Ahead of the 2025 Oscars, Claire and Gavia discuss three of this year's Best Picture nominees: The critically acclaimed romantic dramedy Anora, the blockbuster musical Wicked, and the uniquely controversial Emilia Pérez, a film whose 13 Oscar nominations arrived alongside a wave of wholly justified backlash.

Steffan and Gavia discuss Brady Corbet’s acclaimed historical epic The Brutalist, which stars Adrien Brody as a Hungarian-Jewish architect who emigrates to America after surviving the Holocaust. Among other topics, this episode explores the film’s ambitious technical artistry, its morally complicated historical narrative, and its role as a successor to "American Dream" dramas like The Godfather and There Will Be Blood.

Claire and Gavia reveal their respective top 10 films of 2024, covering everything from A-list Oscar contenders to hidden gems and low-budget horror. This year's countdown includes new releases from 11 different countries (!), celebrating a truly exciting year in cinema.

Steffan and Gavia delve into their mixed feelings toward Robert Eggers’ acclaimed new Nosferatu remake. Among other topics, this episode covers Dracula’s impact on the gothic horror genre, Eggers’ very specific style of historical storytelling, and the complicated relationship between Nosferatu’s Count Orlok (Bill Skarsgård) and Ellen Hutter (Lily-Rose Depp).

Claire and Gavia discuss the uniquely influential 1989 romcom When Harry Met Sally, written by Nora Ephron and directed by Rob Reiner. Kickstarting Meg Ryan's career as a romantic comedy icon, it follows the lives of two New Yorkers who become friends over a series of chance encounters.

Steffan and Gavia review the 2014 crime thriller The World of Kanako, directed by acclaimed Japanese filmmaker Tetsuya Nakashima. Kōji Yakusho stars as a disgraced former cop, whose daughter Kanako goes missing. When his ex-wife asks him to find out what happened, he discovers that Kanako has been living a disturbing double life.

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Claire and Gavia discuss Gus Van Sant’s iconic queer drama My Own Private Idaho (1991), loosely based on Shakespeare’s Henriad plays. River Phoenix stars as a hustler in Portland, Oregon, who sets off on a journey across America and then the world in search of his long-lost mother, accompanied by best friend and fellow hustler Keanu Reeves.

Claire and Gavia review The Substance, Coralie Fargeat's divisive new horror movie starring Demi Moore as a celebrity who takes a black market anti-aging drug with alarming Jekyll-and-Hyde results. Among other topics, we discuss the film's flawed feminist messaging, overlong runtime, and puzzlingly incoherent depiction of sexism in Hollywood.

Steffan and Gavia review (and recommend!) the critically acclaimed new sitcom English Teacher, created by Brian Jordan Alvarez, who you may know from The Gay and Wondrous Life of Caleb Gallo. Alvarez stars as a gay teacher working at a Texas high school, in a comedy that satirizes the chaos of American politics and the generational divide between elder millennials and Gen-Z.

Claire and Gavia review Zoe Kravitz's disappointingly flawed directorial debut, Blink Twice. Naomi Ackie stars as a waitress who gets invited on vacation by a controversial billionaire (Channing Tatum), joining a group of guests on his private island. Drawing comparisons to Promising Young Woman, this psychological thriller belongs to a recent trend of post-MeToo films tackling abusive power structures and sexual assault.