Hazel & Katniss & Harry & Starr

Brenna and Joe tackle the six episode limited series adaptation of I'm Not Scared, here called I'm Not Afraid (2026).

Directed entirely by Alba Gil and shot/set in Mexico, this version is a little different. The kids are still important, but the adults have taken center stage.

Plus: our fave episode; who the series "blames"; a different kind of socioeconomic despair; and why the ending doesn't fully satisfy.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at [email protected]

Theme music: Rewind Kid "Rhythm Revolution"

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Brenna and Joe head to Italy for the first time with a discussion of celebrated author Niccolò Ammaniti's I'm Not Scared (2001).

We talk about financial hardships, the end of middle grade innocence, more TERRIBLE parents, and the political and social turmoil during Italy's the Years of Lead.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at [email protected]

Theme music: Rewind Kid "Rhythm Revolution"

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Brenna and Joe continue scary season with a look at queer Australian film Leviticus (2026) from Adrian Chiarella.

Religious oppression, conversion therapy, doomed love, and TERRIBLE parents are all on the docket.

Plus: our thoughts on the ending.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at [email protected]

Theme music: Rewind Kid "Rhythm Revolution"

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For the first week of Scary Season 2026, Brenna and Joe venture to Quebec to discuss Ariane Louis-Seize's YA vampire coming of age rom-com Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person (2023) which is the best title we've ever seen.

The film is utterly delightful, anchored by two revelatory lead performances (we're particularly smitten with Félix-Antoine Bénard's Paul) and features a fresh take on vampires.

Plus: a loft to die for; vibrant supporting characters; and one stunning musical moment.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at [email protected]  

Theme music: Rewind Kid "Rhythm Revolution" 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Brenna and Joe respond to mail from listeners Jorge - who makes a pitch for Skins Series 4 & 5 - and Eliza - an(other) actual teenage listener!

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at [email protected]

Theme music: Rewind Kid "Rhythm Revolution"

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Brenna and Joe return to rom com territory with Finding Emily (2026).

Starring podcasts regulars Angourie Rice and Minnie Driver, the film is your typical "boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy meets another girl trying to find the first girl."

And yet...by virtue of great casting, an awareness of the subgenre's tropes, and a predominantly female focus, this is an utter delight!

Plus: more fun credits!

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at [email protected]  

Theme music: Rewind Kid "Rhythm Revolution" 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Thanks to listener Chloe, Brenna and Joe check out George Jacques' Sunny Dancer (2026) which stars Bella Ramsey and Neil Patrick Harris.

The cast is great, though the film relies a little too heavily on montage and familiar (cancer kid) tropes. Then comes the disastrous ending that torpedos all of the movie's goodwill. Can we forgive the unearned emotional manipulation?

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at [email protected]  

Theme music: Rewind Kid "Rhythm Revolution" 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Listener Foxy writes in to describe their experience with Skins series and make a possible recommendation about coverage if Brenna and Joe decide to take another stab at the series.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at [email protected]  

Theme music: Rewind Kid "Rhythm Revolution" 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Brenna and Joe circle back on Hayley Kiyoko's Girls Like Girls to check out the 2026 film.

We're disappointed. Great chemistry between the two leads and music video visual aesthetic don't make up for even less character development than the book!

Plus: Zach Braff; losing backstories; and pondering the changes in the queer female media landscape over the last ~10 years

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at [email protected]  

Theme music: Rewind Kid "Rhythm Revolution"

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Following our episode on The Song of the Lioness, we immediately heard from 'Tea, Books & Chocolate' as well as Emma who wrote in to reassure us about the subversive nature of the rest of the quartet, new love interests, and how the series intersects with queerness in unexpected ways.

Plus: an apology from Joe and a reassurance that we will continue with plans to read Book 3!

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at [email protected]  

Theme music: Rewind Kid "Rhythm Revolution" 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.