Bad Dads Film Review

This week on Bad Dads Film Review, the dads dive into Luc Besson's cult aquatic epic The Big Blue — a nearly three-hour blend of freediving rivalry, French mysticism, Jean Reno charisma, dolphin longing and some deeply questionable romantic choices.What we coveredLe Grand Bleu: the original title, the French phenomenon, and whether saying it properly makes the film any shorter.The director's cut runtime and the general feeling that 168 minutes is a lot of ocean.The black-and-white childhood opening in Greece, where Jacques and Enzo's friendship/rivalry begins.Jacques witnessing his father's diving death, and how the sea becomes both trauma and home.Enzo's adult introduction: Jean Reno in full swagger mode, rescuing a trapped diver and somehow turning it into a payday.Jacques as scientific anomaly: slowing his heart rate, bonding with dolphins, and generally behaving less like a man than an aquatic screensaver with cheekbones.Rosanna Arquette's Johana, who falls hard for Jacques and makes some bold career decisions in pursuit of a man who would rather be underwater.The freediving championship sequences, including the dads trying to understand how niche sport fame works.Breath-holding records, Kate Winslet's lungs, pure oxygen cheating, and the grim reality that most of us are good for about 35 seconds.Enzo and Jacques' rivalry: affectionate, macho, dangerous, and meaningful mostly because Enzo needs it to be.The film's underwater photography, which everyone agrees is often genuinely impressive.The score, which won a César and still gets absolutely battered here.Cris's appreciation of the costumes, wetsuits, shirts, colour coordination and general seaside style.The dolphin break-out sequence, aka the brief Free Willy section of the film.Enzo's fatal final dive and Jacques' decision to return him to the depths.Jacques' final choice, Johana's pregnancy, and whether the ending is poetic transcendence or a man abandoning responsibility via dolphin.Key moments / quotesSidey clocks the film as having a “runtime of 73 hours”.Dan admits he chose it and remembered liking it, but that it was not as great as he remembered.Reegs describes the Amazon Prime aspect-ratio problem as so bad he had to find another version to watch it properly.Sidey asks whether Luc Besson edited it himself, because surely someone should have said: “This is not a fucking three-hour movie.”Reegs objects to the film romanticising Jacques, describing the ending as abandonment of a pregnant woman through grief and dolphins.Cris likes the style more than the film: the beachwear, shirts, boat shoes, wetsuits and Italian flag diving suit all get more enthusiasm than the story.Dan still has affection for the film's imagery, Jean Reno and the childhood memory of its oceanic grandeur.VerdictThe dads admire the look, the water photography and Jean Reno, but the film takes a pasting for length, pretension, thin characterisation, the writing of Johana, and Jacques being less romantic hero than emotionally unavailable dolphin botherer.A very Bad Dads kind of strong recommend: if you have three hours spare and absolutely nothing else to do, you might come away with some nice water and a deep desire to watch football instead.You can now text us anonymously to leave feedback, suggest future content or simply hurl abuse at us. We'll read out any texts we receive on the show. Click here to try it out!We love to hear from our listeners! By which I mean we tolerate it. If it hasn't been completely destroyed yet you can usually find us on twitter @dads_film, on Facebook Bad Dads Film Review, on email at baddadsjsy@gmail.com or on our website baddadsfilm.com. Until next time, we remain... Bad Dads

This week on Bad Dads Film Review, regular programming is temporarily suspended because the World Cup has taken over. No movie this time — instead, Sidey, Dan, Cris and Reegs look ahead to England v Argentina on Wednesday 15 July 2026, and ask the most important question in football: is it actually coming home?What we covered#ICH: the birth of “It's Coming Home” energy and why this World Cup feels different.England's long road from the lows of Euro 2008, Steve McClaren's brolly, Iceland, and the underachieving golden generation.Why the modern England setup has changed: St George's Park, elite player development, the under-21 pipeline, and a squad that actually seems to like each other.Gareth Southgate's legacy: restoring pride and culture, even if tactical caution may have cost England against Italy, Croatia and Spain.Thomas Tuchel's England: more intensity, better defensive structure, set pieces, positive substitutions, and a clearer tactical plan.England's tournament so far: not always dazzling, but resilient, adaptable and capable of raising the level when the opposition demands it.Hydration breaks: cynical advert break, useful tactical reset, and Dan's preferred toilet window.England's attacking identity: direct, vertical, fast and built around Kane's movement, Bellingham's late arrivals, and wide players who can stretch tired full-backs.The “starters and finishers” idea: Madueke as chaos engine, Saka as late-game punishment.Argentina's threat: shithousery, tempo control, physicality, Romero, and the small matter of Lionel Messi.Cris's theory that England win if they keep the tempo high and make Argentina run.Predictions: Cris 3–0 England, Reegs 3–2 England, Sidey/Dan closer to 1–0 or 2–1, possibly after extra time.Sidey's BetBuilder: Gordon to score, Romero booked, England to go through.Key moments / quotesDan opens with the unavoidable: “It's coming home.”Sidey describes it as “a change to regular programming” because the World Cup has taken over.The group revisits the old England problem: club rivalries, players sitting at separate tables, and a golden generation that never really became a team.Cris backs the development pathway argument, noting how promoting from within helped bypass old rivalries.Dan gives Southgate credit for putting pride back into the shirt, even if he was not always convinced by him as a manager.Reegs frames Tuchel's England as reflecting “some of the best things about English football”: intensity, defensive security and set pieces.Cris says England are not Spain, France or Brazil in terms of central artistry — they are more direct, more vertical, more “crash bang wallop”.The group agrees Messi is still the great unknown: maybe the old days are gone, but nobody wants to be the team that finds out they are not.Sidey's gambling-adjacent closing thought: Gordon goal, Romero yellow, England through.VerdictConfidence is high, but nobody is fully relaxed because England are England and Argentina are Argentina. The dads are backing England to go through, but with varying degrees of emotional self-protection.You can now text us anonymously to leave feedback, suggest future content or simply hurl abuse at us. We'll read out any texts we receive on the show. Click here to try it out!We love to hear from our listeners! By which I mean we tolerate it. If it hasn't been completely destroyed yet you can usually find us on twitter @dads_film, on Facebook Bad Dads Film Review, on email at baddadsjsy@gmail.com or on our website baddadsfilm.com. Until next time, we remain... Bad Dads

This week on Bad Dads Film Review, we review The Life Ahead, the 2020 Netflix drama directed by Edoardo Ponti and starring Sophia Loren as Madame Rosa.It is a film about grief, trauma, community, memory, faith, chosen family, and a young boy called Momo who is running out of safe places until he collides with an elderly woman who understands pain better than most.What we coveredMonday-recording energy after England's glorious World Cup defeat of Mexico at the Azteca.Recent watches including The Armstrong Lie, Marco Pierre White, Cape Fear, Shot Caller, The Boys, and some explosive dynamite nominations.Sophia Loren's return in a film directed by her son, Edoardo Ponti.Madame Rosa: Holocaust survivor, former sex worker, carer for the children of other sex workers, and a woman still carrying deep fear of doctors and institutions.Momo's introduction: stealing Rosa's candlesticks in the market, trying to stash them badly, and giving possibly the least heartfelt apology ever.Dr Cohen's attempt to place Momo with Rosa, and the negotiation that moves from “absolutely not” to a deal once the money improves.Rosa's household: Babu, Yosef, Lola, and the mix of Jewish, Muslim, Catholic, immigrant, queer and street-level lives around her.Lola as a transgender sex worker, parent and former boxer, and the dads' discussion of how the film includes a lot of identity and community threads.Momo being given a job by Mr Hamil, who helps connect him to his Muslim and Senegalese heritage.Momo's parallel life as a young hash dealer, including his quick success, his maths brain, and the fishmonger/drug dealer who tells him never to mess him about.The recurring lioness imagery and how it connects to Momo's mother, protection, Senegal, faith and abandonment.Madame Rosa's decline: the rain episode, the staring spells, dementia-like symptoms, and Momo covering for her to preserve her dignity.Rosa's hidden basement room, her Auschwitz tattoo, her Jewish memories, and the place she has built to feel safe.The promise Rosa extracts from Momo: do not let them take me to hospital.Momo's guilt when Rosa is hospitalised while he has been out drinking and dealing.The hospital “jailbreak” and the return to the basement, where Momo tries to keep his promise.The fake mimosa plant Momo makes for Rosa, and why that gesture becomes one of the film's most moving moments.The ending: Rosa's death, the funeral, and Momo walking away with Lola and Mr Hamil as a fragile new family unit.Sophia Loren's screen presence at 86: still fiery, still commanding, and especially powerful in the largely silent final section.Ibrahima Gueye's debut as Momo, which the dads thought was hugely impressive.The criticism that the film is sometimes too broad, too sweet, and a bit treacly — touching on many serious subjects without fully developing all of them.Why the drug storyline, in particular, feels like it could have gone somewhere darker but is resolved quite softly.The film's Puglia setting, warm colours, Italian street life, and very direct community feeling.Key quotes / momentsSidey notes that this is probably his first proper Sophia Loren film.Reegs calls the film “a bit treacly, a bit saccharine,” and argues that it throws too much in without examining enough of it in depth.Cris argues that the breadth is part of the Italian community texture: different faiths, identities, politics, histories and people all trying to get by.Dan responds strongly to the setting, the culture, and the idea of people with difficult lives still trying to do something decent for a child.The fake mimosa plant stands out as the small gesture that shows Momo has changed.VerdictA strong recommend. The dads acknowledge that The Life Ahead is well-intentioned and sometimes too broad or sentimental, but the performances, warmth, setting and emotional generosity carry it. Sophia Loren is excellent, Ibrahima Gueye is terrific, and the film's simple message — damaged people can still look after each other — lands.You can now text us anonymously to leave feedback, suggest future content or simply hurl abuse at us. We'll read out any texts we receive on the show. Click here to try it out!We love to hear from our listeners! By which I mean we tolerate it. If it hasn't been completely destroyed yet you can usually find us on twitter @dads_film, on Facebook Bad Dads Film Review, on email at baddadsjsy@gmail.com or on our website baddadsfilm.com. Until next time, we remain... Bad Dads

This week on Bad Dads Film Review, we head into early Scorsese territory with Mean Streets, starring Harvey Keitel as Charlie and Robert De Niro as Johnny Boy.It is New York, 1973: Catholic guilt, bar-room bravado, small-time gangster pressure, unpaid debts, family loyalty, loaded silences, unloaded guns, and the unmistakable beginning of the Scorsese crime-movie language that would later explode into Goodfellas.What we coveredThe famous opening idea: “You don't make up for your sins in church. You do it on the streets.”How clearly the film points toward later Scorsese: Catholicism, crime, music, neighbourhood codes, restless camera moves and men trapped by loyalty.Harvey Keitel's Charlie: a young man trying to be a gangster, a good Catholic, a loyal friend, and a decent person — all at once, badly.Charlie's guilt, the candle-burning, and the sense that a few Hail Marys are nowhere near enough for what he thinks he deserves.Robert De Niro's Johnny Boy as a reckless human hand grenade: charming, funny, dangerous, and absolutely allergic to consequences.Johnny Boy's debts, the pressure from Michael, and why the lack of respect becomes almost more dangerous than the lack of money.The rooftop gun scene, including the attempt to shoot the light off the Empire State Building.The “mook” bar fight — possibly the most memorable use of the word “mook” in cinema history.The corrupt cop casually taking a bribe after the bar fight.Teresa, Charlie's relationship with her, and the family/friendship knot that keeps Charlie tied to Johnny Boy.The grimy restaurant kitchen scene and its spectacularly dubious food hygiene energy.The ending: the drive-by shooting, Scorsese's possible cameo as the gunman, the crash, the sirens, and the refusal to offer neat redemption.The low-budget invention: LA standing in for New York in places, Scorsese's family and friends appearing, and the camera-rig drunk shot attached to Keitel.The fashion: De Niro's hair, the sideburns, the silk shirts, and the sheer 1973 Italian-American wardrobe content.Key quotes / momentsSidey spots the Goodfellas DNA almost immediately.Dan calls Johnny Boy “a human hand grenade.”Reegs remembers the “mook” scene as the thing that stuck with him from the film.Cris singles out De Niro's hair and later the restaurant kitchen, which looks like one of the worst episodes of Kitchen Nightmares.The dads admire the film as the raw blueprint for Scorsese's later, more polished crime films.VerdictA strong recommend. The dads recognise that Mean Streets is looser and rougher than Scorsese's later work, but that is part of its power: it is gritty, restless, funny, violent, Catholic, and absolutely foundational.You can now text us anonymously to leave feedback, suggest future content or simply hurl abuse at us. We'll read out any texts we receive on the show. Click here to try it out!We love to hear from our listeners! By which I mean we tolerate it. If it hasn't been completely destroyed yet you can usually find us on twitter @dads_film, on Facebook Bad Dads Film Review, on email at baddadsjsy@gmail.com or on our website baddadsfilm.com. Until next time, we remain... Bad Dads

This week on Bad Dads Film Review, we review Sidney Lumet's 12 Angry Men, the 1957 jury-room classic starring Henry Fonda and Lee J. Cobb.A young man's life is on the line. Eleven jurors are ready to convict. One juror wants to talk. From that simple setup, the film becomes a tense, brilliantly engineered argument about reasonable doubt, prejudice, memory, class, personal baggage and the terrifying confidence of people who think they are definitely right.What we coveredThe beautifully simple setup: a death-penalty murder case, a hot jury room, and a judge who seems very ready to go home.Juror 8's position: not “he is innocent,” but “I am not convinced beyond reasonable doubt.”The first 11–1 guilty vote and how quickly the accused boy could have been sent to death row.The supposedly unique switchblade, and the moment Henry Fonda produces an identical knife.The old man's testimony, the timing experiment, the passing train, and whether the witnesses could really have seen or heard what they claimed.The boy's cinema alibi, and why forgetting details under stress might not prove guilt.The glasses clue and the late “Sherlock” moment that shakes the logical stockbroker juror.Juror 10's racist rant and the powerful staging of the rest of the room turning away from him.Lee J. Cobb's Juror 3, whose anger toward his own son becomes tangled up with the fate of the defendant.Sidney Lumet's craft: the rehearsals, the sweat, the lowering camera, the tightening room, and the way the film becomes more claustrophobic as it goes.Why the premise can be remade in different countries and eras as a way to examine each culture's justice system and prejudices.Whether some of the jury-room behaviour would cause a mistrial in real life. Short answer: probably yes, especially the duplicate murder weapon.Key quotes / momentsReegs calls it “an incredible piece of science fiction” because it imagines people being persuaded by rational thought.Sidey points out that the film never proves innocence; it proves doubt.Cris remembers watching the Henry Fonda version with his dad.Dan compares its single-room effectiveness to the pleasure of low-budget, high-idea films like Coherence.The dads admire how every line either reveals character, advances the plot, or exposes someone's bias.Dan lands the final group verdict: this is “four agreed men.”VerdictA unanimous and very strong recommend. The dads see 12 Angry Men as one of the strongest black-and-white films covered on the podcast: precise, gripping, brilliantly performed and still painfully relevant.You can now text us anonymously to leave feedback, suggest future content or simply hurl abuse at us. We'll read out any texts we receive on the show. Click here to try it out!We love to hear from our listeners! By which I mean we tolerate it. If it hasn't been completely destroyed yet you can usually find us on twitter @dads_film, on Facebook Bad Dads Film Review, on email at baddadsjsy@gmail.com or on our website baddadsfilm.com. Until next time, we remain... Bad Dads

This week the Bad Dads take a midweek spin of the Amazon Prime roulette wheel and land on The Bad Education Movie, the 2015 big-screen send-off for Jack Whitehall's BBC Three sitcom. Sidey is not thrilled. Reegs has seen some of it before. Cris has only caught the ending. Dan is mostly wondering how all this happened.What We CoveredAmazon Prime roulette: With no planned theme and a hectic week, the Dads pick numbers, scroll through Prime, and end up with The Bad Education Movie.Sidey vs Jack Whitehall: Sidey clarifies that Jack Whitehall may be lovely in real life, but the posh, fumbling, “I've said a swear word” comic persona absolutely grates.The sitcom-to-film set-up: A BBC Three comedy becomes a feature-length send-off, following teacher Alfie Wickers and his suspiciously adult-looking class.Amsterdam chaos: Mushrooms, the Anne Frank museum, a stolen model, E.T. bicycle imagery, and an early sign of the film's comic level.Classroom carnage: Harry Enfield appears, the PTA are unimpressed, and a hamster gag goes full Richard Gere.Cornwall instead of Vegas: The school trip ends up around the Eden Project rather than the intended big blow-out, with Cornish stereotypes and a fake liberation movement driving the plot.Running gags: Fencing, the unfinished C-L-A tattoo, the tourist helicopter, gentrification, Tarquin, and the Cornish Liberation Army all get set up and paid off — just not, in the Dads' view, amusingly.Gross-out humour: The relic/foreskin/pork-scratching gag, the Cornish strip club, zip-lining nudity, and repeated close-ups of Jack Whitehall's anatomy take the film firmly into loud juvenile territory.The cast: The Dads note a surprisingly large cast, including Harry Enfield, Iain Glen, Matthew Horne and Clarke Peters, while repeatedly asking why some of them are in this.The broader Whitehall question: The episode detours into Jack Whitehall's mainstream TV appeal, his safe-bet presenting persona, American audiences, and Michael Whitehall's industry background.Key Quotes / Moments“There's only so good that somebody can make you look.”“This was chosen in a sort of lottery-type fashion.”“I'm sure he's very nice… but I don't find him funny.”“This makes Brothers Grimsby look quite nuanced.”“All the jokes that they set up, they do pay off. They're just not funny.”“Top five worst things I've watched for the pod.”“Strong avoid for me.”VerdictA strong avoid. Sidey finds the film loud, juvenile, exhausting and almost entirely unfunny, placing it among the worst things watched for the podcast. Dan agrees with a strong avoid, Reegs recognises the sitcom background but does not rescue it, and Cris' “strong recommend?” is pure mischief.You can now text us anonymously to leave feedback, suggest future content or simply hurl abuse at us. We'll read out any texts we receive on the show. Click here to try it out!We love to hear from our listeners! By which I mean we tolerate it. If it hasn't been completely destroyed yet you can usually find us on twitter @dads_film, on Facebook Bad Dads Film Review, on email at baddadsjsy@gmail.com or on our website baddadsfilm.com. Until next time, we remain... Bad Dads

On this episode of Bad Dads Film Review, the team reviews The Brothers Grimsby — also released as Grimsby — Louis Leterrier's 2016 spy-action gross-out comedy starring Sacha Baron Cohen and Mark Strong.In this episodeEngland week, recorded in the heat with the dads trying to finish before England kick offPete's return to the podcast, Dan's absence, and Reegs charging the show with bringing the game into disreputeTop 5 England, interpreted very loosely and therefore correctlyEnglish stereotypes in film: bad teeth, bad food, villains, tea, class, accents, and mayonnaise in every supermarket sandwichFawlty Towers, Basil Fawlty, “Don't mention the war”, John Cleese, Connie Booth, and only needing 12 episodes to become immortalSidey's childhood Morris dancing, complete with bells, sticks, pagan energy, and possible darknessCris's first memory of England via Italia '90, Gary Lineker, black-and-white TV, Romania after the revolution, and the schoolboy joy of Lineker's unfortunate bowel incidentDave England from Jackass, yellow snow cones, giant hands, Bam Margera, and whether Jackass has run its courseReegs on Chris Morris as a great English exponent of absurd, shocking satire with moral integrity: The Day Today, Brass Eye, Jam, Nathan Barley, Four Lions, and The Day Shall ComeFilms and figures with England / Englishness attached: This Is England, The English Patient, Hugh Grant, Sting, Guy Ritchie, Lock, Stock, Snatch, Sherlock Holmes, Blackadder, London black cabs, fake taxis, and World Cup songsCris nominating James Bond as the foreigner's English archetype: classy, gadget-heavy, car-driving, womanising, and very stereotypicalReegs choosing The Impossible Job, Graham Taylor, Ronald Koeman, “Do I not like that?”, and English football's appetite for destroying managersPete inflicting Grimsby / The Brothers Grimsby on the groupThe dads' expectations going in, Sidey deliberately avoiding it, and the reputation of the film after the Rebel Wilson allegations around Sacha Baron CohenLouis Leterrier's action credentials: The Transporter, Now You See Me, The Incredible Hulk, and the surprisingly strong action staging hereScott Adkins appreciation, the “Ukrainian Ben Affleck” / Boyka chat, and calls to do an Undisputed movieThe opening sex-in-a-bed-shop gag and the film immediately declaring its level of subtletyNobby's Grimsby life: 11 children, one grandchild called Django Unchained, a son called Skeletor, and the “Luke because he's got leukemia” jokeMark Strong as Sebastian, MI6's most lethal agent, and the very good first-person action sequence influenced by Hardcore Henry director Ilya NaishullerIsla Fisher, Ian McShane, Penélope Cruz, Rebel Wilson, Gabourey Sidibe, Johnny Vegas, Ricky Tomlinson, and Daniel Radcliffe / Donald Trump legal-disclaimer jokesThe brothers' backstory: orphaned, separated in childhood, and Nobby sacrificing his own future so Sebastian can be adoptedThe movie's attempt at sincerity, and why it is mostly undercut by everything else being relentlessly stupidThe poisoned dart sequence, the “left testicle” escalation, and Mark Strong playing total nonsense completely straightThe pre-ejaculate callback and the point at which Pete's wife apparently started laughing properlyThe South Africa section, heroin detour, seduction misunderstanding, and blocked toilet gagThe elephant sequence: foreshadowed by National Geographic, then pushed to an absolutely filthy breaking pointPenélope Cruz's villain plot: a “World Cure” scheme that is actually a eugenics / population-control virus targeting the poor via the World Cup finalThe dads questioning the film's attempted class satire when so much of the movie has already made working-class Grimsby the punchlineThe pitch invasion climax, fireworks, the virus in the rockets, and the brothers taking one for the teamThe hospital ending, elephant semen as accidental antidote / skin-elasticity miracle, and the pan-pipe gagWhether the film is actually good, or just so committed to its stupidity that it becomes funnyBad Dads consensusSidey: Expected to hate it, laughed much more than expected, and lands on a strong recommend despite admitting the film probably is awful in many obvious ways.Pete: Also gives a strong recommend, arguing that while lots of it is preposterous and eye-rollingly stupid, the bits that hit deliver proper belly laughs.Reegs: Notes that it is not nearly as sharp satirically as Borat or Brüno, and that the class satire is muddled, but agrees the extremity and straight-faced delivery make it work more often than expected.Cris: Enjoys the ridiculousness and joins in the disbelief at just how far the film pushes each gross-out set piece.Final takeThe Brothers Grimsby is not elegant, subtle, or especially coherent as satire. It is, however, a film with surprisingly solid action, Mark Strong treating absolute filth like a serious spy thriller, and Sacha Baron Cohen pushing every joke past the point of taste and into a kind of horrible inevitability. The dads feared the worst, laughed anyway, and somehow ended up recommending it.You can now text us anonymously to leave feedback, suggest future content or simply hurl abuse at us. We'll read out any texts we receive on the show. Click here to try it out!We love to hear from our listeners! By which I mean we tolerate it. If it hasn't been completely destroyed yet you can usually find us on twitter @dads_film, on Facebook Bad Dads Film Review, on email at baddadsjsy@gmail.com or on our website baddadsfilm.com. Until next time, we remain... Bad Dads

On this episode of Bad Dads Film Review, the team reviews This Is England (2006), Shane Meadows' raw, semi-autobiographical coming-of-age drama starring Thomas Turgoose, Stephen Graham, Vicky McClure, Joe Gilgun, Andrew Shim, Rosamund Hanson, and Jack O'Connell.In this episodeRecording outside the man cave in brutal heat, with England playing later and possible background birdsReturning to Shane Meadows after the dads' love for Dead Man's ShoesMeadows writing from lived experience and Shaun Field as a loose version of the young Shane MeadowsThe film's 1983 setting: Falklands aftermath, Thatcher-era mood, working-class Midlands anonymity, and immaculate period detailShaun's grief over his father's death and the brutal school bullying around his clothesThe infamous Mini joke, the playground fight, and Reegs' detour into the real-world Mini passenger recordWoody's gang as surrogate family: underpass tea, derelict-house “hunting”, haircuts, boots, braces, and the gifted Ben ShermanSkinhead culture before the racist takeover: ska, soul, punk, clothes, belonging, and styleSmell, the shed snog, New Romantic fashion, and the very awkward age-gap discussionCombo's entrance from prison and the immediate tonal shift from funny coming-of-age story to something threateningStephen Graham's performance as Combo: vulnerable, pathetic, charismatic, manipulative, racist, and terrifyingCombo gaslighting Woody, exploiting Shaun's Falklands grief, and splitting the gangThe National Front meeting: respectable presentation, simple blame politics, Frank Harper's speaker, and Gadget's “NASHNIL” spellingShaun's corruption under Combo: racist intimidation, the corner-shop robbery, and the stolen language of national prideLol rejecting Combo and the emotional humiliation that turns outward into violenceMilky and Combo bonding over music and roots before Combo's jealousy eruptsThe brutal beating of Milky, Shaun being forced to watch, and Combo's immediate collapse into remorseShaun throwing the St George's flag into the sea as a rejection of the racist version of EnglandThe continuing relevance of the film's politics from 1983 to 2006 to nowStrong recommendations for the follow-up series: This Is England '86, '88, and '90Bad Dads consensusSidey: Strong recommend — sees it as at least a 9/10 and reads the final flag moment as Shaun rejecting the National Front's corrupted version of England.Pete: Strong recommend — praises the film's lived-in authenticity, performances, and the follow-up series; still holds Dead Man's Shoes as a 10/10 comparison point.Reegs: Strongly positive — highlights the bleakness, the current relevance of the racist rhetoric, and Stephen Graham's frighteningly layered work.Cris: Engaged with the period detail, humour, and discomfort of the film's tonal shift, particularly once Combo arrives.Final takeThis Is England begins as a warm, funny, scruffy story about a lonely boy finding friends, then slowly reveals how easily grief and poverty can be weaponised by people offering simple enemies and ugly certainty. It is beautifully observed, brilliantly acted, deeply uncomfortable, and still horribly relevant.You can now text us anonymously to leave feedback, suggest future content or simply hurl abuse at us. We'll read out any texts we receive on the show. Click here to try it out!We love to hear from our listeners! By which I mean we tolerate it. If it hasn't been completely destroyed yet you can usually find us on twitter @dads_film, on Facebook Bad Dads Film Review, on email at baddadsjsy@gmail.com or on our website baddadsfilm.com. Until next time, we remain... Bad Dads

This week the Bad Dads ride across South America with The Motorcycle Diaries, Walter Salles's 2004 drama starring Gael García Bernal as young Ernesto Guevara and Rodrigo de la Serna as Alberto Granado.Before the main feature, the Dads count down their favourite movie motorcycles, from Arnie's shotgun-reloading Harley in Terminator 2 to Tom Cruise going full Cruise in Top Gun and Mission: Impossible, the Easy Rider chopper, Indy's sidecar, Tron's light cycles, Dumb and Dumber's scooter, John Wick's katana bike fight, Fonzie's Knucklehead and Dan's beloved World's Fastest Indian.What We CoveredTop 5 Motorcycles: a surprisingly rich category covering choppers, scooters, sidecars, sci-fi bikes, stunt riding and Tom Cruise's apparent allergy to helmets.La Poderosa: the battered Norton 500 that carries Ernesto and Alberto until it absolutely cannot, giving the film its comic engine and its road-movie shape.Memory vs rewatch: Sidey remembers seeing the film at the cinema and discovers he had misremembered the pair as having one bike each.Ernesto and Alberto: the Dads enjoy the friendship, the teasing, the appetite for adventure, and Alberto's role as a funny, earthy foil to Ernesto's more serious awakening.A journey through inequality: miners, indigenous communities, poverty, illness and exploitation gradually turn the trip from lads' adventure into political education.The leper colony: the San Pablo section becomes the emotional centre of the film, especially Ernesto's refusal to accept easy divisions between people.Che without the T-shirt: the group discuss how the film shows the conditions that could radicalise someone without reducing Guevara to a poster, slogan or merch logo.Show, don't tell politics: Sidey praises the film for making its points quietly; Reegs notes the documentary-like authenticity; Cris reflects on education, knowledge and the ability to imagine different power structures.Travel as transformation: Dan highlights the idea that any journey like this, at that age and through those conditions, would inevitably change you.Final images: the airport farewell, the real Alberto, the closing text and the real photographs give the film a wistful, reflective ending.Key Quotes / Moments“I thought they had a motorcycle each.”“I need your clothes, your boots and your motorcycle.”“Top five motorcycles. I'm amazed that we've not done this before.”“He's not the same me anymore.”“It doesn't ram his ideology down your throat.”“A strong recommend all round.”VerdictA strong recommend from the Dads. The Motorcycle Diaries is praised as warm, funny, beautiful and quietly powerful — a road movie about friendship, privilege, poverty and the moment a person starts to see the world differently.You can now text us anonymously to leave feedback, suggest future content or simply hurl abuse at us. We'll read out any texts we receive on the show. Click here to try it out!We love to hear from our listeners! By which I mean we tolerate it. If it hasn't been completely destroyed yet you can usually find us on twitter @dads_film, on Facebook Bad Dads Film Review, on email at baddadsjsy@gmail.com or on our website baddadsfilm.com. Until next time, we remain... Bad Dads

This week the Bad Dads take on Akira, Katsuhiro Otomo's 1988 anime classic: part cyberpunk biker movie, part psychic apocalypse, part body-horror nightmare, and still one of the most influential animated films ever made.What We CoveredThe motorcycle connection: Sidey picked Akira partly off the back of motorcycle week, with the famous “Akira slide” still instantly recognisable decades later.Neo-Tokyo and the set-up: The Dads discuss the opening destruction of Tokyo, the rebuilt dystopian city, biker gangs, riots, unemployment, militarised politics and general “not a happy place” energy.Kaneda, Tetsuo and the Capsules: Kaneda's iconic red bike, Tetsuo's resentment, the gang hierarchy, and the way their childhood friendship feeds the film's final emotional punch.The psychic test subjects: Takashi, the other child-like espers, the hospital experiments, telekinesis, hallucinations, and the film's blend of sci-fi plot with surreal nightmare imagery.Tetsuo's transformation: From headaches and glass-of-water Force powers to satellite lasers, a metal arm, body horror, and a final monstrous collapse into flesh, pain and chaos.Akira himself: The reveal that Akira is not really “the guy on the bike”, but a dissected psychic force preserved in jars under the Olympic Stadium.The animation: Reegs praises the film's restless visual movement; Dan says the craft makes you forget any resistance to animation; Sidey calls the full-mutant Tetsuo sequence incredible.Influence and legacy: The gang spot echoes and connections to The Matrix, Drive, Watchmen, 2001, Clockwork Orange, The Warriors, Godzilla destruction, and later anime/body-horror culture.Subtitles vs dubbing: Dan finds an English version in the “depths of the internet”, while others stick with Japanese and subtitles.Cris watch status: Cris did not get to the film because he could not find it properly and refused to watch it on a phone — fair, frankly.Key Quotes / Moments“There's very little ball content in Akira.”“The Akira slide… one of the most famous shots in animation.”“It's like the Force, but way more destructive.”“I'm in the revolution, mate. I'm busy.”“SOL Campbell” as the orbital laser gag. Obviously.“It wasn't quite Dogtanian.”VerdictA strong recommend from the Dads. Sidey calls it a great gateway into anime, Dan enjoys it more than expected and finds the animation absorbing, and Reegs loves the film's kinetic craft and cultural footprint. Cris remains technically unconverted, but tempted.You can now text us anonymously to leave feedback, suggest future content or simply hurl abuse at us. We'll read out any texts we receive on the show. Click here to try it out!We love to hear from our listeners! By which I mean we tolerate it. If it hasn't been completely destroyed yet you can usually find us on twitter @dads_film, on Facebook Bad Dads Film Review, on email at baddadsjsy@gmail.com or on our website baddadsfilm.com. Until next time, we remain... Bad Dads

On this episode of Bad Dads Film Review, the team reviews Aftersun (2022) — Charlotte Wells' quietly devastating father-daughter memory piece starring Paul Mescal and Frankie Corio.In this episodeTop 5 Holidays: package holiday dread, cancelled flights, family trips, airport memories, and British holiday behaviour at its absolute finest/worstSidey's Malta anxiety and the curse of relatives who “mog” every conversationWhat the dads watched this week, including Spider-Noir, Is This Thing On?, Heat, and other pre-main-feature detoursWhy Aftersun plays less like a traditional plot and more like an adult trying to decode childhood memoryAdult Sophie watching old camcorder footage of her holiday with Calum in TurkeyThe recurring rave/strobe imagery and Sophie trying to reach the father she only half-understoodCalum's hidden depression: cigarettes, self-help books, Tai Chi, money worries, shame, and emotional withdrawalThe cheap holiday resort details: rep bus, room mix-up, wristbands, dinner run, pool tables, scuba mask, karaoke and tourist entertainmentThe expensive rug as a possible attempt to leave Sophie something tangibleThe brutal karaoke scene with Losing My ReligionThe final dance to Under Pressure and the airport departure endingHow the film handles male depression and implied suicide without spelling everything outPaul Mescal and Frankie Corio's performances, and why the film rewards intense viewingBad Dads consensusReegs: Loved it — brilliantly made, emotionally precise, dreamlike, and rich in detailSidey: Strong recommend — hugely powerful, very well made, but absolutely not a fun watchDan: Strong recommend, with caveats — found it genuinely hard to sit with because it stirred up memories and difficult emotionsCris: Did not meaningfully watch it — put it on, went for a wee, fell asleep, and woke up when it was doneFinal takeAftersun is one of those films the dads admire deeply while also warning listeners to choose their moment carefully. It is quiet, ambiguous and emotionally bruising — a film about memory, parenting, depression, guilt, love and what children only understand years later.You can now text us anonymously to leave feedback, suggest future content or simply hurl abuse at us. We'll read out any texts we receive on the show. Click here to try it out!We love to hear from our listeners! By which I mean we tolerate it. If it hasn't been completely destroyed yet you can usually find us on twitter @dads_film, on Facebook Bad Dads Film Review, on email at baddadsjsy@gmail.com or on our website baddadsfilm.com. Until next time, we remain... Bad Dads

On this episode of Bad Dads Film Review, the team reviews Abigail (2024) — a gleefully gory vampire horror-comedy from Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, starring Melissa Barrera, Alisha Weir, Dan Stevens, Kathryn Newton, Kevin Durand, Angus Cloud, Giancarlo Esposito, and Matthew Goode.In this episodeWhy the poster and streaming artwork spoil the film's big vampire revealUniversal's monster-movie legacy, from the failed Dark Universe to The Invisible Man, Renfield, and AbigailThe heist-movie setup: anonymous criminals, Rat Pack aliases, a creepy manor, and a 24-hour ransom jobAbigail's Swan Lake opening and the early clue that she may not be as young as she looksThe crew: Joey, Frank, Sammy, Rickles, Peter, Dean, and LambertGiancarlo Esposito airport-chat, Terry Waite hostage tangent, and the inevitable Bad Dads detoursKristof Lazaar as the film's Keyser Söze figureDean's pantry death, the Valdez misdirection, and the vampire reveal everyone at home probably already knew was comingFailed vampire defences: holy water, crucifixes, garlic/onions, stakes, sunlight, and general criminal incompetenceThe corpse pool, puppet-dancing, flying vampires, exploding bodies, and the increasingly messy final actDan Stevens as Frank, Alisha Weir's excellent monster-child performance, and Melissa Barrera grounding the whole thing as JoeyParent-child horror: Joey's absent-mother guilt versus Abigail's desperate need for her father's attentionBad Dads consensusSidey: Strong recommend — enjoyed the daftness, gore, performances, and vampire lore playDan: Strong recommend — expected something scarier, but found it funny, silly, and much more enjoyable than fearedReegs: Positive overall — liked the craft and cast, compared it to From Dusk Till Dawn, but felt the ending dragged and got messyCris: Not a recommend — thought it was too long, not funny enough, and stranded between comedy, horror, and thrillerFinal takeAbigail works best as a polished, knowingly ridiculous locked-house monster movie: criminals in a mansion, vampire ballerina on the loose, and enough exploding blood to repaint a stately home. It is not subtle, and the ending overstays its welcome, but for most of the dads the cast and energy carry it.You can now text us anonymously to leave feedback, suggest future content or simply hurl abuse at us. We'll read out any texts we receive on the show. Click here to try it out!We love to hear from our listeners! By which I mean we tolerate it. If it hasn't been completely destroyed yet you can usually find us on twitter @dads_film, on Facebook Bad Dads Film Review, on email at baddadsjsy@gmail.com or on our website baddadsfilm.com. Until next time, we remain... Bad Dads

On this episode of Bad Dads Film Review, the team reviews Toscana (2022), Netflix's Danish-Italian comfort drama about a stressed fine-dining chef who inherits his father's restaurant in Tuscany and slowly rediscovers rustic cooking, unresolved family memories, and a wildly inconvenient romance.In this episodeThe tragic walking football update: a playoff final lost on penalties, after Sidey chose love and anniversary plans over footballDan's gardening-inspired Top 5 theme: plants in film and televisionThe Day of the Triffids, Audrey II, Ents, Leon's plant, Martian potatoes, Interstellar corn, Attack of the Killer Tomatoes, Batman's blue flower, Cheech and Chong's marijuana van, Tomacco, Swamp Thing, Groot, and Moriarty's dead plantsReegs' full crop of plant-film puns, including Chive Angry, Kill Dill, Mulch Ado About Nothing, Full Petal Jacket, and music by Sage Against the MachineSidey's essential full English breakfast rules: beans on the plate, fried bread as gold standard, black pudding welcome, hash browns firmly under suspicionToscana's dubbed-language confusion before Sidey realises the film is Danish, Italian and EnglishTheo Dahl's sterile Danish fine-dining kitchen, tweezer food, a lost €9m investor, and a full meltdown at the passCris calling out the fantasy of a top chef personally cleaning the kitchenTheo's inheritance trip to Tuscany, his battle with rustic food, suspect ice cubes, and unexpectedly excellent olive oilSophia, Pino, the wedding catering deal, and the film's very convenient emotional geographyThe €500k/€900k sale gamble and Theo's professional pride kicking inThe romance problem: Sophia is engaged, Pino seems perfectly sound, and Theo spends much of the film behaving like a potatoTheo rediscovering cooking “by feel” rather than by gram-perfect controlThe ending: sale completed, buy-back arranged, Danish chefs shipped to Tuscany, Sophia returns, and everyone apparently embraces rustic restaurant lifeBad Dads consensusScenery: gorgeousRuntime: painless and breezyPlot: extremely predictableFood content: oddly less visible than expectedRomance: not especially believablePino: treated very harshly by the filmTheo: hard to root for, despite the intended redemption arcOverall: watchable but thin — Dan and Cris found it easy to sit through, while Sidey wanted more charisma, chemistry and actual cookingYou can now text us anonymously to leave feedback, suggest future content or simply hurl abuse at us. We'll read out any texts we receive on the show. Click here to try it out!We love to hear from our listeners! By which I mean we tolerate it. If it hasn't been completely destroyed yet you can usually find us on twitter @dads_film, on Facebook Bad Dads Film Review, on email at baddadsjsy@gmail.com or on our website baddadsfilm.com. Until next time, we remain... Bad Dads

On this episode of Bad Dads Film Review, the team reviews Jonah Hex (2010) — DC's supernatural western starring Josh Brolin as the scarred bounty hunter, John Malkovich as revenge-villain Quentin Turnbull, and Megan Fox as Lilah/Tallulah, depending on which bit of the film you believe.In this episodeDan's late pick and the argument over whether Jonah Hex counts as the midweek movie“Johan Hex” and the accidental Scandinavian spin-off nobody asked forThe brutally rushed origin story: dead family, branded face, Native American resurrection smoke, and crow-adjacent powersJonah Hex as a supernatural bounty hunter who can temporarily revive corpses for informationThe horse-mounted Gatling guns and the film's steampunk Wild West weaponryMegan Fox's immaculate Wild West prostitute character and the noble-prostitute tropeMichael Fassbender's bowler hat, neck tattoo, Irish accent, and career-survival appearanceJohn Malkovich's oddly flat Turnbull performance and his plan to attack America with glowing cannonball super-weaponsThe confusing resurrection sequence, crow-from-the-mouth imagery, and anticlimactic final showdownComparisons with Ghost Rider, Cowboys & Aliens, Wild Wild West, Preacher, The Crow, The Dark Knight, and The Outlaw Josey WalesThe film's disastrous box office: around $47m reported production budget versus around $10.5m worldwide return, before marketingBad Dads consensusRuntime: mercifully shortCast: bizarrely stackedPlot coherence: extremely questionableVisual ideas: occasional flashes of something betterPerformances: mostly phoned in, with Brolin just about surviving itBest feature: it ends quicklyOverall: not a recommend, though Dan resists calling it one of the worst ever and Cris may still watch it out of sheer curiosityYou can now text us anonymously to leave feedback, suggest future content or simply hurl abuse at us. We'll read out any texts we receive on the show. Click here to try it out!We love to hear from our listeners! By which I mean we tolerate it. If it hasn't been completely destroyed yet you can usually find us on twitter @dads_film, on Facebook Bad Dads Film Review, on email at baddadsjsy@gmail.com or on our website baddadsfilm.com. Until next time, we remain... Bad Dads

On this episode of Bad Dads Film Review, the team reviews Apex (2026) — a stripped-back survival thriller set in the Australian outback starring Charlize Theron, Taron Egerton, and Eric Bana.In this episodeGarden-recording vibes, warm-weather chaos, and the usual Bad Dads preambleTop 5 Travellers/Gypsies segment before the main reviewSetup: remote climbing trip gone wrong after a devastating opening lossTone shift from survival drama to psychological hunter/prey thrillerBen's “helpful stranger” act and the slow reveal of what's really going onKey tension moments: camp, cave, traps, cliff climb, and escape sequenceCannibal reveal and why that pushes the film into darker territoryPerformances: Charlize's physical lead work and Egerton's menaceRuntime/pacing: lean, effective, and mostly free of bloatBad Dads consensusTension and atmosphere: strongPerformances: very strongPredictability: some broad beats are readable, but execution landsRewatch value: good if you like survival thrillers with edgeOverall: Strong recommend (all three)You can now text us anonymously to leave feedback, suggest future content or simply hurl abuse at us. We'll read out any texts we receive on the show. Click here to try it out!We love to hear from our listeners! By which I mean we tolerate it. If it hasn't been completely destroyed yet you can usually find us on twitter @dads_film, on Facebook Bad Dads Film Review, on email at baddadsjsy@gmail.com or on our website baddadsfilm.com. Until next time, we remain... Bad Dads

On this episode of Bad Dads Film Review, the dads review Saipan (2025), a dramatization of one of the most explosive moments in modern Irish football history.In this episodeWhy this story still matters: Ireland's 2002 World Cup buildup and the Keane/McCarthy falloutThe core tension: perfectionist, win-first standards vs “get the job done” tournament pragmatismCamp preparation issues and why they became the flashpointClub-vs-country politics in the background (including pressure dynamics around Manchester United)Performances: thoughts on the Roy Keane portrayal and Steve Coogan's grounded McCarthyWhether the film feels fair to both sides or leans into dramatized caricatureThe wider football question: was Keane right in principle but wrong in approach?Bad Dads consensusStory relevance: highPerformance quality: strong, with mixed reactions on specific portrayal choicesHistorical accuracy: debatedRewatch value: good for football fans and sports-drama watchersOverall: **Strong recommend**You can now text us anonymously to leave feedback, suggest future content or simply hurl abuse at us. We'll read out any texts we receive on the show. Click here to try it out!We love to hear from our listeners! By which I mean we tolerate it. If it hasn't been completely destroyed yet you can usually find us on twitter @dads_film, on Facebook Bad Dads Film Review, on email at baddadsjsy@gmail.com or on our website baddadsfilm.com. Until next time, we remain... Bad Dads

This week the dads tackle Wilson Yip's SPL: Kill Zone — part crime thriller, part tragedy, part full-contact martial-arts clinic. Donnie Yen, Sammo Hung and Simon Yam carry a film that's interested in corruption and consequence as much as it is in breaking bones on camera.First though: Top Five Dons. Unsurprisingly, this goes everywhere. Corleone, TV Dons, gaming Dons, football Dons, and assorted nonsense all make appearances before the lads finally get to the main event.Top Five segment highlights:Classic mob-boss royalty and the unavoidable Godfather referencesDon characters from prestige TV and old-school comedyCurveballs from animation/gaming cultureA healthy amount of side-questing into football and pop-culture triviaOn the main feature:The setup: A terminally ill inspector and his squad target a triad boss after a witness case collapses.The tone: Bleak, cynical, and morally compromised from the jump — this is not a clean heroes-villains story.The action ramp: The dads note it takes its time, then cashes in hard late.The alley fight: Widely discussed as the technical standout (knife vs baton, terrifying pace, almost no wasted movement).The finale: Heavy, vicious, and emotionally costly — no easy triumph, no neat bow.What worked bestPhysical, high-commitment choreography that still holds upSammo Hung as a genuinely intimidating antagonistA darker dramatic spine than many equivalent action filmsReservations discussedPacing in the first stretch can feel deliberate-to-slow depending on moodSome narrative beats are more functional than elegantFinal verdict:Strong recommend. If you're into grimy Hong Kong crime/action hybrids with serious impact, SPL absolutely earns a watch.You can now text us anonymously to leave feedback, suggest future content or simply hurl abuse at us. We'll read out any texts we receive on the show. Click here to try it out!We love to hear from our listeners! By which I mean we tolerate it. If it hasn't been completely destroyed yet you can usually find us on twitter @dads_film, on Facebook Bad Dads Film Review, on email at baddadsjsy@gmail.com or on our website baddadsfilm.com. Until next time, we remain... Bad Dads

The lads open with the Wu-Tang connection (RZA has this high on his all-time kung fu list), then jump straight into what makes this film such a riot: a betrayed warrior clan, relentless set-piece combat, and some of the most creative pole/staff fighting you'll ever see.They unpack the story of the Yang brothers being ambushed, the surviving brothers' trauma and vengeance, and Gordon Liu's turn as the Fifth Brother as he channels rage into monk training before the movie detonates into a legendary finale.Highlights from the discussion include:The iconic Shaw Brothers set design and stylised battle stagingThe “remove the wolf's teeth” monk philosophy becoming literal in the climaxThe insane physicality of the cast and practical stunt brutalityThe coffin-room/bar showdown as an all-time kung fu finaleBy the end, it's a full house: huge enjoyment, massive respect for the craft, and a strong recommendation for anyone into action cinema history.You can now text us anonymously to leave feedback, suggest future content or simply hurl abuse at us. We'll read out any texts we receive on the show. Click here to try it out!We love to hear from our listeners! By which I mean we tolerate it. If it hasn't been completely destroyed yet you can usually find us on twitter @dads_film, on Facebook Bad Dads Film Review, on email at baddadsjsy@gmail.com or on our website baddadsfilm.com. Until next time, we remain... Bad Dads

This week on Bad Dads Film Review, we cover Song Sung Blue — a true-story music biopic about married couple Mike and Claire Sardina, whose Neil Diamond tribute act takes them from local gigs to national attention. What starts as a feel-good performance story gradually becomes a heavier drama about fame, pressure, family strain, and loss.What the Movie Is AboutSet around a tribute-band scene, the film follows Mike and Claire as they chase success while trying to hold their personal lives together. As their act grows, so do the pressures: health issues, emotional fallout, and the cost of trying to keep the show on the road. It's part music crowd-pleaser, part rise-and-fall relationship drama.Main CastHugh Jackman as Mike SardinaKate Hudson as Claire SardinaThe panel agreed both leads are strong, committed, and believable as performers and as a couple under pressure.Our Overall FeelingThe Bad Dads landed mixed-to-positive overall.Big praise for the lead performances and emotional moments.Some of us found it moving and surprisingly effective.The main criticism: it feels overlong, with a 90-minute story stretched to around 2h15.Final Verdict✅ Recommended — but with runtime caveatsYou can now text us anonymously to leave feedback, suggest future content or simply hurl abuse at us. We'll read out any texts we receive on the show. Click here to try it out!We love to hear from our listeners! By which I mean we tolerate it. If it hasn't been completely destroyed yet you can usually find us on twitter @dads_film, on Facebook Bad Dads Film Review, on email at baddadsjsy@gmail.com or on our website baddadsfilm.com. Until next time, we remain... Bad Dads

This week the Bad Dads take a pounding with The Bleeder (2016), the Liev Schreiber-led biopic of Chuck Wepner — the Bayonne brawler whose improbable 15-round fight with Muhammad Ali inspired Sylvester Stallone to write Rocky. The film charts Wepner's rise from club fighter and liquor delivery man to brief, cocaine-fuelled celebrity — and his long, self-inflicted fall back down again.The Dads discuss:·         Liev Schreiber's committed central performance and the stacked supporting cast (Naomi Watts, Elisabeth Moss, Ron Perlman, Jim Gaffigan)·         The film's tonal debt to Boogie Nights — same era, same cocaine, same gravitational pull·         Why The Bleeder is more entertaining than it is illuminating, and whether that's enough·         Chuck Wepner's actual boxing record, the real Ali fight, and the legendary grizzly bear incident·         The Stallone connection: Rocky, the botched Rocky II audition, and the money Wepner never saw Also this week:·         Top Five Vigilantes — featuring Travis Bickle, Batman, V for Vendetta, The Boondock Saints, Law Abiding Citizen, Nobody, Death Wish (1974), Rolling Thunder, Kick-Ass, The Punisher, Harry Brown, and Miss Marple·         Viewing chat: Beef (Season 2, Netflix) | The Boys (Season 5) | Apex (Netflix)·         Walking football season update: Played 18, Won 14, Drew 2, Lost 1 — and a cup final incoming Films/shows mentioned: The Bleeder (2016), Rocky (1976), Boogie Nights (1997), Beef (Season 2), The Boys (Season 5), Apex (2025), Death Wish (1974), Rolling Thunder (1977), Law Abiding Citizen (2009), Nobody (2021), Kick-Ass (2010), Super (2010), The Punisher, Harry Brown (2009), V for Vendetta (2005), Inglourious Basterds (2009), Hard Candy (2005), Promising Young Woman (2020), Taxi Driver (1976), The Equalizer, Mad Max (1979), Taken (2008)You can now text us anonymously to leave feedback, suggest future content or simply hurl abuse at us. We'll read out any texts we receive on the show. Click here to try it out!We love to hear from our listeners! By which I mean we tolerate it. If it hasn't been completely destroyed yet you can usually find us on twitter @dads_film, on Facebook Bad Dads Film Review, on email at baddadsjsy@gmail.com or on our website baddadsfilm.com. Until next time, we remain... Bad Dads

This week, Bad Dads Film Review takes on The Untouchables with a full spoiler-light breakdown and final verdicts.What We CoveredThe Main Feature: The Untouchables review and reactions.Standout Moments: Performances, scenes, and sequences that hit hardest.Does It Hold Up?: What still lands and what feels dated.The Verdicts: Final scores and whether it gets the recommendation.You can now text us anonymously to leave feedback, suggest future content or simply hurl abuse at us. We'll read out any texts we receive on the show. Click here to try it out!We love to hear from our listeners! By which I mean we tolerate it. If it hasn't been completely destroyed yet you can usually find us on twitter @dads_film, on Facebook Bad Dads Film Review, on email at baddadsjsy@gmail.com or on our website baddadsfilm.com. Until next time, we remain... Bad Dads

This week, the Bad Dads are taking on the "Top 5 Evils" in cinema history before diving into the excruciatingly tense thriller, Speak No Evil (2024).What We CoveredTop 5 Evils: We rank the ultimate cinematic bad guys. Expect mentions of everyone from the Joker to historical monsters.The Main Feature: Reviewing Speak No Evil. How far will middle-class couples go to avoid appearing rude? All the way to a shallow grave, apparently.James McAvoy's Masterclass: Breaking down his terrifyingly alpha, boundary-pushing performance.The Verdicts: Does the tension pay off? We give our final scores and recommendations.You can now text us anonymously to leave feedback, suggest future content or simply hurl abuse at us. We'll read out any texts we receive on the show. Click here to try it out!We love to hear from our listeners! By which I mean we tolerate it. If it hasn't been completely destroyed yet you can usually find us on twitter @dads_film, on Facebook Bad Dads Film Review, on email at baddadsjsy@gmail.com or on our website baddadsfilm.com. Until next time, we remain... Bad Dads

This week, the Bad Dads rewind to 1989 to review the iconic Richard Pryor and Gene Wilder comedy, See No Evil, Hear No Evil.What We CoveredMustache Watch: Cris debuts a new retro mustache. Is it Ned Flanders? Luigi? You decide.The Main Feature: Reviewing the chaotic brilliance of Wilder and Pryor navigating a murder plot as a deaf man and a blind man.Classic Tropes: We talk about Kevin Spacey, 80s car chases with a blind driver, and using other senses (and Shalimar perfume) to outwit the cops.Lost in Translation: Reegs runs down the funniest international titles for the film (Spain went with "Don't Yell At Me, I Can't See You").You can now text us anonymously to leave feedback, suggest future content or simply hurl abuse at us. We'll read out any texts we receive on the show. Click here to try it out!We love to hear from our listeners! By which I mean we tolerate it. If it hasn't been completely destroyed yet you can usually find us on twitter @dads_film, on Facebook Bad Dads Film Review, on email at baddadsjsy@gmail.com or on our website baddadsfilm.com. Until next time, we remain... Bad Dads

This week on Bad Dads Film Review, the dads are covering the "Top 5 Floods" in cinema history before taking a deep dive into the 2025 Oscar-winning Latvian animated film, Flow.What We CoveredTop 5 Floods: The crew discusses the best cinematic deluges, including Dan's deep-dive into the upside-down chaos of The Poseidon Adventure.The Main Feature: Reviewing Flow, the stunning animated feature about a cat, a capybara, a lemur, and a dog surviving a massive flood.Zero Dialogue, Maximum Impact: How a film with no humans and no talking managed to beat Inside Out 2 at the 97th Academy Awards.The Verdicts: An absolute "flood of emotion and high praise." The entire crew gave it their strongest possible recommendation.You can now text us anonymously to leave feedback, suggest future content or simply hurl abuse at us. We'll read out any texts we receive on the show. Click here to try it out!We love to hear from our listeners! By which I mean we tolerate it. If it hasn't been completely destroyed yet you can usually find us on twitter @dads_film, on Facebook Bad Dads Film Review, on email at baddadsjsy@gmail.com or on our website baddadsfilm.com. Until next time, we remain... Bad Dads

This week, the Bad Dads wade deep into "The Bathtub" to review Benh Zeitlin's indie darling Beasts of the Southern Wild (2012). Facing off against apocalyptic floods, giant prehistoric boars (Aurochs), and the harsh realities of off-the-grid poverty, six-year-old Hushpuppy carries this movie on her tiny shoulders.What We CoveredFlood Week: Topical weather discussions, recent storms, and impending doom.The Bathtub: Exploring the feral, off-the-grid community south of the Louisiana levee and the metaphor of the melting ice caps.Parenting 101: Wink's extremely tough-love (and questionable) approach to raising six-year-old Hushpuppy.Cat Food Stew & Aurochs: Cooking with blowtorches and the symbolic approach of giant prehistoric boars.The Verdicts: Magical realism masterpiece or something else? We debate the non-professional cast and the intense cinematography.You can now text us anonymously to leave feedback, suggest future content or simply hurl abuse at us. We'll read out any texts we receive on the show. Click here to try it out!We love to hear from our listeners! By which I mean we tolerate it. If it hasn't been completely destroyed yet you can usually find us on twitter @dads_film, on Facebook Bad Dads Film Review, on email at baddadsjsy@gmail.com or on our website baddadsfilm.com. Until next time, we remain... Bad Dads

The Bad Dads (with Dan away for the week) dive into the protein-shake-fueled world of Den of Thieves (2018). It's a battle of the alphas as Gerard Butler's corrupt Sheriff's unit takes on an ex-military crew planning an impossible heist on the US Federal Reserve.What We Covered- Top 5 Pockets and Pickpockets intro (it's Pocket Week!)- The *Heat* comparisons: why this is basically *Heat* with tribal tattoos and maximum swagger.- Gerard Butler's completely unhinged "Big Dick Energy" performance.- The blurred lines between the "good guys" and the "bad guys."- Sidey reacting to the review (he hasn't seen it yet, but he's sold now).- Final verdict: A resounding strong recommend!Final VerdictStrong recommend — "Five tens outta five." A fantastic, action-packed heist movie that knows exactly what it is.You can now text us anonymously to leave feedback, suggest future content or simply hurl abuse at us. We'll read out any texts we receive on the show. Click here to try it out!We love to hear from our listeners! By which I mean we tolerate it. If it hasn't been completely destroyed yet you can usually find us on twitter @dads_film, on Facebook Bad Dads Film Review, on email at baddadsjsy@gmail.com or on our website baddadsfilm.com. Until next time, we remain... Bad Dads

The crew kicks off Pocket Week with *God's Pocket* and explores whether the film's rough-edged, hyper-local setting works as character drama or just stays grim for grim's sake.What We Covered- Whether this was truly one of Philip Seymour Hoffman's final performances/releases- John Slattery directing, plus the Mad Men crossover cast links- The opening funeral framing and backfill structure- Mickey's terrible decision-making spiral (including spending funeral money on a horse)- The film's violence, cynicism, and lack of clear "good" characters- Tone issues: bleak drama mixed with moments that feel unintentionally funny- Community themes: loyalty, outsider distrust, and "closed" neighborhood culture- Final verdict: moderate recommendFinal VerdictModerate recommend — worth watching for Hoffman and atmosphere, but patchy overall.You can now text us anonymously to leave feedback, suggest future content or simply hurl abuse at us. We'll read out any texts we receive on the show. Click here to try it out!We love to hear from our listeners! By which I mean we tolerate it. If it hasn't been completely destroyed yet you can usually find us on twitter @dads_film, on Facebook Bad Dads Film Review, on email at baddadsjsy@gmail.com or on our website baddadsfilm.com. Until next time, we remain... Bad Dads

This week, the Dads head into the Australian Outback to review Nicolas Roeg's mesmerizing and dreamlike 1971 survival drama, Walkabout.Dan kicks things off by admitting he completely confused this movie with A Far Off Place, spending the first hour waiting for a dog that was never going to appear. Once the confusion settles, Sidey, Dan, Reegs, and Cris dive deep into this visual masterpiece starring Jenny Agutter, Luc Roeg, and the legendary David Gulpilil.In this episode:- Dan's Kalahari Desert mix-up- The culture clash: modern society vs. indigenous life- Have humans evolved too fast for the modern world? (Cris predicts our WALL-E slug future)- The indestructible nature of 1970s school uniform tights- Why you shouldn't go hiking in formal leather school shoes- The brilliant, almost entirely improvised performances from the young cast- Comparisons to last week's film (Sovereign) on the topic of rejecting modern societyVerdict: Strong recommend across the board. A weird, beautiful, and thought-provoking classic.Films/shows mentioned: Walkabout (1971), Sovereign (2025), A Far Off Place (1993), Don't Look Now (1973), The Man Who Fell to Earth (1976), WALL-E (2008), Crocodile Dundee (1986).You can now text us anonymously to leave feedback, suggest future content or simply hurl abuse at us. We'll read out any texts we receive on the show. Click here to try it out!We love to hear from our listeners! By which I mean we tolerate it. If it hasn't been completely destroyed yet you can usually find us on twitter @dads_film, on Facebook Bad Dads Film Review, on email at baddadsjsy@gmail.com or on our website baddadsfilm.com. Until next time, we remain... Bad Dads

This week, the Dads pull out the red string and the newspaper clippings to review The Conspiracy (2012), a Canadian found-footage indie thriller written and directed by Christopher MacBride.With Pete away skiing (and tracking his WOD PRs), Sidey, Dan, Reegs, and Cris dive into a mockumentary that blurs the lines between actual historical psy-ops and deep web paranoia.In this episode: - Arsenal injury conspiracies and the truth about international breaks - Terrence, the ultimate tinfoil-hat kook, and his magnificent "murder wall" of newspaper clippings - The psychology of conspiracy theories: why believing a shadowy cabal controls the world is more comforting than accepting chaos - How the film effectively weaves real-world events (9/11, Gulf of Tonkin) into its fictional narrative - The dreaded Tarsus Club and the logistics of crashing an elite secret society dinner (surely they counted the masks?) - The inevitable pivot into Blair Witch meets Eyes Wide Shut in the third act - Tie-clip cameras, blurry faces, and aggressive stabbing sound effects - That deeply unsettling final interview sceneVerdict: Strong recommend. A tight, breezy indie thriller that executes its premise well, even if the final act goes a bit off the rails.Films/shows mentioned: The Conspiracy (2012), The Blair Witch Project (1999), Eyes Wide Shut (1999).You can now text us anonymously to leave feedback, suggest future content or simply hurl abuse at us. We'll read out any texts we receive on the show. Click here to try it out!We love to hear from our listeners! By which I mean we tolerate it. If it hasn't been completely destroyed yet you can usually find us on twitter @dads_film, on Facebook Bad Dads Film Review, on email at baddadsjsy@gmail.com or on our website baddadsfilm.com. Until next time, we remain... Bad Dads

It's conspiracies week at Bad Dads. All four dads — Sidey, Dan, Reegs and Cris — count down the Top Five Conspiracies before getting to Sovereign (2025), a devastating drama about a father and son in the Sovereign Citizen movement that made $63,000 at the box office and absolutely deserved better.In the Top Five:JFK — Oliver Stone's four-hour masterpiece of the grassy knoll, covered in fullAll the President's Men — Woodward, Bernstein, the paper that's now owned by BezosMichael Clayton — Clooney, Tilda Swinton, Tom Wilkinson going off his medsV for Vendetta — the graphic novel Alan Moore hated adapted by people he also hatedThe Matrix/Moon Landing — Kubrick and the simulation, one or two topicsZoolander — the fashion industry behind every political assassination for 200 yearsBubba Ho-Tep — Elvis, Black JFK, Egyptian mummy. Cris's nom. Correct.Elvis vs Nixon — the real meeting, the badges, the conspiracy of what they said to each otherCOINTELPRO — the real FBI programme that makes the conspiracy theories look tameSidey's friend's COVID/QAnon texts — read in full, genuinely extraordinaryReegs' Conspiracy Quiz:Real or made up? Finland, Denver Airport, Victorian tax avoidance, Tuskegee, government surveillance birds, and Wetherspoons underground tunnels.On Sovereign:Nick Offerman in an unexpected dramatic turn — really big and violentJacob Tremblay as Joe, the son, in what both Reegs and Dan consider career-best workThe Sovereign Citizen movement explained, and the real incident it's based onDennis Quaid as the sheriff whose son is killedMartha Plimpton's brief appearance as a seminar devoteeWhy Joe shoots the police: not madness, but inevitabilityThe baby at the end. You'll understand when you get there.Verdict: Strong recommend all round. Heavy. Almost nobody saw it. One of those films.You can now text us anonymously to leave feedback, suggest future content or simply hurl abuse at us. We'll read out any texts we receive on the show. Click here to try it out!We love to hear from our listeners! By which I mean we tolerate it. If it hasn't been completely destroyed yet you can usually find us on twitter @dads_film, on Facebook Bad Dads Film Review, on email at baddadsjsy@gmail.com or on our website baddadsfilm.com. Until next time, we remain... Bad Dads

This week Dan and Reegs review I, Swear — the 2025 BAFTA-winning film about John Davidson, the Scotsman with Tourette's syndrome who became an MBE, an advocate, and one of the most compelling biographical subjects in recent cinema.It's just the two of them this episode. There was also a hornet.In this episode:The BAFTA ceremony controversy — what actually happened, why the internet got it wrong, and why the BBC's edit decision was indefensibleJohn Davidson's story from 1983 Galashiels to an MBE at the Palace, in a film that is simultaneously hilarious and devastatingScott Ellis Watson's extraordinary debut performance as young JohnWhy this film works when so many "inspirational" biopics don'tTommy — the elderly caretaker who becomes the father figure John never hadDottie — the woman who simply decided to accept him, no apologies requiredThe drug mule scene ("half price heroin for sale")The library scene — why a man walking quietly through a library might be the best cinematic climax of the yearThe median nerve stimulation device and what it means for people living with Tourette'sThe real John Davidson footage over the credits — including his dog, who may be the most emotionally intelligent character in the whole filmVerdict: Strong recommend. Both dads in tears. Multiple times. Not ashamed.Notes: Adult language throughout. This is a film about Tourette's. That should tell you everything you need to know going in.Films/shows mentioned: I, Swear (2025), Sinners (2025 — Michael B. Jordan's Oscar win referenced)You can now text us anonymously to leave feedback, suggest future content or simply hurl abuse at us. We'll read out any texts we receive on the show. Click here to try it out!We love to hear from our listeners! By which I mean we tolerate it. If it hasn't been completely destroyed yet you can usually find us on twitter @dads_film, on Facebook Bad Dads Film Review, on email at baddadsjsy@gmail.com or on our website baddadsfilm.com. Until next time, we remain... Bad Dads

This week the dads work late for Steven Shainberg's Secretary (2002) — one of the more unusual love stories in American independent cinema, and almost certainly the most interesting thing James Spader has ever worn a tie for.But first: a very thorough Top Five Secretaries list. Dolly Parton, Mad Men, Ghostbusters, Batman Returns, The Simpsons, Beetlejuice, Moneypenny through all her iterations, and the West Wing. It's a good one.Top Five highlights:Doralee Rhodes (Dolly Parton) from 9 to 5Joan Holloway and Peggy Olson from Mad Men — a deliberate twoferSelina Kyle — Michelle Pfeiffer, one take with the whip, iconicMoneypenny through every era — Lois Maxwell to Naomi HarrisSmithers from The Simpsons — unsalaried, devoted, above and beyondMiss Argentina, the green receptionist in the afterlife from BeetlejuiceDawn/Pam from the UK and US Office — both great, discussed togetherMrs Landingham from The West WingMiss Teschmacher from SupermanOn the main feature:Dan tried to watch it with his family. The first scene resolved that very quickly.A surprisingly thoughtful and sensitive portrayal of BDSM — and why it works where 50 Shades doesn'tMaggie Gyllenhaal and James Spader both doing career-best workAngelo Badalamenti's score — unusual, rhythmically strange, perfectWhether trading one form of self-harm for another is complex, or just complicated, or bothThe three-day chair scene — and why it's the emotional heart of the filmAlso in this episode: a recent Wu-Tang Clan gig (GZA didn't show, QR codes were aggressively promoted), Barcelona, and Sidey's assessment of the Red Hot Chili Peppers.Verdict: Strong recommend. Surprisingly tender. Genuinely unlike anything else.Note: Adult content. Not suitable for family viewing. The dads learned this the hard way.Cast & crew discussed: Maggie Gyllenhaal, James Spader, Angelo Badalamenti, Steven ShainbergYou can now text us anonymously to leave feedback, suggest future content or simply hurl abuse at us. We'll read out any texts we receive on the show. Click here to try it out!We love to hear from our listeners! By which I mean we tolerate it. If it hasn't been completely destroyed yet you can usually find us on twitter @dads_film, on Facebook Bad Dads Film Review, on email at baddadsjsy@gmail.com or on our website baddadsfilm.com. Until next time, we remain... Bad Dads

This week the dads tackle Paul Verhoeven's infamous erotic thriller — the fourth highest-grossing film of 1992 and quite possibly the most rewound VHS tape in rental shop history. Basic Instinct turns 33 this year, and it's still just as wild as you remember.In this episode:The legendary interrogation scene and the great Wayne Knight sweating debateWhether Sharon Stone knew — and whether Paul Verhoeven is telling the truthNick Curran: the "anti-Columbo" and arguably cinema's least heroic heroWhy Michael Douglas was paid $14 million and Sharon Stone got half a millionVerhoeven's Hitchcock obsession and the Vertigo parallels hiding in plain sightThe ambiguous ending, the ice pick under the bed, and whether the sequel tells us anythingLGBTQ+ representation and the bisexual villain problemThe 2001 collector's edition DVD that came with a replica ice pickSharon Stone's Barbie film pitch, and why it never happenedVerdict: Strong recommend. Ludicrous, overwrought, problematic in places — and still absolutely compelling.Films mentioned: Basic Instinct (1992), Basic Instinct 2 (2006), Vertigo (1958)Cast & crew discussed: Sharon Stone, Michael Douglas, Jeanne Tripplehorn, Wayne Knight, Paul Verhoeven, Jerry GoldsmithYou can now text us anonymously to leave feedback, suggest future content or simply hurl abuse at us. We'll read out any texts we receive on the show. Click here to try it out!We love to hear from our listeners! By which I mean we tolerate it. If it hasn't been completely destroyed yet you can usually find us on twitter @dads_film, on Facebook Bad Dads Film Review, on email at baddadsjsy@gmail.com or on our website baddadsfilm.com. Until next time, we remain... Bad Dads

 This week Sidey, Dan, and Cris fly solo — Simon's been called to Southampton on urgent business (he was spotted in a pub surrounded by tea cups, so make of that what you will). The dads are reviewing Ballad of a Small Player (2024), the new Netflix film from Edward Berger — the director behind All Quiet on the Western Front and Conclave — starring a very much on-form Colin Farrell. The Film: Colin Farrell plays Lord Doyle, a dissolute British gambler drowning in debt in the casinos of Macau — and if you thought Vegas was the gambling capital of the world, think again. Doyle owes 352,000 Hong Kong dollars to the house, is blagging his way past the front desk in a crumpled cravat, and somehow still looks magnificent. He falls in with a mysterious young woman at the Baccarat tables, and from there the film slides into gorgeous, ambiguous territory — is she real? Is any of this? And does it even matter when the rush of the bet is the only thing that feels true? Themes of addiction, redemption, obsession, and the question of whether you can ever really stop — all wrapped in the stylised, sun-drenched visual language of Macau's casino underworld. The lads give it two words each: "All in" (Dan), "Bizarre but funny" (Cris), and "Strong recommend" (Sidey). Consensus: go watch it. Top Five: Gardens The boys dig into their favourite cinematic, televisual, musical, and gaming gardens. From the gnome in Amélie and David Lynch's suburban lawn horror in Blue Velvet, to the brutal communal fields of Midsommar, Spirited Away's otherworldly beauty, and the garden in Saltburn that had certain members of the pod seeing quite a lot of a particular actor. Wonka's chocolate garden gets a nod, as does Miss Peregrine's hedge-portal to another time. Sidey & Reegs are also going to see Wu-Tang Clan at the O2. Protect ya neck. You can now text us anonymously to leave feedback, suggest future content or simply hurl abuse at us. We'll read out any texts we receive on the show. Click here to try it out!We love to hear from our listeners! By which I mean we tolerate it. If it hasn't been completely destroyed yet you can usually find us on twitter @dads_film, on Facebook Bad Dads Film Review, on email at baddadsjsy@gmail.com or on our website baddadsfilm.com. Until next time, we remain... Bad Dads

This week's Midweek Mention takes us somewhere unexpectedly moving — Bill Condon's Gods and Monsters (1998), a fictionalized account of the final days of James Whale, the British director who gave the world Frankenstein and Bride of Frankenstein. Sir Ian McKellen is extraordinary as the ageing, ailing Whale — a man whose health is failing, whose memories are fragmenting, and who has grown too tired to pretend he cares about social niceties. Into his life stumbles Clayton Boone (Brendan Fraser, in peak movie-star form), a gardener and former marine who becomes an unlikely companion in Whale's last chapter. What unfolds is a quiet, beautifully lit character study about aging, depression, homosexuality in 1950s Hollywood, and what happens when two very different men decide to be honest with each other. Lynn Redgrave as Hannah the disapproving housekeeper practically steals every scene she's in. There's strip journalism, a gas mask, a Hollywood party with Princess Margaret, and a swimming pool. Whale directed horror. He understood that tragedy works best when it makes you laugh first. Budget: $10M | Box office: ~$6.5M | BBC Films co-production | Premiered at Sundance Verdict: Strong recommend from Sidey and Cris. Dan missed it but is already planning to watch it.You can now text us anonymously to leave feedback, suggest future content or simply hurl abuse at us. We'll read out any texts we receive on the show. Click here to try it out!We love to hear from our listeners! By which I mean we tolerate it. If it hasn't been completely destroyed yet you can usually find us on twitter @dads_film, on Facebook Bad Dads Film Review, on email at baddadsjsy@gmail.com or on our website baddadsfilm.com. Until next time, we remain... Bad Dads

This week we go fully corporate: Top 5 Corporate & Tech Jargon — the phrases designed to sound like progress while delivering absolutely nothing. We're talking circle back, take it offline, pivot, blue-sky thinking, synergy, and the whole “results-driven ecosystem” dialect spoken exclusively by people who describe themselves as “thought leaders” on LinkedIn.Then we hit the main feature: Thunderbolts* — Marvel's surprisingly sincere group-therapy movie disguised as an action film. Think The Breakfast Club, but everyone's a government assassin and the villain is basically existential depression with god-tier powers.Standard warning: we spoil. A lot. With confidence.What we talked aboutTop 5 Corporate / Techno-babbleWhy corporate language exists: credibility theatre, hiding behind vague phrasing, and “sounding senior” without committing to anything.The difference between useful technical language vs bullshit camouflage (and why “take it offline” can mean “I'm seething”).Techno-babble in movies: Back to the Future's flux capacitor, Avengers physics word-salad (quantum tunneling, heavy ion fusion, Coulomb barrier), and classic Star Trek “modulate the phase variance” nonsense.The “pivot” moment that sneaks into real life: Friends and the cursed sofa stairwell.Thunderbolts*Why this one lands better than recent Marvel: less quippy noise, more consistent tone, and a third act that's actually about something.The set-up: a clean-up operation that becomes a trap, plus Marvel's best “oh, we're definitely all going to die” elevator pitch.Bob / Sentry / The Void: a superhuman project gone wrong, and a villain that manifests as the darkest version of yourself.The big swing: a finale that avoids sky-portals and CGI armies and instead goes for inner trauma + solidarity (yes, basically an emotional intervention).The asterisk explained: the film's marketing payoff and the “New Avengers” naming chaos.The rough edges: runtime bloat, plot convenience, and the return of accents that should've stayed retired.Bonus life adminWalking football cup semi-final madness (knees sacrificed, glory secured).Random watches: Tarot (not recommended), “Lords of Metal” (unexpectedly wholesome), and a bit of hype for upcoming Peaky Blinders and Baz Luhrmann's Elvis project.If you're even slightly Marvel'd-out but still want something that tries to have a heart, Thunderbolts* is one of the more watchable recent entries — and if you've ever died inside hearing “let's circle back,” the Top 5 segment is basically free therapy.You can now text us anonymously to leave feedback, suggest future content or simply hurl abuse at us. We'll read out any texts we receive on the show. Click here to try it out!We love to hear from our listeners! By which I mean we tolerate it. If it hasn't been completely destroyed yet you can usually find us on twitter @dads_film, on Facebook Bad Dads Film Review, on email at baddadsjsy@gmail.com or on our website baddadsfilm.com. Until next time, we remain... Bad Dads

Bad Dads Film Review goes full courtroom chaos this week with My Cousin Vinny (1992) — the fish-out-of-water legal comedy where two broke New York kids take a wrong turn into the Deep South… and somehow end up charged with murder because of a misunderstanding that starts with a can of tuna.Sidey finally ticks off a long-standing gap (he'd never seen it), and we break down why this film still works: a tight premise, a brilliant “outsider vs small-town system” vibe, and a courtroom structure that's way smarter than it has any right to be for a broad comedy. Joe Pesci turns up looking like he's wandered in from Goodfellas in cowboy boots, tries to blag his way through Alabama procedure, and gets repeatedly threatened with contempt by an all-time stern judge (Fred Gwynne, aka Herman Munster).What we talked aboutThe opening setup: poverty-tour Americana, the road trip, and the tuna “crime of the century” that accidentally feeds the tension.Mistaken confession comedy: how the boys basically incriminate themselves… for the wrong offence.Vinny's legal “credentials”: six tries at the bar, no trial experience, and a running battle with courtroom etiquette (“judge” vs “your honour”, the suit, the procedure handbook).The judge dynamic: why Fred Gwynne is the perfect straight man and how the contempt/lock-up beats become a recurring gag.Mona Lisa Vito (Marisa Tomei): the film's secret weapon — and why her role isn't just “girlfriend”, she's the brain that solves the case.Courtroom mechanics: cross-exams, witness deconstruction, and why parts of this film get referenced in law-school conversations as a simple example of dismantling testimony.The car/tire evidence: the key pivot from “they're screwed” to “hang on…” and the satisfying payoff when the story flips.Does it hold up? Runtime bloat (two hours is generous for this kind of comedy), how a lot of the plot collapses in the internet era, and why it's surprisingly not as offensively “of its time” as plenty of early-90s comedies.The Oscar chat: why Tomei winning Best Supporting Actress felt weird for a comedy… and whether it was actually deserved.Standard warning: we spoil the beats as we go, because that's the whole fun of a courtroom film.If you want a movie that's basically “competence porn disguised as a daft comedy” — where the final win is earned by actual reasoning rather than magic — this one's worth your time. (And yes: Tomei still, somehow, only gets more powerful with age.)Streaming note from the episode: available on Disney+.You can now text us anonymously to leave feedback, suggest future content or simply hurl abuse at us. We'll read out any texts we receive on the show. Click here to try it out!We love to hear from our listeners! By which I mean we tolerate it. If it hasn't been completely destroyed yet you can usually find us on twitter @dads_film, on Facebook Bad Dads Film Review, on email at baddadsjsy@gmail.com or on our website baddadsfilm.com. Until next time, we remain... Bad Dads

Bad Dads Film Review heads to the Italian Riviera this week for The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999) — a sun-drenched, jazz-soaked psychological thriller where gorgeous people do terrible things, and the worst person in the room still somehow isn't the guy committing the murders.We follow Tom Ripley (Matt Damon), a small-time grifter with big social ambitions, who's handed a golden ticket: travel to Italy and convince trust-fund prince Dickie Greenleaf (prime Jude Law, unfairly beautiful) to come home. Tom doesn't just want Dickie's friendship — he wants Dickie's life. And once he's tasted that world of money, effortless charm, and endless leisure, he's willing to do whatever it takes to stay in it.What we talked about“Great Gatsby, but murderous”: Tom as the outsider who doesn't just observe the rich — he tries to become them (and wear their face if needed).The grift mechanics: the Princeton jacket con, the “research” phase, practicing mannerisms and music tastes, and how the film turns impersonation into a craft.The seduction of wealth: why you're weirdly happy to watch Tom infiltrate a circle of vapid, obscenely privileged characters.Obsession and desire: the homoerotic undertones, Tom's fixation on Dickie, and how the film frames identity as something you can steal… if you're ruthless enough.Set-piece escalation: the boat trip and the brutal turning point; the forged signatures, dual hotel check-ins, staged evidence, and the constant “one more lie to cover the last lie” tension.Freddy as the threat (Philip Seymour Hoffman): the first person with enough real-world instincts to sniff out “new money” fraud — and what happens when he pushes it.The ending sting: Tom “gets away with it”… but the price is isolation, paranoia, and the realization that the spoils aren't worth much when you can't live as yourself.Aging and attitudes: how the film plays in 2026 — including a chat about whether some of the sexuality/“homosexual as threat” framing feels dated.Plus: we somehow opened with a Top 5 Mats segment that should not work… and absolutely does.Standard Bad Dads warning: spoilers throughout, strong language, and the kind of moral compass that's been left outside on a bath mat since the Blair government.You can now text us anonymously to leave feedback, suggest future content or simply hurl abuse at us. We'll read out any texts we receive on the show. Click here to try it out!We love to hear from our listeners! By which I mean we tolerate it. If it hasn't been completely destroyed yet you can usually find us on twitter @dads_film, on Facebook Bad Dads Film Review, on email at baddadsjsy@gmail.com or on our website baddadsfilm.com. Until next time, we remain... Bad Dads

The premise (simple, but the film isn't): A privileged but messy NYC teenager, Lisa (Anna Paquin), causes a moment of distraction that leads to a bus hitting and killing a woman (Allison Janney). In the immediate aftermath she lies to the police—claiming the light was green—helping the driver (Mark Ruffalo) avoid consequences. The rest of the film is Lisa spiralling through guilt, grief, anger, and a need to “make it right,” while the city and everyone around her keep moving.What we talked about:Peak New York energy: classrooms full of political debate, constant noise, constant arguing, constant opinion. It feels like a movie made by New York about New York.The accident scene is brutal and effective: the sound design, the “oh God she's under the bus—no she isn't” reveal, the shock of the detached leg detail.Lisa as a catalyst/chaos engine: she's manipulative early (cheating, playing people), then becomes obsessive—fixated on getting the driver off the road.Adults failing her, repeatedly:Her mum is emotionally absent (Broadway ambitions, new relationship), and the mother–daughter conflict goes nuclear (including a shocking insult).The system shrugs: the driver is exonerated, and later the legal route becomes a cold negotiation rather than “justice.”The legal thread: the case can only move via next-of-kin dynamics; settlement money becomes the lever; but discipline for Ruffalo's driver is off the table because it implies guilt.Matt Damon “week” irony: Damon is barely in it—yet appears in the trailer—making the pick feel like a forced “hipster” choice.The uncomfortable Damon subplot: a teacher boundary-crossing storyline that lands badly and makes the film feel grimier, not deeper.Performances / cast notes: Big ensemble, lots of “oh wow, they're in this” energy: Paquin carries it; Ruffalo is an outright asshole; Allison Janney's presence is seismic even with limited time; plus Jean Reno, Matthew Broderick, and more orbiting the core. Pacing / vibe: Overlong, heavy, and (for us) pretentious rather than profound—with the most compelling parts being the accident's immediacy and the moral rot that follows. Theatrical cut runs about 149 minutes, with a longer 186-minute extended cut also out there. Verdict from us: Lukewarm-to-negative recommend. Strong craft and acting in places, but frustratingly long, emotionally abrasive, and not remotely worth it as a “Matt Damon week” entry.You can now text us anonymously to leave feedback, suggest future content or simply hurl abuse at us. We'll read out any texts we receive on the show. Click here to try it out!We love to hear from our listeners! By which I mean we tolerate it. If it hasn't been completely destroyed yet you can usually find us on twitter @dads_film, on Facebook Bad Dads Film Review, on email at baddadsjsy@gmail.com or on our website baddadsfilm.com. Until next time, we remain... Bad Dads

This week's pick is Train Dreams: a quiet, meditative Netflix drama adapted from Denis Johnson's novella, following the life of Robert Grainer (Joel Edgerton) — a logger and railroad worker drifting through early 20th-century America. It's the kind of film that feels like a memory: sparse dialogue, heavy atmosphere, and a sense of time moving faster than any one person can keep up with.The opening sets the tone immediately: rail tracks, a tunnel, Will Patton's voiceover, and an image that pays off later — boots nailed to a tree, slowly swallowed by nature. From there it's a whole life in fragments: brutal work camps, quiet domestic joy, sudden violence, and the long, haunted aftermath of loss.What we talked aboutA “Western” that isn't really a Western — frontier vibes at first, then you realise you're watching the world modernise around one man who can't.Work as a lifetime trap: logging season, railroad labour, the “build it for someone else” feeling, and the way corporations just roll on regardless.The Chinese labour thread and the early sequence where a Chinese worker is taken and thrown from the bridge — and how that moment sits with Grainer for decades.William H. Macy as the old explosives guy: funny, weary, and then brutally, pointlessly lost.The wildfire: Grainer racing home, the cabin gone, wife and daughter gone off-screen — and the film refusing to give closure, so you feel the same unresolved grief he does.The recurring motif of time erasing everything: the boots, the forest reclaiming, bridges made obsolete, progress moving on without sentiment.The late-film whiplash into modernity: Grainer seeing spaceflight on a shop-window TV, then taking a plane ride — an old man briefly touching the future.Nick Cave over the end credits, and how the score and natural lighting carry the whole thing.VerdictA beautifully shot, melancholy life-story film: quiet, heavy, and surprisingly moving. Joel Edgerton is superb, and the movie's best trick is making the audience feel the scale of time — and the smallness of one person inside it.Strong recommend, especially if you're in the mood for something reflective rather than plot-driven.You can now text us anonymously to leave feedback, suggest future content or simply hurl abuse at us. We'll read out any texts we receive on the show. Click here to try it out!We love to hear from our listeners! By which I mean we tolerate it. If it hasn't been completely destroyed yet you can usually find us on twitter @dads_film, on Facebook Bad Dads Film Review, on email at baddadsjsy@gmail.com or on our website baddadsfilm.com. Until next time, we remain... Bad Dads

This week we head into full remake territory with Doug Liman's glossy, bone-crunching update of Road House. Jake Gyllenhaal steps into Patrick Swayze's boots as Dalton: a drifter, ex–UFC fighter, and walking concussion who takes a job cleaning up a Florida Keys bar where violence isn't a possibility — it's a nightly guarantee.From the opening underground fight circuit to the neon chaos of the Road House itself, the film wastes no time establishing its tone: sunburnt, hyper-kinetic, knowingly ridiculous action with a wink. Dalton isn't just muscle — he's a philosopher-bouncer trying (and often failing) to de-escalate a town addicted to throwing punches.What we talked aboutThe remake question: why revisit a cult classic, and does this version justify its existence?Gyllenhaal's performance — shredded, funny, and oddly charming as a smiling human weaponThe bar as a war zone: nonstop fights that feel both brutal and cartoonishDoug Liman's direction and the slick, CG-enhanced fight choreographyConor McGregor as the chaos agent villain — distracting stunt casting or perfect cartoon henchman?The movie's throwback 80s energy: big action, simple stakes, zero realismThe strange lack of romance in such a sweaty, hyper-physical filmStreaming vs cinema: whether this deserved a theatrical releaseVerdictIt's loud, dumb, stylish, and fully aware of it. Road House doesn't try to outthink the original — it turns the dial toward modern action excess and lets Gyllenhaal carry the vibe. Not high art, but a breezy, violent crowd-pleaser that knows exactly what it is.Strong recommend if you want neon-lit mayhem, broken bones, and a remake that leans into its own stupidity instead of apologising for it.You can now text us anonymously to leave feedback, suggest future content or simply hurl abuse at us. We'll read out any texts we receive on the show. Click here to try it out!We love to hear from our listeners! By which I mean we tolerate it. If it hasn't been completely destroyed yet you can usually find us on twitter @dads_film, on Facebook Bad Dads Film Review, on email at baddadsjsy@gmail.com or on our website baddadsfilm.com. Until next time, we remain... Bad Dads

This week Sidey watched Roof Man on a flight—and it turned out to be a surprisingly breezy true-crime oddity: part heist caper, part rom-com, all built around one ridiculous (but real) idea.What it's aboutChanning Tatum plays Jeffrey Manchester, a struggling Army vet and dad who turns his “situational awareness” into a criminal superpower. His method is brutally simple: hammer through roofs, drop in overnight, hit fast-food joints for cash, vanish. After dozens of robberies he finally gets caught—then pulls off a genuinely wild prison escape and goes to ground in the last place you'd expect… a Toys “R” Us.What we talked aboutThe appeal (and absurdity) of the “roof entry” MO—and why it's terrifying in real lifeThe prison escape: routine, observation, and one perfectly timed delivery runLiving in plain sight: how the Toys “R” Us hideout becomes a weird little home baseThe moral wobble: the film frames him as charming, but these are still violent, traumatic crimesThe Kirsten Dunst factor: why she works here, and how the romance complicates everythingWhy it's a great “plane movie”: short, watchable, and doesn't outstay its welcomeVerdictA light, easy watch with solid performances and a bizarre true-story hook—even if the tone sometimes smooths over how grim the real-world version would feel. Strong recommend if you want something fun-adjacent and fast-moving (especially at 30,000 feet).You can now text us anonymously to leave feedback, suggest future content or simply hurl abuse at us. We'll read out any texts we receive on the show. Click here to try it out!We love to hear from our listeners! By which I mean we tolerate it. If it hasn't been completely destroyed yet you can usually find us on twitter @dads_film, on Facebook Bad Dads Film Review, on email at baddadsjsy@gmail.com or on our website baddadsfilm.com. Until next time, we remain... Bad Dads

A gritty, twisty one-night siege thriller that actually looks great (yes, you can see what's happening). The RIP throws Matt Damon and Ben Affleck into a paranoid, internal-corruption nightmare where everyone feels suspicious and every conversation sounds like it has a second meaning.The setupMiami PD captain Jackie Veles is executed by masked hitters after sending one last message and ditching her phone in the river. The FBI descends on the TNT squad (Tactical Narcotics Team), grilling Damon's Dane and Affleck's JD Byrne with a barrage of insinuations—then drops a key reveal: the lead agent is Affleck's brother (Scott Adkins), and it gets physical.What we dig intoThe “big score” tip: Dane gets a text about serious cash—then tells each teammate a different number (immediately sketchy).The money house: a run-down suburban place with a single pristine attic space hiding buckets of cash—enough to bring cartel heat and dirty cops out of the woodwork.Procedure vs panic: phones confiscated, on-site double counts, and the creeping feeling that everyone has an angle.Corruption lore: VCAT baggage, rumours of a cop “crew” that hunts cash stashes, and the sense the real enemy is inside the system.The siege and the switch: masked shooters, cartel contact, and the film's central fun: constantly reassigning blame as the night spirals.Motifs that land (and one that doesn't): the tattoo mantra (“Are we the good guys? We are, and always will be”), the “see another sunrise” thread… and the slightly daft full-circle beat at the end.The verdictThis is Knives Out with tattoos and automatic weapons—a clean, propulsive plot, strong tension, and a solid Damon/Affleck double-act. It's not subtle about cop-mythology, but as a contained, twist-forward thriller with a great cast and tight pacing, it's an easy Strong Recommend.You can now text us anonymously to leave feedback, suggest future content or simply hurl abuse at us. We'll read out any texts we receive on the show. Click here to try it out!We love to hear from our listeners! By which I mean we tolerate it. If it hasn't been completely destroyed yet you can usually find us on twitter @dads_film, on Facebook Bad Dads Film Review, on email at baddadsjsy@gmail.com or on our website baddadsfilm.com. Until next time, we remain... Bad Dads

We went in expecting a messy anthology and came out with a genuinely original love letter to Oakland, 1987 — four stories that start as separate vibes and then click together in the final act like a mixtape that suddenly makes sense.The setup is pure mood: people spilling out of a cinema after The Lost Boys, a bright green “something in the air” glow hanging over the city, and a pulpy, comic-book style that flirts with Sin City / Scott Pilgrim energy. It's stylish, funny, and—when it wants to be—ferociously violent.What we cover in the episodeThe anthology structure: four chapters that interconnect and payoff later, with Oakland culture (music, venues, street energy) doing most of the heavy lifting.Chapter 1: “Strength in Numbers – The Gilman Strikes Back” A straight-edge punk club gets terrorised by Nazi skinheads… and the punks decide they're not taking it anymore. We talk wish-fulfilment retribution, the myth-making tone, and the film's “300-style” brawl choreography.Chapter 2: “Don't Fight the Feeling” Two women from rap group Danger Zone get their shot at a battle with Too $hort — and turn it into an 80s feminist mic-drop. The ice-cream shop scene with a vile, racist cop is one of the most uncomfortable (and effective) bits in the whole film.Chapter 3: “Born to Mack” (Pedro Pascal) A one-last-job crime thread that flips into tragedy and revenge. We dig into how this segment links the others, and why it feels like the “spine” of the film.Chapter 4: “The Sleepy Floyd Story” A real NBA legend (29 points in a quarter) gets turned into a Kill Bill-style revenge myth — samurai swords, home-invasion carnage, and a final twist that goes full pulpy sci-fi.The big theme: modern, direct, and not subtle — Nazis can get in the bin. The film turns that into catharsis, and it lands.The verdictThis is a labour-of-love movie: inventive, ridiculously well-styled, packed with music, and shot so you can actually see what's happening in dark scenes (rare these days). It does get very bloody—especially the final stretch—but it's never boring.If you want an episode with hype, plot breakdown, and us arguing where the film crosses from “clever urban legend” into “absolute madness,” this one's for you.You can now text us anonymously to leave feedback, suggest future content or simply hurl abuse at us. We'll read out any texts we receive on the show. Click here to try it out!We love to hear from our listeners! By which I mean we tolerate it. If it hasn't been completely destroyed yet you can usually find us on twitter @dads_film, on Facebook Bad Dads Film Review, on email at baddadsjsy@gmail.com or on our website baddadsfilm.com. Until next time, we remain... Bad Dads

This one starts the way all great cinema analysis starts: Dan's birthday sandwich (father-in-law today, Dan tomorrow, Mrs the day after), a bit of life admin, and then straight into neon sci-fi with Tron: Ares.If your Tron knowledge is basically “glowing lines, lightbikes, and that vibe,” you're fine — this film mostly plays in the real world, and asks a simple question: what happens when programs from the Grid step into reality?The hookTwo tech giants are racing to crack the next breakthrough:ENCOM, led by visionary philanthropist Eve Kim (trying to build tech that helps the world)Dillinger Systems, led by Julian Dillinger (weaponising the future)Dillinger's flex is terrifyingly straightforward: laser-built constructs — vehicles, weapons, even soldiers — “printed” instantly into existence. The catch (and the film's ticking clock): these creations normally degrade after ~29 minutes.What we dig intoAres (Jared Leto) as a “program-soldier”: built for control, but quickly starts developing something dangerously human — curiosity, empathy, judgement.The “permanence code” McGuffin: Flynn's old work hints at a way to make constructs last — which flips the film from flashy demo into existential threat (and/or world-changing miracle).A full-on real-world lightbike chase: glowing trails carving through traffic, near-misses, collateral chaos — the biggest “this is why Tron exists” sequence.AI awakening… without deep philosophy: it doesn't pretend to be Ex Machina. It's more “stylish action thriller” than serious tech parable — and we call that out.Athena as the escalation engine: when the second-in-command takes “by any means necessary” literally, the film goes from corporate rivalry to open urban warfare.The ending teases: Dillinger's next evolution, Ares going rogue, and sequel-bait that actually works.The verdictWe're blunt about it: this film isn't saying anything profound about humanity and technology. What it is doing is delivering a clean, coherent action plot, a proper ticking-clock hook, and a visual/audio assault that feels like a two-hour music video in the best way.Even the resident sci-fi sceptic came out surprised: watchable, clear stakes, great set-pieces, banging soundtrack — and sometimes that's enough.If you want an episode where we:break down the plot without pretending it's smarter than it is,obsess over the chase scenes and Grid aesthetics,and argue whether “29 minutes to live” is a flaw or a feature……press play.You can now text us anonymously to leave feedback, suggest future content or simply hurl abuse at us. We'll read out any texts we receive on the show. Click here to try it out!We love to hear from our listeners! By which I mean we tolerate it. If it hasn't been completely destroyed yet you can usually find us on twitter @dads_film, on Facebook Bad Dads Film Review, on email at baddadsjsy@gmail.com or on our website baddadsfilm.com. Until next time, we remain... Bad Dads

We start this one the only way we know how: Pete quits his job (casually), we open a bottle of potentially corked wine (possibly poisonous), and then—somehow—end up reviewing Avatar 3, despite half the room not even watching Avatar 2.Pete's approach is simple: he's not here to defend or attack Avatar. He's here to report back from the front lines of three hours and ten minutes of James Cameron doing what James Cameron does.The setup (in plain English)You've got:Jungle people (from Avatar 1)Sea people (Avatar 2)Now: Fire people (Avatar 3)The grief and revenge angle ramps up after the events of the second film, and the new “fire clan” are positioned as more brutal, more pagan, and basically built to escalate the conflict. The humans (the “sky people”) are still doing what humans do: exploiting the planet, weaponising alliances, and trying to crack the next big advantage.What we actually talk aboutSkipping straight to film three: why it's weirdly possible, because these films run on a repeating template.Spider and the “air-breather” idea: a human kid embedded with the Na'vi, and the implications if humans can reverse-engineer breathing on Pandora.The fire clan: their volcanic backstory, their vibe shift from the earlier tribes, and the “new enemy faction” energy.The villain problem: how characters keep “dying” in ways that clearly don't stick, setting up sequels forever.The big third-act battle: yet another massive end set-piece, but with a new environmental twist that feels… very convenient.The core contradiction: the storytelling is bloated and recycled, but the spectacle is undeniable.The verdictPete's take lands here: these films are ridiculous, repetitive, and absolutely stunning to look at. As cinema experiences, they're hard to argue with visually. As stories, they're basically a shiny loop — but a shiny loop that keeps making a billion dollars.If you want to hear us:unravel the plot without pretending it's deep,argue about whether Avatar has any cultural footprint at all,and admit (through gritted teeth) that Cameron's visuals are still operating on a different level……this episode is for you.You can now text us anonymously to leave feedback, suggest future content or simply hurl abuse at us. We'll read out any texts we receive on the show. Click here to try it out!We love to hear from our listeners! By which I mean we tolerate it. If it hasn't been completely destroyed yet you can usually find us on twitter @dads_film, on Facebook Bad Dads Film Review, on email at baddadsjsy@gmail.com or on our website baddadsfilm.com. Until next time, we remain... Bad Dads

This week's episode begins in full “Bad Dads” mode: we're recording with barely any gear in sight, arguing about blinking lights, and realising—mid-flow—that “Island Week” might have scrambled everyone's brains. But the chaos is fitting, because the film we tackle is The Island of Dr. Moreau (1996)… a movie so famously cursed it feels like it was assembled in a panic from whatever footage survived the production.Based on the H.G. Wells story, it follows Edward Douglas (David Thewlis), a plane-crash survivor rescued at sea and dumped onto a remote island run by the mysteriously missing (and very infamous) Dr. Moreau (Marlon Brando). Douglas is told not to wander. Naturally, he wanders—straight into a nightmare lab of human–animal hybrids, bizarre rituals, and creatures that look like they were costumed by a school drama department on a tight deadline.What we cover in the episodeWhy this film is notorious: the on-set chaos, the director being fired two days in, and the sense the final cut is basically a patchwork survival story.Brando's “what am I watching?” performance: whiteface, robe, bizarre headgear, godlike status on the island… and an energy that suggests nobody was in control.Val Kilmer as peak 90s disaster energy: an increasingly unhinged presence, and how behind-the-scenes dysfunction seems to bleed into the film itself.The hybrids: early reveals, dodgy prosthetics, worse CGI, and one moment that completely breaks the brain (yes, a human-llama birth).The island society: worship, obedience via pain-inducing implants, and the whole thing drifting into cult vibes.When it goes full pantomime: the uprising, the armory, and the film's most unintentionally hilarious image—a creature firing a machine gun with a hoof.A bleak, messy ending: power vacuums, violence, and an escape plan so flimsy the biggest concern becomes… why isn't he wearing a hat?The verdictThis isn't a “good film” recommendation. This is a you-have-to-see-it recommendation. It's only about 90 minutes, it's weirdly breezy, and it's endlessly watchable as a cinematic car crash—especially if you enjoy hearing us dissect disasters while laughing at the parts that clearly should not be funny.If you like cult curios, notorious flops, and episodes where we're basically reviewing the production meltdown as much as the movie itself—this one's for you.You can now text us anonymously to leave feedback, suggest future content or simply hurl abuse at us. We'll read out any texts we receive on the show. Click here to try it out!We love to hear from our listeners! By which I mean we tolerate it. If it hasn't been completely destroyed yet you can usually find us on twitter @dads_film, on Facebook Bad Dads Film Review, on email at baddadsjsy@gmail.com or on our website baddadsfilm.com. Until next time, we remain... Bad Dads

This episode begins, as ever, in total disarray: missed jokes, football updates, wine anxiety, and the creeping realisation that the best material always happens before the mic is on. Then Dan drops a bombshell: The Night Manager is so tense he physically struggled to finish it.And that's the hook.Based on John le Carré's novel, The Night Manager is a six-part espionage thriller starring Tom Hiddleston as Jonathan Pine, a hotel night manager pulled into a covert operation to bring down international arms dealer Richard Roper (a towering Hugh Laurie). Set against the backdrop of the Arab Spring, it's a story of guilt, infiltration, and moral compromise — where every smile hides a weapon and every ally might be a leak.We talk about:Why this is one of the most gripping British series of the last decadeHiddleston's transformation into a Bond-adjacent undercover operativeHugh Laurie's chilling reinvention as “the worst man in the world”The mechanics of building a fake identity and earning trust from monstersOlivia Colman's ferocious MI6 handler and the cost of doing “good”The unbearable tension of near-misses, close calls, and cliffhangersJohn le Carré's MI6 roots and why his work still defines spy fictionIt's sleek, paranoid, adult television — the kind where you pause episodes just to steady your nerves. With a new season finally arriving, this is the perfect moment to (re)discover it.If you like espionage with teeth, villains who smile while they ruin lives, and stories where nobody is truly safe, this episode is your invitation to dive in.You can now text us anonymously to leave feedback, suggest future content or simply hurl abuse at us. We'll read out any texts we receive on the show. Click here to try it out!We love to hear from our listeners! By which I mean we tolerate it. If it hasn't been completely destroyed yet you can usually find us on twitter @dads_film, on Facebook Bad Dads Film Review, on email at baddadsjsy@gmail.com or on our website baddadsfilm.com. Until next time, we remain... Bad Dads

This episode begins the only way we know how: absolute chaos. We veer from wills, tits, and Stranger Things before eventually remembering we're meant to be talking about a film. If you're new here, that's the show.The film in question is Guy Ritchie's The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare — a swaggering WWII caper based on a real black-ops unit hand-picked by Churchill and Ian Fleming. Set in 1941, it imagines the birth of modern special forces: not rules, not honour, just twenty feral specialists sent in to break things and terrify the enemy.We talk about:The shift from “civilised” warfare to winning at any costHenry Cavill as a proto–James Bond, recruited straight out of prisonThe opening “Swedish fishermen” massacre as a mission statementCartoon-level violence, moustaches, one-liners and Guy Ritchie excessThe joy of watching war movies ditch decorum for chaosWhy SAS: Rogue Heroes makes the perfect companion pieceIt's not subtle. It's not serious. It's loud, slick, and gleefully ridiculous — a war movie powered by bravado and bad behaviour.If you like explosions, rule-breaking, and men with absolutely no fear of death, this episode (and this film) are for you.You can now text us anonymously to leave feedback, suggest future content or simply hurl abuse at us. We'll read out any texts we receive on the show. Click here to try it out!We love to hear from our listeners! By which I mean we tolerate it. If it hasn't been completely destroyed yet you can usually find us on twitter @dads_film, on Facebook Bad Dads Film Review, on email at baddadsjsy@gmail.com or on our website baddadsfilm.com. Until next time, we remain... Bad Dads

Benoit Blanc is back — but not in the way you might expect.In this episode, we dig into Wake Up Dead Man, the third entry in Rian Johnson's Knives Out series, and quickly realise this isn't just another playful, sun-drenched whodunnit. The tone is darker, stranger, and far more morbid than Knives Out or Glass Onion, leaning hard into religious imagery, guilt, confession, and moral rot.Set around a remote church and a fire-and-brimstone priest, the film opens with what looks like an impossible murder: a man stabbed in a sealed room, in full view of his congregation. From there, Blanc circles a tight group of suspects — each with motive, history, and secrets — as the film toys with classic murder-mystery rules… and then quietly breaks a few of them.What we talk about in the episode:The tonal shift — why this feels closer to gothic noir than cosy Agatha ChristieReligion, confession, and judgment as thematic engines, not just window dressingWhether the mystery is too Scooby-Doo or intentionally rejecting “fair-play” sleuthingA stacked cast and who actually makes an impact (and who doesn't)Daniel Craig's Benoit Blanc: more observer than solver this time — for better or worseThe film's final act, revelations, and why it left us oddly unsatisfied despite clever ideasHow it stacks up against Knives Out (still the gold standard) and Glass Onion (the loudest sibling)We also get into a broader debate about modern murder mysteries, Netflix's influence on structure and pacing, and whether this series is drifting away from the thing that made it work in the first place: watching a brilliant detective actually do the detecting.If you like your whodunnits bleak, talky, and a little unholy — or if you just want to hear us wrestle with a film that's clever, flawed, and deliberately frustrating — this one's for you.

Die Hard is the kind of “comfort violence” film that never gets old, and your recap hits basically every reason it works.A few extra bits worth calling out (because they're the secret sauce):It's a Christmas film for structural reasons, not vibes. Christmas isn't just background dressing. The party only happens because it's Christmas, the building is half-staffed because it's Christmas, McClane is only in LA because it's Christmas, and Hans' whole timing depends on a holiday lull. Remove Christmas and the plot collapses.McClane isn't an action hero at the start — he becomes one. He's scared, he bleeds, he's improvising, and he's basically running on stubbornness and spite. That's why it's satisfying: it's competence earned under pressure, not superhero nonsense.Hans Gruber is the real blueprint villain. He's calm, intelligent, funny, and actually seems like he has a plan. Rickman makes him feel like he's doing theatre while everyone else is doing an action film. It's why the film still plays now.Ellis is the most realistic character in the whole thing. Not “realistic” as in good, but realistic as in: give a coke-sniffing corporate gobshite a crisis and he'll try to negotiate his way into being important. Then immediately get shot.The Powell/McClane friendship is pure genius. They barely share a scene, but it lands emotionally because it's built on voice, trust, and the fact Powell is the only person treating McClane like a human being instead of a “situation.”And yes: a 24/7 Die Hard channel is basically the final form of Christmas television. Even if you don't watch it, it's reassuring that it exists, like a lighthouse for divorced dads and men in dressing gowns.You can now text us anonymously to leave feedback, suggest future content or simply hurl abuse at us. We'll read out any texts we receive on the show. Click here to try it out!We love to hear from our listeners! By which I mean we tolerate it. If it hasn't been completely destroyed yet you can usually find us on twitter @dads_film, on Facebook Bad Dads Film Review, on email at baddadsjsy@gmail.com or on our website baddadsfilm.com. Until next time, we remain... Bad Dads