Our Hero De Niro

In this special episode, we take a look back at the films that shaped our 2025 movie year—not just the new releases, but everything we watched, discovered, and debated over the past twelve months. From first-time viewings of classics like Chinatown and Back to the Future to rewatches, hidden gems, and the movies that had us completely divided, we walk through our personal superlatives: Best Ending, Most Overrated, and the "aggressively fine" entries that defined the middle of the pack. Along the way, we spotlight standout performances, dissect memorable moments, and reminisce about the films that lingered in our minds. We also crunch the numbers on our viewing stats, reveal just how many movies we tackled for the first time, and talk about the trends that emerged in our watchlists. Whether we're reflecting on unexpected favorites, revisiting movies that didn't quite live up to their hype, or planning what we want to explore in 2026, this episode is both a celebration and an honest reckoning with our year in film. If you're looking for recommendations, hot takes, or simply want to relive the highs and lows of a true cinephile's year, you'll find it all here. Follow Mike and Mike on Letterboxd @mikebackatyou and @mikethefab and email them at ourherodeniro@gmail.com. Next week: City by the Sea

In this episode of All Mike'd Up, the Mikes share their mostly spoiler-free thoughts on Avatar: Fire and Ash and Marty Supreme. The first half is a therapy session about the Avatar franchise's endless spectacle—commiserating over 3D glasses, video game visuals, and the unique fatigue that comes with three-hour blockbusters. The guys discuss whether any of these films offer more than three-and-a-half stars, debate the design choices behind the Na'vi, and reflect on the strange evolution of event filmmaking in 2025.   Then it's on to Marty Supreme, with comparisons to Uncut Gems, a ranking of Safdie favorites, and a deep dive into what makes the ending so memorable—without giving too much away. There's talk of needle drops, long-lens cinematography, and character actors, plus a surprisingly heartfelt look at aging, nostalgia, and what it means to be a main character. Expect plenty of takes, tangents, and enough existential reflection to get you through your next three-hour movie.

This week, the Mikes tackle New Year's Eve, the star-studded holiday ensemble that crams a dizzying number of plotlines into one glitzy Times Square countdown. We break down De Niro's limited but heartfelt role, compare the chaos of intertwining stories, and debate the film's place among other holiday rom-coms. Plus: reflections on overstuffed casts, manufactured sentiment, and the strange appeal of annual event movies.   Plus: ranking all eight plot lines, and reminiscing about the music of Bon Jovi.   Wikipedia page for New Year's Eve.   Films recommended this episode: Strange Days Watchmen Follow Mike and Mike on Letterboxd @mikebackatyou and @mikethefab and email them at ourherodeniro@gmail.com.   Next week: City by the Sea

This week, the Mikes dig into Falling In Love, a restrained romantic drama about two married New Yorkers whose chance encounter sparks a slow-burn affair. We break down De Niro's everyman turn, Streep's reserved vulnerability, and how the movie's winter-in-the-city melancholy is both its biggest strength and its most frustrating weakness. Plus: Christmas nostalgia, department store meet-cutes, and debating whether emotional restraint is romantic or just cold.   Wikipedia page for Falling In Love.   Films recommended this episode: Sideways The Holdovers Past Lives Follow Mike and Mike on Letterboxd @mikebackatyou and @mikethefab and email them at ourherodeniro@gmail.com.   Next week: New Year's Eve

This week, the Mikes roll out the red carpet for The Roberts, our first annual award show dedicated to the highs, lows, and wildest moments of De Niro's filmography. We reflect on a year of weekly deep dives, debating our favorite films, biggest disappointments, and the performance that left us in awe. The ceremony is packed with categories like Best Co-Star Chemistry, Weirdest Plot Twist, and Most Quotable Line—plus, plenty of lovingly petty arguments, inside jokes, and a few touching moments as we look back on what the podcast means to us.   Follow Mike and Mike on Letterboxd @mikebackatyou and @mikethefab and email them at ourherodeniro@gmail.com.   Next week: Falling in Love

This week, the Mikes dig into One Hundred and One Nights, Agnès Varda's kaleidoscopic tribute to cinema history, where film references, cameos, and absurdist humor collide in a French countryside mansion. We break down the movie's campy love letter approach, the visual pleasures of its dreamy vignettes, and De Niro's blink-and-you-miss-him French cameo. Plus: grappling with foreign film blind spots, Letterboxd country stats, and the eternal question—does anyone actually know how to pronounce Marcello Mastroianni?   Wikipedia page for One Hundred and One Nights.   Films recommended this episode: Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai The Truman Show Follow Mike and Mike on Letterboxd @mikebackatyou and @mikethefab and email them at ourherodeniro@gmail.com.   Next week: 50th Episode Spectacular   Supplemental link: Caroline's movie venn diagram

This week, the Mikes take on What Just Happened, Barry Levinson's sharp-edged Hollywood satire about a producer (De Niro) whose life is unraveling faster than his latest movie. We break down De Niro's world-weary performance, the movie's real-life cameos, and the absurdities of test screenings, bad scripts, and on-set meltdowns.   We also introduce "Car Talk," our brand-new segment on the cars of De Niro Nation. From the symbolism of De Niro's Porsche to our own misadventures in used car shopping, we examine why car choice is the ultimate window into midlife, masculinity, and social aspiration. If you've ever tried to manifest an outdoorsy lifestyle by buying the wrong car, this one's for you.   Wikipedia page for What Just Happened.   Films recommended this episode: Adaptation Conclave Follow Mike and Mike on Letterboxd @mikebackatyou and @mikethefab, email them at ourherodeniro@gmail.com, and follow them on Instagram @ourherodeniro.   Next week: One Hundred and One Nights

This week, the Mikes trudge through Born to Win, a 1971 New York "crime thriller" that can't decide if it's a gritty character study, a screwball comedy, or just a parade of bad decisions. We break down George Segal's wandering antihero, Karen Black's chaotic love interest, and a very young Robert De Niro as a cop with great hair and about three scenes.   We debate whether the movie's jumbled tone ever really works, and swap war stories about watching it on Pluto TV versus public domain rips. Plus: our shared hatred of turkey, the existential misery of subtitles, and why every 70s movie feels like a cautionary tale about audio quality.   Wikipedia page for Born to Win.   Films recommended this episode: Good Time Uncut Gems Follow Mike and Mike on Letterboxd @mikebackatyou and @mikethefab, email them at ourherodeniro@gmail.com, and follow them on Instagram @ourherodeniro.   Next week: What Just Happened

We're joined by special guest Caroline to unpack Alfonso Cuarón's visually lush, wildly stylized take on Dickens. Ethan Hawke broods, Gwyneth Paltrow floats, and De Niro lurks in the shadows of 90s Florida—while we debate whether any of it actually works as a story.   We break down the film's hypnotic direction, discuss why the character motivations are so confusing, and argue over whether this is a bold reinvention or a beautiful mess. By the end, we're not sure if we watched a coming-of-age romance or just a two-hour fever dream with great art direction.   Wikipedia page for Great Expectations.   Films recommended this episode: Pride & Prejudice The Age of Innocence Challengers Follow Mike and Mike on Letterboxd @mikebackatyou and @mikethefab, email them at ourherodeniro@gmail.com, and follow them on Instagram @ourherodeniro.   Next week: Born to Win

We dive under the sea for Mikethefab's birthday with Hayao Miyazaki's Ponyo—an enchanting, aquatic fairy tale about childhood wonder, magical chaos, and the world's bravest little goldfish.   We explore what makes Ponyo such a singular Studio Ghibli experience, debate whether its dream logic delights or frustrates, and revisit the question of how children's animation speaks to grown-ups. Along the way, we interview Mike's daughter Nora for her expert take on the film, and answer listener mail from the citizens of De Niro Nation, making this our most wholesome episode yet.   Wikipedia page for Ponyo.   Films recommended this episode: Redline Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind Follow Mike and Mike on Letterboxd @mikebackatyou and @mikethefab, email them at ourherodeniro@gmail.com, and follow them on Instagram @ourherodeniro.   Next week: Great Expectations   Supplemental links: Mikethefab's cologne: L'Homme MikeBackAtYou's cologne: Ombré Leather

Robert De Niro trades mobsters for punchlines in Taylor Hackford's The Comedian—a movie about an aging insult comic who just can't stop burning every bridge in his life, no matter how many second chances he gets.   We break down De Niro's passionate but polarizing performance, debate whether the film's crass, mean-spirited tone is intentional or just misguided, and try to figure out if there's anything redeeming about a story where bad behavior keeps getting rewarded. Along the way, we get lost in tangents about viral memes, USA Network aesthetics, and our shared distaste for bad fake driving shots.   Wikipedia page for The Comedian.   Films recommended this episode: The Devil's Advocate Endorphin Port Stand Up Solutions Follow Mike and Mike on Letterboxd @mikebackatyou and @mikethefab and email them at ourherodeniro@gmail.com.   Next week: Mikethefab's Mystery Birthday Pick

We lock in for Stone, a bleak, small-budget crime thriller starring Robert De Niro, Edward Norton (in cornrows), and Milla Jovovich. This week, we try to make sense of a film that aims for brooding ambiguity but mostly delivers muddled themes, flat visuals, and characters that are more confusing than compelling. We break down the strange tonal mix and wrestle with the movie's attempts at "big ideas" about guilt, religion, and personal change. Plus: "God's tuning fork," local connections to the film, and the world's worst parole officer.   Wikipedia page for Stone.   Films recommended this episode: Nocturnal Animals American Beauty Follow Mike and Mike on Letterboxd @mikebackatyou and @mikethefab and email them at ourherodeniro@gmail.com.   Next week: The Comedian   Supplemental Link: MikeBackAtYou's "90s Hip Hop Classics" Playlist

This week, the Mikes dig into Stanley & Iris, a quietly compassionate drama about two ordinary people navigating hardship, loneliness, and unexpected friendship. We break down De Niro's understated performance, Fonda's grounded presence, and how the movie's gentle approach to big themes both charms and frustrates. Plus: early-90s nostalgia, the perils of teenage pregnancy, and developing the new seduction playbook.   Wikipedia page for Stanley & Iris.   Films recommended this episode: Lars and the Real Girl Edward Scissorhands Follow Mike and Mike on Letterboxd @mikebackatyou and @mikethefab, email them at ourherodeniro@gmail.com, and follow them on Instagram @ourherodeniro.   Next week: Stone

In this episode, we take on Martin Scorsese's Killers of the Flower Moon, dissecting its epic scope, staggering performances, and the haunting true story behind the Osage murders. We unpack Leonardo DiCaprio's unsettling turn, Lily Gladstone's standout presence, and Robert De Niro's chilling performance as William Hale. Plus: Digging into Scorsese's historical approach, the film's themes of complicity and power, and how it measures up against his past work.   Wikipedia page for Killers of the Flower Moon.   Films recommended this episode: Wind River No Country For Old Men Follow Mike and Mike on Letterboxd @mikebackatyou and @mikethefab, email them at ourherodeniro@gmail.com, and follow them on Instagram @ourherodeniro. Next week: Stanley & Iris

In this episode of All Mike'd Up, the Mikes double-feature The Smashing Machine and Tron: Ares, trading immediate post-movie reactions and Letterboxd scores. They spar over whether Safdie's wrestling biopic is a slow-burn character study or just another sports movie cliché, debating The Rock's prosthetics, the film's subdued drama, and how well the documentary-style visuals actually work. Switching to Tron: Ares, they talk IMAX spectacle, the Nine Inch Nails soundtrack, and the franchise's chronic struggle to make anyone care about the Grid. Along the way: thrill ride heart rates, Radiohead analogies, and the ongoing search for a truly great legacy sequel.

We flip the switch on Christopher Nolan's Tenet, a time-bending thriller that's as audacious as it is divisive. For our 40th episode spectacular, we step away from De Niro to tackle one of our favorite modern blockbusters—a film we've defended since day one.   We dig into Tenet's ambitious sci-fi mechanics, its dense but economical storytelling, and how Nolan builds meaning through spectacle. Along the way, we highlight Hoyte van Hoytema's crisp IMAX visuals, Ludwig Göransson's propulsive score, and the film's big ideas about free will, identity, and inevitability.   Wikipedia page for Tenet.   Films recommended this episode: Miami Vice Interstellar Follow Mike and Mike on Letterboxd: @mikebackatyou and @mikethefab, email them at ourherodeniro@gmail.com, and follow them on Instagram at @ourherodeniro.   Next week: Killers of the Flower Moon   Supplemental link: Tenet Fight Scene Explained

On this episode, the Mikes break down Grudge Match, a sports comedy pitting Robert De Niro and Sylvester Stallone against each other as retired boxers dragged into a publicity-fueled rematch. They analyze the movie's attempts to balance heartfelt moments with slapstick, touching on whether the film earns its sentimentality or leans too heavily on its leads' legendary status. Plus: the Mikes' hypothetical walk-up songs, Gas Station TV, and the "Spot a Running Dodge Dart" challenge.   Wikipedia page for Grudge Match.   Films recommended this episode: Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan Click Follow Mike and Mike on Letterboxd: @mikebackatyou and @mikethefab, email them at ourherodeniro@gmail.com, and follow them on Instagram at @ourherodeniro.   Next week: 40th Episode Spectacular   Supplemental Link: Mike and Mike's 2019 Mo-Cap Costumes MikeBackAtYou's Walk-Up Songs: Legend Has It - Run The Jewels Send It Up - Kanye West If You Know You Know - Pusha T Mantra - Bring Me The Horizon Children of Sorrow - HEALTH Mikethefab's Walk-Up Songs: We Like to Party - Vengaboys Tubthumping - Chumbawumba Jump Around - House of Pain Pump Up the Jam - Technotronic Walkin' on the Sun - Smash Mouth Move Your Body - Eiffel 65 Tarzan Boy - Baltimora

This week on Our Hero De Niro, the Mikes break down Killer Elite, the globe-trotting action thriller where Jason Statham, Clive Owen, and Robert De Niro get tangled in a messy web of assassins, vendettas, and questionable politics. They discuss the film's convoluted plot, De Niro's limited but welcome screen time, and whether the action set pieces justify the runtime. Plus: chair fights, the limits of "based on a true story," and the return of the Blue-Ass Movie.    Wikipedia page for Killer Elite.   "Films" recommended this episode: The Transporter "Any episode of 24" Follow Mike and Mike on Letterboxd: @mikebackatyou and @mikethefab, email them at ourherodeniro@gmail.com, and follow them on Instagram at @ourherodeniro.   Next week: Grudge Match

In this episode of Our Hero De Niro, the Mikes take on New York, New York, Martin Scorsese's bold attempt to blend gritty postwar realism with old-Hollywood musical style. They dig into De Niro's performance as the charming but infuriating saxophonist Jimmy Doyle, the film's uneasy tone, and whether the visual grandeur justifies the runtime. Plus: Liza Minelli discourse, Scorsese's attitude during production, and whether or not the Mikes are jazz men. Wikipedia page for New York, New York.   Films recommended this episode: After Hours Inside Llewyn Davis Follow Mike and Mike on Letterboxd: @mikebackatyou and @mikethefab, email them at ourherodeniro@gmail.com, and follow them on Instagram at @ourherodeniro.   Next week: Killer Elite

In the second episode of All Mike'd Up, the Mikes dedicate the show to listener mail—reading and responding to letters from several friends of the pod. The discussion covers everything from movie rating philosophy and steak portion sizes to toxic masculinity and the challenges of translating Japanese film genres to the West. Along the way, they debate anonymity on the internet, nerd out over Paul Schrader's Mishima, and digress into personal Letterboxd rankings and the "vibes" factor in movie ratings.