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 MoreClaire 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 MoreClaire 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 MoreSteffan 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 MoreClaire 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 MoreSteffan 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 MoreOpening 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 MoreClaire 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 MoreClaire 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 MoreClaire 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.
Read MoreGavia and Steffan review the Australian dramedy series Upright, starring comedian/songwriter Tim Minchin as a down-on-his luck musician who attempts to drive across Australia with a piano, befriending a teenage runaway (Milly Alcock) along the way.
Read MoreClaire and Gavia review the much-hyped queer thriller Love Lies Bleeding, starring Kristen Stewart and Katy O'Brien. Plus, a multi-genre selection of highlights from this year's Glasgow Film Festival, including indie hits La Chimera and The Beast, and some excellent upcoming horror movies.
Read MoreClaire and Gavia dig into the blockbuster event of the year, discussing Dune: Part Two's astonishing production design and all-star cast, along with thornier topics like Dune's messy political worldbuilding and director Denis Villeneuve's adaptational changes to the original novel.
Read MoreClaire and Gavia discuss Steven Spielberg's acclaimed 2021 adaptation of West Side Story, a musical about two young lovers caught in a turf war between rival gangs. Among other topics we delve into Spielberg's unique technical expertise, West Side Story's complicated political legacy, the lost art of movie-musical filmmaking... and Claire's passionate love for Mike Faist, who earned widespread praise for playing the charismatic gang leader Riff.
Read MoreGavia and Steffan review Yorgos Lanthimos' Poor Things, a bold sci-fi comedy starring Emma Stone as a woman created through a Frankenstein-like experiment. Nominated for eleven Oscars, Poor Things is critically acclaimed but divisive - particularly regarding its depiction of female sexuality.
Read MoreClaire and Gavia reveal their top 10 films of 2023, running the gamut from blockbusters (Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning) to A-list awards contenders (Oppenheimer; Killers of the Flower Moon) to indie hits and hidden gems, showcasing a ton of recommendations as awards season heats up.
Read MoreGavia and Steffan review the 2023 Doctor Who specials, discussing the return of David Tennant, Catherine Tate and showrunner Russell T. Davies, the arrival of Ncuti Gatwa as the wildly charismatic new Doctor, and various behind-the-scenes details involving the show's quasi-reboot status, creative direction, and new partnership with Disney.
Read MoreClaire and Gav review the beloved 1992 figure skating romcom The Cutting Edge, directed by Paul Michael Glaser (The Running Man) and written by Tony Gilroy (Andor, The Bourne Identity). Harking back to the spiky banter of the 1930s screwball era, sparks fly when a spoiled figure skater and a macho hockey player form an unlikely creative partnership.
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