The Next Best Picture Podcast

"The Pitt" is an American medical drama television series created by R. Scott Gemmill and executive-produced by John Wells and Noah Wyle. It stars Wyle, Tracy Ifeachor, Patrick Ball, Katherine LaNasa, Supriya Ganesh, Fiona Dourif, Taylor Dearden, Isa Briones, Gerran Howell, Shabana Azeez, and Sepideh Moafi. Each season of the series follows emergency department staff as they work through the challenges of a single 12-hour shift at the fictional Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center, while navigating staff shortages, underfunding, and their own personal crises. Each episode, set in real time, covers approximately one hour of the work shift. The series has received critical acclaim for its performances, writing, direction, format, and realism. The medical community has also praised the series for its accuracy, realistic representation of healthcare workers, and portrayal of the stressors medical staff face in a post-pandemic world. The series has received several accolades, with the first season winning five awards at the 77th Primetime Emmy Awards, namely Outstanding Drama Series, Outstanding Casting, and acting wins for Wyle, LaNasa, and recurring guest star Shawn Hatosy. Additionally, it was listed among the 10 best television programs of 2025 by the American Film Institute and won Best Television Series – Drama at the 83rd Golden Globe Awards. Ema Sasic spoke with Sepideh Moafi, and Daniel Howat spoke with series cinematographer Johanna Coelho. Both were kind enough to spend some time talking with them 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 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

"Power Ballad" is a 2026 musical comedy-drama film directed and co-written by John Carney, starring Paul Rudd, Nick Jonas, Havana Rose Liu, and Jack Reynor. The film tells the story of Rick Power (Rudd), a wedding singer, who meets washed-up former boy band singer Danny Wilson (Jonas) at a wedding one night and bonds over a jam session. After the jam session, Danny steals one of Rick's songs, and it becomes a number-one hit. This brings Danny back into the spotlight, leading Rick to seek revenge and recognition. The film had its world premiere at the Dublin International Film Festival and has received positive reviews for its two performances, Carney's direction, and, of course, the music. Carney 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 is now playing in theaters from Lionsgate and will expand to more theaters on June 5th. 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 2008 retrospective continues with "Revolutionary Road," starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet, Michael Shannon, Kathryn Hahn, David Harbour, and Kathy Bates. Directed by Winslet's real-life husband at the time, Academy Award winner Sam Mendes, and adapted by Justin Haythe from the award-winning novel by Richard Yates, this was considered a huge Oscar contender on paper before its release around Christmas time in 2008. Once it was released, it received mixed but still positive reviews, with most of the praise going to the acting of Winslet, DiCaprio, and Shannon, and eventually scored three Oscar nominations. Winslet, though, despite winning the Golden Globe and receiving BAFTA and SAG nominations, was Oscar-nominated for her other 2008 contender, "The Reader." How has the period domestic drama held up all these years later? Please tune in as Lauren LaMagna, Dan Bayer, Amy Kim, and I talk about the Mendes's direction, the story's themes, Roger Deakins's cinematography, Thomas Newman's score, the performance, its awards season run, and more in our SPOILER-FILLED review. Please check out our past reviews for "Frost/Nixon," "Doubt," and "Changeling." 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

"Abbott Elementary" is an American mockumentary sitcom television series created by Quinta Brunson for ABC. It stars Brunson as Janine Teagues, a perpetually optimistic second-grade teacher at the underfunded Abbott Elementary, a fictional, predominantly black public school in West Philadelphia. The ensemble cast includes Tyler James Williams, Janelle James, Lisa Ann Walter, Chris Perfetti, William Stanford Davis, and Sheryl Lee Ralph. Tyler James Williams plays Gregory Eddie, at first a substitute for a recently fired first-grade teacher and later a full-time teacher, who quickly harbors a crush on Janine. He has been nominated for three Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for his work on the show. Williams was kind enough to spend some time talking with us about his work and experience making the fifth season of the show, which you can listen to below. Please be sure to check out the show, which airs on ABC and is available to stream now on Hulu and 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

"Pluribus" is an American post-apocalyptic science fiction television series created by Vince Gilligan for Apple TV. Set and filmed primarily in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the series follows novelist Carol Sturka (Rhea Seehorn), who finds herself isolated after an alien virus transforms the rest of humanity into a peaceful, content hive mind that nevertheless seeks to assimilate her and other immune individuals. The series has received acclaim from critics, with praise for Gilligan's writing and direction, Seehorn's performance, and the show's originality, tone, and stylistic influences. It was nominated for two Golden Globe Awards and two Critics' Choice Awards, with Seehorn winning Best Actress in a Drama Series in both ceremonies. Karolina Wydra was kind enough to spend some time talking with us about her work and experience making the series, which you can listen to below. Please be sure to check out the show, which 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