Year-End Podcast + Latest Interviews + A Newsletter Poll
One more edition as the sun sets on 2025
Dear Last Thing I Sawfolk,
After a busy December, I have plenty to share today—new podcast episode, new interviews, even a new obituary (sadly). The new episode is another look at the past year’s highlights with fellow critics Beatrice Loayza and Adam Nayman.
It’s been a special year personally with the publication of The Worlds of Hayao Miyazaki—big thanks to anyone who picked up a copy! Lately I’ve been working on another project, an anthology of interviews with Frederick Wiseman—years in the works but with a horizon in sight. Who knows what else the new year will hold?
Finally, I’ve put a little poll below because why not? I’m grateful for all the readers and listeners of The Last Thing I Saw, with a special thanks to all my supporters who make the podcast possible.
May you have a happy and healthy 2026!
Nic
THE POLL
THE PODCAST
Beatrice Loayza and Adam Nayman on 2025 in Movies: The Testament of Ann Lee, Sinners, Dracula, Bugonia, Eddington, Hamnet, and much more
Episodes of The Last Thing I Saw are widely available (iTunes, Spotify, etc.).
RECENT WORK
Some writing I did.
I had a wonderful interview with Jim Jarmusch, who has a lovely new film out, Father Mother Sister Brother. This was another piece for W Magazine, where I have more fun in the pipeline.
For Screen Slate, I helped compile the annual year-end feature, including the Favorite First Viewings, with entries from its terrific contributors as well as Jafar Panahi (It Was Just an Accident), Kahlil Joseph (BLKNEWS: Terms & Conditions), Eva Victor (Sorry Baby), Courtney Stephens and Callie Hernandez (Invention), Carson Lund (Eephus), Park Chan-wook (No Other Choice), Agnieszka Holland (Franz), Isabel Sandoval (Moonglow), Lav Diaz (Magellan), and Ross McElwee (Remake).
For Sight & Sound, I reviewed Marty Supreme, which is now in theaters.
Also for Screen Slate, I interviewed Bi Gan about his dazzling new film, Resurrection, which is really like five films in one.
And I wrote an obituary of Rob Reiner for The Financial Times.
THIS CRITIC’S PICKS
Some streaming ideas.
Calcifer Yule Log (HBO MAX)
The Mastermind (MUBI)
Life (YouTube/Neon) Jafar Panahi’s delightful short film, which originally apeared in the pandemic omnibus The Year of the Everlasting Storm
Afternoons of Solitude (MUBI)
Amazing Grace (TUBI)
Anomalisa (Criterion)
Eyes Wide Shut (TUBI)
THE BOOK
The Worlds of Hayao Miyazaki is available for order in bookstores or at your online store of choice. My Neighbor Totoro, Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke, Kiki’s Delivery Service... all of Miyazaki’s lovely animated films are in here—their inspirations, their craft, their influences.
Contact me if you’re interested in setting up an event.
THE END
Here I may end with a song.
ABOUT ME
Welcome to The Last Thing I Saw! I’m your host, Nicolas Rapold. You can get in touch re: writing, editing, programming, moderating, podcasting, etc. at nicolas.rapold@gmail.com.
Besides hosting the podcast, I’m a writer, editor, and programmer, and the author of the book The Worlds of Hayao Miyazaki (available now!) and the editor of the forthcoming Frederick Wiseman: Interviews. My features, interviews, festival reports, and reviews are published in The Financial Times, Sight & Sound, Screen Slate, The New York Times, Filmmaker, Air Mail, and W Magazine. (Dearly departed publications where I’ve also written include The Village Voice, Stop Smiling, The New York Sun, and The L Magazine.) I’m also proud of the film series and one-offs I’ve programmed, including both retrospectives and premieres—so do drop me a line if you’d like to collaborate.
On the editorial side, I worked as editor-in-chief of Film Comment magazine, where I was for 15 years in all. I assigned and edited both web and print, hosted The Film Comment Podcast and Talks, curated and hosted Film Comment Selects screenings, learned from brilliant writers, and wrote a lot, including interviews with Spike Lee, Robert Pattinson, Juliette Binoche, Pedro Costa, and Frederick Wiseman. Film Comment received the Film Heritage Award from the National Society of Film Critics.