The latest episode of Deadline's Doc Talk podcast examines the surprise win of Mr. Nobody Against Putin for best documentary feature at the 2026 Oscars. Hosts John Ridley and Matt Carey debate the results, including why Netflix's The Perfect Neighbor fell short. The episode also features conversations from the True/False festival in Columbia, Missouri.
The documentary community continues to process the victory of Mr. Nobody Against Putin at the 2026 Academy Awards, where it claimed the Oscar for best documentary feature. Although Netflix's The Perfect Neighbor, directed by Geeta Gandbhir, entered as the frontrunner, it did not prevail. On the new installment of Deadline's Doc Talk podcast, hosts John Ridley—an Oscar winner for 12 Years a Slave and Academy member—and Matt Carey dissect the outcome. Ridley offers what he describes as a conspiracy theory to account for The Perfect Neighbor's loss among Academy voters. The podcast, a production of Deadline and Ridley's Nō Studios, is available on platforms including Spotify, iHeart, and Apple. Published on March 17, 2026, the episode extends to the True/False festival in Columbia, Missouri. It includes discussions with filmmakers of two premieres: Phenomena, directed by Melbourne-based Josef Gatti, and Pinball, directed by Naveen Chaubal and produced by Bryn Silverman. Gatti's Phenomena explores universal forces like light, gravity, and electromagnetism through experiments, without visual effects. He calls it a 'trippy science musical' or 'psychedelic odyssey into the fabric of the universe,' and it is currently screening at CPH:DOX in Copenhagen. Pinball follows Yosef, a young Iraqi refugee navigating life between Baghdad, Cairo, and Louisville, Kentucky, challenging assumptions about communities in red states. The filmmakers explain the title's choice despite no arcade game depictions.
