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The Big Picture

The Top 10 Underseen and Overlooked Movies of 2025. Plus: ‘Is This Thing On?,’ ‘Ella McCay,’ and Why We Can’t Have Nice Things.

December 22, 2025 · Is This Thing On? (2025) · Comedy · Drama · 1:14:12 · ▶ Listen on Spotify

Hosts: Sean Fennessey, Amanda Dobbins

IMDb ↗Letterboxd ↗

Chapters

Intro▶ 0:00
Iñárritu's Tom Cruise film 'Digger'▶ 1:00
Reviewing 'Is This Thing On?'▶ 4:02
Reviewing James L. Brooks' 'Ella McCay'▶ 23:09
The top 10 underseen movies of 2025▶ 45:00

Top picks: Underseen and Overlooked Movies of 2025

Sean Fennessey

  1. 1. Vulcanizadora▶ 11:51
  2. 2. The Things You Kill▶ 11:17
  3. 3. Influencers▶ 10:32
  4. 4. Urchin▶ 9:42
  5. 5. On Becoming a Guinea Fowl▶ 8:53

Amanda Dobbins

  1. 1. Jane Austen Wrecked My Life▶ 11:32
  2. 2. Megadoc▶ 10:59
  3. 3. The Wedding Banquet▶ 10:06
  4. 4. Oh, Hi!▶ 9:10
  5. 5. Eternity▶ 8:12

Movies Referenced (23)

Jack (1996)

8 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Amanda Dobbins▶ 12:18IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Broadcast News (1987)

6 mentions · Sean Fennessey▶ 30:20IMDb ↗Lb ↗

A Star Is Born (2018)

5 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Amanda Dobbins▶ 4:08IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Terms of Endearment (1983)

4 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Amanda Dobbins▶ 27:34IMDb ↗Lb ↗

A Matter of Life and Death (1946)

2 mentions · Amanda Dobbins▶ 49:51IMDb ↗Lb ↗

How Do You Know (2010)

2 mentions · Sean Fennessey▶ 24:29IMDb ↗Lb ↗

The Wedding Banquet (1993)

2 mentions · Amanda Dobbins▶ 1:00:41IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Train Dreams (2025)

2 mentions · Sean Fennessey▶ 11:51IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Anatomy of a Murder (1959)

1 mentions · Sean Fennessey▶ 2:11IMDb ↗Lb ↗

As Good as It Gets (1997)

1 mentions · Sean Fennessey▶ 33:09IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Downfall (2004)

1 mentions · Amanda Dobbins▶ 30:56IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Fire Island (2022)

1 mentions · Amanda Dobbins▶ 1:01:04IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Directors Referenced (1)

Sophie Brooks

1 mentions · Amanda Dobbins▶ 55:24IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Actors Referenced (16)

Albert Brooks

3 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Amanda Dobbins · Known for Drive, Broadcast News, Defending Your Life▶ 24:35IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jamie Lee

2 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Amanda Dobbins · Known for Brave, Cold Mountain▶ 24:29IMDb ↗Lb ↗

John Lennon

2 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Amanda Dobbins · Known for A Hard Day's Night, Yellow Submarine▶ 1:00:09IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Laura Dern

2 mentions · Amanda Dobbins · Known for Jurassic Park, Wild, Marriage Story▶ 12:12IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Mary Tyler Moore

2 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for Ordinary People▶ 27:16IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Bradley Cooper

1 mentions · Amanda Dobbins · Known for A Star Is Born, Silver Linings Playbook, American Sniper▶ 18:03IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Harris Dickinson

1 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for Triangle of Sadness, Babygirl, Beach Rats▶ 59:29IMDb ↗Lb ↗

James Brooks

1 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for The Game▶ 43:01IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jason Bateman

1 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for Zootopia▶ 15:33IMDb ↗Lb ↗

John Goodman

1 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for 10 Cloverfield Lane, Barton Fink, Argo▶ 3:36IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Julie Kavner

1 mentions · Amanda Dobbins · Known for The Simpsons Movie, Click▶ 37:00IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Kelly Marie Tran

1 mentions · Amanda Dobbins · Known for Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi, Raya and the Last Dragon, Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker▶ 1:02:22IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Writers Referenced (1)

John le Carré

1 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for The Constant Gardener, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy▶ 1:04:48IMDb ↗Lb ↗