"As I was going up the stair,

I met a man who wasn’t there.

He wasn’t there again today.

I wish, I wish he’d go away.”

Identity was James Mangold’s first opportunity to direct a film based on a script he didn’t write. The screenplay, written by Michael Cooney, was inspired by Agatha Christie’s “And Then There Were None,” but adds some twists to the story that take it in a new direction. Mangold was immediately attracted to the material because he relished the opportunity to tell what is essentially a closed room mystery. The film is taut and a thrill of a ride, but it certainly became a love it or hate it type of movie because of the big twists it takes. Join us – Pete Wright and Andy Nelson – as we wrap up our brief ‘Spoiled. Rotten? Twist Endings’ series with Mangold’s 2003 film Identity.

Here’s a hint at what we talk about.

The twists in this film work for us, but why don’t they work for so many others? Do you just have to buy into the bonkers made-up science presented here for it to succeed? The cast is great, but why does Pete have such an issue with Clea Duvall’s and William Lee Scott’s characters? We totally forget to talk about Pruitt Taylor Vince’s fantastically creepy eyes. Turns out it’s a condition called nystagmus and he’s used it as often as he can to be cast or to enhance his roles. Do the plot threads with no payoffs create problems for us, particularly when the story begins pointing at the supernatural? This film’s a great reminder as to why we love John Hawkes so much. And the fact that it’s a fun film Mangold provides for us that doesn’t take itself seriously and really goes all-in on the crazy world set up.

We have a great time talking about it as our season wrap-up. Check it out then tune in! The Next Reel – when the movie ends, our conversation begins!

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Film Sundries

Learn more about supporting The Next Reel Film Podcast through your own membership — visit TruStory FM.

• Watch this film: Reelgood
• Script Transcript
• Original theatrical trailer
• Original poster artwork
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"You can’t trust a man’s life to your little notes and pictures.”

Christopher Nolan’s second film, Memento from 2001, caught a lot of attention on its release because of the clever screenplay structure where the story unfolds both forward and backward in time, in a way creating an experience much like our protagonist Leonard Shelby (wonderfully played by Guy Pearce), a man suffering from anterior grade memory loss. Some people said Memento was too clever for its own good or that it was all style with little substance. Others found it to be incredibly creative with a unique story exploring the psychology of our character. No matter how you approach it, Memento is a film worth looking at in greater depth. Join us – Pete Wright and Andy Nelson – as we kick off our very abbreviated twist endings series called ‘Spoiled. Rotten?’, in which we debate if a film is ruined if you already know the twist. Pete’s selection is Nolan’s 2001 film Memento.

Here’s a hint at what we talk about.

What do we think of twist endings? In the world of twist endings, what are some that work for us and some that don’t? Do we find Memento to be an effective example, even if the twist ending actually happens at the midway point of the chronological story? Guy Pearce is always wonderful, but it’s so great seeing Carrie-Anne Moss and Joe Pantoliano together again right on the heels of their success with The Matrix. How much do we actually understand the story and what are our opinions about what really happened with Leonard, Sammy, and the mysterious John G? Nolan started working with Wally Pfister here for his cinematographer. What do we think of the look? David Julyan composed music for a few films for Nolan before he switched to working with Hans Zimmer. Do we like the music? And how much do we love this film, as compared to so many who clearly hate it?

It’s a strong entry into our catalogue and one we’re glad to have discussed. It’s twists hold up and we have a great time talking about them. Check it out then tune in! The Next Reel – when the movie ends, our conversation begins!

Join the conversation with movie lovers from around the world on The Next Reel’s Discord channel!

Film Sundries

Learn more about supporting The Next Reel Film Podcast through your own membership — visit TruStory FM.

• Watch this film: JustWatch
• Script Transcript
• Original theatrical trailer
• Original poster artwork
• Original Material
• Flickchart
• Letterboxd

Learn how to support our show and The Next Reel’s family of film podcasts by becoming a member. It's just $5 monthly or $55 annually. Learn more here.

Join the conversation with movie lovers from around the world in our Discord community!

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What are some other ways you can support us and show your love? Glad you asked!

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• Or buy or rent movies we’ve discussed on the show from our WATCH PAGE.
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“This is definitely how people die.”

With Sword of Trust, writer/director Lynn Shelton continued her exploration of low budget, independent comedies while stepping a bit outside her comfort zone by filming a story in Alabama instead of the Pacific Northwest. It gave her another opportunity to work with her partner at the time Marc Maron. In the film, she skewers conspiracy theorists and clearly is having fun with it. But how does her improvisational style work as the film builds to its third act? Join us – Pete Wright and Andy Nelson – as we conclude our Lynn Shelton series with her 2019 comedy Sword of Trust.

Here’s a hint at what we talk about.

We love the comedy as it relates to making fun of the belief systems that support some of these nutty conspiracy theories. Unfortunately, Shelton and her co-writer Mike O’Brien rely too heavily on the improv style, which doesn’t allow for a satisfactory third act. Marc Maron is great as the cantankerous pawn shop owner. We buy his emotion in the dramatic story involving his former girlfriend. But he comes across as a bit lost in that third act as well. Jon Bass, Michaela Watkins, and Jillian Bell are great as the rest of the team rounding out Maron’s group as they try to sell an antique Civil War sword, but even they fall prey to some of the struggles of improv performing in the film. It’s great to see Shelton filming in another area of the country, but does the indie budget and her lack of knowledge of the area keep them from really getting the Southern locations to stand out? Sadly, Shelton passed away in 2020 from a rare form of blood cancer, but her films will live on and even if we didn’t love all of these, we fell under her spell as a director and certainly want to explore more of her output.

Largely, we like Sword of Trust quite a bit, but that third act does bog things down. Still, we’d absolutely watch it again. It’s a very fun and funny movie. It’s worth checking out, then tune in to this week’s show! The Next Reel – when the movie ends, our conversation begins!

Join the conversation with movie lovers from around the world on The Next Reel’s Discord channel!

Film Sundries

Learn more about supporting The Next Reel Film Podcast through your own membership — visit TruStory FM.

• Watch this film: JustWatch
• Script Transcript
• Original theatrical trailer
• Original poster artwork
• Flickchart
• Letterboxd

Learn how to support our show and The Next Reel’s family of film podcasts by becoming a member. It's just $5 monthly or $55 annually. Learn more here.

Join the conversation with movie lovers from around the world in our Discord community!

Here’s where you can find us around the internet:

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What are some other ways you can support us and show your love? Glad you asked!

• You can buy our movie-related apparel, stickers, mugs and more from our MERCH PAGE.
• Or buy or rent movies we’ve discussed on the show from our WATCH PAGE.
• Or buy books, plays, etc. that was the source for movies we’ve discussed on the show from our ORIGINALS PAGE.
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• Or sign up for AUDIBLE.

“How could you possibly know that it’s me that you want?”

Outside In comes after a big box office failure from writer/director Lynn Shelton with her film Laggies. That film never found its audience and lost a lot of money, so it makes sense that Shelton returned to her ‘even more indie’ roots, teaming up with Mark and Jay Duplass again to make this film with a lower, indie-sized budget. Outside In features Edie Falco as a high school teacher who worked for years to help free a former student, played by Jay Duplass, from prison after being wrongfully convicted in a murder case. She and Duplass have a complicated and messy emotional affair, all while he tries to figure out post-prison life and she tries to sort out her failing marriage and her relationship with her daughter. It’s a touching, powerful film that resonates well with us, and is a strong turn for Shelton to try her hand at a straight-up drama. Join us – Pete Wright and Andy Nelson – as we continue our Lynn Shelton series with her 2017 film Outside In.

Here’s a hint at what we talk about.

Who’s our favorite Duplass brother? And why haven’t we seen as much of Jay? Does Shelton direct a straightforward drama better than when she directs comedy? Edie Falco, Jay Duplass, and Kaitlyn Dever are so great to watch, particularly Falco who works so well here. Why didn’t she get more attention? Why didn’t the film get more attention overall? Does this small town in the Pacific Northwest stand out as compared to her other PacNorth locations? The script that Duplass and Shelton co-wrote works effectively because it conveys a lot with little bits of info. And Shelton’s penchant for messy people and forgiveness continues in this film!

We both really loved this film. In Shelton’s career, it’s a standout. Check it out then tune in! The Next Reel – when the movie ends, our conversation begins!

Join the conversation with movie lovers from around the world on The Next Reel’s Discord channel!

Film Sundries

Learn more about supporting The Next Reel Film Podcast through your own membership — visit TruStory FM.

• Watch this film: JustWatch
• Script Transcript
• Original theatrical trailer
• Original poster artwork
• Flickchart
• Letterboxd

Learn how to support our show and The Next Reel’s family of film podcasts by becoming a member. It's just $5 monthly or $55 annually. Learn more here.

Join the conversation with movie lovers from around the world in our Discord community!

Here’s where you can find us around the internet:

• The Web
• Letterboxd
• Facebook
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• Threads
• X
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What are some other ways you can support us and show your love? Glad you asked!

• You can buy our movie-related apparel, stickers, mugs and more from our MERCH PAGE.
• Or buy or rent movies we’ve discussed on the show from our WATCH PAGE.
• Or buy books, plays, etc. that was the source for movies we’ve discussed on the show from our ORIGINALS PAGE.
• Or renew or sign up for a Letterboxd Pro or Patron account with our LETTERBOXD MEMBERSHIP DISCOUNT.
• Or sign up for AUDIBLE.

Laggies was Lynn Shelton’s chance to step up and make a film for a bit more money than she’s had before. She’s not working with the Duplass brothers. She’s directing an original script that she didn’t write. So how does it fare compared to her earlier work? Join us – Pete Wright and Andy Nelson – as we hit the midpoint of our Lynn Shelton series with her 2014 film Laggies, starring Keira Knightley, Sam Rockwell, Chloë Grace Moretz, Ellie Kemper, Mark Webber, and Kaitlyn Dever.

Here’s a hint at what we talk about.

What’s with the title? According to Andrea Seigel, the screenwriter, a laggie is an adult slacker and is a common term. Shelton and the producers all went along with it before learning it really meant nothing. But hey – that’s how words get started, right? Sam Rockwell and Keira Knightley are fantastic in their roles, and the script has some laughs, but why does everything feel so expected? It’s frustrating that Megan, Knightley’s character, seems to be struggling with her group of friends and her boyfriend, but we don’t like any of them from the start which makes for story problems. Shelton definitely seems to have a thing for human faults and forgiveness. We’ve seen it in all the films in this series so far, but why does it work better sometimes than at others? Do they do much to capture the Seattle area in Laggies? And how did Shelton do with stepping out of her indie comfort zone to make this bigger budget film?

It’s a film that strikes a chord for many people but wasn’t something we connected to that much. Regardless, the main characters are a delight and there are some really strong moments. We have a great time talking about it, so check it out then tune in. The Next Reel – when the movie ends, our conversation begins!

Join the conversation with movie lovers from around the world on The Next Reel’s Discord channel!

Film Sundries

Learn more about supporting The Next Reel Film Podcast through your own membership — visit TruStory FM.

• Watch this film: JustWatch
• Script Transcript
• Original theatrical trailer
• Original poster artwork
• Flickchart
• Letterboxd

Our Lynn Shelton Series

• Humpday
• Your Sister’s Sister
• Laggies (You’re here!)
• Outside In (coming soon)
• Sword of Trust (coming soon)

Learn how to support our show and The Next Reel’s family of film podcasts by becoming a member. It's just $5 monthly or $55 annually. Learn more here.

Join the conversation with movie lovers from around the world in our Discord community!

Here’s where you can find us around the internet:

• The Web
• Letterboxd
• Facebook
• Instagram
• Threads
• X
• YouTube
• Flickchart
• Pinterest
• Pete 
• Andy

What are some other ways you can support us and show your love? Glad you asked!

• You can buy our movie-related apparel, stickers, mugs and more from our MERCH PAGE.
• Or buy or rent movies we’ve discussed on the show from our WATCH PAGE.
• Or buy books, plays, etc. that was the source for movies we’ve discussed on the show from our ORIGINALS PAGE.
• Or renew or sign up for a Letterboxd Pro or Patron account with our LETTERBOXD MEMBERSHIP DISCOUNT.
• Or sign up for AUDIBLE.