Did We Just See The Best Movie Of 2026?

Sam hasn’t been too impressed with the movies lately. But then he saw 'La Bola Negra.'

The Spanish drama, directed by Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi (AKA Los Javis) is a queer epic that weaves together the story of three gay men across different eras. There’s romance, yearning, heartbreak… It's the whole package. 

Journalist Kyle Buchanan joins Sam to talk about the film’s chances at the Oscars and whether or not we’re entering another #OscarsSoWhite year. Plus, Kyle shares the films everyone should have on their radar. 

Check out Kyle’s new podcast, ’The Kyle Buchanan Show,’ on YouTube and wherever you get your podcasts. 

The Sam Sanders Show is a production of KCRW and Sam Sanders Productions.

The Sam Sanders Show from KCRW is your guide to entertainment. Find out what makes your favorite artists tick, dissect the trends that shape our culture, or just make sense of that random meme you can’t stop thinking about. Join us every week to unpack the pop culture we love.

Sam Sanders is an award-winning podcast and radio host. He’s been named best podcast host by both The Ambies and the iHeart Podcast Awards. He was one of the founding hosts of The NPR Politics Podcast and the host who launched both It’s Been A Minute from NPR and Into It from Vulture.