The Next Best Picture Podcast

For this week's main podcast review, Katie Johnson, Cody Dericks, Lauren LaMagna, and Will Mavity join me to discuss James Gunn's latest DC film, "Clayface," starring Tom Rhys Harries, Naomi Ackie, David Dencik, Max Minghella, and Eddie Marsan. Directed by James Watkins (The American remake of "Speak No Evil") and co-written by Mike Flanagan ("Doctor Sleep") and Hossein Amini ("The Snowman"), it is the third film in the DC Universe (DCU) that follows an actor who turns to a scientist to restore his body to his former look after becoming disfigured by a mobster. A standalone villain origin story that leans into body horror on a smaller budget than other DC films, many were excited to catch it over the Halloween spooky season. What did we think of it though? Please tune in, either on video or audio only, as we discuss the story, performances, makeup and gore effects, visual effects, its Oscar prospects, and more in our SPOILER-FILLED review. Thank you for listening, and enjoy!

https://youtu.be/4J8uC29GZqQ

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"The Only Living Pickpocket In New York" is an American crime thriller film written and directed by Noah Segan. It stars John Turturro as an old-school thief trying to survive in a modern, cashless city while scrambling to fix a high-stakes mistake. The film also stars Giancarlo Esposito, Will Price, Tatiana Maslany, and Steve Buscemi. It had its world premiere at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival and made its international premiere out of competition at the 76th Berlin International Film Festival. It has since screened at the Telluride, Toronto, and New York Film Festivals, where critics have widely praised the film, particularly Turturro's performance and Segan's writing and direction. Segan was kind enough to spend some time talking with us about his work and experience making the film, which you can watch or listen to below. Please be sure to check out the film, which is now playing in theaters from Sony Pictures Classics. Thank you, and enjoy!

https://youtu.be/qYicC0F7hus

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"Wildwood" is a 2026 stop-motion animated fantasy film directed by Travis Knight from a screenplay by Chris Butler. Based on Colin Meloy and Carson Ellis’s 2011 novel, it follows Prue, a teenage girl who ventures into an enchanted forest with her classmate Curtis to find her infant brother, abducted by a mysterious woman named Alexandra. Along the way, they discover a fantastical world filled with magical creatures and warring factions. The film features the voices of Peyton Elizabeth Lee, Jacob Tremblay, Carey Mulligan, Mahershala Ali, Awkwafina, Angela Bassett, Jake Johnson, Charlie Day, Amandla Stenberg, Jemaine Clement, Len Cariou, Maya Erskine, Tantoo Cardinal, Tom Waits, and Richard E. Grant. Stars Peyton Elizabeth Lee, Jacob Tremblay, Awkwafina, Jake Johnson, author Colin Meloy, and illustrator Carson Ellis were all kind enough to spend some time speaking with me about their work and experiences making the film, which you can watch or listen to below. Please be sure to check out the film, which is now playing in theaters from Fathom Entertainment. Thank you, and enjoy!

https://youtu.be/nXJ4hiK5Y64

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"Wildwood" is a 2026 American stop-motion animated fantasy film co-produced and directed by Travis Knight and written by Chris Butler, based on Colin Meloy and Carson Ellis's 2011 novel. Produced by LAIKA studios, the film stars Peyton Elizabeth Lee, Jacob Tremblay, Carey Mulligan, Mahershala Ali, Awkwafina, Angela Bassett, Jake Johnson, Charlie Day, Amandla Stenberg, Jemaine Clement, Len Cariou, Maya Erskine, Tantoo Cardinal, Tom Waits, and Richard E. Grant. In the film, a teenage girl named Prue (Lee) and her classmate Curtis (Tremblay) enter an enchanted forest to search for her infant brother after he is abducted. They find a manor and learn about a coming war from a mysterious woman who tragically lost her son. Development began in September 2011, just weeks after the release of Meloy's novel, when LAIKA announced plans to adapt it as an animated feature. Production was confirmed in September 2021, with Knight directing and co-producing with Arianne Sutner, and Butler writing the script. The feature was produced at LAIKA's studio facility in Hillsboro, Oregon, with Caleb Deschanel as cinematographer. With a theatrical runtime of 131 minutes, the film is the longest stop-motion-animated film and, in terms of overall craftsmanship, the biggest achievement in stop-motion animation history for sheer scale and difficulty. The film premiered at the BFI London Film Festival, where critics widely acclaimed it as not only the best animated film of the year, but the best to ever come out of LAIKA Studios. Knight was kind enough to lend us an hour of his time as he came into the studio and spoke with us about what drew him to Colin Meloy's novel, the painstaking work that goes into the art of stop-motion, his feelings on the current state of animation, what is next for himself and LAIKA Studios, what winning an Oscar would mean to him, and more, which you can watch or listen to below. Please be sure to check out "Wildwood," which will be released in theaters by Fathom Entertainment on October 23rd. Thank you, and enjoy!

https://youtu.be/1q4hpZ7Jpq4

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"A Talent For Murder" is a 2026 thriller film directed by Anton Corbijn and adapted by Joanna Murray-Smith from her 2014 play Switzerland. It stars Alden Ehrenreich as a young man who travels from New York to Switzerland to persuade acclaimed thriller writer Patricia Highsmith (Helen Mirren) to write one final installment of her Tom Ripley series, as his efforts gradually turn more sinister. The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, where critics gave it generally positive reviews. Ehrenreich was kind enough to spend some time talking with us about his work and experience making the film, which you can watch or listen to below. Please be sure to check out the film, which will release in theaters on October 23rd from Bleecker Street. Thank you, and enjoy!

https://youtu.be/_Dzhdk-X2-c

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Please subscribe on...

Apple Podcasts - https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/negs-best-film-podcast/id1087678387?mt=2

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YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWA7KiotcWmHiYYy6wJqwOw

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