Existential Zones, Pt. 2 — It Ends

Existential Zones, Pt. 2 — It Ends

Author: Filmspotting September 15, 2026 Duration: 1:02:50

Alexander Ullom's It Ends is a daring little piece of microbudget drama about four friends at transition points in their lives, who find themselves in a place where life and death no longer hold any meaning. Whether it’s a film about despair, about the afterlife, about the human condition, or all of the above, is up for discussion this week, as well as how It Ends fits into this current moment in independent horror cinema. After that, we bring Andrei Tarkovsky’s Solaris back in for Connections to discuss these two films’ respective existential journeys, the baggage their characters are bringing with them, and how each movie uses its genre premise to explore a big central metaphor. Then for Your Next Picture Show, we take a quick look at how Steven Soderbergh’s 2002 version of Solaris compares to Tarkovsky’s.

Please share your thoughts about Solaris, It Ends, or anything else in the world of film, by sending an email or voice memo to comments@nextpictureshow.net, or leaving a short voicemail at (773) 234-9730.

Next Pairing: Padraic McKinley’s The Weight and William Friedkin’s Sorcerer

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There’s a particular pleasure in watching a new movie and feeling the ghost of an older one moving through it-a structure, a theme, a visual echo that connects across decades. The Next Picture Show is built on chasing down those connections. Each episode begins with a deep, thoughtful discussion of a classic film, unpacking not just what happens on screen but why it mattered and how it resonated when it was released. Then, the conversation turns to a contemporary movie that, whether through direct homage, spiritual successor, or shared DNA, carries that legacy forward. Hosted by Genevieve Koski, Keith Phipps, Tasha Robinson, and Scott Tobias-all former editors of the celebrated film site The Dissolve-this podcast operates on the belief that you can’t fully understand where cinema is today without knowing where it’s been. The discussions are detailed and passionate, less about declaring what’s “good” or “bad” and more about tracing the lines of influence and conversation between films. You’ll hear episodes that might pair a foundational horror film with a modern nightmare, or a beloved studio-era comedy with a recent indie riff on its themes. It’s for anyone who loves the history of the medium as much as its current output, offering a richer context for both the classics you revisit and the new releases you encounter. Tuning into this podcast feels like sitting in on a conversation between deeply knowledgeable friends who are always excited to show you how the movies talk to each other.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

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