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

Key Takeaways Copied to clipboard!

  • The hosts were highly critical of Bradley Cooper's *Is This Thing On?* and James L. Brooks' *Ella McCay*, labeling them baffling and disastrous examples of late-career directorial efforts despite the filmmakers' established reputations. 
  • The teaser for Tom Cruise's *Digger* by Alejandro G. Iñárritu generated immediate nervousness from the hosts, who compared its comedic premise to *Tropic Thunder*. 
  • The 'Underseen and Overlooked' segment began with the hosts championing *Eternity* as a worthwhile at-home romantic comedy setup, while *Unbecoming a Guinea Fowl* was praised as a transfixing, rare example of major studio distribution for African cinema. 
  • Harris Dickinson's directorial debut, featuring a cosmic turn at the end, augurs well for his future as a director, despite the lead performance by Frank Delaney being strong enough for an acting list. 
  • Andrew Ahn's remake of *The Wedding Banquet*, starring Bowen Yang, Lily Gladstone, and Kelly Marie Tran, is praised for its emotional, soft-touch portrayal of a complex plot involving a fake marriage, IVF, and immigration status. 
  • The hosts highly recommend *Volcana Zadora* (tire repair shop), a singular and beautiful film by independent filmmaker Joel Petroikas about a pact between two men in crisis, as their number one underseen movie for this episode of *The Big Picture*. 

Segments

Digger Teaser Reaction
Copied to clipboard!
(00:01:08)
  • Key Takeaway: The teaser for Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s Digger, starring Tom Cruise, features Cruise dancing to a Gorillaz song and has a poster proclaiming it a ‘comedy of catastrophic proportions,’ which the hosts view as a bad sign.
  • Summary: The film Digger is set for an October 2nd, 2026 release from Warner Brothers and features an ensemble cast including Jesse Plemons, Sandra Hooler, and John Goodman. Sean suggests the film’s release slot hints at a potential premiere at the Venice Film Festival. The poster’s self-identification as a comedy concerned Amanda Dobbins.
Reviewing Is This Thing On?
Copied to clipboard!
(00:04:17)
  • Key Takeaway: Bradley Cooper’s third directorial feature, Is This Thing On?, is criticized for being ’loser behavior’ characterized by forced intimacy, low stakes, and a confusing narrative structure that feels like a soft pullback after Maestro.
  • Summary: The film, co-written by and starring Will Arnett, is based on the true story of a finance worker who discovers stand-up comedy, a premise the hosts found eye-rolly. The cinematography relied heavily on extreme close-ups, creating an uncomfortable, irritating viewing experience for the hosts. The conclusion, involving the main character finding happiness by publicly mocking his family through comedy, was deemed predictable due to the use of Queen’s ‘Under Pressure’ as a musical cue, echoing Aftersun.
Reviewing Ella McCay
Copied to clipboard!
(00:23:45)
  • Key Takeaway: James L. Brooks’ Ella McCay is deemed a ‘ghastly cinema’ disaster due to rampant miscasting, bizarre tone shifts between sincere drama and goofy sitcom quality, and fundamentally dumb plot points, such as the husband bribing a reporter with a personal check.
  • Summary: The film centers on Ella McKay (Emma Mackey) becoming governor of her unnamed New England state, a concept rooted in the progressive, strong female characters Brooks is known for, like those in Broadcast News. The plot resolves with Ella resigning after three days to start a legal aid nonprofit, achieving a specific, uncredited victory of saving 8,342 people from homelessness. The hosts suggest the film’s existence might be a trade for a future Simpsons movie.
Underseen and Overlooked Picks Start
Copied to clipboard!
(00:46:22)
  • Key Takeaway: The hosts began their ‘Underseen and Overlooked’ list by recommending Eternity, a high-concept romantic comedy about choosing a husband in the afterlife, and Unbecoming a Guinea Fowl, a visually striking Zambian film about a woman encountering her uncle’s dead body.
  • Summary: Eternity, starring Elizabeth Olson, Miles Teller, and Callum Turner, is considered a good at-home Christmas watch that effectively utilizes Callum Turner’s appeal, despite the main character being poorly written. Unbecoming a Guinea Fowl is praised for its flair, cinematography, and humor, marking it as a rare, well-distributed African film currently available on HBO Max. The hosts also briefly mentioned The Plague, a body horror film about a water polo camp, coming out on Christmas.
Harris Dickinson Directing Debut
Copied to clipboard!
(00:58:28)
  • Key Takeaway: Harris Dickinson’s directorial film features a cosmic turn that excites about his future as a director.
  • Summary: The film follows a character receding into bad habits, drawing comparisons to Mike Leigh’s Naked. Frank Delaney’s committed performance as the lead character was strong enough for a ‘performances list.’ The final ten minutes, where the character exits the normal plane of existence, signals potential for Dickinson’s future work.
Harris Dickinson’s Acting Future
Copied to clipboard!
(00:59:23)
  • Key Takeaway: Harris Dickinson is confirmed to star as John Lennon in four upcoming Beatles films.
  • Summary: The hosts confirm Dickinson will not stop acting to direct, as he is cast as John Lennon in a series of four Beatles films. Paul Mescal is reportedly cast as Paul McCartney. The hosts believe Harris can achieve the necessary look for Lennon through hair and glasses, noting Lennon’s inherent magnetism.
The Wedding Banquet Review
Copied to clipboard!
(01:00:05)
  • Key Takeaway: Andrew Ahn’s The Wedding Banquet remake is a soft-pedaled, emotional story about a fake marriage for IVF and citizenship.
  • Summary: This film, streaming on Paramount Plus, is a remake of the Ang Lee movie, set in the U.S. and co-written by Ahn and James Jameis. It follows a gay couple and a lesbian couple who fake a marriage to fund IVF and secure citizenship for one partner. The movie features a strong cast including Bowen Yang, Lily Gladstone, and Kelly Marie Tran, and handles the IVF aspect softly.
Bowen Yang SNL Departure
Copied to clipboard!
(01:02:25)
  • Key Takeaway: Bowen Yang was announced to be leaving Saturday Night Live mid-season after eight seasons while the hosts were recording.
  • Summary: The announcement of Bowen Yang’s departure from Saturday Night Live occurred during the recording of this episode. The hosts noted his departure after eight seasons was somewhat odd, acknowledging his relationship with the show had been fluctuating.
Influencers Sequel Recommendation
Copied to clipboard!
(01:03:01)
  • Key Takeaway: Influencers, the sequel to the Shudder thriller Influencer, is a stylish, sharp, and cheaply made film with clever AI components.
  • Summary: Written, directed, produced, and edited by Curtis David Harder, this film follows another character from the original trying to bring the villain (Cassandra Nod) to justice. The movie is globetrotting, taking place in Southern France, and blends thriller elements with John LeCarré-esque spycraft. Harder is highlighted as a very good filmmaker whose work deserves more attention.
Megadoc Documentary Insight
Copied to clipboard!
(01:05:15)
  • Key Takeaway: Mike Figgis’s Megadoc offers incredible access into Francis Ford Coppola’s pursuit of realizing his vision for Megalopolis.
  • Summary: Streaming on the Criterion Channel, this documentary details the making of Megalopolis and explains the inexplicable events in the latter half of Coppola’s career. It is fascinating for anyone interested in filmmaking, especially regarding a director waiting for technology to catch up to his vision. The film includes specific anecdotes, such as the request for Natalie Emmanuel not to be filmed eating.
The Things You Kill Review
Copied to clipboard!
(01:07:04)
  • Key Takeaway: The Things You Kill is a chaotic, violent, and disorienting thriller about a grieving professor hiring a gardener for revenge.
  • Summary: This film, available to rent on VOD, was Canada’s unsuccessful submission for International Feature at the Academy Awards. It centers on a Turkish professor whose mother dies under suspicious circumstances, leading him to hire a gardener for revenge. The strong filmmaking by Ali Reza Katami and Ikan Cox’s performance as the lead are highly praised.
Jane Austen Wrecked My Life
Copied to clipboard!
(01:08:36)
  • Key Takeaway: Jane Austen Wrecked My Life is a funny, charming, and self-contained intellectual romantic comedy about a writer’s love triangle and block.
  • Summary: Streaming on Netflix, this film is a classic love triangle set at a Jane Austen writers residency. Much of the plot focuses on the writer protagonist’s struggle with writer’s block alongside her romantic indecision. The film contains knowing references to Austen’s hallmarks, including a recreation of a period-style ball for fun.
Volcana Zadora Top Pick
Copied to clipboard!
(01:10:33)
  • Key Takeaway: Volcana Zadora (tire repair shop) is a singular, beautiful, and very strange film about a fucked-up pact between two male friends.
  • Summary: This film by vigorously independent filmmaker Joel Petroikas is available to rent for 99 cents on Amazon Prime. It focuses on two men in crisis who enter the forest to fulfill a pact, spending the first hour in conversation before the events become complicated. The movie is noted as being very funny but gets gnarly near the end, exploring themes of male friendship and the struggles of modern fatherhood.