This week on the Movie Squad pod, it’s tonal whiplash from the Blockbuster Babes as they give you a bodice-ripping romance scored by Charli XCX, a heartbreaking piece of docufiction set in Gaza, and a Michael Mann-pastiche starring Chris Hemsworth.

First up, Tristan Fidler and Brekky host Pamela Boland review Emerald Fennell’s sultry adaptation of Wuthering Heights (sorry: “Wuthering Heights”) starring Margot Robbie as Cathy and Jacob Elordi as Heathcliffe (y’know, from the song).

Then, Simon Miraudo and Tristan review the Perth Festival flick The Voice of Hind Rajab, which uses the harrowing real-life audio of a child calling Palestinian emergency services for help, with actors playing the spiralling staff seeking to rescue her from a warzone.

Stay tuned for a pod-exclusive review of Crime 101, an ensemble thriller about cops, robbers and Barry Keoghan playing yet another weird little guy.

Learn about the new season of Tristan’s Trash Classics screenings at Luna Cinemas held on the last Friday of every month.

Movie Squad is sponsored by Luna Palace Cinemas, WA’s premiere independent cinemas, bringing the best film content and cinematic events to Perth.

Don’t say we don’t take you anywhere nice.

On this week’s edition of the Movie Squad podcast with Tristan Fidler, Simon Miraudo and Pamela Boland, the Blockbuster Babes visit Tasmania for Zak Hilditch’s homegrown zombie flick We Bury the Dead, starring Daisy Ridley, Brenton Thwaites and Mark Coles Smith. (It was actually filmed in Albany.)

Then, it’s a quick trip to Saipan, a retelling of the (metaphorically) explosive Saipan incident that turned Ireland’s preparations for the 2002 World Cup on its head, starring Steve Coogan. (It was actually shot in Belfast.)

Both films are now in Australian cinemas.

Stay tuned for a pod-exclusive review of the latest Adams Family flick Mother of Flies, about a young woman and her father visiting a rumoured witch for a cure to her cancer, and finding out she’s at the centre of a supernatural scheme instead. It’s streaming now on Shudder.

Learn about the new season of Tristan’s Trash Classics screenings at Luna Cinemas held on the last Friday of every month.

Movie Squad is sponsored by Luna Palace Cinemas, WA’s premiere independent cinemas, bringing the best film content and cinematic events to Perth.

January’s almost over, and the Movie Squad have solidified their themes of the year: 2026 will be a Salute to the Nepo-Parents, and a Celebration of the Art of the Tagline.

Why the hell is that the case? You’ll have to listen to the latest Movie Squad pod to find out.

First up, Brekky host Pamela Boland reflects on being inundated with movie recommendation, and then proceeds to get two more from Tristan Fidler and Simon Miraudo.

Tristan reviews the Sam Raimi horror-comedy Send Help, starring Rachel McAdams as an office drone who gets stuck on a desert island with her dudebro boss (Dylan O’Brien).

Then, Simon and Tristan take a look at Richard Linklater and Ethan Hawke’s latest, Oscar-nominated collaboration, Blue Moon, starring Hawke as the diminutive and loquacious songwriter Lorenz Hart.

Both films are now in Australian cinemas.

Stay tuned for a pod-exclusive review of the latest Perth Festival flick Sound of Falling, an unnerving and ethereal German drama set over 100 years in the confines of a German farmhouse, where the tragedies and experiences of its resident women echo throughout the years. It plays the Somerville from Feb 2 to 8.

Learn about the new season of Tristan’s Trash Classics screenings at Luna Cinemas held on the last Friday of every month.

Movie Squad is sponsored by Luna Palace Cinemas, WA’s premiere independent cinemas, bringing the best film content and cinematic events to Perth.

Timothée and Gwyneth. Jessie and Paul. Matt and Ben. Tristan and Simon… and Pam. All your favourites in one episode of Movie Squad.

In the wake of the Oscar nominations, Tristan Fidler and Simon Miraudo review Josh Safdie’s tragicomic American epic Marty Supreme, starring Timothée Chalamet as an aspirational ping-pong player who causes chaos wherever he goes. Are their raves enough to convince Brekky host Pam Boland to overlook Chalamet’s aggravating PR campaign?

Then, Simon and Pam review Hamnet, Chloé Zhao’s adaptation of Maggie O’Farrell’s historical fiction novel starring Jessie Buckley as Agnes, and Paul Mescal as her husband, a writer of note, as they navigate personal tragedy and explore its transformation into a piece of enduring art.

Stay tuned for a pod-exclusive review of the straight-to-Netflix cop flick The Rip, starring Matt Damon and Ben Affleck.

Learn about the new season of Tristan’s Trash Classics screenings at Luna Cinemas held on the last Friday of every month.

Movie Squad is sponsored by Luna Palace Cinemas, WA’s premiere independent cinemas, bringing the best film content and cinematic events to Perth.

Pam Boland is still on holiday but I guess nobody told the movies.

With guest Brekky host Millie Williams behind the desk, the Blockbuster Babes answer cinema’s siren song and return early to review three new releases!

First up, Tristan Fidler reviews 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, director Nia DaCosta’s follow-up to Danny Boyle and Alex Garland’s recently revived horror franchise, starring Ralph Fiennes.

Then, Simon Miraudo leads a discussion of the new film from director Park Chan-wook, No Other Choice, starring Squid Game’s Lee Byung-hun as a man who turns murderous when he’s fired from his job.

Stay tuned for a bonus, podcast-exclusive review of Sirāt, the movie that stunned Cannes and was recently nominated for two Golden Globes, and plays Perth Festival from January 19 to 25.

Catch up with reviews of recent Perth Festival flicks It Was Just an Accident and The Secret Agent here. And listen back to Tristan and Simon’s Top 10 Films of 2025!

You should also find out more about the new season of Tristan’s Trash Classics screenings at Luna Cinemas held on the last Friday of every month.

Movie Squad is sponsored by Luna Palace Cinemas, WA’s premiere independent cinemas, bringing the best film content and cinematic events to Perth.

It’s a Christmas miracle: a bonus Movie Squad episode!

Earlier this month, Tristan Fidler and Simon Miraudo were invited to be part of Accent, the Music and Sound in Australian Cinema Conference held at the University of Western Australia. As a Boxing Day surprise (especially for those who were disappointed by their Xmas haul), we’re gifting you the live recording of their session, titled Australian Film Scores and Needle Drops.

From the propulsive synth of Gallipoli to the twinkling strings of Somersault; the manipulated didgeridoo in The Last Wave to the droning loops of Snowtown: Australia’s most iconic film scores and needle drops are a demonstration of contrast and dissonance. (Movie about a killer boar? Better pull out the Fairlight CMI. Dark comedy set on the fictional ‘jewel of the north coast’, Porpoise Spit? Let’s licence all the ABBA songs.) In this live podcast recording, RTRFM’s resident film critics Tristan Fidler and Simon Miraudo, aka Movie Squad, celebrate Australian movie music that clashes like a Muriel Heslop ensemble, and discuss the contemporary musicians who’ve tried their hand composing for locally-made features. No cultural cringe allowed!

Featuring special guests…

Dan Golding – writer, composer, broadcaster, academic, host of the Art of the Score podcast and the Screen Sounds program on ABC Classic radio, and Professor and Chair of Media and Communication at Swinburne University of Technology.

Grace Brooks – writer, academic and teacher; co-convener of the Accent conference.

Drew Krapljanov – musician, broadcaster, member of Didion’s Bible, host of Drivetime on RTRFM (Mondays) and the Midnight Special Podcast.

Howie Ng – writer, broadcaster, editor – Senior Film & TV editor for the website Isolated Nation, host of the Midnight Special Podcast.

And a special introduction by co-convener Laurent Shervington.

Movie Squad returns to Breakfast with Pam on Friday 16 January 2026!

Movie Squad is sponsored by Luna Palace Cinemas, WA’s premiere independent cinemas, bringing the best film content and cinematic events to Perth.

Admit it, when you saw the title of this episode you fell to your knees.

For the final Movie Squad podcast of 2025 (or is it? more on that later…) the Blockbuster Babes Tristan Fidler and Simon Miraudo give Brekky host Pam Boland the most beautiful Christmas gift of all. No, it’s not another commemorative token from Ballerina: From the World of John Wick (though they do give that to her again too). It’s FIVE new movie reviews.

Listen in as Simon reviews the gargantuan Avatar: Fire and Ash, now in cinemas, and Tristan takes a look at Boxing Day releases The History of Sound (starring Paul Mescal and Josh O’Connor) and The Housemaid (with Amanda Seyfriend and Sydney Sweeney).

Plus, early reviews of Perth Fest features It Was Just an Accident (the Palme d’Or winner from Jafar Panahi) and The Secret Agent (featuring Golden Globe nominee Wagner Moura).

If that wasn’t enough, stay tuned for a pod-exclusive review of the new Christmas horror remake Silent Night Deadly Night.

Plus, Simon chats with screenwriter Anthony O’Connor about the long-awaited DVD and digital release of early 2000s Aussie film Angst!

Movie Squad goes on hiatus over the summer but returns mid-January! In the meantime, keep at least one eye and one ear out for a special bonus podcast dropping before the new year.

And find out more about Tristan’s Trash Classics screenings at Luna Cinemas on the last Friday of every month here.

Movie Squad is sponsored by Luna Palace Cinemas, WA’s premiere independent cinemas, bringing the best film content and cinematic events to Perth.

Thanks for listening to another epic year of Movie Squad! Catch up with some of the year’s highlights below:

The Top 10 Films of 2025

500th Episode Live at Luna

1000th Review with Paul Grace

Refused Classification Interview with Alexei Toliopoulos and Zachary Ruane

Perth Festival Film Preview

Patrick Marlborough on Nock Loose’s Film Influences

Hot Takes for Radiothon 2025

Nick Allbrook on Running Films

Laura and Lucy Takeover for International Women’s Day

I heard this episode of the Movie Squad podcast is nuts.

After reviewing 115 films over the course of the year, the Blockbuster Babes Tristan Fidler and Simon Miraudo have once again put their babe-brains together to produce a combined Top 10 to share with Pam Boland on Brekky.

Which movie brought Simon to his knees in the cinema? Which film introduced Tristan to his new favourite song, “My Boo”? And what does separating wheat from the chaff even mean?

Pam also shares four of her favourites, and in the pod-exclusive segment, Laura Blundell and Lucy Rutherford chime in with their individual Top 10s, while Tristan and Simon count down their individual Top 20s.

Not counting cross-overs, there are more than 40 individual movies recommended as the very best of 2025. So your holiday watching is definitely sorted.

(Have you caught up with their Top 10 Films of 2024 yet? Better do your homework!)

The 10 Best Films of 2025 according to Movie Squad:

10. Cloud

Be sure to tune in to RTRFM every Friday at 7:30am to hear Movie Squad live on Breakfast with Pam!

And find out more about Tristan’s Trash Classics screenings at Luna Cinemas on the last Friday of every month here.

Movie Squad is sponsored by Luna Palace Cinemas, WA’s premiere independent cinemas, bringing the best film content and cinematic events to Perth.

Previously:

Movie Squad’s Top 30 from 2024

Movie Squad’s Top 30 from 2023

Movie Squad’s Top 30 from 2022

Movie Squad’s Top 30 from 2021

It’s the antepenultimate episode of Movie Squad for 2025!

With Brekky‘s Pam Boland away on special assignment and guest Meri Fatin taking over hosting duties, Tristan Fidler and Simon Miraudo share their final reviews before next week’s Top 10 extravaganza.

First up, Simon reviews Wake Up Dead Man, the latest entry in Rian Johnson’s whodunnit series, once again starring Daniel Craig as the venerable Benoit Blanc. On their third go-around, Blanc assists a priest (played by Josh O’Connor) in proving his innocence after an ‘impossible’ murder in his parish. It’s briefly showing in cinemas before arriving on Netflix.

Then, Tristan leads a review of Sentimental Value, director Joachim Trier’s follow-up to The Worst Person in the World, which sees him reunite with that film’s star Renate Reinsve. This time around, she plays a theatre actress reckoning with the re-entry of her absent father (Stellen Skarsgård) into her life as he plots to direct a semi-autobiographical movie. It’s playing as part of the Perth Festival Lotterywest Film season. Be sure to catch up with Movie Squad’s chat with the Fest’s Film Curator Madeline Bates here!

Stay tuned for a pod-exclusive chat as Tristan and Simon discuss their thoughts on Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein, now on Netflix. Listen to Lucy’s original review from a few weeks back!

Be sure to tune in to RTRFM every Friday at 7:30am to hear Movie Squad live on Breakfast with Pam!

And find out more about Tristan’s Trash Classics screenings at Luna Cinemas on the last Friday of every month here.

Movie Squad is sponsored by Luna Palace Cinemas, WA’s premiere independent cinemas, bringing the best film content and cinematic events to Perth.

Brekky host Pam Boland can’t believe her luck, because this week, Blockbuster Babe Tristan Fidler is joined by Bonus Babe Laura Blundell!

First up, Laura reviews Mistress Dispeller, the stunning new documentary about the professionals in China hired to break up cheating husbands with their lovers. It’s now showing in Perth cinemas.

The, Tristan reviews Kelly Reichardt’s ’70s-set heist flick The Mastermind, starring one of the Challengers himself, Josh O’Connor. It’s playing as part of the Perth Festival Lotterywest Film season. Be sure to catch up with Movie Squad’s chat with the Fest’s Film Curator Madeline Bates here!

Stay tuned for a pod-exclusive chat as Tristan reviews George Clooney and Adam Sandler’s new Netflix comedy, Jay Kelly, from director Noah Baumbach. It’s in select cinemas before heading to streaming next month.

Catch Tristan and Simon at the Accent: Music and Sound in Australian Cinema Conference this Sunday 30 November. Find out more and get your tickets here!

Be sure to tune in to RTRFM every Friday at 7:30am to hear Movie Squad live on Breakfast with Pam!

And find out more about Tristan’s Trash Classics screenings at Luna Cinemas on the last Friday of every month here.

Movie Squad is sponsored by Luna Palace Cinemas, WA’s premiere independent cinemas, bringing the best film content and cinematic events to Perth.