Nate and Ryan start their journey through their 5-Star movies by discussing The Apartment, the 1960 classic starring Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine. Winning a swath of Oscars signaled the love people had for The Apartment early on, but over the years, its legend has only grown. Directed by Billy Wilder, it’s widely hailed as one of the best movies of all time. So why is that? Nate and Ryan discuss what there is to love about this surprisingly dark, lovely comedy.

What do you think of The Apartment? Let us know!

Billy and me: why I love The Apartment by Cameron Crowe (The Guardian).

Roger Ebert’s Great Movie review of The Apartment.

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Happy T. Hanksgiving! It’s that wonderful time of year when we give thanks for Hanks. This year we’re celebrating by rewatching a ’90s classic, Apollo 13, directed by Ron Howard and starring, of course, the man himself: Tom Hanks.

Coming right in the middle of his epic run of iconic ’90s roles, Apollo 13 continued to cement Tom Hanks as a dependable box office draw and an American treasure. Grab your astronaut ice cream, strap yourself in, and join us as we give thanks for Hanks.

Where does Apollo 13 rank for you among Tom Hanks movies? Was Tom Hanks robbed for the Oscar for this one? Let us know!

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Get ready for another Holiday Spooktacular, as Nate and Ryan watch Godzilla Minus One, last year’s Oscar-winning hit monster movie from Japan! Who knew we needed another Godzilla movie, and a prequel at that, but director Takashi Yamazaki delivered a blend of monster action and historical fiction heart, bound together by Oscar-winning special effects. For their first monster movie, Nate and Ryan dive into the ocean of Godzilla mythology and talk about what might have struck a chord with so many viewers last year.

What are your thoughts on Godzilla Minus One or Godzilla’s legend in general? Let us know!

Watch The Visual Effects of Godzilla Minus One (Godzilla Official by TOHO).

Watch Godzilla Minus One Did VFX the 90s Way and That’s Why It Won an Oscar (IGN).

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Nate and Ryan talk about 2023’s American Fiction, written and directed by Cord Jefferson and starring Jeffrey Wright. Both Nate and Ryan are big fans of author Percival Everett and his novel Erasure, which American Fiction is adapted from. For that reason, expectations were high for this Academy-Award winning movie. Critics all loved it, and the limited audiences who saw it seemed to as well. So what did Nate and Ryan think?

Share your thoughts on American Fiction, Percival Everett, and anything else you want us to know!

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Nate and Ryan complete the second leg of Barbenheimer with a discussion about 2023’s smash hit Barbie, directed by Greta Gerwig. Barbie‘s popularity boom and subsequent backlash and Oscars buzz and subsequent Oscars backlash have come and gone, so we decided it would be a good time to see what it’s like to watch Barbie after the dust has settled, but while it’s still fresh in our minds. We discuss our love for all things Greta Gerwig, the all-out weirdness of this movie, and what we think there is to learn about being human from this massively successful corporate commercial.

What are your thoughts on Barbie? Let us know!

Watch Patriarchy According to The Barbie Movie by Pop Culture Detective.

Read Barbie Has Never Been a Great Symbol, but She’s an Excellent Mirror by Andi Zeisler (New York Times)

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Once again, the Academy picked our movie for this month, so Ryan and Nate are re-watching Oppenheimer, 2024’s Best Picture Oscar winner, written and directed by Christopher Nolan. On top of continuing this year’s theme of revisiting 2023, Ryan and Nate realized they’ve never talked about a Christopher Nolan movie on air. Given the decades worth of praise that’s been heaped upon Nolan, as well as the mountain of awards his latest movie won, it seemed like the time was right to take a trip back to Los Alamos.

Where does Nolan rank for you among favorite directors? Where does Oppenheimer rank among Nolan films? Let us know!

Watch Christopher Nolan narrate the opening scene of Oppenheimer in this New York Times Anatomy of a Scene.

Read Jennifer Ouellette’s Oppenheimer review for Ars Technica.

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For this episode, Nate and Ryan picked from the slate of Best Picture nominees and decided to re-watch Past Lives, their favorite movie from 2023, and a stunning directorial debut from playwright Celine Song. While it’s not a front-runner for any Oscars, Past Lives has been widely recognized as something special, which is saying something, given how strong the field was this last year. It’s unexpected Golden Globe nominations put Past Lives on many people’s radar, and a slew of nominations (and a few wins) followed. Listen in as we talk about what makes this movie so special and why it deserves all the love it gets.

What are your thoughts about Past Lives? Let us know!

Celine Song interview on the Scene 2 Seen Podcast

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Nate and Ryan discuss the Golden Globe winning and Oscar nominated Alexander Payne comedic drama The Holdovers. Much has been made of the reunion of Paul Giamatti and Alexander Payne after 20 years. Added to their alchemy are Da’Vine Joy Randolph (in yet another standout performance) and newcomer Dominic Sessa. What results is a throwback comedy that unfolds in emotional and unexpected ways. Nate and Ryan talk about how Payne and Co. create a lived-in atmosphere and whether The Holdovers has the goods to be in the annual watch rotation. On top of all that, hear their plans for this year’s theme!

What are your thoughts on The Holdovers, and what movies should we talk about in future episodes this year? Let us know!

Read Wesley Morris’s review of The Holdovers (New York Times)

Watch The Holdovers trailer

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For our Gap Year T. Hanksgiving, Nate and Ryan watch The ‘Burbs, the 1989 Tom Hanks cult classic directed by Joe Dante. Featuring a stacked cast, including Carrie Fisher, Bruce Dern, and Corey Feldman, in addition to the man himself, The ‘Burbs is a horror/comedy that kind of befuddled audiences and critics in the late ’80s, but has developed a growing reputation as a prescient criticism of the corrosive power of a humdrum suburban existence. The ‘Burbs showcases the burgeoning realist side of Hanks, but gives plenty of opportunity for over-the-top crazy Hanks to shine through.

Let us know your thoughts on The ‘Burbs!

Roger Ebert’s review of The ‘Burbs

The ‘Burbs at 30: how the cult comedy horror skewered suburbia by Charles Bramesco

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‘Tis the season for our 10th annual Holiday Spooktacular, and as part of our Gap Year, we’re watching Hereditary, Ari Aster’s 2018 hit horror film starring Toni Collette. Hereditary took audiences by storm and continued studio A24’s rise to prominence in the current film conversation. It’s a career-making first feature for Ari Aster, and an electric performance by Toni Collette that seemed to impress everyone. As per Holiday Spooktacular tradition, Nate and Ryan had scared themselves out of watching it until now, seeing as Hereditary’s place as a must-see horror movie seems more or less cemented.

What did you think of Hereditary? Let us know!

Read Hereditary’s Ari Aster Answers Our Burning Questions About His “Upsetting” Horror Film by Jordan Crucchiola (Vulture).