The Final Best Picture Power Rankings and a ‘Sinners’ Second Look With Autumn Durald Arkapaw!

February 24, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

🎙️ The Voices & The Context

The Format: Casual, banter-filled podcast chat between two hosts, transitioning to a deep-dive interview with a film expert.
The Key Players:
- Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins – sharp, chemistry-packed duo with insider Oscars knowledge; their witty back-and-forth on predictions feels like eavesdropping on film nerd friends.
- Guest: Autumn Durald Arkapaw, Oscar-nominated cinematographer for Sinners (first woman of color in Best Cinematography); fascinating trailblazer discussing her path from art history to epics like Ryan Coogler's films.
The Vibe: Fun and geeky, blending awards excitement, movie love, and technical deep dives – educational yet hilarious, with "water cooler" Oscar drama.

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What you'll learn

1 `(00:00)` **🎙️ Introduction: Autumn Durald Arkapaw**
2 `(03:30)` **BAFTA Awards Breakdown**
3 `(15:50)` **Review: How to Make a Killing**
4 `(26:34)` **Sinners Rewatch & Analysis**
5 `(68:51)` **Best Picture Power Rankings**
6 `(92:12)` **Interview: Autumn Durald Arkapaw**

+ Full timestamped outline available in the app

Show Notes

Sean and Amanda open today’s jam-packed show by covering the results of the BAFTA Awards and highlighting some key takeaways, including Sean Penn's and Wunmi Mosaku’s wins (2:30). Then, they discuss a new release, ‘How to Make a Killing,’ starring Glen Powell, and work through why the movie was dumped (and then bombed) and why they found it to be pretty solid (14:47). Next, they take a second look at ‘Sinners’ and revisit all of the things that make it so special, including the magical moviemaking, its sharp understanding and rendering of sex and desire, and its brilliant use of music (25:32). Later, they update their Best Picture Power Rankings (1:06:37). Finally, Sean is joined by Academy Award–nominated cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw to nerd out and get into the nitty-gritty of aspect ratios and anamorphic glass, discuss where ‘Sinners’ fits into her career at large, and explain why she enjoys shooting difficult scenes that require problem-solving (1:29:58).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guest: Autumn Durald Arkapaw

Producer: Jack Sanders

Production Support: Lucas Cavanagh

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