By Cameron Lee 
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David Cronenberg is set to return to the big screen after an eight-year break from feature filmmaking with "Crimes of the Future" (not to be confused with his 1970 film of the same name) which is set to have its world premiere at this year's Cannes Film Festival. Cronenberg is known for popularizing the body horror genre and for generally causing controversy with his depictions of violence and sexuality. "Crimes of the Future" marks his return to the body horror genre that he helped make popular back at his peak in the 1980s. In preparation for his latest feature film, here are some recommended movies of his that will make it easy to understand what makes Cronenberg such a special and unique filmmaker. 

By Eve O'Dea ​

I, a humble film snob, have not yet managed to see every film that has been awarded the Palme d'Or. However, from the several dozen I have seen, I have been rewarded with thrills, tears, and elation from some of the most influential, unique, and dynamic films made in every corner of the globe over the past three-quarters of a century. With a jury that changes every year, the Cannes Film Festival certainly invites controversy and discussion more-so than other awards-giving bodies, often resulting in recognition of films that would otherwise be missed by casual film fans and giving the world's most brilliant talents a stage on which to share their art with the world. Many of the Palme d'Or winners rank among the greatest films ever made, and it is here that I would like to recommend just a handful for your viewing pleasure as the 75th anniversary of the festival kicks off this week. While I'm sure many of you have seen popular titles such as "Taxi Driver," "The Tree Of Life," "Pulp Fiction" and "Parasite," I'm going to mention some others (with viewing links) I think you should seek out.

By Nadia Dalimonte 

Wherever you find yourself on the Baz Luhrmann scale of love or hate, you are bound to feel something when watching his movies. His glittering filmography is full of so much energy – you can practically hear "More, more, more!" echoing from the visionary's chair. His films may seem chaotic, but there is a method to the madness. His commitment to the material used is unapologetically rooted in pure emotion and truth. From his sweltering adaptation of the two star-crossed lovers "Romeo + Juliet," to the spectacular 1890s underworld of the "Moulin Rouge!," Luhrmann has reached impressive heights. When he's good, he's good, but there are the misfires. Take his oversaturated, lukewarm stamp on F. Scott Fitzgerald's American dream with "The Great Gatsby," for example. Minding the highs and lows, Luhrmann's signature voice is imbued with a love of music. Part of what makes his storytelling so invigorating is how certain songs are used to elevate a given moment. In the way a great song can transport you to places you've never been, he brings a similar sensation to the screen. In celebration of his upcoming release, "Elvis," premiering at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival and starring Austin Butler in the title role, here are the top ten musical moments of Baz Luhrmann's filmography.

By Amy Smith 
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Excluding 2020, which did not have a Cannes Film Festival due to the pandemic, NEON has had a very strong presence over the past few years. Having won the Palme d'Or over the past two festivals with Julia Ducournau's "Titane" in 2021 and Bong Joon-ho's "Parasite" in 2019, it seems like NEON knows how to play the festival game when it comes to selecting their films for consideration at Cannes. This year, NEON has all of their eggs in one basket as their only film to compete for the Palme d'Or is David Cronenberg's "Crimes Of The Future." With that, it is time to see how NEON managed to pull out their previous wins, what impact those wins had, and whether they can score another victory this year.

By Cody Dericks ​
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"Prolific" doesn't even accurately describe just how bountiful Stephen King's artistic output is. Since his first published novel, "Carrie," was released in 1974, there has never been a time when a King story couldn't be found on bookstores' "new releases" shelf. The authorial juggernaut has published 64 novels and hundreds of short stories, but he's not just a legendary name among literary circles. Forty-eight film adaptations of his works have been made, including numerous television movies, miniseries, spin-offs, and sequels. But one era stands as specifically crucial to the horror mastermind's place in cinematic history: the 1980s. After the 1976 release of "Carrie" marked the film debut for King's stories, the '80s proved to be a massive decade for King movies, with 15 released in total. While most of these films are obviously of the horror genre, they're all quite different in terms of content, tone, and perhaps most notably, quality. The '80s was a time when Stephen King went from a well-known personality to a branded superstar whose very name guaranteed attention and interest from filmgoers. With the upcoming release of "Firestarter," a remake of the 1984 King adaptation of the same name, now is the perfect time to explore this pivotal decade of films written by or adapted from the works of Stephen King.

By Robert Dougherty 

"Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness" and "Everything Everywhere All at Once" are incredibly obvious to compare as multiverse movies. But beyond their studios, budgets, purposes, cinematic universes, and past cinematic inspirations, there is one way to tell them apart that is the most glaring of them all.

​By Danilo Castro ​

There's nobody like Sam Raimi. His films are kitschy and cool. They're hilarious and heartbreaking. They contain so much giddy energy that they infuse even the most cliched stories with the spirit of reinvention. Nobody can replicate Raimi's tone, and now, after nearly a decade away from the big screen, he's back with a new film: "Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness."

In yet another surprising career move, the filmmaker known for his eccentricity has linked up with the studio most accused of taking an assembly line approach to filmmaking. You can check out our full review of Raimi's latest here, but if you want to see where the Marvel sequel ranks in Raimi's storied career, then strap in and scroll down. It's going to be a wild ride, baby.

From worst to best, here's our definitive ranking of Sam Raimi's films.

By Tom O'Brien 
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It may only be early May on the calendar, but you'd never know it from the Emmy Awards activity that has been popping up around Los Angeles in recent weeks. The Television Academy in North Hollywood has been booked solid with For Your Consideration events, and screener links to what seems like every conceivable show have been flooding the inboxes of Emmy voters. The ceremony itself won't be until Monday, September 12th, but the politicking has begun earlier and is being waged more intensely than I've ever seen in my years as a TV Academy member.

With COVID-related production shutdowns in 2020-21 seriously reducing the number of eligible series last year, the product has come roaring back in 2022, with networks and streaming services premiering new series seemingly every week, adding to the pile of screeners that voters have to prioritize in the few weeks before Emmy voting begins. The competition has become so stacked, in fact, that, in both the comedy and drama series categories, there are more serious Emmy players than there are open slots, a situation threatening to leave many worthy shows empty-handed on nomination morning.

By Daniel Howat 

Director Bong Joon-ho famously commented that the Academy Awards are "very local" instead of genuinely representing international cinema. He's right, of course. While Bong Joon-ho's "Parasite" went on to win four Oscars, including Best Picture becoming the first and only foreign-language film to have won the Academy's top prize, there is still much progress needed. International cinema has received more Academy Award recognition with each passing year due to people's ability to seek them out via. streaming or on demand, thus increasing their visibility and buzz when it comes time for awards season. The Academy itself has become more inclusive, and films not primarily in English are increasingly seen as across-the-board contenders.

Yet, as international films have seen increased Oscar success, the category specifically designed to recognize these films has hardly changed. Best International Feature Film received a change in name in 2019, putting "Best Foreign Language Film" to rest. Other than that, the category functions much the same way it has since its inception in 1956. As the Academy Awards become slightly less local, many of the outdated rules of this category are hard to justify. It's a tricky category that requires special consideration, but an overhaul is long overdue. Let's dive into Best International Feature Film and see how it could change for the better.

By Cody Dericks ​

Marvel has changed cinema. This statement is less of an opinion and more of a bona fide fact, as the Marvel Cinematic Universe's success has influenced how films are produced, marketed, and released. They even have the unfortunate effect of devouring the box office and leaving little meat on the proverbial bone for the competition – just look at any film released around the same time as last year's "Spider-Man: No Way Home." But a less obvious and somewhat surprising aspect of the MCU's self-invented way of doing things is the way they use their directors. Ostensibly the leading voices of any film production, Marvel has established such a defined blanket style that frequently, the directorial voice on some of their films feels somewhat suppressed. Even still, some visionary filmmakers have been able to join their defined stylistic preferences to the traditional Marvel look and feel. The newest film in this comic book canon is the upcoming "Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness," directed by the legendary Sam Raimi. Can his unique sensibilities overcome the standardized ways of Marvel?

By Daniel Howat 

​​CinemaCon 2022 has concluded, and the National Association of Theater Owners received looks at the biggest movies coming to theaters over the next couple of years. Each of the major studios presented new trailers, clips, reveals, and more, all with stars and directors in tow. While the biggest story to come out of CinemaCon this year may have been about an inappropriately timed process service, there's plenty of actual movie news to discuss. Let's look at the most exciting developments from CinemaCon 2022.

​By Will Mavity 

When making Oscar predictions for Best Animated Feature year in advance, it never hurts to bet on Disney and/or Pixar. After all, Disney has been behind sixteen of the category's winners since the beginning of the category in 2001. Still, some were skeptical that Disney would enjoy the cakewalk to Oscar victory this year that it often does in this category. In 2018, "Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse" defeated both Pixar's "Incredibles 2" and Disney Animation's "Ralph Breaks The Internet." Many thought that Sony's "Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse" might be able to recapture the first film's magic and give Disney/Pixar a run for their money at the Oscars again this year. But recently, Sony has since delayed the "Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse" to 2023, thus taking it out of Oscar competition this year. Even this absence doesn't necessarily guarantee that all is smooth sailing for Disney/Pixar this year, as 2022 is shaping up to be a strong year for animated films from multiple studios.

By Eve O'Dea 

In an interview with The New Yorker, director Robert Eggers recounted a reaction from a test screening audience member of his latest film "The Northman," who wrote: "You need to have a master's degree in Viking history to understand, like, anything in this movie." The film's final product, which was released internationally on April 22nd, went under significant re-working to make it more accessible to popular audiences. Still, like Eggers' last two films, "The Witch" and "The Lighthouse," "The Northman" is steeped in a rich historical basis and gifts audiences with an experience of total immersion. Eggers and his team conducted extensive research and preparation to bring this medieval, nordic world into existence to enable such accuracy. Will such meticulous effort be recognized come awards season?

By Zoe Rose Bryant ​

At the 94th Academy Awards, "The Power of the Dog's" Jane Campion made history in two significant ways. Not only was she the first woman nominated twice for Best Director (despite Kathryn Bigelow and Greta Gerwig coming close in 2012 and 2019 with "Zero Dark Thirty" and "Little Women" respectively), but her eventual win represented the first time that women had won Best Director back-to-back, following Chloé Zhao, who won for "Nomadland." Now, many Oscar pundits are asking the same question: might we be headed towards a third female Best Director winner in three years? At the time of this writing, the field is currently filling up with several acclaimed male auteurs (Steven Spielberg for "The Fabelmans," Martin Scorsese for "Killers of the Flower Moon," Damien Chazelle for "Babylon," and James Cameron for "Avatar 2"). Still, the ladies are putting up quite a fight as well. Below, in alphabetical order, we outline ten female filmmakers we believe could follow in Jane Campion's footsteps this awards season to earn a Best Director nomination (and maybe even secure that statue).

By James Osbourne 

With principal photography for "Dune: Part Two" set to begin in July, casting rumors for the sequel has started trickling in. As far as we know, most of "Dune's" cast will be returning to their previous roles. Anyone who knows how the second half of Frank Herbert's novel is already aware Zendaya's Chani will take on a more prominent part in the story as Rebecca Ferguson's Lady Jessica settles into the background. With the death of their characters, Jason Momoa, Sharon Duncan-Brewster, and David Dastmalchian won't be returning, freeing up space for the ensemble cast to expand and introduce a handful of new names.

By Matt Neglia

​As promised, the 2022 Cannes Film Festival has added new titles to its lineup in both competition and out of competition. Three big titles have been announced for the In Competition section of the festival, including Albert Serra's "Tourment sur les iles," Léonor Serraille's "Un Petit Frere," and "Le Otto Montagne" from filmmakers Charlotte Vandermeersch and Felix Van Groeninge ("Beautiful Boy"). But that's not all, though; Serge Bozon's much anticipated "Don Juan" and Emmanuel Mouret's "Chronique d'une liaison passagère," have been added to the Cannes Premiere section. Louis Garrel's "L'innocent," starring the writer-director himself, Anouk Grinberg and Noémie Merlant, will play out of competition. "Don Juan" is a title that a lot of people have had their eyes on in particular, due to the presence of Tahar Rahim ("The Mauritanian") and Virginie Efira ("Benedetta") in what is said to be a romantic musical comedy.

The Official Selection for the festival's competition section now has five films directed by women, which is a record for the festival after last year's festival only had four (out of twenty-one) titles from female filmmakers. There is still a long way for the festival to go in regards to satisfying their harshest critics with this area but it's still a step in the right direction. As of right now, no Jury members have been announced for the competition titles for this year's festival but we should be hearing about that in the next few days. The 2022 Cannes Film Festival will run from May 17th until May 28th, 2022.

Click below to see the full lineup now with these additions including Critics' Week.

​By Matt Neglia 

We've always known that the creative artists and storytellers at Pixar are fans of "Star Wars," with countless references to the franchise found in their works over the years. Now, director Andrew McLane, a self-described massive "Star Wars" fan, is bringing that love and inspiration to Pixar's latest feature film, "Lightyear," which marks the first time the animation studio will deliver a science fiction action-adventure film for audiences worldwide. McLane has been working at Pixar for twenty five years, first as an animator and then as a co-director on "Finding Dory." "Lightyear" marks his solo directorial debut. I was fortunate enough to see thirty minutes' worth of footage a few weeks ago ahead of the film's theatrical premiere on June 17th. Here are some of my takeaways from what I was shown.

By Danilo Castro ​

There's no one like Nicolas Cage. He's a singular presence on the big screen; so extreme and uninhibited that you can barely take your eyes off him. His good is great, and his bad is the stuff that memes are made of. He's also endured so many eras that there are different Cages to choose from. Do you prefer his quirky romantic films in the 1980s? His blockbuster run in the 1990s? What about his fascinating genre work in the early 2000s?

It's impossible to provide all the necessary context for an actor who seemingly tosses out the rulebook with each new release. Still, we here at Next Best Picture are going to do our best to boil down Cage's essence and display it through his ten best performances. Given the actor's meta turn in "The Unbearable Weight Of Massive Talent," there's truly no better time. Let's play "Low Rider," get focused, and get to work (with respect to the "Gone In 60 Seconds" fans, despite the film not making our list).

By Jordan Davis 

​In our capitalistic society, we operate on the mindset that if something has the potential of bringing in a profit, then we go for it. A massive example of this is the connection between Hollywood and Broadway. Often, when a show (whether it be a play or a musical) becomes a hit on Broadway, a few years later, that show would get the movie treatment. We see instances of this dating back to the 1950s when "The Seven Year Itch" opened on Broadway in 1952, then the film starring Marilyn Monroe came out in 1954. We see this happen again with shows such as "The Music Man" (Which opened on Broadway in 1957, then received the film treatment in 1962), "West Side Story" (Which opened on Broadway in 1957, then received the film treatment in 1961), "My Fair Lady" (Opened on Broadway in 1956, then received the film treatment in 1964). There are plenty modern examples of this, such as with "Hairspray," "Chicago," and the upcoming announcements of productions such as "Wicked" and "The Color Purple: The Musical." While some of these adaptations have experienced success, some have fallen short of recapturing their Broadway success. As a theatre nerd and an aspiring storyteller, I find the biggest reason for success and failure to be summed up in two focal points: The plot and the audience it is being geared towards.

By Robert Dougherty 

Suppose Michael Bay had made "Ambulance" 25 years ago. In that case, there is almost no doubt Nicolas Cage would have played the scenery-chewing, gun touting, and slightly unhinged bank robber driving through L.A. if he had time between all his other unhinged late 90s action movies. But it is almost fitting that a modern-day Nicolas Cage in Jake Gyllenhaal headlined this modern-day Bay demolition derby, especially right before the real Nicolas Cage continues his latest comeback with "The Unbearable Weight Of Massive Talent." ​Gyllenhaal and Cage have never worked together before, which seems somewhat remarkable considering their career paths. While Gyllenhaal hasn't reached the point of making dozens of direct to DVD films to pay off bankruptcy, like Cage just got out of, their career trajectories have become more and more similar in other ways.

By Matt Neglia 

The lineup for the 2022 Cannes Film Festival has been announced, but early this morning, we were treated to the announcement of the lineup for this year's Cannes Directors' Fortnight. The sidebar will run May 18th until May 27th, right alongside the main festival and it contains a ton of high profile films this year, including a pair of highly anticipated A24 films: Alex Garland's "Men" starring Oscar-nominee Jessie Buckley and "God's Creatures," the new film from Saela Davis and Anna Rose Holmer ("The Fits") starring Aisling Franciosi, Emily Watson and Paul Mescal. Coming off of last year's Cannes appearance for "Bergman's Island," Mia Hansen-Løve will be returning with "One Fine Morning," starring Lea Seydoux, Melvil Poupaud, and Nicole Garcia, while last year's "Benedetta" star, Virginie Efira, will be starring in "Paris Memories." The lineup is female-heavy, with eleven films directed by women, a stark contrast to the Cannes Film Festival's competition lineup, which only had three female-directed films.

​Click below to see this year's lineup.

By Zoe Rose Bryant 

It's the age-old question for awards pundits: how soon is too soon to start discussing next year's Oscars after the conclusion of last year's ceremony? You could ask a million different pundits and get a million different answers. Still, this particular pundit subscribes to the belief that you simply have to let the films tell the story - don't try and guide the race, but follow it instead. When a film debuts with near-universal adoration and all-encompassing euphoric buzz, that's a title that can't be counted out for awards attention, regardless of what time of the year it premiered and what genre it's categorized as. Time and time again, this has been the case. However, for most statistical accuracy, let's just look at the past decade: despite debuting in May or even February, films like 2014's "The Grand Budapest Hotel," 2015's "Mad Max: Fury Road," 2017's "Get Out," and 2018's "Black Panther" endured all the way until the winter of the following year, bolstered by an industry-wide appreciation of audacious craftwork, a connection with the cultural zeitgeist, or both. It isn't every year that a Q1 or Q2 smash hit critical/commercial sensation lands a spot in the Best Picture lineup, but there are always some strong contenders that linger from the start of the year, and as history shows, they can't be ignored.

By Tom O'Brien 

​Are we really on the verge of another Cannes Film Festival? Didn't the Oscars just conclude a few days ago? No matter. The 2022 season is on, and if the Cannes Film Festival festival lineup announced yesterday morning by festival director Thierry Frémaux is any indication of the film year to come, we are in for one hell of a ride in 2022.

The 49 films that will be premiering at the 2022 festival include a wide array of international titles, with, happily, a particularly strong representation of films from Asia. On the other hand, sadly, the festival's notorious lack of representation for women filmmakers rages on, with the number of female-directed films in competition this year actually falling from four to a mere three compared to last year.

By Amy Smith 

The official line-up to the 75th Cannes Film Festival was announced this morning, showcasing the films that would be competing for the coveted Palmes d'Or and the films that would make their world premiere at the prestigious event. While the list of films is shorter, with only 18 films announced for the Official Competition instead of the 24 last year, there is plenty to look forward to and analyze with this year's selection. Not only that but there are still plans to announce more films before the festival takes place in May.

By Cody Dericks 

There once was a time when the opening of a new film in the "Harry Potter" franchise was a seismic cultural event. Much like when a new book in the series was released, lines would stretch around theaters, and midnight screenings would be packed with fans. It's been over ten years since the release of the final "Harry Potter" film, and in its place, a new Wizarding World series has begun – the "Fantastic Beasts" saga. As the release of the third film approaches, the difference in general anticipation between this new film's opening and that of any of the original "Potter" movies is stark. And while a lot has changed in the general theatrical landscape – not to mention a global pandemic that has impacted the industry in countless ways – the inability of the "Fantastic Beasts" films to capture the general public's wonder and adoration in the same way as the "Potter" series is mostly a matter of self-damnation. In many ways, the "Fantastic Beasts" series represents some of Hollywood's worst tendencies when it comes to modern blockbuster filmmaking, which is especially disappointing considering that it's a pitiful addition to the legacy of the "Potter" franchise, which concluded at its peak.​