Spoilerpiece Theatre

This week, the whole gang is back together! Yay! Evan and Megan start out by reviewing Paul Feig's whodunnit dark comedy, ANOTHER SIMPLE FAVOR (2:33), a sequel to you guessed it, A SIMPLE FAVOR. While it retains the crackling chemistry between its leads, Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively, the movie doesn't have much going for it other than its gorgeous location and fashions; its writing and dialogue are abysmal, and it's glacially paced. Next, we all discuss Eli Craig's horror film CLOWN IN A CORNFIELD (19:43), which is set in a small midwestern town that's terrorized by a killer clown in a cornfield. There's a lot more to this slasher than it seems from the title; it's well-paced, funny, features memorable kills, and has smart social commentary. And in this week's Patreon exclusive audio, we talk about Drew Hancock's sci-fi thriller COMPANION, starring Sophie Thatcher and Jack Quaid!

Dave can't make it this week, so Megan and Evan review this week's very different films as a duo. First, Megan covers the Ami Canaan Mann's biopic AUDREY'S CHILDREN (2:32), which chronicles a period in the life of world-renowned children's doctor Dr. Audrey Evans (Natalie Dormer), as she works to revolutionize treatment of childhood cancer during the late 1960s and helps co-found the first Ronald McDonald House. Come for Natalie Dormer's excellent performance. Next, they discuss Jon Kasbe and Crystal Moselle's disappointing documentary MY ROBOT SOPHIA (17:41), which follows inventor David Hanson's attempts to build life-like AI. The film features a fascinating topic, but fails to delve deep enough into it to be worthwhile. Lastly, Evan reviews Jake Schreier's THUNDERBOLTS* (37:08) the latest Marvel film, which follows a ragtag group of anti-heroes led by Florence Pugh who must confront a powerful force: their traumas and darkest secrets. It's not your typical Marvel movie, and that's a very good thing because

Dave returns! But Evan can't make it this week. So Dave and Megan discuss FREWAKA (2:31), Aislinn Clarke's Irish folk horror film about a home care aide (Clare Monnelly) dealing with haunting disorientation after taking a job caring for an agoraphobic older woman (Bríd Ní Neachtain). One of us really liked the film for the performances and eerie, unsettling atmosphere. But it was too slow for one of us.   Then, we talk about ON SWIFT HORSES (27:33), Daniel Minahan's queer romantic drama adapted from Shannon Pufahl's novel, starring Daisy Edgar-Jones, Jacob Elordi, and Will Poulter. Set in the 1950s, a woman and her husband's lives are changed by the arrival of his brother. One of us enjoyed the film for the great performances, beautiful cinematography, and queer themes. But it didn't work for one of us.   And on this week's Patreon bonus episode, we talk about THE KEEP, Michael Mann's strange and ethereal 1983 supernatural horror film!

Megan is flying solo this week, as Dave and Evan couldn't make it (I miss you two!). First, Megan reviews THE UGLY STEPSISTER (1:54), Emilie Blichfeldt's Norwegian fairy-tale horror film starring Lea Myren and Thea Sofie Loch Næss, which played at this year's Boston Underground Film Festival. With lush costumes and production design, it's a compelling and gruesome Cinderella retelling that critiques beauty standards.   Then, Megan talks about THE WEDDING BANQUET (19:25), Andrew Ahn's queer rom-com (a remake of Ang Lee's 1993 film) starring Kelly Marie Tran, Lily Gladstone, Bowen Yang, and Han Gi-chan, about a gay man who offers to marry his lesbian friend to pay for her partner's IVF treatments and so he can get a green card. It's a sweet and tender film with an excellent cast.   Lastly, Megan discusses SINNERS (33:41), Ryan Coogler's vampire horror film, starring Michael B. Jordan, Miles Caton, Hailee Steinfeld, and Wunmi Mosaku. Set in the 1930s, it follows two twin brothers opening a juke joint and the evi

Unfortunately, Dave can't make it this week (we miss you), but we (Evan and Megan) carry on in his stead. First we cover Michael Angarano's dramedy SACREMENTO (2:14), where a free-spirited guy (Angarano) cons his anxiety-ridden best friend (Michael Cera) into taking a road trip to, you guessed it, Sacramento. The movie, which co-stars the vastly underused Maya Erskine and Kristen Stewart, has the occasional poignant moment or funny line but is too scattershot for our taste. Next, we review Christopher Landon's thriller DROP (23:02), which stars Meghann Fahy as a widowed, domestic abuse survivor and mother who is terrorized by anonymous threatening messages on her first date in years. We really dig its central mystery, lead performance, intense atmosphere, and sharp commentary on abuse. And in this week's Patreon exclusive audio, we talk about Martha Coolidge's 1985 comedy REAL GENIUS in honor of the late Val Kilmer!

This week Evan and Megan watched (and Dave partly watched) the micro budget thriller GAZER (2:22), directed by Ryan J. Sloan, and written by Sloan and star Ariella Mastroianni. Frankie (Mastroianni) has dyschronometria, a neurological condition where an individual struggles to perceive and track the duration of time. So when Frankie accepts a high-risk job for a decent chunk of money, it’s safe to say things don’t work out like she expects. Then everyone watched FREAKY TALES (21:20), one movie made up of four sci-fi/action/martial arts anthology bloodfests that features lots of characters killing neo Nazis. Oh, and it takes place in 1987, which makes everyone (especially Evan) very happy. And we're all extremely happy that it has a whole lot of Pedro Pascal. Over on Patreon, we watched PRINCESS MONONOKE in honor of its 4K restoration.

Sometimes we accidentally stumble into a theme at Spoilerpiece, and this week's theme is movies that make us dissolve into choking sobs. First, Megan and Dave weigh in on THE PENGUIN LESSONS, a movie that should be slight; a high school English teacher in politically fraught 1972 Argentina (Steve Coogan) rescues a pengiun and then everyone learns something. Megan and Dave agree: This movie should not work. It should be treacly and stupid...but it made us weep. Legit tears, not tears cheaply jerked from us. Kudos to Coogan for navigating the screenplay's potential pitfalls - he is excellent - and director Peter Cattaneo for laying off the sentiment. Next, Evan joins Megan and Dave to dicuss BOB TREVINO LIKES IT, featuring superb turns by Barbie Ferreira and John Leguizmo as two lonely people who strike up an unlikely and deep friendship that helps shepherd them through emotional trauma. This movie made us sob real tears. (Again, not jerked, but earned.) And then over on Patreon our Women's History Month poll

Evan, Megan, and Dave take in two derivative films this week: ASH (2:37), a horror/sci-fi hodgepodge headed up by Eiza González and Aaron Paul about an astronaut who wakes up to find her crew killed, features just about every horror/sci-fi trope since ALIEN hit screens in 1979. Then there's LOCKED (25:17), a thriller starring Bill Skarsgård as a petty criminal trapped and tortured in an impenetrable SUV owned by bad-dude Anthony Hopkins. Over on Patreon, we watched the 1975 noir NIGHT MOVES, starring Gene Hackman, who left us in February.

This week Evan, Megan, and Dave watched one dud and one banger. The dud: THE ELECTRIC STATE (1:55), the latest crap-fest from the Russo brothers. This unfunny sci-fi comedy stars Millie Bobby Brown, Chris Pratt, and Ke Huy Quan. The banger: NOVOCAINE (26:00). Assistant bank manager Jack Quaid has a genetic condition in which he can't feel pain. So when bank robbers kidnap his would-be girlfriend (Amber Midthunder), he uses the condition to his advantage to try to save her.  Over on Patreon, we talk about the 2006 Spike Lee heist film INSIDE MAN.

It's a week for horror on Spoilerpiece. Megan and Dave talk about THE RULE OF JENNY PEN (2:10), featuring Geoffrey Rush as a judge recovering from a stroke, John Lithgow as a sadist, and Jenny Pen as Lithgow's evil puppet cohort. Then Evan joins in for STARVE ACRE (20:59), in which two grieving parents find a mummified oak tree and tend to a reanimated rabbit that may or may not be malevolent. Yeah, it's weird. Over on Patreon, we talk about the 2025 Oscars.

This week we catch up on two current releases and a new film. Megan and Evan talk about CAPTAIN AMERICA: BRAVE NEW WORLD (2:28), and Megan and Dave discuss THE MONKEY (26:02). Then we all talk about the new film MY DEAD FRIEND ZOE (41:03), a dark comedy/drama about an Afghanistan war veteran (Sonequa Martin-Green) dealing with the trauma of losing her friend and fellow vet Zoe (Natalie Morales), who keeps popping up in her day-to-day life as a ghost. Over on Patreon, we talk about FINAL DESTINATION because it's 25 years old (yikes!).

This week Dave is under the weather, so Megan and Evan tackle the two films as a duo. First, we review Frederik Louis Hviid's true crime heist film, THE QUIET ONES (2:59), which recounts the largest robbery in Denmark's history. Next, we discuss Martin Campbell's action thriller CLEANER (28:09), which features Daisy Ridley as an ex-soldier turned window cleaner who must save a building full of people after they're taken hostage by eco-terrorists. Over on Patreon, we talk about Jeremy Saulnier's 2024 Netflix crime thriller REBEL RIDGE.

This week Megan, Evan, and Dave discuss ROUNDING (1:59), about an ambitious medical resident who relocates to a rural hospital after an elderly patient dies in his care. He soon becomes obsessed with saving a young asthma patient while suffering from horrific visions brought on by sleep deprivation and his previous trauma. Then we talk about THE GORGE (27:48), an action-rom-com-horror-thriller starring Miles Teller, Anya Taylor-Joy, and Sigourney Weaver. Over on Patreon, we watched RETURN TO OZ, the bizarro sort-of sequel to THE WIZARD OF OZ.

This week Dave spoils director Josh Ruben’s latest, the horror comedy HEART EYES (2:11), about a serial killer who targets couples on and around Valentine’s Day. Then Evan and Megan join him to discuss LOVE HURTS (18:09), which stars Ke Huy Quan in his first leading role. Over on Patreon, we talk about Billy Wilder’s SUNSET BOULEVARD in honor of its 75th anniversary.

Evan and Dave are a duo this week. Dave took his children to see the ridiculous animated movie DOG MAN, which he - surprisingly? - liked. And both Evan and Dave took in LOVE ME, a romantic drama in which Kristen Stewart and Steven Yeun play a buoy and a satellite falling in love long after every lifeform on Earth has gone extinct. Over on Patreon, we discuss the 2006 Tony Scott film DÉJÀ VU with Denzel Washington.

This week we watch two films, the indie comedy-drama ROCKY’S (2:26), about five friends in their mid-20s who come together for a funeral, but first regroup in the parking lot of the 24-hour deli they loitered around in high school. Then it’s INHERITANCE (23:11), a spy thriller with Phoebe Dynevor and Rhys Ifans as an estranged daughter and father caught in a conspiracy. (Please excuse Dave’s room noise when the podcast begins; his space heater ran for a few minutes.) Over on Patreon, we talk about the 1989 Nicole Kidman thriller DEAD CALM.

This week Megan saw WOLF MAN (2:20), director and co-writer Leigh Whannell’s latest trip down the horror highway, starring Christopher Abbott and Julia Garner. Megan likes this new take on Universal’s legendary Wolf Man…until she doesn’t. A good start, a meh finish. Then Evan and Dave join in when the conversation turns to NIGHT CALL (16:17), Michiel Blanchart's tense and nimble French-language thriller about a locksmith (Jonathan Feltre) who has the misfortune of opening a door…TO CRIME! (See what we did there?) A seemingly innocent call makes a normal shift turn nightmarish as lead character Mady is conned into opening the door, is chased by criminals, chased by more criminals, chased by cops…you get the idea. We all enjoyed this clever, fast-paced, and frenetic thriller. Then we all weigh in on Cameron Diaz’s first screen role since 2014, the Netflix spy thriller BACK IN ACTION (44:21), directed by Seth Gordon. Don’t let the lazy title fool you: The screenplay is just as lazy as the title! Ho ho! Not for

This week Evan, Megan, and Dave take in the new Nick Frost-written-and-starring horror comedy GET AWAY (2:50), about a family that goes to a remote Swedish island for a holiday weekend, only to be trapped as a killer is on the loose. Zoinks! Blood and guts ensue! But do the laughs follow? DO THEY?!! Two-thirds of us felt one way, and one-third of us felt another way. Then we watch RED ROOMS (26:02), the French-Canadian drama about obsession (among other things) about the trial of a man accused of absolutely horrifying, grisley murders - all captured on video as snuff films (thankfully, the visuals of said snuff films make limited appearances, though the audio doesn't leave much mystery). However, the lead character, Kelly-Anne (Juliette Gariépy) goes down the rabbit hole during the trial, and writer-director Pascal Plante doesn't lay out easy answers for the questions he poses. We were all fascinated, and this made Megan's Top 10 of 2024 list. Over on Patreon, we're joined by Jimmy Stewart to talk about the

Welcome to 2025! Evan is off this week, but Megan and Dave are here to talk about I SAW THE TV GLOW (2:26), writer-director Jane Schoenbrun’s horror-fantasy about Owen (Justice Smith) and Maddy (Brigette Lundy-Paine), two teens obsessed with a TV show called “The Pink Opaque,” with airs on Saturday nights past Owen’s bedtime. This was Megan’s top movie of 2024, so she has lots to say, as does Dave, who found its performances excellent, its look great, and its steeped-in’-90s-culture vibe spot-on. But despite picking up on its trans allegory, Dave was pretty confounded, so he and Megan have a lively talk about it. Then they get to THE SEED OF THE SACRED FIG (24:47), Mohammad Rasoulof's thriller set in Iran in 2022 amid the anti-theocracy protests and the violence that came with them. Iman (Missagh Zareh), a recently-promoted investigating judge, is given a gun - to protect himself and his family - along with his new position. His wife Najmeh (Soheila Golestani) and daughters are actually the main characters, a

It's the end of the year, and that means it's time for our top 10 lists. As members of the Boston Online Film Critics Association, we vote for what we consider the best films of the year (ya know, like critics do). Megan (4:28) goes first, followed by Dave (28:45), and finally Evan (51:51). We have some overlap, but not much! And we have a good time breaking down our reasons for liking the films we do. There are some curveballs, too, which is always fun. Over on Patreon, the results of our Hitchcock for the Holidays poll is a discussion of the 1943 thriller SHADOW OF A DOUBT. It you're a patron, listen to it here.