Podcast · 218 episodes

The Big Picture

by The Ringer · English

Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins review the movies you need to see. Plus: Top 5s, Movie Drafts, Oscars analysis, and more. Subscribe to Sean's newsletter, Projections, here.

TV & Film

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Latest episodes

The Baseball Movie DraftThe hosts and guests draft their favorite baseball movies, debating what makes a “baseball movie,” how baseball fandom shapes movie enjoyment, and which films qualify by category (drama, comedy, kids…30 Sep 2026 · 1 h 44 min

Old Movies vs. New Movies: How ‘Avengers: Endgame Encore’ Beat Brad Pitt, Robert Pattinson, and an Awesome Weekend Movie LineupThe Big Picture debates “old vs. new” movies using a busy release week and a major box-office event: Avengers: Endgame Encore (a premium-format reissue).28 Sep 2026 · 2 h 23 min

‘Primetime’ Is a Robert Pattinson Transformation and the Nightmare Media Movie of Our Time, With Lance Oppenheim!Primetime (the new scripted feature by documentary filmmaker Lance Oppenheim) is a paranoid satire horror thriller about how 2000s gotcha TV culture—centered on Chris Hansen’s To Catch a…25 Sep 2026 · 1 h 53 min

All episodes

The Best Movies About Filmmakers, and ‘Boorman and the Devil’The documentary Borman and the Devil is discussed as a portrait of director John Boorman and his notoriously troubled exorcist sequel, The Heretic (marketed as Exorcist II).23 Sep 2026 · 1 h 45 min · 40 chapters

2026 Best Picture Power Rankings, and the Best Movies at TIFF. Plus: Zach Cregger on ‘Resident Evil’!Big Picture A Conversation covers (1) 2026 Best Picture Power Rankings kickoff, (2) Toronto International Film Festival wrap-up with Adam Nayman’s favorites and dislikes, (3) movie-industry news and…22 Sep 2026 · 2 h 13 min · 49 chapters

‘Resident Evil’ Absolutely Rips!The hosts discuss Zach Kregger’s new Resident Evil reboot, praising it as a fast, gory, goofy horror-comedy that captures the “playing the game” feeling more than it serves lore.17 Sep 2026 · 1 h 42 min · 45 chapters

The Sandra Bullock Movie Star Playbook and ‘Practical Magic 2.’ Plus: ‘Oasis: Don’t Look Back in Anger.’The Big Picture discusses (1) the weekend’s big movie Practical Magic 2, a sequel to the 1998 Nicole Kidman/Sandra Bullock film, (2) Sandra Bullock’s career and where it might go next, (3) the…15 Sep 2026 · 1 h 37 min · 39 chapters

The Winners and Losers of the Summer Movies Came Roaring Back. Plus: ‘Hope,’ ‘The Uprising,’ and 10 More We Missed.The Big Picture (Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins) reviews the late-summer box-office boom, identifies “winners and losers” of the summer movie season, and discusses a preview-game result.11 Sep 2026 · 3 h 4 min · 83 chapters

The 10 Best Movies at the Telluride and Venice Film Festivals. Plus: Nathan Fielder’s Stunning Elizabeth Holmes Doc.Big Picture hosts Sean Fennessey (in Los Angeles) and Amanda Dobbins (in Venice) compare their Telluride and Venice Film Festival experiences, then trade top picks and “not-so-favorites.” A major…8 Sep 2026 · 1 h 53 min · 39 chapters

The Black-and-Chrome Action Movie Pack and ‘Onslaught’ With Michael Biehn and Adam Wingard!The episode is a “black-and-chrome action movie pack” discussion centered on Adam Wingard’s Onslaught, plus a broader conversation about modern movie windows/VOD and genre trends.4 Sep 2026 · 1 h 58 min · 40 chapters

10 Movies We Can’t Wait to See This FallBig Picture’s fall movie preview and box-office/news roundup, plus “10 Movies We Can’t Wait to See This Fall” picks and predictions.1 Sep 2026 · 1 h 32 min · 44 chapters

The Ridley Scott Movie Rankings and ‘The Dog Stars’The Big Picture podcast episode reviews Ridley Scott’s post-apocalyptic thriller The Dog Stars (based on Peter Heller’s novel; screenplay by Mark L. Smith) and ranks Ridley Scott movies.28 Aug 2026 · 2 h · 55 chapters

The Flops Movie DraftA “Flops Movie Draft” where Sean Fennessey, Amanda Dobbins, and guests Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan draft movies that were considered disappointing/disastrous when released, using specific criteria…25 Aug 2026 · 1 h 54 min · 56 chapters

‘Tony’ and the Top 5 Coming-of-Age Movies, With Matt Johnson!The Big Picture episode with Matt Johnson discussing his new docudrama Tony (about early Anthony Bourdain) and Johnson’s “Top 5 coming-of-age movies.”21 Aug 2026 · 1 h 50 min · 47 chapters

‘The End of Oak Street’ and the Top Five 'Twilight Zone' Movies. Plus: Will Poulter!The episode is a mix of film news and discussion plus reviews. It covers D23/Marvel casting and trailer updates (especially X-Men and Avengers: Doomsday/Secret Wars), a brief look at Netflix’s The…18 Aug 2026 · 2 h 36 min · 55 chapters

The Final Girl Film Canon and ‘Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma’ With Gillian Anderson, Hannah Einbinder, and Jane Schoenbrun!A two-part discussion of Jane Schoenbrun’s meta-slasher coming-of-age film Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma, plus a broader conversation about the “final girl” film canon.14 Aug 2026 · 1 h 58 min · 48 chapters

The "Ask Sean Anything" Mailbag. Plus: The Amazing Life of a Character Actor, with Patrick Fischler.A “Ask Sean Anything” mailbag plus a long-form conversation with character actor Patrick Fischler about his working life, followed by extensive discussion of current movie news and upcoming releases.11 Aug 2026 · 2 h 38 min · 67 chapters

'One Night Only' and the 21st Century Rom-Com CanonThe podcast discusses the rom-com premise and execution of Will Gluck’s One Night Only, set in a dystopian near-future where premarital sex is legal for only one day (framed as 7 a.m.–7 p.m.) and…7 Aug 2026 · 2 h 15 min · 68 chapters

The Canadian Movie Draft Live from Toronto!A live Big Picture 8 episode from TIFF Lightbox in Toronto where the hosts and guests play Canadian-movie trivia and then do a “Canadian Movie Draft” by categories (e.g., Ryan Gosling, David…4 Aug 2026 · 1 h 58 min · 56 chapters

‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ and the Spider-Man Movie RankingsThe hosts discuss Spider-Man: Brand New Day (the fourth Tom Holland-era Spider-Man film) and debate what worked, what didn’t, and what it means for the MCU, then they begin ranking all 11 Spider-Man…31 Jul 2026 · 2 h 11 min · 52 chapters

Sex, Hell, and 10 Movies We Missed This Summer. Plus: Gregg Araki!The Big Picture “8 Conversation Show” does a summer catch-up on movies that flew under the radar, plus a Comic-Con/Marvel news segment, then a guest interview with indie queer-cinema director Gregg…28 Jul 2026 · 2 h 26 min · 55 chapters

The Summer Movie MailbagThe hosts and listeners discuss the Venice Film Festival lineup (and what’s missing), plus broader movie-industry questions raised by the “mailbag,” including IMAX 70mm availability,…23 Jul 2026 · 1 h 46 min · 41 chapters

The Triumph of ‘The Odyssey,’ and the Christopher Nolan Movie RankingsThe Big Picture discusses the Odyssey’s massive box-office debut and cultural impact, then pivots to ranking Christopher Nolan’s filmography.21 Jul 2026 · 1 h 56 min · 49 chapters

‘The Odyssey’ Is Massive and MagnificentThe Big Picture discusses Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey (based on Homer), focusing on its massive scale, adaptation choices, why Nolan is making it now, and how it fits his career and filmmaking…16 Jul 2026 · 2 h 11 min · 52 chapters