Cinemakers

After a string of (mostly) knock-out films, The Knick continues Steven Soderbergh's hot streak as he transitions from film to prestige TV. This episode covers the complete first season (with talk about season two coming next week), as we're introduced to our key players and the world of The Knick at the turn of the century. Everyone is at the absolute peak of their powers in this show, from Soderbergh to Clive Owen to Cliff Martinez (who did the score). The Knick might not be as perfect as a film like Out of Sight or Ocean's Eleven, but it may just be the best thing Soderbergh has ever made.

Behind the Candelabra was deemed "too gay" by major Hollywood studios, so Soderbergh headed to HBO for his last feature film before his "retirement." Anchored by two strong lead performances, can Soderbergh and company elevate the biopic genre and a shockingly muddled/average script to something more? Listen and find out! (Spoiler: no.)

Side Effects -- once billed as Soderbergh's last film -- may be one of his most complicated and twisting narratives. Nothing is what it seems as the story continues to unravel and unfold, revealing more twists and turns at every step of the way. Soderbergh is truly firing on all cylinders at this point in his career, and this is yet another instance of a master filmmaker in his prime.

Magic Mike may be a disappointment to people looking for a movies where hot guys dance for two hours. Sure, there's a lot of that on display here -- including all dancing scenes played back-to-back as a special features on the DVD -- but in what world does a movie like that have a 10 minute scene where its lead tries to get a small business loan application approved? When looking at this movie from the guise of Cinemakers and within the framing of Steven Soderbergh's career, however, it's clear that this film may be a masterpiece that discusses the American Dream and the difficulty of starting your own business, and does so with remarkable insight on a level that rivals any of Soderbergh's other work. Also: hot guys get naked and dance.

Haywire reunites Steven Soderbergh with Lem Dobbs in a tale of revenge on par with The Limey, one of their previous team-ups. Anchored by a badass leading character, Haywire brings Gina Carano on a roaring rampage of revenge after she discovers she's been set up. As we learned from Snake Eyes, you need five for a conspiracy, which means she has a lot of names to take and a lot of asses to kick. What I'm trying to say, you guys, is this movie is great.

Contagion may be one of Steven Soderbergh's best films in just about every regard. This sprawling narrative features a star-studded cast and editing/cinematography that will leave you terrified to touch your face. Also! We talk about And Everything is Going Fine, the posthumous Spalding Gray documentary Soderbergh released in 2010.

The Informant! is a movie that could have gone wrong in so many ways. Somehow, Steven Soderbergh threaded the needle to create one of the most singularly unique and oddly funny movies in recent memory.

Ocean's Thirteen closes out the Danny Ocean chapter of Soderbergh's career with a return to Vegas. Also: it's the third trilogy we've covered on the #CageClub Podcast Network... a trilogy trifecta!