The Big Picture - The Ringer

Latest Episodes:

The 2025 Movie Auction Returns! Jul 08, 2025

Show notes

Sean and Amanda are joined by Chris Ryan to conduct Part 2 of their 2025 Movie Auction, where they draft, in auction format, some of the movies they're most excited for this year. Before diving in, they remember the wonderful career of Michael Madsen, who tragically passed away this weekend at 67 years old (2:38). Then, they review the results from their earlier selections this year and revisit the rules and scoring system going forward, before launching into this year's slate, including some mega-blockbusters like 'Superman' and ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’, as well as some smaller but still exciting indies like 'The Ballad of a Small Player' and ‘It Was Just an Accident’ (7:40).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guest: Chris Ryan

Producer: Jack Sanders

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The 25 Best Movies of the Century: No. 16 - ‘Oppenheimer’ Jul 04, 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 Christoper Nolan’s ‘Oppenheimer’, starring Cillian Murphy, one of the most iconic biopics of all time. They talk about their contentious decision to choose this film as the official Nolan selection for the list, wonder whether this will end up as the culmination of his career, and hypothesize what the film’s legacy will ultimately be.

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Producer: Jack Sanders

THIS EPISODE IS SPONSORED BY THE STARBUCKS COFFEE COMPANY. ORDER NOW | STARBUCKS.COM/MENU

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‘Jurassic World Rebirth’ Does Not Find a Way. Plus: Nolan’s ‘The Odyssey’ Is Coming! Jul 02, 2025

Show notes

Sean and Amanda are joined by Chris Ryan to lead a team of skilled operatives to the most dangerous place on earth, a ‘Jurassic Park’ sequel. Before diving in, they react to the first trailer for Christopher Nolan’s ‘The Odyssey,’ which played before their screening (1:23). Then, they unpack their complicated and (at times) contentious feelings on the newest installment of the dinosaur action franchise, Gareth Edwards' ‘Jurassic World Rebirth,’ starring Scarlett Johansson and Mahershala Ali (9:45). Later, Sean is joined by Eva Victor to discuss their critically acclaimed first feature film, ‘Sorry, Baby.’ They talk about the interesting process of pitching a movie to financiers, the difficulties that come with doing press for a deeply personal film, and what they envision for their career going forward (59:02).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guests: Eva Victor and Chris Ryan

Producer: Jack Sanders

THIS EPISODE IS SPONSORED BY THE STARBUCKS COFFEE COMPANY. ORDER NOW | STARBUCKS.COM/MENU

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The 10 Best Movies of the Year ... So Far Jul 01, 2025

Show notes

Sean and Amanda start the show by reacting to the major opening-weekend box office success of ‘F1’ and the new trailer for Phil Lord and Chris Miller’s ‘Project Hail Mary’, starring Ryan Gosling (1:07). Then, they are joined by an all-star cast of some Ringer colleagues and other friends to share their favorite movies of the year so far. Their selections cover some notable heavy hitters, a few underlooked films, and one controversial choice that might start some Ringer beef (12:37).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guests: Rob Mahoney, Van Lathan, Chris Ryan, Mallory Rubin, Joanna Robinson, Charles Holmes, Adam Nayman, and Grace Fennessey

Producer: Jack Sanders

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‘F1’ Is a Fast, Fierce Blockbuster Throwback, With Joseph Kosinski! Plus, The Future of James Bond. Jun 27, 2025

Show notes

Sean and Amanda start the show by reacting to two huge news headlines from this week, with Denis Villeneuve set to direct the next James Bond film and Aaron Sorkin set to write and direct a sequel to ‘The Social Network’ (1:38). Then, they get behind the steering wheel to discuss Joseph Kosinski’s highly anticipated action blockbuster ‘F1,’ starring Brad Pitt. They talk about how the electrifying filmmaking displayed throughout the racing scenes makes the film worth the price of admission, acknowledge some of its noticeable flaws, and hypothesize whether or not it will perform well at the box office (23:00). Later, Sean is joined by Kosinski, who discusses why this was the most difficult shooting environment he’s ever experienced, how he feels about the major studios' relationship to the theatrical experience at large, and much more (1:12:26).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guest: Joseph Kosinski

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 25 Best Movies of the Century: No. 17 - ‘Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy’ Jun 25, 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 Adam McKay’s ‘Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy’ starring Will Ferrell, one of the most iconic comedies of all time. They highlight the wildly successful partnership of McKay and Judd Apatow, why they made the painfully difficult decision to choose this as their official studio comedy selection over ‘Superbad’, and celebrate Christina Applegate’s wonderful performance.

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Producer: Jack Sanders

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Our 800th Episode Ask-Us-Anything Mailbag. Plus: ‘Elio’ and ‘How to Train Your Dragon.’ Jun 23, 2025

Show notes

Sean and Amanda celebrate 800 (!) episodes with a special “Ask Us Anything” movie mailbag. They answer your questions on whether or not 2025 has been a good movie year, share theatrical experiences that have floored them this century, and build their own “Intro to Film” curriculum (3:39). Then, they unpack a pair of two recent children’s movie releases. They start with the new Pixar animated film, ‘Elio,’ and wonder whether its lack of box office suggests that there is a Pixar movie crisis (1:14:20). Finally, they cover ‘How to Train Your Dragon,’ the live-action remake of the original 2010 Dreamworks smash hit, and explain why they find this to be the lowest form of creativity possible (1:30:51).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Producer: Jack Sanders

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'28 Years Later': Death, Zombies, and One of the Year's Best Movies Jun 21, 2025

Show notes

Sean and Amanda are joined by Chris Ryan and react to a myriad of different movie news headlines, including the Academy’s decision to give Tom Cruise an honorary Oscar, Glen Powell’s casting in an upcoming Ron Howard firefighter film, and the first trailer for ‘Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere’—starring Jeremy Allen White (3:54). Then, they unpack Danny Boyle and Alex Garland’s highly anticipated zombie horror sequel, ‘28 Years Later.’ They celebrate its exhilarating filmmaking and the interesting decision to shoot on an iPhone, explore why Boyle and Garland complement each other’s work so well, and consider where this ranks amongst Boyle’s filmography (22:22).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guest: Chris Ryan

Producer: Jack Sanders

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The 25 Best Movies of the Century: No. 18 - ‘Before Sunset’ Jun 18, 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 ‘Before Sunset,’ the second installment of Richard Linklater’s beloved romantic trilogy starring Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy. They talk about why this film is their favorite of the trilogy and the official selection from Linklater’s career, discuss what its legacy is at large, and how its performances helped shape the most romantic, emotionally incisive film of the century.

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.®️

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Advice Hour Jun 16, 2025

Show notes

Amanda and Sean went live on YouTube to give you, the people, life advice. They answered questions about how to confront smelly friends, whether you can base a romantic relationship on a mutual passion for cinema, how to incorporate movies into wedding speeches, and much more.

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Producers: Jack Sanders and John Richter

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