can listen to below. Please be sure to check out the special, which is up for your consideration for this year's Emmy Awards and is now available to stream 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

"The Audacity" is an American dark comedy television series created by Jonathan Glatzer for AMC and AMC+. It follows a self-appointed "inventor of the future" tech CEO and his self-serving "performance psychologist,” who are engulfed in a scandal sparked by the exploitation of personal data. The series premiered on April 12th to positive reviews. In March 2026, ahead of the series premiere, the series was renewed for a second season. Creator Jonathan Glatzer and stars Billy Magnussen, Lucy Punch, Paul Adelstein, Simon Helberg, Rob Corddry, Meaghan Rath, Everett Blunck, Thailey Roberge, and Ava Marie Telek were all kind enough to spend some time talking with us about their work and experiences making the series, which you can listen to below. Please be sure to check out the series, which is up for your consideration for this year's Emmy Awards and is now available to stream on AMC+. 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 this week's main podcast review, Megan Lachinski, Josh Parham, Dan Bayer, Cody Dericks, and Daniel Howat join me to review and discuss the latest film in the "Toy Story" franchise from Disney Pixar, "Toy Story 5" starring Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack, Tony Hale, John Ratzenberger, Wallace Shawn, Blake Clark, Annie Potts, Bonnie Hunt, Melissa Villaseñor, Kristen Schaal, Keanu Reeves, Ally Maki, Greta Lee, Conan O’Brien, Craig Robinson, Shelby Rabara, Scarlett Spears, Mykal-Michelle Harris, Matty Matheson, Jeff Bergman, Anna Vocino, John Hopkins, Bad Bunny, Ernie Hudson & Alan Cumming. With Pixar veteran Andrew Stanton sitting in the director's chair for this fifth installment in the computer-animated franchise that changed cinema forever, and with many believing the franchise should've ended after "Toy Story 3," which capped off a perfect trilogy, fans are left wondering if there was reason to return to the world of everyone's favorite secretly living toys. Turns out the justification is technology and how it has impacted the toys' playtime with their owner, Bonnie. What did we think of it, especially after "Toy Story 4?" Please tune in to find out as we discuss the screenplay, its themes, the voice performances, animation, score, Taylor Swift's original song, 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

"Rose Of Nevada" is a 2025 British science fiction drama film written, edited, composed, and directed by Mark Jenkin. Starring George MacKay, Callum Turner, and Francis Magee, the film tells the story of a fishing vessel that was lost at sea 30 years ago and mysteriously reappears in the harbor of a fishing village. The film had its world premiere in the Orizzonti section of the 82nd Venice International Film Festival and received positive reviews for its 16mm cinematography, sound work, performances, and intellectual and haunting concept. Jenkin and MacKay were both kind enough to spend some time talking 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 playing in New York and Los Angeles theaters from 1-2 Special. 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

"Beef" is an American comedy-drama anthology television series created by Lee Sung Jin for Netflix. Season 1 starred Steven Yeun and Ali Wong and went on to win eight Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series, and acting wins for Yeun and Wong. At the 81st Golden Globe Awards, it won in all three of its nominated categories, including Best Television Limited Series, Anthology Series, or Motion Picture Made for Television. Season 2 stars Oscar Isaac and Carey Mulligan as Joshua Martín and Lindsay Crane-Martín, and Cailee Spaeny and Charles Melton as Ashley and Austin, two couples; after the poor latter two blackmail the rich former two with footage of a heated argument that would threaten their image, a similarly prolonged feud ensues. The second season premiered on April 16th, 2026, and received critical acclaim for its performances, direction, and writing. Season 2 Director and Executive Producer Jake Schreier was kind enough to spend some time talking with us about his work and experience making the series, which you can listen to below. Please be sure to check out the show, which is available to watch on Netflix and is up for your consideration for this year's Emmy 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

"Stranger Things" is an American television series created by the Duffer Brothers for Netflix. The fifth and final season was released in three volumes, including the finale, in November and December 2025. The show combines elements of horror, science fiction, mystery, coming-of-age, and drama. Set in the 1980s, the series centers on the residents of the fictional town of Hawkins, Indiana, after a young girl with psychokinetic abilities named Eleven inadvertently creates a wormhole known as the Upside Down at a nearby secretive government research facility, connecting Earth to a hostile realm called the Abyss. The ensemble cast includes Winona Ryder, David Harbour, Finn Wolfhard, Millie Bobby Brown, Gaten Matarazzo, Caleb McLaughlin, Natalia Dyer, Charlie Heaton, Cara Buono, Matthew Modine, Noah Schnapp, Sadie Sink, Joe Keery, Dacre Montgomery, Sean Astin, Paul Reiser, Maya Hawke, Priah Ferguson, Brett Gelman, Linda Hamilton, Jamie Campbell Bower, and Nell Fisher. The Duffer Brothers developed Stranger Things as a blend of investigative drama and supernatural horror, infused with childlike wonder and references to the popular culture of the 1980s. Several thematic and directorial elements were inspired by the works of Steven Spielberg, John Carpenter, David Lynch, Stephen King, Wes Craven, H. P. Lovecraft, and FromSoftware.The show also drew inspiration from Cold War-era experiments and conspiracy theories involving secret government programs. The series has received positive reviews throughout its run, with praise for its characterization, atmosphere, acting, direction, writing, and homage to 1980s cinema, making it a touchstone of 1980s nostalgia. It has garnered many accolades and is widely regarded as one of the greatest television shows of all time. Jamie Campbell Bower was kind enough to spend some time talking with us about his work and experience making the show, which you can listen to below. Please be sure to check out the show, which is available to watch in full on Netflix and is up for your consideration for this year's Emmy 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

"The Death Of Robin Hood" is an American thriller film starring Hugh Jackman as Robin Hood in a dark adaptation of the 17th-century ballad "Robin Hood's Death." It is written and directed by Michael Sarnoski and also stars Jodie Comer, Bill Skarsgård, Murray Bartlett, and Noah Jupe. The film received generally positive reviews from critics for its grim atmosphere, craftsmanship, and Hugh Jackman's powerful performance. Sarnoski was kind enough to spend some time talking 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 June 19th 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

"Slow Horses" is a British spy thriller television series based on the Slough House novels by Mick Herron, and adapted for television by the English comedian and writer Will Smith. It follows an MI5 unit that consigns disgraced or failed agents, under the supervision of Jackson Lamb (Gary Oldman). It also stars Jack Lowden, Kristin Scott Thomas, Jonathan Pryce, Saskia Reeves, Rosalind Eleazar, Christopher Chung, and Aimee-Ffion Edwards. The series premiered on Apple TV+ on April 1st, 2022, to highly positive reviews. The first five series have adapted the novels "Slow Horses," "Dead Lions," "Real Tigers," "Spook Street," and "London Rules," respectively. Slow Horses has been renewed for a sixth and seventh series, based on the novels Joe Country and "Slough House" (series 6) and "Bad Actors" (series 7). The sixth series is set to premiere on September 16th, 2026. Members of the series's crew, including Cinematographer Danny Cohen, Editors Zsófia Tálas and Fiona Brands, Supervising Sound Editor Joe Beal, and Re-Recording Mixers Martin Jensen & Ben Tisdall, were all kind enough to spend some time talking with us about their work and experiences making the fifth season of the series, which you can listen to below. Please be sure to check out the series, which is up for your consideration for this year's Emmy Awards and is now available to stream 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

"The Diplomat" is an American political thriller television series created by Debora Cahn. First airing in 2023, it stars Keri Russell as a veteran US diplomat who is unexpectedly appointed as the ambassador to the United Kingdom amid an emerging international crisis. It has aired for three seasons, with a fourth one announced. The drama series has received critical acclaim for its writing, pacing, and performances, particularly those of Keri Russell, Rufus Sewell, and Allison Janney (beginning in season 2). At the 77th Primetime Emmy Awards in 2025, the series was nominated for Outstanding Drama Series. Russell has won an Actor Award and has been nominated for two Primetime Emmy Awards and three Golden Globe Awards. The show has been praised for its nuanced portrayal of foreign policy and the often invisible work of diplomacy, as well as its character-driven storytelling that blends political intrigue with personal drama. Sewell was kind enough to spend some time talking with us about his work and experience making the show, which you can listen to below. Please be sure to check out the show, which is available to watch on Netflix and is up for your consideration for this year's Emmy 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

"Murderbot" is an American science fiction action comedy television series created by Paul Weitz and Chris Weitz for Apple TV. It is based on "All Systems Red," the first book of the series "The Murderbot Diaries" by Martha Wells. The series stars Alexander Skarsgård as the titular character, a media-obsessed private security construct (manufactured from cloned human tissue and mechanical parts), who must hide its newly acquired autonomy while completing dangerous assignments, and is simultaneously drawn to humans and appalled by their weakness. The first season premiered in May, 2025 and received positive reviews. In July 2025, the series was renewed for a second season. Star and Executive Producer Alexander Skarsgård, along with Writers/Directors/Executive Producers Chris & Paul Weitz, were all kind enough to spend some time talking with us about their work and experiences making the show, which you can watch to below. Please be sure to check out the show, which is available to watch on Apple TV and is up for your consideration for this year's Emmy 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

For this week's main podcast review, Cody Dericks, Nadia Dalimonte, Dan Bayer, Giovanni Lago, and Brendan Hodges join me to review and discuss the latest film from the legendary Stephen Spielberg, "Disclosure Day," starring Emily Blunt, Josh O'Connor, Colin Firth, Eve Hewson, Colman Domingo & Wyatt Russell. Returning to live-action science fiction for the first time in over twenty years, Spielberg is no longer asking whether or not aliens exist, but rather how the world would react if they did. The result is a thrilling, emotional, and intellectually rich blockbuster, a rarity in today's cinematic landscape. Is it a reminder of what a great storyteller Spielberg is, or is it a well-intentioned misfire from a master filmmaker? Please tune in to find out as we discuss the screenplay, its themes, the performances, the craftsmanship, including John Williams's score, the visual effects and sound work, 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