No. 1
A House of Dynamite 2025
No. 1 - Kathryn Bigelow's first film in eight years, a taut political thriller for Netflix under two hours. Amanda saw it an hour before recording and was riveted; Tracy Letts name-drops Francisco Lindor in it.
The Big Picture · Rankings · Discussion · Roundtable · Interview
The Best Movies at Telluride and Venice, and the 10 Most Anticipated Fall Films
September 3, 2025/ 142 min/ Sean Fennessey · Amanda Dobbins
Amanda phones in from Venice and Sean reports from Telluride: each ranks their five festival favorites, they build a combined ten most-anticipated fall list, take a first pass at the Best Picture race, and Sean talks to 'Lurker' writer-director Alex Russell.
45 films across 7 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.
Amanda's Best of Venice82nd Venice Film Festival, best first
No. 2
No Other Choice 2025
No. 2 - Park Chan-wook's late-capitalism satire, 2.5 hours, which she called the festival's leader until 'House of Dynamite.' Her pick for the Golden Lion.
No. 3
The Testament of Ann Lee 2025
No. 3 - Mona Fastvold's Shaker-founder film, written with Brady Corbett, starring Amanda Seyfried; a full-on musical built from traditional Shaker music, scored by Daniel Blumberg. A surprise for her.
No. 4
Bugonia 2025
No. 4 - Yorgos Lanthimos adapting the 2003 Korean film 'Save the Green Planet,' written by Will Tracy, with Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons. Her preferred Lanthimos flavor; the Plemons performance is a Best Actor case.
No. 5
Megadoc 2025
No. 5 - Mike Figgis's on-set making-of 'Megalopolis,' which answers some of the questions Coppola's film raised. Figgis steps in front of the camera; Shia LaBeouf and Aubrey Plaza feature heavily.
Also from Venicehonorable mentions and the walkout that wasn't
Jay Kelly 2025
Noah Baumbach's sincere, un-bitter film about an aging star (George Clooney), his business manager (Adam Sandler), and publicist (Laura Dern). Mixed reviews out of Venice; played much better at Telluride, where Sean saw it. He calls it Baumbach's most beautiful-looking film, shot by Linus Sandgren.
Marc by Sofia 2025
Sofia Coppola's Marc Jacobs documentary for A24. Amanda: beautiful to look at, zero tension by design. 'It's not Hearts of Darkness.' Coppola picked A24 because 'they'll let me do it how I want.'
After the Hunt 2025
Luca Guadagnino's cancel-culture drama with Julia Roberts, Andrew Garfield, and Ayo Edebiri; opens with a Woody Allen-font title card. Out of competition. Amanda had to leave early for 'Jay Kelly' after a rain-soaked, late-starting screening. 'It's Tár, but we already have Tár.'
Sean's Best of Telluridehis 52nd Telluride, best first
No. 1
Sentimental Value 2025
No. 1 - Joachim Trier's Cannes Grand Prix winner with Renate Reinsve, Stellan Skarsgård, and Elle Fanning; an emotional continuation of 'The Worst Person in the World.' Sean texted people this is the Best Picture winner.
No. 2
The Secret Agent 2025
No. 2 - Kleber Mendonça Filho's 1977-set character study and espionage thriller with Wagner Moura. Sean rates it far above 'I'm Still Here'; comps it to 'The Parallax View' and 'All the President's Men.' Neon.
No. 3
Hamnet 2025
No. 3 - Chloé Zhao's adaptation of Maggie O'Farrell's novel, Paul Mescal as Shakespeare and Jessie Buckley as Agnes. The talk of the festival; a period weepy with a thrilling final 20 minutes. Sean's Best Actress pick for Buckley.
No. 4
Bugonia 2025
No. 4 - same as Amanda's No. 4. Modest in scale, more or less a three-hander; Stavros Halkias is very funny in it.
No. 5
It Was Just an Accident 2025
No. 5 - Jafar Panahi's Palme d'Or winner (Neon), his most commercial film: a thriller about mistaken identity with one of the year's best endings. Panahi was a medallion recipient at the festival.
Everything else Sean saw at Telluridethe highlights, the docs, and the letdowns
Cover-Up 2025
Laura Poitras and Mark Obenhaus's documentary on investigative journalist Seymour Hersh, who broke the My Lai Massacre story. Just outside Sean's top five; interviewed by Ezra Edelman, who grew up two doors down from Hersh.
Pillion 2025
Cannes film with Alexander Skarsgård and Harry Melling: a very graphic BDSM rom-com, 'probably the first since Exit to Eden.' Funny and sweet, it was a big hit.
If I Had Legs I'd Kick You 2025
Mary Bronstein's harrowing portrait of motherhood, Rose Byrne's face on camera for nearly the whole film. Very Safdies-inflected (Ronald Bronstein edits their films). Byrne in the Best Actress conversation.
The Mastermind 2025
Kelly Reichardt's '70s arthouse thriller with Josh O'Connor, who sat next to Sean at the screening. Quiet and downbeat, classic Reichardt.
Blue Moon 2025
Richard Linklater's Lorenz Hart film; Ethan Hawke at the end of Hart's life at Sardi's. One of Sean's favorite performances of the year, very stage-like.
Nouvelle Vague 2025
Linklater's other Telluride film, about the making of 'Breathless.' Sean clicked with it less: 'this happened, then this happened' rather than an emotional arc.
Tuner 2025
Documentarian Daniel Roher's ('Navalny') first feature: Leo Woodall as a piano tuner with hypersensitive hearing that also makes him a great safecracker. A musical drama that turns into a heist thriller. The surprise of the festival.
Man on the Run 2025
Morgan Neville's Paul McCartney documentary, the film Sean most regrets missing (it ran opposite 'Jay Kelly').
Frankenstein 2025
Guillermo del Toro's Mary Shelley adaptation, Oscar Isaac as the doctor, Jacob Elordi as the monster, Mia Goth in two parts. Faithful but turgid; Sean was taken aback by how much CGI and how visually poor it looked.
Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere 2025
Scott Cooper's biopic of the making of 'Nebraska,' Jeremy Allen White as Bruce (borderline remarkable, nails the singing), Jeremy Strong as manager Jon Landau. Sean found the movie itself juiceless.
Ballad of a Small Player 2025
Edward Berger's Macau gambler drama with Colin Farrell. On paper a Sean movie, but the script is no good: 'five different movies at once.' A quiet, tough Friday-night premiere.
La Grazia 2025
Paolo Sorrentino's film about a president (Toni Servillo) in his final days in office, with a techno/hip-hop motif. Opened Venice; was the Telluride patron screening. Sean found it dull: buildup, no delivery.
The Wizard of the Kremlin 2025
Olivier Assayas's film from a French novel, Jude Law as Putin, Paul Dano as his fixer, Alicia Vikander and Jeffrey Wright. Sean was 20 minutes late; a fun time but not a successful movie.
The 10 Most Anticipated Fall Films two top-fives that share two titles
Picked by Both — No. 1
One Battle After Another 2025
Paul Thomas Anderson's, unseen by either, out in three weeks. 'They always come through for PTA.'
Picked by Sean No. 3 · shared
Marty Supreme 2025
Josh Safdie's table-tennis film with Timothée Chalamet (1950s) and Gwyneth Paltrow; Sean has watched the trailer six times. A24's Christmas release.
Picked by Amanda No. 5
If I Had Legs I'd Kick You 2025
The Rose Byrne motherhood film: she's nervous about it but wants the challenge.
Picked by Sean No. 5
A House of Dynamite 2025
Amanda's Venice No. 1, which Sean would like to see soon.
Picked by Amanda No. 4
No Other Choice 2025
The Park Chan-wook film Amanda's pumped for; Sean has already seen it.
Picked by Sean No. 2
The Testament of Ann Lee 2025
Amanda's Venice surprise; Sean anticipating the Amanda Seyfried Oscar campaign.
The Best Picture Top 10, for nowa first, admittedly fake, pass at the race
No. 3
A House of Dynamite 2025
No. 3 - though they doubt Netflix wins with it after already doing 'the Bigelow thing.'
No. 5
No Other Choice 2025
No. 5 - Neon, and maybe the year Park Chan-wook breaks into Best Picture.
In conversation
Alex Russell on
Lurker 2025
Russell's feature debut, a music-industry thriller he wrote during COVID out of a feeling of disgust at male social hierarchy. A TV writer ('The Bear,' 'Beef') with ~8 days of set experience before shooting, he cast on how well people understood the script. Cited references: 'Whiplash,' 'Nightcrawler,' and 'Almost Famous'; DP Pat Scola ('Sing Sing') brought warmth over a cold Fincher look.
Also mentioned raised along the way
Best Picture bubble WeaponsThe Smashing MachineDownton Abbey: The Grand FinaleTrain DreamsLeft-Handed GirlRental FamilyIs This Thing On?Avatar: Fire and AshBetter ManSirâtRoofmanLate FameDie My Love
Cited in the Lurker interview The King of ComedyAll About EveNightcrawlerWhiplashAlmost FamousSing SingThe Social NetworkUncut GemsEddingtonThe Wind Rises
Talked around MegalopolisSave the Green Planet!The MenuDogtoothThe LobsterPoor ThingsThe HandmaidenDecision to LeaveThe BrutalistFrances HaMarriage StoryGreenbergI'm Still HereConclaveAvatar: The Way of WaterBohemian RhapsodyA Complete UnknownNightmare AlleyParasiteFord v FerrariAnoraTárThe Sixth SenseNetworkAll the President's MenThe InsiderMalcolm XThe Parallax ViewCaught StealingHighest 2 LowestLeaving Las VegasLenny Cooke
Not films filtered out: TV, games, ads
TV The BearBeefSuccessionThe West WingThe Curse
Games Fortnite
Ads State FarmNetflix (T-Mobile Home Run Derby)Sam's ClubBlinds.com