Secretaries & Secretary

This week Dan and Reegs review I, Swear — the 2025 BAFTA-winning film about John Davidson, the Scotsman with Tourette's syndrome who became an MBE, an advocate, and one of the most compelling biographical subjects in recent cinema.It's just the two of them this episode. There was also a hornet.In this episode:The BAFTA ceremony controversy — what actually happened, why the internet got it wrong, and why the BBC's edit decision was indefensibleJohn Davidson's story from 1983 Galashiels to an MBE at the Palace, in a film that is simultaneously hilarious and devastatingScott Ellis Watson's extraordinary debut performance as young JohnWhy this film works when so many "inspirational" biopics don'tTommy — the elderly caretaker who becomes the father figure John never hadDottie — the woman who simply decided to accept him, no apologies requiredThe drug mule scene ("half price heroin for sale")The library scene — why a man walking quietly through a library might be the best cinematic climax of the yearThe median nerve stimulation device and what it means for people living with Tourette'sThe real John Davidson footage over the credits — including his dog, who may be the most emotionally intelligent character in the whole filmVerdict: Strong recommend. Both dads in tears. Multiple times. Not ashamed.Notes: Adult language throughout. This is a film about Tourette's. That should tell you everything you need to know going in.Films/shows mentioned: I, Swear (2025), Sinners (2025 — Michael B. Jordan's Oscar win referenced)You can now text us anonymously to leave feedback, suggest future content or simply hurl abuse at us. We'll read out any texts we receive on the show. Click here to try it out!We love to hear from our listeners! By which I mean we tolerate it. If it hasn't been completely destroyed yet you can usually find us on twitter @dads_film, on Facebook Bad Dads Film Review, on email at [email protected] or on our website baddadsfilm.com. Until next time, we remain... Bad Dads

This week the dads work late for Steven Shainberg's Secretary (2002) — one of the more unusual love stories in American independent cinema, and almost certainly the most interesting thing James Spader has ever worn a tie for.But first: a very thorough Top Five Secretaries list. Dolly Parton, Mad Men, Ghostbusters, Batman Returns, The Simpsons, Beetlejuice, Moneypenny through all her iterations, and the West Wing. It's a good one.Top Five highlights:Doralee Rhodes (Dolly Parton) from 9 to 5Joan Holloway and Peggy Olson from Mad Men — a deliberate twoferSelina Kyle — Michelle Pfeiffer, one take with the whip, iconicMoneypenny through every era — Lois Maxwell to Naomi HarrisSmithers from The Simpsons — unsalaried, devoted, above and beyondMiss Argentina, the green receptionist in the afterlife from BeetlejuiceDawn/Pam from the UK and US Office — both great, discussed togetherMrs Landingham from The West WingMiss Teschmacher from SupermanOn the main feature:Dan tried to watch it with his family. The first scene resolved that very quickly.A surprisingly thoughtful and sensitive portrayal of BDSM — and why it works where 50 Shades doesn'tMaggie Gyllenhaal and James Spader both doing career-best workAngelo Badalamenti's score — unusual, rhythmically strange, perfectWhether trading one form of self-harm for another is complex, or just complicated, or bothThe three-day chair scene — and why it's the emotional heart of the filmAlso in this episode: a recent Wu-Tang Clan gig (GZA didn't show, QR codes were aggressively promoted), Barcelona, and Sidey's assessment of the Red Hot Chili Peppers.Verdict: Strong recommend. Surprisingly tender. Genuinely unlike anything else.Note: Adult content. Not suitable for family viewing. The dads learned this the hard way.Cast & crew discussed: Maggie Gyllenhaal, James Spader, Angelo Badalamenti, Steven ShainbergYou can now text us anonymously to leave feedback, suggest future content or simply hurl abuse at us. We'll read out any texts we receive on the show. Click here to try it out!We love to hear from our listeners! By which I mean we tolerate it. If it hasn't been completely destroyed yet you can usually find us on twitter @dads_film, on Facebook Bad Dads Film Review, on email at [email protected] or on our website baddadsfilm.com. Until next time, we remain... Bad Dads

This week the dads tackle Paul Verhoeven's infamous erotic thriller — the fourth highest-grossing film of 1992 and quite possibly the most rewound VHS tape in rental shop history. Basic Instinct turns 33 this year, and it's still just as wild as you remember.In this episode:The legendary interrogation scene and the great Wayne Knight sweating debateWhether Sharon Stone knew — and whether Paul Verhoeven is telling the truthNick Curran: the "anti-Columbo" and arguably cinema's least heroic heroWhy Michael Douglas was paid $14 million and Sharon Stone got half a millionVerhoeven's Hitchcock obsession and the Vertigo parallels hiding in plain sightThe ambiguous ending, the ice pick under the bed, and whether the sequel tells us anythingLGBTQ+ representation and the bisexual villain problemThe 2001 collector's edition DVD that came with a replica ice pickSharon Stone's Barbie film pitch, and why it never happenedVerdict: Strong recommend. Ludicrous, overwrought, problematic in places — and still absolutely compelling.Films mentioned: Basic Instinct (1992), Basic Instinct 2 (2006), Vertigo (1958)Cast & crew discussed: Sharon Stone, Michael Douglas, Jeanne Tripplehorn, Wayne Knight, Paul Verhoeven, Jerry GoldsmithYou can now text us anonymously to leave feedback, suggest future content or simply hurl abuse at us. We'll read out any texts we receive on the show. Click here to try it out!We love to hear from our listeners! By which I mean we tolerate it. If it hasn't been completely destroyed yet you can usually find us on twitter @dads_film, on Facebook Bad Dads Film Review, on email at [email protected] or on our website baddadsfilm.com. Until next time, we remain... Bad Dads

 This week Sidey, Dan, and Cris fly solo — Simon's been called to Southampton on urgent business (he was spotted in a pub surrounded by tea cups, so make of that what you will). The dads are reviewing Ballad of a Small Player (2024), the new Netflix film from Edward Berger — the director behind All Quiet on the Western Front and Conclave — starring a very much on-form Colin Farrell. The Film: Colin Farrell plays Lord Doyle, a dissolute British gambler drowning in debt in the casinos of Macau — and if you thought Vegas was the gambling capital of the world, think again. Doyle owes 352,000 Hong Kong dollars to the house, is blagging his way past the front desk in a crumpled cravat, and somehow still looks magnificent. He falls in with a mysterious young woman at the Baccarat tables, and from there the film slides into gorgeous, ambiguous territory — is she real? Is any of this? And does it even matter when the rush of the bet is the only thing that feels true? Themes of addiction, redemption, obsession, and the question of whether you can ever really stop — all wrapped in the stylised, sun-drenched visual language of Macau's casino underworld. The lads give it two words each: "All in" (Dan), "Bizarre but funny" (Cris), and "Strong recommend" (Sidey). Consensus: go watch it. Top Five: Gardens The boys dig into their favourite cinematic, televisual, musical, and gaming gardens. From the gnome in Amélie and David Lynch's suburban lawn horror in Blue Velvet, to the brutal communal fields of Midsommar, Spirited Away's otherworldly beauty, and the garden in Saltburn that had certain members of the pod seeing quite a lot of a particular actor. Wonka's chocolate garden gets a nod, as does Miss Peregrine's hedge-portal to another time. Sidey & Reegs are also going to see Wu-Tang Clan at the O2. Protect ya neck. You can now text us anonymously to leave feedback, suggest future content or simply hurl abuse at us. We'll read out any texts we receive on the show. Click here to try it out!We love to hear from our listeners! By which I mean we tolerate it. If it hasn't been completely destroyed yet you can usually find us on twitter @dads_film, on Facebook Bad Dads Film Review, on email at [email protected] or on our website baddadsfilm.com. Until next time, we remain... Bad Dads

This week's Midweek Mention takes us somewhere unexpectedly moving — Bill Condon's Gods and Monsters (1998), a fictionalized account of the final days of James Whale, the British director who gave the world Frankenstein and Bride of Frankenstein. Sir Ian McKellen is extraordinary as the ageing, ailing Whale — a man whose health is failing, whose memories are fragmenting, and who has grown too tired to pretend he cares about social niceties. Into his life stumbles Clayton Boone (Brendan Fraser, in peak movie-star form), a gardener and former marine who becomes an unlikely companion in Whale's last chapter. What unfolds is a quiet, beautifully lit character study about aging, depression, homosexuality in 1950s Hollywood, and what happens when two very different men decide to be honest with each other. Lynn Redgrave as Hannah the disapproving housekeeper practically steals every scene she's in. There's strip journalism, a gas mask, a Hollywood party with Princess Margaret, and a swimming pool. Whale directed horror. He understood that tragedy works best when it makes you laugh first. Budget: $10M | Box office: ~$6.5M | BBC Films co-production | Premiered at Sundance Verdict: Strong recommend from Sidey and Cris. Dan missed it but is already planning to watch it.You can now text us anonymously to leave feedback, suggest future content or simply hurl abuse at us. We'll read out any texts we receive on the show. Click here to try it out!We love to hear from our listeners! By which I mean we tolerate it. If it hasn't been completely destroyed yet you can usually find us on twitter @dads_film, on Facebook Bad Dads Film Review, on email at [email protected] or on our website baddadsfilm.com. Until next time, we remain... Bad Dads

This week we go fully corporate: Top 5 Corporate & Tech Jargon — the phrases designed to sound like progress while delivering absolutely nothing. We’re talking circle back, take it offline, pivot, blue-sky thinking, synergy, and the whole “results-driven ecosystem” dialect spoken exclusively by people who describe themselves as “thought leaders” on LinkedIn.Then we hit the main feature: Thunderbolts* — Marvel’s surprisingly sincere group-therapy movie disguised as an action film. Think The Breakfast Club, but everyone’s a government assassin and the villain is basically existential depression with god-tier powers.Standard warning: we spoil. A lot. With confidence.What we talked aboutTop 5 Corporate / Techno-babbleWhy corporate language exists: credibility theatre, hiding behind vague phrasing, and “sounding senior” without committing to anything.The difference between useful technical language vs bullshit camouflage (and why “take it offline” can mean “I’m seething”).Techno-babble in movies: Back to the Future’s flux capacitor, Avengers physics word-salad (quantum tunneling, heavy ion fusion, Coulomb barrier), and classic Star Trek “modulate the phase variance” nonsense.The “pivot” moment that sneaks into real life: Friends and the cursed sofa stairwell.Thunderbolts*Why this one lands better than recent Marvel: less quippy noise, more consistent tone, and a third act that’s actually about something.The set-up: a clean-up operation that becomes a trap, plus Marvel’s best “oh, we’re definitely all going to die” elevator pitch.Bob / Sentry / The Void: a superhuman project gone wrong, and a villain that manifests as the darkest version of yourself.The big swing: a finale that avoids sky-portals and CGI armies and instead goes for inner trauma + solidarity (yes, basically an emotional intervention).The asterisk explained: the film’s marketing payoff and the “New Avengers” naming chaos.The rough edges: runtime bloat, plot convenience, and the return of accents that should’ve stayed retired.Bonus life adminWalking football cup semi-final madness (knees sacrificed, glory secured).Random watches: Tarot (not recommended), “Lords of Metal” (unexpectedly wholesome), and a bit of hype for upcoming Peaky Blinders and Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis project.If you’re even slightly Marvel’d-out but still want something that tries to have a heart, Thunderbolts* is one of the more watchable recent entries — and if you’ve ever died inside hearing “let’s circle back,” the Top 5 segment is basically free therapy.You can now text us anonymously to leave feedback, suggest future content or simply hurl abuse at us. We'll read out any texts we receive on the show. Click here to try it out!We love to hear from our listeners! By which I mean we tolerate it. If it hasn't been completely destroyed yet you can usually find us on twitter @dads_film, on Facebook Bad Dads Film Review, on email at [email protected] or on our website baddadsfilm.com. Until next time, we remain... Bad Dads

Bad Dads Film Review goes full courtroom chaos this week with My Cousin Vinny (1992) — the fish-out-of-water legal comedy where two broke New York kids take a wrong turn into the Deep South… and somehow end up charged with murder because of a misunderstanding that starts with a can of tuna.Sidey finally ticks off a long-standing gap (he’d never seen it), and we break down why this film still works: a tight premise, a brilliant “outsider vs small-town system” vibe, and a courtroom structure that’s way smarter than it has any right to be for a broad comedy. Joe Pesci turns up looking like he’s wandered in from Goodfellas in cowboy boots, tries to blag his way through Alabama procedure, and gets repeatedly threatened with contempt by an all-time stern judge (Fred Gwynne, aka Herman Munster).What we talked aboutThe opening setup: poverty-tour Americana, the road trip, and the tuna “crime of the century” that accidentally feeds the tension.Mistaken confession comedy: how the boys basically incriminate themselves… for the wrong offence.Vinny’s legal “credentials”: six tries at the bar, no trial experience, and a running battle with courtroom etiquette (“judge” vs “your honour”, the suit, the procedure handbook).The judge dynamic: why Fred Gwynne is the perfect straight man and how the contempt/lock-up beats become a recurring gag.Mona Lisa Vito (Marisa Tomei): the film’s secret weapon — and why her role isn’t just “girlfriend”, she’s the brain that solves the case.Courtroom mechanics: cross-exams, witness deconstruction, and why parts of this film get referenced in law-school conversations as a simple example of dismantling testimony.The car/tire evidence: the key pivot from “they’re screwed” to “hang on…” and the satisfying payoff when the story flips.Does it hold up? Runtime bloat (two hours is generous for this kind of comedy), how a lot of the plot collapses in the internet era, and why it’s surprisingly not as offensively “of its time” as plenty of early-90s comedies.The Oscar chat: why Tomei winning Best Supporting Actress felt weird for a comedy… and whether it was actually deserved.Standard warning: we spoil the beats as we go, because that’s the whole fun of a courtroom film.If you want a movie that’s basically “competence porn disguised as a daft comedy” — where the final win is earned by actual reasoning rather than magic — this one’s worth your time. (And yes: Tomei still, somehow, only gets more powerful with age.)Streaming note from the episode: available on Disney+.You can now text us anonymously to leave feedback, suggest future content or simply hurl abuse at us. We'll read out any texts we receive on the show. Click here to try it out!We love to hear from our listeners! By which I mean we tolerate it. If it hasn't been completely destroyed yet you can usually find us on twitter @dads_film, on Facebook Bad Dads Film Review, on email at [email protected] or on our website baddadsfilm.com. Until next time, we remain... Bad Dads

Bad Dads Film Review heads to the Italian Riviera this week for The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999) — a sun-drenched, jazz-soaked psychological thriller where gorgeous people do terrible things, and the worst person in the room still somehow isn’t the guy committing the murders.We follow Tom Ripley (Matt Damon), a small-time grifter with big social ambitions, who’s handed a golden ticket: travel to Italy and convince trust-fund prince Dickie Greenleaf (prime Jude Law, unfairly beautiful) to come home. Tom doesn’t just want Dickie’s friendship — he wants Dickie’s life. And once he’s tasted that world of money, effortless charm, and endless leisure, he’s willing to do whatever it takes to stay in it.What we talked about“Great Gatsby, but murderous”: Tom as the outsider who doesn’t just observe the rich — he tries to become them (and wear their face if needed).The grift mechanics: the Princeton jacket con, the “research” phase, practicing mannerisms and music tastes, and how the film turns impersonation into a craft.The seduction of wealth: why you’re weirdly happy to watch Tom infiltrate a circle of vapid, obscenely privileged characters.Obsession and desire: the homoerotic undertones, Tom’s fixation on Dickie, and how the film frames identity as something you can steal… if you’re ruthless enough.Set-piece escalation: the boat trip and the brutal turning point; the forged signatures, dual hotel check-ins, staged evidence, and the constant “one more lie to cover the last lie” tension.Freddy as the threat (Philip Seymour Hoffman): the first person with enough real-world instincts to sniff out “new money” fraud — and what happens when he pushes it.The ending sting: Tom “gets away with it”… but the price is isolation, paranoia, and the realization that the spoils aren’t worth much when you can’t live as yourself.Aging and attitudes: how the film plays in 2026 — including a chat about whether some of the sexuality/“homosexual as threat” framing feels dated.Plus: we somehow opened with a Top 5 Mats segment that should not work… and absolutely does.Standard Bad Dads warning: spoilers throughout, strong language, and the kind of moral compass that’s been left outside on a bath mat since the Blair government.You can now text us anonymously to leave feedback, suggest future content or simply hurl abuse at us. We'll read out any texts we receive on the show. Click here to try it out!We love to hear from our listeners! By which I mean we tolerate it. If it hasn't been completely destroyed yet you can usually find us on twitter @dads_film, on Facebook Bad Dads Film Review, on email at [email protected] or on our website baddadsfilm.com. Until next time, we remain... Bad Dads

The premise (simple, but the film isn’t): A privileged but messy NYC teenager, Lisa (Anna Paquin), causes a moment of distraction that leads to a bus hitting and killing a woman (Allison Janney). In the immediate aftermath she lies to the police—claiming the light was green—helping the driver (Mark Ruffalo) avoid consequences. The rest of the film is Lisa spiralling through guilt, grief, anger, and a need to “make it right,” while the city and everyone around her keep moving.What we talked about:Peak New York energy: classrooms full of political debate, constant noise, constant arguing, constant opinion. It feels like a movie made by New York about New York.The accident scene is brutal and effective: the sound design, the “oh God she’s under the bus—no she isn’t” reveal, the shock of the detached leg detail.Lisa as a catalyst/chaos engine: she’s manipulative early (cheating, playing people), then becomes obsessive—fixated on getting the driver off the road.Adults failing her, repeatedly:Her mum is emotionally absent (Broadway ambitions, new relationship), and the mother–daughter conflict goes nuclear (including a shocking insult).The system shrugs: the driver is exonerated, and later the legal route becomes a cold negotiation rather than “justice.”The legal thread: the case can only move via next-of-kin dynamics; settlement money becomes the lever; but discipline for Ruffalo’s driver is off the table because it implies guilt.Matt Damon “week” irony: Damon is barely in it—yet appears in the trailer—making the pick feel like a forced “hipster” choice.The uncomfortable Damon subplot: a teacher boundary-crossing storyline that lands badly and makes the film feel grimier, not deeper.Performances / cast notes: Big ensemble, lots of “oh wow, they’re in this” energy: Paquin carries it; Ruffalo is an outright asshole; Allison Janney’s presence is seismic even with limited time; plus Jean Reno, Matthew Broderick, and more orbiting the core. Pacing / vibe: Overlong, heavy, and (for us) pretentious rather than profound—with the most compelling parts being the accident’s immediacy and the moral rot that follows. Theatrical cut runs about 149 minutes, with a longer 186-minute extended cut also out there. Verdict from us: Lukewarm-to-negative recommend. Strong craft and acting in places, but frustratingly long, emotionally abrasive, and not remotely worth it as a “Matt Damon week” entry.You can now text us anonymously to leave feedback, suggest future content or simply hurl abuse at us. We'll read out any texts we receive on the show. Click here to try it out!We love to hear from our listeners! By which I mean we tolerate it. If it hasn't been completely destroyed yet you can usually find us on twitter @dads_film, on Facebook Bad Dads Film Review, on email at [email protected] or on our website baddadsfilm.com. Until next time, we remain... Bad Dads

This week’s pick is Train Dreams: a quiet, meditative Netflix drama adapted from Denis Johnson’s novella, following the life of Robert Grainer (Joel Edgerton) — a logger and railroad worker drifting through early 20th-century America. It’s the kind of film that feels like a memory: sparse dialogue, heavy atmosphere, and a sense of time moving faster than any one person can keep up with.The opening sets the tone immediately: rail tracks, a tunnel, Will Patton’s voiceover, and an image that pays off later — boots nailed to a tree, slowly swallowed by nature. From there it’s a whole life in fragments: brutal work camps, quiet domestic joy, sudden violence, and the long, haunted aftermath of loss.What we talked aboutA “Western” that isn’t really a Western — frontier vibes at first, then you realise you’re watching the world modernise around one man who can’t.Work as a lifetime trap: logging season, railroad labour, the “build it for someone else” feeling, and the way corporations just roll on regardless.The Chinese labour thread and the early sequence where a Chinese worker is taken and thrown from the bridge — and how that moment sits with Grainer for decades.William H. Macy as the old explosives guy: funny, weary, and then brutally, pointlessly lost.The wildfire: Grainer racing home, the cabin gone, wife and daughter gone off-screen — and the film refusing to give closure, so you feel the same unresolved grief he does.The recurring motif of time erasing everything: the boots, the forest reclaiming, bridges made obsolete, progress moving on without sentiment.The late-film whiplash into modernity: Grainer seeing spaceflight on a shop-window TV, then taking a plane ride — an old man briefly touching the future.Nick Cave over the end credits, and how the score and natural lighting carry the whole thing.VerdictA beautifully shot, melancholy life-story film: quiet, heavy, and surprisingly moving. Joel Edgerton is superb, and the movie’s best trick is making the audience feel the scale of time — and the smallness of one person inside it.Strong recommend, especially if you’re in the mood for something reflective rather than plot-driven.You can now text us anonymously to leave feedback, suggest future content or simply hurl abuse at us. We'll read out any texts we receive on the show. Click here to try it out!We love to hear from our listeners! By which I mean we tolerate it. If it hasn't been completely destroyed yet you can usually find us on twitter @dads_film, on Facebook Bad Dads Film Review, on email at [email protected] or on our website baddadsfilm.com. Until next time, we remain... Bad Dads