"Backrooms"

Kenji Tanigaki's The Furious took TIFF by storm last year, and now, it's finally here. This week, we review this martial arts extravaganza and discuss its comparisons — justly or unjustly — to The Raid and The Raid 2. However, one thing is for sure: The Furious is one of the best action movies of the last decade, coming close to just reinventing the entire visual language of the action movies we love.

This week we are reviewing Apple TV's summer sensation, Widow's Bay, a horror comedy set in a "cursed" New England hamlet. Starring Matthew Rhys, Stephen Root, Kate O'Flynn, Dale Dickey, and Kevin Carroll, the series blends dry workplace humor with Stephen King-esque frights. With sea hags, crawlspace clowns, and a desperate mayor's office, Widow's Bay finds its unique brand propelling itself into the number one show on Apple TV. We discuss its bracing first season, its incredible performances, and its unlikely provenance from the mind of a former Parks & Recreation writer.

This week, we herald the return of Steven Spielberg and one more foray into the alien sci-fi genre with Disclosure Day. Those expecting blockbuster thrills might be a little thrown to instead receive a talky, late-style plea for empathy and the transformative power of truth. The question, however, is if it's too late. We discuss Spielberg, his recent oeuvre, and the million things he has on his mind with Disclosure Day.

This week, we review this summer's OTHER horror movie phenomenon: 20-year-old filmmaker Kane Parsons' Backrooms. Based off a viral 2022 YouTube series depicting the exploration of the titular liminal space, Backrooms adapts the creepypasta into full-blown Hollywood spectacle. As the great YouTuber-to-filmmaker war of 2026 draws to a close, we crown a victor in the arena of Obsession vs. Backrooms.

This week, we review Boots Riley's sophomore feature, I Love Boosters, an absurdist comedy skewering capitalist rot at the center of the fashion industry. An enthusiastic reflection of Riley's own politics, I Love Boosters features an infectious display of surrealist humor, eye-popping visuals, and labor-of-love practical effects; but is it enough to cover its everything-and-the-kitchen-sink approach? We discuss the movie, go on a Star Wars tangent, and give an update on our Summer Box Office Wager.

This week, we review the horror sensation of the summer, Curry Barker's sleeper hit: Obsession. A graduate of the sketch comedy to cinema pipeline, Barker shares much of his pedigree with other breakout filmmakers such as Zach Cregger, the Philippou Brothers, and Chris Stuckmann, but does he have what it takes to break out of the habits of his contemporaries? We talk about Obsession's streamlined power, its wild turns, and the film's undeniable superstar: Inde Navarette.

Mortal Kombat gets a second chance as the sequel to 2021's forgotten pandemic-era reboot attempts to right the wrongs of its predecessor. For one, thing, this Mortal Kombat actually has Mortal Kombat in it. We discuss the history of the franchise, the ills of the first film, and our split-down-the-middle opinion of the new sequel. Do we have another good video game adaptation in the books? Or is this one another one to chuck into the acid pits?

Clearly unmotivated by our Summer Box Office Wager episode and totally unbiased, this week we review The Devil Wears Prada 2. Reuniting its director and cast 20 years later once again at Runway Magazine, this much-anticipated sequel hit the ground running a week ago, but does it fall victim to your typical legacy sequel traps? What do Hannibal Lecter, clickbait, and the current media hellscape have to do with The Devil Wears Prada 2? Find out by tuning in.

After failing to dethrone Amir for three years running, Derek and Jeff will attempt again to take the crown of box office champ in our annual wager. Once again, the pod comes together to pick their top 10 lists of the biggest movies of the summer. Tune in as we predict the winners, losers, and wild cards of the season.

This week, we review director Kristoffer Borgli's latest film, The Drama. A romantic dramedy that finds a devastating secret upending a young couple's upcoming nuptials, this Robert Pattinson and Zendaya vehicle navigates a complicated landscape of forgiveness, empathy, and the performance of compassion — not to mention, it's funny as hell.