We do our best to assess HALLOWEEN in the context of its 40-year legacy; try to describe our feelings about the addiction drama BEAUTIFUL BOY; and point out the pros and cons of the political psychological thriller THE OATH.

After Jason gives an update on meet-and-greet season, he and Rebecca dive headlong into the hard-hitting and essential new drama THE HATE U GIVE, find some potentially racist shade in Damien Chazelle’s FIRST MAN, and deafen the listeners with Jason’s Maggie Smith impression for TEA WITH THE DAMES.

We give our verdict on Lady Gaga’s big-screen acting debut in A STAR IS BORN, praise Robert Redford’s purported big-screen swan song in THE OLD MAN & THE GUN, and reassess our thoughts on the polarizing pop star profiled in MATANGI / MAYA / M.I.A.

After getting a condensed TIFF (ding!) report from Jason, we do our best to stay calm while reviewing Michael Moore’s FAHRENHEIT 11/9, diverge in our takes on the Gilda Radner doc LOVE, GILDA, and take a hatchet to LIZZIE.

We debate our dozen favorite movies of 2018 so far before fall movie season kicks into gear.

After giving THE HAPPYTIME MURDERS the brutal and merciless takedown it fully deserves, we praise two nuanced character studies about very different women struggling with issues of purpose and identity: SUPPORT THE GIRLS with Regina Hall and THE WIFE with Glenn Close.

We welcome Rebecca’s longtime Shindignation cohost Heidi Weber for a distraction-filled attempt at reviewing CRAZY RICH ASIANS, then let Heidi’s skateboarding expertise guide our reviews of the semi-doc SKATE KITCHEN and the full-doc MINDING THE GAP.

After freaking out about the insane new Oscar category, we assess the pros and cons of Spike Lee’s bluntly provocative BLACKKKLANSMAN, get personal about the gay conversion camp drama THE MISEDUCATION OF CAMERON POST, and let Jason nerd out about NICO, 1988.

After encouraging everyone to skip the lame studio comedy THE SPY WHO DUMPED ME, we steer you toward two stellar indies: the deliciously scandalous doc SCOTTY AND THE SECRET HISTORY OF HOLLYWOOD, and the Brazilian lesbian werewolf fairy tale musical GOOD MANNERS.

We praise the delightful achievement of Bo Burnham’s directorial debut EIGHTH GRADE, drop some hard truths about Meryl Streep and Cher’s screen time in MAMMA MIA! HERE WE GO AGAIN, and dig into the latest entry into the Oakland renaissance, BLINDSPOTTING.