​By Danilo Castro 

​As the decade comes to a close, we’re compelled to look back at its stellar biopics. It seemed as though films based on true stories were released every other week, and save for a few bombs, these films did justice to their real-life counterparts. They also gave us some of the most indelible scenes and performances in recent memory. 

We’ve already done a list of the Top 10 Actors Playing Other Actors, but to commemorate our recent fan vote, we’ve decided to keep the biopic coverage going and list out the fan selections for the 10 Best Biopics of the Decade.

By Dan Bayer 

When the call went around for someone to write up the NBP Community’s list of the Best Horror Films of the Decade, I didn’t speak up at first. I’ve never been much of a horror guy. I’ve always had trouble sleeping as it is, plus I get really queasy around blood and gore, so I grew up with the impression that horror was just not my thing. That started to change in the early ‘00s, when in the wake of “The Sixth Sense” and “The Blair Witch Project” there was a moment when non-gory horror films like “The Others” and “The Ring” were big hits. But then along came the torture porn of the “Saw” franchise and its ilk, and I went back to hiding under my covers.

But in this most recent decade, horror has had something of an artful resurgence, and my interest in the genre has been rekindled. I became more fascinated with the genre and started watching old horror movies to fill in lots of cinematic blind spots that I had quite purposefully avoided. And then I thought, who better than me, a latent horror-phobe, to write up these films? Some of them are among my very favorite films of the decade, after all. So let’s take a look at those films you voted on as your favorites, shall we?

By Cody Dericks 

I'm a spooky guy. Anyone who knows me knows that this time of year is when I'm usually thriving the most. When there's an autumnal feeling in the air, I'm truly at my happiest, and my love of horror movies is a year-round obsession (I even host a podcast called Halloweeners: A Horror Movie Podcast, check us out!). But the funny thing is, not a lot of movies scare me anymore. It might be because I've seen so many of them or maybe it's just the person I've become, but I've found that even horror movies I enjoy a lot are more fun than truly frightening; however, there are a select number of films that truly terrified me, whether it was only from the first viewing as a child or something about the film that gets me every time. I now present to you a list of the movies that have scared me the most in my life. "Scariest" is not the same as "best" when it comes to horror movies, and some perennial favorites of mine are missing here while some movies that I think are just okay still manage to really affect me.

By Josh Parham 
​
​Every year, all of us cinephiles take so much pleasure in the many film festivals that happen around this time. It’s the opportunity to see so many highly anticipated movies, or at the very least, hear the reactions to them. Especially as awards season approaches fast, it’s a great opportunity for high profile contenders to finally have real exposure in the race. Many festivals receive this attention, but the Chicago International Film Festival is always the pilgrimage I make.
 
The festival continues to have a diverse lineup of films in their programming, ranging from different backgrounds from around the world. Their selection offers films that highlight local talent, black perspectives, LGBTQ content, Latin American cinema and so much more. Something the festival is also abundant in is the array of submissions for the Best International Feature Oscar. Over a dozen such films were playing at the festival this year, and this is a brief rundown of a few titles that I saw that will no doubt be in that conversation.

By Danilo Castro 

In the world of acting, few things are more daunting than playing another actor. Not only are these actors real-life people, which brings into question things like appearance and vocal cadence, but they’re people who have an intimate connection with moviegoers. Taking on the role of an actor means taking on the expectations of their die-hard fans, as well as historians and those who knew them personally.

2019 has seen a wide array of actors do just that. Margot Robbie dazzled as Sharon Tate in “Once Upon a Time In Hollywood”, Renee Zellweger wowed us as Judy Garland in "Judy," while Eddie Murphy delighted as Rudy Ray Moore in “My Name Is Dolemite.” In honor of the latter, which hits Netflix on October 25th, we’ve decided to countdown the 10 Best Performances By Actors Playing Other Actors. We are sticking to theatrical releases only, so great performances given in TV films will not be counted.

By Bianca Garner ​

After catching Robert Eggers’ stunning film “The Lighthouse” at this year’s LFF, I felt compelled to draw up a list of this decade’s greatest films shot in black and white (which is also our poll this week on Next Best Picture). And, while technicolor has been around for a lot longer than you probably realize (the first technicolor film was released in 1935 in the form of historical costume drama “Becky Sharp”), filmmakers are still drawn back to the black and white film format.

There’s a power that black and white films seem to possess, a magical quality to them which I can quite put my finger on. And, despite growing up in a world of color, I find myself drawn to black and white films especially ‘modern’ films such as Ben Wheatley’s surreal and haunting civil war film “A Field in England” (2013) and Noah Baumbach’s quirky, indie delight “Frances Ha” (2013). So, here’s a list of my personal favorite black and white films from this decade.

There are a few films that didn’t quite make my top 10 that I wish to mention quickly: Miguel Gomes's “Tabu” (2012), Tim Burton's “Frankenweenie” (2012), François Ozon “Frantz” (2016), Frank Miller and Robert Rodriguez’s “Sin City: A Dame to Kill For” (2014). Heck, I couldn’t even picture Tom Six’s gross and frightfully disturbing film “The Human Centipede 2” (2011) working in color, and despite being one of the most horrific films ever made, David Meadows’ cinematography is worth mentioning as the film’s only redeeming quality.

By Tom O'Brien 

With "Parasite," this year's Cannes winner of the Palme d'Or, now opening in American theaters, a significant number of U.S. moviegoers will be introduced for the first time to the great South Korean director Bong Joon Ho. Next Best Picture readers are, of course, familiar with Bong, but how many of his films have they actually seen? And what would be the best way to get up to speed?

​Luckily, I'm here to offer you Bong-101.

By Matt Neglia 

​​The 2019 New York Film Festival has now come and gone. There was a major premiere with Martin Scorsese's "The Irishman." There was the secret screening of the Safdie Brothers' "Uncut Gems." There were a number of foreign language film celebrating the best in world cinema including the Palme d'Or winner "Parasite." There was even a special screening and Q&A for "Joker" before its official release with heavy security from New York's finest. Suffice to say, it was a few weeks worthy of remembrance as always.

I saw 18 films in total this year at the festival which was a new record for me (crazy considering I thought this year would be my lowest output yet due to new day job commitments). Overall, I saw some films I loved, some films I enjoyed and some films that weren't for me. And that's the most important thing to remember with this ranking: even the lowest ranked film, might not have worked for me, but I have no doubt it worked for someone else. There is a degree of unpredictability with any film festival, of not know what it is you're going to walk into that is always exciting. This year's pleasant and unpleasant surprises were no different.

​Click below to see my ranking of the NYFF57 films I saw this year.

By Kt Schaefer 

With Halloween on the horizon and the fall weather starting up (for some of us anyway), it’s the traditional time for spooky movies and thankfully there is a wealth of options on the streaming services in October.

While there is Shudder, a well-curated streaming service devoted entirely to horror films, I tried to focus on the more general services in this list for those who may not be regular watchers of the scarier side of films. However, I did include a couple of gems only available on there for those who may be interested in seeing what they have to offer. Below you will find a wide selection of movies from classics to indie films and even a horror-comedy for those nights when you want to laugh and feel spooky.

By Danilo Castro 

Few Hollywood stars burned as bright as Judy Garland. She was a star from the moment she stepped on screen in 1936, and she continued to dazzle audiences with her singing and acting for decades. Her talents enabled her to become a musical mainstay, while occasional forays into drama proved that she could dominate a scene with little more than her presence. It’s no wonder she is referred to as the “World’s Greatest Entertainer.”

Garland is the focus of the new film “Judy,” where she is played by Oscar nominee Renee Zellweger. To commemorate the film’s release, we’ve decided to chart a path down the Yellow brick road, and rank Garland’s 10 Best Screen Performances. 

By Nicole Ackman ​​

With autumn comes back to school season for students of all ages. While many of us are no longer in school, I’m sure I’m not the only one who still associates the end of summer with the start of a new school year. Thus, August seems to be the perfect time to take a look at an interesting subset of the coming-of-age genre: the high school film. For the past several decades, movies about high school students have been popular from John Hughes’s films like “16 Candles” to this year’s “Booksmart.” 

High school movies are a particularly female-focused genre and the more recent ones often tell the stories of social outsiders on the high school scene: the geeks, the nerds, the overachievers. These films span many genres from superhero movies like “Spider-Man: Homecoming” to modern adaptations of classic works of literature like “10 Things I Hate About You.” Many musical adaptations have been made of these films from the popular Broadway hit “Mean Girls” to the cult classic “Heathers,” which Next Best Theatre covered earlier this year.

These high school movies have often provided breakout roles to young actors, such as Anne Hathaway in “The Princess Diaries” and Emma Stone in “Easy A.” Netflix has recently announced that in addition to their sequel coming out next year, a third movie is being made for “To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before” starring Lana Condor. 

Here is a compilation of the Next Best Picture team’s favorite movies set during high school, presented in the order that they were released. 

By Danilo Castro 

There’s a fine line between laughter and fear. Both elicit strong reactions, and both rely on the unexpected to keep viewers on their toes. A good laugh can turn into a scream, just as a bloodcurdling scream can devolve into laughter. This overlap is best exemplified through the sub-genre known as horror-comedy. A seemingly incongruous blend, the horror-comedy has proven to be one of the most durable in cinema, with the ability to reflect societal changes through a heady (often self-aware) brew of violence and satire.

“Ready Or Not,” the new film from directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, is the latest horror-comedy gem, and a breath of fresh air for an otherwise stuffy year (at least, so far). In honor of “Ready Or Not,” we’ve decided to suit up, light a candle, and run screaming through the top 1o best horror-comedies of all time.​

By Josh Parham 

​A few days ago, Bond fans across the world were greeted with some good news as the announcement of the new title for the 25th Bond film finally came. The specifics had been guarded for quite some time, but it was eventually revealed that “No Time To Die” would be the official title. The timing of this is also fortuitous because it coincides around the 89th birthday of Sir Sean Connery (three days from now), most known as the originator of the role of James Bond. Connery played the character through seven films (six official entries, and one unofficial) and for many, like me, has been the defining image of this character’s representation in the culture. 
 
In honor of his birthday and the news related to the new film, I have provided my own personal rankings of all the 007 films in which he appeared in. The most interesting element to the Bond fandom is that, while there are trends one can point to, many people carry their own unique perspectives on this series, so I certainly do not mean this to be a definitive ranking. However, as a bigger fan of this series than most others you will likely meet, I do have my own passionate opinions about what some of the best and weakest entries in this series.

By Hannah Lorence 

With a combined runtime of nearly 210 hours, watching every single movie on the American Film Institute’s Top 100 list is a commitment. Each film on the list has its own merit in the cultural context in which it was created and contributes in some meaningful way to the conversations that were happening at that time, but as I watched each film, I had to ask myself: “If this film were removed from the list, would it really matter in the grand scheme of cinema history?”  

We don’t need multiple retellings of the horrors of the Vietnam war. Between "Apocalypse Now," "Platoon," "Taxi Driver" and "The Deer Hunter," is it really necessary to drive the point home that the war was awful? Why not make room on the list for women filmmakers or directors of color? There are so many diverse artists who make up this country’s history and have important stories to tell.

Even though not all of the movies justify their existence on the list, many made a big impression on me. Some of them are indelibly ingrained in my memory. They are absolutely worth your time, so even if you don’t want to tackle the whole list you can at least seek out these titles. Even if you’ve seen every film on this list there’s never a bad time to revisit a timeless classic!

Here are 10 movies from the AFI Top 100 list you should definitely watch…

By Danilo Castro ​

​Quentin Tarantino has pioneered the notion of the director as DJ. He’s made a career of taking his favorite movies and sampling them, or remixing them, to suit his own storytelling needs. Like a Dr. Dre or J Dilla, however, Tarantino has the taste and artistry to take these samples and sculpt them into something altogether new. It’s this self-aware, postmodern approach that’s made him one of the most studied filmmakers of all time. 

Tarantino’s latest release, “Once Upon a Time In Hollywood,” proves that he is still king when it comes to capturing America’s insatiable love for violence and pop culture. With that in mind, we’ve decided to kick our feet up, order a Big Kahuna Burger, and rank Tarantino’s nine feature films from worst to best. 

By Beatrice Loayza ​
​
Ahead of the release of “Once Upon A Time In Hollywood,” we thought it timely to take a look back at Quentin Tarantino’s best female characters. Considering the post-Cannes discourse surrounding Tarantino’s portrayal of women, and the controversy surrounding Margot Robbie’s lack of dialogue, it's worth considering what his movies have offered actresses in the past. 

While Tarantino doesn’t always write women in a flattering light, they are shown in their vulnerability so much as their strength; often difficult, messy, and morally ambiguous. They are feminist not in the sense of being upright female role models, but they do feel raw and jagged and real, not just mere victims or things to be saved. Though Tarantino himself might not be a good example of a feminist ally, perhaps the question of if his films are feminist ones is still up for debate. Below we consider some of his greatest female roles.

By Dan Bayer ​

I have never attended a film festival before. I’ve always watched them from afar, interested in what is playing and what gets distribution afterward, fascinated by how the narrative about certain films shift between their festival premieres and when they are released to the public. This year, all that changes: I will be attending the Toronto International Film Festival for Next Best Picture. Naturally, I’ve been eagerly anticipating the festival lineup announcement, and on Tuesday, we got our first glance at what will be playing as TIFF announced this year’s Galas and Special Presentations. This is where you will generally find the most high-profile releases of the festival, the ones with glitzy red carpet premieres and the like. But even among this group, some titles fill me with excitement more than most. Now that I’ve finally calmed down and lived with these titles for a couple of days, here is a baker’s dozen of the ones I’m most looking forward to getting on my schedule.

By David Opie 

In recent years, directors like Kim Jee-woon and Park Chan-wook have raised the profile of South Korean cinema to unprecedented heights, winning countless awards and international acclaim from all quarters. Well, almost all quarters. 

Since 1962, South Korea has submitted thirty films for consideration at the Oscars, but so far, only one has made the final shortlist, and that was last year’s “Burning.” Unfortunately, Lee Chang-dong’s masterpiece still failed to secure a nomination even then. 

Don’t count South Korea out just yet though. Following Cannes, there’s already a lot of buzz surrounding “Parasite,” the latest film by Bong Joon-ho, and that’s not the only Korean film you should keep an eye out for in 2019. 

This year marks the 23rd edition of The Fantasia International Film Festival and once again, Korean cinema has a typically strong presence in the lineup. From queer indies and offbeat zombie flicks to gangster murder mysteries, join us as we hone in on some of the best picks from South Korea that will soon hit Fantasia 2019 and maybe a cinema near you.

By Matt Neglia 

​As heard on yesterday's podcast episode, the Next Best Picture team all revealed their Top 10 films of 2019 so far (only films which have received a proper theatrical release in the States this year qualified). We have taken everyon'e individual lists and put them all together to formulate this collective Top 10 which represents the whole team. Films which scored highly with the team but did not make the cut include "Long Shot, " "How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World," "John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum," "Yesterday" and more!

​Click below to read the list and bring on the rest of 2019.

​By Beatrice Loayza ​

Memorial Day is in the past and summer movie season is upon us! While the blockbuster is the staple for the hot and humid school’s out season, some indie titles prove just as exciting. Here we take a look at a mix of movies big and small that will be on our radar over the coming months.