“The Surfer”: Nicolas Cage & Lorcan Finnegan Dive Into Aussie Surrealism, Retirement, “Madden” & “Spider-Man Noir” [The Discourse Podcast]

Nicolas Cage has been on a tear lately. From standout performances in "Pig," "Dream Scenario," "Longlegs," and "The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent" to now "The Surfer," the Oscar-winner is once again redefining his career with bold, unpredictable choices. Directed by Lorcan Finnegan ("Vivarium," "Nocebo"), "The Surfer" is a sun-bleached fever dream about masculinity, ego, and unraveling identity that veers from the poetic to the primal.In the latest episode of The Discourse, Cage and Finnegan join the show to talk about the emotional depths of their surreal new film, which hits theaters on May 2nd.

Jonathan Tropper has built his career around characters who walk the thin line between flawed humanity and outright chaos, whether in the pulpy B-movie action thrills of "Banshee," the martial arts drama "Warrior," or the family dysfunction of "This Is Where I Leave You." Now, with his latest Apple TV+ series, "Your Friends & Neighbors," Tropper heads to wealthy suburbia, exploring scandal, betrayal, and the hidden dangers lurking behind the facade of a seemingly perfect community. On the Bingeworthy podcast, Tropper joined host Mike DeAngelo to discuss his darkly comedic drama, collaborating with Jon Hamm, the show's thematic ties to classic suburban films, and even his upcoming "Star Wars" project with director Shawn Levy."Your Friends & Neighbors" follows Andrew "Coop" Cooper (Jon Hamm), a hedge fund manager recently disgraced and fired, whose life unravels further after his divorce. Desperate to maintain his lifestyle, Coop turns to robbing the homes of his wealthy neighbors in the affluent Westmont Village—only to discover that the secrets hidden behind these upscale doors may be far more dangerous than he anticipated. The ensemble cast also includes Amanda Peet, Olivia Munn, Hoon Lee, Mark Tallman, and more.

English filmmaker Gareth Evans has made a name for himself with visceral, kinetic action that redefined the genre, particularly with cult classics like "The Raid" and "The Raid 2." With his latest film, "Havoc," the Welsh filmmaker brings his hard-hitting, bloody vision to Netflix, enlisting Tom Hardy for a gritty, bruising descent into a seedy criminal underworld. The film follows a bruised detective (Hardy) who must fight his way through a criminal underworld to rescue a politician’s estranged son while unraveling a deep web of corruption and conspiracy. The film also stars Forest Whitaker, Jessie Mei Li, Luis Guzmán, Timothy Olyphant, Justin Cornwell, and Yoko Miyamoto.In the latest episode of The Discourse, Evans joins the podcast to discuss the long-awaited thriller, how he brought Hardy into his action sandbox, and why he might be warming back up to the idea of returning to the world of "The Raid."

English filmmaker Gareth Evans has made a name for himself with visceral, kinetic action that redefined the genre, particularly with cult classics like "The Raid" and "The Raid 2." With his latest film, "Havoc," the Welsh filmmaker brings his hard-hitting, bloody vision to Netflix, enlisting Tom Hardy for a gritty, bruising descent into a seedy criminal underworld. The film follows a bruised detective (Hardy) who must fight his way through a criminal underworld to rescue a politician’s estranged son while unraveling a deep web of corruption and conspiracy. The film also stars Forest Whitaker, Jessie Mei Li, Luis Guzmán, Timothy Olyphant, Justin Cornwell, and Yoko Miyamoto.In the latest episode of The Discourse, Evans joins the podcast to discuss the long-awaited thriller, how he brought Hardy into his action sandbox, and why he might be warming back up to the idea of returning to the world of "The Raid."

The Rogue Ones: A Star Wars Andor Podcast is back for season two, and so is series creator and showrunner Tony Gilroy. In the first episode of the revived podcast, host Mike DeAngelo and The Playlist’s Editor-In-Chief Rodrigo Perez break down the first three episodes of Andor Season 2 — which hit Disney+ this week — before welcoming Gilroy to reflect on the final season’s big themes, major tonal shift, and what it means to build a revolution brick by brick.Created by Tony Gilroy and starring Diego Luna as Cassian Andor, "Andor" is a prequel to "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" (which Gilroy co-wrote and famously helped reshape during reshoots). Set five years before the events of Rogue One, the show focuses on the origins of the Rebellion and how ordinary people — not just Jedi or Chosen Ones — stand up against oppression. Season two picks up a year later in the first three episodes and jumps one year ahead with each block of three afterwards, leading directly to the beginning of "Rogue One" by the end. (read our review of season two here)

On this episode of Bingeworthy, we’re heading to the grimy, drug-running underworld of “Dope Thief,” a gritty Apple TV+ miniseries based on Dennis Tafoya’s novel, which airs it's finale on Friday, April 25th. The show follows Ray and Manny, two longtime friends and low-level criminals from Philadelphia who impersonate DEA agents to knock over drug stash houses. But when one job unexpectedly exposes a hidden narcotics pipeline along the Eastern Seaboard, their small-time hustle spirals into a life-or-death game of survival and consequence.Brian Tyree Henry stars as Ray, a recovering addict struggling to escape his past while trying to stay one step ahead of increasingly dangerous enemies. Wagner Moura plays Manny, a charming but unpredictable wildcard whose deep bond with Ray is tested by every bad decision they make. The series, written and created by Peter Craig (“The Town,” “The Batman”), also stars Marin Ireland, Nesta Cooper, and Ving Rhames, with executive producer Ridley Scott directing the first episode.

On the latest episode of Bingeworthy, host Mike DeAngelo dives into the violent and dysfunctional criminal underworld of "MobLand," the new hit Paramount+ series that blends London gangster drama with Shakespearean tragedy. The series stars Tom Hardy as Harry Da Souza, a streetwise fixer trying to hold his mob family together as rival clans threaten to tear everything apart. The show also features standout performances from Helen Mirren, Pierce Brosnan, Paddy Considine, and more (read our review here).While the opening scenes showcase Hardy's character executing brutal clean-up jobs with unnerving calm, the show slowly peels back the layers of its characters, revealing deep family wounds, conflicting loyalties, and a criminal hierarchy on the verge of collapse. As Hardy described it, "It may be wrapped up in a gangster genre, but there's a lot more going on… It’s like 'Game of Thrones' in Bermondsey.”

On the latest episode of The Discourse, host Mike DeAngelo welcomes filmmaker Alex Garland and retired Navy SEAL-turned-director Ray Mendoza to discuss their latest co-directed collaboration, 'Warfare'—a harrowing and unflinching war film based on Mendoza’s own real-life experiences in Iraq. The film stars Will Poulter, Joseph Quinn, Cosmo Jarvis, D'Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai, Kit Connor, and Finn Bennett as members of a Navy SEAL unit plunged into a brutal, immersive firefight [read our review here].Set across one intense battle, the film throws audiences into the boots of a SEAL team locked in combat. It’s stripped of cinematic sheen, raw in emotion, and deeply grounded in the lived experience of soldiers in the field. While Garland’s previous film, 'Civil War,' used speculative fiction to examine the horrors of conflict, 'Warfare' pulls from memory, reality, and lived trauma. No plot, just tense, all-out war. 

On the latest episode of The Discourse, host Mike DeAngelo steps into a high-concept, near-future world of moral quandaries and psychological pressure with the sci-fi drama "The Assessment." Directed by Fleur Fortuné and starring Elizabeth Olsen, Alicia Vikander, and Himesh Patel, the film follows a couple evaluated by the government over seven increasingly intense days to determine whether they’re worthy of having a child. Think of a creepy, contained "Children of Men" by way of Ingmar Bergman and Charlie Kaufman.The film recently premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival and hits VOD on April 8th, delivering a minimalist but emotionally potent take on societal control, intimacy, and parenthood. To talk through it all, we sat down with both stars to dig into the emotional challenges of the project, their collaborations with Fortuné, and what kind of psychological strength it takes to survive the film’s titular assessment.

On the latest episode of Bingeworthy, host Mike DeAngelo heads back into Taylor Sheridan territory with the second and final season of “1923”, the Yellowstone prequel that brought new layers of trauma, tragedy, and grit to the Dutton family tree. This time, the fight for legacy grows more urgent as Jacob (Harrison Ford) and Cara (Helen Mirren) hold down the homestead, while Spencer (Brandon Sklenar) races home from across the globe. But some of the most painful blows come from closer to home—especially for Michelle Randolph’s character, Elizabeth, who endures brutal loss and finds herself unexpectedly alone by the series’ final moments.Spoiler alert: we’re diving into the Season 2 finale.Joining the show to reflect on Elizabeth’s powerful final scenes, Michelle Randolph opened up about the emotional and physical toll of the role, the empowering transformation of her character, and how she found strength in the pain in the final episodes.