If relationships are key to humankind’s survival—which they are—then they’re even more important to the plot of pretty much any movie you can name. On this week’s show, Dan Webster, Mary Pat Treuthart and Nathan Weinbender discuss a pair of movies that depend, in some fairly essential ways, on the relationships forged—and in other cases broken—by a range of characters. The first is “Caught Stealing,” a change of pace for director Darren Aronofsky, and the second is “Splitsville,” a study of missed connections and emotional chaos and how both affect a pair of marriages.

A study released last October showed that movie remakes tend to lose money. Yet the film industry, for a variety of reasons, keeps churning them out. On this week’s show, Dan Webster, Mary Pat Treuthart and Nathan Weinbender discuss one recent remake, Spike Lee’s film “Highest 2 Lowest,” which is his version of Ed McBain’s 1959 novel “King’s Ransom,” as well as take a look back at another McBain adaptation, Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa’s 1963 film “High and Low.”

One of the joys of moviegoing is the chance to enjoy the kind of intensity that comes from indulging in a fictional world. On this week’s show, Dan Webster, Nathan Weinbender, and Mary Pat Treuthart discuss two films that offer that type of opportunity. The first is “Weapons,” a box-office-busting exercise in horror, and “Cloud,” a psychological thriller from Japan.

The actor Peter Ustinov is reported to have said: “Comedy is simply a funny way of being serious.” That holds true whether you’re Lenny Bruce, Weird Al Yankovic or Leanne Morgan. On this week’s show, Dan Webster, Nathan Weinbender, and Mary Pat Treuthart discuss a trio of films, all of which are either sequels or reboots and all of which—like their earlier counterparts—test the limits of farcical comedy. They start off with “The Naked Gun,” followed by “Happy Gilmore 2” and then end with “Freakier Friday.”

Over the decades, show business has given us any number of celebrities who at times seem as familiar to us as actual member of our own families. On this week’s show, Dan Webster, Nathan Weinbender, and Mary Pat Treuthart discuss a pair of streaming documentary features that focus on well-known public figures from the past—TV host Ed Sullivan in Netflix’s “Sunday Best: The Untold Story of Ed Sullivan,” and Jayne Mansfield in HBO Max’s “My Mom Jayne.”

Movies that open at film festivals seldom achieve blockbuster status, but the best ones—and even some that are merely good—usually end up reaching their desired audiences. On this week’s show, Dan Webster, Nathan Weinbender, and Mary Pat Treuthart discuss a pair of Sundance Film Festival releases that are well worth checking out: the first is Eva Victor’s “Sorry, Baby” and the second is Sophie Brooks’ “Oh, Hi!”

Like most everything in life, perspective is all. And when it comes to movies, perspective is reflected in what’s also known as point of view. On this week’s show, Dan Webster, Nathan Weinbender, and Mary Pat Treuthart discuss two movies that reveal their narratives through the eyes of very different characters. The first is the Ari Aster feature “Eddington,” and the second is “Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight,” the first venture as writer-director by the actress-turned-filmmaker Embeth Davidtz.

Summer wouldn’t be summer without a few movie blockbusters, and this summer of 2025 certainly has its share. On this week’s show, Dan Webster, Nathan Weinbender, and Mary Pat Treuthart discuss a pair of big-screen bonanzas, both of which are part of far-larger franchises. The first is the newest iteration of “Superman,” this one directed by James Gunn, and they pivot from there to the Gareth Edwards-helmed “Jurassic World Rebirth,” the seventh in a series dating back some three decades.

Fantasy in its various forms is the lifeblood of moviemaking. And this is true whether you’re talking romance, action, comedy or any other genre you can name. On this week’s show, Dan Webster, Nathan Weinbender, and Mary Pat Treuthart discuss a pair of films that indulge in fantasy, each conforming to its particular genre. The first is the racing film “F1” and the second is the existentialist meditation titled “The Life of Chuck.”

One of the favorite games that most, if not all, movie fans plays is: What are your top 10 movies? Well, the New York Times just compiled a list 10 times as big. On this week’s show, Dan Webster, Nathan Weinbender, and Mary Pat Treuthart discuss that list, something the editors are proclaiming as the "100 Best Movies of the 21st Century," and list their own picks for the top 10.