"It Ends" is a 2025 American road-horror thriller film written, directed, and edited by Alexander Ullom in his directorial debut. It stars Phinehas Yoon, Akira Jackson, Noah Toth, and Mitchell Cole. It follows a group of graduates who go on a late-night drive but accidentally turn onto a two-lane highway that appears to go on indefinitely. The film premiered at the 2025 South by Southwest Film & TV Festival, where it received positive reviews but struggled to find a distributor. It was made available as a digital rental for a limited period in December 2025, via the Letterboxd Video Store. Due to its success on the platform, the film was later acquired by NEON. Ullom was kind enough to spend some time talking with us about his work and experience making the film, its long road to getting released, and what he has coming up next in his just beginning, which you can watch or listen to below. Please be sure to check out the film, which is now playing in theaters from NEON. Thank you, and enjoy! https://youtu.be/K4s7OJXFLJM Check out more on NextBestPicture.com Please subscribe on... Apple Podcasts - https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/negs-best-film-podcast/id1087678387?mt=2 Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/7IMIzpYehTqeUa1d9EC4jT YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWA7KiotcWmHiYYy6wJqwOw And be sure to help support us on Patreon for as little as $1 a month at https://www.patreon.com/NextBestPicture and listen to this podcast ad-free Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"Colony" (Korean: 군체) is a 2026 South Korean action horror film directed and written by Yeon Sang-ho, with Choi Gyu-seok as co-writer. It stars Jun Ji-hyun, Koo Kyo-hwan, Ji Chang-wook, Kim Shin-rok, Shin Hyun-been, and Go Soo. The film explores the harrowing struggle of isolated survivors trapped in a building, quarantined amidst an unknown outbreak, as they fight for survival against the unpredictably evolving infected. The film had its world premiere at the Midnight Screenings section of the 2026 Cannes Film Festival, where it received positive reviews for its action, makeup effects, and anxiety about the spread of technology. Yeon Sang-ho was kind enough to spend some time talking with us about his work and experience making the film, which you can watch or listen to below. Please be sure to check out the film when it opens in theaters on August 28th from Well-Go USA. Thank you, and enjoy! https://youtu.be/keAE5LjejiM Check out more on NextBestPicture.com Please subscribe on... Apple Podcasts - https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/negs-best-film-podcast/id1087678387?mt=2 Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/7IMIzpYehTqeUa1d9EC4jT YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWA7KiotcWmHiYYy6wJqwOw And be sure to help support us on Patreon for as little as $1 a month at https://www.patreon.com/NextBestPicture and listen to this podcast ad-free Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"Coyote vs. Acme" is a 2026 American live-action animated legal comedy film directed by Dave Green, written by Samy Burch from a story by James Gunn, Jeremy Slater, and Burch, and based on Ian Frazier's 1990 New Yorker article of the same name. Starring Will Forte, Lana Condor, Tone Bell, Luis Guzmán, Martha Kelly, P.J. Byrne, Kenneth Choi, and John Cena, with Eric Bauza leading the voice cast, the film follows Wile E. Coyote as he enlists a billboard attorney to sue the Acme Corporation for repeatedly selling him defective products. After Warner Bros. Discovery initially shelved the completed film for a tax write-off in 2023, Ketchup Entertainment acquired it in 2025 following widespread public backlash. The film was finally screened (officially) at San Diego Comic-Con on July 25th, 2026, where it received positive reviews. Green was kind enough to spend some time talking with us about his work and experience making the film, including its unusual journey to the screen, which you can watch or listen to below. Please be sure to check out the film when it opens in theaters on August 28th from Ketchup Entertainment. Thank you, and enjoy! https://youtu.be/Z-gidKMqdtE Check out more on NextBestPicture.com Please subscribe on... Apple Podcasts - https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/negs-best-film-podcast/id1087678387?mt=2 Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/7IMIzpYehTqeUa1d9EC4jT YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWA7KiotcWmHiYYy6wJqwOw And be sure to help support us on Patreon for as little as $1 a month at https://www.patreon.com/NextBestPicture and listen to this podcast ad-free Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Following our 506th episode of The Next Best Picture Podcast, we're back with a new episode of Mailbag Monday. Amy Kim and Dan Bayer join me in this new series dedicated entirely to answering your fan-submitted questions from the NBP Film Community. Covering everything from the latest movie news, awards season, and Oscar predictions to filmmaking, industry trends, and whatever else is on your mind, Mailbag Monday allows us to engage more directly with all of you every week. Thank you to everyone who submitted questions for this episode, whether on our X account or on our Discord (Patreon members get a private link to chat with other members of NBP and me). If you'd like to be featured on a future edition of Mailbag Monday, be sure to leave your questions in the comments or submit them through our social media channels every Sunday morning when prompted on our X account. We hope you'll join us every Monday as we continue the conversation beyond our weekly Sunday podcast. Thank you, as always, for listening, subscribing, and supporting Next Best Picture, and helping us build such an incredible film community. Enjoy! https://youtu.be/LmHveHSkq0U Check out more on NextBestPicture.com Please subscribe on... Apple Podcasts - https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/negs-best-film-podcast/id1087678387?mt=2 Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/7IMIzpYehTqeUa1d9EC4jT YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWA7KiotcWmHiYYy6wJqwOw And be sure to help support us on Patreon for as little as $1 a month at https://www.patreon.com/NextBestPicture and listen to this podcast ad-free Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For Episode 506 of the Next Best Picture Podcast, I am joined by Amy Kim and Dan Bayer. This week, we're discussing what we believe will screen at the 53rd annual Telluride Film Festival, and we're announcing the nominations for the 2008 NBP Film Community Awards. For this week's NBP poll question, for the release of "Coyote vs. Acme," we're asking everyone, "Which Is Your Favorite Film That Combines Live Action And 2D Animation?" And we reveal the winner of last week's NBP poll, where we asked everyone, "Which World Premieres Are You Most Looking Forward To From The 2026 Toronto International Film Festival?" We also share our reactions to the trailers for "Club Kid," "Wildwood," "Whalefall," and "Without Blood." We are still answering your fan-submitted questions, but our answers will now be released separately the day after, in a new show called Mailbag Monday! So stay tuned for that and many other updates from Next Best Picture as this year's awards season continues. Thank you all for listening, subscribing, and supporting us. Enjoy! https://youtu.be/OG0QKNQaXaQ Check out more on NextBestPicture.com Please subscribe on... Apple Podcasts - https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/negs-best-film-podcast/id1087678387?mt=2 Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/7IMIzpYehTqeUa1d9EC4jT YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWA7KiotcWmHiYYy6wJqwOw And be sure to help support us on Patreon for as little as $1 a month at https://www.patreon.com/NextBestPicture and listen to this podcast ad-free Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For this week's main podcast review, Katie Johnson and Sara Clements join me to review and discuss the latest film from Matt Johnson, "Tony," starring Dominic Sessa, Emilia Jones, Dagmara Domińczyk, Rich Sommer, Stavros Halkias, Leo Woodall, and Antonio Banderas. Telling the early years of Anthony Bourdain before he became the world-renowned celebrity chef, author, and person that we all know and loved, Matt Johnson scales back his usual bag of tricks to tell a stripped-down, raw, and casually cool hangout vibes movie about how Bourdain got himself into the world of cooking. What did we think of it? Please tune in, either on video or audio only, as we discuss the story, performances, Johnson's writing and direction, Jay McCarrol's score, its awards season chances, and more in our SPOILER-FILLED review. Thank you for listening, and enjoy! https://youtu.be/D70MwO-qZbU Check out more on NextBestPicture.com Please subscribe on... Apple Podcasts - https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/negs-best-film-podcast/id1087678387?mt=2 Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/7IMIzpYehTqeUa1d9EC4jT YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWA7KiotcWmHiYYy6wJqwOw And be sure to help support us on Patreon for as little as $1 a month at https://www.patreon.com/NextBestPicture and listen to this podcast ad-free Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"A Child of My Own" is a 2026 Mexican hybrid documentary film directed by two-time Academy Award nominee Maite Alberdi ("The Mole Agent" and "The Eternal Memory") and written by Julián Loyola and Esteban Student. It follows Alejandra, a newly married woman who wants to become a mother and, under pressure, fakes a pregnancy. It had its world premiere at the 76th Berlin International Film Festival in the Berlinale Special section, where it received positive reviews. Alberdi was kind enough to spend some time talking with us about her work and experience making the film, which you can watch or listen to below. Please be sure to check out the film, which is now available to stream on Netflix. Thank you, and enjoy! https://youtu.be/vetcM5jyvOA Check out more on NextBestPicture.com Please subscribe on... Apple Podcasts - https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/negs-best-film-podcast/id1087678387?mt=2 Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/7IMIzpYehTqeUa1d9EC4jT YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWA7KiotcWmHiYYy6wJqwOw And be sure to help support us on Patreon for as little as $1 a month at https://www.patreon.com/NextBestPicture and listen to this podcast ad-free Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"Slow Horses" is a British spy thriller television series based on the Slough House novels by Mick Herron, and adapted for television by the English comedian and writer Will Smith. It follows an MI5 unit that consigns disgraced or failed agents, under the supervision of Jackson Lamb (Gary Oldman). It also stars Jack Lowden, Kristin Scott Thomas, Jonathan Pryce, Saskia Reeves, Rosalind Eleazar, Christopher Chung, and Aimee-Ffion Edwards. The series premiered on Apple TV+ on April 1st, 2022, to highly positive reviews. The first five series have adapted the novels “Slow Horses,” “Dead Lions,” “Real Tigers,” “Spook Street,” and “London Rules,” respectively. The series has received several accolades, with the fifth and latest season receiving nine Emmy nominations, including Outstanding Guest Actor In A Drama Series for industry veteran Jonathan Pryce. Pryce was kind enough to spend some time talking with us about his work and experience making the series, which you can watch or listen to below. Please be sure to check out the series, which is up for your consideration for this year's Emmy Awards and is now available to stream on Apple TV. Thank you, and enjoy! https://youtu.be/qFNNSRUjv1g Check out more on NextBestPicture.com Please subscribe on... Apple Podcasts - https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/negs-best-film-podcast/id1087678387?mt=2 Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/7IMIzpYehTqeUa1d9EC4jT YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWA7KiotcWmHiYYy6wJqwOw And be sure to help support us on Patreon for as little as $1 a month at https://www.patreon.com/NextBestPicture and listen to this podcast ad-free Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"The Pitt" is an American medical drama television series created by R. Scott Gemmill and executive-produced by John Wells and Noah Wyle. It stars Wyle, Tracy Ifeachor, Patrick Ball, Katherine LaNasa, Supriya Ganesh, Fiona Dourif, Taylor Dearden, Isa Briones, Gerran Howell, Shabana Azeez, and Sepideh Moafi. Each season follows emergency department staff as they work through the challenges of a single 12-hour shift at the fictional Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center, while navigating staff shortages, underfunding, and their own personal crises. Each episode, set in real time, covers approximately one hour of the work shift. The series has received critical acclaim for its performances, writing, direction, format, and realism. The medical community has also praised the series for its accuracy, realistic representation of healthcare workers, and portrayal of the stressors medical staff face in a post-pandemic world. The series has received several accolades, with the first season winning five awards at the 77th Primetime Emmy Awards, namely Outstanding Drama Series, Outstanding Casting, and acting wins for Wyle, LaNasa, and recurring guest star Shawn Hatosy. Now, for its second season, the show has been nominated for a leading 25 Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Guest Actor In A Drama Series for industry veteran Jeff Kober. Kober was kind enough to spend some time talking with us about his work and experience making the series, which you can watch or listen to below. Please be sure to check out the series, which is up for your consideration for this year's Emmy Awards and is now available to stream on HBO Max. Thank you, and enjoy! https://youtu.be/6QIhTQYt44w Check out more on NextBestPicture.com Please subscribe on... Apple Podcasts - https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/negs-best-film-podcast/id1087678387?mt=2 Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/7IMIzpYehTqeUa1d9EC4jT YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWA7KiotcWmHiYYy6wJqwOw And be sure to help support us on Patreon for as little as $1 a month at https://www.patreon.com/NextBestPicture and listen to this podcast ad-free Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"Hot Spot" is a 2026 independent science fiction thriller film directed by Agnieszka Smoczyńska. Set in a near-future society ruled by sentient A.I., a private eye (Andrzej Konopka) investigates a murder case only to discover a rebel group capable of undermining the digital overlord. As the detective's identity slowly unravels, his world spirals into a hypnotic meltdown. It also stars Noomi Rapace and Reika Kirishima. Smoczyńska was kind enough to spend some time talking with us about her work and experience making the film, which you can watch or listen to below. Please be sure to check out the film, which will open August 21st in theaters from Focus Features. Thank you, and enjoy! https://youtu.be/BTM2la7st8Q Check out more on NextBestPicture.com Please subscribe on... Apple Podcasts - https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/negs-best-film-podcast/id1087678387?mt=2 Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/7IMIzpYehTqeUa1d9EC4jT YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWA7KiotcWmHiYYy6wJqwOw And be sure to help support us on Patreon for as little as $1 a month at https://www.patreon.com/NextBestPicture and listen to this podcast ad-free Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices