Fred Asquith On Film – Details, episodes & analysis

This week on FoF I’m telling you why Squid Game: The Challenge is better than it's parent series, and "Titanic" is the greatest major movie accomplishment of our lifetime. But not before revealing 2 HUGE invites I got this week for FoF related events you will be hearing far more about. I'm also reviewing the new Jennifer Lawrence movie "Die My Love", which is a Stealth Horror movie let me tell you (no spoilers for that one), including a new addition into the list of annoying things someone can do in a cinema near you. 

Explore the FoF socials/YT via my creepy website HERE.

TIMESTAMPS

(00:00) Intro ft. Pxssy Palace
(01:13) Squid Game: The Challenge is BACK. Here’s why it’s better than the full series.
(04:11) I was also nearly ON the first Challenge series. ANNOYING
(06:44) I’m going to The Traitors Castle with TikTok!!!!!!
(09:52) I’ve been invited to the Wicked: For Good PREMIERE!!!!
(15:05) Rewatched Titanic and it's SO GOOD (LETTERBOXD)
(18:27) One (of many) reasons why Titanic is so good
(22:24) Why I’m missing Bruce Springsteen, Black Phone 2 and Now You 3 Me.
(25:43) Predator: Badlands review coming next week
-
(26:42) Die My Love REVIEW - no spoilers
(28:55) Synopsis / Set up
(30:15) 4:3 Square Format doesn’t feel as much of a CHOICE anymore
(31:17) Striking imagery and style from Lynne Ramsey
(33:33) This is Jennifer Lawrence at FULL J-Law
(34:53) The movie needs a trigger warning
(36:50) Most annoying guy in my cinema
(37:53) MILD SPOILERS - The premise wears thin towards the end
(39:05) Summary & LETTERBOXD RATING 
-
(39:33) Next week is a big one!!!!!

This week on FoF I’m under two blankets, spiralling into a myriad of rants, and reviewing two brand new films: the tense, lo-fi "Bugonia" (no spoilers) and the sweaty, twitchy "Ballad of a Small Player" (spoilers!).

Elsewhere: I talk Celebrity Traitors, why I pulled down a reel, and how Stranger Things has somehow invented cinema! WOW! I also make a public plea for an "Aftermath" poster at Stratford station.

Explore the FoF socials/YT via my creepy website HERE.

TIMESTAMPS

(00:00) TikTok/Insta @fredasquithonfilm - THANKS FOR 15k!
(00:05) I started, then regretted, advertising on other podcasts 
(01:28) I WANT THE AFTERMATH POSTER AT STRATFORD 
(03:26) Spotify listeners 
(04:58) I am obsessed with Mark from Celebrity Traitors 
(05:40) I took my Traitors Reel down 
(06:44) Potential future guests on Celebrity Traitors 
(08:49) Stranger Things Invents Movies! OMG! 
(14:52) I’m under two blankets right now 
– 
(15:54) "BUGONIA" REVIEW – no spoilers 
(16:58) Plot line 
(17:20) The lo-fi premise really works and reminded me of my favourite book 
(19:04) An Accessible Yorgos Lanthimos movie 
(22:01) No redeemable / appealing characters but that’s ok, unlike "Eddington" 
(22:49) Rating + Letterboxd Review 
– 
(23:59) "BALLAD OF A SMALL PLAYER" REVIEW – spoilers!!! 
(25:20) There’s a lot of tension and sweating 
(26:03) Colin Farrell’s bad accent was forgivable 
(26:50) Gambling Addiction depictions 
(27:56) It’s a lean and fun story 
(28:36) Questioning my Letterboxd Rating…  
(29:24) It feels a bit inconsequential  
–  
(30:27) Coming soon!  
(31:17) "Wicked: For Good" INCOMING  

This week on FoF we kick off with some SECRET EXCITING HUGE NEWS (!!) of incoming film-related joy and frolics! This is followed by a spoiler-filled review of Caught Stealing; Darren Aronofsky’s surprisingly fun, sexy, B-movie action-comedy-whatever. I talk about why it kinda works AND why I think it might flop at the box office, plus whether it's my favourite Austin Butler performance yet. All this and more! Check the timestamps below…
And explore the FoF socials/YT via my creepy website HERE.

TIMESTAMPS
00:00 TikTok/Insta @fredasquithonfilm - THANKS FOR 10k!
00:40 SECRET EXCITING HUGE NEWS!!!!!
- CAUGHT STEALING REVIEW: SPOILERS!! - 
04:05 Early Wednesday opening weekend
04:53 Synopsis
06:10 The sexiest couple ever?
06:38 Darren Aronofsky is a chameleon director
07:10 He’s ploughing all his expertise into making this FUN
07:47 It’s a throwback action b-movie vibe
08:15 It’s not holding back with the adultness
08:42 Would an alien be able to recognise two Darren Aronofsky movies?
09:35 This is a properly effective comedy but it’s not annoying
11:00 This is a basic Friday Night movie that is not basic
11:58 My favourite Austin Butler performance
13:06 If someone asked me if they should see it…
13:25 I didn’t get anything more than just entertainment from it
14:30 I think it may flop at the box office
16:03 My Dad is the target audience, and he’ll wait for streaming
17:00 LETTERBOXD RATING
18:05 EXCITING EPISODE COMING NEXT!!!!!!!

This week on FoF we’re revelling in the return of Daniel Day-Lewis, including a There Will Be Blood moment in the Anemone trailer, and discuss whether True Detective Season 1 has aged well. Then I dive into two new releases which I double-billed (for better or worse); Eddington and The Life of Chuck. All this and more! Check the timestamps below…
And explore the FoF socials/yt via my creepy website HERE.

TIMESTAMPS
00:00 TikTok/Insta @fredasquithonfilm - THANKS FOR 10k!
03:25 The return of Daniel Day-Lewis!!!
05:00 A There Will Be Blood moment in the Anemone trailer
07:36 True Detective Season 1 has dated a bit
09:06 Nicholas Cage in True Detective Season 5
—“EDDINGTON” REVIEW (no spoilers)—
10:35 Synopsis
11:06 Cinematographer Surprise! 
12:00 IMO the first legitimate retrospective on COVID-19
15:36 Ari Aster’s writing works for horror, but…
19:15 I didn’t learn anything about the socio-political landscape of then OR now
22:48 The lack of scale is an issue
23:58 Technically very proficient
25:05 My mileage is running down with Ari Aster
25:42 LETTERBOXD RATING
—“THE LIFE OF CHUCK” REVIEW (SPOILERS!)—
26:50 Double Bill! Snack choices
28:00 Odeon Luxe Haymarket thoughts
28:30 Synopsis
30:05 This sort of thing is up my street
30:40 But it’s a bit On The Nose
32:00 The Dance Scene
33:20 It feels like a Cadbury’s advert
34:00 The perfect Sleep Movie?
35:32 It felt like a short story…because it is
37:05 The most contrasting double bill did not work
37:40 LETTERBOXD RATING
38:00 Is the marketing clear enough?
—
39:15 Caught Stealing review incoming!

This week on FoF we’re ranking cinema memberships and cinemas and literal seats within those cinemas (yes, I have a spreadsheet), pitching a better idea for the Weapons prequel (or in my case, sequel), and gently offering one criticism of late-career Spielberg. But not before I relive my Gala Premiere chaos and reveal my secret favourite screen in London. All this and more! Check the timestamps below…
And explore the FoF socials/yt via my creepy website HERE.

TIMESTAMPS
00:00 TikTok/Insta @fredasquithonfilm - THANKS FOR 10k!
00:27 How I’m feeling about doing FoF
01:37 People are mentioning the pod to me more and more
02:02 Choosing to listen to a podcast is a big commitment so THANKS
03:34 Excited for a chattier episode
04:15 “Caught Stealing” Gala Premiere - NOT A REVIEW, NO SPOILERS YET!
04:45 Gala means it’s actually WAY fancier than I realised
05:35 All the stars were there
06:18 Got a brilliant seat, BUT… (a bad thing happened)
10:10 Diving into my incredibly Nerdy and Insane Cinema Seating Spreadsheet
12:29 The best Cinema Screen in London IS…
14:10 It’s important to pick the right SCREEN depending on the type of film
15:10 I’m trying to build a FoF Seat Selector GPT
16:00 Best Cinema Branches in London RANKED
17:45 My low-key secret favourite go-to screen IS…
19:27 The Best Cinema Memberships RANKED
20:32 Odeon Limitless slaps
21:35 Curzon VIP slaps
22:35 Cineworld Unlimited…hmmm
23:18 The worst paid membership is…
24:22 Talk of a “Weapons” Prequel?? - SPOILERS ALERT
25:29 Will this tarnish the original?
27:27 My fave Aunt Gladys (“Weapons”) quote
28:25 I fear for my childrens children relationship to Weapons
28:55 I have a BETTER SEQUEL IDEA
30:00 Fly swatter interlude
30:16 Rewatching Steven Spielberg’s “Bridge of Spies”
31:02 Spielberg’s latter career run
32:21 He’s supposed to be making “Megalopolis” at his age
32:45 One thing holding latter Spielberg back for me is the samey visual palette
35:38 Why this bothers me - an ANALOGY
36:50 “Bridge of Spies” still slaps
37:30 Letterboxd Rating
38:05 SO many films to keep up with at the moment AAAGHHHH

This week on FoF we review "The Materialists", discussing if the intriguing thematic premise undermines itself and turns into a nothing burger. But not before we discuss my recent re-watches of the Craig Bond era, get hyped about "Alien: Earth" and rant about the state of Cinema Etiquette in 2025. All this and more! Check the timestamps below...
And explore the FoF socials/yt via my creepy website HERE.

TIMESTAMPS
00:00 TikTok/Insta @fredasquithonfilm - THANKS FOR 10k!
01:34 Rewatching the Craig Bond films
02:27 My Craig Bond Ranking
02:40 My main grip with the Craig era
04:38 “Alien: Earth” seems PROMISING
06:16 “Love is Blind UK” narrative structure is annoying
—
09:53 CINEMA ETIQUETTE seems dependant on screening choice 
12:45 My rewatch of “Weapons” was marred with disturbance
14:05 If you wanna skip the trailers, time it BETTER
16:30 If you ARE late, be RESPECTFUL
17:49 Chatting in cinemas??
—
19:40 “The Materialists” REVIEW
20:43 I don’t hate this. Bear with my ranting. 
21:35 This is not a RomCom - surprise!
22:45 Quick Synopsis
SPOILERS!!!!
24:23 The love triangle doesn’t work and here’s why
26:20 This is attempting to be insightful but is all basic and surface
27:18 Comparing the chemistry of the two relationships
28:35 Dakokta Johnson’s character is never empowered to find what is right for her
29:56 The theme of materialism and wealth is not reconciled correctly AT ALL
30:20 TWO ideas of how the message could have been communicated better IMO
32:40 But instead we have our hero settling for toxicity
33:27 The depiction of “broke” / “poor” doesn’t sit right with me
35:29 So Dakota is also settlign for a lack of drive. This doesn’t suit the character we know
36:13 What do I LIKE about this film?
39:24 This movie is a Nothing Burger. 
40:05 Is this a genre-less movie??
41:53 My Darling Wife’s HOT TAKE
43:23 TikTok/Insta @fredasquithonfilm - THANKS FOR 10k!

This week on FoF we review certainly my favourite film we've ever discussed on the pod so far in "Weapons", including why I think it's a modern horror classic with a full tapestry of horror treats. We also discuss the abomination that is "Happy Gilmore 2" in a fast-track rant, as well as tip my cap to the success of "The Naked Gun". Oh, and I also read through some hate comments I got on my Superman reel hahahaha. All this and more! Check the timestamps below...
If you're enjoying it, please LIKE and SUBSCRIBE @fredasquithYT
And check out the FoF socials via my creepy website HERE.

TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Subscribe @fredasquithonfilm on TikTok & Insta
01:36 The "Megalopolis" Documentary is my Roman Empire
--
03:52 "The Naked Gun" REVIEW - spoilers!
04:57 Is it funny?
05:29 My favourite joke
06:10 The gag rate - effective?
06:44 It's not the second coming
07:59 Feature-length Comedy Fatigue - discuss
10:10 Looked cinematic
10:30 LETTERBOXD RATING
--
11:15 My Star Rating System is elite
--
13:00 "Happy Gilmore 2" REVIEW - spoilers (but don't watch it)
13:40 "It's a comedy, don't expect too much" - shush
14:47 Here's why it's bad.
16:08 The final act is unforgivable.
17:28 Not a speck of the original's spirit in sight.  
18:20 Silly Comedy is about PRECISION. Not sloppiness. 
20:30 It's ok to enjoy whatever you want. But it's ok that I didn't. 
21:50 LETTERBOXD RATING
--
22:10 "Weapons" REVIEW - spoilers (go watch it)
24:23 This is an extension of the strengths shown in "Barbarian"
27:18 This is like if PTA directed a horror movie (a good thing)
28:51 It feels cinematic and timeless. 
29:41 This made me feel fear like I haven't felt for a long time. 
30:42 Every flavour of horror is mastered here. 
33:15 VERY funny - authentically, tastefully funny. 
35:17 A pure Stephen King-esque horror tale
36:45 This could perform better than "Bring Her Back" for all audiences
38:07 I'm blown away by this movie. 
38:35 Julia Garner is here to stay. 
40:31 This movie disturbed me all the way home hahaha
41:57 I will talk about this film for the rest of my life 
43:30 LETTERBOXD RATING
--
44:13 Superman hate comments YAY!
45:24 Who is allowed to watch Comic-Book movies and have an opinion
47:10 Subscribe @fredasquithonfilm on TikTok & Insta

A movie that was so good, it blocked out my worst cinema-going experience in recent memory. Enjoy. Check the timestamps below...
If you're enjoying it, please LIKE and SUBSCRIBE @fredasquithYT
And check out the FoF socials via my creepy website HERE.

TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Subscribe @fredasquithonfilm on TikTok & Insta
00:55 Bring Her Back US/UK Release Date Disparity
02:15 My anticipation for this movie
SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS
04:00 Similarities to Talk To Me
05:17 Great film, but the worst screening of my recent life. 
08:17 It was that good, I forgot about the disturbance. 
09:00 Is this "Elevated Horror"? Will it work for casual audiences?
12:10 It's never contrived
12:52 It's fantastically gruesome. 
13:45 Ozzie Soap Opera vibes hahaha
SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS
GRUESOME TRIGGER WARNING
14:57 When you think about literally what is happening here it's MAD
16:14 Sally Hawkins + other great casting
18:30 They are very good at sound design. 
20:10 Comedy relief
21:32 The best horror directors working today?
22:29 Summary and STAR RATING!
23:22 Subscribe @fredasquithonfilm on TikTok & Insta

This time we dive into F4 with a smile on our face (we're not ranting YAY), as well as discuss the new Avatar: Fire and Ash trailer, and the Top 10 Comfort Movies as voted by YOU. And MORE! Check the timestamps below...
If you're enjoying it, please LIKE and SUBSCRIBE @fredasquithYT
And check out the FoF socials via my creepy website HERE.

TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Subscribe @fredasquithonfilm on TikTok & Insta
01:34 I’m not on Time Magazine’s Top 100 Podcasts???
02:27 Blackberry is on Netflix - give it a watch!
03:26 I watched The Post in the middle of the night
05:44 Top 10 Comfort Movies as voted by YOU!
12:16 “Avatar: Fire and Ash” Trailer
13:20 I hated Avatar 2
14:35 Who is rewatching that in the cinema?
16:13 This looks like more of the same. 
17:15 Sam Worthington, bro. What’s happened there then. 
—
“Fantastic Four: The First Steps” REVIEW - SPOILERS
19:02 My open mind was rewarded
21:09 The opening was low-key, and that’s good
22:17 Laughed within 5 mins
23:05 The Retro vibe WORKS!
24:35 (Could a Bond period piece work?)
25:49 It feels cinematic, not plastic
26:32 The Silver Surfer’s entrance RIPS
27:50 The escalation of the Sci-Fi/Fantasy…I was ok with it?
29:40 Core cast chemistry
30:27 Character based humour not quips for the sake of it 
32:08 World threat contained in New York
33:24 Started to lose me in the final act
34:38 The subway tunnel plot hole (not)
35:08 Galactus is slightly too large, right??
36:45 Good ending. Landed the plane 
37:33 Will this work for 12 year olds?
—
39:10 Will it do well at box office? Discuss.  
42:47 Diagnosing Marvel’s recent Box Office failures
52:14 Interstellar in concert https://www.salisburycathedral.org.uk/arrangements/roger-sayer-interstellar/

After last week's mental breakdown we are back with more positive vibes with the new comedy "Friendship". However, as per tradition, we also touch on some ranty vibes with my thoughts on Christopher Nolan's "The Odyssey" IMAX ticket touting and "Stranger Things S5". Plus some emotional vibes as I talk about my love for Luca Guadagnino. Check the timestamps below...
If you're enjoying it, please LIKE and SUBSCRIBE @fredasquithYT
And check out the FoF socials via my creepy website HERE.

TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Subscribe @fredasquithonfilm on TikTok & Insta
01:56 Reception to my “Superman” rant
04:45 “The Odyssey” IMAX tickets SOLD OUT??
06:39 This is cinema elitism!!
10:44 “Werewulf” - Robert Eggers’ next movie by ChatGPT
12:09 Luca Guadagnino hype
13:56 “After the Hunt” trailer hype
15:19 Making myself cry about Luca Guadagnino hahahaha
17:00 He merges sinister with everyday drama perfectly
18:35 It’s good to go into Luca movies blind
19:53 Should I see Fantastic 4?
20:20 “Friendship” Review - Spoiler Free!
20:36 Tim Robinson “I think you should leave” hype
21:55 I would love comedy to have a resurgence
22:39 Did I enjoy myself in “Friendship”?
22:58 Comedy Movie fatigue - is this just me?
25:36 This felt like an extended sketch, and I think that’s ok
26:22 It’s actually very relatable as a premise
27:10 No technical critique, just a recommendation. What a relief. 
28:40 I’m going to make bolder decisions about my viewing choices
29:37 “Stranger Things S5” trailer - no thank you. 
31:43 I repeat - I will not be watching The Naked Gun. 
32:10 I don’t want to lose touch with my joy for watching stuff. 
33:29 Bring on “Bring Her Back”!!!!!!!