The Big Picture - The Ringer

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‘Highest 2 Lowest’ Is a N.Y. Movie State of Mind, With Spike Lee! Sep 05, 2025

Show notes

Sean and Amanda start the show by reacting to a handful of recent movie trailers, including Emerald Fennell’s ‘Wuthering Heights’—starring Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi—and Nia DaCosta’s ‘28 Years Later: The Bone Temple’ (3:33). Then, they unpack Spike Lee’s newest film ‘Highest 2 Lowest,’ starring Denzel Washington and A$AP Rocky. They explore its very high highs and occasional low lows, Washington’s fascinating performance style, and what makes this film so different compared to the rest of Lee’s filmography (17:09). Next, they cover Darren Aronofsky’s ‘Caught Stealing,’ starring Austin Butler and Zoë Kravitz; they both found it quite disappointing, to the point that they even discussed whether or not Austin Butler is a “leading man” (39:54). Finally, Sean is joined by the legendary filmmaker Spike Lee to talk about his new movie. Lee reflects on the first time he visited Akira Kurosawa’s work and touches on what Kurosawa means to both himself and cinema at large, talks through Denzel Washington's brilliant improvisations in this film and explains why he is—in Lee's opinion—the greatest actor of all time, and explores what is missing from Hollywood and the filmmaking industry right now (1:07:01).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guest: Spike Lee

Producer: Jack Sanders

This episode is sponsored by State Farm®️. A State Farm agent can help you choose the coverage you need. Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there.®️

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The Best Movies at Telluride and Venice, and the 10 Most Anticipated Fall Films Sep 03, 2025

Show notes

Sean and Amanda are back from vacation! Today, they discuss the biggest films out of the Telluride and Venice film festivals before sharing the yet-to-be-released movies they’re most excited for this fall (0:47). Then, Sean is joined by director Alex Russell to discuss his new film, ‘Lurker’, starring Théodore Pellerin and Archie Madekwe. Russell explains how he was able to direct the project despite his very limited experience, what he was looking for when casting his two leads, and what type of project he might be interested in doing next (1:41:32).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guest: Alex Russell

Producers: Jon Jones, Sasha Ashall, and Jack Sanders

This episode is sponsored by State Farm®️. A State Farm agent can help you choose the coverage you need. Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there.®️

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The 25 Best Movies of the Century: No. 13 - 'Get Out’ Sep 01, 2025

Show notes

Sean and Amanda return to continue their yearlong project of listing the 25 best movies of the 21st century so far. Today, they discuss Jordan Peele’s ‘Get Out’ starring Daniel Kaluuya and Allison Williams, the funniest, most astute critique of a so-called post-racial America. They share why they chose this to be their signature horror film of the list, how its release was a culture-shifting event that changed the face of horror, and wonder what the reception of the film would have been if the infamous alternative ending of the film was used.

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Producer: Jack Sanders

This episode is sponsored by State Farm®️. A State Farm agent can help you choose the coverage you need. Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there.®️

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6. ‘The Hurt Locker’ and ‘Iron Man’ | Mission Accomplished Aug 29, 2025

Show notes

As Hollywood and America look toward a brighter future, two war films explore the long-term impacts of the Bush years on soldiers and civilians alike.

Host: Brian Raftery

Producers: Devon Baroldi, Brian Raftery, and Vikram Patel

Sound Design: Devon Baroldi

Mixing and Mastering: Scott Somerville

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5. ‘No Country for Old Men’ and ‘W.’ | Mission Accomplished Aug 26, 2025

Show notes

A pair of tough Texas dramas reckon with the bleakness of the Bush years—resulting in two of the most unpredictable films of the early 2000s.

Host: Brian Raftery

Producers: Devon Baroldi, Brian Raftery, and Vikram Patel

Sound Design: Devon Baroldi

Mixing and Mastering: Scott Somerville

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4. ‘Michael Clayton’ and ‘Chop Shop’ | Mission Accomplished Aug 22, 2025

Show notes

As America falls into a recession, two movies about New York hustlers capture the quiet desperation needed to survive in a country running on empty.

Host: Brian Raftery

Producers: Devon Baroldi, Brian Raftery, and Vikram Patel

Sound Design: Devon Baroldi

Mixing and Mastering: Scott Somerville

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3: ‘Anchorman’ and ‘Zodiac’ | Mission Accomplished Aug 19, 2025

Show notes

As Americans pine for a kinder, gentler nation, two wildly entertaining (and wildly different) films about life in 1970s California poke holes in our country’s past.

Host: Brian Raftery

Producers: Devon Baroldi, Brian Raftery, and Vikram Patel

Sound Design: Devon Baroldi

Mixing and Mastering: Scott Somerville

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2. ‘25th Hour’ and ‘The Manchurian Candidate’ | Mission Accomplished Aug 15, 2025

Show notes

In the wake of 9/11 and America’s new war on terror, two films capture the chaos of a country caught between open rage and simmering paranoia.

Host: Brian Raftery

Producers: Devon Baroldi, Brian Raftery, and Vikram Patel

Sound Design: Devon Baroldi

Mixing and Mastering: Scott Somerville

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1. ‘Bring It On’ and ‘Donnie Darko’ | Mission Accomplished Aug 12, 2025

Show notes

The Big Picture Live Show in NYC: Tickets go on sale today, August 12, at 2 p.m. ET at 92ny.org!

As a new millennium gets underway, two beloved high school films—one full of pep, the other drenched in dread—reflect America’s sudden shift from post-Y2K cheer to post-9/11 confusion.

Host: Brian Raftery

Producers: Devon Baroldi, Brian Raftery, and Vikram Patel

Sound Design: Devon Baroldi

Mixing and Mastering: Scott Somerville

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‘Weapons’ Is Why We Go to the Movies, With Zach Cregger! Aug 08, 2025

Show notes

'Weapons' is finally here, and Sean gets back in the void for a deep dive on one of his most anticipated films of the year. But before diving in, he and Amanda are joined by Brian Raftery to discuss his narrative series, Mission Accomplished, that will run on the feed throughout the rest of August (2:02). The limited series examines the making of 12 great 2000s movies and chronicles how Hollywood and America changed during the Bush years. Next, before covering ‘Weapons,’ Sean uses another recent horror release—‘Together,’ starring Dave Franco and Alison Brie—as a comparison point to explore the current state of horror (14:19). Then, Sean shares five things he loved about Zach Cregger’s ‘Weapons,’ starring Julia Garner and Josh Brolin, and makes a syllabus for the movie, one of his favorites of the year (24:33). Finally, Sean is joined by Cregger to unpack his sophomore horror feature film and share how the significant increase in resources impacted his process, how his life and career changed following the success of ‘Barbarian,’ and why he knew he was up to the task of directing this incredibly ambitious project (46:41).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guests: Zach Cregger and Brian Raftery

Producer: Jack Sanders

This episode is sponsored by State Farm®️. 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