The Big Picture

By The Ringer

TV & Film

What's The Big Picture about?

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.

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The 21st Century Sci-Fi Can...

09.29.2023

The 21st Century Sci-Fi Canon, ‘The Creator,’ and ‘No One Will Save You’ Sean is joined by Chris Ryan to discuss all things science fiction. First, they cover Brian Duffield’s new film, ‘No One Will Save You’ (4:33) before turning ...

The Big Picture episodes:

09.29.2023 The 21st Century Sci-Fi Canon, ‘The Creator,’ and ‘No One Will Save You’ The 21st Century Sci-Fi Canon, ‘The Creator,’ and ‘No One Will Save You’ Sean is joined by Chris Ryan to discuss all things science fiction. First, they cover Brian Duffield’s new film, ‘No One Will Save You’ (4:33) before turning ...
09.26.2023 ‘Stop Making Sense’ and the Top 5 Concert Films Sean and Amanda briefly discuss the news that the Writers Guild of America has a tentative agreement with the AMPTP to end their strike (1:00), before bringing on The Ringer's Rob Harvilla to discuss A24's re-release of Jonathan Demme's Talking ...
09.22.2023 The Top 10 Garbage Cash Movies and ‘Dumb Money’ Sean, Amanda, and Chris review ‘Dumb Money,’ Craig Gillespie’s new movie based on the events of the 2021 Wall Street GameStop short (1:00). Then, they craft a new entrant into their running “garbage” genre series—Garbage Cash—and list the 10 most ...
09.19.2023 ‘A Haunting in Venice’ and the Top 5 Haunted House Movies Sean and Amanda review Kenneth Branagh’s third Agatha Christie adaptation, ‘A Haunting in Venice’ (1:00), before expanding their thoughts on haunted house films by sharing 10 of their favorites in the genre (45:00). Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins Senior ...
09.15.2023 The 20 Most Intriguing Movies of the Fall and the Best of the Toronto International Film Festival Sean and Amanda are joined by Ringer contributor and film critic Adam Nayman to discuss the highs, lows, and shifting culture of the Toronto International Film Festival (1:00). Then, they share a joint list of the most anticipated movies of ...
09.12.2023 The Denzel Washington Draft We are drafting again! Sean, Amanda, and Chris Ryan are joined by Bill Simmons and Van Lathan for a draft of the best Denzel Washington movies. Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins Guests: Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons, and Van Lathan ...
09.08.2023 600th Episode Mega Mailbag Extravaganza To celebrate Episode 600, Sean and Amanda open up the mailbag to answer your questions about how they watch movies, Martin Scorsese, what’s changed in the last six years, the fictional location where they’d like to have a drink or ...
09.06.2023 10 Way-Too-Early Oscar Predictions and the Best Movies at Telluride and Venice After their respective trips to Colorado and Italy, Sean and Amanda convene to discuss the movies they watched at Telluride and Venice Film Festivals, including films from David Fincher, Sofia Coppola, Michael Mann, Yorgos Lanthimos, Bradley Cooper, Ryusuke Hamaguchi, and ...
08.31.2023 The 2006 Movie Draft We are drafting again! Sean, Amanda, and Chris Ryan reunite for a draft of the best movies of 2006. Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins Guest: Chris Ryan Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
08.28.2023 'Dune 2' Pushed Back, Barbenheimer’s $2 Billion, and Everything We Missed While We Were Out We’re back! Sean and Amanda discuss all the movies they missed, the big stories out of Hollywood, and much more (1:00). Then, Sean is joined by ‘Bottoms’ director Emma Seligman to discuss her new comedy (1:35:00). Hosts: Sean Fennessey and ...
08.25.2023 8. I Love America \| Do We Get to Win This Time? Oliver Stone returns to Vietnam with ‘Born on the Fourth of July’—a movie that closes out the ’80s, as well as the Vietnam movie boom. But ‘Forrest Gump’ and ‘Dead Presidents’ prove that ’90s audiences aren’t ready to leave Vietnam ...
08.23.2023 7. Ain’t War Hell? \| Do We Get to Win This Time? In the late ’80s, a new wave of big-studio hits like ‘Full Metal Jacket’ and ‘Good Morning, Vietnam’ introduces young moviegoers to Vietnam—and helps turn the war into an unlikely pop-culture phenomenon. Other films we talk about in this episode ...
08.21.2023 6. I Am Reality \| Do We Get to Win This Time? Oliver Stone’s harrowing and heartbreaking Vietnam drama ‘Platoon’ becomes a worldwide phenomenon in 1986—and signals the beginning of the Vietnam movie boom. Host: Brian Raftery Producers: Devon Manze, Mike Wargon, Amanda Dobbins, and Vikram Patel Sound Design: Bobby Wagner Mixing ...
08.18.2023 5. Nothing Is Over \| Do We Get to Win This Time? In the early 1980s, as America is grappling with the fallout of Vietnam, a troubled big-screen vet named John Rambo launches an unlikely movie franchise—and leads a wave of make-believe soldiers who are ready to fight the war all over ...
08.16.2023 4. Little by Little, We Went Insane \| Do We Get to Win This Time? ‘Apocalypse Now’ closes out the 1970s with the most ambitious Vietnam movie yet: a big-budget spectacle that will bring moviegoers closer than ever to the madness of war—and nearly push director Francis Ford Coppola over the edge. Other films we ...
08.14.2023 3. What a Strange Country \| Do We Get to Win This Time? In the late ’70s, ‘The Deer Hunter’ and ‘Coming Home’ offer two very different visions of Vietnam—and become unexpected hits. Together, they’d bring the war to the mainstream—and to the Oscars. Host: Brian Raftery Producers: Devon Manze, Mike Wargon, Amanda ...
08.11.2023 2. I Just Don’t Talk About It \| Do We Get to Win This Time? It’s the mid-’70s, and Hollywood is still scared of Vietnam. But a series of dark and wildly entertaining B movies brings the war to the big screen, with explosive results. Other films we talk about in this episode include ‘MAS*H’ ...
08.08.2023 1. Give ’Em Hell \| Do We Get to Win This Time? In the late-’60s, John Wayne stars in the first hit Vietnam movie: his controversial blockbuster ‘The Green Berets.’ And the piercing documentary ‘Hearts and Minds’ leads to an Oscar-night meltdown in 1975. Other films we talk about in this episode ...
08.08.2023 Prologue \| Do We Get to Win This Time? ‘The Deer Hunter.’ ‘Apocalypse Now.’ ‘First Blood.’ ‘Platoon.’ They’re among the hit films dealing with the Vietnam War—a conflict that divided moviegoers and inspired filmmakers. For decades, Hollywood released countless films about the war and its fallout—from action flicks to ...
08.04.2023 Sharks, Alligators, Piranhas, and the Top 10 Garbage Fish Movies Sean and Amanda are joined by Ringer contributor Brian Raftery to discuss his upcoming series ‘Do We Get to Win This Time? How Hollywood Made the Vietnam War,’ which will be running on ‘The Big Picture’ feed over the next ...
08.02.2023 The Top 5 Scariest Summer Movies and ‘Talk to Me’ Sean discusses ‘Talk to Me,’ the horror movie of the summer, and his five scariest summer movies (1:00), before being joined by the directors of the film, Danny and Michael Philippou (10:00). Then, he is joined by ‘Afire’ director Christian ...
07.31.2023 The Movie Star Liquor Taste Test To celebrate Amanda’s birthday, Sean, Amanda, and Bobby gather to taste the various liquors, wines, beers, and mixed drinks endorsed or owned by movie stars. While tasting, they discuss the stars’ careers—past, present, and future—and whether their business projects are ...
07.27.2023 The ‘Barbie’ Deep Dive With Greta Gerwig! Sean and Amanda are joined by Ringer-verse co-host Joanna Robinson to dive deep into ‘Barbie’—its innovation, its performances, its overwhelming success at the box office, and everything in between (1:00). Then, Sean is joined by Greta Gerwig to discuss her ...
07.24.2023 The ‘Oppenheimer’ Deep Dive Sean and Amanda are joined by Chris Ryan to discuss Christopher Nolan’s ‘Oppenheimer’ in granular detail, including its script, cinematography, extensive cast, big ideas, and ultimate success. Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins Guest: Chris Ryan Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner ...
07.21.2023 ‘Barbie’ + ‘Oppenheimer,’ a.k.a. Barbenheimer, Is Upon Us! The biggest movie weekend in years is finally here. Sean and Amanda discuss the theater-going experience surrounding Greta Gerwig’s ‘Barbie’ and Christopher Nolan’s ‘Oppenheimer’ (1:00), including the order and circumstances in which you should see them. Then, they dig into ...
07.18.2023 The ‘Mission: Impossible’ Mailbag, and Movie Rankings Sean and Amanda discuss the dramatic effect the SAG-AFTRA strike will have on the movie industry (1:00), before opening up the mailbag and answering any and all questions about the 'Mission: Impossible' franchise (15:00). Then, they do the impossible work ...
07.12.2023 ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One’ Is Here, and It’s Spectacular Sean and Amanda dive into one of their most anticipated movies in years, the return of Ethan Hunt and the ‘Mission: Impossible’ franchise. Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner Learn more about your ad choices. Visit ...
07.10.2023 10 Movies We Missed This Year Sean and Amanda dig into the year’s releases that they haven’t covered yet, including ‘Joy Ride,’ ‘Insidious: The Red Door,’ ‘Elemental,’ and more. Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner Learn more about your ad choices. Visit ...
07.07.2023 The 2023 Movie Auction Returns! At the halfway point of this year, we take a look at the movies yet to be released and hold an auction for the ones we’re most excited about. Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins Guest: Chris Ryan Senior Producer: ...
07.04.2023 The 10 Best Movies of 2023 ... So Far Sean and Amanda call up an all-star rotation of Ringer colleagues and contributors to share their favorite movies this year so far, from superhero movies to art house darlings and everything in between. Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins Guests: ...
06.30.2023 ‘Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny’ and the Indy Movie Rankings Sean and Amanda are joined by Ringer-verse host and Harrison Ford scholar Mallory Rubin to discuss the latest installment in the ‘Indiana Jones’ franchise and whether it functions as a worthwhile send-off to Ford’s iconic role as Indy (1:00). Then, ...
06.27.2023 The Harrison Ford Hall of Fame Sean and Amanda are joined by Chris Ryan to discuss the life, legacy, and wonder of one of our great movie stars: Mr. Harrison Ford himself. On the cusp of the release of 'Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny,' ...
06.23.2023 Jennifer Lawrence’s Movie Star Playbook and ‘No Hard Feelings’ Jennifer Lawrence is back in the center of a movie—this time a studio comedy. Sean and Amanda discuss the successes and shortcomings of ‘No Hard Feelings’ and the unique place this occupies in Lawrence’s movie career. Then, they outline the ...
06.20.2023 ‘Asteroid City’ and the Wes Anderson Movie Rankings Adam Nayman joins Sean and Amanda to discuss Wes Anderson’s career and filmmaking aesthetic before they dig into his latest film, ‘Asteroid City’ (1:00). Then, Sean and Amanda rank all 11 of Anderson’s feature films (50:00). Hosts: Sean Fennessey and ...
06.16.2023 ‘The Flash’ Is Here! Is It the "Greatest Superhero Movie Ever"? Hugely hyped and also facing controversy around its star, ‘The Flash’ arrives at a complicated moment for superhero stories. Van Lathan joins Sean and Amanda to talk about the movie and DC’s future. Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins Guest: ...
06.13.2023 The 2001 Movie Draft We are drafting again! Sean, Amanda, and Chris Ryan reunite for a draft of the best movies of 2001. Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins Guest: Chris Ryan Producer: Bobby Wagner Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
06.09.2023 Ask Sean Anything Mailbag, ‘Transformers: Rise of the Beasts,’ Five New Movies to Stream, and the ‘Barbie’-‘Oppenheimer’ Hierarchy Sean digs into his pet obsession, the ‘Transformers’ franchise, and its newest installment ‘Rise of the Beasts.’ Then, he recommends five new streaming movies, and opens up the mailbag to answer your questions. Host: Sean Fennessey Producer: Bobby Wagner Learn ...
06.07.2023 'Past Lives,' the Start of Oscar Season, and the Top Five Most Romantic Movies of All Time Sean and Amanda dive deep into 'Past Lives,' one of the year's finest films and an extraordinary example of writing, directing, and acting in romantic storytelling (1:00). Then, they share their five favorite romantic films (58:00). Finally, Sean is joined ...
06.02.2023 ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’ Is Here to Save Us Sean and Amanda are joined by Charles Holmes to dive deep into the ‘Spider-Verse’ movies, from the breathtaking animation to the bold storytelling to the expectation-shattering standard they set. Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins Guest: Charles Holmes Producer: Bobby ...
05.30.2023 Movies Vs. TV in 2023: What the ‘Succession’ Finale Says About Storytelling Now. Plus: A Pointless ‘Little Mermaid.’ Sean and Amanda discuss the finale of ‘Succession’ as a portal into the true divide between movies and TV today, and the ways in which the latter has stolen the former’s mojo (1:00), before a breakdown of the new live-action ...
05.26.2023 ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ Hype at Cannes and Five Must-See May Movies. Plus: Julia Louis-Dreyfus! Sean and Amanda come to you live (on tape) from Europe! They recap their journeys, discuss the hype out of the Cannes Film Festival (1:00), and share five new movie recommendations (17:00). Then, Sean is joined by Julia Louis-Dreyfus and ...
05.23.2023 The Robert De Niro Movie Draft We are drafting again! Sean, Amanda, and Chris Ryan reunite for a draft, with a twist. We’re drafting movies that feature Robert De Niro. Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins Guest: Chris Ryan Producer: Bobby Wagner Learn more about your ...
05.19.2023 ‘Fast X’ and the Desecration of Movies. Plus: Paul Schrader! What a double feature. Sean and Amanda discuss ‘Fast X’ and the troubles of the franchise (1:00), before making the hard pivot to Paul Schrader’s ‘Master Gardener’ (40:00). Then, Sean is joined by Schrader to discuss the film, his long ...
05.16.2023 The 10 Most Anticipated Movies of Summer 2023, and the Most Surprising Film of the Year So Far Amanda and Sean discuss ‘BlackBerry’ before sharing their five most eagerly awaited movies of the summer season (1:00). Then, Sean is joined by Matt Johnson, the filmmaker behind ‘BlackBerry’ (55:00). Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins Guest: Matt Johnson Producer: ...
05.12.2023 The Movie Star Rankings: 35 Over 35, Revisited Two years have passed since Sean and Amanda ranked their active and over-35 movie icons. So we’re back with deeply scientific new rankings and deeply weird conversations. Please enjoy. Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins Producer: Bobby Wagner Learn more ...
05.09.2023 ‘Dune: Part Two’ and ‘Oppenheimer’ Hype, How the Writers Strike Affects Movies, Too-Early Oscar Predictions, and a ‘Guardians Vol. 3’ Hangover Sean and Amanda dig into the mailbag to answer your questions about upcoming movies, the impact of the writers strike, and more. Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins Producer: Bobby Wagner Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
05.05.2023 Can ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’ Salvage Marvel’s No Good, Very Bad Year? Joanna Robinson joins Sean to talk about all things Marvel, from its rocky run of recent movies to changes in leadership to streaming series delays, before digging into the most anticipated entry in years, James Gunn’s ‘Guardians of the Galaxy ...
05.02.2023 The Top 10 Garbage Lads Movies and ‘Guy Ritchie’s The Covenant’ In honor of Guy Ritchie releasing two films in 2023, Sean Fennessey and Chris Ryan—the team that brought you garbage crime, junk sci-fi, and trash spies—debut their latest hyper-specific, beloved genre: garbage lads. Host: Sean Fennessey Guest: Chris Ryan Producer: ...
04.28.2023 Top Five Coming-of-Age Movies and ‘Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret’ Judy Blume’s beloved 1970 classic of young adult fiction has finally hit the big screen. Sean and Amanda discuss that, along with Disney’s new ‘Peter Pan and Wendy’ live-action adaptation (1:00) before sharing their top five favorite coming-of-age films (29:00). ...
04.25.2023 The 1990s Summer Blockbuster Movie Draft We are drafting again! Sean, Amanda, and Chris Ryan reunite for a draft of the summer blockbusters of the ’90s. Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins Guest: Chris Ryan Producer: Bobby Wagner Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Older episodes

The Big Picture

What's The Big Picture about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

The Big Picture episodes:

The 21st Century Sci-Fi Canon, ‘The Creator,’ and ‘No One Will Save You’

‘Stop Making Sense’ and the Top 5 Concert Films

The Top 10 Garbage Cash Movies and ‘Dumb Money’

‘A Haunting in Venice’ and the Top 5 Haunted House Movies

The 20 Most Intriguing Movies of the Fall and the Best of the Toronto International Film Festival

The Denzel Washington Draft

600th Episode Mega Mailbag Extravaganza

10 Way-Too-Early Oscar Predictions and the Best Movies at Telluride and Venice

The 2006 Movie Draft

'Dune 2' Pushed Back, Barbenheimer’s $2 Billion, and Everything We Missed While We Were Out

8. I Love America | Do We Get to Win This Time?

7. Ain’t War Hell? | Do We Get to Win This Time?

6. I Am Reality | Do We Get to Win This Time?

5. Nothing Is Over | Do We Get to Win This Time?

4. Little by Little, We Went Insane | Do We Get to Win This Time?

3. What a Strange Country | Do We Get to Win This Time?

2. I Just Don’t Talk About It | Do We Get to Win This Time?

1. Give ’Em Hell | Do We Get to Win This Time?

Prologue | Do We Get to Win This Time?

Sharks, Alligators, Piranhas, and the Top 10 Garbage Fish Movies

The Top 5 Scariest Summer Movies and ‘Talk to Me’

The Movie Star Liquor Taste Test

The ‘Barbie’ Deep Dive With Greta Gerwig!

The ‘Oppenheimer’ Deep Dive

‘Barbie’ + ‘Oppenheimer,’ a.k.a. Barbenheimer, Is Upon Us!

The ‘Mission: Impossible’ Mailbag, and Movie Rankings

‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One’ Is Here, and It’s Spectacular

10 Movies We Missed This Year

The 2023 Movie Auction Returns!

The 10 Best Movies of 2023 ... So Far

‘Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny’ and the Indy Movie Rankings

The Harrison Ford Hall of Fame

Jennifer Lawrence’s Movie Star Playbook and ‘No Hard Feelings’

‘Asteroid City’ and the Wes Anderson Movie Rankings

‘The Flash’ Is Here! Is It the "Greatest Superhero Movie Ever"?

The 2001 Movie Draft

Ask Sean Anything Mailbag, ‘Transformers: Rise of the Beasts,’ Five New Movies to Stream, and the ‘Barbie’-‘Oppenheimer’ Hierarchy

'Past Lives,' the Start of Oscar Season, and the Top Five Most Romantic Movies of All Time

‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’ Is Here to Save Us

Movies Vs. TV in 2023: What the ‘Succession’ Finale Says About Storytelling Now. Plus: A Pointless ‘Little Mermaid.’

‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ Hype at Cannes and Five Must-See May Movies. Plus: Julia Louis-Dreyfus!

The Robert De Niro Movie Draft

‘Fast X’ and the Desecration of Movies. Plus: Paul Schrader!

The 10 Most Anticipated Movies of Summer 2023, and the Most Surprising Film of the Year So Far

The Movie Star Rankings: 35 Over 35, Revisited

‘Dune: Part Two’ and ‘Oppenheimer’ Hype, How the Writers Strike Affects Movies, Too-Early Oscar Predictions, and a ‘Guardians Vol. 3’ Hangover

Can ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’ Salvage Marvel’s No Good, Very Bad Year?

The Top 10 Garbage Lads Movies and ‘Guy Ritchie’s The Covenant’

Top Five Coming-of-Age Movies and ‘Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret’

The 1990s Summer Blockbuster Movie Draft

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