This week on Nerds Against Normality, we’re blind ranking classic cartoons from the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s — with one ruthless rule: once a cartoon is placed, it’s locked in forever.

Stacey throws out iconic animated shows at random, and Ben and I have to decide exactly where they belong on a six-tier ranking system, without knowing what’s coming next. No reshuffling. No second chances. Just permanent decisions and instant regret.

Along the way, we’re forced to rank legendary cartoons including Spider-Man, Dragon Ball Z, Sonic the Hedgehog, The Simpsons, X-Men, The Powerpuff Girls, Scooby-Doo, Ben 10, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Pokémon, and many more childhood favourites.

Do the biggest cartoons of our childhood truly deserve top-tier status, or does nostalgia cloud the judgement when the pressure’s on? And once a bad placement is locked in… is there any way back?

Nerds Against Normality is a weekly podcast covering movies, video games, TV, and all things nerd culture, with debates, games, and strong opinions that rarely align.

New episodes every Wednesday.

This week on Nerds Against Normality, we’re reviewing Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, the early-2000s video game movie that helped define the genre — for better and worse.

Released in 2001 and starring Angelina Jolie as the iconic Lara Croft, this was one of the first big-budget attempts to turn a massively popular game into a blockbuster film. But over twenty years later, does it still hold up… or is it just a loud, stylish relic of its time?

We break down the plot, characters, action, soundtrack, and faithfulness to the original games — including whether the film respects Lara Croft as a character, how Daniel Craig fits into the chaos, and why Croft Manor might have the worst security system in cinema history.

Along the way, we argue about:

Whether Tomb Raider works because it skips an origin story

If the film only makes sense to PS1-era fans

How faithful it really is to the games

And whether Lara Croft could’ve stopped everything by simply staying home

It’s messy, funny, occasionally insightful, and very 2001.

🎮 Film reviews, pop-culture debates, and questionable opinions — every Wednesday.

We review Predator: Badlands, breaking down the plot, expanded Predator lore, survival tactics, and whether this bold new chapter actually reinvigorates the iconic sci-fi franchise.

Plus, we tackle the most important question of all: could SpongeBob SquarePants actually survive against a Predator? The answer is unhinged, surprisingly tactical, and somehow very on-brand for us.

Before the hunt begins, we kick things off with Our One Thing: Stacey dives into the fantasy phenomenon House of Earth and Blood, Harry talks about starting the emotionally brutal anime Eighty Six, and Ben shares his thoughts on Netflix’s animated take on Tomb Raider.

From there, it’s full Predator chaos. We unpack the Badlands planet, the savage rules of survival, Home Alone–style traps, and what Predator: Badlands means for the future of the franchise.

If you’re a fan of Predator movies, sci-fi action, deep-cut lore, ridiculous hypotheticals, and pop-culture debates that spiral wildly out of control, this episode is very much for you.

New episodes every Wednesday. Follow Nerds Against Normality for movie, TV, and video game reviews — plus arguments that start stupid and end weirdly tactical.

We review Wake Up Dead Man, Netflix’s latest entry in the Knives Out franchise, breaking down the mystery, performances, twists, and whether Benoit Blanc still has the magic.

We dig into the locked-room church murder, debate the runtime, unpack the cast, and argue over how this stacks up against Knives Out and Glass Onion. Is this a worthy sequel — or the first real misstep for the franchise?

Before the murder kicks off, things get chaotic with Our One Thing: indie film recommendations, retro gaming nostalgia, and a full spoiler-filled debate on Stranger Things Season 5 — including the ending, Will’s arc, and whether it actually worked.

Then it’s back to murder as we lock in killer predictions, argue over motives and red herrings, and unleash our deranged game of the week: Bible or Bt?** — featuring ridiculous religious laws, fake commandments, and one brutally personal bonus round aimed directly at Ben.

If you love Knives Out, Netflix movies, murder mysteries, and chaotic comedy podcasts where no one is safe (especially Ben), this episode is very much for you.

New episodes every Wednesday. Follow Nerds Against Normality for movie, TV, and video game reviews — plus pop-culture debates that spiral wildly out of control.

We review The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn, Steven Spielberg’s motion-capture adventure, and ask whether this underrated blockbuster deserves far more love than it ever got.

We break down the film’s action set-pieces, its strange relationship with Belgium, the questionable accents, and why Tintin himself might be the most suspiciously perfect protagonist ever created.

Ben enters his full Tintin defender era, Stacey is openly baffled by everything from the plot to the geography, and Harry spends most of the episode questioning whether Belgium is real, why everyone sounds Cockney, and how Tintin can apparently do everything without a single flaw.

Along the way, we also compare Tintin to Indiana Jones, Uncharted, and modern adventure films, debate motion capture and the uncanny valley, unpack the film’s budget and box office, and ask why a sequel never happened.

Things finally derail completely with our trivia game “Belgium or Bollocks”, before we end the episode arguing about accents until the podcast collapses under its own weight.

Is Tintin a misunderstood classic?

Is it just a kids’ film pretending to be clever?

Or is it secretly flawless… like Tintin himself?

New episodes every Wednesday. Follow Nerds Against Normality for movie, TV, and video game reviews — plus pop-culture debates that spiral wildly out of control.

🎙️ Nerds Against Normality – End of Year Review

One last look back before we pretend we’re organised next year.

We’re closing out the year the only way we know how: arguing, reflecting, misremembering films, and bullying Ben.

In this special end-of-year review episode, the Nerds take a chaotic walk down memory lane, revisiting the films, games, and moments that defined our year on the podcast — from surprise hits and stone-cold classics to absolute disasters we’d quite happily never mention again (looking at you, Wild Wild West).

We break down:

The best and worst films we reviewed this year

Which movies we’d retroactively approve or bin off

Our favourite episodes and guest appearances

The running jokes that refused to die (Nosferatu, we’re sorry… sort of)

Our Games of the Year, including indie surprises and big-name disappointments

Bold (possibly stupid) predictions for next year’s films, TV, and games

And a time capsule of hot takes we’ll absolutely be judged on in 12 months

It’s honest, loud, occasionally insightful, and very much not dignified — but it is a love letter to another year of nerdy nonsense, brilliant listeners, and far too many hours spent watching things “for the pod”.

If you’re new here, this is the perfect episode to jump in.

If you’ve been with us all year — thank you. Seriously. 💙

🎧 New episodes every Wednesday

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Long live the nerds.

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We review Bad Santa, the infamous anti-Christmas comedy, and ask whether it’s actually funny in 2025 — or just shock humour that’s aged like milk.

We dig into Billy Bob Thornton’s nihilistic Santa, the film’s failed redemption arc, how the jokes land (or don’t), and whether Bad Santa deserves a spot in your yearly Christmas movie rotation… or a permanent ban.

Before the review, things go fully festive and immediately derail. Stacey hosts a rapid-fire Christmas quiz packed with Elf, Home Alone, Die Hard, Love Actually, The Office, Friends, and Brooklyn Nine-Nine — complete with impressions, arguments, and absolutely no respect for time limits.

From there, we spiral into cursed territory: hot takes, nostalgic reality checks, brutal honesty, and the most deranged question of the episode — “How many people are weirdly horny for Santa?”

We also tumble into bizarre global Christmas folklore, from Krampus and Iceland’s Yule Lads to the Yule Goat, Sinterklaas, La Befana, and the deeply unsettling Christmas pickle tradition.

If you like movie reviews, dark comedies, Christmas films, and chaotic friend banter that goes wildly off-topic but somehow stays on brand, this one’s for you.

New episodes every Wednesday. Follow Nerds Against Normality for movie, TV, and video game reviews — plus pop-culture debates that spiral wildly out of control.

We review Champagne Problems, Netflix’s glossy festive rom-com, and ask the big Christmas question: is this the ultimate comfort film — or just a Hallmark movie with better lighting and worse decisions?

Join Harry, Stacey, and Ben as we wade through Christmas in France, bookshop meet-cutes, vineyard drama, and enough rom-com clichés to fill an entire château.

Along the way, things derail fast. We somehow detour into Stranger Things Season 5, Welcome to Derry, and Harry having a full existential meltdown after being forced to play The Sims 3 (yes, the fridge caught fire).

We also debut our brand-new game “Cliché or Cabernet”, which goes exactly as responsibly as you’d expect — right up until Audacity rage-quits mid-episode and we limp over the finish line with verdict voice notes and festive chaos.

If you like Christmas movies, Netflix rom-coms, comfort-watch debates, and chaotic friend banter that spirals wildly off course, this episode’s for you.

New episodes every Wednesday. Follow Nerds Against Normality for movie, TV, and video game reviews — plus pop-culture chaos we absolutely refuse to keep tidy.

🎮 BONUS EPISODE: Stacey vs Ben – Game Awards 2025 Predictions 🎮

It’s bonus episode time on Nerds Against Normality, and we’ve turned the 2025 Game Awards into a full-blown rivalry.

Stacey and Ben locked in their Game Awards predictions weeks in advance — no changes, no do-overs… and probably no AI assistance (although that remains up for debate 🤖). With the winners now revealed, it’s time to find out who actually knows their games — and who’s about to face a forfeit.

Before settling the score, we break down the biggest talking points from the night. Which trailers lived up to the hype, which reveals genuinely surprised us, and which long-rumoured games still didn’t show up. We also talk about the projects we were hoping to see, and what’s got us most excited going forward.

Will Expedition 33 clean up this year?

Did Silksong have a real shot at the spotlight?

Did Nintendo walk away with any major wins?

Why did Hideo Kojima walk out in a huff?

Expect Game Awards reactions, trailer breakdowns, bold predictions, friendly trash talk, and the looming threat of punishment.

Press play and decide for yourself… was it Stacey vs Ben — or Stacey vs The Machine?

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We review Clueless, the endlessly quotable 90s teen classic, exploring why it became a cult favourite — and the surprisingly dark subtext people still argue about today.

We unpack whether Clueless really is a modern adaptation of Emma, debate whether Cher Horowitz is a misunderstood hero or low-key high-school villain, and look at why the film’s fashion, quotes, and cultural impact refuse to die.

We also dig into the behind-the-scenes trivia, cast glow-ups, and the things fans still get wrong — before settling the eternal debate: Clueless vs Mean Girls vs Legally Blonde. Who actually rules the teen-comedy throne?

Before the review, we catch up on what we’ve been watching and playing: early impressions of Ghost of Yōtei on PS5, Stacey dives into Squid Game: The Challenge Season 2, and Ben tackles Netflix’s Devil May Cry anime and whether it does Dante justice.

Whether you’re here for the nostalgia, the fashion, the cast throwbacks, or just to hear us argue about whether Cher is secretly the villain, this is the Clueless review for you.

New episodes every Wednesday. Follow Nerds Against Normality for movie, TV, and video game reviews — plus pop-culture debates that spiral wildly out of control.