The Brothers Bloom (2008) sends Truman and Landen into a con-artist story that turns out to be far stranger, warmer, and twistier than they remembered. This week, the Machine drops them into a film that blends sincerity, trickery, and sibling chaos in ways that still surprise them.

Rian Johnson’s The Brothers Bloom follows two lifelong con-man brothers whose latest scheme leads them into a globe-spanning adventure shaped by performance, storytelling, and the blurry line between authenticity and deception. The hosts revisit how the film plays now, what works about its blend of whimsy and melancholy, and how its characters pull the story into unexpected emotional territory. Their conversation explores the movie’s tone, structure, and the way its con-game premise shapes every relationship within it.

What you'll hear:

A breakdown of how the film frames con artistry, performance, and storytelling.

A conversation about the brothers’ dynamic and what drives the emotional core of the movie.

Reflections on Rian Johnson’s tonal choices and how they shape the film’s identity.

The hosts’ personal reactions to experiencing the film again through the Machine.

Follow the show for more time-warped movie archaeology.

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Tags: The Brothers Bloom, Rian Johnson, Con Artist Films, 2000s Cinema