Popcorn Culture

Christopher Nolan is back after three years with The Odyssey, an epic mythological adventure adapted from Homer's ancient Greek poem. Nolan has always been incredibly passionate about the IMAX format, so it's no surprise he would be the one to deliver the first feature film ever shot entirely with IMAX cameras. It follows the legendary hero Odysseus (Matt Damon) on his perilous decade-long journey home after the Trojan War, as he battles monsters, gods, and countless trials while his wife Penelope (Anne Hathaway) and son Telemachus (Tom Holland) struggle to fend off suitors who believe he will never return. We review the film and then on Take Two talk about the best and worst of Christopher Nolan.


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The Minions are back in the third instalment of their standalone franchise, and this time, the adorable, semi-gibberish-spouting yellow creatures are taking over Hollywood and unleashing monsters. Pierre Coffin pays tribute to multiple horror classics and tropes while also hewing to the well-established formula of Minion hijinks and physical comedy. We discuss whether this is the best film in the series before discussing the best on-screen sidekicks and why they matter.

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This week, we're looking at two films from opposite ends of the cinematic spectrum. First, we review The Furious, Kenji Tanigaki's bone-crunching Hong Kong action thriller about a father tearing through a criminal underworld to rescue his kidnapped daughter. Then, we switch gears with Dear You, the Teochew-language family drama that's become one of the year's biggest word-of-mouth sensations, following a grandson's search for his long-lost grandfather that uncovers decades of love, sacrifice and family secrets. Then on Take Two, we discuss your picks for the best films and series at the midway point of 2026, before closing with our favourite score of the year.

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In this episode, we have a double bill of reviews. Obsession is the second low-budget indie horror movie by a Gen-Z director that has taken the world by storm, after Backrooms. Directed by Curry Barker, the film centres around Bear (Michael Johnston), a hopeless romantic who uses a mystical “One Wish Willow” to make his crush Nikki (Inde Navarrette) love him, but as they say, be careful what you wish for. We discuss the complexities of the themes and whether it is indeed one of the scariest films in recent years, as some make it out to be.

James Gunn's new DC Universe continues with Supergirl, the follow-up to last year's Superman. Directed by Craig Gillespie (I, Tonya) and starring Milly Alcock, Jason Momoa and more, the film follows Kara Zor-El as she embarks on a cosmic journey of vengeance and justice alongside Krypto the Superdog while dealing with heartache and grief. We review the film and then, on Take Two, discuss some of our favourite superhero films of all time.


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Woody and the gang are back once again, in the 5th installment of the Toy Story franchise. This time, the gang finds themselves facing a new threat: technology, in the form of a tablet, which has become Bonnie’s new favourite plaything. So how does the movie do in dealing with such a timely subject, and is it a worthy addition to Toy Story? We discuss that, before pivoting to discussing the best of Pixar, and why they’re our favourites.


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Steven Spielberg returns to one of his favourite subjects with Disclosure Day, an original sci-fi thriller about a meteorologist and whistleblower racing to expose years of government secrecy surrounding the existence of extraterrestrial life while powerful deep-state forces try to stop them. It's Spielberg's first alien film since War of the Worlds and has been billed as a spiritual companion to Close Encounters of the Third Kind. We discuss whether the legendary director still has the magic before discussing the best movies and series featuring aliens.


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In this episode, we review two films that are vastly different. Masters of the Universe is a campy fantasy superhero adventure film based on the beloved 1980s He-Man animated series. Directed by Travis Knight, the film stars Nicholas Galitzine as He-Man/Prince Adam, Jared Leto as Skeletor, as well as, Alison Brie, Idris Elba and more. It follows Prince Adam's journey from Earth to the magical world of Eternia, where he must embrace his destiny as He-Man and confront the evil Skeletor in a battle for the fate of the universe. Meanwhile, Backrooms is a science-fiction horror film based on the viral internet phenomenon on 4Chan and the subsequent YouTube series, by Kane Parsons. Written and directed by Parsons in his feature film debut, the movie stars Chiwetel Ejiofor and Renate Reinsve and follows a therapist searching for a mission patient who has vanished into a mysterious room of another dimension.

Then, on Take Two, we talk about our characters, shows, and movies we loved when we were kids.

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What happens when you take a flock of sheep raised on a steady diet of Agatha Christie and the like, add the death of their beloved shepherd, lessons about grief and pain, and sprinkle on some gentle humour? The result is Craig Mazin's The Sheep Detectives, starring Hugh Jackman, Nicholas Braun and Molly Gordon (as people) and a rich voice cast, featuring Julia Louis-Dreyfuss, Bryan Cranston and Chris O'Dowd (as sheep). We review the movie, before pivoting in Take Two, to our favourite on-screen animals.

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Train to Busan director Yeon Sang-ho returns with Colony, a zombie thriller in which professor Se-jeong, played by Gianna Jun, is thrust into a nightmare when a rapidly mutating virus is unleashed at a biotech conference, sealing the facility and trapping survivors inside. The film premiered at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival and marks Yeon's most thematically ambitious genre work yet. Meanwhile, closer to home, Malaysian director Zulkarnain Azhar steps into horror with Polong. Inspired by the real case of Mona Fandey, the film follows an ambitious journalist who uncovers the dark past of a notorious female shaman only to unleash a dangerous entity the shaman once controlled. Then on Take 2, we discuss your favourite types of horror baddies/antagonists.

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Star Wars is back on the big screen, with The Mandalorian and Grogu. Building on the Disney+ series, the film brings together, as the title suggests, the Mandalorian (Pedro Pascal) and Grogu AKA Baby Yoda, as they go on a Western-inspired space adventure. Things get messy when they go on a mission that involves the infamous Hutts. First, we discuss if the film lives up to the series. Then on Take Two, we explore the highs and lows of the Star Wars franchise.

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