2026 Summer Box Office Wager

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.

This week, we review Project Hail Mary, the second adaptation of an Andy Weird novel following 2015's The Martian. Teaming up with directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller (The Lego Movie and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse), Ryan Gosling stars as Ryland Grace, a conscripted schoolteacher-turned-astronaut on a mission to save the Earth and its dying sun. There's no denying that Project Hail Mary is the moviegoing event of the year so far, but does it have the craft and performances to elevate it above its crowd-pleasing station? Listen and find out.

The 98th Academy Awards have now come and gone in a largely uncontentious ceremony. We discuss the final awards season showdown between Ryan Coogler's Sinners with its record-breaking nominations and Paul Thomas Anderson's One Battle After Another, along with this year's many deserved — and maybe a few undeserved — wins. We also run down some surprises in the telecast, its beautiful In Memoriam segment, and the Timothée Chalamet of it all.

Everyone's favorite medical drama — The Pitt — is back. A new day in the emergency room brings new challenges for the Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center, and we discuss — with our own in-house medical professional, Dr. Amir Touray — how the new season is progressing, specifically, the first nine episodes. Does The Pitt continue its winning run? Was the first season just lightning in a bottle? Will Dr. Robby survive this season? We talk about it all right before the other shoe drops in the last stretch of episodes.