Eye of the Storm Movie Podcast

This week we review and discuss Crime 101, a crime thriller directed by Bart Layton and starring Chris Hemsworth, Halle Berry and Mark Ruffalo, about three people whose lives are caught up in the world of jewel heists.We talk about how the movie is not quite what it presents itself as and rather than a heist movie delivers a character drama focused on themes of risk, the cost of making it, and selling out your principles, we discuss whether those ideas were well realised in the character arcs of the three main characters and the choices they make throughout the story, whether the ending is a pyrrhic victory that fits the movie's themes or is a miss overall, and much more.Check out our other reviews and clips on all major platforms here:https://linktr.ee/EyeOfTheStormMoviePodcast0:00 Intro0:18 Movie Recommendations (Animal Kingdom, Dick (1999))05:51 Synopsis & Overall Impressions11:31 Spoiler Discussion48:28 Conclusion & Ratings

This week we review and discuss The Strangers - Chapter 3, a horror film directed by Renny Harlin and starring Madelaine Petsch, Gabriel Basso and Ema Horvath, which features the conclusion to the story of Maya who tries to escape the masked Strangers who continue to try to kill her. We talk about whether the final chapter of the Strangers trilogy delivers a payoff that was worth sitting through the first two chapters, whether expanding on the Strangers' backstory and motivation made sense and added value to the story, we go through some of the more baffling scenes and try to find intention in them, wonder what a Strangers reboot could have been like had it been handled with more care, and much more.Check out our other reviews of the Strangers franchise:The Strangers (2008)https://open.spotify.com/episode/6euIp0uzbixlgdGLtfUZKWThe Strangers - Chapter 1https://open.spotify.com/episode/0QhEvLQDJTRvqJSRoaqnxPThe Strangers - Chapter 2https://open.spotify.com/episode/6XUbZLB8oGeUdrjcpQh9dYCheck out our other reviews and clips on all major platforms here:https://linktr.ee/EyeOfTheStormMoviePodcast0:00 Intro0:16 Movie Recommendations (Love of my Life, Hamnet, English Teacher)06:30 Synopsis & Overall Impressions14:18 Spoiler Discussion57:54 Conclusion & Ratings

In "Have You Seen?" we discuss a movie that some of us know well and others have just now seen for the first time.This week we revisit Catch Me If You Can, a crime comedy drama directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hanks and Christopher Walken, about a con artist who evades the FBI for years while being one of the most accomplished forgers of his time and posing as various professions including airline pilots, doctors and lawyers.We talk about how the movie has held up and why it is the product of a different era in Hollywood, how the movie makes a scammer and con artist a sympathetic character we can root for, whether the scams hold up on rewatch or whether it's all in the presentation and production values, whether being accurate to the life of the real Frank Abagnale is important for a movie like this, whether the movie was improved by embellishing Frank's life and adding a family subplot and increasing the role of his father that did not happen like it was shown in the movie, and much more.Check out our other reviews and clips on all major platforms here:https://linktr.ee/EyeOfTheStormMoviePodcast

This week we review and discuss Primate, a horror film directed by Johannes Roberts and starring Jonny Sequoyah, Jessica Alexander and Troy Kotsur, about an adopted chimpanzee who gets bitten by a rapid animal and becomes violent towards his human family.We talk about how this is the okayest movie we have seen in a while that delivers exactly on what it promises and nothing else, how review scores are surprisingly high for a movie this basic, whether the movie delivers on suspense and violence enough to carry the movie, how the movie actually does a lot of things right that many (especially horror) movies tend to get wrong, the numerous instances of ideas that are introduced throughout the movie and then never paid off and how each of these could easily have elevated the movie, and much more.Check out our other reviews and clips on all major platforms here:https://linktr.ee/EyeOfTheStormMoviePodcast0:00 Intro0:18 Movie Recommendations (Steal, Wonder Man)08:34 Synopsis & Overall Impressions14:02 Spoiler Discussion50:38 Conclusion & Ratings

This week we review and discuss Return to Silent Hill, a psychological horror film directed by Christophe Gans and starring Jeremy Irvine and Hannah Emily Anderson. The movie follows the story of James who ventures into the abandoned town of Silent Hill and encounters various nightmares in search of the woman he loves.We talk about the metaphor that drives the third act and try to make sense of it as someone who is not familiar with the games, why this movie has been treated unfairly by reviews and why reviewers on balance have let the audiences down when it comes to the discourse surrounding this movie, why Return of Silent Hill is held back by sometimes trying to be an adaptation of a beloved video game, and much more. Check out our other reviews and clips on all major platforms here:https://linktr.ee/EyeOfTheStormMoviePodcast0:00 Intro0:20 Movie Recommendations (A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, His & Hers, Rush Hour)09:24 Synopsis & Overall Impressions16:03 Spoiler Discussion53:32 Conclusion & Ratings

In "Have You Seen?" we discuss a movie that some of us know well and others have just now seen for the first time.This week we revisit the first three episodes of Frasier, a sitcom that ran from 1993 to 2004 starring Kelsey Grammer, David Hyde Pierce and Jane Leeves.We talk about why Frasier is our favourite sitcom of all time, how it manages to make characters who are not usually the protagonists of sitcoms relatable while drawing comedy from their unrelatability, why Frasier was the smartest show on television and why comedy benefits from smart writing, we discuss the lost art of farce and why Frasier was a masterclass in that genre of comedy, how its legacy sequel series is one of the few that actually worked, and much more.Check out our other reviews and clips on all major platforms here:https://linktr.ee/EyeOfTheStormMoviePodcast

This week we review and discuss 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, a postapocalyptic drama film directed by Nia DaCosta and starring Ralph Phiennes, Jack O'Connell and Alfie Williams. Following the events of 28 Years Later, Spike is being inducted into a gang led by Sir Lord Jimmy Crystal while Dr Kelson discovers a treatment for the Rage virus.We talk about how the movie compares to the first part, how it is driven by the conflict between Dr Kelson and Jimmy who represent two opposed sides of humanity between whose example Spike will have to choose in the future, the very different tragedies of both Dr Kelson who has never given up trying to help and Sir Jimmy whose trauma makes him a force of destruction, what the final scene says about the spirit of the franchise and why this is the most optimistic zombie franchise ever made, and much more.Check out our other reviews and clips on all major platforms here:https://linktr.ee/EyeOfTheStormMoviePodcastCheck out our reviews of the rest of the franchise here:28 Days Later: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3gWKKzW2yHeS1FZ7hK6ZYM28 Weeks Later: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4w5fZ33QScoqldwL1u6u3P28 Years Later: https://open.spotify.com/episode/7BgzRscm9UIhaz6aZ7zFFx0:00 Intro0:18 Movie Recommendations (Everwood season 1, His & Hers)05:10 Synopsis & Overall Impressions12:13 Spoiler Discussion54:18 Conclusion & Ratings

This week we review and discuss Frankenstein, a gothic science fiction film directed by Guillermo del Toro and starring Oscaar Isaac, Jacob Elordi and Mia Goth, about a scientist who creates a living being through scientific experimentation and then loses control of his creation.We talk about our reaction to the newest take on the classic Frankenstein story, what worked about it and what didn't, how we were missing a clear thesis in the movie and how the movie ends up being unfocused and cluttered as a result, we discuss whether various storytelling choices worked for us and whether we agree with the consensus that the first half of the movie is the stronger one, whether the nearly unanimous positive reviews this movie has received on Rotten Tomatoes is justified, and much more. Check out our other reviews and clips on all major platforms here:https://linktr.ee/EyeOfTheStormMoviePodcast0:00 Intro0:17 Movie Recommendations (Marked Season 1, Fallout Season 2, The Great Gatsby)06:30 Synopsis & Overall Impressions13:54 Spoiler Discussion01:00:14 Conclusion & Ratings

In "Have You Seen?" we discuss a movie that some of us know well and others have just now seen for the first time.This week we revisit Edge of Tomorrow, a 2014 science fiction action movie directed by Doug Liman and starring Tom Cruise, Emily Blunt and Bill Paxton, about two soldiers stuck in a time loop during an alien invasion.We talk about how this movie did not make many waves when it came out in part due to its confusing name changes but has turned into a celebrated classic since then, the movie's take on the time loop formula and how it compares to other movies like it, how the movie uses the time loops to create stakes and shows just enough repetition to convey the state of mind of its characters without ever becoming tedious, the similarities with video game movies and much more.Check out our other reviews and clips on all major platforms here:https://linktr.ee/EyeOfTheStormMoviePodcast

This week we review and discuss Marty Supreme, a drama movie directed by Josh Safdie and starring Thimothee Chalamet, Gwyneth Paltrow and Odessa A'zion, about a table tennis player in 1952 and his struggles to compete in an upcoming championship against all odds.We talk about the movie's unconventional storytelling and Chalamet's persuasive performance as an unlikeable jerk the audience can sympathise with, how the movie depicts its flawed characters and their choices without telling the audience how to feel about them, the movie's handling of themes such as fairness, ego and achievement, debate whether the movie's ending elevates or deflates Marty's story, and much more.Check out our other reviews and clips on all major platforms here:https://linktr.ee/EyeOfTheStormMoviePodcast0:00 Intro0:17 Movie Recommendations (Rick and Morty Season 8, Stranger Things Season 5 eulogy)12:45 Synopsis & Overall Impressions18:11 Spoiler Discussion59:52 Conclusion & Ratings

This week we review and discuss The Housemaid, an erotic thriller movie directed by Paul Feig and starring Sydney Sweeney, Amanda Seyfried and Brandon Sklenar, which follows a young woman with a troubled past who becomes the live-in housekeeper for a wealthy family. Their seemingly perfect life unravels when she discovers their household hides dark secrets.We talk about whether the movie delivers on its promise of being a throwback to 90's thrillers and whether the near universally positive audience reaction is justified, whether the resolution to the central mystery makes sense and worked for us, whether the movie accurately depicts abuse and abusive relationships and what the ethics of that are for movies, how we would have changed the movie's ending, and much more.Check out our other reviews and clips on all major platforms here:https://linktr.ee/EyeOfTheStormMoviePodcast0:00 Intro0:17 Movie Recommendations (Star Wars rewatch, Knives Out 3: Wake Up Dead Man)05:37 Synopsis & Overall Impressions10:11 Spoiler Discussion54:51 Conclusion & Ratings

For our second annual end of year review episode, we take a look back at the movies we reviewed this year and see what movies were successful and which bombed, try to understand what that says about the moviegoing audience this year and speculate what that might mean for what movies might look like in the years to come. After that we rank our top 3 best and worst movies of the year.Check out our other reviews and clips on all major platforms here:https://linktr.ee/EyeOfTheStormMoviePodcast0:00 Intro0:22 2025 Box Office Analysis32:52 Worst Movies Of The Year50:42 Best Movies Of The Year

This week we review and discuss Avatar 3: Fire and Ash, an epic science fiction movie directed by James Cameron and starring Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana and Sigourney Weaver, which follows the story of Jake Sully and his family as they try to live among the Na'vi while being pursued by Colonel Quaritch and the volcano-dwelling Mangkwan clan.We talk about our very different experiences with the Avatar franchise and how part 3 stacks up against the previous movies, what we thought of the emerging politics of various Na'vi groups, the various character journeys in particular the villains and whether their stories worked for us, the movie's treatment of war, peace and faith, we disagree about various story choices and their impact on pivotal moments in the story, and much more.Check out our other reviews and clips on all major platforms here:https://linktr.ee/EyeOfTheStormMoviePodcast0:00 Intro0:28 Movie Recommendations (Angela (Netflix), IT: Welcome to Derry, Stranger Things Season 1)04:46 Synopsis & Overall Impressions12:20 Spoiler Discussion01:03:50 Conclusion & Ratings

In "Have You Seen?" we discuss a movie that some of us know well and others have just now seen for the first time.This week we revisit Monty Python's Life of Brian, a 1979 biblical comedy movie directed by Terry Jones and starring John Cleese, Terry Gilliam and Michael Palin, about a young Judaean man who is born on the same day as Jesus, and is subsequently mistaken for the Messiah.We talk about our reactions to seeing the movie widely seen as the best comedy ever made for the first time in 2025, look back at why this movie was so controversial and widely banned when it came out and speculate how it might be received if it came out today, what parts of the humor worked for us and which didn't, how the movie's criticism of activism has been overshadowed by the criticism of religion when it actually takes up more time and is more biting and why that might be, and much more.Check out our other reviews and clips on all major platforms here:https://linktr.ee/EyeOfTheStormMoviePodcast

This week we review and discuss Fackham Hall, a spoof comedy movie directed by Jim O'Hanlon and starring Thomasin McKenzie, Ben Radcliffe and Damian Lewis, which follows heiress Rose Davenport who is torn between marrying her cousin to save the family estate, and eloping with the man she loves despite class barriers.We talk about whether Fackham Hall's comedy worked for us, compare favourite jokes, ask whether Fackham Hall deserves to be in one category with timeless classics like Naked Gun and Airplane!, why the movie benefits from meticulous planning and a tight plot and how it compares to this year's Naked Gun, why a movie like this existing is a good sign for movies in general and comedies in particular, and much more.Check out our other reviews and clips on all major platforms here:https://linktr.ee/EyeOfTheStormMoviePodcast0:00 Intro0:18 Movie Recommendations (Silent Night Deadly Night, She Rides Shotgun, Stranger Things Season 5, Midway (2019))06:16 Synopsis & Overall Impressions12:04 Spoiler Discussion52:42 Conclusion & Ratings

This week we review and discuss Five Nights at Freddy's 2, a horror movie directed by Emma Tammi and starring Josh Hutcherson, Matthew Lillard and Elizabeth Lail, in which Abby Schmidt reconnects with her animatronic friends, leading to events that reveal the origins of Freddy Fazbear's Pizza.We talk about whether the movie worked for us as somebody not part of the target audience that had never played the games and went into this without a shred of nostalgia, whether there is enough to the movie once you move part the creepy aesthetics of the Freddy Fazbear animatronics, whether the ending worked for us or if it needed to be developed more and expand more on the lore introduced in the first movie more, how FNAF2 stacks up against recent video game adaptations and why this movie signals a positive future for movies, and much more.Check out our other reviews and clips on all major platforms here:https://linktr.ee/EyeOfTheStormMoviePodcast0:00 Intro0:18 Movie Recommendations (Sean Combs: The Reckoning, Companion, Power Book 4: Force, Joy Ride (2001))05:23 Synopsis & Overall Impressions11:52 Spoiler Discussion53:36 Conclusion & Ratings

In "Have You Seen?" we discuss a movie that some of us know well and others have just now seen for the first time.This week we revisit Rapture-Palooza, a 2013 comedy movie directed by Paul Middleditch and starring Anna Kendrick, Ken Jeong and Craig Robinson, about two people trying to survive in the post-rapture apocalypse while trying to defeat The Beast.We talk about how this movie bombed in the box office and in reviews and why we think it deserves more credit than it has received, how the movie is not really about religion but rather finding meaning in mundane suburban life, how the humor compares to what we expect from movies today and how it has held up, how the movie actually has more solid fundamentals than a lot of movies and is a better movie and a better comedy for it, and much more.Check out our other reviews and clips on all major platforms here:https://linktr.ee/EyeOfTheStormMoviePodcast

This week we review and discuss Now You See Me: Now You Don't, a heist movie directed by Ruben Fleischer and starring Jesse Eisenberg, Morgan Freeman and Isla Fisher, about a new generation of magicians who team up with the original Horsemen to take down an evil diamond mining company using their knowledge of magic.We talk about what the movie improves from the previous installments of the franchise, whether the use of magic was satisfying to us, whether the movie is too crowded by having eight major characters that need to be balanced and whether the movie manages to strike the right balance between action, comedy and showcasing the magic, whether the twist reveal at the end worked for us, whether this movie strays too far from the classic heist movie formula for its own good, and much more.Check out our other reviews and clips on all major platforms here:https://linktr.ee/EyeOfTheStormMoviePodcast0:00 Intro0:18 Movie Recommendations (Stranger Things Season 5, The Bad Influencer, Adult World)11:20 Synopsis & Overall Impressions18:38 Spoiler Discussion57:33 Conclusion & Ratings

This week we review and discuss Wicked: For Good, a fantasy musical movie directed by Jon M. Chu and starring Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo and Jeff Goldblum, about the relationship between Elphaba and Glinda as they embrace their new identities as the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good.We talk about whether the movie brought the character arcs set up in the first part to a satisfying conclusion, how the lack of worldbuilding and detail in various character motivations we criticised in the first part drag the second part down in predictable ways, whether Wicked does its themes of authoritarianism, terrorism and people being judged by their appearance justice, how Wicked fits in with The Wizard of Oz and how the movie on the one hand wants to rewrite the original story while also spending too much time on showing the origins of things viewers recognise from The Wizard of Oz, and much more.Check out the review of Wicked Part One here:https://open.spotify.com/episode/1enKcwkYe9XIMhergXmtacCheck out our other reviews and clips on all major platforms here:https://linktr.ee/EyeOfTheStormMoviePodcast0:00 Intro0:20 Movie Recommendations (Rapture-Palooza, The Running Man)05:02 Synopsis & Overall Impressions11:52 Spoiler Discussion59:24 Conclusion & Ratings

In our series "Catching Up On", we watch a classic movie that is new to us, and we discuss how we experienced the movie with fresh eyes and try to understand its historical context and cultural impact.This week we watch "The Wizard of Oz", a fantasy musical from 1939 directed by Victor Fleming and starring Judy Garland, Frank Morgan and Margaret Hamilton, about Dorothy who is transplanted by a tornado from Kansas to the magical land of Oz and has to find a way home while evading the schemes of the Wicked Witch.We talk about how we experienced the Wizard of Oz as someone who has no childhood nostalgia for it and how it compares to what we had picked up through cultural osmosis, go over the highlights of the nightmarish production of the movie that is terrifying even by early Hollywood standards, whether the movie works as a story on its own merits and where breaking the usual rules of storytelling works for the movie and where it doesn't, whether the Wicked Witch is a good villain, and whether we would show this movie to our hypothetical children, and much more.Check out our other fantasy movie reviews:https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5O7bUTf5FmPBrVRUFKRgJoCheck out our other reviews and clips on all major platforms here:https://linktr.ee/EyeOfTheStormMoviePodcast