Popcorn Culture

This week's a DC double bill. First up, Clayface, a body horror villain origin story written by Mike Flanagan alongside Hossein Amini and directed by James Watkins — a pedigree that had us intrigued before a single frame rolled. A mob boss disfigures a rising, Oscar-nominated actor, and the experimental treatment meant to restore his face instead turns him into the shape-shifting monster of the title. We dig into whether the gnarly practical effects and dread-filled first half are enough to carry it through to the end. Then we turn to Lanterns, the small-screen Green Lantern Corps series from Chris Mundy, Damon Lindelof and Tom King, starring Kyle Chandler and Aaron Pierre as a grizzled veteran and an idealistic newcomer dragged into a rural mystery spanning two timelines a decade apart. It's less space opera, more prestige crime drama — and we break down whether that trade-off pays off.Image Credit: IMDbSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week it's a double bill that swings from blockbuster spectacle to underwater survival. First, Jailer 2 sees Rajinikanth return as “Tiger” Muthuvel Pandian, picking up three months after the first film as he goes after the cartel behind a statue smuggling ring, all the way to the top. We discuss whether the Superstar’s latest outing lives up to the first installment.Meanwhile, Whalefall follows a grieving son who sets out to honour his late, estranged father and ends up swallowed by a whale, left to figure out how to survive. We discuss how this thriller handles grief, and whether it works as a survival story. Image Credit: IMDBImage Credit: IMDBSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Alejandro G. Iñárritu, the director behind Birdman and The Revenant, turns his gaze on climate catastrophe with Digger, and the result is as divisive as his back catalogue. Tom Cruise disappears into the title role as an oil tycoon with the US president's ear, whose relentless exploitation has pushed the world to the edge of ecological collapse — icebergs, tsunamis and all. We talk about why we love Digger, and why this bold, original swing has been tanking at the box office despite some of the best work of Cruise's career.Image Credit: IMDBSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Description: 7 years after its release, Avengers: Endgame returns to cinemas! This time, promising not just the opportunity to re-experience its epic moments on the big screen, but also extended, exclusive footage that its directors say is must-see viewing ahead of Avengers: Doomsday. So is this worth your time, and does it get us hyped and excited for December's big release? We discuss. Image Credit: IMDBSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It isn't every day that a beloved video game franchise gets a second film reboot, let alone one directed by someone with Zach Cregger's calibre (Weapons, Barbarian) - so it's no wonder fans are excited. Taking place during events paralleling the 1998 game Resident Evil 2, this new film follows Austin Abrams' Bryan, a medical courier fighting through a viral outbreak of infected monsters while trying to make a delivery. We talk about why this movie has now become one of the best-rated and reviewed video game adaptations, and what it means for the future of the franchise. Image Credit: IMDBSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.