Talk Movies To Me

For a podcast that loved the last film written and directed by Alex Garland, Men was one of our most highly anticipated releases of the year. Unlike Annihilation, though, trying to make sense of Men feels like a losing battle. Still, that doesn't stop Luke and Rachel from devoting the majority of this episode to an analysis of that doozy of an ending (and why it felt so unsatisfying). We love horror movies that leave us thinking, but we can't help but feel like Men would have worked better if it didn't neglect its own story when transitioning to an art piece in the final 20 minutes.

Never has the act of watching two people eat a well-prepared meatball been so uncomfortable as it is in Hulu's Fresh. A solid horror-thriller that is best enjoyed without knowing the full premise beforehand, Fresh admittedly left Luke and Rachel wanting a little something extra by the time the credits rolled. That said, great lead performances, smart cultural commentary, and an intriguing spin on the genre make this movie well worth streaming (for those who can stomach it).

The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent & Everything Everywhere All At Once have more in common than their equally wordy titles, although Luke and Rachel don't actually realize the similarities until midway through this episode. Regardless, it's another Talk Movies To Me double feature with two movies that include unhappy families, shifting genres, and ridiculous scenarios. You can probably guess which one does it better, but both films are more than fun enough to earn our recommendation.

Pixar's latest may have inspired a bizarre online controversy by telling a story that is specific and true to a certain upbringing, but Rachel and Luke believe that specificity is exactly what makes it so special. Yes, the film will be more relatable to those who were teenagers in the early 2000s, yet the universal themes of struggling with your own identity in the awkward transition between childhood and adulthood can be appreciated by anyone. By weaving authentic storytelling with common experiences, Turning Red stands out among its Disney/Pixar peers from recent years and is already one of our favorites.

The Lost City is a familiar story carried by fun performances and excellent chemistry between its leads (and also serves as a refreshingly light palate cleanser after The Batman's dark-as-can-be tone). It is not a challenging film nor an evolution of the action-romance genre, but entertaining characters and a regular supply of laughs create an undeniable good time nonetheless.

Try to stick with us through this one because, if you stop listening before the end, you may take Luke's many unfavorable comparisons to The Dark Knight and Rachel's general anti-Batman sentiment to mean that we did not enjoy The Batman, but we did! While an imperfect film, The Batman's new interpretation of the titular hero left your cohosts excited for a sequel, which is really saying something considering how many different Batman reboots have come and gone in the past few decades. But for now, there is still some justified criticism to get through amongst the praise. (Mild spoilers throughout, with a warning before major spoilers.)

Talk Movies To Me arrives at the tail end of February to discuss the only two new films Luke and Rachel watched over the past month: Jackass Forever and KIMI. The former needs no critique as you already know whether or not you will enjoy the latest lowbrow (yet surprisingly wholesome) series of comedy skits from the Jackass crew. KIMI is something completely different, an intimate thriller about a woman pushing against the system to help someone in need. Unfortunately, despite an excellent start, KIMI's last act disappoints, choosing to wrap up its story in a neat and simple bow instead of doing anything clever with it.

The music of Encanto is a smash hit on TikTok and traditional music charts, but for some reason none of the songs really resonated with Luke and Rachel. The same can be said about much of the rest of the movie, which your hosts found to be perfectly pleasant without doing anything particularly outstanding or groundbreaking. Nevertheless, its core message about the things that define us and make us feel valued is unique and important, elevating the film from being another nice Disney movie to an easy recommendation.

Talk Movies To Me kicks off the new year by returning to form with a horror film, albeit one that openly mocks our preferred subgenre of "elevated horror." Some may be put off by how often this requel pokes fun at its own history, but Luke and Rachel had a blast witnessing all of the ways Scream subverts expectations without sacrificing its core identity as a more-than-competent slasher flick.

Rachel's heavy work schedule and her stubborn cold almost forced Talk Movies To Me to take a month-long holiday break, but Luke convinced her at the last minute to have a relaxed conversation about the noteworthy movies and television shows your hosts watched over the past year that didn't make it into any dedicated podcast episodes. Enjoy these (mostly) spoiler-free ramblings about the things we loved in 2021 and we'll see you again in the new year! TIMESTAMPS 5:59 - Dune 20:03 - Midnight Mass 30:29 - Wellington Paranormal 33:41 - Harley Quinn & Venom 39:06 - She-Ra and the Princesses of Power 41:27 - Shadow and Bone 42:17 - The Witcher 44:48 - Zack Snyder's Justice League 48:14 - Luke's MCU journey 48:59 - Bo Burnham's Inside 50:36 - Superstore 52:45 - We Are Lady Parts 53:16 - You 56:25 - Luke's favorite film of the year (The Green Knight) 1:02:09 - Rachel's favorite films of the year (The Night House & Last Night in Soho) 1:04:29 - 2021 movies we missed & our most-anticipated films releasing in 2022

Last Night in Soho is plot-heavy with a bunch of little mysteries, so much of this episode's discussion lies behind a spoilers section. And while the magical first half is a delight for the senses, Soho's third act comes with a series of polarizing reveals that worked for Rachel, but not for Luke. If you've seen it too, let us know where you landed with a comment on our Instagram @talkmoviestomepodcast!

In an episode that almost didn't happen due to a frustrating mishap on movie night, Luke and Rachel discuss Spencer, a Princess Diana biopic caked in the foreboding mood of a horror film. Driven by Kristen Stewart's talent for depicting discomfort, Spencer cuts through the glamour of royal life to highlight the miserable realities of being a modern-day princess.

Just in time for Halloween, Luke and Rachel look back to an August release for a strong conclusion to Spooky Season. With a small cast, moody atmosphere, building dread, and metaphorical interpretations for what we see on screen, The Night House is a quintessential Talk Movies To Me horror film and one of our favorite movies of the year.

Rachel has a thing for Venom. Specifically, Rachel has a thing for Venom's relationship with its host Eddie Brock, in an "I need fanfiction of this" sort of way. And in her defense, the bickering love between Venom and Eddie (and Tom Hardy's manic performance that comes with it) is the best part of the Venom movies. But unfortunately this is also a superhero movie, and something of a mediocre one at that, so even though Talk Movies To Me thinks you should see this weird mishmash of a film, we don't necessarily believe it's a good one.

After weeks of being told very little about Malignant except that they needed to see it (by multiple people who weren't even sure if it was a good movie), Luke and Rachel finally discovered the secret truth: It's quite campy. Unfortunately, your hosts also discovered that they are not fans of camp, preferring their horror to fully commit to comedy instead of the so-bad-it's-good vibes that come from films like Malignant. Now two episodes into Spooky Season without any real winners, here's to hoping Talk Movies To Me returns in October with a horror film that doesn't disappoint.

Talk Movies To Me is making up for a single-episode August with a double feature, highlighting two films that have absolutely nothing in common except for the fact that they were both delayed a year due to COVID. Despite the many differences between the two movies, Luke and Rachel identify why the logical inconsistencies of Candyman led to disappointment while Free Guy's consistent characterization resulted in a fun experience that was better than it needed to be (and also recognizing how their personal biases, general life experiences, and tendency to be more critical of horror than comedy all impacted their viewing preferences in the end).

Delayed by a vacation and a surgery, Luke and Rachel will only be delivering one episode this month to discuss The Suicide Squad. Not to be confused with the 2016 film of (almost) the same name, The Suicide Squad is a different kind of superhero movie that is full of profanity, gore, and shocking moments (most of which involve profanity and gore). It doesn't always work, but the moments that do make it well worth a watch for those in need of some dumb fun.

While this episode is specifically about The Forever Purge, it also serves as a retrospective of The Purge franchise overall. Despite admitting that none of the five Purge films are "good movies," Rachel has had a strange fascination with the series since the first one. To her credit, it is very weird that a series known for stylish hyper-violence is full of progressive messaging and maintains a consistent position that violence is bad. Confused? Don't worry, Luke is too, so we're leaning on Rachel to teach us why The Purge deserves our attention.

Werewolves Within is one of the best-reviewed video game movies of all time, but as a film it is only adequate (with an exclamation point, according to Luke's notes). That isn't the worst news, considering the genre; blending horror and comedy together requires a delicate balance of tone that often results in failure. And Werewolves Within is by no means a failure, it just isn't doing anything to exceed expectations set by the simple premise of a werewolf hunting the quirky members of a little mountain town. In other words, it's adequate(!).

In an episode as relaxed as Luca's idyllic Italian Riviera, Luke and Rachel's conversation takes the scenic route through an appreciation of kid art and an investigation into Luke's unexpected tolerance of daydreaming depictions for someone with a fierce hatred of traditional dream sequences. While the movie's simple and pleasant coming-of-age tale is refreshing for an animated film, glib treatment of some important underlying themes keeps Luca from becoming another timeless classic for Pixar.

Is this striking woman on a banned VHS tape just an actress, or actually a long-lost sister in need of rescue? Luke and Rachel recently ventured out to a showing of Censor at a nearby arthouse theater to find answers. Whether this brooding psychological horror film succeeds in keeping its mysteries a secret until the final reveal is up for debate, but Censor is nonetheless an impressive feature-length directorial debut about a woman who is willing to do anything and everything to maintain a grip on her own personal reality.

After covering 24 movies in a row from home, Talk Movies To Me is finally back in theaters! And despite initially being more excited by that fact alone than actually watching Raya and the Last Dragon, Luke and Rachel were pleasantly surprised by the film and all of its gorgeous worldbuilding, even wishing the story had been spread across multiple films to allow a deeper dive into the many unique cultures created for this original fantasy tale. However, with the worldbuilding also comes world-breaking, a disappointing trend that continues here as Disney insists on undercutting its own narrative with jokes and gags that pander to its youngest audiences instead of trusting them to enjoy good storytelling without all the fluff.

On the cusp of Luke and Rachel being able to safely return to movie theaters for the first time in over a year, The Mitchells vs. the Machines reminds us that straight-to-streaming releases can still be just as fun as seeing something on the big screen. While not a perfect package, the excellent animation, well-written characters, and constant humor earn forgiveness for any shortcomings along the way, making The Mitchells vs. the Machines one of the best animated movies since Into the Spider-Verse.

Stowaway is unusual for a space exploration sci-fi film in that its story is small, simple, and mostly grounded in reality. Instead, it finds subtler ways to subvert your expectations - when was the last time you saw a space movie without a white man in the cast? - and stands out among a sea of Netflix Originals by keeping a tight plot and maintaining excellent pacing from beginning to end.

I Care a Lot is a movie about bad people. Marla Grayson, our greedy leading lady, admits that she is bad in her opening narration, and the Russian crime lord coming after her isn't any better. Yet despite the lack of a moral center to ground the film, I Care a Lot succeeds thanks to strong performances and fun twists throughout, remaining entertaining to the end no matter who you root for.

Talk Movies To Me tackles another directorial debut this episode with Saint Maud, an unsettling film about a young religious devotee who believes she is on a mission from God to save the soul of a woman in her care. Despite being more of an emotionally-distant character study than a pure horror, the horror elements that do exist in Saint Maud are so effectively done that Luke and Rachel cannot wait to see what director Rose Glass does next.

Happily presents a fun premise of a too-perfect couple, top-secret government meddling, and sudden murder by our protagonists, and Luke and Rachel spend the majority of this episode trying to make sense of how it all wraps up. Unfortunately, Happily's many mysteries prove to be hollow and without explanation, and the lazy absence of resolution is pointedly devoid of deeper meaning without even trying to be clever.

One of the best-reviewed films from 2020 is also one more concerned about characters and culture than a central plot, leading to a wandering conversation that is actually fitting for a movie full of wanderers. An exploration of a part of society not often seen, Nomadland uses real human stories of modern-day nomads to guide its narrative, showcasing a lifestyle that can be challenging and lonely yet fulfilling and transcendent all at once.

Three years ago on this very podcast, Luke and Rachel shared their excitement to see a superhero horror film that would be releasing in a few short months ... or so they thought. Now, after avoiding competing films, changing studio hands, and surviving a global pandemic, The New Mutants has finally made its way to Talk Movies To Me. And yet, despite all that anticipation and the best attempts by your co-hosts to focus on the positive, it's just not a good movie.

Luke and Rachel expected Promising Young Woman to be a fun revenge thriller about a femme fatale carving a bloody path through the would-be predators of her local club scene. What they got instead was so much more, a deeply personal critique of obsessive revenge, rape culture, double-standards - and it's better because of it, with a final act that needs to be seen without spoilers. As only the third film to elicit more than an hour of podcast discussion, Promising Young Woman earns a major Talk Movies To Me recommendation and could very well remain our favorite film of 2021 through the end of the year.

In a year that left so many feeling aimless, Soul delivers an important message about embracing the little moments. It isn't perfect, with an emotional impact that is perhaps compromised further due to a non-theatrical viewing experience. However, like Inside Out, Pixar's latest original film succeeds by doing what the studio does best: capturing the essential aspects of life and personifying what it means to be human.  

Every December Hallmark, Lifetime, and other production companies flood the market with Christmas-themed romantic comedies, but very few of them feature a lesbian leading couple as seen in Happiest Season. Although this Hulu Original doesn't attempt to subvert the genre further, maybe it doesn't have to. After all, 2020 is finally coming to a close and we could all use a happy ending.

A horror thriller about being trapped in a house isn't exactly an original concept, nor is one about a creepy caregiver restraining someone against their will, but Run manages to stand out by making its victim so vulnerable that even the act of going down the stairs becomes a monumental feat. With well-written characters in a believable setting, Luke and Rachel came away pleasantly surprised from this high-anxiety Hulu Original Film.

Happy Halloween! This year Rachel and Luke are reliving childhood fears as they discuss the five movie monsters that scared them most as kids (along with a few bonus horrors because no Talk Movies To Me list arrives without a side of honorable mentions). Try to guess which monsters will make their lists and share your own answers on our Instagram post @talkmoviestomepodcast!

The double features keep coming as Talk Movies To Me enters the Halloween season to review two fun but imperfect horror comedies. In Vampires vs. the Bronx, three teenagers suspect that the real estate company buying up the neighborhood may have more blood-thirsty motives than simple gentrification. Meanwhile, Extra Ordinary tells a more personal story of a woman forced to confront her own insecurities of communicating with spirits to save a friend's daughter from ritual sacrifice. Although both premises have the potential to create two new classics of the genre, Luke and Rachel feel that each film falls a bit short of its full potential.

It's a Talk Movies To Me double feature as your hosts attempt to discuss two films that left both of them feeling a bit stumped. Instead of delivering a pair of normal episodes, Luke and Rachel are here now to figure out exactly why I'm Thinking of Ending Things and Shirley seem so difficult to critique on the podcast.

The most likable airheads in cinema return after nearly 30 years to once again share their undying positivity with the world (a gesture that feels extra comforting in 2020). While not flawless, Bill & Ted Face The Music is shockingly successful for a sequel so long in the making and a blissful reprieve from reality that will leave you wishing everyone could be more excellent to each other.

Does a movie need to work on a surface level to be satisfying and enjoyable? That's the main question from today's episode, discussed at length as Luke and Rachel react to the surprising final reveals in the creeping-dread horror film Relic (safely tucked away behind a spoiler warning for those who have yet to see it, of course). Despite the polarizing ending, an eerie atmosphere and excellent use of subtle scares still make Relic an easy recommendation for fans of small-scale horror.

Pairing religious guilt with sexual self-discovery (not to mention a masterful double entendre of a title), Yes, God, Yes is a new coming-of-age film full of awkward comedy, the inevitable result of teaching strict morality lessons to hormonal teenagers. While Rachel relates better to an upbringing of Christian intensity than Luke does, both agree that Yes, God, Yes works well for anyone who remembers the discomfort of just trying to fit in.

Palm Springs is another one of those infinite time loop situations you might have heard about. Like Groundhog Day and the handful of other stories it inspired, an eternal daily reset button grants our characters a unique opportunity for self-reflection and personal improvement. And although your cohosts consider themselves to be fans of this hyper-specific time travel subgenre, does Palm Springs pull off its character-centric themes well enough to win them over? Unlike most episodes of Talk Movies To Me, not even Luke and Rachel can agree on that answer.

Luke and Rachel return with a podcast update after nearly a month away. In short, 2020's been a rough ride and we're taking a break to keep our mental and emotional health in check. So stay safe, wear a mask, and we'll be back soon.

Another movie intended for theaters that was picked up by a streaming service during the ongoing pandemic, The Lovebirds reunites director Michael Showalter with actor Kumail Nanjiani after the breakout success of The Big Sick. While lighter and less revolutionary than that 2017 sleeper hit, The Lovebirds still delivers fast fun held together by strong comedic chemistry between the two leads as they are forced to scramble through the city to solve a murder mystery just as their relationship begins to fall apart.

The Lodge is an uncomfortable viewing experience even aside from the fact that it features people stuck in an isolated home with no hope in sight, so please conduct a personal mental health check before proceeding if you're currently living through a global pandemic. Paranoia and religious trauma abound as the tension builds in this horror-thriller of unexplainable events. Is it supernatural? Cult activity? Something else entirely? Like the best of its kind, The Lodge reveals answers that are a total surprise and also make perfect sense.

Theaters are still closed across the country but Talk Movies To Me is actually bringing you a conversation about a new film this week with HBO's Bad Education (though not before some talk about why Luke and Rachel couldn't even bother to finish watching Bad Boys). Administrative white-collar crime may sound dry, but a brilliant Hugh Jackman performance paired with masterfully-gradual reveals make this true story about the largest-ever embezzlement scandal within the American public school system well worth a watch while social distancing.

Like everyone else in the country at the time of this release, Luke and Rachel are isolated indoors, afraid of contacting coronavirus ... and Tangled has never felt more relatable. Rapunzel, too, leads an isolated existence, only instead of a pandemic, she was raised to fear all things outside her tower that inhabit the Kingdom of Corona (yes, that is actually the name of the land in this movie). But there are far more reasons to watch Tangled beyond coincidences tied to current events! Tune in as Talk Movies To Me discusses Rachel's connection to a princess who is ready to leave home, Luke's potential future career as a Flynn Rider face character, and everything else that makes the most expensive animated film ever made so enjoyable.

You should know something right away: We did not like Frozen 2. If that reveal frustrates you, please skip this episode. There is more than enough upsetting information in the world right now and we don't want to ruin any good moods. For those still with us, Talk Movies To Me is taking advantage of Disney's decision to release the four-month-old sequel to Frozen onto its streaming service ahead of schedule while everybody is staying inside during this global pandemic. Luke and Rachel know they're not the target market here, but no Disney film should be making this many mistakes even when it only exists to sell more Frozen merchandise.

Luke and Rachel recently risked a trip to the theater to see Onward, the worst-reviewed Pixar movie that isn't a Cars sequel, just before the coronavirus really scared everyone away from going out in public. Was it worth it? And, perhaps more importantly, does this familiar fantasy even feel like a Pixar movie? (What does that even mean anyway?) All this and more as your favorite podcouple discusses what does and doesn't work with the first of two Pixar originals releasing in 2020.

Luke and Rachel love Shaun the Sheep's first full-length feature from 2015 (and stop-motion animation in general), but the somewhat-derivative lost alien plot of Farmageddon had them both hesitant going into this sequel. Fortunately, the rapid-fire sarcastic humor and abundance of visual gags remain intact with Shaun and his friends, more than making up for a story that feels a little less satisfying than the last one.

Following a history-making Academy Awards run, Parasite gets the Talk Movies To Me treatment as Luke and Rachel fill one of the major holes from their 2019 discussion. While there is a lot of social commentary symbolism to unpack (and a bunch more that this podcouple definitely missed), part of the reason Parasite is so successful is that it excels as an entertaining thriller even without the metaphors. Conquer your fear of reading subtitles and settle in for one of last year's best films.

Despite a temporary recording space (these echoes won't be permanent) and Rachel not yet setting foot in a Florida theater, your favorite podcouple rings in the new year just as they have in the past (albeit a few weeks late) to highlight favorites and stumbles from 2019 in film. From wonderful surprises to absolute disasters, Talk Movies To Me closes out another 12 months of podcasting with a monster episode of movie talk and a big "Thank you!" to everyone who is still out there listening.

After a month-long hiatus, Talk Movies To Me is back to discuss one of the best-reviewed films of the year. Depicting the ugly process of divorce without labeling either party as the "bad guy," Marriage Story succeeds through strong, authentic performances while also critiquing a system that can turn an amicable separation into a competition of selfishness.