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Talking apes and Jedi Knights are cool, but how do they impact Hollywood as a whole? That's the kind of stuff we talk about on Popcorn Culture - a mixed-bag-exploration of the movies, TV shows, and pop culture buzz that we love, as well as the ones we love (slightly) less.
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Bugonia, the darkly comic thriller from director Yorgos Lanthimos, has arrived in Malaysian theatres. Starring Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons, it follows two conspiracy-obsessed men who kidnap a powerful pharmaceutical CEO, convinced she is secretly an alien plotting to destroy Earth - and things only get stranger from there. We talk about how zany the film gets, then on Take 2, we ask you: What's the craziest movie you've ever watched?Image Credit: IMDbSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
It’s been one of the most talked-about movies in the awards circuit: Hamnet, based on Maggie O’Farrell’s bestselling novel about the death of William Shakespeare’s young son, and the grief that ripples through a family. We discuss whether the film earns its tears, and open up the phone lines and ask: what’s a movie or series that always makes you cry?Image Credit: IMDbSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In this episode, we review the fantasy drama A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, based on the novellas by George R. R. Martin. Set decades before the events of Game of Thrones, the series follows the wandering hedge knight Ser Duncan the Tall and his young squire Egg as they travel across Westeros, crossing paths with nobles, rivals and rising political tensions in a quieter but no less dangerous realm. Then on Take Two, we discuss the most memorable performances from a child actor on the big screen and small. Image Credit: IMDbSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In this episode, we review two films. First up is the new science fiction-comedy by Gore Verbinski, Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die. It stars Sam Rockwell, Haley Lu Richardson and Michael Pena and follows a man from the future who arrives at a diner and must recruit a ragtag crew to save the world from a rogue AI. We also review the latest adaptation of Wuthering Heights, which stars Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi as Catherine Earnshaw and Heathcliff, respectively. And then on Take 2, we discuss movies and scenes that make us uncomfortable.Image Credits: IMDbSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
To commemorate the Chinese New Year, we throwback to a beloved Hong Kong fantasy comedy starring Stephen Chow: A Chinese Odyssey. In this film inspired by Journey to the West, Chow plays a carefree bandit who slowly discovers his true identity as the Monkey King while navigating time travel. Later on Take Two, we discuss the best films to watch with your family during the holiday season.Image credit: IMDbSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
After dipping his toes into the MCU, Sam Raimi is back with the genre that made his name - horror (and corresponding squelchiness). In Send Help, Rachel McAdams and Dylan O'Brien go head to head, as a mistreated employee and sexist boss respectively, who get stranded on a desert island together, and need to survive, whether by working together, or turning on one another and emerging victorious. We discuss whether this is a worthy entry into the canon of survival movies, before turning our attention to that genre in Take Two, and asking: What are the best depictions of survival, whether in movies or TV? Image Credit: IMDbSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In this episode, we take a look at a couple of Southeast Asian films currently available on streaming. First, we review Malaysia’s own Memori, a kinship drama about a father who’s diagnosed with Alzheimer's and his estranged son. After that, we discuss the Indonesian film that’s garnering a lot of attention on social media, Sore: A Wife From the Future, which as the title suggests, is a sci-fi romance. Then on Take Two, we discuss our favourite time travel movies and series.Image Credit: IMDbSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
28 Years Later: The Bone Temple is a direct sequel to last year’s installment in the franchise, and sees Alex Garland returning as screenwriter, and Nia DaCosta taking over as director. Filmed back to back with 28 Years Later, it picks up on the story of Ralph Fiennes’ Dr Ian Kelson, and expands on the cult of the Jimmys. We discuss the film (and whether it’s likely to lead to the promised third movie of this trilogy), before then turning our attention to the question of zombies on screen, and who’s done it well/badly.Image Credits: IMDbSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
This week, we review The Voice of Hind Rajab, which recounts the harrowing true story of a young Palestinian girl trapped in Gaza, capturing the desperate phone call she made to emergency responders as her life hung in the balance. Following our reviews, on Take Two, we talk about the best movies and shows that are based on true stories.Image Credit: IMDbSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In this double bill episode, we review the newly concluded Season 1 of Apple TV's Pluribus, and discuss whether it has us excited for a second season of this philosophical sci-fi mystery, before turning our attention to the final season of Stranger Things, which sees us bidding goodbye to the denizens of Hawkins, and the Upside Down. Then, we ask the question: What movies and/or shows have really great, satisfying endings?Image Credit: IMDbSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In this special episode of Popcorn Culture, we review the latest in James Cameron’s Na’vi epic, Avatar: Fire and Ash, and discuss whether the visual mastery on screen warrants a visit to the cinema.Image Credit: IMDBSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
We wrap up the year by returning to the simultaneously murderous and cosy setting of Rian Johnson's Knives Out series, with the latest installment, Wake Up Dead Man, which sees Benoit Blanc return to investigate a murder at a small upstate New York church and the close-knit community there. And then since it’s the end of the year, we ask you what were the best series and movies of 2025.Image Credit: IMDbSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Noah Baumbach directs Jay Kelly (2025), which stars Adam Sandler and George Clooney, and follows a famed but disillusioned actor and his loyal manager as they travel across Europe, confronting past mistakes and estranged relationships. We discuss whether this star-studded movie lives up to its promise, before turning our attention to the question of whether adult dramas, sans action or bombast, have any room in audiences' hearts anymore.Image Credit: IMDBSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In this episode, it's all about the follow-up to 2016's wildly successful Zootopia, which sees the return of earnest bunny cop Judy Hopps and wily con artist fox Nick Wilde, and the continuation of their unlikely partnership as they go undercover to pursue a new and mysterious reptilian resident Gary De'Snake. And since so much of Zootopia's delights rest in its animal-centred world and setting, we then extend the discussion to ask: What (or who) are your favourite on-screen animal characters?Image Credit: IMDbSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In this episode of our podcast, we dive into the first four episodes of Vince Gilligan’s Pluribus, the much-hyped Apple TV+ sci-fi thriller that marks a major return for the Breaking Bad creator. With a near-perfect score on Rotten Tomatoes and buzz everywhere, the show follows Carol Sturka (played by Rhea Seehorn), one of the few immune to a mysterious contagion that has transformed humanity into a shared, euphoric hive mind. We explore whether Pluribus lives up to its break-out promise, and ask you what are some movies or shows that really invite conversation and discussion (whether it's out of love or hate).Image Credit: IMDbSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
It’s been a year since Cynthia Erivo’s Elphaba and Ariana Grande’s Glinda were last on the big screen, finding themselves on opposite sides of a political and ethical divide in Oz. This year, we finally get to see director Jon M. Chu tackle the famously difficult and darker second act of Wicked - we discuss if it lives up to the hype and love that the first movie garnered. Then, as we did with Wicked a year ago, we open up the phone lines and ask: What's your favourite musical?Image Credit: IMDbSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
It's another double bill this week. First up, we review Edgar Wright's latest film, The Running Man, which is an adaptation of Stephen King's 1982 dystopian novel of the same name. It stars Glenn Powell, Katy O'Brian and Josh Brolin and is about a man forced to participate in a deadly state-sanctioned game show where contestants are hunted for entertainment. Following that, we discuss if Guillermo del Toro's gothic monster drama, Frankenstein, is a faithful yet fresh reimagining of Mary Shelley’s classic tale. On Take Two, we talk about how adaptations and remakes often get a bad rap - but which ones have actually updated their source material or offered something new? Image Credit: IMDbSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The latest in the Predator universe, Predator: Badlands sees the return of Dan Trachtenberg to the helm, following his two previous installments (Prey, and Predator: Killer of Killers). Promising to be a standalone film that’s a look at the Predator species and their culture, it also departs from previous movies by having the titular Predator as the protagonist rather than the antagonist. We talk if this release lives up to the high standards of Trachtenberg’s previous efforts. Then, inspired by this being the ninth film in the franchise overall, we ask: What are some of the best and worst movies/shows from long-running franchises?Image Credit: IMDbSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In this episode, we review two new releases by some of the best filmmakers in the world. Kathryn Bigelow is back with another political thriller, A House of Dynamite. It stars Idris Elba and Rebecca Ferguson, and is about the aftermath of an unidentified missile launch that sends global powers scrambling to uncover who’s behind it before catastrophe strikes. Meanwhile, South Korean filmmaker Park Chan Wook’s No Other Choice is a dark comedy that centres around themes of unemployment and desperation. Then on Take Two, we talk about some of the best auteur directors who continue to shape our love for cinema. Image Credit: IMDbSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Keanu Reeves and Sandra Oh as angels, Seth Rogen and Aziz Ansari in a bodyswap, bonus Keke Palmer - random disparate elements, or winning combo? We review Good Fortune (which is also Aziz Ansari’s directorial debut) and find out for ourselves, before turning our attention to the four-decade long career of the iconic Keanu Reeves, and discussing its highs, lows, and of course, whoas.Image Credit: IMDbSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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