Critical Darlings

By the power of Grayskull, we have cartoonist and co-host of the No Gods No Mayors podcast, Mattie Lubchansky, in studio to discuss Masters of the Universe! 

The movie is a test for Mattel, who are going all-in on IP management in the post-Barbie era but Masters has underperformed at the box office and with critics. Has the He-Man IP run out of gas? Did it ever have gas? What would a coherent He-Man movie even look like? Where’s Orko? 

On this episode, we try and figure it out. We discuss the movie’s patchwork approach to plot and character, its history in development hell, its mostly-winning cast including Nicholas Galitzine, Jared Leto, and do a sidebar on Idris Elba’s history on the big screen. Finally, we wonder if this movie signals an approaching end to the toyetic IP boom of the last couple of decades, or if this is just a blip, with movies like Spider-Man and Doomsday on the horizon. 

Next week, we’ll be staring at the camera wistfully, eyes aglow with childlike wonder, to discuss Disclosure Day!

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This week we’re joined by the very liminal Ryan Broderick, proprietor of the great Garbage Day newsletter and host of the podcast Panic World, to discuss A24’s hit, Backrooms!  Based on a 4-Chan thread, creepypasta, and web series, the movie has captured young filmgoers and its young director, Kane Parsons, has captured Hollywood’s attention. 

Compared to last week’s subject, Obsession, Backrooms is a much more ambitious blend of effects-driven horror: juggling mid-life ennui, childhood trauma, and corporate conspiracy against an endless fluorescent yellow backdrop. It turns out, men would rather go to the backrooms than engage with therapy. 

We discuss what works about Backrooms, what doesn’t, and continue our conversation about YouTube directors making the jump to Hollywood. Finally, we discuss the feel-good story of so many new films finding footing in the industry, and what might be next for Parsons and other YouTube crossovers. 

Next week, we’re getting shirtless and toyetic, with The Masters of the Universe! 

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This week, it’s springtime for sad boys, with “Obsession!” a horror flick from Blumhouse and director Curry Barker. The movie has exceeded all expectations and is currently doing better than its opening weekend, largely thanks to great word-of-mouth. The movie tells a monkey’s paw story about a one-sided, obsessive relationship that’s taken to horrific, supernatural heights. It’s both fun and genuinely upsetting, thanks to two excellent lead performances and confident direction that makes the most of a very low budget.

We also explore the history of YouTubers who’ve made it big in Hollywood (where Barker started his career) and why directors seem to transition into Hollywood more easily than other youtube talent. Plus, we give a quick rundown of Alison and Richard’s Cannes experiences to give you a sneak peek of what we’ll be discussing later this year. And we have a special guest appearance from Critical Darling’s straight boy correspondent, Griffin Newman, who’ll share his thoughts on the movie in a Straight Boy Corner segment. 

Next week, we’re all yellow, and exploring The Backrooms with a special guest, see you then. 

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Coucou les cheris! As Cannes is underway on the Riviera, we take a break from our usual movie-of-the-week format to look back at the year so far, and look forward to this summer.

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Wake up sheeple, it’s The Sheep Detectives! This week we’re joined by our very own executive sheepherder Griffin Newman to discuss the new cozy mystery for families. After the mysterious death of their shepherd, played by Hugh Jackman, his band of sheep team up to solve the mystery in a picturesque British countryside. Surprisingly, it’s very good! Knitting together themes of memory and grief, tied up in a wooly bow.

We discuss the plot and characters, our histories with upsetting kid’s movies, the exceptional voice performance of Julia Louis-Dreyfus and more. We get into Amazon and MGM’s current play for the box office, fall down a He-Man rabbit hole, and also talk about some other cozy mysteries.

Next week, we look back at the year so far, and look forward with a Summer movie preview. 

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Description: “…You think that you've made a choice that exempts you from the podcast industry when, in fact, you're listening to a podcast that was selected for you by the people in the room…and Who? Weekly!” This week on the show, we’re joined by the hosts of ⁠Who? Weekly⁠, Lindsey Webber and Bobby Finger, to discuss The Devil Wears Prada 2, starring a list of all-star Thems: Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt, and Stanley Tucci.

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Michael is many things: a box-office triumph, a savvy piece of IP management, and a Frankenstein stitched together from a movie we’ll never get to see. Today on the show, we’re joined by two journalists who have reported on Michael Jackson for the Think Twice: Michael Jackson podcast: our own producer Benjamin Frisch, and Danielle Hewitt, to try and make sense of a deeply flawed film that also features some of the best pop music of all time.  

We get into the drawn-out trajectory of the movie, its legal woes and reshoots, the casting of Michael’s nephew Jaafar in the lead role, and the film’s rose-colored view of its main subject. We also dip into Jackson family history to think about how a more effective Jackson biopic might work, and get into the story of Michael’s career and the legacy of the now-impossible-to-stream Leaving Neverland.

Next week, we’re off to fashion week with The Devil Wears Prada 2, with Who Weekly! 

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This week, we’re holding a seance in a Dress Barn™ with Mother Mary! Directed by David Lowery and starring Anne Hathaway and Michaela Cole, this two-hander sees a pop singer and her former designer revisiting the rift that severed their early creative partnership, with spooky results.

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This week, we’re confessing the worst thing we’ve ever done with Zendaya and Batman himself with The Drama. The twist premise of A24’s newest hit throws a grenade into the idyllic romance of a beautiful couple in Boston in the days before their wedding. The movie hinges on the question of whether we can really know the people we love, but the premise, the worst thing Zendaya’s character has ever done, is what audiences are talking about. Is it a purposeful provocation or an empty one?

We discuss the movie’s masterful marketing campaign and how it harnesses its premise as an extension of A24’s edgy branding. Beyond the marketing, much of the movie’s success must also be credited to Zendaya’s stardom. We go deep on her career and her big 2026 lineup before digging into director Kristoffer Borgli’s work as a provocateur, and ponder the current state of provocation in Hollywood today, before giving our recommendations for the week.

Next week, we’re off to the English countryside, discussing Mother Mary.

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This week, it's The Mario Galaxy Movie! The second film in the Nintendo/Illumination franchise is already a global hit despite less than stellar reviews. It is nevertheless a fascinating film: an amalgam of stunning animation and music, full of hyperactive action, with little interest in the typical conventions of narrative storytelling, and like, plot.

On this episode Alison and Richard, along with producer Benjamin Frisch, discuss the film, its beauty and weirdness, offer a sidebar on Shigeru Miyamoto as-artist, and delve into the history of video game adaptations.

We discuss producer Ben’s longstanding trauma related to the 1993 Super Mario Bros. adaptation, and the evolution of video game films from the schlocky but individual adaptations of the past to the more controlled franchise model of today. Finally, we expose Dr. Mario for his quackery, scold the Mario babies, and recommend some further viewing and listening.

Next week, we will be revealing the worst things we’ve ever done, over dinner, with The Drama.

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