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.