The Big Picture - The Ringer

Latest Episodes:

We Went to Cannes! These Are the 10 Best (and Worst) Things We Saw. May 21, 2026

Show notes

Bonjour! Sean and Amanda recap their first trip to the legendary Cannes Film Festival, which has become an incredible bellwether for the Best Picture race over the last five to 10 years. First, they talk through what the actual experience at the festival is like, including how it logistically works, what the vibes are like, and how to survive (0:39). Then, they dive into the slate of films they’ve seen and categorize them into the good, the bad, and the WTF (24:29). Finally, they share their final predictions for all of the main prizes at the festival and briefly cover some potential Oscar implications (1:40:54).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Producer: Jack Sanders

Production Support: Lucas Cavanagh and Sarah Reddy

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The 1976 Movie Draft May 18, 2026

Show notes

We’re drafting again! Sean and Amanda are joined by potential third chairs Chris Ryan and Tracy Letts to draft their favorite movies from 1976.

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guests: Chris Ryan and Tracy Letts

Producer: Jack Sanders

Production Support: Lucas Cavanagh and Sarah Reddy

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The 10 Best Horror Movies of the Year … So Far. Plus: The New Scary Movie Royalty, and ‘Obsession,’ With Curry Barker! May 15, 2026

Show notes

On today’s show, Sean is joined by Chris Ryan to discuss the current state of one of their favorite shared loves: horror movies. They talk through the current paths for directors to break into the genre (0:52), highlight which filmmakers they think are at the top of the game right now (13:52), and break down a myriad of recent releases, including ‘Obsession’, ‘Hokum’, and ‘Lee Cronin's The Mummy’ (32:45). Later, Curry Barker joins the show to discuss his new horror film, ‘Obsession’. He explains how he got his start as a filmmaker in Alabama, shares his personal perspective as a person who went through the YouTube pipeline, and breaks down what’s next for him as both a director and an actor (1:19:23).

Host: Sean Fennessey

Guest: Curry Barker and Chris Ryan

Producer: Jack Sanders

Production Support: Lucas Cavanagh

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 Robert Duvall Hall of Fame May 11, 2026

Show notes

Sean is joined by Tracy Letts to honor the monumental work of legendary actor Robert Duvall. They celebrate the star’s illustrious career, share their personal relationships with his work, and build his Hall of Fame.

Host: Sean Fennessey

Guest: Tracy Letts

Producer: Jack Sanders

Production Support: Lucas Cavanagh and Sarah Reddy

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The Physical Media High Council Reconvenes! May 07, 2026

Show notes

Hear ye, hear ye! Gather 'round for the (somewhat) annual reconvening of the illustrious Physical Media High Council! Grand Maester Fennessey is joined by his three lords, Chris Ryan, first knight Timothy “Hitmaker” Simons, and the king of physical media Tracy Letts, to discuss the state of collecting and share some of their personal favorites from their respective collections (00:06). Then, they open up the mailbag to answer all of your questions regarding how to organize a collection, detailed breakdowns of their personal at-home setups, and share their individual 4K “grails” (1:35:00).

Host: Sean Fennessey

Executive Producer: Amanda Dobbins

Guests: Chris Ryan, Tracy Letts, and Tim Simons

Producer: Jack Sanders

Production Support: Lucas Cavanagh

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The ‘Star Wars’ Rankings and the 'Andor' Miracle May 04, 2026

Show notes

May the Fourth be with you! Sean is joined by Chris Ryan to revisit the hit second season of ‘Andor’ and break down the countless things that make it a truly special television show (0:48). Then, they conduct their ‘Star Wars’ rankings and sort through every movie, as well as ‘Andor’ and ‘The Mandalorian’ (59:29).

Host: Sean Fennessey

Guest: Chris Ryan

Producer: Jack Sanders

Production Support: Sarah Reddy and Lucas Cavanagh

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 Devil Wears Prada 2’ and the Movies That Feel Like Our Lives May 01, 2026

Show notes

Fresh off Fashion Week, Sean and Amanda react to one of their most anticipated movies of 2026: ‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’. They share their feelings on the sequel, discuss how it differs from the original, and examine how the media and fashion industries have evolved over the past 20 years (1:01). Next, they cover ‘Mile End Kicks,’ a portrait of a young music writer in Canada circa 2011, with Sean reflecting on his own trials and tribulations working as a music journalist (57:50). Finally, Sean sits down with writer-director Chandler Levack to discuss both of her films being released this year—‘Mile End Kicks’ and the Netflix comedy ‘Roommates,’ produced by Happy Madison Productions (1:06:45). That’s all.

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guest: Chandler Levack

Producer: Jack Sanders

Production Support: Lucas Cavanagh, Sarah Reddy, and Jamie Yukich

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The 'Star Wars' Movie Draft Apr 27, 2026

Show notes

In a galaxy far, far away … Sean and Amanda use the Force to bring in their fellow Jedis Chris Ryan, Mallory Rubin, and Van Lathan for a 'Star Wars' movie draft. They share their anticipation (or lack thereof) for ‘The Mandalorian & Grogu,' break down their relationships to the movies themselves, and draft some of their favorite and least favorite things about the iconic franchise.

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guests: Chris Ryan, Mallory Rubin, and Van Lathan

Producer: Jack Sanders

Production Support: Lucas Cavanagh and Sarah Reddy

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‘Michael’ Wants to Start Something It Can’t Finish. Plus: ‘Mother Mary’ With David Lowery! Apr 24, 2026

Show notes

Sean and Amanda are joined by our music biopic correspondent, Yasi Salek, to unpack their complicated feelings on the highly anticipated musical biopic ‘Michael.’ Before diving into the movie, they quickly cover some movie news: most importantly, the ‘Miami Vice’ reboot getting a new title and a release date (1:51). Then, they break down all of the good, the bad, and the ugly with ‘Michael’ and highlight why the re-creation of Michael Jackson’s music feels deeply special but is ultimately inside of something hollow and uninteresting (10:31). Next, they discuss David Lowery’s new gothic fantasia musical, ‘Mother Mary,’ starring Anne Hathaway, which they praise for its beautiful filmmaking and nuanced and complicated portrayal of relationships, creativity, and fame (55:14). Finally, Lowery joins the show and explains why casting Hathaway and Michaela Coel was crucial to the movie’s success, how ‘The Green Knight’ helped him realize he wanted to work on something smaller in scale, and why making the movie felt like a supernatural experience (1:10:10).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guests: David Lowery and Yasi Salek

Producer: Jack Sanders

Production Support: Lucas Cavanagh

Camera Operators: Sarah Reddy, Donald LoBianco, and Ryan Todd

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The 900th-Episode Mega-Voicemailbag! Apr 21, 2026

Show notes

Ladies and gentlemen, we’ve done it. On our 900th episode, we answer all of your questions about movies, the show itself, aioli, and everything in between (2:11). Then, Sean and Amanda briefly cover a handful of recent releases, including ‘You, Me & Tuscany,’ ‘The Christophers,’ and ‘Blue Heron’ (1:53:46). Finally, Sophy Romvari joins the show to discuss her debut feature film, ‘Blue Heron,’ and explain what informed specific technical decisions and the direction on set for this deeply personal project (2:10:08).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guest: Sophy Romvari

Producer: Jack Sanders

Production Support: Lucas Cavanagh

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