The Big Picture
Film, TV & Pop Culture
About
Sean Fennessey, Amanda Dobbins and Chris Ryan on movies.
Episodes
- The Physical Media High Council Reconvenes!
The Physical Media High Council reconvenes to discuss the state of collecting and share personal favorites. They also answer listener questions, including home setup details and 4K "grails." Guests include Chris Ryan, Timothy Simons, and T…
- The ‘Star Wars’ Rankings and the 'Andor' Miracle
Sean Fennessey and Chris Ryan review the second season of 'Andor.' They also rank all Star Wars movies, 'Andor,' and 'The Mandalorian.'
- ‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’ and the Movies That Feel Like Our Lives
Sean and Amanda discuss the movie ‘The Devil Wears Prada 2,’ comparing it to the original and examining changes in media and fashion. They also cover
- The 'Star Wars' Movie Draft
Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins host a 'Star Wars' movie draft with guests Chris Ryan, Mallory Rubin, and Van Lathan. They discuss their relationships to the movies and draft favorite and least favorite aspects of the franchise.
- ‘Michael’ Wants to Start Something It Can’t Finish. Plus: ‘Mother Mary’ With David Lowery!
Hosts Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins discuss the Michael Jackson musical biopic and the film Mother Mary. They are joined by special guest David Lowery, the director of Mother Mary.
- The 900th-Episode Mega-Voicemailbag!
This episode features Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins answering listener questions and discussing films like ‘You, Me & Tuscany,’ ‘The Christophers,’ and ‘Blue Heron.’ Sophy Romvari discusses her debut feature film, ‘Blue Heron.’
- The 15 Most Anticipated Movies Out of CinemaCon and Our Trip to the Sphere!
Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins, joined by Matt Belloni, recap their trip to CinemaCon. They discuss the state of movies in 2026 and share their most anticipated films from the event.
- The 2026 Summer Movie Preview "Boom or Bust" Game
Sean and Amanda play the Summer Movie Preview game, analyzing upcoming films and predicting their performance. Daniel Goldhaber then joins to discuss his new movie, "Faces of Death," and its themes.
- The Meryl Streep Hall of Fame
Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins discuss Meryl Streep's career and performances. They also react to Cannes Film Festival announcements and other movie news headlines.
- The 2026 Movie Star Rankings: 35 Under 35
Sean and Amanda rank the 35 most important movie stars under 35. They discuss why movie stars still matter and share their main takeaways from their new list, analyzing Hollywood’s biggest young actors based on past work, upcoming projects…
- The Top 10 Movie Plot Twists and ‘The Drama.’ Plus: ‘The Super Mario Galaxy Movie’ Certainly Exists.
Sean and Amanda discuss movie news and review ‘The Super Mario Galaxy Movie’ and ‘The Drama.’ They also share their top 10 movie plot twists.
- The Best Movies of the Year … So Far. Plus: 15 We Missed!
Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins discuss the best movies of the year to date. They also cover movie news and 15 films they have not yet reviewed. Later, Sean is joined by BenDavid Grabinski to discuss his new film and his journey to direc…
- The 1988 Movie Draft
Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins are joined by guests Chris Ryan and Bill Simmons to draft their favorite movies from 1988.
- The Steven Spielberg Conversation
Steven Spielberg joins Sean Fennessey for a conversation about his career, his film ‘Disclosure Day,’ and his thoughts on the current state of the industry.
- ‘Project Hail Mary’ Will Amaze! Amaze! Amaze! With Phil Lord and Chris Miller
Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins discuss the film 'Project Hail Mary' with directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller. They cover the film's practicality, its unique aesthetic, and the filmmaking process, including shooting space scenes based o…
- The Oscar Hangover Mailbag. Plus: ‘Dune: Part Three’ Is Coming!
Sean and Amanda discuss movie news, including the trailer for ‘Dune: Part Three’ and reports about an 'Ocean's 11' prequel. They also address post-Oscars topics based on listener questions.
- The 2026 Academy Awards: ‘One Battle After Another’ Earns More Than a Few Small Oscars
Sean and Amanda discuss the 98th Academy Awards, including the Best Picture winner 'One Battle After Another', Michael B. Jordan's Best Actor win, and their thoughts on the telecast.
- Our Final 2026 Oscar Predictions: Who Will Win, and Who Should Win
Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins offer their predictions for the 98th Academy Awards. They also react to the trailer for the movie 'Disclosure Day' and discuss the upcoming Oscars broadcast.
- The "Anything But Oscars" Mailbag! Plus: ‘Hoppers’
Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins answer listener questions in their "Anything But Oscars" mailbag segment. They also discuss movie news, including box office results for ‘Hoppers’ and Oscar precursors, and review the new animated movie ‘H…
- The 10 Wildest Reboots in Movie History and ‘The Bride!’ Plus: A ‘Secret Agent’ Second Look and the Best Doc Contenders.
Sean and Amanda discuss Maggie Gyllenhaal's new movie, ‘The Bride!’ They also talk about movie reboots, revisit Kleber Mendonca Filho’s ‘The Secret Agent,’ and cover Oscar-nominated documentary films.
- The 2026 Alternative Oscars, a.k.a. the 6th Annual Big Picks! Plus: The Craziest Awards Season in Years.
Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins, with guest Wesley Morris, discuss the film industry, recap recent awards shows, and present their annual Alternative Oscars, also known as the Big Picks.
- Paramount Wins Warner Bros. Now What? Plus: ‘Scream 7,’ Heat 2,’ and ‘Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie’ With Matt Johnson!
Sean Fennessey discusses Paramount\
- The Final Best Picture Power Rankings and a ‘Sinners’ Second Look With Autumn Durald Arkapaw!
Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins review the BAFTA Awards and the film 'How to Make a Killing.' They also discuss 'Sinners' and update their Best Picture Power Rankings. Cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw is a guest to discuss her caree…
- Garbage Crime Returns! The Post-‘Heat’ Movie Awards and ‘Crime 101’ With Bart Layton!
Sean Fennessey, with guests Chris Ryan and Bart Layton, discusses crime in films, including those influenced by the movie 'Heat.' They also talk about Robert Duvall's career and Layton's film 'Crime 101.'
- The Oscars Snubs Draft. Plus: ‘Sirāt’!
This episode features a discussion about Oscars snubs with guests Chris Ryan, Joanna Robinson, and Katey Rich. Also, hosts Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins cover Óliver Laxe’s film ‘Sirāt,’ and Sean interviews Laxe about his work.
- The Heaving ‘Wuthering Heights’ and the Throbbing ‘Pillion’: A Very Horny Valentine's Day Double Feature
This episode features a discussion of the films "Wuthering Heights" and "Pillion" by hosts Sean and Amanda, joined by guest Sam Sanders. Director Harry Lighton also discusses his film "Pillion" and its adaptation process.
- What It’s Really Like at an Awards Show. Plus: Cliff Booth Returns and the Best Super Bowl Trailers!
Sean and Amanda react to Super Bowl movie trailers and share their experience
- ‘Mamma Mia!’ Meets ‘The Strangers'! It’s a Movie Swap!
In this episode, Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins conduct a listener's choice movie swap, analyzing 'The Strangers' and 'Mamma Mia!'. They also preview the Super Bowl and upcoming movie trailers.
- Dumpuary Is Dead. These Movies Killed It. Plus: The Best Movies at Sundance and the Catherine O’Hara Hall of Fame.
Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins discuss the box office success of 'Iron Lung,' Nancy Meyers's new film, and honor Catherine O’Hara. Sean shares his favorite movies from the Sundance Film Festival, reviews 'People We Meet on Vacation' and…
- The 10 Most Misused Stars in Hollywood and the Gnarly Magic of ‘Send Help’
Sean and Amanda open the show by covering A24's win in the bidding war for Olivia Wilde’s ‘The Invite’ and react to leaked photographs from the upcoming Beatles biopics. They also share takeaways from the BAFTA nominations. Later, they cov…
- The Oscar Noms Mailbag: Is ‘Sinners’ vs. ‘One Battle After Another’ a Race? Plus: Best Picture Power Rankings.
Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins answer listener questions about the recent Oscar nominations. They discuss the potential for "Sinners" to win Best Picture over "One Battle After Another" and update their Best Picture power rankings.
- The 2026 Oscar Nominations: Snubs, Surprises, and WTFs
Sean and Amanda discuss the 2026 Oscar nominations, highlighting snubs, surprises, and major takeaways. They also note 'F1' and 'Sinners' breaking records.
- The Matt Damon and Ben Affleck Movie Draft. Plus: ‘The Rip.’
Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins, with guest Chris Ryan, discuss whether January has presented the best movies ever. They cover the new Netflix film \'The Rip\', starring Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, and then draft their favorite movies fr…
- ‘28 Years Later: The Bone Temple’ Is Gut-Ripping and Gut-Wrenching. Plus: Mona Fastvold on ‘The Testament of Ann Lee’!
Sean Fennessey, Amanda Dobbins, and Chris Ryan review Nia DaCosta’s ‘28 Years Later: The Bone Temple.’ They also discuss Mona Fastvold’s film, ‘The Testament of Ann Lee,’ and Sean Fennessey interviews Mona Fastvold.
- The 2026 Movie Auction
Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins, with guest Chris Ryan, review past movie auction results and compete for their most anticipated films of 2026.
- The 2026 Golden Globes: ‘One Battle After Another’ vs. ‘Hamnet’ Begins
Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins react to the 2026 Golden Globes and discuss 'One Battle After Another' and 'Hamnet.' They also question the purpose of the awards show.
- Five Burning Questions About Awards Season, and Our Golden Globes Predictions. Plus: The Ingenious ‘No Other Choice,’ with Park Chan-wook!
Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins discuss awards season and their Golden Globes predictions. The episode also features an interview with director Park Chan-wook about his film ‘No Other Choice’.
- The 26 Most Anticipated Movies of 2026
Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins discuss their 26 most anticipated movies of 2026. They also recap holiday box office totals and awards before diving in.
- The 25 for ’25 Selection Show Special
Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins discuss their selections for the 25 best movies of the 21st century. This episode features a behind-the-scenes look at their list finalization process.
- The 25 Best Movies of the Century: No. 1 - 'The Social Network’
Sean and Amanda discuss 'The Social Network' as part of their project to list the 25 best movies of the 21st century. They analyze the film's cultural impact and highlight Jesse Eisenberg's performance.
- F---, Marry, Kill at the Movies: ‘The Housemaid,’ ‘Song Sung Blue,’ and ‘Anaconda’
Sean and Amanda discuss three new movie releases: "The Housemaid," "Anaconda," and "Song Sung Blue." They also review recent movie trailers and interview director Craig Brewer about his filmmaking career and the role of music in his work.
- The 25 Best Movies of the Century: No. 2 - 'There Will Be Blood’
Sean and Amanda discuss Paul Thomas Anderson’s ‘There Will Be Blood’ and its place on their list of the 25 best movies of the 21st century. They also discuss Daniel Day-Lewis's performance and the film's 2008 Academy Awards nominations.
- ‘Marty Supreme’ Is the Moment, With Josh Safdie!
Sean and Amanda discuss the movie 'Marty Supreme' with director Josh Safdie. They talk about the film's style, specific scenes, and Safdie's directorial experience directing the movie.
- The Top 10 Underseen and Overlooked Movies of 2025. Plus: ‘Is This Thing On?,’ ‘Ella McCay,’ and Why We Can’t Have Nice Things.
Sean and Amanda discuss the teaser for Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s ‘Digger.’ They also review new releases ‘Is This Thing On?’ and ‘Ella McCay,’ and share their top ten most underseen and overlooked movies of the year.
- ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ Burns Bright Before Flaming Out. Plus: Best Picture Power Rankings and the Oscar Short Lists!
Sean and Amanda react to news about the Oscars and review 'Avatar: Fire and Ash'. They also discuss the Oscar short lists and Best Picture Power Rankings.
- The 2022 Movie Draft
Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins, with guest Chris Ryan, discuss and draft the best movies released in 2022.
- The Movie Business Freak-Out Mailbag and ‘Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery,’ With Rian Johnson!
This episode of The Big Picture features Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins discussing the movie business and the film ‘Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery.’ Rian Johnson also joins the show to discuss his work.
- ‘Hamnet’ and the 10 Best Performances of 2025. Plus: Kleber Mendonça Filho on ‘The Secret Agent.’
Sean and Amanda are joined by Joanna Robinson to discuss Chloe Zhao’s adaptation of ‘Hamnet.’ They also talk about Kleber Mendonça Filho’s ‘The Secret Agent’ and Kleber Mendonça Filho explains his thought process behind the film.
- The Adam Sandler Hall of Fame and ‘Jay Kelly’ With Noah Baumbach!
Sean and Amanda review Noah Baumbach’s new film, ‘Jay Kelly,’ starring George Clooney and Adam Sandler. They discuss the movie, Adam Sandler’s potential award chances, and his Hall of Fame. Noah Baumbach also joins Sean to discuss his work…
- The Truth About Netflix Buying Warner Bros. Plus: Snubs and Surprises of the Golden Globe Nominations and Jafar Panahi on ‘It Was Just an Accident.’
This episode of The Big Picture covers Netflix's acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, reactions to the Golden Globe nominations, and a discussion about Jafar Panahi's film 'It Was Just an Accident.' The hosts are Sean Fennessey and Amand…