Moviewallas is on YouTube!

Welcome back to Moviewallas – your weekly dose of film reviews, movie news, and general banter (in theaters, on streaming, or in the back of an airplane). This week Joe, Rashmi, and Yazdi are fueled by Costco mango cakes, working through a few new mic-setup quirks, and diving into two very different watches: Scarlet and The Moment. Plus, we’re back with “I Can’t Find Anything to Watch on Video On Demand” – three non-Netflix picks to rescue your queue.

Snack check + production note Yazdi brings individually wrapped mango cakes (dangerously addictive), and Joe shares a quick update on the podcast audio setup as the team tweaks the new recording gear.

Streaming Picks –

• Just Like Heaven (Paramount+) – Rashmi revisits this warm, early-2000s comfort watch with Reese Witherspoon and Mark Ruffalo – “like a hug,” and it still holds up.

• The Librarians (KPBS on YouTube) – Yazdi recommends this timely documentary about banned books and the librarians caught in the middle, including the very real threats some have faced.    • Banned Books and the Librarians Caught in …  

• Die My Love (MUBI) – Joe champions Lynne Ramsay’s polarizing, visceral fever-dream starring Jennifer Lawrence and Robert Pattinson – a film that’s less about plot and more about impact. (Even if you don’t love it, the performances are the reason to watch.)

Scarlet A new animated feature from Mamoru Hosoda (director of Mirai), Scarlet delivers absolutely stunning visuals – the kind you want to pause and frame – with a story that sparked debate. The group agrees the animation is breathtaking, but wrestles with pacing, mythology, and how well the emotional beats translate. If you love ambitious animation (and don’t mind a little chaos in the world-building), you’ll want to hear where everyone lands.

The Moment A mockumentary-style satire set in the pop-music machine, The Moment wins the room with its humor, self-awareness, and industry-side-eye. Even coming in with mixed familiarity on Charli XCX, all three hosts get pulled into the absurdity – with major shout-outs for the comedic timing, the supporting cast, and how sharply it skewers the push-pull between “art” and “commerce.” This one surprised us, and we break down why it works even if you don’t know the pop world it’s playing in.

Like, comment, and subscribe if you enjoy spoiler-light film talk with strong opinions, snack tangents, and the occasional tech gremlin.

Hosted by: Joe, Rashmi & Yazdi

Watch on YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts

Follow us on Instagram and Twitter: @moviewallas

www.moviewallas.com

⸻

Timestamps

00:00 – Start

03:11 – Streaming Picks

04:41 – Just Like Heaven

05:58 – The Librarians

07:52 – Die My Love

12:42 – Scarlet

23:17 – The Moment

⸻

#Moviewallas #MoviePodcast #Scarlet #TheMoment #StreamingPicks #JustLikeHeaven #TheLibrarians #DieMyLove #MamoruHosoda #CharliXCX #FilmPodcast #MovieReviews #TooManyMoviesTooLittleTime

Moviewallas is on YouTube!

This week on Moviewallas, Joe, Rashmi, and Yazdi dive into survival, rivalry, obsession, and bone-crunching dystopia. From intimate indie drama to franchise horror spectacle, Episode 587 covers it all — plus a few streaming picks you won’t want to miss.

Snack check: We kick off with Spanish olive-oil tortas (cookie-meets-cracker perfection) and some very questionable peanut-butter choices by Joe.

Streaming Picks

Heated Rivalry (HBO) – Yazdi brings the steamy Canadian hockey romance that somehow evolves from “wait, what is this?” into genuinely moving TV. He makes the case that the third (and especially the fifth) episode is elite-level television – if the sauciness doesn’t scare you off.

Dhurandhar (Netflix) – Rashmi recommends this sprawling, hyper-violent underworld saga with a killer soundtrack and a serious macho streak. The group discusses its intensity, and why a 3.5-hour runtime may be best tackled across two nights.

Skyscraper Live / Free Solo (Netflix) – Joe explains why the live Alex Honnold Taipei 101 climb is perhaps more stressful than enjoyable, then re-recommends the actual classic: Free Solo.

This week’s Movies:

Shelter A remote Scottish island, a rescue that changes everything, and Jason Statham in full lone-wolf mode. Shelter is exactly the kind of tense, brooding action-thriller premise that sounds like perfect weekend viewing – and it sparked a fun debate for us about what works, what doesn’t, and what we wish the movie leaned into more. If you like Statham, isolated settings, and movies that invite “wait… hang on” moments, you’ll want to hear where we landed.

28 Years Later: The Bone Temple The rage-virus universe expands again – this time with a different directorial voice and a very specific kind of intensity. Only one of us saw The Bone Temple, which made for a great, spoiler-light breakdown: what the sequel is aiming for, how it shifts the tone from the previous film, and why it’s clearly going to be a big conversation-starter for fans of the franchise. If you’ve been following this series, the podcast chat is the safest way to decide if it’s your kind of entry.

Plus: Oscar-season confusion (as always), travel colds that won’t quit, and the tease of an upcoming special on the 2025-2026 awards season and your annual “Muggies.” ⸻

Timestamps

00:00 – Start

04:27 – Streaming Picks

04:37 – Heated Rivalry

08:45 – Dhurandhar

13:58 – Skyscraper Live / Free Solo

18:15 – Shelter

29:33 – 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple

#Moviewallas #MoviePodcast #Shelter #28YearsLater #BoneTemple #HeatedRivalry #Dhurandhar #FreeSolo #FilmReview #StreamingPicks #TooManyMoviesTooLittleTime

Moviewallas with Joe, Rashmi, and Yazdi is back with a brand-new episode kicking off 2026 movie watching!

This week, the crew dives into three 2026 releases:

Primate – A claustrophobic, gory creature-thriller about a genetically altered chimp that goes on a murderous rampage inside a remote oceanfront home.

Send Help (dir. Sam Raimi) – A wildly entertaining, darkly comic survival thriller starring Rachel McAdams and Dylan O’Brien, where a stranded employee and her detestable boss must rely on each other after a plane crash.

Mercy – A near-future sci-fi thriller about a detective who has 90 minutes to prove his innocence to an AI judge… and mostly fails to convince our hosts.

Along the way, Joe, Rashmi, and Yazdi talk late Happy New Years, recent travels, San Diego Film Critics Society awards overlap with the Oscars, snacks on camera, horror vs thriller, genre tropes, Sam Raimi’s legacy, Rachel McAdams’ incredible range, and why some great premises collapse in execution.

Two solid recommendations, one big disappointment, and plenty of banter.

If you love movies, this show is for you.

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Too many movies. Too little time.

Welcome back to Moviewallas — your weekly fix for smart, spoiler-free movie reviews and cinephile banter. In Episode 585, Joe, Rashmi, and Yazdi return to a two-feature format, covering a buzzy new political dramedy from James L. Brooks and a genre-bending psychological thriller from Paul Feig. Along the way, they catch up on trailers, discuss new clip mics, and celebrate the San Diego Film Critics Society awards season.

Full list of winners now live at https://www.sdfcs.org

Ella McCay

Written and directed by James L. Brooks, Ella McCay is a 2025 political dramedy about a rising political star (Emma Mackey) navigating public scrutiny, personal relationships, and generational conflict in the run-up to an election. With an ensemble that includes Jamie Lee Curtis, Woody Harrelson, Jack Lowden, Ayo Edebiri, and Albert Brooks, the film blends wit, idealism, and emotional nuance — marking Brooks’ return to filmmaking after a 13-year hiatus.

The Housemaid

From Paul Feig comes an unexpected turn into psychological suspense. The Housemaid is a dark, stylized thriller set in a glossy Manhattan high-rise, where a seemingly docile domestic worker gradually upends the life of her wealthy employer. With echoes of Single White Female and Parasite, Feig’s latest blends social satire and tension into something uniquely disquieting.

Like, comment, and subscribe if you love film conversations that go beyond the press release. Have thoughts on Ella McCay or The Housemaid? Let us know in the comments.

Hosted by: Joe, Rashmi & Yazdi

Watch on YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts

Follow us on Instagram and Twitter: @moviewallas

www.moviewallas.com

Timestamps

00:00 – Start

06:06 – Streaming Picks

06:56 – Relay

09:00 – Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery

11:59 – Caught Stealing

15:40 – Ella McCay (dir. James L. Brooks)

26:21 – The Housemaid (dir. Paul Feig)

#Moviewallas #MoviePodcast #EllaMcCay #JamesLBrooks #EmmaMackey #TheHousemaid #PaulFeig #PsychologicalThriller #SDFCS #SanDiegoFilmCriticsSociety #StreamingPicks #FilmDiscussion #TooManyMoviesTooLittleTime

Moviewallas is on YouTube!

Welcome back to Moviewallas, your weekly home for thoughtful film reviews, movie news, and lively banter. In Episode 584, Joe, Rashmi, and Yazdi cover two feature films — one a hyper-stylized period sports drama, the other a spiritual documentary — along with three standout shorts and a few offhand streaming picks.

Streaming Picks

Quick takes on what’s worth checking out when you’re short on time but craving something new.

Left-Handed Girl

A haunting, understated movie about isolation and subtle power shifts. Quiet but potent.

Bad Shabbos

A funny, chaotic, culturally specific film that mines family tension for full cringe and full laughs.

The Thinking Game

An elegant, intimate documentary from DeepMind about human-AI collaboration and the nature of thought itself.

Watch it here:

Marty Supreme

Directed by Josh Safdie, this highly stylized table tennis drama stars Timothée Chalamet as a rising sports star in 1950s New York. Between its dazzling craft and period detail, it raises great conversation about competition, image, and identity.

The Testament of Ann Lee

This meditative documentary explores the history and philosophy of Ann Lee, the founder of the Shakers. With a calm pace and introspective tone, the film looks at belief systems, community, and control.

PLUS…

Movie-watching marathons in hotel rooms

Rashmi’s full immersion strategy

Why Joe taps out after movie #3

Yazdi channels Roger Ebert

Like, comment, and subscribe if you love smart, spoiler-free film conversations with genuine banter and discovery. Seen The Thinking Game? Let us know what you thought!

Hosted by: Joe, Rashmi & Yazdi

Watch on YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts

Follow us on Instagram and Twitter: @moviewallas

www.moviewallas.com

Timestamps

00:00 – Start

02:32 – Streaming Picks

03:14 – Left-Handed Girl

04:37 – Bad Shabbos

06:17 – The Thinking Game

https://youtu.be/d95J8yzvjbQ

09:59 – Marty Supreme (dir. Josh Safdie)

22:16 – The Testament of Ann Lee

#Moviewallas #MoviePodcast #MartySupreme #JoshSafdie #TimotheeChalamet #TestamentOfAnnLee #ShortFilms #TheThinkingGame #DeepMind #DocumentaryFilm #AIandCreativity #FilmReview #TooManyMoviesTooLittleTime

Moviewallas is on YouTube!

Welcome back to Moviewallas, your weekly home for film reviews, movie news, and unscripted banter. In Episode 583, Joe, Rashmi, and Yazdi return with three eclectic films — a genre classic, a melancholic sci-fi indie, and a striking festival discovery.

The Running Man

The team revisits this 1987 sci-fi action film starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, based on a novel by Stephen King (writing as Richard Bachman). With dystopian satire, over-the-top set pieces, and prophetic media commentary, this one sparks discussion about tone, influence, and whether it’s aged like fine cheese or fine wine.

Eternity

A meditative sci-fi indie that blends time travel with grief, memory, and philosophical introspection. The group discusses structure, pacing, and how smaller films use sci-fi not for spectacle but to explore human emotion and existential questions.

Jay Kelly

A Tribeca 2024 entry featuring a breakout performance and a quietly bold visual style. The hosts examine what makes this intimate drama stand out, especially among recent indie debuts, and how character and form can create lasting impact.

PLUS…

Joe shows off his San Diego FC pride

A few bonus thoughts on the season’s streaming backlog

Like, comment, and subscribe if you enjoy passionate, spoiler-free film conversations with deep dives and laughter. Let us know in the comments: what’s a genre film that’s grown on you over time?

Hosted by: Joe, Rashmi & Yazdi

Watch on YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts

Follow us on Instagram and Twitter: @moviewallas

www.moviewallas.com

Moviewallas is on YouTube!

Reviews: Rental Family – Wicked for Good – Hamnet

Happy Thanksgiving weekend! In this episode of Moviewallas, Joe, Rashmi, and Yazdi gather for a packed holiday show featuring three very different films – from heartfelt indie drama, to mega-musical fantasy, to prestige literary adaptation.

This Week’s Reviews

Rental Family

Brendan Fraser stars in a soulful tale about an American actor in Tokyo who finds unlikely purpose working for a Japanese “rental family” agency. We discuss the film’s charm, emotional beats, cultural context, and Fraser’s beautifully understated performance.

Wicked for Good

The second part of the two-film adaptation of the hit Broadway musical. Rashmi dives into whether the sequel improves on part one, how it ties into The Wizard of Oz, and what works (or doesn’t) about its pacing, spectacle, and storytelling.

Hamnet

Chloé Zhao adapts Maggie O’Farrell’s acclaimed novel about Shakespeare’s family life and the tragedy that shaped some of his greatest work. We debate the film’s pacing, emotional impact, performances by Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal, and whether the hype helps or hurts.

Join the Conversation

Have you seen any of these films? Drop your thoughts in the comments – we always love hearing from you.

About Moviewallas Your weekly dose of film reviews, movie news, and lively banter – from theaters, streaming, airplanes, and everywhere in between. If you love the movies, this show is for you.

Thanks for listening and supporting us. Too many movies, too little time!

Moviewallas is on YouTube!

Welcome back to Moviewallas, your weekly dose of film reviews, movie news, and movie-loving banter. In Episode 581, Joe, Rashmi, and Yazdi dive into three wildly different films — a sci-fi thrill ride, a fever-dream drama, and a heartfelt dramedy about love, art, and reinvention.

Predator: Badlands

Dan Trachtenberg returns with a bold new entry in the Predator universe. Elle Fanning stars in dual roles in a tight, inventive actioner that mixes dread, emotion, and sharp design. The team breaks down the creative risks and big payoffs.

Die My Love

Director Lynne Ramsay adapts Ariana Harwicz’s intense novel with Jennifer Lawrence and Robert Pattinson. This hallucinatory descent into maternal crisis, grief, and rage pushes boundaries. A charged discussion around performance, tone, and the genre’s impact.

Is This Thing On?

Bradley Cooper directs this intimate New York-set dramedy starring Will Arnett and Laura Dern as a couple navigating divorce, stand-up comedy, and self-discovery. Subtle, lived-in performances anchor a film that sits between melancholy and warmth.

PLUS…

Ghanaian meat pies vs. samosas — what’s the best pre-podcast snack?

The Totally Rad Show’s influence on Moviewallas

Rashmi vs. Predator dreadlocks (again)

A few offhand streaming recommendations

Like, comment, and subscribe if you enjoy passionate, spoiler-lite conversations from three film lovers who see (and feel) everything. Drop your own takes in the comments!

Hosted by: Joe, Rashmi & Yazdi

Watch on YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts

Follow us @moviewallas on Instagram and Twitter

www.moviewallas.com

Timestamps

00:00 – Start

#Moviewallas #MoviePodcast #PredatorBadlands #ElleFanning #DieMyLove #LynneRamsay #IsThisThingOn #BradleyCooper #WillArnett #LauraDern #FilmReview #CinephileChat #ArianaHarwicz #TooManyMoviesTooLittleTime

Welcome to the Moviewallas Podcast!

Moviewallas is on YouTube!

This week, Joe, Rashmi, and Yazdi return with a compelling mix of postwar courtroom drama, experimental storytelling, and genre-defying surprises.

In this episode:

NUREMBERG The team discusses a new dramatization of the landmark post-WWII trials. With its historical weight and moral complexity, this film brings justice, memory, and power dynamics into sharp cinematic focus. Also here’s the link Yazdi mentioned:

BUGONIA Directed by Yorgos Lanthimos, this darkly comic fable imagines a world where chaos, ritual, and bees intersect in deeply unsettling (and hilarious) ways. Known for The Lobster and The Favourite, Lanthimos brings his signature absurdist lens to a strange and layered narrative that’s anything but conventional. The hosts unpack its themes, visuals, and what makes it unlike anything else this year.

IT WAS JUST AN ACCIDENT The latest film from Jafar Panahi explores the blurred lines between responsibility, perception, and truth in modern Iran. As always, Panahi brings a deeply human lens to a deceptively simple premise. The Moviewallas delve into his signature mix of realism and quiet provocation — no spoilers, just thoughtful conversation.

Like, comment, and subscribe for grounded, spoiler-free film conversation with a personal twist. Which of these three are you most curious about?

Hosted by: Joe, Rashmi & Yazdi Listen on YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts

Follow us on Instagram and Twitter: @moviewallas

Learn more at: www.moviewallas.com

00:00 – Start

Welcome to the Moviewallas Podcast!

This week, your hosts Joe, Rashmi, and Yazdi return with a rich, wide-ranging triple bill featuring a gothic reimagining, a music legend, and a chamber piece from a master filmmaker.

In this episode:

FRANKENSTEIN Guillermo del Toro takes on Mary Shelley’s iconic tale with a new vision starring Oscar Isaac, Jacob Elordi, Mia Goth, and Christoph Waltz. How does this adaptation stand out among the many Frankenstein films that came before it? The team explores the film’s scope, performances, and place in del Toro’s body of work.

SPRINGSTEEN: DELIVER ME FROM NOWHERE Director Scott Cooper turns his lens on Bruce Springsteen’s creation of the Nebraska album, with Jeremy Allen White portraying The Boss and doing his own singing. The group weighs in on the tone, performances, and how this stacks up among recent musical biopics.

BLUE MOON Richard Linklater returns with a dialogue-driven character study featuring Ethan Hawke as Broadway lyricist Lorenz Hart. With a stacked cast and a theatrical setup, this quiet drama invites questions about creative legacy, ego, and reinvention.

PLUS…

• A mooncake snack break

• A quick trip through Del Toro’s monster canon

• Musings on cinematic talkiness and the art of restraint

Like, comment, and subscribe if you love thoughtful, film-forward conversations with a global lens and a dose of fun. Which film on this list are you most excited to see?

Hosted by: Joe, Rashmi & Yazdi

Listen on YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts

Follow us on Instagram and Twitter: @moviewallas

Learn more at: www.moviewallas.com

Timestamps

00:00 – Start

02:09 – Frankenstein

18:42 – Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere

31:50 – Blue Moon

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#Moviewallas #Frankenstein2025 #GuillermoDelToro #SpringsteenMovie #JeremyAllenWhite #BlueMoonFilm #EthanHawke #RichardLinklater #MoviePodcast #FilmReview #CinephileChat #PodcastDiscussion #TooManyMoviesTooLittleTime