The Big Picture · Review · Discussion
September 24, 2021/ 87 min/ Sean Fennessey · Amanda Dobbins
Sean and Amanda revisit their 35-under-35 movie star list 18 months later, but first they have to get through Dear Evan Hansen.
168 films across 4 segments.
AI-generated This episode was transcribed and analyzed with AI models. The matches aren't perfect — expect the occasional misheard title or a link to the wrong film.
Dear Evan Hansen
An adaptation of the Tony-winning musical about a friendless teen who lets a grieving family believe he was best friends with their son, who died by suicide. Neither host bought Ben Platt, then 27, as a 16-year-old, and both call it a misfire, though Amanda admits a couple of the songs got her anyway.
Director Stephen Chbosky's earlier take on similar outsider-teen material, minus the musical numbers. Sean thinks it holds up.
Part of Ben Platt's pre-Evan Hansen resume.
The State of the Movie Musical2021's crowded field, and the Joe Wright detour it triggers
The Disney+ film of the stage show, which Sean blames for Hollywood's rush to adapt every Broadway musical since.
The cautionary tale: a total misread of what the stage show was even for.
Bombed opening weekend, then grew into a hit over the holidays on word of mouth: the slow-burn path Dear Evan Hansen probably can't take given Universal's 17-day digital window.
One of the year's bigger disappointments relative to its pedigree, both hosts agree.
Leos Carax letting his weird flag fly. Sean loved it; Amanda never fully clicked with it.
An Aretha Franklin biopic that plays basically as a musical.
The Kay Cannon-directed jukebox version, starring Camila Cabello. Amanda calls it 'one of the bad beats of all time.'
Premiered on Amazon this month; mixed reviews, neither host has seen it.
Andrew Garfield as Jonathan Larson, who wrote Rent and died before it opened.
Spielberg's version. Both hosts are looking forward to it.
Joe Wright's awards-season swing, a musical Cyrano de Bergerac with Peter Dinklage.
The consensus miss in Joe Wright's filmography, cited as the exception.
The 'gems' Sean cites in defense of Wright's body of work.
Who's Off the Listcut for relevance, aged out at 35, or the toughest calls
Henry Golding's star vehicle, and probably the biggest bomb of the summer, part of why he's cut for relevance.
Haley Lou Richardson reuniting with Kogonada, her one bright spot on an otherwise thin slate.
Lucas Hedges is cut for having nothing upcoming at all.
Carey Mulligan, now 36 and aged off the list, playing reporter Megan Twohey.
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, also aged out. The hosts feel vindicated for ranking him early.
Robert Pattinson, aged out at 35, was argued for No. 1 last time around.
Amanda Seyfried, now past the age cutoff, cited as an oversight from the original list.
Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Elizabeth Debicki both get cited via this film: great in it, cut anyway.
One of Thomasin McKenzie's toughest-cut arguments.
The film that convinced the hosts McKenzie can act.
Margaret Qualley, a toughest cut.
Taylour Paige and Riley Keough both cut despite this.
Zazie Beetz, tipped as a strong candidate for next year's list.
Ezra Miller's own movie, cited as a maybe-next-year case.
Justice Smith and Sydney Sweeney's Amazon two-hander.
Letitia Wright. If she inherits the mantle here, she's an immediate lock next time.
Millie Bobby Brown, mentioned in the youngest-performers coda.
The 2021 35 Under 35 Rankingthe re-rank, No. 35 to No. 1
No. 35 · Simu Liu, freshly minted MCU movie star.
No. 34 · Rachel Zegler, the newcomer Sean is calling his big flex.
Then known as Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
No. 33 · Kaitlyn Dever.
Opposite George Clooney and Julia Roberts, the biggest reason Dever's on the list.
No. 32 · Cynthia Erivo, biggest faller on the list (from No. 14), playing the Blue Fairy in Robert Zemeckis's remake.
No. 31 · Anthony Ramos, called the best part of the movie.
No. 30 · Glen Powell, a passion pick for Amanda.
Richard Linklater's rotoscoped film with Powell, Jack Black, and Zachary Levi.
No. 29 · Beanie Feldstein, docked for pivoting to TV.
No. 28 · Jonathan Majors, a favorite of both hosts, with a packed slate ahead.
Majors as Kang the Conqueror.
No. 27 · Dakota Johnson.
Maggie Gyllenhaal's Elena Ferrante adaptation, also with Olivia Colman and Jessie Buckley.
No. 26 · Miles Teller, edging out of eligibility at 33.
Referred to on air as 'Escape from Spider-Head.'
No. 25 · Joey King, the hosts' pick for the archetypal Netflix movie star, off the back of the franchise's three installments.
King opposite Brad Pitt, directed by David Leitch.
No. 24 · Taron Egerton, fallen from No. 17.
Amanda still has real affection for this one.
No. 23 · Vanessa Kirby.
Earned Kirby an Oscar nomination.
No. 22 · Awkwafina.
Awkwafina voicing Sebastian.
No. 21 · Jodie Comer.
Ridley Scott's film, one of two he has out this fall.
Then known as Kitbag. Comer plays Josephine opposite Joaquin Phoenix.
No. 20 · Zoe Kravitz, whom Amanda argued for as a no-brainer.
A Soderbergh thriller, a riff on Siri-style smart assistants.
Kravitz as Catwoman.
No. 19 · Elizabeth Olsen, who both hosts think got more famous from WandaVision than from this.
No. 18 · Ana de Armas, a big slider this year.
Delayed to 2022; referred to on air as 'Blind.'
With Ben Affleck, directed by Adrian Lyne. Universal appears to be burying it.
No. 17 · Jessie Buckley, Sean's favorite active actress.
Sarah Polley directing Buckley and Claire Foy.
No. 16 · Brie Larson.
Referred to as 'the second Captain Marvel movie.'
No. 15 · Saoirse Ronan, four-time Oscar nominee at 27.
Didn't land as warmly as hoped, per Sean.
An Iain Reid adaptation; Ronan's only listed 2023 project at the time.
No. 14 · Jesse Plemons, whom Sean says feels low at 14.
Jane Campion's film, one of the year's best per Sean.
Plemons stepping into the lead role Leonardo DiCaprio vacated.
No. 13 · LaKeith Stanfield, fallen slightly through no fault of his own.
No. 12 · Dev Patel, jumping from No. 30.
Patel's directorial debut, described as 'John Wick in Mumbai.'
No. 11 · Kristen Stewart, playing Princess Diana.
Cited for Stewart's tabloid-era run.
No. 10 · Jennifer Lawrence, opposite Leonardo DiCaprio.
Referred to on air as 'Red, White and Water.'
Referred to on air as 'My Beloved Mother.'
No. 9 · Michael B. Jordan, directing this one himself.
Directed by Denzel Washington.
Cited as evidence Washington is a careful director of actors.
No. 8 · Zendaya.
No. 7 · Florence Pugh, called the best part of the year's biggest movie.
No. 6 · Emma Stone.
No. 5 · Anya Taylor-Joy, the highest riser on the list.
Referred to on air as 'am about you,' a transcription mishear.
Robert Eggers's Viking film, with Willem Dafoe and Nicole Kidman.
The Mad Max: Fury Road prequel, eventually.
No. 4 · Tom Holland.
No. 3 · Daniel Kaluuya, an Academy Award winner both hosts call a no-brainer.
No. 2 · Margot Robbie.
Damien Chazelle's film; Robbie stepped in after Emma Stone dropped out.
No. 1 · Timothée Chalamet, called his generation's Leonardo DiCaprio.
Referred to on air only as 'a new Willy Wonka movie.'
Also mentioned raised along the way
In passing CandymanCenter StageDunkirkSo I Married an Axe MurdererApollo 11Waking Life
Not films filtered out: TV, games, ads
TV The PoliticianBridgertonStranger ThingsDickinsonHawkeyeGenius: ArethaImpeachment: American Crime StoryThe GreatSmall AxeEuphoriaWandaVisionLokiThe CrownKilling EveHigh FidelityChernobylBreaking BadFriday Night LightsAtlantaThe OfferKim's ConvenienceBlack MirrorThe Queen's GambitUnbelievableThe White Lotus
Announced but never made Little Shop of Horrors remake
Other Glimpse (VR project)
Ads Netflix FIFA World Cup Launch EditionBoar's HeadWhite ClawAmerican Express Business