The Goggler Podcast

This week’s Ask Us Anything takes us from a galaxy far, far away, with plenty to say about The Mandalorian & Grogu, to the cold, unsettling corridors of Kubrick’s Eyes Wide Shut. We weigh in on how cinema has historically grappled with conflict in the context of the ongoing Iran war, debate what the future of HBO looks like for Malaysian audiences, and get into the uncomfortable but necessary conversation about whether the cinema-going experience, as we know it, is on borrowed time. Thank you for checking out The Goggler Podcast, if you have any thoughts or questions, just email us on podcast@goggler.my, or reach out to us via Instagram. You can also WhatsApp us on The Goggler Hotline, on +60125245208 RSS: https://goggler.my/feed/podcast/

Bahir and Uma break down the first trailer for HBO Max’s highly anticipated Lanterns, before diving into reviews of Prime Video’s swashbuckling action thriller The Bluff, Chloé Zhao’s emotionally devastating Hamnet, and Maggie Gyllenhaal’s wildly ambitious gothic romance, The Bride! The Bride! is now showing in Malaysian cinemas, Hamnet is available at selected GSC locations, and you can watch The Bluff on Prime Video. Thank you for checking out The Goggler Podcast, if you have any thoughts or questions, just email us on podcast@goggler.my, or reach out to us via Instagram. You can also WhatsApp us on The Goggler Hotline, on +60125245208 RSS: https://goggler.my/feed/podcast/

In this episode, we plunge into the claustrophobic horror of Iron Lung and the slick intrigue of Crime 101, breaking down what works, what doesn’t, and why they’ve got everyone talking. Then we zoom out to the industry headlines, unpacking the recent BAFTA controversy and Netflix’s buzzy new documentary on America’s Next Top Model. Crime 101 and Iron Lung are now showing in Malaysian cinemas. You can watch Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model on Netflix. Thank you for checking out The Goggler Podcast, if you have any thoughts or questions, just email us on podcast@goggler.my, or reach out to us via Instagram. You can also WhatsApp us on The Goggler Hotline, on +60125245208 RSS: https://goggler.my/feed/podcast/

Two wildly different worlds collide in this episode as we dive into Mondays: See You This Week and Nobunaga Concerto. One traps its characters in a hilariously existential office time loop; the other hurls a modern slacker into the chaos of feudal Japan. We unpack how both films bend time, identity, and destiny in their own distinct ways, while exploring what they reveal about ambition, responsibility, and the roles we’re forced to play. You can watch Mondays: See You This Week and Nobunaga Concerto, for free, at JFF Theater. Just click here to register and check out the movies on offer. Thank you for checking out The Goggler Podcast, if you have any thoughts or questions, just email us on podcast@goggler.my, or reach out to us via Instagram. You can also WhatsApp us on The Goggler Hotline, on +60125245208 RSS: https://goggler.my/feed/podcast/

We open the mailbag to tackle your questions on how Oscar selections really work, what makes Cinema Paradiso endure, what Iron Lung signals for indie filmmaking’s future, and whether celebrity activism actually matters. It’s an anything-goes conversation about prestige, passion, and the evolving power of movies. Thank you for checking out The Goggler Podcast, if you have any thoughts or questions, just email us on podcast@goggler.my, or reach out to us via Instagram. You can also WhatsApp us on The Goggler Hotline, on +60125245208 RSS: https://goggler.my/feed/podcast/

Three stories, one conversation: we review The Lincoln Lawyer and Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die, then tackle the thorny ethics of generative AI in a documentary about Lucy Letby. The Lincoln Lawyer and The Investigation of Lucy Letby are streaming on Netflix. Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die is now showing in Malaysian cinemas. Thank you for checking out The Goggler Podcast, if you have any thoughts or questions, just email us on podcast@goggler.my, or reach out to us via Instagram. You can also WhatsApp us on The Goggler Hotline, on +60125245208 RSS: https://goggler.my/feed/podcast/

We head to the moors to unpack Emerald Fennell’s take on Wuthering Heights and ask the question hovering over every adaptation: how far can you stray before you lose the storm? We dig into what’s gained, what’s flattened, and whether style and provocation have replaced the novel’s wild, unruly soul. “Wuthering Heights” is now showing in Malaysian cinemas. Thank you for checking out The Goggler Podcast, if you have any thoughts or questions, just email us on podcast@goggler.my, or reach out to us via Instagram. You can also WhatsApp us on The Goggler Hotline, on +60125245208 RSS: https://goggler.my/feed/podcast/

Step behind the curtain with Jamieson Lindenburg, the artistic director of Cirque du Soleil’s Kooza, as we dive into the craft of creating spectacle. From shaping daring acts to orchestrating emotion, we chat about how imagination, precision, and a touch of madness come together to make the impossible feel effortless. Cirque du Soleil: Kooza is back in Singapore until March 29th. Click here to buy your tickets. Thank you for checking out The Goggler Podcast, if you have any thoughts or questions, just email us on podcast@goggler.my, or reach out to us via Instagram. You can also WhatsApp us on The Goggler Hotline, on +60125245208 RSS: https://goggler.my/feed/podcast/

We review The Wrecking Crew and unpack why films like Jay Kelly, Deliver Me From Nowhere, and Rental Family missed the Oscar cut. Thank you for checking out The Goggler Podcast, if you have any thoughts or questions, just email us on podcast@goggler.my, or reach out to us via Instagram. You can also WhatsApp us on The Goggler Hotline, on +60125245208 RSS: https://goggler.my/feed/podcast/

It’s an Ask Us Anything episode packed with big questions and loose threads. We chat New Year resolutions, Netflix’s acquisition of Warner Bros., spiral through Tarantino’s filmography, and consider the wisdom of a three movie Dune marathon in December. Thank you for checking out The Goggler Podcast, if you have any thoughts or questions, just email us on podcast@goggler.my, or reach out to us via Instagram. You can also WhatsApp us on The Goggler Hotline, on +60125245208 RSS: https://goggler.my/feed/podcast/

Reviews of Mercy, Send Help, Scarlet, and Wonder Man, plus a quick check-in on this year’s Oscar nominations. Send Help and Mercy are now showing in Malaysian cinema, Scarlet opens in selected GSC outlets next week, and you can watch all episodes of Wonder Man on Disney+. Thank you for checking out The Goggler Podcast, if you have any thoughts or questions, just email us on podcast@goggler.my, or reach out to us via Instagram. You can also WhatsApp us on The Goggler Hotline, on +60125245208 RSS: https://goggler.my/feed/podcast/

The Japan Foundation’s JFF Theater initiative and how Bento Harassment turns a small story into something universal. You can watch Bento Harassment, for free, at JFF Theater. Just click here to register and check out the movies on offer. Thank you for checking out The Goggler Podcast, if you have any thoughts or questions, just email us on podcast@goggler.my, or reach out to us via Instagram. You can also WhatsApp us on The Goggler Hotline, on +60125245208 RSS: https://goggler.my/feed/podcast/

Primate, The Rip, and 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple reviewed, plus how Christopher Nolan and Denis Villeneuve took the biggest screens away from Marvel. Primate and 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple are now showing in Malaysian cinemas. You can watch The Rip on Netflix. Thank you for checking out The Goggler Podcast, if you have any thoughts or questions, just email us on podcast@goggler.my, or reach out to us via Instagram. You can also WhatsApp us on The Goggler Hotline, on +60125245208 RSS: https://goggler.my/feed/podcast/

Today, on The Goggler Podcast, Bahir and Uma watch and review the latest installment in James Cameron’s epic franchise, Avatar: Fire and Ash. Avatar: Fire and Ash is still showing in Malaysian cinemas. With Avatar: Fire and Ash, James Cameron takes audiences back to Pandora in an immersive new adventure with Marine turned Na’vi leader Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), Na’vi warrior Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña), and the Sully family. The story picks up a few weeks after the events of Avatar: The Way of Water. The Sully family is still living amongst the Metkayina Clan in the picturesque reefs of Pandora, but is learning to adjust to life without Neteyam (Jamie Flatters), who was killed in a brutal skirmish with the “Sky People” from the RDA (Resources Development Administration). Jake (Sam Worthington), Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña), Lo’ak (Britain Dalton), Tuk (Trinity Jo-Li Bliss), Spider (Jack Champion), and Kiri (Sigourney Weaver) are each dealing with the loss in their own way. While Spider is adapting to life with the reef people, the Sully family is worried for his safety and realizes he can no longer remain with them. Following an introduction to the Tlalim Clan, also known as the Wind Traders, who are a peaceful nomadic air-traveling clan who sail the skies, their chief, Peylak (David Thewlis), agrees to transport Spider back to High Camp, the Omatikaya’s stronghold. Ultimately, the entire Sully family decides to join Spider on the journey. Their journey is cut short, however, when their party is attacked by members of the Mangkwan Clan, a.k.a. the Ash People. Led by Varang (Oona Chaplin), the Ash People are Na’vi whose culture and way of life were dramatically altered following the devastation of their home by a volcano. They blame Eywa (the All-Mother of Pandora) for this disaster. The RDA, meanwhile, is struggling, following their devastating defeat at the hands of Jake Sully and the Metkayina Clan, and is regrouping and planning their next attack. Thank you for checking out The Goggler Podcast, if you have any thoughts or questions, just email us on podcast@goggler.my, or reach out to us via Instagram. You can also WhatsApp us on The Goggler Hotline, on +60125245208 RSS: https://goggler.my/feed/podcast/

Today, on The Goggler Podcast, Bahir and Uma dig deep into the cinematic phenomenon that is Avatar and posit some theories as to why it continues to dominate at the box-office. Avatar: Fire and Ash is still showing in Malaysian cinemas. With Avatar: Fire and Ash, James Cameron takes audiences back to Pandora in an immersive new adventure with Marine turned Na’vi leader Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), Na’vi warrior Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña), and the Sully family. The story picks up a few weeks after the events of Avatar: The Way of Water. The Sully family is still living amongst the Metkayina Clan in the picturesque reefs of Pandora, but is learning to adjust to life without Neteyam (Jamie Flatters), who was killed in a brutal skirmish with the “Sky People” from the RDA (Resources Development Administration). Jake (Sam Worthington), Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña), Lo’ak (Britain Dalton), Tuk (Trinity Jo-Li Bliss), Spider (Jack Champion), and Kiri (Sigourney Weaver) are each dealing with the loss in their own way. While Spider is adapting to life with the reef people, the Sully family is worried for his safety and realizes he can no longer remain with them. Following an introduction to the Tlalim Clan, also known as the Wind Traders, who are a peaceful nomadic air-traveling clan who sail the skies, their chief, Peylak (David Thewlis), agrees to transport Spider back to High Camp, the Omatikaya’s stronghold. Ultimately, the entire Sully family decides to join Spider on the journey. Their journey is cut short, however, when their party is attacked by members of the Mangkwan Clan, a.k.a. the Ash People. Led by Varang (Oona Chaplin), the Ash People are Na’vi whose culture and way of life were dramatically altered following the devastation of their home by a volcano. They blame Eywa (the All-Mother of Pandora) for this disaster. The RDA, meanwhile, is struggling, following their devastating defeat at the hands of Jake Sully and the Metkayina Clan, and is regrouping and planning their next attack. Thank you for checking out The Goggler Podcast, if you have any thoughts or questions, just email us on podcast@goggler.my, or reach out to us via Instagram. You can also WhatsApp us on The Goggler Hotline, on +60125245208 RSS: https://goggler.my/feed/podcast/

Today, on The Goggler Podcast, Bahir and Uma watch and review Restaurant from the Sky, a soul-nourishing Japanese drama about food, community, and the quiet power of human connection. You can watch Restaurant from the Sky, for free, at JFF Theater. Just click here to register and check out the movies on offer. The Japan Foundation proudly presents a new season of JFF THEATER, a free global streaming platform offering a diverse selection of Japanese films with multilingual subtitles. Launched on August 1st, 2024, JFF THEATER was established to meet the growing global interest in Japanese cinema and to promote cultural exchange. With a regularly updated lineup every few months, viewers around the world can enjoy a wide range of Japanese films at their convenience. This time, JFF THEATER is pleased to once again showcase a fresh lineup of 8 titles, available for free streaming from October 31, 2025, to February 3, 2026. Centered around the themes of “All Out School Days” and “Meals that Heal and Connect”, this selection of films captures heartfelt stories of students embracing youth to the fullest, paired with comforting stories where food becomes a bridge for healing, understanding, and togetherness. Thank you for checking out The Goggler Podcast, if you have any thoughts or questions, just email us on podcast@goggler.my, or reach out to us via Instagram. You can also WhatsApp us on The Goggler Hotline, on +60125245208 RSS: https://goggler.my/feed/podcast/

Today, on The Goggler Podcast, Bahir and Uma watch and review Zootopia 2, a vibrant, witty sequel that deepens its world with sharp, heartfelt storytelling. Zootopia 2 is now showing in Malaysian cinemas. In Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Zootopia 2, rookie cops Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde find themselves on the twisting trail of a great mystery when Gary De’Snake arrives in Zootopia and turns the animal metropolis upside down. To crack the case, Judy and Nick must go undercover to unexpected new parts of town, where their growing partnership is tested like never before. Directed by Jared Bush and Byron Howard, the film features the voices of Ginnifer Goodwin, Jason Bateman, Ke Huy Quan, Fortune Feimster, Andy Samberg, Idris Elba, Patrick Warburton, Quinta Brunson, Nate Torrence, and Shakira. Thank you for checking out The Goggler Podcast, if you have any thoughts or questions, just email us on podcast@goggler.my, or reach out to us via Instagram. You can also WhatsApp us on The Goggler Hotline, on +60125245208 RSS: https://goggler.my/feed/podcast/

Today, on a very special episode of The Goggler Podcast, Uma speaks to fellow film journalists Katie Rife and Nick Newman about how this new world has changed they do the work that they do. This episode of The Goggler Podcast was recorded live at the TIFF Lounge, co-presented by the Japan Foundation and the Tokyo International Film Festival. You can find out more information about the festival here. ABOUT THE TOKYO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL: In 2025, the Tokyo International Film Festival once again presents a rich lineup of films from Japan and around the world. The selection spans acclaimed titles from international festivals, world premieres, animation, and documentaries. We will also welcome international guests to the TIFF Lounge, symposia, networking parties, and other forums designed to foster dialogue and exchange between Japanese and international filmmakers and industry professionals. Following the launch of the Women’s Empowerment section last year, which opened new horizons for dialogue by embracing female perspectives, TIFF will now inaugurate the new Asian Students ’ Film Conference section. This new initiative will invite film students from across Asia to Tokyo for a short film competition, with the aim of cultivating yet another new path for the future of cinema. This year also marks the unveiling of a new festival poster. One of its core visual themes is “perspective.” In a world often enveloped by sweeping grand narratives, we feel that it is the small, personal gaze that truly gives power to storytelling. Each film presented at TIFF from around the world embodies the unique and indispensable perspectives of its creators and protagonists—perspectives that promise to broaden the horizons of audiences everywhere. We invite you to experience these perspectives as they resonate from the screen. Thank you for checking out The Goggler Podcast, if you have any thoughts or questions, just email us on podcast@goggler.my, or reach out to us via Instagram. You can also WhatsApp us on The Goggler Hotline, on +60125245208 RSS: https://goggler.my/feed/podcast/

Today, on The Goggler Podcast, Bahir and Uma watch and review the first four episodes of the final season of Stranger Things. The first part of Stranger Things, Season 5 is now streaming on Netflix. The fall of 1987. Hawkins is scarred by the opening of the Rifts, and our heroes are united by a single goal: find and kill Vecna. But he has vanished — his whereabouts and plans unknown. Complicating their mission, the government has placed the town under military quarantine and intensified its hunt for Eleven, forcing her back into hiding. As the anniversary of Will’s disappearance approaches, so does a heavy, familiar dread. The final battle is looming — and with it, a darkness more powerful and more deadly than anything they’ve faced before. To end this nightmare, they’ll need everyone — the full party — standing together, one last time. Stranger Things was created by The Duffer Brothers and stars Winona Ryder, David Harbour, Millie Bobby Brown, Finn Wolfhard, Gaten Matarazzo, Caleb McLaughlin, Noah Schnapp, Sadie Sink, Natalia Dyer, Charlie Heaton, Joe Keery, Maya Hawke, Priah Ferguson, Brett Gelman, Jamie Campbell Bower, Cara Buono, Nell Fisher, and Linda Hamilton. Thank you for checking out The Goggler Podcast, if you have any thoughts or questions, just email us on podcast@goggler.my, or reach out to us via Instagram. You can also WhatsApp us on The Goggler Hotline, on +60125245208 RSS: https://goggler.my/feed/podcast/

Today, on The Goggler Podcast, Bahir and Uma watch and review Wicked: For Good, the second part of Jon M. Chu’s adaptation of the acclaimed musical. Wicked: For Good is now showing in Malaysian cinemas. Elphaba, now demonized as The Wicked Witch of the West, lives in exile, hidden within the Ozian forest while continuing her fight for the freedom of Oz’s silenced Animals and desperately trying to expose the truth she knows about The Wizard. Glinda, meanwhile, has become the glamorous symbol of Goodness for all of Oz, living at the palace in Emerald City and reveling in the perks of fame and popularity. Under the instruction of Madame Morrible, Glinda is deployed to serve as an effervescent comfort to Oz, reassuring the masses that all is well under the rule of The Wizard.  As Glinda’s stardom expands and she prepares to marry Prince Fiyero in a spectacular Ozian wedding, she is haunted by her separation from Elphaba. She attempts to broker a conciliation between Elphaba and The Wizard, but those efforts will fail, driving Elphaba and Glinda only further apart. The aftershocks will transform Boq and Fiyero forever, and threaten the safety of Elphaba’s sister, Nessarose, when a girl from Kansas comes crashing into all their lives. Wicked: For Good was directed by Jon M. Chu, and stars Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey, Ethan Slater, Bowen Yang, Marissa Bode, Michelle Yeoh, and Jeff Goldblum. Thank you for checking out The Goggler Podcast, if you have any thoughts or questions, just email us on podcast@goggler.my, or reach out to us via Instagram. You can also WhatsApp us on The Goggler Hotline, on +60125245208 RSS: https://goggler.my/feed/podcast/