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The Ringer

Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins review the movies you need to see. Plus: Top 5s, Movie Drafts, Oscars analysis, and more, featuring a rotating cast of Ringer colleagues like Chris Ryan, Van Lathan, and Bill Simmons.

The Big Picture

Sean and Amanda return to continue their yearlong project of listing the 25 best movies of the 21st century so far. Today, they discuss David Lynch’s ‘Mulholland Drive,’ one of the greatest surrealist films ever made. They celebrate Naomi Watts’s incredible breakthrough performance, reflect on all the different conspiracy theories and unique readings of the film, and commend its ability to blend Americana, European surrealism, classic Hollywood glamour, and sinister outsider art, all at once.

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Producer: Jack Sanders

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The 25 Best Movies of the Century: No. 6 - 'Mulholland Drive’

We’re drafting again! Before diving into the draft, Sean, Amanda, and Chris react to two recent pieces of news with Disney reportedly turning down Steven Soderbergh’s ‘The Hunt for Ben Solo’ (1:05), and Taylor Sheridan leaving Paramount (9:25). Then, they discuss who they were in 1989 (17:33) and draft the best movies from that year (29:44).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guest: Chris Ryan

Producer: Jack Sanders
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The 1989 Movie Draft

Sean and Amanda kick off the show with a brand-new version of their Best Picture Power Rankings (1:43). Then, they cover Yorgos Lanthimos’s new movie, ‘Bugonia,’ starring Jesse Plemons and Emma Stone. They explain why this is their preferred “flavor” of Lanthimos, crown it as a new type of paranoid thriller, and praise Plemons's and Stone’s incredibly sincere and sympathetic performances (21:31). Later, Lanthimos joins Sean to talk through the difficulties and benefits of shooting the film with a large format in VistaVision, what interests him and intrigues him as a storyteller, and why he has anxiety about the future regarding our inability to communicate with one another (1:01:49).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guest: Yorgos Lanthimos

Producer: Jack Sanders

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Best Picture Power Rankings, ‘Bugonia,’ and the New Paranoid Thriller, With Yorgos Lanthimos!

Sean and Amanda return to continue their yearlong project of listing the 25 best movies of the 21st century so far. Today, they discuss Wong Kar-wai’s ‘In the Mood for Love,’ the signature romance film of the century. They talk about why the film is one of the most influential movies ever made, highlight its incredibly beautiful composition and framing, and discuss why the feeling of not getting what you want is more resonant than ever.

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Producer: Jack Sanders

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The 25 Best Movies of the Century: No. 7 - 'In The Mood for Love’

Sean and Amanda start the show by covering the major box office success of ‘Chainsaw Man,’ reacting to the news that Cinemark is opening myriad new 70 mm IMAX screens across the country, and discussing what it represents for the future of moviegoing (2:00). Then, they deep dive into Kathryn Bigelow’s new film, ‘A House of Dynamite,’ starring Rebecca Ferguson. They unpack their very complicated feelings by highlighting what they found successful, including a titillating first act and some strong performances, and they address its major flaws, most notably a wild third act that features a deeply unsuccessful performance from Idris Elba (12:59). Finally, Adam Nayman joins the show to discuss Kelly Reichardt’s new film, ‘The Mastermind,’ starring Josh O’Connor as an outcast loner (1:07:46). They talk about Reichardt’s ability to identify this type of character and give credit to her and O’Connor for crafting such a wonderful performance.

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guest: Adam Nayman

Producer: Jack Sanders

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‘A House of Dynamite’ Is Ready to Explode

Sean and Amanda are joined by Chris Ryan and Yasi Salek to head over to 'State Trooper' town and cover Scott Cooper’s ‘Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere,’ starring Jeremy Allen White. They unanimously agree that the movie is overwhelmingly unsuccessful, then dive into why it lacks dramatic stakes (1:42). Later, they hypothesize its box office potential and Academy Awards chances (36:20) before having a conversation about music biopics at large, where they share their personal favorites, as well as ones they hope to never see made (44:00). Finally, Sean and Amanda briefly cover Mary Bronstein’s new film ‘If I Had Legs I’d Kick You’ (1:00:48), before Bronstein herself joins the show. She walks through the long and arduous process of getting the movie made, speaks on why she needed to make this movie and the urgency behind her message, and shares insight on her deeply personal connection to the material (1:07:46).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guests: Chris Ryan, Yasi Salek, and Mary Bronstein

Producer: Jack Sanders

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‘Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere’ and the ‘Music Biopic’ Mount Rushmore

Sean and Amanda return to continue their yearlong project of listing the 25 best movies of the 21st century so far. Today, they discuss Bong Joon-ho’s ‘Parasite,’ which features one of the greatest movie endings of all time. They celebrate its nuanced portrayal of what systems do to people; highlight the small, formal decisions that elevate the movie’s ideas; and remember its iconic Best Picture win that changed the trajectory of the Academy Awards.

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Producer: Jack SandersUnlock an extra $250 at linkedin.com/thebigpicture 
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The 25 Best Movies of the Century: No. 8 - ‘Parasite’

On today’s show Chris Ryan joins Sean to unpack the year 2025 in horror movies. But first, they hit a handful of movie news headlines, including rumors of a new trailer coming out in December for Christopher Nolan’s ‘The Odyssey,’ Michael Mann’s recent comments about the production of ‘Heat II,’ and Eva Victor being cast in Tony Gilroy’s ‘Behemoth!’ (2:02). They then cover Scott Derrickson’s sequel, ‘The Black Phone 2’ (starring Ethan Hawke and Mason Thames), which they both found quite disappointing (10:32). Next, they reflect on the current state of horror as a genre and explore why they feel it's in a weird place right now (26:07). Later, Chris and Sean share their favorites of the year (36:16) before Alex Ross Perry joins the show to discuss his contribution to V/H/S/Halloween. Perry talks us through his thought process and points out why finding what he personally finds scary is the most important part (1:02:50). Finally, they have an extensive conversation surrounding horror anthologies, where they identify what defines a good horror anthology and share their personal favorites (1:22:58).

Host: Sean Fennessey

Guests: Chris Ryan and Alex Ross Perry

Producer: Jack Sanders

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The 10 Best Horror Movies of 2025 and ‘Black Phone 2’

Sean and Amanda begin the show by honoring the legendary actor Diane Keaton, who passed away at 79 last Saturday (3:19). Then, following a disappointing box office performance from a handful of new weekend releases, they have an extensive conversation around what audiences want from movies at the movie theater (9:54). They form a rubric from their main takeaways and apply it to ‘Tron: Ares’ (14:53), ‘Roofman’ (29:47), and ‘After the Hunt’ (0:00). Finally, they briefly cover Rebecca Miller’s new documentary miniseries, ‘Mr. Scorsese,’ a thorough exploration of Martin Scorsese’s fascinating and iconic career (46:54). They then have Miller herself on to talk through the incredible journey and process from start to finish (1:14:18).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guest: Rebecca Miller

Producer: Jack Sanders

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The “Should I See It in a Movie Theater?” Test: ‘Tron: Ares,’ ‘Roofman,’ and ‘After the Hunt.’ Plus, the Magic of ‘Mr. Scorsese.’

Sean and Amanda return to continue their yearlong project of listing the 25 best movies of the 21st century so far. Today, they discuss George Miller’s ‘Mad Max: Fury Road,’ one of the greatest action movies of all time. They explain why it almost feels like a silent film despite its incredibly loud sound, celebrate Charlize Theron’s phenomenal performance and highlight it as the signature performance of her career, and reflect on George Miller’s legacy at large.

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Producer: Jack Sanders

Unlock an extra $250 at linkedin.com/thebigpicture 

A State Farm agent can help you choose the coverage you need. Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there.® 
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The 25 Best Movies of the Century: No. 9 - 'Mad Max: Fury Road’

Sean and Amanda are joined by Ringer contributor Brian Raftery to discuss his miniseries about the Sony hack, running next week on the ‘Big Picture’ feed (1:00). Then, they discuss two recent releases—Sean Wang’s coming-of-age movie ‘Dìdi’ and the Matt Damon and Casey Affleck vehicle ‘The Instigators’ (14:00)—before launching themselves into the Matt Damon Hall of Fame (34:00). Finally, Sean is joined by Wang to discuss making ‘Dìdi,’ the path to his first feature at just 29 years old, the particular time period of the movie, and more (1:36:00).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins
Guests: Brian Raftery and Sean Wang
Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner
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The Matt Damon Hall of Fame. Plus: The Anxious Wonder of ‘Dìdi.’

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