Best Film Ever

Best Film Ever

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Best Film Ever episodes

  • Episode 331 - A Knight's Tale

    “You have been weighed. You have been measured. And you have been found wanting.”

    Join Ian & Liam for our 331st episode as we joust for glory, dance to Queen in medieval Europe, and revisit Brian Helgeland’s wildly anachronistic crowd-pleaser A Knight’s Tale (2001). Megs isn’t with us this week — she’s apparently been appointed to the royal court after successfully inventing modern fashion 600 years early. Kev? Last seen trying to enter a jousting tournament under a fake noble title before being immediately exposed by Paul Bettany.

    This week we discuss:

    • Heath Ledger’s breakout leading-man performance — charming, earnest, rebellious. Was this the moment Hollywood realised he could do absolutely anything?
    • The film’s glorious tonal chaos — medieval sports movie, romantic comedy, rock concert, underdog drama. Why does this bizarre cocktail somehow work?
    • Paul Bettany’s Chaucer — flamboyant, scene-stealing, and possibly the film’s secret MVP.
    • Liam breaks down the film’s anachronisms — Queen, Bowie, Nike-energy editing. Does the film transcend historical accuracy through sheer confidence?
    • Ian explores the underdog narrative — class, identity, and whether William’s rise actually challenges the social order or merely slips inside it.
    • The romance between William and Jocelyn — genuine chemistry or the weakest part of the film?
    • The sports-movie structure — training montages, rivalries, and comeback arcs dressed in chainmail.
    • The “show vs tell” balance — does the film earn its emotional moments through character work, or simply overwhelm you with charisma and music?
    • Rufus Sewell’s Count Adhemar — classic villainy, simmering resentment, and one of the great sneering performances of the era.
    • What's with the romantic plot's detour in Act II - where did that come from?
    • The ending — triumphant, ridiculous, emotionally earned… or all three simultaneously?
    • And finally, whether A Knight’s Tale is the Best Film Ever — or simply one of the most aggressively lovable films of the 2000s.

      • Become a Patron of this podcast and support the BFE at

      https://www.patreon.com/BFE

      • Juleen from It Goes Down In The PM
      • Hermes Auslander
      • James DeGuzman
      • Synthia
      • Shai Bergerfroind
      • Ariannah Who Loves BFE The Most
      • Paul Komoroski
      • Duane Smith (Duane Smith!)
      • Andy Dickson
      • Aashrey
      • Chris Pedersen
      • Randal Silva
      • Nate The Great
      • Rev Bruce
      • Richard
      • Ryan Kuketz
      • Dirk Diggler
      • Stew from the Stew World Order podcast
      • NorfolkDomus
      • John Humphrey's Right Foot
      • Timmy Tim Tim
      • Youth Hosteling with Chris Eubank
        • 3 hr 24 min
      • Episode 330 - Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid

        “Boy, I got vision… and the rest of the world wears bifocals.”

        Join Ian, Liam & Kev for our 330th episode as we saddle up, head for Bolivia (Megs has headed back to America early), and ride into one of the most charming, melancholy, and effortlessly watchable westerns ever made with Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969). It’s outlaws, bicycles, and impossible charisma this week as we ask whether two of cinema’s coolest men were ever really built for the world they lived in.

        This week we discuss:

        • Paul Newman and Robert Redford’s legendary chemistry — playful, effortless, and endlessly quotable. Is this one of the greatest screen pairings of all time?
        • The tone — western, comedy, tragedy, anti-western. How does the film balance charm with the creeping inevitability of its ending?
        • Newman’s Butch Cassidy — talkative, inventive, and always thinking three steps ahead. Is he a genius… or simply delaying reality?
        • Redford’s Sundance Kid — cool, lethal, and increasingly aware the world is changing around him.
        • Ian breaks down the film’s structure — episodic storytelling, tonal pivots, and why the pacing feels so modern for 1969 - but does it rob us with the ending
        • Liam questions the mythology of outlaws — are Butch and Sundance rebels, romantics, or simply criminals we’ve chosen to like?
        • Kev dives into the cinematography and score — sweeping landscapes, freeze frames, and Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head somehow working against all odds.
        • Liam educates us all on the Old West and references about 25 other Westerns in the process
        • The pursuit — who are those guys, and why does the film turn a chase into existential dread?
        • Katharine Ross as Etta Place — underwritten love interest or essential emotional grounding?
        • There's a cameo in this film that you'll never see coming - we didn't
        • The ending — iconic, tragic, and endlessly imitated. Does freezing the moment make it more powerful?
        • The “show vs tell” balance — how much does the film rely on charm and implication rather than explicit emotional beats?
        • And finally, whether Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid is the Best Film Ever — or simply one of the coolest films ever made.

          • Become a Patron of this podcast and support the BFE at

          https://www.patreon.com/BFE

          We are extremely thankful to our following Patrons for their most generous support:

          • Juleen from It Goes Down In The PM
          • Hermes Auslander
          • James DeGuzman
          • Synthia
          • Shai Bergerfroind
          • Ariannah Who Loves BFE The Most
          • Paul Komoroski
          • Duane Smith (Duane Smith!)
          • Andy Dickson
          • Chris Pedersen
          • Randal Silva
          • Nate The Great
          • Rev Bruce
          • Richard
          • Ryan Kuketz
          • Dirk Diggler
          • Stew from the Stew World Order podcast
          • NorfolkDomus
          • John Humphrey's Right Foot
          • Timmy Tim Tim
          • Aashrey
          • Youth Hosteling with Chris Eubank

            • Buy some BFE merch at https://my-store-b4e4d4.creator-spring.com/.

            Massive thanks to Lex Van Den Berghe for the use of Mistake by Luckydog. Catch more from Lex's new band, The Maids of Honor, at https://soundcloud.com/themaidsofhonor

            Also, massive thanks to Moonlight Social for our age game theme song. You can catch more from them at https://www.moonlightsocialmusic.com/

            3 hr 29 min
          • Media Madness; Best Movie Villains

            Hannibal or Hans Gruber? Darth Vader or The Wicked Witch? The Joker or Norman Bates? Anton Chigurh or Nurse Ratched? People have been debating the greatest movie villains ever since Dracula first crept onto the silver screen and even now audiences still can’t decide who truly rules the darkness. Joined by some of our Friends of the Podcast: Ariannah, JDG & his horseshoe, Hermes Auslander, Paul Komorowski and Sythia, we’ve chosen to embrace our villain era as we throw 32 of cinema’s greatest bad guys into a single knockout tournament. We’ve got shocking eliminations, absolute monsters of matchups, redemption arcs nobody saw coming, and enough evil monologues to fill a secret lair as we crown the Best Movie Villain of All Time.

            1 hr 56 min
          • Episode 329 - Star Wars: The Force Awakens

            “The Force, it’s calling to you. Just let it in.”

            Join Ian, Liam & Kev for our 329th episode as we celebrate our annual Star Wars Day release by jumping to lightspeed into J.J. Abrams’ galaxy-reviving blockbuster Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015). Megs? She's not with us this week — She's been recruited by the Resistance after showing a worrying amount of lightsaber proficiency.

            This week we discuss:

            • The revival question — how The Force Awakens brought Star Wars back to life after a decade away. Nostalgia, safety, or smart recalibration?
            • Daisy Ridley’s Rey — mysterious, capable, and instantly central. Is she the perfect modern Star Wars protagonist? Why is her best work done when she's not talking?
            • John Boyega’s Finn — defector, comic relief, emotional anchor. Does the film fully realise his potential?
            • Adam Driver’s Kylo Ren — volatile, conflicted, and deliberately unfinished. One of the saga’s most interesting villains?
            • Ian breaks down the film’s structure — echoes of A New Hope. Homage, remix, or outright repetition?
            • Kev dives into the spectacle — practical effects, sound design, and what it's like to watch your first Star Wars Film
            • The legacy characters — Han, Leia, and Luke. How well does the film balance past and future?
            • The humour — lighter, faster, more modern. Does it fit the Star Wars tone?
            • The “show vs tell” balance — does the film rely too heavily on familiarity, or does it earn its emotional beats?
            • The ending — powerful, quiet, and iconic. Does it stick the landing?
            • And finally, whether Star Wars: The Force Awakens is the Best Film Ever — or simply the most important reboot of the modern blockbuster era.

              • Become a Patron of this podcast and support the BFE at

              https://www.patreon.com/BFE

              We are extremely thankful to our following Patrons for their most generous support:

              • Juleen from It Goes Down In The PM
              • Hermes Auslander
              • James DeGuzman
              • Synthia
              • Shai Bergerfroind
              • Ariannah Who Loves BFE The Most
              • Paul Komoroski
              • Duane Smith (Duane Smith!)
              • Andy Dickson
              • Chris Pedersen
              • Randal Silva
              • Nate The Great
              • Rev Bruce
              • Richard
              • Ryan Kuketz
              • Dirk Diggler
              • Stew from the Stew World Order podcast
              • NorfolkDomus
              • John Humphrey's Right Foot
              • Timmy Tim Tim
              • Aashrey
              • Youth Hosteling with Chris Eubank

                • Buy some BFE merch at https://my-store-b4e4d4.creator-spring.com/.

                Massive thanks to Lex Van Den Berghe for the use of Mistake by Luckydog. Catch more from Lex's new band, The Maids of Honor, at https://soundcloud.com/themaidsofhonor

                Also, massive thanks to Moonlight Social for our age game theme song. You can catch more from them at https://www.moonlightsocialmusic.com/

                5 hr 1 min
              • Episode 328 - The Prince of Egypt (with that lucky so-and-so, James DeGuzman)

                “Let my people go.”

                Join Ian, Liam & Megs for our 328th episode as we part the Red Sea, confront destiny, and revisit one of the most ambitious animated films ever made with The Prince of Egypt (1998). Kev? He’s not with us this week — he attempted to follow a mysterious burning bush into the desert and hasn’t returned. We assume he’s negotiating some very specific commandments.

                This week we discuss:

                • The scale of the storytelling — biblical epic through animation. How does the film balance intimacy with spectacle?
                • Val Kilmer’s dual performance — Moses and God. Subtle, conflicted, and quietly powerful.
                • Ralph Fiennes’ Ramses — tragic, proud, and deeply human. One of animation’s most underrated antagonists?
                • The music — from Deliver Us to When You Believe. Does the soundtrack elevate the film into something transcendent?
                • Megs explores the film’s emotional core — brotherhood, identity, and the cost of doing what is right.
                • Ian breaks down the animation — traditional techniques blended with early CGI. How well does it hold up?
                • Liam questions the narrative focus — is this Moses’ story, Ramses’ story, or something shared between them?
                • The depiction of faith — reverent, interpretive, and accessible. Does the film succeed regardless of belief?
                • The plagues sequence — visually stunning, morally complex, and still haunting.
                • The “show vs tell” balance — how much does the film trust its visuals versus its dialogue and songs?
                • Ian goes all Old Testament, telling us that 'the book was better' and how they left the ultimate sideplot sitting on the table
                • The ending — epic, earned, and emotionally resonant. Does it land as both spectacle and personal journey?
                • And finally, whether The Prince of Egypt is the Best Film Ever — or one of the greatest animated films ever made.

                  • Become a Patron of this podcast and support the BFE at

                  https://www.patreon.com/BFE

                  We are extremely thankful to our following Patrons for their most generous support:

                  • Juleen from It Goes Down In The PM
                  • Hermes Auslander
                  • James DeGuzman
                  • Synthia
                  • Shai Bergerfroind
                  • Ariannah Who Loves BFE The Most
                  • Paul Komoroski
                  • Duane Smith (Duane Smith!)
                  • Andy Dickson
                  • Chris Pedersen
                  • Randal Silva
                  • Nate The Great
                  • Rev Bruce
                  • Richard
                  • Ryan Kuketz
                  • Dirk Diggler
                  • Stew from the Stew World Order podcast
                  • NorfolkDomus
                  • John Humphrey's Right Foot
                  • Timmy Tim Tim
                  • Aashrey
                  • Youth Hosteling with Chris Eubank

                    • Buy some BFE merch at https://my-store-b4e4d4.creator-spring.com/.

                    Massive thanks to Lex Van Den Berghe for the use of Mistake by Luckydog. Catch more from Lex's new band, The Maids of Honor, at https://soundcloud.com/themaidsofhonor

                    Also, massive thanks to Moonlight Social for our age game theme song. You can catch more from them at https://www.moonlightsocialmusic.com/

                    3 hr 49 min
                  • WrestleMania 42 Review

                    You know we love our wrestling here at the BFE (well… some of us do).

                    Join Ian from Best Film Ever and Stew from The Stew World Order podcast as we break the BFE format by looking at WrestleMania 42. We discuss whether CM Punk vs Roman Reigns delivered on the big stage, why were there so many adverts, what was the point of Pat McAfee, did we care about the big return in the women's division, whether the Jade Cargill experiment is over now, and what was with all the wrestlers using each others' finishers this year?

                    Catch more of Stew on his own podcast: Stew World Order at

                    https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/stew-world-order/id1559913522

                    You can also catch him at his website where he writes about all sorts of fun things:
                    https://swoproductions.com/

                    1 hr 37 min
                  • Episode 327 - All The President's Men

                    “Follow the money.”

                    Join Ian, Liam & Kev for our 327th episode as we type through the night, chase sources, and piece together one of the greatest journalistic thrillers ever made with All the President’s Men (1976). Megs? She’s not with us this week — she insisted on meeting a source in an underground parking garage and hasn’t come back up yet. We assume she’s waiting for a shadowy figure to confirm something.

                    This week we discuss:

                    • Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman as Woodward & Bernstein — contrasting energies, relentless curiosity, and the slow grind of uncovering truth.
                    • The procedural storytelling — phone calls, notes, dead ends. Why the film makes paperwork feel like high drama.
                    • The pace — deliberately methodical. Does the lack of traditional “action” heighten tension or test patience?
                    • Megs explores the role of journalism — integrity, persistence, and the cost of getting it right.
                    • Ian breaks down the film’s structure — accumulation of detail, repetition, and how small discoveries build into something enormous.
                    • Liam questions accessibility — does the film expect too much knowledge from its audience, or does it teach you as it goes?
                    • The use of sound and silence — typewriters, newsroom chatter, and the weight of quiet spaces.
                    • Deep Throat — myth, mystery, and whether the film benefits from keeping him just out of reach.
                    • The ending — abrupt, unresolved, and historically loaded. Does it land emotionally without showing the full outcome?
                    • We debate “show vs tell” — is the film a masterclass in restraint, or does it occasionally feel too distant?
                    • The legacy — how this film shaped political cinema and public trust in journalism.
                    • And finally, whether All the President’s Men is the Best Film Ever — or simply one of the most important investigative films ever made.

                      • Become a Patron of this podcast and support the BFE at

                      https://www.patreon.com/BFE

                      We are extremely thankful to our following Patrons for their most generous support:

                      • Juleen from It Goes Down In The PM
                      • Hermes Auslander
                      • James DeGuzman
                      • Synthia
                      • Shai Bergerfroind
                      • Ariannah Who Loves BFE The Most
                      • Paul Komoroski
                      • Duane Smith (Duane Smith!)
                      • Andy Dickson
                      • Chris Pedersen
                      • Randal Silva
                      • Nate The Great
                      • Rev Bruce
                      • Richard
                      • Ryan Kuketz
                      • Dirk Diggler
                      • Stew from the Stew World Order podcast
                      • NorfolkDomus
                      • John Humphrey's Right Foot
                      • Timmy Tim Tim
                      • Aashrey
                      • Youth Hosteling with Chris Eubank

                        • Buy some BFE merch at https://my-store-b4e4d4.creator-spring.com/.

                        Massive thanks to Lex Van Den Berghe for the use of Mistake by Luckydog. Catch more from Lex's new band, The Maids of Honor, at https://soundcloud.com/themaidsofhonor

                        Also, massive thanks to Moonlight Social for our age game theme song. You can catch more from them at https://www.moonlightsocialmusic.com/

                        3 hr 35 min
                      • Episode 326 - Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle

                        "Welcome to Jumanji!"

                        Join Ian, Liam & Megs for our 326th episode as we press start, pick our avatars, and get sucked into the chaotic, comedic, and surprisingly heartfelt world of Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017). Kev? He’s not with us this week — he selected his character without reading the stats and is now stuck in the jungle with a weakness to cake and only one life remaining. We wish him luck.

                        This week we discuss:

                        • The central gimmick — body-swap comedy meets video game logic. Why this concept works far better than it has any right to.
                        • Dwayne Johnson’s performance — bravado, vulnerability, and comedic timing. Is this one of his most self-aware roles?
                        • Kevin Hart as the reluctant sidekick — high-energy, fast-talking, and constantly outmatched. Does he elevate or overwhelm?
                        • Jack Black’s scene-stealing turn — Surely even Megs will commend his commitment, physicality, and one of the boldest comedic performances in a mainstream blockbuster.  
                        • Karen Gillan’s balancing act — action hero competence with awkward teenage insecurity underneath.
                        • Megs explores the film’s take on identity — how stepping into a different body reframes confidence, perception, and self-worth.
                        • Ian breaks down the narrative structure — game levels, stakes, callbacks and consequences that are both earned and why the film’s pacing feels so clean.
                        • Liam questions the emotional core — does the film earn its character growth, or is it just well-disguised formula?
                        • The video game rules — clear, fun, and occasionally inconsistent. When do they help the story, and when do they get bent? We're looking  at you, Nick Jonas
                        • The humour — broad, physical, and surprisingly sharp. Which jokes land, and which ones don’t quite stick?
                        • The ending — satisfying, predictable, or just the right amount of both?
                        • And finally, whether Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle is the Best Film Ever — or one of the most unexpectedly successful reboots of the modern era.

                          • Become a Patron of this podcast and support the BFE at

                          https://www.patreon.com/BFE

                          We are extremely thankful to our following Patrons for their most generous support:

                          • Juleen from It Goes Down In The PM
                          • Hermes Auslander
                          • James DeGuzman
                          • Synthia
                          • Shai Bergerfroind
                          • Ariannah Who Loves BFE The Most
                          • Paul Komoroski
                          • Duane Smith (Duane Smith!)
                          • Andy Dickson
                          • Chris Pedersen
                          • Randal Silva
                          • Nate The Great
                          • Rev Bruce
                          • Cheezy (with a fish on a bike)
                          • Richard
                          • Ryan Kuketz
                          • Dirk Diggler
                          • Stew from the Stew World Order podcast
                          • NorfolkDomus
                          • John Humphrey's Right Foot
                          • Timmy Tim Tim
                          • Aashrey
                          • Youth Hosteling with Chris Eubank

                            • Buy some BFE merch at https://my-store-b4e4d4.creator-spring.com/.

                            Massive thanks to Lex Van Den Berghe for the use of Mistake by Luckydog. Catch more from Lex's new band, The Maids of Honor, at https://soundcloud.com/themaidsofhonor

                            Also, massive thanks to Moonlight Social for our age game theme song. You can catch more from them at https://www.moonlightsocialmusic.com/

                            3 hr 19 min
                          • WrestleMania 42 (Preview)

                            You know we love our wrestling here at the BFE (well some of us...). Join Ian from Best Film Ever and Stew from The Stew World Order podcast as we break the BFE format by looking ahead to WrestleMania 42.  Stew watched last year's show from Reliant Stadium and like most punters on that weekend, he's not going back.


                            We discuss whether the build has been good this year? What is going on with Pat McAfee? Why have we forgotten about Randy Orton in all of this? Who were the biggest snubs this year? Can anything be done to save Jade Cargill? And how did Rusev and JD McDonaugh get on the card this year?

                            We'll preview each match on the card as well as try to figure out John Cena & Danhausen's roles among the festivities as we discuss how to build a character, how to build a feud, and where WWE goes after the big weekend.

                            Catch more of Stew on his own podcast: Stew World Order at
                            https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/stew-world-order/id1559913522

                            You can also catch him at his website where he writes about all sorts of fun things:
                            https://swoproductions.com/

                            1 hr 42 min
                          • Episode 325 - Wag the Dog

                            “This is nothing. This is nothing. Why does the dog wag its tail? Because a dog is smarter than its tail.”

                            Join Ian & Liam for our 325th episode as we step into the spin rooms, sound stages, and manufactured realities of Barry Levinson’s razor-sharp political satire Wag the Dog (1997). Megs isn’t with us this week — she’s been hired to produce a last-minute war in Albania (tight turnaround, great exposure). Kev? He’s currently composing a patriotic anthem that may or may not exist by the time you hear this.

                            This week we discuss:

                            • Dustin Hoffman’s Stanley Motss — flamboyant, obsessive, and desperate for credit. Is this one of the great comedic performances of the ’90s?
                            • Robert De Niro’s Conrad Brean — calm, calculated, and morally untethered. Is he the real power in the film… or just the most efficient?
                            • The central satire — media manipulation, political theatre, and the terrifying ease of creating “truth.”
                            • We share many stories of what it means to guide an actor, when you should back off, and what do we do when we simply 'can't find the character' ourselves
                            • Ian breaks down the film’s narrative precision — lean, fast, and ruthlessly efficient storytelling.
                            • Liam explores the film’s relevance — does Wag the Dog feel prophetic, outdated, or uncomfortably current?
                            • The machinery of deception — producers, actors, composers. Who actually “makes” reality in this world?
                            • The escalation of the lie — how small fabrications spiral into full-scale belief.
                            • The “show vs tell” balance — is the film too clever for its own good, or exactly as sharp as it needs to be?
                            • Which character were we both all-out on?
                            • What does it mean for something to be satirical and at what point does that present itself in the film?
                            • Is it harder to get on board with the conceit of the film in 2026 compared to 1997 and why?
                            • Ian shares everything he knows about Albania and where he learned it from
                            • The ending — dark punchline, inevitable consequence, or the ultimate statement on power?
                            • The moral centre (or lack of one) — does the film care about truth, or just the performance of it?
                            • And finally, whether Wag the Dog is the Best Film Ever — or one of the most incisive political satires ever made.

                              • Become a Patron of this podcast and support the BFE at

                              https://www.patreon.com/BFE

                              3 hr 45 min

                            About Best Film Ever

                            From the publisher's feed

                            Your new favourite transatlantic film review podcast, trawling through the blockbusters and critical darlings in search of the best film ever.

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