Steffan and Gavia dig into the history and artistry of the iconic folk horror movie The Wicker Man (1973), starring Edward Woodward and Christopher Lee. Among other topics, this episode explores The Wicker Man’s influence on the horror genre, its relationship with the neo-Pagan movement, and its underrated dual identity as a folk musical.
Read MoreEp. 316: William Friedkin's "Cruising" (1980)
Claire and Gavia review William Friedkin's 1980 crime thriller Cruising, starring Al Pacino as a New York cop who goes undercover in local gay bars, searching for a serial killer who targets men in the leather community. Controversial at the time, this film is now praised for its remarkable exploration of masculine identity and violence.
Read MoreEp. 315: Mickey 17, starring Robert Pattinson
Steffan and Gavia review Mickey 17, the new sci-fi comedy from filmmaker Bong Joon Ho (Parasite). Adding to his roster of “weird little guy” performances, Robert Pattinson stars as Mickey, a man who signs a grueling work contract allowing his body to be killed and resurrected again and again. Echoing Bong’s work on films like Snowpiercer and Okja, this provides the basis for a bleak yet absurd anti-capitalist satire.
Read MoreEp. 314: Anora, Wicked and Emilia Pérez
Ahead of the 2025 Oscars, Claire and Gavia discuss three of this year's Best Picture nominees: The critically acclaimed romantic dramedy Anora, the blockbuster musical Wicked, and the controversial trans drama Emilia Pérez, a film whose 13 Oscar nominations arrived alongside widespread backlash.
Read MoreEp. 313: The Brutalist
Steffan and Gavia discuss Brady Corbet’s historical epic The Brutalist, which stars Adrien Brody as a Hungarian-Jewish architect who emigrates to America after surviving the Holocaust. Among other topics, this episode explores the film’s ambitious technical artistry, its morally complicated historical narrative, and its role as a successor to "American Dream" dramas like The Godfather and There Will Be Blood.
Read MoreEp. 312: The Best Movies of 2024
Claire and Gavia reveal their respective top 10 films of 2024, covering everything from A-list releases (Challengers) to hidden gems (Timestalker), acclaimed Oscar contenders (All We Imagine as Light) and low-budget horror (Oddity). This year's countdown includes movies from 11 countries, celebrating a truly exciting year in cinema!
Read MoreEp. 311: Robert Eggers' Nosferatu
Steffan and Gavia delve into their mixed feelings toward Robert Eggers’ acclaimed new Nosferatu remake. Among other topics, this episode covers Dracula’s impact on the gothic horror genre, Eggers’ very specific style of historical storytelling, and the complicated relationship between Nosferatu’s Count Orlok (Bill Skarsgård) and Ellen Hutter (Lily-Rose Depp).
Read MoreEp. 310: When Harry Met Sally
Claire and Gavia discuss the uniquely influential 1989 romcom When Harry Met Sally, written by Nora Ephron and directed by Rob Reiner. Kickstarting Meg Ryan's career as a romantic comedy icon, it follows the lives of two New Yorkers who become friends over a series of chance encounters.
Read MoreEp. 309: The World of Kanako
Steffan and Gavia review the 2014 crime thriller The World of Kanako, directed by acclaimed Japanese filmmaker Tetsuya Nakashima. Kōji Yakusho stars as a disgraced former cop, whose daughter Kanako goes missing. When his ex-wife asks him to find out what happened, he discovers that Kanako has been living a disturbing double life.
Read MoreEp. 308: My Own Private Idaho (1991)
Claire and Gavia discuss Gus Van Sant’s iconic queer drama My Own Private Idaho (1991), loosely based on Shakespeare’s Henriad plays. River Phoenix stars as a hustler in Portland, Oregon, who sets off on a journey in search of his long-lost mother, accompanied by best friend and fellow hustler Keanu Reeves.
Read MoreEp. 307: The Substance
Claire and Gavia review The Substance, Coralie Fargeat's divisive new horror movie starring Demi Moore as a celebrity who takes a black market anti-aging drug with alarming Jekyll-and-Hyde results. Among other topics, we discuss the film's flawed feminist messaging, overlong runtime, and puzzlingly incoherent depiction of sexism in Hollywood.
Read MoreEp. 306: English Teacher
Steffan and Gavia review (and recommend!) the buzzy new sitcom English Teacher, created by Brian Jordan Alvarez. Alvarez stars as a gay teacher working at a Texas high school, in a joke-heavy comedy that satirizes the chaos of American politics and the generational divide between elder millennials and Gen-Z.
Read MoreEp. 305: Blink Twice
Claire and Gavia review Zoe Kravitz's disappointingly flawed directorial debut, Blink Twice. Naomi Ackie stars as a waitress who gets invited on vacation by a controversial billionaire (Channing Tatum), joining a group of guests on his private island. Drawing comparisons to Promising Young Woman, this psychological thriller belongs to a recent trend of post-MeToo films tackling abusive power structures and sexual assault.
Read MoreEp. 304: M. Night Shyamalan's Trap
Steffan and Gavia review M. Night Shyamalan's wildly entertaining new escape thriller Trap, examining Shyamalan’s divisive reputation as a director, this film’s crowd-pleasing grasp of serial killer tropes, Saleka Shyamalan's amusingly plausible in-universe pop music, and Josh Hartnett’s fantastic lead performance.
Read MoreSteffan and Gavia review the much-hyped horror movie Longlegs, starring Maika Monroe as an FBI agent investigating a serial killer (Nicolas Cage) who targets suburban families. Among other topics, this episode explores the film's unsettling atmosphere, its connection to Silence of the Lambs, its overlap with the Satanic Panic, and its use of potentially transphobic serial killer tropes.
Read MoreEp. 302: AMC's Interview with the Vampire
Opening with some spoiler-free thoughts on the show's brilliant lead performances and clever approach to adaptation, Claire and Gavia discuss season 2 of AMC's gothic drama Interview with the Vampire. This episode digs into IWTV's use of unreliable narrators, its thoughtful depiction of abuse and trauma, and its bold attitude to vampiric romance - including glowing praise for the season's final episodes.
Read MoreEp. 301: Desert Hearts
Claire and Gavia discuss the 1985 lesbian romance movie Desert Hearts, directed by Donna Deitch. Set in 1950s Nevada, this groundbreaking film follows a whirlwind relationship between a soon-to-be-divorced New York academic (Helen Shaver) and a devil-may-care casino worker (Patricia Charbonneau).
Among other topics, this episode covers Desert Hearts’ relationship with 1950s romance movies, its unique place in queer film history, and its pitch-perfect lead characters.
Read MoreSteffan and Gavia review George Miller's ambitious and divisive Mad Max prequel Furiosa, starring Anya Taylor-Joy and Chris Hemsworth. Among other topics, this episode delves into the film's rich mythological worldbuilding, the Mad Max franchise's unique cinematic legacy, and George Miller's rare talent for action and visual storytelling.
Read MoreEp. 299: Hanna
Claire and Gavia review the stylish 2011 action thriller Hanna, directed by Joe Wright (Pride & Prejudice). 16-year-old Saoirse Ronan stars as Hanna, a girl raised in the wilderness by her father (Eric Bana), a former spy. Venturing out into mainstream society for the first time, Hanna must travel alone across Europe while evading a malevolent CIA agent played by Cate Blanchett.
Read MoreEp. 298: Challengers
Claire and Gavia discuss the sweatiest film phenomenon of 2024: Luca Guadagnino's tennis drama Challengers, starring Zendaya, Mike Faist and Josh O'Connor as three athletes embroiled in a love triangle. Among other topics, we cover the star power of the lead actors, the film's already-iconic music, and Guadagnino's distinctive way of depicting sexuality and relationships.
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