Episode Details

"The Plague" is a psychological drama-thriller film written and directed by Charlie Polinger in his directorial debut, starring Everett Blunck, Kayo Martin, Kenny Rasmussen, and Joel Edgerton, who is also a producer. The film follows a socially anxious 12-year-old boy who is pulled into a cruel tradition at an all-boys water polo camp. The film had its world premiere in the Un Certain Regard section of the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, where it received positive reviews for its direction, writing, and performances from its young stars, receiving three Film Independent Spirit Award nominations for Best Feature, Best Lead Performance (Everett Blunck), and Best Breakthrough Performance (Kayo Martin). Poling, Blunck, and Martin were all kind enough to spend some time speaking with us about their work and experiences making the film, which you can listen to below. Please be sure to check out the film, now playing in New York and Los Angeles and expanding nationwide on January 2nd, from Independent Film Company. Thank you, and enjoy!

Check out more on NextBestPicture.com

Please subscribe on...

Apple Podcasts - https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/negs-best-film-podcast/id1087678387?mt=2

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/7IMIzpYehTqeUa1d9EC4jT

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWA7KiotcWmHiYYy6wJqwOw

And be sure to help support us on Patreon for as little as $1 a month at https://www.patreon.com/NextBestPicture and listen to this podcast ad-free

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices