If you often find yourself asking "What did I just see?" after the film credits roll, this podcast is for you. Join us as we dive into the (plot) twisted world of final scenes in film and TV show history. Hosted by Sophie, Ben and Simon.
That Final Scene, a podcast by The podcast for the greatest (and not so greatest) endings in film and TV history. - Stats, Episodes and Rankings - My Podcast Data
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Saving cinema, Trump villains & the future of AI filmmaking (with Dario Llinares)
Monday, April 14, 2025 • Duration 01:31:21
This week on That Final Scene, I chat with Dr. Dario Llinares (educator, researcher, writer, podcaster and fellow Substacker) about whether we're witnessing cinema's final act—or just its most dramatic plot twist yet.
We dive into our recent watches (Ben's frankly had it with Trump-coded villains in Mickey 17 and Daredevil), debate what makes a cinema experience worth leaving your couch for, and explore Dario's fascinating AI video essay project that uses the technology to critique... well, the technology itself.
The burning question at the heart of our conversation: why are theaters emptying out faster than a cinema playing Morbius, and what would actually bring audiences back? From "event" screenings to repertory programming to Simon's wild idea for "live cinema," we workshop solutions that might just save our beloved movie palaces.
Plus: Soderbergh's slick spy thriller Black Bag, Pierce Brosnan's mysteriously vanishing Irish accent, and why open-air screenings of The Greatest Showman keep selling out while multiplexes gather dust.
Listen in for a conversation that's equal parts film-nerd deep cut and urgent state-of-the-industry diagnosis.
Find Dario's work at his Substack ContraWise and through the Cinematologist podcast. His new interview series Cinema Body, Cinema Mind explores our physical relationship with moviegoing.
The Academy vs the People: 2025 Oscar predictions and your personal favorites (with Gabriel Frieberg)
Friday, February 28, 2025 • Duration 01:23:16
I've never been so unprepared for an Oscar season. This year's race feels like someone threw all the conventional wisdom into a blender, hit puree, and walked away laughing.
So in this episode, we are joined by The Schmear Hunter’s Gabriel Frieberg – whose Berlinale stories alone are worth the price of admission – to walk us through his film and TV journey, and quickly descend into our annual tradition of pretending we have any idea what'll happen on Hollywood's favorite night of self-congratulation: The Academy Awards.
Gabriel turned out to be the perfect antidote to my cynicism, bringing actual insights from the festival circuit while Ben chugged tea and ranted about why "Furiosa" deserved more recognition. We dove into the genuine surprise of Ariana Grande's performance in "Wicked" (who knew?) and debated whether Demi Moore will finally get her flowers in the Best Actress category.
The real fun came when we compared our predictions against what YOU, the TFS community, voted for in our Substack ballot. Your "will win" picks are surprisingly industry-savvy, but your "want to win" choices? Pure chaos in the best possible way.
Sean Baker vs. Brady Corbet for Best Director created our most heated exchange (sorry for the sound spike), and none of us could agree whether "Conclave" deserves its Best Picture nomination. But there's unanimous support for "Anora" in both our panel and community picks—which probably means something else will win because the Oscars love nothing more than making us all look foolish.
Make sure you listen on our take on the Bond franchise's uncertain future and stay for Gabriel’s passionate defense of the films that got completely overlooked this awards season. As always, I promise to eat my words publicly when my predictions turn out wrong.
Catch up on Gabriel’s work at:
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The Da Vinci Code Is Stilll Camp & Nosferatu Ending Explained
Monday, January 20, 2025 • Duration 46:24
Well, it seems like it's time to sink our teeth into another THAT FINAL SCENE episode (sorry, couldn't resist). If you're also grappling with Robert Eggers' latest “Nosferatu” and Ellen's choice to face death in that haunting final scene, you might want to tune in.
We go deep into the shadows of this one – from death-and-maiden motifs to why some of us felt oddly disconnected despite the film's technical mastery. Plus, we somehow end up on a tangent about watching THE DA VINCI CODE over the holidays (questionable choices were made) and why old Bond films hit different now.
Fair warning: we get into a heated debate about whether this version of NOSFERATU actually makes us feel anything beyond aesthetic appreciation. And yes, we absolutely dissect that ending – you know I got you covered y’all.
Come for the vampire discourse, stay for our chaotic holiday viewing confessions and some spicy award season predictions that will probably age terribly.
The episode is available wherever you get your podcasts.
And while you're there, maybe leave us a review? Unless you're Count Orlok himself – in which case, we respectfully decline your feedback.
P.S. Between you and me, there's a moment where we completely derail into UK Traitors Season 3 territory and I regret nothing. Enjoy!
Loved what you heard? Let's keep the conversation going - download the Substack app to join our chat around the episode:
* Substack (for deeper takes): at https://thatfinalscene.com
Timestamps
00:00 Intriguing Opening Scene
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A Complete Unknown, Conclave, Black Doves reactions & our annual festive movie quiz
Friday, December 27, 2024 • Duration 44:07
In our final episode of 2024, we do what any self-respecting film nerds would do during the holidays - torture each other with impossibly specific movie trivia. But first, some cinematic therapy:
We kick things off diving into CONCLAVE (or as I like to call it, "Ralph Fiennes Does His Best Pope Impression While Looking Incredibly Concerned"). This leads us down a rabbit hole about actors who deserve Oscars but keep getting snubbed. Speaking of snubs, we tackle the Harry Potter reboot news - I have THOUGHTS about recasting, and they mostly involve protecting the sacred memory of Robbie Coltrane. But that’s for another episode.
The middle chunk gets spicy with chat about Black Doves (Netlix’s new smash hit), the new Bob Dylan film that feels like it exists in a parallel universe (it’s really good), and why Tom Cruise continues to defy both gravity and aging. There's a brief detour into Netflix territory, which somehow evolves into an impassioned debate about MUBI's latest programming choices. If anyone wants to get Simon a pressie, let it be an annual MUBI subscription.
Then comes the quiz portion - the main event, if you will. I channel my inner film school professor and subject Simon to a Mrs. Doubtfire interrogation that would make Robin Williams wince. I absolutely demolish the Fight Club round - turns out watching it approximately 27 times pays off. Ben tests Simon's James Bond knowledge, which leads us down various 007 rabbit holes. Which I didn’t understand one bit.
We close out with anticipation for the new Nosferatu coming in 2024. Because nothing says "Happy New Year" like a German expressionist vampire, right?
Timestamps
00:00 Opening Remarks and Final Episode Introduction
00:15 Reflecting on the Podcast Journey
00:51 Special Ideas for Next Year
00:56 Discussing Conclave and Ralph Fiennes
01:45 Actors Who Deserve an Oscar
02:51 Harry Potter Series Reboot
05:15 Robbie Coltrane's Iconic Roles
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There Will Be Blood Ending Explained & Other Milkshakes
Monday, December 9, 2024 • Duration 01:00:00
There's a moment in There Will Be Blood where Daniel Plainview stares at a burning oil derrick with maniacal glee while others panic around him. That scene captures everything fascinating about PTA's examination of capitalism, greed, and American ambition - and it's just one of many moments we unpack in this week's episode - including of course…its final scene.
Before diving into our main discussion, Ben and I get into it over Gladiator 2 (which I maintain is a perfectly entertaining time if you accept it for the ridiculous spectacle it is), and Simon takes us through Michael Bay's 13 Hours, leading to an unexpected conversation about method acting and on-set dynamics.
But the heart of this episode is our analysis of the iconic There Will Be Blood - from Paul Dano's remarkable dual performance (pulled off with just 4 days of prep) to the film's masterful exploration of how capitalism and religion feed off each other. We dig into the historical context, decode that famous milkshake monologue, and debate whether Daniel Plainview was always a monster or if success corrupted him.
Next episode: We're closing out the year with our Christmas special, featuring what will surely be a deeply competitive movie trivia showdown.
Timestamps for the chronologically-gifted:
00:00 Opening Remarks and Initial Banter
00:21 Behind the Scenes of Podcasting
00:50 Correction on Russell Crowe's Oscar Wins
02:04 Discussion on Gladiator 2
10:48 Review of The Foreigner
12:05 Michael Bay's 13 Hours
19:25 Mean Girls and Lindsay Lohan's Career
20:45 Upcoming Movies and Recommendations
24:45 Revisiting There Will Be Blood
27:05 Daniel's Descent into Capitalism
27:24 Manipulating Relationships
27:59 Curiosity and Camera Work
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What makes a great music biopic? (and why you hate them)
Monday, November 18, 2024 • Duration 51:11
Listen, I knew this episode would derail the moment we started talking about The Foreigner (a hidden gem that deserves your time, even if just to watch Jackie Chan break your heart in the most unexpected way). The movie has Pierce Brosnan doing... things with an Irish accent, and that's all I'll say about that. Simon finally caught up with not one, but three gems - the 'Spider-Verse' animation films and Of An Age, which he claims is the best Australian romance film that nobody watched (okay Simon, I see you with the taste).
After you all lovingly bombarded my Instagram Q&A Stories with your (music) biopic takes, we had to dive into this whole... situation. Because apparently, we haven't seen enough after Bohemian Rhapsody. If you're wondering – yes, we're all terrified about the upcoming Bob Dylan and Springsteen projects. But also…intrigued.
Ben went on his monthly 'Scrubs' evangelism tour (but he's not wrong – the way that show balanced comedy and gut-punch moments? Unmatched). I just sat there and nodded because what else can you do when someone's spitting facts?
Timestamps for the chronologically-gifted:
00:00 The one where we catch up
00:31 Jackie Chan makes us emotional
02:00 Brosnan's interesting accent choices
07:06 Simon discovers animation can be art (duh)
11:49 Simon's 'Of An Age' appreciation corner
14:38 That time we all rewatched Skyfall
20:51 Netflix's 'The Perfect Couple' exists
26:52 Ben's weekly 'Scrubs' supremacy segment
28:35 A brief Veep tangent because why not
29:07 TV networks vs. good comedy: a saga
34:11 Your music biopic hot takes (we're concerned)
39:01 Future biopics we're preemptively judging
48:50 What to watch when we're gone
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Anora, Maria & Industry Season 3 Reviews & Gladiator Ending Explained
Monday, November 4, 2024 • Duration 01:01:12
Quick heads up: That Final Scene is now dropping new episodes every other MONDAY, giving you extra time to process what just happened (and us extra time to overthink them).
In which your hosts return from their partially Mediterranean adventures (coincidentally matching our Roman episode theme) to dive into the epic final moments of Ridley Scott's sword-and-sandals masterpiece.
But first, we journey through the spring/summer movie landscape, from the neon-drenched violence of John Wick 4 to the emotional gut-punch that is Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (turns out all Spidey films can make us cry).
We clash opinions on the latest batch of blockbusters before storming the gates of the London Film Festival, where Steve McQueen's 'Blitz' left us disappointed and 'Maria' proved that sometimes the best films are the ones that explore a single week than an entire lifetime.
Then it's time to don our armor and dive into GLADIATOR's final showdown - a masterclass in revenge served ice-cold in the Roman sun. We unpack everything from Joaquin Phoenix's god-tier villain performance (the OG toxic failson before Succession made it cool) to Russell Crowe's journey from vengeance to something approaching grace.
Plus, we speculate wildly about the upcoming sequel because apparently what 2024 needs is more sand and sandals.
Time Stamps:
00:00 Opening Remarks and Scene Setup
00:13 Travel Tales and Health Euphoria
01:34 Movie Reviews and Emotional Reactions
03:55 TV Shows and Series Discussions
19:31 Film Festival Highlights and Reviews
34:11 The Ultimate Backstabber
34:25 Commodus' Delusional Plan
35:46 Historical Reflections
38:23 The Tragic Ending
42:12 Maximus' Legacy
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The Lord of The Rings (Part III) - The Return Of The King Ending Explained
Friday, September 20, 2024 • Duration 01:02:43
Summer break is over. We're back to school with the final and most epic installment of The Lord of The Rings - The Return of The King!!!
Without further ado, enjoy the sh*t-talking of me, Ben and Simon (we've been watching SO many things) and enjoy our breakdown of the extraordinary finale.
We'll be back in a couple of weeks with...The Gladiator 😱
The Lord of The Rings (Part II) - The Two Towers Ending Explained
Monday, July 29, 2024 • Duration 44:28
After a short summer hiatus (weddings! sunny days! boring work stuff!), we're back and excited to share the commentary of our second The Lord Of The Rings live-watch: The Two Towers. Now you may think The Lord Of The Rings is an odd one to revisit over the summer but trust us...it's a GREAT franchise to bounce back to.
Lots of goodies in this conversation (mostly Simon's first-time-viewing reactions) so we guarantee you're going to enjoy it. Please make sure you join us for the last and more epic viewing yet because THE RETURN OF THE KING is coming!!!
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The Lord of the Rings (Part I) - The Fellowship of the Ring Ending Explained
Wednesday, June 19, 2024 • Duration 44:05
Hi hi hi. With The Rings of Power Season 2 back soon (yikes) AND the upcoming The Lord of the Rings prequels, we realized we could not prolong the wait any longer. We had to sit Simon down to finally watch LOTR with us. And the results may surprise you...;)
This episode is extra special to us because Ben, Simon and I watched the film together right before we recorded this. Which is also why I sound a tad tired and said Dark Towers vs Two Towers, please forgive me 😭
Expect Part II and Part III in the following weeks. We, for one, can't wait.
Loved what you heard?
Share this episode with someone you know who'd enjoy it
Subscribe to our podcast (if you haven't already)
Rate it and/or leave a review depending on where you're listening (this really really really helps us going)
Shoot your thoughts and suggestions over a voice note:
* Substack (for deeper takes): at https://thatfinalscene.com
And hey, if you're feeling generous, take 30 seconds to rate and review us wherever you're listening - it helps other film obsessives find us. See you in a couple of weeks for another ending that will either vindicate or devastate us.
And hey, if you're feeling generous, take 30 seconds to rate and review us wherever you're listening - it helps other film obsessives find us. See you in a couple of weeks for another ending that will either vindicate or devastate us.
And hey, if you're feeling generous, take 30 seconds to rate and review us wherever you're listening - it helps other film obsessives find us. See you in a couple of weeks for another ending that will either vindicate or devastate us.
And hey, if you're feeling generous, take 30 seconds to rate and review us wherever you're listening - it helps other film obsessives find us. See you in a couple of weeks for another ending that will either vindicate or devastate us.
