What looked like easy #Emmy races to call on Monday got scrambled up with Tuesday's nominations. So I've isolated 8 particularly tricky races where 2 or even 3 possible nominees have a plausible shot at the Emmy, plus a few thoughts about whom I think is ahead at this very moment. See if you agree!

One of 2025's best docs, Albert Serra's AFTERNOONS OF SOLITUDE is an unflinching portrait of the world of bullfighting, focusing on the enormous skills & showmanship of star matador Andrés Roca Rey as well as the dignity of his bovine opponent. A tough sit but worth it. @filmlinc.bsky.social

Director Mahdi Fleifel's TO A LAND UNKNOWN, an empathetic look at the plight of a pair of Palestinian emigres in Athens seeking black market passports to realize their dream of a better life, hits with a powerful impact, led by two potent lead performances. #ToALandUnknown Check out my #NBP review:

Last year, "RuPaul's Drag Race" had its Emmy tiara snatched by Alan Cumming's pesky "Traitors." Can the series lip-sync its way back to the crown? Or can any freshman competition show break into the Top 5? I've got the odds & state of the race for the Reality Competition Series Emmy right here!

Just when you're ready to give up on the MCU, we get a curveball like THUNDERBOLTS*, a romp that masks a serious depiction of mental illness. Listen in to this spoiler-filled episode as I join @nextbestpicture.bsky.social, @laurenlamango.bsky.social & @codymonster91.bsky.social to discuss it all!

The events of the drama WORDS OF WAR may have occurred 25 years ago, but the actions of Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya to expose the tyranny of Vladimir Putin pack an extra punch today. The film may overly rely on familiar biopic tropes, but Maxine Peake's work as Anna shines. #WordsOfWar

From sequels for beloved theatricals (#BridgetJones, #AnotherSimpleFavor) to provocative original films (#Mountainhead, #RebelRidge), the Emmy race for Outstanding Television Movie is heating up. What to watch? I've got ten top contenders for you to consider. Check 'em out right here!

The 2025 Emmy race for Outstanding Drama Series may be the most chaotic in years with as many as 4 possible slots available for a new drama series. Which of 2025's freshman class will make the cut? I've got 10 likely hopefuls here, some of which may surprise you, along with their current Emmy odds.

In the Emmy race for Best Comedy Series, there are so many great shows that have returned this season - "Hacks," "The Bear" & "Only Murders" to name just a few - what chance does a freshman comedy have of breaking through for an Emmy nod? Plenty, if they're of the caliber of these 10 new comedies.

THE PENGUIN LESSONS is based on the true story of teacher Tom Michell (Steve Coogan) who works at an Argentinian private school in 1976. The vibe is very Dead Poets Society, but when a character is abducted by secret police in an otherwise fluffy teacher film, it's an uneasy narrative fit. GRADE: C+

Disney's SNOW WHITE boasts fine work by Rachel Zegler & solid new songs. But Gal Gadot is lousy as the Queen & the CGI dwarfs are downright creepy. It simply seems to exist as yet another cash grab for the studio, one that seems to be increasingly less lucrative for the Mouse House. Good. GRADE: C+

Michael Fassbender & Cate Blanchett play a pair of married spies trying to sniff out a traitor in their midst in Steven Soderbergh's crackerjack thriller BLACK BAG. At a taut 94 minutes, he doesn't waste a frame or one word of David Koepp's marvelously twisty script. 2025's best so far. GRADE: A-

Will it be "Adolescence?" "The Penguin?" Or maybe any one of the eight more series that are my Top 10 contenders for the Outstanding Limited Series Emmy. The race is heating up already, and I'll be offering the top candidates (and their odds) for all the big Emmy races here at Next Best Picture.

Please listen in to this week's #NBPpodcast as I join @nextbestpicture.bsky.social, @dancindan.bsky.social, @codymonster91.bsky.social & @mavericksmovies.bsky.social to discuss the return of Conan as Oscar host (yippee), a ceremony date even later than this year (ugh), the polls and YOUR questions!

Longtime listener, first-time guest! @ryanmcquade77.bsky.social and @MrJayLedbetter invite me into their lair to discuss Mike Nichols' final film, and we talk all about Hanks, Roberts, Hoffman and a whole lot more! We had a blast making this episode, and we hope you have as much fun listening.

A shy Nathan Caine (Jack Quaid) is nicknamed NOVOCAINE due to a condition that keeps him from feeling physical pain. When new girlfriend Sherry is taken hostage in a bank heist, Nathan gives chase. The film's first act is a lovely romance, but soon the film turns very violent. It's a mix that works.

Left for dead by David Zaslav, #LooneyTunes lives! #TheDayTheEarthBlewUp is a beauty of a comedy that works both as an origin story about how Daffy Duck & Porky Pig became lifelong buds as well as a wicked satire of 1950s sci-fi epics, with more laughs per minute than any comedy in recent memory.

In EEPHUS, Carson Lund’s beauty of a comedy, two teams of guys of various ages and waistlines meet for 1 final game at their soon-to-be-demolished stadium. The writing is sharp, the ensemble is superb & the cinematography is appropriately autumnal. A great American indie. #Eephus @musicboxfilms.com

ON BECOMING A GUINEA FOWL expertly walks a fine line between dark comedy & tense drama as a brave Zambian woman exposes the history of molestation of the women in her family at the hands of her own newly-deceased uncle. A superb & brutal takedown of the complicity of silence. #OnBecomingAGuineaFowl

While we were sleeping, the Chinese animated adventure NE ZHA 2, a unique blend of classic Chinese mythology, dazzling high-flying visuals and fart jokes, became (unadjusted for inflation) the worldwide biggest-grossing animated film of all time. Are you curious? Then check out my review! #NeZha2

Bong is back baby, and #NBP's got him! Please listen in as I join @nextbestpicture.bsky.social, @jrparham.bsky.social, @TheGiovanniLago & @mavericksmovies.bsky.social for a SPOILER-FILLED deep dive into MICKEY 17. It's filled with creepers, megalomaniacs and lots of yummy sauces! It's a fun one!

Director Alex Parkinson has adapted his 2019 doc into fiction form with the true story of a diver (Finn Cole) trapped under water without potentially enough oxygen to survive. Is the new version worth holding your breath to see? @nextbestpicture.bsky.social, @saraclements.bsky.social & I tell all!

There's no turning back now. It's the NBP team's final Oscar predictions! On many of the big categories, we strongly agree, but there are a few where we're all over the place, which makes things fun. We're here to help you win your Oscar pool! (And we won't even take a cut!) Enjoy Sunday's Oscars!!

Where can you find the Best Picture nominees this weekend? ANORA - Theaters THE BRUTALIST - Theaters A COMPLETE UNKNOWN - Theaters CONCLAVE - Peacock DUNE: PART TWO - Max, Netflix EMILIA PÉREZ - Netflix I'M STILL HERE - Theaters NICKEL BOYS - MGM+ THE SUBSTANCE - MUBI WICKED - Theaters

PADDINGTON IN PERU faces the unenviable task of following 2017's "Paddington 2," widely considered to be one of the best sequels in film history. Directed by Dougal Wilson, this latest chapter is admittedly a step down from the previous films directed by Paul King, but it's not without its charms.

Now that the SAG Awards are history, it's on to Oscar! And you won't find a more comprehensive look at the race than this week's #NBPpodcast! It's 4 hrs & 20 minutes of sheer Oscar prediction bliss as we analyze all 23 races, so pour yourself a cup of cocoa (or your favorite adult beverage) & enjoy!

How could a toy monkey do anything to hurt people? On this week's #NBPpodcast, let us count the many gory ways. Please listen in as I join @nextbestpicture.bsky.social, Sara Clements, Josh Parham & @dancindan.bsky.social as we take on THE MONKEY, Osgood Perkins' outrageous horror comedy. #TheMonkey

My FYC: I'M STILL HERE. Oscar voters, for International Feature please consider Walter Salles' gut punch of a film that weaves a powerful warning on right-wing authoritarianism (that’s all too relevant today) with an emotionally charged family drama. Check out our NBP team's FYCs here! #ImStillHere

Bong Joon-ho's PARASITE is one of my favorite films of all time and I’m thrilled that it’s back in theaters (in IMAX!) on the 5th anniversary of its Best Picture win. Travel back to August 2019 for my original 10/10 review and listen to our #NBPpodcast review which I think has aged pretty darn well!

What once seemed to be the longest of long shots may soon become a reality for #FernandaTorres and #ImStillHere if #SonyPicturesClassics can follow the same path they used to engineer Anthony Hopkins’ come-from-behind acting victory for “The Father.” I have a few thoughts…

I really love directors who take big swings, but with big swings can come big misses. Such is the fate of LOVE ME, a post-apocalyptic romance between a buoy & a satellite who assume the avatars of an Instagram couple (Kristen Stewart, Steven Yeun). It's a concept in search of a movie. #LoveMe #psiff

THE COLORS WITHIN, Naoko Yamada's coming-of-age story is a visual treat, utilizing color to reveal personality with a palette unlike any I've seen in anime in recent years. Even if the story's stakes are low, Yamada brings a much-needed female voice to anime. #TheColorsWithin Check out my review:

So who's going to be nominated tomorrow for the 97th Academy Awards? Twelve of us on the Next Best Picture team give it our best shot in all 23 categories! (Bookmark this so you can laugh at us tomorrow. 😂) It all starts at 8:30am ET/5:30am PT. Rachel Sennott & Bowen Yang will do the honors. Enjoy!

It's my Top 10 list for 2024, and this bus is jam-packed! This year, I've got nurses, architects, cardinals, activists, patriarchs, dissidents, missing actors, production assistants, sports producers and hundreds of beavers on board! So why not open the door and take a look inside? Hope you enjoy!

For months, you all told me that THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO was great. I was a tad skeptical. I'm a skeptic no more. This film not only gives you the satisfaction of seeing a much-deserved revenge but also makes you question how that desire for vengeance can rot your soul. Wow. #thecountofmontecristo

We lost one of the greats today. Take a moment to remember his finest work as I rank and count down the 10 best films by the extraordinary David Lynch.

The very witty & very gay A NICE INDIAN BOY, in which a shy Indian doctor (an adorable Karan Soni) meets the boy of his dreams (Tony winner Jonathan Groff), clings to every single romcom rule. But so what? It delivers what we all want: a big gay Indian wedding at the end. #ANIceIndianBoy #PSIFF

On the cusp of earning his 2nd consecutive Best Actor Oscar nomination, this time for his work in "Sing Sing," Colman Domingo is truly a star of stage, screen & television. Please take a look as I count down the top 10 screen performances from this remarkable actor. www.goldderby.com/gallery/colm...

While a true story, THE PENGUIN LESSONS, the latest from Peter Cattaneo ("The Full Monty"), plays as a standard grumpy-teacher-earning-students'-respect trope. Because it's set in 1976 Argentina, "the disappearances" also play a part in the story, making for an uneasy fit. #ThePenguinLessons #PSIFF

I know we're all primed to be down on LOST LADIES because India picked it as its Oscar entry rather than the brilliant "All We Imagine As Light." But it's a delightful mistaken-identity romcom that actually gets better as it goes along. Don't hate the player, hate the game. #LostLadies #PSIFF

Filmed over 21 years, the new doc SABBATH QUEEN focuses on gay rabbi Amichai Lau-Lavie and the changes he's made in his life - even adopting a drag persona - to bring warring Jewish factions together. Even if its narrative jumps around a bit too much, Lau-Lavie is fascinating. #SabbathQueen #PSIFF

So the Oscar nominations are on January 23, and you need to see all the leading contenders fast? Not to worry, I've got you covered. Here's my annual list of the streaming services where you can catch all the frontrunners. From Conclave to The Substance..if it's streaming, it's here! Hope you enjoy!

In SACRAMENTO, Michael Cera and Michael Angarano (who also directed) play manboys with definite commitment issues who take a road trip rather than face the next chapter in their lives with the women in their lives (Kristen Stewart and Maya Erskine). Slight but very affecting. #Sacramento #psiff

The film adaptation of Shannon Pufahl's novel ON SWIFT HORSES focuses on a Korean War vet (Will Poulter), his wife (Daisy Edgar-Jones) & his brother (Jacob Elordi) who are tied together by blood, even as the latter two explore their own queer impulses. Sluggish and unfocused. #OnSwiftHorses #psiff

Director Soi Cheang's #TwilightOfTheWarriorsWalledIn is a glorious homage to the great Hong Kong martial arts films of the 1980s, with dazzling fight choreography, a wonderfully cheesy '80s look & garishly decked-out henchmen (Philip Ng, below, who steals the film). Deliriously entertaining. #PSIFF

On this week's #NBPpodcast, we cover the shocks in the Golden Globe winners & Critics Choice nods, as well as the nominees from a number of guilds and the upcoming nominations from PGA & BAFTA. Plus if you want to offer help to those in need in L.A., we have a few suggestions of worthy charities.

One of the great things about #TheDayTheEarthBlewUp, the first Looney Tunes film made for theaters, is how reverent it is to the history of the franchise, even while giving it a contemporary spin. Daffy Duck is excellent as always, but it's Porky Pig's finest work in decades. #psiff

It's a BETTER MAN Day at #NBP, so please give a listen as I join @nextbestpicture.bsky.social, @emasasic.bsky.social, @codymonster91.bsky.social, @dancindan.bsky.social & @mavericksmovies.bsky.social as we rock out in this SPOILER-FILLED review of the Robbie Williams biopic! #BetterMan

Joachim Lang's biopic of the famed South African choreographer JOHN CRANKO covers his time heading up the Stuttgart Ballet, where he demands perfection from his dancers at the barres and from his men in the bars. The film's a bit chilly, but as Cranko, Sam Riley is excellent. #JohnCranko #psiff

THE COLORS WITHIN, Naoko Yamada's coming-of-age story is a visual treat, utilizing color to reveal personality with a palette unlike any I've seen in anime in recent years. Even if the story's stakes are a bit low, Yamada brings a much-needed female voice to anime. My full review: #TheColorsWithin