‘Hamnet’ and the 10 Best Performances of 2025. Plus: Kleber Mendonça Filho on ‘The Secret Agent.’
The Big Picture
December 12, 2025 · Hamnet (2025) · Biography · Drama · History · 2:27:07 · ▶ Listen on Spotify
Hosts: Sean Fennessey, Joanna Robinson, Amanda Dobbins · With Kleber Mendonça Filho, Mendonça Filho
Chapters
Lists in this episode
10 Best Performances of 2025 — Sean Fennessey
Ranked list · Sean Fennessey · ▶ 1:02:22
- 10Conner O'Malley▶ 1:02:22
- 10Danny Huston▶ 1:02:41
- ·Chase Infiniti▶ 1:06:21
- 8Inga Ibsdottor Lilius▶ 1:10:44
- 7Josh O'Connor▶ 1:14:26
- 6Sophie Thatcher▶ 1:18:35
- 5Maryam Afshari▶ 1:23:22
- 4A$AP Rocky▶ 1:28:40
- 4Archie Madekwe▶ 1:28:48
- 3Amanda Seyfried▶ 1:34:58
- ·Lee Byung-hun▶ 1:40:42
- 1Timothée Chalamet▶ 1:43:04
10 Best Performances of 2025 — Joanna Robinson
Ranked list · Joanna Robinson · ▶ 1:03:21
- 9Michael Cera▶ 1:03:21
- 8Normani▶ 1:08:33
- 8Dominique Thorne▶ 1:08:34
- 7Tonatiuh▶ 1:12:10
- 6Odessa A'zion▶ 1:15:58
- 5Josh O'Connor▶ 1:20:45
- 4Guillaume Marbeck▶ 1:24:49
- 4Aubrey Dillon▶ 1:24:50
- 3Dylan O'Brien▶ 1:30:35
- 2Eva Victor▶ 1:36:32
- 1Jesse Buckley▶ 1:42:37
10 Best Performances of 2025 — Amanda Dobbins
Ranked list · Amanda Dobbins · ▶ 1:00:47
- 10Rosamund Pike▶ 1:00:48
- 10Colman Domingo▶ 1:00:47
- 10Tobias Menzies▶ 1:00:52
- 9Jack Quaid▶ 1:04:59
- 8Robert Pattinson▶ 1:09:24
- 7Keke Palmer▶ 1:13:25
- 7SZA▶ 1:13:28
- 6Tom Burke▶ 1:17:01
- 5Rebecca Ferguson▶ 1:21:55
- 4Tramell Tillman▶ 1:26:20
- 4Katy O'Brian▶ 1:26:20
- 3Josh O'Connor▶ 1:32:14
- 2Rose Byrne▶ 1:37:53
- 2Jennifer Lawrence▶ 1:37:54
- 1Timothée Chalamet▶ 1:43:04
Movies Referenced (63)
13 mentions · Amanda Dobbins, Sean Fennessey, Joanna Robinson▶ 1:14:37IMDb ↗Lb ↗
11 mentions · Kleber Mendonça Filho, Sean Fennessey▶ 0:49IMDb ↗Lb ↗
6 mentions · Joanna Robinson, Sean Fennessey▶ 1:15:53IMDb ↗Lb ↗
5 mentions · Amanda Dobbins, Joanna Robinson, Sean Fennessey▶ 7:57IMDb ↗Lb ↗
5 mentions · Amanda Dobbins, Sean Fennessey▶ 43:47IMDb ↗Lb ↗
5 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Joanna Robinson▶ 6:23IMDb ↗Lb ↗
5 mentions · Joanna Robinson, Amanda Dobbins▶ 1:00:48IMDb ↗Lb ↗
4 mentions · Joanna Robinson, Amanda Dobbins▶ 1:20:29IMDb ↗Lb ↗
4 mentions · Joanna Robinson, Kleber Mendonça Filho▶ 58:26IMDb ↗Lb ↗
4 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Joanna Robinson▶ 13:56IMDb ↗Lb ↗
3 mentions · Amanda Dobbins, Joanna Robinson▶ 40:07IMDb ↗Lb ↗
Directors Referenced (18)
10 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Joanna Robinson, Amanda Dobbins · Known for Schindler's List, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Saving Private Ryan▶ 2:00IMDb ↗Lb ↗
7 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Joanna Robinson · Known for Hamnet, Nomadland, Eternals▶ 0:20IMDb ↗Lb ↗
2 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for Lars and the Real Girl, The Finest Hours▶ 6:40IMDb ↗Lb ↗
2 mentions · Joanna Robinson · Known for Sorry, Baby▶ 1:36:32IMDb ↗Lb ↗
2 mentions · Joanna Robinson · Known for Contempt▶ 1:24:52IMDb ↗Lb ↗
2 mentions · Amanda Dobbins · Known for Sex, Lies, and Videotape, Traffic, Behind the Candelabra▶ 1:17:11IMDb ↗Lb ↗
1 mentions · Joanna Robinson · Known for Promising Young Woman, MaXXXine, The Weekend Away▶ 58:37IMDb ↗Lb ↗
1 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for Dreamgirls, Gods and Monsters▶ 1:13:10IMDb ↗Lb ↗
1 mentions · Kleber Mendonça Filho · Known for Drugstore Cowboy▶ 2:17:17IMDb ↗Lb ↗
1 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for Atonement, Darkest Hour▶ 59:56IMDb ↗Lb ↗
1 mentions · Kleber Mendonça Filho · Known for Dark Star, Halloween▶ 1:55:14IMDb ↗Lb ↗
Actors Referenced (68)
10 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Amanda Dobbins, Joanna Robinson · Known for Wake Up Dead Man, Challengers▶ 2:06IMDb ↗Lb ↗
8 mentions · Amanda Dobbins, Joanna Robinson, Sean Fennessey · Known for Insidious, If I Had Legs I'd Kick You▶ 41:18IMDb ↗Lb ↗
5 mentions · Joanna Robinson, Amanda Dobbins, Sean Fennessey · Known for Juno, Superbad, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World▶ 1:03:22IMDb ↗Lb ↗
4 mentions · Joanna Robinson, Amanda Dobbins · Known for No Time to Die, Casino Royale, Skyfall▶ 1:20:54IMDb ↗Lb ↗
4 mentions · Amanda Dobbins · Known for The Hunger Games, Silver Linings Playbook, American Hustle▶ 1:37:51IMDb ↗Lb ↗
4 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Joanna Robinson▶ 15:27IMDb ↗Lb ↗
4 mentions · Amanda Dobbins, Sean Fennessey · Known for Gone Girl, Die Another Day▶ 1:00:48IMDb ↗Lb ↗
3 mentions · Amanda Dobbins, Sean Fennessey · Known for Mamma Mia!, Mean Girls▶ 1:34:57IMDb ↗Lb ↗
3 mentions · Joanna Robinson · Known for The Maze Runner▶ 1:30:36IMDb ↗Lb ↗
3 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Joanna Robinson · Known for The Hunger Games, Novocaine, Companion▶ 1:05:54IMDb ↗Lb ↗
3 mentions · Amanda Dobbins, Joanna Robinson · Known for The Favourite, The Lost Daughter▶ 42:56IMDb ↗Lb ↗
Writers Referenced (9)
20 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Joanna Robinson, Amanda Dobbins · Known for The Tragedy of Macbeth▶ 0:24IMDb ↗Lb ↗
7 mentions · Joanna Robinson, Amanda Dobbins · Known for Sense and Sensibility▶ 58:26IMDb ↗Lb ↗
2 mentions · Joanna Robinson, Amanda Dobbins · Known for Jurassic Park, Stir of Echoes, Black Bag▶ 4:42IMDb ↗Lb ↗
2 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Joanna Robinson · Known for Southpaw▶ 6:42IMDb ↗Lb ↗
2 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Joanna Robinson · Known for Guardians of the Galaxy, Superman, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2▶ 6:31IMDb ↗Lb ↗
2 mentions · Kleber Mendonça Filho, Sean Fennessey · Known for Dancer in the Dark, Melancholia▶ 1:19:17IMDb ↗Lb ↗
2 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for Hamnet▶ 0:20IMDb ↗Lb ↗
1 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for Shakespeare in Love, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, The Hateful Eight▶ 40:58IMDb ↗Lb ↗
1 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for Avatar, Aliens, Terminator 2: Judgment Day▶ 1:07:45IMDb ↗Lb ↗