Spoilerpiece Theatre

This week, Evan and Megan discuss ELEANOR THE GREAT (3:14), Scarlett Johansson's directorial debut starring June Squibb as a 94-year-old Jewish woman who's grieving, tells a lie that spirals beyond her control, and befriends a college student (Erin Kellyman). The great performances anchor the film. Then we all (Dave, Evan, and Megan) talk about DEAD OF WINTER (24:21), Brian Kirk's action thriller starring Emma Thompson as a woman travelling solo in the woods who discovers a kidnapped teen and must contend with the kidnappers. We had divergent opinions on the film, but we all agree Judy Greer is fantastic as a desperate and ruthless villain. And on our Patreon bonus episode, we converse about the Robert Redford movie poll winner: the 1992 comedy-caper SNEAKERS!

You know, if you're gonna call your movie A BIG, BOLD, BEAUTIFUL JOURNEY (2:42), your movie better big, bold, and motherfucking beautiful. So is Kogonada's latest big? Bold? Beautiful? Megan and Dave let you know! Does it stand up to COLUMBUS and AFTER YANG? Then Evan joins in for a discussion of NIGHT OF THE REAPER (30:20), a slasher set in the '80s with a twist. Does it work? Does it make one of us angry? And is there a great exploding head gag? Over on Patreon, we watched the 2025 comedy-thriller BORDERLINE.

We have three movies on the show this week, starting with THE LONG WALK (2:59), which Megan saw. It's violent. It has a dose of scatology. It has a different ending from the Stephen King/Richard Bachman book. Judy Greer is great in it. But did Megan like it? Then Megan and Evan talk HIGHEST 2 LOWEST (17:26), the latest Spike Lee joint, starring Denzel Washington. Then Dave joins Megan and Evan for OR SOMETHING (39:12), a short walking-and-talking drama with comedic elements that we all had different reactions to. Over on Patreon, we talk about CLEARCUT, starring the late Graham Greene.

Evan is off this week, so Megan regales Dave with a tale so strange, we thought we'd never hear it on Spoilerpiece: Jai Courtey is excellent in DANGEROUS ANIMALS (2:31). Who knew? He's a serial killer who loves sharks! Then they caught up with Darren Aronofsky's CAUGHT STEALING (7:30), which is not the movie either Megan or Dave signed up for (it's Aronofsky; they should have known), but they really enjoyed it nonetheless. They round things out with Jay Duplass's THE BALTIMORONS (29:26), which they hated until they loved. Over on Patreon, we celebrate Terence Stamp by watching LINK (1986).

This week Megan and Evan took in director Rachel Abigail Holder's romantic drama LOVE, BROOKLYN (2:00), starring André Holland, Nicole Beharie, and DeWanda Wise. Short version: They liked it, with Megan revisiting it after seeing it at Sundance earlier this year. Next, Dave joins them for A LITTLE PRAYER (28:09), a quiet and understated Southern family drama from writer-director Angus MacLachlan, starring David Strathairn, Jane Lavy, and Celia Weston. Two of the three of us thought it was really well done, and one of us had hoped to like it more than they did. Such is life. Over on Patreon, we talk about Robert Altman's M*A*S*H, which turns 55 this year.

This week we all watched the Chris Columbis-directed THE THURSDAY MURDER CLUB (working title: Olds Detect), a comedy-drama about four friends (Helen Mirren, Pierce Brosnan, Ben Kingsley, and Celia Imrie), residents of an assisted living facility, who solve cold cases. That is, until a very real and current case lands in their laps when the facility's co-owners end up dead just as they plan to tear up the facility and force the residents out. We had mixed reactions to this one, but at least two Spoilerpiecers liked it more than the third (guess how that shakes out?). Then there's LURKER, writer-director Alex Russell's fresh take on celebrity culture and the depths to we which we mere mortals will sink to find it and stay in it. There's a powerful performance by Théodore Pellerin as an amoral creep clinging to an up and coming pop star played by Archie Madekwe. We had different reactions to this one, too, coming out, again, two to one in favor. And over on Patreon, we watched the 1958 melodrama THE LONG, HOT SUMMER, starring Paul Newman, Joanne Woodward, and Orson Welles.

Evan is off this week, so Megan and Dave are joined by The Lady Wan of ScreenRun. They talk about the ghost story WENT UP THE HILL (5:03), starring Vicky Krieps and Dacre Montgomery, about a widow mourning her wife's recent death, and the wife's long-lost son who arrives for the funeral. Is this ghost benevolent or not so benevolent? Then they talk about NIGHT ALWAYS COMES (35:08), a new Netflix thriller starring Vanessa Kirby as Lynette, a woman trying to purchase her mother's home so she and her mother and brother don't end up homeless, and all the terrible crap that happens as Lynette becomes more desperate to find the down payment. (Jennifer Jason Lee is the mother. The bad mother.) We all had strong opinions about this one. Over on Patreon, we talk about Wes Craven's 1977 film THE HILLS HAVE EYES.

This week Dave watched writer-director Zach Cregger's latest, WEAPONS (1:45). After not being enamored of, but not disliking, BARBARIAN, Cregger's previous feature, Dave's expectations were low-ish. But now having seen this nasty, gnarly, anti-fascist screed dressed up as a horror movie, WEAPONS is likely going on his 2025 top ten list. If you can handle the legitimate scares (and blood and guts), it's a must-watch. Then Megan and Evan talk about MY MOTHER'S WEDDING (20:26), Kristin Scott Thomas' directorial debut, which she also co-wrote and stars in, along with Scarlett Johansson, Sienna Miller, and Emily Beechem as her daughters. Short version: Megan and Evan are not fans, finding it full of odd choices, drama that isn't warranted, and kink shaming played for laughs. (Buckle up, peeps.) Over on Patreon, we talk about Hayao Miyazaki's SPIRITED AWAY.

Dave can't make it this week, so we (Megan and Evan) fly duo. Megan kicks things off by reviewing Michael Shanks's horror film TOGETHER (2:31), starring real-life couple Dave Franco and Alison Brie. It doesn't conclude quite as effectively as she hoped, but it still features some gnarly body horror and has something powerful to say about codependency. Next, we both discuss Kelsey Taylor's drama TO KILL A WOLF (20:12), a compelling modern take on the Little Red Riding Hood tale, which we love for its excellent performances, textured characters, and beautiful cinematography that celebrates the Pacific Northwest. After that, we cover Nick Rowland's crime thriller, SHE RIDES SHOTGUN (45:57), which stars Taron Egerton as a live-wire ex-con who must train his daughter to defend herself against the Neo-Nazis trying to hunt them down. It's violent, it's intense, and it kept us on the edge of our seats until its explosive climax. Lastly, in this week's Patreon exclusive audio, we talk about Tarem Singh's 2006 storytelling epic, THE FALL, starring Lee Pace!

This week Megan took in the latest movie featuring Pedro Pascal looking comfortable in any setting: THE FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS (2:18). Evan and Dave watched the dark comedy OH, HI (16:37) with Molly Gordon and Logan Lerman, and all three of them saw HOUSE ON EDEN (43:33), a found-footage horror movie written, directed by, and starring Kris Collins, and co-starring Celina Myers.

Evan sat in on legacy sequel I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER (2:37) and fills Megan and Dave in on whether it's good, bad (or ugly), or in between. Then Megan and Evan talk about queer romance UNICORNS (20:25), and all three of them get down to brass tacks on DANIELA FOREVER (40:38), a film that smacks of RUBY SPARKS, ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND, and TRULY, MADLY, DEEPLY, to name a few, and not in a good way. Over on Patreon, we talk about the 1997 I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER.

It's that time, gang! James Gunn's SUPERMAN is finally here, and Evan and Megan saw it. Is it good? Is it an origin story? Is it better than SUPERMAN IV: THE QUEST FOR PEACE? Do they like the dog? Does David Corenswet hold his own against Christopher Reeve's legacy? Evan and Megan have lots to say, and they also have some observations about Richard Donner's SUPERMAN (1978) and Richard Lester's SUPERMAN II (1980). Then Dave joins Evan and Megan for BRICK, a German thriller about a mysterious brick wall that appears in the night and strands a grieving young couple inside their apartment building, where they're eventually joined by Airbnbers, an old, his grandaughter, and a conspiracy theorist. There are a lot of tropes (and charitably, homages) and we break them all down. Over on Patreon, we watched the 1992 Val Kilmer film THUNDERHEART.

Megan and Dave are a duo again this week (Evan returns next week!), and they tackle SWEET RELIEF (2:57), a movie being marketed as "mumblegore." Like mumblecore! (Get it?) What did we think? Here's the short version: Could have used a lot more gore and a lot less mumble. And then Megan and Dave move on to SORRY, BABY (23:48), Eva Victor's debut as writer-director. And here's the CliffsNotes on it: Best movie of 2025 thus far. No hyperbole. Both of us were moved to tears more than once. Its performances, pacing, and storytelling are all top-notch, and Victor, while giving a great performance themself, gets superior work from the entire cast. It's not to be missed. Over on Patreon, we talk about our June poll winner, Gregg Araki's MYSTERIOUS SKIN.

On this week's episode, Megan talks about M3GAN 2.0 (2:58), the sci-fi action sequel which sees the return of the murderous robotic doll, directed by Gerard Johnstone and starring Allison Williams, Violet McGraw, and Jenna Davis. Flawed yet intermittently fun, it's inferior to the sharply crafted and delightful original horror film. Then, Megan talks about RENT FREE (17:17), Fernando Andrés's indie comedy about two queer best friends (Jacob Roberts, David Treviño) attempting to live for a year without paying rent in Austin, Texas. Lastly, Dave and Megan discuss MY MOM JAYNE (29:01), Mariska Hargitay's emotional documentary about her mother, actress and icon Jayne Mansfield, as she explores her grief, delves into her mother's life, and reconciles her mother's image and legacy. It's a compelling and vulnerable film that we both recommend. And on our Patreon bonus episode, we discuss 1986 sci-fi thriller THE MANHATTAN PROJECT, starring John Lithgow, Christopher Collet, and Cynthia Nixon!

Evan is off this week, so it's Dave and Megan as a duo. First, Megan discusses THE QUEEN OF MY DREAMS (1:42), Fawzia Mirza's comedy-drama about a Bollywood-loving queer Pakistani-Canadian woman (Amrit Kaur) navigating her complicated relationship with her mother (Nimra Bucha) after a tragedy. It's a lovely film with great performances, vibrant costumes and production design, and a clever narrative structure. Then, Dave delves into 28 YEARS LATER (12:27), the long-awaited third film in the zombie-esque horror series. Directed by Danny Boyle and written by Alex Garland, it stars Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and Ralph Fiennes. Following a group of survivors on an island, does it live up to the iconic first film? Dave has lots of intense feelings about this one. Finally, Dave and Megan talk about ELIO (38:20), Pixar's animated sci-fi adventure written and directed by Adrian Molina, Domee Shi, and Madeline Sharafian. It follows Elio (Yonas Kibreab), a space-loving boy living with his aunt Olga (Zoe Saldaña), who gets his wish when aliens abduct him. One of us was delighted by the adorably sweet, wonderfully weird film. But it just didn't work for one of us. And on our Patreon bonus episode, we dive into 28 DAYS LATER (2002) and 28 WEEKS LATER (2007)!

This week, Megan took in THE MATERIALISTS, written and directed by Celine Song. Don't be fooled by the poster: It's not a romcom (though it does have some of those elements); it's much more than that. Megan really loved it. Then Evan and Dave joined her for BEST WISHES TO ALL, a bizarro Japanese horror film about what one family does to maintain it happiness, and whether one of the family members will accept the horrifying realities of that choice or reject them. Then they watched ECHO VALLEY, a thriller in which widowed horsewoman Julianne Moore's junkie daughter Sydney Sweeney makes Moore's already difficult life much, much worse when she shows up with a dead body in her car. Over on Patreon, we watched the 1985 this-kid-is-a-robot! comedy-drama D.A.R.Y.L.

This week Dave braved writer-director Mike Flanagan's adaption of Stephen King's THE LIFE OF CHUCK (3:19) and deems it strangely affecting despite not being in love, generally, with the weird maudlin nostalgia of King's non-horror work. Then Megan, Evan, and Dave weigh in on (this is actually its full title) FROM THE WORLD OF JOHN WICK: BALLERINA (20:47). It largely works for Evan, kind of works for Dave, and Megan didn't like it much at all, though they all agree it has some great action set pieces and it's always good to see the late Lance Reddick. Over on Patreon, we discuss the 1985 slasher-legal thriller JAGGED EDGE.

Megan is off this week, so Evan and Dave tackle LOST IN STARLIGHT (2:14), an animated romantic sci-fi drama about a dedicated scientist determined to go to space - but she meets the love of her life just before her departure. Then it's TORNADO (19:13). Set in the 1860s Scottish highlands, it's part western, part Samurai film, part heist flick, and all killin'. Over on Patreon, our second May poll movie is FRACTURE (2007) starring Anthony Hopkins and Ryan Gosling.

This week, Dave and Megan talk about FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH (2:47), Guy Ritchie's incredibly derivative and frustrating adventure film, starring John Krasinski and Natalie Portman as siblings on a globe-trotting trek for (you guessed it) the mythical Fountain of Youth. Then, we all (Evan, Dave, and Megan) discuss FEAR STREET: PROM QUEEN (29:21), a slasher horror film and the latest entry in the franchise based on the R.L. Stine novel. Directed by Matt Palmer and starring India Fowler, Suzanna Son, and Fina Strazza, it follows high school prom queen finalists dying one by one. One of us had a lot of fun, but two of us were disappointed. Yet we all agree on some of the good performances and the excellent 80s soundtrack. And on this week's Patreon bonus episode, we cover the winner of our sci-fi horror poll: James Ward Byrkit's 2013 film, COHERENCE!

This week Megan and Evan watched SISTER MIDNIGHT and Evan, Megan, and Dave watched THE OLD WOMAN WITH THE KNIFE. On Patreon we watched WITNESS (1985). More to come!