Dave and Megan are a duo again this week, and they get down to it on PREDATOR: BADLANDS (3:29), the latest, and, in their estimation, largely successful attempt to prolong the life of the PREDATOR franchise. P:B is kind of silly and even cute in places, but the dynamic duo are largely here for it. (Megan is super here for it!) Then they get into DIE, MY LOVE (28:34), director and co-writer Lynne Ramsay's latest. Featuring strong performances from Jennifer Lawrence and Robert Pattinson, Megan and Dave dive deep to dissect just what's going on in this movie. And they also try to figure out just what's going on in this movie, in which Lawrence plays a young mother seemingly falling apart at the seams - but there's a lot of imagery in here that's dreamlike, and...eh, you tell us: What happened? (Dave here: Pretty sure Megan followed this picture better than I did.) Over on Patreon, we talk about Clint Eastwood's 1973 revenge western HIGH PLAINS DRIFTER.

Evan is off this week so Megan and Dave dig into BALLAD OF A SMALL PLAYER (2:17) and HEDDA (22:31). Dave only got through 40 minutes of BOFSP because he hated it, and Megan takes the reins. Then they both discuss HEDDA, Nia DaCosta's latest as writer-director, which Megan loooooooooooved and Dave...didn't. Over on Patreon, the October poll winner is Wes Craven's 1981 film DEADLY BLESSING, and it is a HOOT.

This week Megan and Evan took in director Rachel Abigail Holder's romantic drama LOVE, BROOKLYN (2:00), starring André Holland, Nicole Beharie, and DeWanda Wise. Short version: They liked it, with Megan revisiting it after seeing it at Sundance earlier this year. Next, Dave joins them for A LITTLE PRAYER (28:09), a quiet and understated Southern family drama from writer-director Angus MacLachlan, starring David Strathairn, Jane Lavy, and Celia Weston. Two of the three of us thought it was really well done, and one of us had hoped to like it more than they did. Such is life. Over on Patreon, we talk about Robert Altman's M*A*S*H, which turns 55 this year.

Megan is off this week so that leaves Evan and Dave to contend with Alexander Payne's latest, THE HOLDOVERS (2:30). Question to the audience that we pose to ourselves: Aside from ELECTION, do you remember Alexander Payne movies after you've seen them? And then there's EILEEN (23:46) - which Megan loved, btw - with its hour of being one movie and its half-hour of being a very different movie. And this week on Patreon we talk about the 2009 Duncan Jones movie MOON.

We're only talking about one film this week, but boy, is it a doozy! We review John Woo's SILENT NIGHT, a dialogue-free action movie that stars Joel Kinnaman as a grieving father who exacts bloody revenge on the gangs that killed his son on Christmas Eve. Does the conceit work? We'll let you know! And, in this week's Patreon exclusive audio, we discuss Gregory Hoblit's 1998 supernatural thriller FALLEN starring Denzel Washington! 

Welcome to wherever you are, peeps. And welcome to the last episode of November 2023. Megan and Dave start off talking about POOR THINGS (1:52), Yorgos Lanthimos' hard-to-describe (except we do) story of Bella (Emma Stone), a doctor (Willem Dafoe) who may be Victor Frankensteinesque, and her quest for knowledge and autonomy. It's a ride! And then everyone discusses FRYBREAD FACE AND ME (24:07), a sweet and bittersweet story of a boy from San Diego being sent to live with his grandmother on a Navajo reservation in Arizona. Over on Patreon, we talk about this month's poll winner, PACIFIC HEIGHTS. 

To prosthetic nose or not to prosthetic nose, that is the question. If you've read anything about MAESTRO (3:20), Bradley Cooper's biopic of Leonard Bernstein (starring Cooper and Carey Mulligan), you've probably read about the nose. Well, how about the rest of the movie, damn it? That's what Megan and Dave are here to tell you. Then all three of us watched MAY DECEMBER (27:17), Todd Haynes' new drama starring Julianne Moore and Natalie Portman. If you're getting Mary Kay Letourneau vibes, you're not wrong! We got them, too. And over on Patreon, we discuss Edgar Wright's 2010 fantasy action comedy SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD, one of Evan's favorites, and a first-time watch for Megan and Dave.

EVAN RETURNS!!!!! He fills us in on what he's been doing, and then we get down to biz. First, we talk RUSTIN (3:27), George C. Wolfe's by-the-numbers biopic of gay Black activist Bayard Rustin elevated by Colman Domingo's masterful turn in the title role. Then it's THE MARVELS (26:22), Nia DaCosta's superhero film starring Brie Larson, Teyonah Parris, and Iman Vellani, and we answer that age-old question: Does this new Marvel movie make up for the crud that is Phase Four? We have some mixed opinions (one of us found it fun!), as you may expect. Over on Patreon, we talk about the 1944 noir classic LAURA (it's Noirvember, after all), directed by Otto Preminger and starring Gene Tierney, Dana Andrews, and Clifton Webb. We have lots of patron tiers, and for $5 you get access to voting in monthly polls and our exclusive audio content, which has a bajillion (technical number) bonus episodes available for you right now! Thanks for your patronage, and welcome back, Evan!

There was some excitement in the Spoilerpiece camp this week, as Dave and Megan noticed THE MARSH KING'S DAUGHTER (2:41) was coming out. A mid-budge thriller with a stacked cast? Yay! Directed by Neil Burger? Um, judgment reserved. Until now. A question Megan asks: Do directors know what to do with Daisy Ridley? And we didn't ask this at the time, but does Neil Burger know what to do with...anything? Such shade cast at the Spoilerpiece HQ! After that, it's QUIZ LADY (27:07), starring Awkwafina, Sandra Oh, and Will Ferrell. It was more fun. And we hope YOU have fun listening! Don't forget to check out Patreon, where we talk about the 1953 classic ROMAN HOLIDAY with Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck.

Ever wondered what's it's like to have freedom of the press stripped from a nation? Wonder no more! BAD PRESS (2:42) follows the struggles of Angel Ellis, a no-bullshit reporter for Mvskoke Media, as she contends with the Muscogee Nation's legislative branch stripping away freedom of the press and essentially kneecapping her and her fellow reporters. It's a terrific nailbiter of a documentary. And Megan graciously indulges Dave as he climbs on his pro-reporter soapbox!

Then, after much hype and brouhaha, FIVE NIGHTS AT FREDDY'S (29:22) is finally upon us, and Megan and Dave saw it! Does FNaF succumb to Curse of the Video Game Adaptation Syndrome (TM)? Or is it worth your time?

And on our Patreon, our patrons voted for us to watch GINGER SNAPS, the 2000 horror flick about sisters attached at the hip and the wedge a werewolf bite drives between them. Happy Halloween!

This week we watched two movies. (Correction: Megan watched two movies and Dave watched one movie and then went to Montreal.) One of those movies is really liked, and one is...not. GUESS WHICH IS WHICH! (No peeking.) We kick things off with KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON (2:33), Martin Scorsese's latest I'm-gonna-make-longer-movies-now-that-I'm-older-fuck-it release, and continue with KILLHER (22:05), a slasher movie that's aware that it's a slasher movie. Please don't forget to check out our Patreon, in which we talk about the 1984 film 2010: The Year We Make Contact. That's available for $5/month Patreons (and above), and it's a great conversation (and there are 400-ish other great conversations to listen to, too!). Take a listen!

It's a banner of an episode on Spoilerpiece this week. Megan and Dave agree on not one, but TWO movies! Christmas comes twice a year, baby! After a little pre-movie yappin', they get into NO ONE WILL SAVE YOU (2:46), Brian Duffield's sci-fi horror film starring Kaitlyn Dever, about the long-term fallouts of personal trauma masquerading as an alien invasion flick. Then it's THE ROYAL HOTEL (28:43), Kitty Green's latest Julia Garner-led movie. This time around, Garner and co-star Jessica Henwick, American tourists, end up working in Australia's most remote and most misogynist bar (a guess, but seems on-target) in this psychological thriller. If you're a patron, please head over to the  Patreon and listen to this week's bonus episode on WHEN A STRANGER CALLS, the winner of our home invasion poll. G'day!

Megan and Dave are back to talk about two new horror movies. First, we review WHEN EVIL LURKS (4:19), a brutal possession film by Argentinian filmmaker Demián Rugna that showcases children attacked by dogs, bodies festering with unexplained evil, and children who literally eat their parents. It's a big, wide, wonderful world we live in! The second film is TOTALLY KILLER (27:01), Nahnatchkha Khan's delightful sci-fi horror movie rooted in comedy that still has lots of blood. And it's a time travel movie, too! Starring Kiernan Shipka, Olivia Holt, and Julie Bowen, a teen travels back to the 80s to team up with her mom to stop a serial killer. And be sure to check out our Patreon to hear us talk about Spike Jonze's 2013 human/OS romance HER, starring Joaquin Phoenix and Scarlett Johansson.

This week we all watched the Chris Columbis-directed THE THURSDAY MURDER CLUB (working title: Olds Detect), a comedy-drama about four friends (Helen Mirren, Pierce Brosnan, Ben Kingsley, and Celia Imrie), residents of an assisted living facility, who solve cold cases. That is, until a very real and current case lands in their laps when the facility's co-owners end up dead just as they plan to tear up the facility and force the residents out. We had mixed reactions to this one, but at least two Spoilerpiecers liked it more than the third (guess how that shakes out?). Then there's LURKER, writer-director Alex Russell's fresh take on celebrity culture and the depths to we which we mere mortals will sink to find it and stay in it. There's a powerful performance by Théodore Pellerin as an amoral creep clinging to an up and coming pop star played by Archie Madekwe. We had different reactions to this one, too, coming out, again, two to one in favor. And over on Patreon, we watched the 1958 melodrama THE LONG, HOT SUMMER, starring Paul Newman, Joanne Woodward, and Orson Welles.

Megan returns! This week she and Dave talk about NIGHTMARE (13:18), Kjersti Helen Rasmussen's Norwegian horror film about a demon that lurks in dreams and tries to get itself birthed into the real world. They also talk about the much ballyhooed FAIR PLAY (30:04), Chloe Domont's sharp and complex erotic thriller about a seemingly happy couple (Phoebe Dynevor, Alden Ehrenreich) working for a hedge fund who get thrown a curveball when one of them becomes the other's boss. But before all that, Dave fills Megan in PAW PATROL: THE MIGHTY MOVIE (4:02). That's right! Dave managed to see another big-screen adaptation of his least favorite animated kids' show ever. And over on Patreon, Megan and Dave talk about David Lynch's first two films, ERASERHEAD and THE ELEPHANT MAN.

Dave is once again without his co-hosts, so Jason from Binge Movies sits in! It's a delight to have him, and he and Dave take a battering ram to DARK ASSET (2:18), action-thriller (?) with a million problems and zero solutions. We on Spoilerpiece don't go out of our way to tear a movie to pieces (honest!), but sometimes we're left no choice. Following that, they talk about FLORA AND SON (30:37), writer-director John Carney's latest musical-that's-not-a-musical, starring Eve Hewson, Jack Reynor, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Does the SING STREET/ONCE creator get it right again? In this week's Patreon exclusive audio, we talk abouut Mike Nichols's restrained foray into romantic horror, the very 1994 WOLF starring Jack Nicholson, Michelle Pfeiffer, and James Spader. It's a fun conversation about a bizarro movie.

With Megan and Evan off this week, Dave is joined by ScreenRun's The Lady-Wan! On ScreenRun, Wan and her co-host Chris Scalzo tackle the films of a particular artist or franchise. This season, ScreenRun ran through (ha) the films of John Carpenter, so in that spirit, Wan and Dave take a deep dive into JOHN CARPENTER'S VAMPIRES (1:45), and it ain't pretty (but it is fun). Next, they get to a new release: Rebekah McKendry's horror film ELEVATOR GAME (17:43), in which a bunch of kinda dumb teens (starring Gino Anania, Megan Best, Alec Carlos, Nazariy Demkowicz) play a game that lands them in The Red World, or gets them torn to shreds by "The Fifth-Floor Woman," or both. It's a movie with an intriguing premise, ideas that don't go anywhere, and a whole lotta blood and guts. And in this week's Patreon exclusive audio, Dave and Wan talk about Michael Mann's 2004 thriller COLLATERAL, starring Tom Cruise's frosted hair and Jamie Foxx.

It's family/tearjerker week at Spoilerpiece! Evan is off, so Megan and Dave tackle Sammi Cohen's family comedy YOU ARE SO NOT INVITED TO MY BAT MITZVAH (5:24), starring Sunny Sandler, Samantha Lorraine, Idina Menzel, and Adam Sandler (and more of his family). This movie has everything: Petty gripes, snipes, and pipes. (It doesn't have pipes; Dave just wanted to rhyme. -Ed.) And it features a whole lot of tween/teen angst. (One of us liked it more than the other.) Then at 28:44, the dynamic duo (TM) settles into Trish Sie's SITTING IN BARS WITH CAKE, (written by Audrey Shulman) which is exactly what it sounds like, until it turns into a pretty serious drama about two lifelong best friends (Yara Shahidi, Odessa A'zion) dealing with one's cancer diagnosis. And patrons! Don't forget to check out this week's exclusive Patreon audio in which Dave and Megan talk about James Bridges's 1979 nuclear disaster thriller THE CHINA SYNDROME, starring Jane Fonda, Jack Lemmon, and Michael Douglas. It's a fun talk about a great movie.

Megan and Dave start the show this week reviewing Jennifer Reeder's stylized feminist horror film PERPETRATOR (2:50), which follows a teen (Kiah McKirnan) with unusual powers pursuing a villain abducting girls at her school. Next, we all cover Ellie Foumbi's excellent thorny thriller OUR FATHER, THE DEVIL (21:18), about a Guinean refugee (Babetida Sadjo) living in France whose life is turned upside down by the arrival of a charismatic Catholic priest (Souleyman Sy Savane), whom she recognizes as the warlord who slaughtered her family. And in this week's Patreon exclusive audio, we talk about a Patron's request: the 1986 animated cult classic TRANSFORMERS: THE MOVIE!

Megan starts this week's show with a quick review of Angel Manuel Soto's entertaining Latinx superhero film BLUE BEETLE (3:22). Next, she and Dave discuss Charlotte Regan's well-acted drama SCRAPPER (14:47), which follows a 12-year-old girl who connects with her estranged father. Then, we all cover Cory Finley's grim sci-fi satire LANDSCAPE WITH INVISIBLE HAND (26:54), which involves teens (Asante Blackk and Kylie Rogers) who decide to broadcast their courtship for an extraterrestrial audience, but also a lot more. In this week's Patreon exclusive audio, we talk about the winner of our alien poll, Robert Wise's 1951 sci-fi film THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL! 

This week we start by reviewing Dane Elcar's compelling sci-fi horror film BRIGHTWOOD (2:23), which follows a troubled couple (Dana Berger and Max Woertendyke) who become trapped in the woods while they're out for a run. Next, we cover Stewart Thorndike's frustrating horror movie BAD THINGS (24:19), which follows a group of friends (Gayle Rankin, Hari Nef, Annabelle Dexter-Jones, and Rad Pereira) who spend a chaotic weekend at the hotel one of them has inherited. And in this week's Patreon exclusive audio, in honor of the late William Friedkin, we talk about his 1977 thriller SORCERER starring Roy Scheider, Bruno Cremer, and Francisco Rabal.

This week we start by reviewing Aaron Horvath, Michael Jelenic, and Pierre Leduc's animated movie, THE SUPER MARIO BROS. MOVIE (1:55), which adapts the popular videogame franchise for the big screen with an all-star cast. Now streaming on Peacock, this one has us pretty divided. Next, we discuss Jared Moshe's sci-fi film APORIA (22:09), which follows Sophie (Judy Greer), a wife and mother grieving the loss of her husband (Edi Gathegi). Sophie learns about a time-bending machine created by a physicist friend (Payman Maadi) that could restore her former life but using it involves an impossible choice with unforeseen consequences. This is another film that has us divided. And in this week's Patreon exclusive audio, in honor of the late Paul Reubens, we talk about a non-Pee-wee Herman movie with him, Fran Rubel Kuzui's 1992 action comedy BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER, starring Kristy Swanson and Luke Perry. 

This week we have reviews of SHORTCOMINGS AND WHAT COMES AROUND! We start by talking about Amy Redford's not-so-thrilling thriller WHAT COMES AROUND (1:56), a story about a teenager (Grace Van Dien) who starts dating a much older man (Kyle Gallner) with a disturbing connection to her mother (Summer Phoenix). Then we discuss Randall Park's directorial debut SHORTCOMINGS (23:00), based on a graphic novel by Adrian Tomine. The film follows Ben (Justin H. Min), a deeply unlikable twentysomething from the Bay Area, as he grumpily navigates interpersonal relationships with his friend Alice (Sherry Cola) and girlfriend Miko (Ally Maki). And in this week's Patreon exclusive audio, we talk about Robert Rodriguez's 1996 action horror comedy FROM DUSK TILL DAWN starring George Clooney, Juliette Lewis, Harvey Keitel, and Quentin Tarantino! 

This week it's all about Indigenous films at Spoilerpiece Theatre. But before we delve into them, Evan pays tribute to his friend, teacher, and writing partner, Dr. Bryan Krull, who passed away very suddenly. He describes how they met, became friends, and decided to team up to write Your '80s Movie Guide to Better Living, as he expresses his gratitude for their friendship over the years. Moving on to the week's films, we start by reviewing Gina Gammell and Riley Keough's emotionally challenging Indigenous drama WAR PONY (3:50), which follows two young Oglala Lakota men growing up on the Pine Ridge Reservation. Next, we discuss Morrisa Maltz's tender narrative/documentary hybrid, THE UNKNOWN COUNTRY (26:36), starring co-writer Lily Gladstone as a young woman grieving her grandmother as she travels through the American Midwest and makes her way down to Texas. And in this week's Patreon exclusive audio, we talk about the winner of our directors' first film poll, Céline Sciamma's 2007 queer romance/coming-of-age drama WATER LILIES!

Evan is off this week, so Megan and Dave are joined by The Lady Wan of ScreenRun. They talk about the ghost story WENT UP THE HILL (5:03), starring Vicky Krieps and Dacre Montgomery, about a widow mourning her wife's recent death, and the wife's long-lost son who arrives for the funeral. Is this ghost benevolent or not so benevolent? Then they talk about NIGHT ALWAYS COMES (35:08), a new Netflix thriller starring Vanessa Kirby as Lynette, a woman trying to purchase her mother's home so she and her mother and brother don't end up homeless, and all the terrible crap that happens as Lynette becomes more desperate to find the down payment. (Jennifer Jason Lee is the mother. The bad mother.) We all had strong opinions about this one. Over on Patreon, we talk about Wes Craven's 1977 film THE HILLS HAVE EYES.

Dave is off this week, so we (Megan and Evan) tackle the show as a duo. Megan opens by reviewing Greta Gerwig's vibrant, sharp, and funny film BARBIE (2:32), in which the iconic doll (Margot Robbie) suffers an existential crisis that causes her to question her influence on the world. Next, we both talk about Molly Gordon and Nick Lieberman's musical mockumentary THEATER CAMP (20:37), which follows the eccentric staff (Gordon, Ben Platt, and Noah Galvin) of a musical theater camp in upstate New York who must team up with the founder's bro-y son (Jimmy Tatro) to save the camp from financial ruin. And in this week's Patreon exclusive audio, we discuss a Patron's choice: the 1982 John Milius sword and sorcery epic CONAN THE BARBARIAN, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and James Earl Jones! 

This week we start off by reviewing Christopher McQuarrie's Tom Cruise action vehicle MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE - DEAD RECKONING PART ONE (2:45). As with all MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE movies, this one brings amazing action and death-defying stunts, but is the story worthy of being told in two parts and is there an actual dead reckoning? You'll just have to listen and find out. Next, we cover the Michel Hazanavicius horror comedy FINAL CUT (28:08), a French remake of the Japanese film ONE CUT OF THE DEAD. None of us at seen the original, but two of us are fans of this version, and one of us very much isn't. And in this week's Patreon exclusive audio, we review Gus Van Sant's 1991 queer drama MY OWN PRIVATE IDAHO starring River Phoenix and Keanu Reeves! 

We start this week by reviewing Mel Eslyn's post-apocalyptic dramedy BIOSPHERE (2:01), which stars Sterling K. Brown and Mark Duplass (who also co-writes) as the last two men on Earth, who learn that they must adapt, quite literally, to save humanity. It has great performances and surprising themes, but we don't all agree on how well it tackles those themes. Next, we cover Alice Troughton's thriller, THE LESSON (25:10), which stars Daryl McCormack as a young writer who tutors the son of a famous author (Richard E. Grant) and discovers a dark web of family secrets. We agree that the film's acting is top-notch, but for two of us, it isn't thrilling or surprising in any way. And in this week's Patreon exclusive audio, we talk about Nicholas D. Johnson and Will Merrick's technological thriller MISSING, a follow-up to 2018's SEARCHING (which we discussed as our AAPI Heritage Month poll winner on a recent Patreon bonus episode! 

This week we start off by reviewing Nick Bruno and Troy Quane's entertaining and moving animated sci-fi action film NIMONA (1:50). The movie, which is based on a graphic novel by ND Stevenson, follows a futuristic knight (Riz Ahmed) and a mischievous shapeshifting teen (Chloe Grace Moretz) who team up to clear the knight's name after he's framed for a crime he didn't commit. Next, we cover Julie Cohen's captivating and heartbreaking documentary EVERY BODY (25:22), which chronicles the lives of three intersex individuals who overcame shame, secrecy, and unauthorized surgery to share their stories and advocate for other intersex people around the world. And in this week's Patreon exclusive audio, we talk about the winner of our Pride Month poll, Stephan Elliott's 1994 queer road trip film THE ADVENTURES OF PRISCILLA, QUEEN OF THE DESERT! 

We start the show this week by reviewing David Gelb's documentary STAN LEE (3:55), which chronicles the life and mythos of Marvel's Stan Lee but makes some truly bizarre storytelling choices that paint a sanitized, incomplete portrait of his life. Next, we discuss Numa Perrier's vibrant Netflix rom-com THE PERFECT FIND (25:19), where Gabrielle Union plays a woman trying to start a new chapter in her career only to be thrown for a loop when she falls for her boss's (Gina Torres) son (Keith Powers). The leads have great chemistry, there is some funny dialogue and amazing production and costume design, but we all agree that the film struggles a little in the last act. In this week's Patreon exclusive audio, we talk about Steven Spielberg's 1993 film JURASSIC PARK in honor of its recent 30th anniversary! 

Friend of the show Kristen Halbert from Forces of Geek returns this week! First, Evan, Megan, and Dave review the gross and glacially-paced Vasilis Katsoupis film INSIDE (3:28), which stars Willem Dafoe as an art thief who gets trapped inside a high-tech Manhattan penthouse and struggles to maintain his sanity as he fights to survive. Next, Kristen, Megan, and Dave cover THE BLACKENING (20:37), a horror comedy Kristen has been wanting to discuss with us for months. We delve into this predictable, yet very funny film, and Kristen explains why it resonated for her even more as a Black viewer. It's a rollicking conversation, we hope you enjoy it! And in this week's Patreon exclusive audio, we talk about the 1992 Allison Anders indie drama GAS FOOD LODGING, starring Fairuza Balk, Ione Skye, and Brooke Adams! 

This week, we discuss DUNGEONS & DRAGONS: HONOR AMONG THIEVES (1:58), Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley's delightful and fun fantasy heist action-comedy based on the iconic role-playing game, starring Chris Pine, Michelle Rodriguez, Regé-Jean Page, Justice Smith, Sophia Lillis, and Hugh Grant. Then, we review Eva Longoria's FLAMIN' HOT (25:07), a biographical comedy-drama starring Jesse Garcia as Richard Montañez, who claimed to invent Flamin' Hot Cheetos. It's a trite film, but we appreciate the Mexican-American representation. And on this week's Patreon exclusive audio, we cover James Wan's 2013 supernatural horror film THE CONJURING!

On this week's show we have one movie to talk about but boy is it a big one! We're reviewing SPIDER-MAN: ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE (1:44)! We have a couple more critiques than we did of the previous film in the franchise, but we have a lot to say about this excellent sequel from its styles of animation to its editing, pacing, score, new characters, and more. Plus, Evan shares a very special reason why the movie hit him in a way he wasn't expecting. Of course, in this week's Patreon exclusive audio, we're talking about SPIDER-MAN: INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE, since we've somehow never discussed it on a main episode! 

Megan kicks off this week's show by offering her thoughts on Disney's new live-action adaptation of THE LITTLE MERMAID (2:18), which features a fantastic performance and amazing vocals from lead Halle Bailey. Next, we all discuss Kurtis David Harder's smart and entertaining horror movie INFLUENCER (9:50), which subverts expectations in a number of ways with its tale about a social media influencer (Emily Tennant) who makes a dangerous new friend (Cassandra Naud) while traveling in Thailand. After that, we cover Alexander Jefferey's indie rom-com DAYS OF DAISY (26:52), which has us pretty divided about its story of a 39-year-old librarian's (Jency Griffin Hogan) quest to find the right guy to start a family with. And in this week's Patreon exclusive audio, we talk about the winner of our AAPI Heritage Month poll, Aneesh Chaganty's 2018 thriller SEARCHING starring John Cho and Debra Messing! 

Evan is off this week, so Dave and Megan review CONSECRATION (3:18), Cristopher Smith's disappointing supernatural horror film, starring Jena Malone who investigates her brother's death at a convent. Then we discuss Laurel Parmet's excellent nuanced drama THE STARLING GIRL (24:42), starring Eliza Scanlen as a 17-year-old in a fundamentalist Christian community dealing with her faith when she falls for the youth pastor (Lewis Pullman). And on this week's Patreon exclusive audio, since FAST X opens in theaters, we talk about Justin Lin's FAST FIVE (2011), starring Vin Diesel and Paul Walker!

This week Dave watched writer-director Zach Cregger's latest, WEAPONS (1:45). After not being enamored of, but not disliking, BARBARIAN, Cregger's previous feature, Dave's expectations were low-ish. But now having seen this nasty, gnarly, anti-fascist screed dressed up as a horror movie, WEAPONS is likely going on his 2025 top ten list. If you can handle the legitimate scares (and blood and guts), it's a must-watch. Then Megan and Evan talk about MY MOTHER'S WEDDING (20:26), Kristin Scott Thomas' directorial debut, which she also co-wrote and stars in, along with Scarlett Johansson, Sienna Miller, and Emily Beechem as her daughters. Short version: Megan and Evan are not fans, finding it full of odd choices, drama that isn't warranted, and kink shaming played for laughs. (Buckle up, peeps.) Over on Patreon, we talk about Hayao Miyazaki's SPIRITED AWAY.

This week we start by reviewing Matt Johnson's tech bro dramedy BLACKBERRY (2:27), which stars Glenn Howerton, Jay Baruchel, and Johnson himself, and chronicles the meteoric rise and fall of the famous BlackBerry smartphone. Next, we cover Niki Caro's Netflix action film THE MOTHER (29:37), which stars Jennifer Lopez as a sniper and former arms dealer who comes out of hiding to protect her daughter from her ex-business associates (Gael Garcia Bernal and Joseph Fiennes) who are seeking revenge on her. And in our Patreon exclusive audio, we talk about Martin Scorsese's MEAN STREETS in honor of its 50th anniversary this year!  

Evan starts this week by plugging his appearance on a long-time friend's podcast Seeing Read with Jim and Kelly, the show that answers the age-old millennial question: Was the book really better than the movie? He had a really fun time with them comparing M. Night Shyamalan's KNOCK AT THE CABIN to the book CABIN AT THE END OF THE WORLD! Evan and Megan then talk about Sarah Watts and Mark Slutsky's moving queer drama YOU CAN LIVE FOREVER (2:44), about a lesbian teen (Anwen O'Driscoll) who goes to live with her Jehovah's Witness relatives and falls hard for a member of the community (June Laporte). Next, Dave and Megan discuss the emotionally intense GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 3 (18:39), James Gunn's final film in his Marvel trilogy about the ragtag group of galaxy defenders. And in this week's Patreon exclusive audio, we cover a Patron's choice: Andy Tennant's 1998 fairy tale EVER AFTER: A CINDERELLA STORY, starring Drew Barrymore and Dougray Scott! 

Dave is back! But before we jump into this week's movies, he offers his own very different take on EVIL DEAD RISE (2:37)! Megan kicks off our reviews of new films with her thoughts on Nida Manzoor's delightful feminist action comedy POLITE SOCIETY (9:48). Then we all discuss Davina Pardo and Leah Wolchok's timely and vital documentary JUDY BLUME FOREVER (15:17), which delves into the life and work of the trailblazing author Judy Blume through interviews with Blume herself and other YA authors influenced by her. We wrap up with Jalmari Helander's over-the-top Finnish action film SISU (33:43), which is about an ex-soldier in the waning days of WWII who engages in a bloody battle with Nazis who try to steal his gold. And in this week's Patreon exclusive audio, we talk about the winner of our Michelle Yeoh movie poll, Ang Lee's 2000 action epic CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON! 

Dave is on vacation this week, so Evan and Megan review this week's movies as a duo! We start off with Ari Aster's latest film BEAU IS AFRAID (2:56), which follows an anxiety-ridden man (Joaquin Phoenix) confronting an escalating series of terrifying situations as he embarks on a Kaufmanesque odyssey home to his mother. We have a LOT to say about this problematic, three-hour, envelope-pushing movie and almost none of it is positive. Next, we cover Lee Cronin's EVIL DEAD RISE (33:45), the newest entry in the EVIL DEAD franchise, which pits two estranged sisters against the famous flesh-possessing Deaddites. We have a LOT to say about this movie too, but almost all of it is positive! And in this week's Patreon exclusive audio, in honor of the latest EVIL DEAD movie, we discuss Sam Raimi's 1992 entry in the franchise, ARMY OF DARKNESS, starring Bruce Campbell! 

This week we're reviewing MAFIA MAMMA and SHOWING UP! We start by discussing Kelly Reichardt's dramedy SHOWING UP (3:22), which stars Michelle Williams as a sculptor trying to pursue her artistic work while contending with the struggles of daily life. Next, we cover Catherine Hardwicke's comedy MAFIA MAMMA (27:42), which stars Toni Collette as an American woman who inherits her grandfather's mafia empire in Italy and has to decide how she wants to run her crime family. And in this week's Patreon exclusive audio, in honor of its upcoming Amazon Prime Video adaptation, we're talking about David Cronenberg's 1988 thriller/horror film DEAD RINGERS starring Jeremy Irons! 

We start the show this week by reviewing Saim Sadiq's heartbreaking Pakistani drama JOYLAND (2:58), which is about a man (Ali Junejo) from a patriarchal family who becomes a backup dancer at a burlesque club and falls for the strong-willed trans woman (Alina Khan) who runs the show. Next, we cover Daniel Goldhaber's tense environmental thriller HOW TO BLOW UP A PIPELINE (30:56), which follows a crew of environmental activists who execute a daring plan to disrupt an oil pipeline. And in this week's Patreon exclusive audio, in honor of its 30th anniversary, we talk about the 1993 sci-fi action film DEMOLITION MAN, starring Sylvester Stallone, Wesley Snipes, and Sandra Bullock! 

Megan is off this week, so Evan and Dave hit the mics to talk TETRIS, the surprisingly tense spy thriller (question mark?) about the fraught negotiations between the Soviet government, Nintendo, a couple crooked English billionaires, and Henk Rogers, a coder-turned-game-inventer-turned-game-company-founder. And yes, the KGB gets involved. Over on Patreon, Evan and Dave disagree about Brian De Palma's 1981 thriller BLOW OUT (indebted enormously to Hitchcock and Antonioni), and starring John Travolta and Nancy Allen.

This week, we (Evan, Dave, and Megan) review RODEO (2:06), Lola Quivoron's emotionally-intense French drama, a fascinating character study starring Julie Ledru as a tough, independent dirt bike rider who becomes a part of a turbulent group of male bikers. Next, we discuss RYE LANE (25:36), Raine Allen-Miller's charming, witty, and vibrant British rom-com starring David Jonsson and Vivian Oparah as two twenty-somethings dealing with recent breakups and spending the day together in South London. We all recommend both films! And on this week's Patreon exclusive audio, our women-directed genre films poll winner: Jill Gevargizian's 2020 horror film THE STYLIST, starring Najarra Townsend and Brea Grant!

This week, we start by sharing our thoughts on the 2023 Oscars (2:47)! Then we review Alex Herron's intriguing, but not particularly scary horror film LEAVE (16:27), which follows a young woman (Alicia von Rittberg) trying to uncover her origins after she learns she was abandoned in a cemetery wrapped in a blanket with satanic symbols as an infant. Next, we discuss Matt Ruskin's true crime drama BOSTON STRANGLER (36:52), which follows Loretta McLaughlin (Keira Knightley), the reporter who first connected the murders and broke the story of the Boston Strangler. And in this week's Patreon exclusive audio, we talk about the 1999 teen rom-com SHE'S ALL THAT, starring Rachael Leigh Cook and Freddie Prinze Jr.! 

To start this week, we discuss Aline Brosh McKenna's directorial debut, YOUR PLACE OR MINE (2:13). This Netflix rom-com, which divides us, stars Reese Witherspoon and Ashton Kutcher as long-distance best friends who figure out their romantic feelings for each other while she stays in his apartment in NYC for grad school and he takes care of her son back in LA. Next, we review Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett's SCREAM VI (30:40), the latest installment in the SCREAM franchise. We're also divided about this movie, but we can all agree that setting it in the Big Apple was a smart move. And in this week's Patreon exclusive audio, we talk about Vittorio De Sica's Italian neo-realist drama BICYCLE THIEVES in honor of its 75th anniversary this year! 

Dave can't make it this week, so we (Megan and Evan) fly duo. Megan kicks things off by reviewing Michael Shanks's horror film TOGETHER (2:31), starring real-life couple Dave Franco and Alison Brie. It doesn't conclude quite as effectively as she hoped, but it still features some gnarly body horror and has something powerful to say about codependency. Next, we both discuss Kelsey Taylor's drama TO KILL A WOLF (20:12), a compelling modern take on the Little Red Riding Hood tale, which we love for its excellent performances, textured characters, and beautiful cinematography that celebrates the Pacific Northwest. After that, we cover Nick Rowland's crime thriller, SHE RIDES SHOTGUN (45:57), which stars Taron Egerton as a live-wire ex-con who must train his daughter to defend herself against the Neo-Nazis trying to hunt them down. It's violent, it's intense, and it kept us on the edge of our seats until its explosive climax. Lastly, in this week's Patreon exclusive audio, we talk about Tarem Singh's 2006 storytelling epic, THE FALL, starring Lee Pace!

Dave leads off by reviewing Michael B. Jordan's directorial debut, CREED III (2:15), which isn't as strong as the other films in the CREED series but has a compelling antagonist played by Jonathan Majors. Next, we all discuss THE YEAR BETWEEN (13:45), writer/director/star Alex Heller's semi-autobiographical dramedy about a college student named Clemence, who moves in with her family after she's diagnosed with bipolar disorder. It lands with one of us, but two of us aren't big fans of it. Then we cover Teodora Mihai's ethically thorny drama LA CIVIL (34:38), which is about a mother (Arciela Ramírez), whose teenage daughter is kidnapped in Northern Mexico and decides to do whatever it takes to get her back. And in this week's Patreon exclusive audio, we talk about Steven Spielberg's WWII drama SAVING PRIVATE RYAN in honor of its 25th anniversary this year! 

Megan kicks things off this week with a review of the Elizabeth Banks-helmed COCAINE BEAR (2:54), a grisly and gory, dark comedy about a bear that accidentally ingests cocaine and goes on a murderous rampage. Then, Evan and Dave tackle Colin West's LINOLEUM (11:44), a frustrating sci-fi drama starring Jim Gaffigan as the host of a failed children's science show, whose life takes some unsettling turns after he witnesses a bizarre accident. We all wrap up with THE QUIET GIRL (30:42), Colm Bairéad's heartbreaking Irish drama about a withdrawn girl who thrives while living with relatives for the summer. And in this week's Patreon exclusive audio, we talk about the winner of our February poll: Nijla Mumin's 2018 coming-of-age drama JINN! 

We kick off the show this week by reviewing Dave Franco and Alison Brie's surprisingly nuanced romcom SOMEBODY I USED TO KNOW (2:09). It tells the story of a reality show producer (Brie) who returns to her quaint hometown and reconnects with her ex Sean (Jay Ellis), who is engaged to a woman (Kiersey Clemons) that reminds her of the person she used to be. Then, we cover Davy Chou's RETURN TO SEOUL (25:50), a compelling and layered exploration of identity. It follows a French woman (Park Ji-min) who returns to Korea to experience the country and try to find her birth parents. And in this week's Patreon exclusive audio, we talk about a Patron's choice, the 1996 Mike Nichols queer comedy THE BIRDCAGE!