Explore every episode of the podcast The Steam Room Film Podcast

Normally in the description we would put a quote from the movie a la Blank Check, but this movie is so forgettable that no quotes could be found. In lieu of that we'll quote Wikipedia: 

"It was set to be the first of two cinematic parts based on the 2013 novel Allegiant of the Divergent trilogy by Veronica Roth (the second cinematic part was to be named Ascendant)...It received generally negative reviews from critics, who criticized the lack of originality, character development, and the decision to split the film into two parts...Following budget cuts, a theatrical release for Ascendant was dropped in favor of reconfiguring the project as a television film for Starz...Both projects were later canceled, effectively ending the franchise."

And...yeah watching the movie, it's quite obvious why it killed the franchise. We could not bear to watch this movie and then record a full episode on it, so instead, this is a watchalong in which we share our live thoughts as we watch the movie! So you can enjoy this as a commentary track as you watch your own copy of the movie, or just listen as we describe the movie and complain along the way. May the odds be ever in your favor in this episode of The Steam Room Film Podcast!

Is this the most obvious It Takes Two we've ever done? Maybe, but just as Jake Sully had to make a choice between the humans and the Navi, so did we have to choose between this episode or the Barbie Princess movies (which we will release this year, in case you're wondering). So, in today's episode we review Disney's 1995 animated film Pocahontas alongside its 2009 reimagining Avatar. Did James Cameron do a better job than Pocahontas' 27 credited writers? Did Pepsi adapt the finale of Pocahontas for one of their ads? And most importantly, how does Avatar rank alongside the Star Wars movies? We discuss these questions and more today, so connect your hair with a flying beast and join us today in The Steam Room Film Podcast!

2025 - The year of vampires, zombies, racecars, and ping pong at the movies is over! And with the end of the year comes the necessary task of tier ranking all the movies (that we at The Steam Room Film Podcast saw). So prep your chili dogs and your beverage of choice (whether provided by the Smokestack Twins, Aunt Gladys, or that pub in F1), and join us today in The Steam Room Film Podcast!

This Thanksgiving we're thankful for movies set in 1930s Mississippi about the power of music! O Brother Where Art Thou is the Coen Brothers' 2000 masterpiece with a soundtrack that won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year in 2002. And Sinners is Ryan Coogler's 2025 smash hit which features one of the most impressive scores of 2025 while also being a movie about the blues and...spoiler alert...vampires. We love these two movies and had a blast talking about them, and if you too are a Dapper Dan man then join us today in the Steam Room Film Podcast! 

It's nearly Halloween, which means it's time to watch two of the scariest movies we could imagine! In today's episode Kyle and Julia investigate the important things and, of course, provide you the audience with Halloween costume ideas inspired by these two movies. So if you were frightened to see these movies pop up on your feed, bring us all your elderly and join us in The Steam Room Film Podcast! 

If you're interested in reading more about the cancelled Soderbergh Star Wars movie, here's the full article:

https://theplaylist.net/the-hunt-for-ben-solo-steven-soderbergh-adam-drivers-secret-star-wars-movie-was-greenlit-before-disney-pulled-the-plug-exclusive-20251024/

"You changed your shirt, Mr. Bond. I hope our time in The Steam Room isn't causing you to perspire." Today Kyle and Julia dive in to the five Daniel Craig James Bond films, and boy do they have some hot takes. Is Casino Royale one of the greatest action films ever made? Is Skyfall a fundamentally broken betrayal of the franchise? Is No Time To Die the only good Bond movie? Are Quantum of Solace and Spectre even worth discussing? Tune in to hear the answers to these questions and so many more in today’s episode of The Steam Room Film Podcast! 

The dead speak! And sadly, we listened. Today Kyle and Julia watch and react to the ninth and most baffling Star War. We would encourage you to watch the movie with us for the full experience, but we would also encourage you to NOT watch this movie while listening to this episode for your own sanity. Honestly, you've got free will, it's your choice, which is more than we can say for the stormtroopers who did not get their uprising story that was promised by the first movie of the trilogy. So if you too think that Chewbacca is definitely not in that transport over there, join us today in The Steam Room Film Podcast!

Rebellions are built on hot takes! Following our Last Jedi episode, we rewatched Rogue One, and that spurred on some revised takes about The Last Jedi and a whole host of new takes for Rogue One. Is Rogue One the best Star Wars movie? Was it worth it for Disney to acquire Star Wars? If you too have been in this fight since you were six years old, come on in to The Steam Room Film Podcast! 

"This is not going to go the way you think!" Unless you've met us in person, in that case you've probably heard some of this before. Today Kyle and Julia tackle one of the more divisive movies of the 21st Century, Star Wars The Last Jedi, and along the way they drag pretty much every other Star Wars movie into the conversation. So, if you're interested in hearing some hot takes about A New Hope, The Phantom Menace, and maybe about The Last Jedi, reach out in the Force and join us today in The Steam Room Film Podcast! 

Our most anticipated movie of the year is here! And we have some thoughts to share in this episode, plus a ranking of all the movies in the Mission Impossible series. If you're willing to trust Ethan Hunt one last time, join us today in The Steam Room Film Podcast! 

In the eternal words of Jack Sparrow, "If we don't have the key, we can't open whatever we don't have that it unlocks. So what purpose would be served in finding whatever need be unlocked, which we don't have, without first having found the key what unlocks it?" Just as the characters in these two movies search for the key and whatever the key unlocks, in today's episode we search for what makes these movies truly sing. If you'd like to join us on our voyage to water wheels and the Orient Express, tune in to The Steam Room Film Podcast! 

** Episode Contains Some Spoilers for Mission Impossible The Final Reckoning **

"She's safe, just like I promised. She's all set to marry Norrington, just like she promised. And you get to podcast for her, just like you promised. So we're all men of our word really... except for, of course, Julia, who is in fact, a woman." In today's episode Julia and Kyle take a look at the first and arguably best Pirates movie. Just as many characters get caught up in this adventure, a variety of topics get caught up in this episode. If you too would like to be a pirate, Drink Up Me Hearties Yo Ho! Join us today in The Steam Room Film Podcast! 

Days of Thunder Video by Patrick H Willems

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NM0VsX1mdL8&t=1571s&pp=ygUhcGF0cmljayBoIHdpbGxlbXMgZGF5cyBvZiB0aHVuZGVy

Pirates of the Caribbean Video by The Morbid Zoo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=558Isjlc6LE&pp=ygUycGlyYXRlcyBvZiB0aGUgY2FyaWJiZWFuIG1vdmllIGFuYWx5c2lzIG1vcmJpZCB6b28%3D

Pirates of the Caribbean Video by Stephen Krosecz

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zhdBNVY55oM&pp=ygUncGlyYXRlcyBvZiB0aGUgY2FyaWJiZWFuIG1vdmllIGFuYWx5c2lz

"Benji, the Steam Room is real. A rogue nation trained to do what we do!" Our Mission Impossible recap continues with the fifth and sixth movies in the franchise, which are two of our favorite action movies of all time. We've got lots to talk about here, from the introduction of Ilsa Faust to the franchise, to Henry Cavill's career-best performance, to an apparent controversy about the music for each of these movies. If you too fear the fallout of all your good intentions, join us today in The Steam Room Film Podcast! 

Link to the Mission Impossible Fallout score review: 

https://www.filmtracks.com/titles/mission_imp6.html

Your mission should you choose to accept it is to join us for our ongoing recap of the Mission Impossible franchise! Today's episode is a review of the first four movies with a focus on Mission Impossible 3 and Ghost Protocol. Whether you're the one on the group project who has to climb the tallest building in the world or you're "the helper", you're welcome to join us in The Steam Room Film Podcast! 

Disney is releasing their live action Snow White movie this weekend, so there's no better time for us to talk about the Disney Renaissance and Disney's animated movies in the 2010s. This quickly turns into one of our most heated episodes, so if you too can take the heat, join us in The Steam Room Film Podcast! 

Sometimes as podcasters you watch Suicide Squad and have such a terrible time that you just feel compelled to watch DC's other 2016 hit - Batman V Superman Dawn of Justice. Today Kyle and Julia break down this absolute disaster of a film with a hot take or two about this depiction of Lex Luthor. If you too have no idea who invited Wonder Woman to fight the goop monster, then you are more than welcome to join us in The Steam Room Film Podcast! 

"I can tell you the episode titles of all 62 episodes of the podcast. How can I know that and not know who I am?" In this episode Kyle and Julia take a look at the first three Jason Bourne movies. For movies that changed the landscape of action movies, the development of them was chaotic to say the least. We cover all of that, our hot takes on the movies, and take a quick sidestep to review some thoughts on some of the 2024 movies we caught up with in the month of January. If you're as tired as Pam Landy, just sit back, relax, and join us in The Steam Room Film Podcast! 

Editor's Note - There were audio issues in the recording, the episode that has been uploaded is the cleanest version available. 

2024 is over, and with the end of the year comes a necessary task: ranking all the 2024 movies we saw this year! So join us today in the Steam Room Film Podcast as Kyle and Julia (and Jon for 3 minutes) assemble a tier ranking of all the 2024 movies they watched, starting with this year's Netflix Christmas movies! So prepare some hot cocoa and join us in The Steam Room Film Podcast! 

The Steam Room TV Podcast is back with the coolest TV show in years, Arcane! Season 2 just released on Netflix, and in today's episode Jon joins Kyle and Julia to talk about the show as a whole, favorite characters, and coolest scenes. And don't you worry, if you miss anything in today's episode you can rewind exactly 4 seconds to catch up, just like the best character in the show. If you're as addicted to Shimmer as much as we are, join us today in The Steam Room TV Podcast! 

Han Solo was right, that's not how the Force works. We're continuing our Star Wars series with the original movie, A New Hope, and we didn't really like it this time around! We've got some good things to say, a good amount of complaining, a bit of constructive criticism, and a fun movie game at the end! So if you too lie to the galaxy while secretly supporting the treachery of the rogues of the Resistance, then join us today in The Steam Room Film Podcast! 

What's better than one rat chef movie? That's right, two rat chef movies! In 2007 Ratatouille and its ripoff, Ratatoing, were released, and today we take a look at both of these cinematic culinary delights. Plus, we take a quick look at the new Mission: Impossible trailer. If you think that a great chef can come from anywhere, then join us today in The Steam Room Film Podcast!

We may not have the talent of conversing easily with people we have never met before, but you'd better believe we'll practice. In today's episode Kyle and Julia take a look at 2005's Pride & Prejudice starring Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfadyen. Join in as we rave about this modern classic and brainstorm Pride & Prejudice costumes that you could wear this Halloween! If you're fond of walking, walk right on in to The Steam Room Film Podcast! 

"And you think one year of... podcasting entitles you to plow through the riches of my Emersonian mind?" Today's is a Keep Up episode, in which Jon and Kyle discuss Megalopolis, and Julia, who has not seen it, has five questions at her disposal to try and piece together the plot of this movie...just as Cesar Catalina tries to piece together a new society. "And when we ask these questions, when there's a dialogue about them, that basically is a utopia." If you too dare to ask these questions, then join us today in The Steam Room Film Podcast! 

Thank you San Francisco, you ruined podcasting! In today's episode Kyle and Julia review Inside Out and have a larger discussion about the ongoing Pixar project. So get some broccoli for your pizza and join us today in The Steam Room Film Podcast! 

Jeez, we're out of it for two and a half weeks, and everyone gets delusions of grandeur! Today we finish the Original Trilogy and...we have mildly hot takes! This is a good movie with arguably the worst scene in Star Wars, and if you ever questioned whether Anakin is actually the Chosen One, this is the episode for you! So sit back and relax with your favorite comic relief, Salacious B. Crumb, and join us today in The Steam Room Film Podcast! 

Steam on! Today we're taking another trip into early-2000s nostalgia with Fantastic Four and its sequel, Rise of the Silver Surfer! And spoiler alert: both of these movies are leagues better than Fant4stic. Join us in today's episode for fun games like "who would win between the Fantastic Four and The Incredibles", a ranking of all the live action Fantastic Four casts, and our pitches for the newest movie with these characters. So squeeze some orange juice, pop some popcorn, and join us in The Steam Room Film Podcast! 

"Dreams didn't make us kings. Podcasts did." Now that we've seen the finale of House of the Dragon Season 2, we've got some hot takes on this show and some leftover hot takes on Game of Thrones! So pour yourself some hallucinatory Harrenhaal tea and join us today in The Steam Room TV Podcast! 

Have you considered the best podcaster might be someone who does not want to podcast? Today we dive back into the Steam Room TV Podcast to discuss a few of the highs but mostly the lows of Game of Thrones. This episode actually reflects the show really well, because by the time it's gone on long enough, we really don't know how to end it. So sit back, relax, get your direwolf-shaped loaf of bread for a snack, and join us today in The Steam Room Film Podcast! 

You're not actually going IN to talk about a Star Wars movie? They'd be crazy to follow us wouldn't they? We saved a very special movie for our 50th episode, but is it a perfect movie? Has it been tarnished by the Star Wars projects that have been released since its debut? And what about this movie makes it the most "Steam Room Film Podcast" of any movie we've covered on the show? You'll just have to join us in the ice cave with a tauntaun to find out in the 50th episode of The Steam Room Film Podcast!

What are we, some kind of It Takes Two - Suicide Squad and Fant4stic? We've long contended that 2016's Suicide Squad is the worst superhero movie, and that was true until out of morbid curiosity we watched 2015's Fant4stic...which just might be the worst move we've seen. Unfortunately we could only handle about 30 minutes of discussion on these movies, so you may have to endure a digression or two. If you've got room for that steam in this film podcast, this is the show for you. Say that again. 
Welcome to the Steam Room Film Podcast! 

Drop the "The". Just "Steam Room Film Podcast". It's cleaner. After seeing Challengers, we decided it had a lot in common with both The Social Network and The Last Duel! To discuss these three films about the dissolution of friendships, we decided to take the three main characters of each film and rank all nine of them from worst to best, discussing the movies' relationships to each other along the way. So do your rotator cuff stretches, sharpen your sword, and get wired in, because this is a jam-packed episode! 

Also side note, Challengers features a Steam Room! Guess that means we're moving up in the world. 

"Lady and gentlemens! Start your podcast!" Furiosa is finally here, and here to talk about it today are Kyle and Julia! This is movie the prequel to Mad Max Fury Road which contains the origin story of Furiosa as well as tons of worldbuilding, crazy action, and a truly unhinged Chris Hemsworth performance, and in this episode we dive into all of it. Featuring a brief discussion on whether this is the best movie year for deserts and some breaking news in the world of baseball, this episode has it all! If you think you can handle the heat, join us today in The Steam Room Film Podcast! 

Snow always lands on top, but Steam rises above. As fans of the Hunger Games we were pretty interested in seeing 2023's prequel and our thoughts are...mixed to say the least. It may be a hot take, but we think this movie could have been executed a bit better, and in today's episode Kyle and Julia discuss what worked, what didn't, and why you should never share secrets when there's a jabberjay around. So get your poison pellets and genetically modified snakes and join us today in The Steam Room Film Podcast! 

They say it takes two to tango, and whether that's Pierce Brosnan and Rene Russo, or the films The Thomas Crown Affair and Ocean's Twelve, that statement is true! Today we take a look at two breezy snazzy spicy heist films with more than a hint of romance. Stay tuned to hear our thoughts on who could fill the main roles in the rumored modern remake of Thomas Crown. And just remember: If all the animals along the equator were capable of flattery then Thanksgiving and Halloween would fall on the same date.

John Williams can't save this one. Today we're taking a look (and a listen) at movies that don't quite make the cut despite the herculean efforts of the composer. Kyle and Julia review some of their favorite scores for bad movies, and in case you were worried, we have three Star Wars movies to talk about today. So put in your earbuds, listen through the entire Tron Legacy score to get in the right headspace, then join us in The Steam Room Film Podcast! 

Even if the whole world is telling you to move, it is your duty to plant yourself like a tree, look them in the eye, and say, No, you* move. And our move today is to review one of the more controversial releases of 2024: Civil War! Kyle has seen it, Julia hasn't, so as Kyle works through his thoughts on what the movie is actually about, Julia tries to piece together the plot by asking five questions. If you think you can keep up, then tune in to today's episode of The Steam Room Film Podcast! 

"The Steam Room Film Podcast. You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy." That's right, we are finally discussing the movie that started it all, Star Wars! And somehow, we actually found something interesting to say about it! Is this a perfect movie that's held up for 47 years? Or is it a slow-paced relic of 1977 featuring whiny characters and awkward Lucas dialogue? We discuss all this and more in today's episode of The Steam Room Film Podcast! 

Auralnauts Star Wars Episode 4:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lu9dUG3_KNA&list=PLINl9l0igYjzIipxsD4Y59_Jjxe4N3pZo&index=5

Welcome to the Steam Room History Podcast! Today's episode is a break from convention as we focus on English History. Effectively this is a Keep Up episode in which Julia goes through some key figures and events in English history and Kyle tries to keep up as best he can - mostly by linking the topics back to movies. If you think you can keep up better than he can, join us today in The Steam Room (History) Podcast! 

Does anyone remember Blackberry? We sure do! Today Kyle and Julia take a look at Matt Johnson's 2023 film about the meteoric rise and catastrophic demise of the world's first smartphone. Starring How To Train Your Dragon's Jay Baruchel and It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia's Glenn Howerton, Blackberry is a hilarious movie and made for a very fun episode. Why would anyone want a phone without a keyboard? Find out today in The Steam Room Film Podcast! 

Editor’s Note: This episode ends at 1:06:40. 
Unfortunately the audio file for this episode was lot but fortunately Manolo found it! On the floor there. It was just lying there. Today Kyle and Julia review the funniest movie we've discussed on the podcast, the Coen Brothers' Burn After Reading. Featuring an incredible cast including George Clooney, Frances McDormand, Tilda Swinton, and Brad Pitt as the original Ken, this movie is an absolute riot. Stay tuned as we also discuss the 2024 Oscars! Think you can extort Osborn Cox to get money for some uninsured procedures? Then join us today in The Steam Room Film Podcast! 

Here on Caladan we've ruled by air power and sea power, in this podcast we need to cultivate Steam Power! Dune Part Two is finally out, and we couldn't be more excited to discuss this and Part One in the final episode of our Denis Villeneuve series (for now). There will be spoilers, so we highly recommend you check out Dune first, and only once you've explored the sands of Arrakis can we let you in to The Steam Room Film Podcast. 

All these memories will be lost in time like tears in steam. Today's episode is a doubleheader, as Julia and Kyle have never seen the Blade Runner movies! In the first half of the episode we react to Ridley Scott's 1982 original, then in the second half we discuss Denis Villeneuve's sequel, and be warned, we have some very hot takes in this episode. If you think you can handle the heat, get yourself a nice bowl of noodles and join us today in The Steam Room Film Podcast! 

If you could see your whole podcast from start to finish, would you change things? Join us today in our next stop on the Denis Villeneuve train as we arrive at Arrival. Listen in as we discuss Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner, the themes, and whether the movie makes any sense. This episode also features one of the hottest takes we've had on the show and some particularly off the rails discussion about Dune and Star Wars. So get your alien-translation tablets ready and join us today in The Steam Room Film Podcast! 

In preparation for our most anticipated movie of the year, Dune Part 2, we're starting a little Denis Villeneuve miniseries! At leadoff we have Sicario, the 2015 masterpiece which asks questions of morality in a war with the cartels. It's a heavy subject, but we sure do have some fun on this episode! If you're not ready for that, you may want to move to a small town because this is a podcast of wolves now in the Steam Room Film Podcast. 

We're not going to steal the Declaration of Independence, but we will podcast about it! Today Kyle and Julia podcast about National Treasure 1 and 2 - Kyle has seen both, Julia has seen just the first. So this is kind of a hot take, kind of a keep up episode which goes off the rails by the time we do our best to pitch National Treasure 3. If you've always hoped that Nicolas Cage's adventures would take him to Germany and Russia, then follow us into the secret cave in Mount Rushmore where the real treasure is the Steam Room Film Podcast we recorded along the way! 

In our latest It Takes Two episode Kyle and Julia take a look at two so-so action movies from 2010 - The A-Team and Knight and Day. Are these just average movies lost to time, or are these secretly masterpieces with a lot of value to offer today's audiences? Does Knight and Day contain the best Tom Cruise performance? Is The A-Team an omen for the following movies in Liam Neeson's career? If you doubt that this is a worthwhile episode...we did warn you not to listen tot he podcast...when we said "Sometimes things happen for a reason." 

Are you an airbender, boy? We sure are! Today Kyle and Julia unleash some hot takes regarding the original Avatar The Last Airbender series, the live-action movie, The Legend of Korra, and most importantly, the upcoming live-action Netflix series. This episode goes off the rails with Kyle's hottest take yet, so hold on to your cabbages because this one's a wild ride! Join us today in The Steam Room Film Podcast! 

Are we still to create the perfect podcast? Yeaahh. 
In our latest It Takes Two, Kyle and Julia take a look at Tron Legacy and Aquaman, two movies with creepy de-aged actors, fantastical worlds, and a young man fulfilling his destiny as a hero. Sit back, relax, and enjoy some biodigital jazz, man, in this week's episode of The Steam Room Film Podcast! 

We're starting off 2024 by fulfilling Julia's resolution of watching more Coen Brothers' movies starting with Fargo, their 1996 Minnesota masterpiece! Listen in as Kyle and Julia discuss some bad business deals and grisly murders with some questionable accents. So make your eggs and get your Arby's and join us in the...wait where are you going? Oh for Pete's sake! For Pete's sake he's fleeing the podcast! He's fleeing the podcast! 

2023 is over, and with the end of the year comes a necessary task: ranking all the 2023 movies we saw this year! So join us today in the Steam Room Film Podcast as Kyle and Julia assemble a tier ranking of all the 2023 movies they watched!