Cinema in Context

Steven Spielberg films. Sarah Watt, Jeremy Downing and William Chen discuss Disclosure Day (2026) and Minority Report (2002), two Science Fiction films directed by cinema great Steven Spielberg. Our conversation begin by unpacking our reactions to and judgements of Disclosure Day, including how the film connects to or doesn't connect to the real-world pressures of today. We praise the performances of Eve Hewson and Emily Blunt, with mixed reactions to Josh O'Connor, Wyatt Russell and Coleman Domingo. We discuss the ineptitude from the super agents in both films. Our conversation moves to Minority Report and praise the performances of Colin Farrell, Samantha Morton, Max von Sydow, Time Blake Nelson, Peter Stormare and, of course, Tom Cruise. We discuss the cinematography of both films, the work of Janusz Kaminski. We make the connection between Steven Spielberg's later work and the careers of Francis Ford Coppola and Martin Scorsese.

Movies that made Sophie. Jeremy Downing and returning guest to the podcast Sophie Gray discuss the most significant films in Sophie's life in our series of Movies That Made Us. We talk about our mutual love of storytelling, our experiences of film fandom as teenagers, and then jump into our discussion of specific movies. Sophie brings up a range of films, including Singin' in the Rain (1952), School of Rock (2003), Pulp Fiction (1994), Snatch (2000), Once Upn a Time... In Hollywood (2019), Inglourious Basterds (2009), The Hateful Eight (2015), Django Unchained (2012), Legally Blonde (2001), Toy Story 2 (1999), Promising Young Woman (2020), Parasite (2019) and Amélie (2001).

Drew Goddard solo space flicks. Sarah Watt, Jeremy Downing and William Chen discuss Project Hail Mary (2026) and The Martian (2015). We begin by celebrating the ten-year anniversary of the podcast. We discuss our reactions to both films, from directors Ridley Scott, and Phil Lord and Christopher Miller. We discuss the calibre of the cast in The Martian and the strength of Ryan Gosling's and Matt Damon's performances. We talk about the special effects and how the two films create a sense of zero-gravity in space. We close with our final thoughts, especially our experiences watching the films in the theatre and connections to other films... our typical schtick.

Classic stories retold. Sarah Watt, Jeremy Downing and William Chen discuss Wuthering Heights (2026) and Romeo + Juliet (1996). Emerald Fennell's adaptation of Emily Brontë's Wuthering Heights and Baz Luhrmann's adaptation of William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet provide us with a wealth of points to talk about. We begin by discussing our reactions to 1996's Romeo + Juliet. We talk about the presence of this adaptation in high school classrooms, our initial reactions to the film both back in the day and now, and the high energy editing, acting and production elements. We break down the performances of Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes as the titular Romeo and Juliet, as well as praising the performances of John Leguizamo, Harold Perrineau, Pete Postlewaite, Paul Sorvino, Paul Rudd, Diane Verona and even Annette Bening. We discuss our reactions to Wuthering Heights, starting with our knowledge of the book (which none of us have read) and our expectations of Emerald Fennell's after our experiences watching Promising Young Woman (2020) and Saltburn (2023). We talk about the casting and performances of Margot Robbie, Jacob Elordi, Hong Chau, Alison Oliver, Martin Clunes and Shazad Latif. We each had different enjoyment levels of Wuthering Heights and each bring our reactions to the table.

Thrillers with an insidious carer at the centre. Sarah Watt, Jeremy Downing and William Chen discuss Send Help (2026) and Misery (1990). We begin by discussing our shared experience of watching Send Help and praising the performances of Rachel McAdams as Linda Liddle and Dylan O'Brien as Bradley Preston. Our conversation jumps between Send Help and Misery, equally praising the performances of Kathy Bates as Annie Wilkes and James Caan as Paul Sheldon. The work of Rob Reiner and Sam Raimi as directors is a key part of our enthusiasm, and we compare the films to various other movies, including: Cast Away (2000), Triangle of Sadness (2022), Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022), Oz the Great and Powerful (2013), The Shining (1980), Lord of the Flies (1963), The Straight Story (1999) and Elf (2003).

Rian Johnson films. Sarah Watt, Jeremy Downing and William Chen discuss Wake Up Dead Man (2025), the latest in the Knives Out series, and Rian Johnson's first film Brick (2005). We begin by discussing our experiences watching Brick back in 2005 and 2006. This moves into us discussing a number of Rian Johnson's films, ending with Wake Up Dead Man. We discuss the range of actors in Wake Up Dead Man, including the accuracy of their casting, the bravado of their performances and whether they had enough to do. Our discussion weaves between the two films and talk about the technical elements and how Johnson and his team have crafted the tension, plot contrivances and semiotics.

The best of the year. Sarah Watt, Jeremy Downing and William Chen discuss their film and television highlights of the year, including their biggest surprise, biggest disappointment, classic revisted, best television and best films of 2025. Here are the films and television shows we discussed: • Biggest surprise of the year: Ne Zha 2 (William); The Last Showgirl (Sarah); Final Destination: Bloodlines (Jeremy) Biggest disappointment of the year: After the Hunt (Sarah); Sinners (William) - with disappointed shout outs to Den of Thieves: Pantera and The Accountant 2; The Brutalist (Jeremy) • Classic revisited: Picnic at Hanging Rock (1975) [Jeremy] - with a shout out to All That Jazz (1979); Tron (1982) and The Little Mermaid (1989) [William]; Scarface (1983) [Sarah] - with shout outs to Pretty Woman (1990) and Final Destination (2000) • Best television: The Pitt, Season 1 (Sarah); Andor, Season 2 (William); The White Lotus, Season 3 (Jeremy) - with shout outs to The Celebrity Traitors, The Gilded Age, Severance, Squid Games, Stranger Things, Heated Rivalry, Boots and Pluribus • Runner-ups to the film of the year: Frankenstein, The House Within and Conclave (Sarah); 28 Years Later, Sonic the Hedgehog 3 and Anora (William); Final Destination: Bloodlines and Anora (Jeremy) • Best film of the year: 28 Years Later (Sarah); F1: The Movie (William); One Battle After Another (Jeremy)

1987 and 2025 versions of The Runninng Man. Sarah Watt, Jeremy Downing and William Chen discuss The Running Man (2025) and The Running Man (1987), adaptations of the Richard Bachman aka Stephen King novel of the same name. We begin with our initial reactions to the new film, recorded immediately after watching the preview screening together. The conversation moves to the original adaptation from 1987 - we generally praise the fun-factor in the film. We move between the two films and consider the strengths and weaknesses, linking back to the Stephen King novel throughout.

Paul Thomas Anderson films. Sarah Watt, Jeremy Downing and William Chen discuss One Battle After Another (2025) and Punch Drunk Love (2002), both directed by PTA. Out conversation begins by comparing the villains in both films, played by Sean Penn and Philip Seymour Hoffman, respectively. We talk about the confident performances of Adam Sandler and Emily Watson in Punch Drunk Love. We praise the work of Leonardo DiCaprio in One Battle After Another and discuss our other highlights from the film. We also praise the performances of Chase Infiniti and Teyana Taylor. We make connections to the films Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Children of Men, Heat and The Dark Knight; the work of David Lynch, The Coen Brothers, Quentin Tarantino and Spike Jonze; and the Western genre.

Girl power demon slayers. Jeremy Downing and William Chen discuss KPop Demon Hunters (2025) and Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1992). William and Jeremy also watched the Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997-2003) television series episode "Hush" (Season 4, Episode 10), as well as reference "Doppelgangland" (Season 3, Episode 16) and the musical episode "Once More With Feeling" (Season 6, Episode 7). The conversation begins by discussing connections to the Buffy the Vampire Slayer universe, with William's first foray into the world in preparation for this episode and Jeremy's fandom being put to the test by watching the film for the first time. Both are critical in their experience of watching the Buffy the Vampire Slayer film. Discussion moves to KPop Demon Hunters and highlight how it is a film of its time, hitting a nerve with the public and confidently stepping into the combined cultural consciousness. The conversation moves into a comparison between the work that Sony is doing with animated films and Disney Animation Studios.

Zach Cregger films. Sarah Watt, Jeremy Downing and William Chen discuss Weapons (2025) and Barbarian (2022). Our conversation begins with our experiences watching Barbarian for the first time and it quickly weaves into our reactions to watching Zach Cregger's latest film Barbarian. We make connections between the films and with Heretic (2024), Longlegs (2024), The Shining (1980), Carnivàle (2003-2005), Magnolia (1999), Prisoners (2013), and No Country For Old Men (2007). We praise the work of Georgina Campbell, Bill Skarsgård and Justin Long in Barbarian, and Julia Garner, Josh Brolin, Benadict Wong, Alden Ehrenreich, Toby Huss and Amy Madigan in Weapons.

1978 and 2025. Sarah Watt, Jeremy Downing and William Chen discuss Superman (1978) and Superman (2025). Our conversation begins with our reactions to 1978's Superman, directed by Richard Donner, with most of the podcast watching the film for the first time in preparation for the podcast recording. We talk about the score from John Williams and how it connects to his other great scores from the 1970s and 80s. We praise the merits of the original film, especially Christopher Reeve as Superman and Clark Kent. We discuss the merits of 2025's Superman, directed by Jason Gunn, beginning by praising the chemistry between David Corenswet's Superman and Rachel Brosnahan's Lois Lane. We talk about the connections between the film and the wider DC Universe films, as well as comparisons to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Zombie films, the first and latest. Sarah Watt, Jeremy Downing and William Chen discuss 28 Years Later (2025) and Night of the Living Dead (1968). Our conversation begins with confusion as we realise some podcast hosts were under the impression we were focusing on 28 Days Later (2002). We compare the cinematography of Anthony Dod Mantle in both 28 Years Later and 28 Days Later. We discuss the merits of 28 Years Later, including the performances, storytelling, pacing and narrative left turns. We get into a awkward and sinister inclusion of Jimmy Savile lookalikes in the film and the divisive ending. Our conversation moves to Night of the Living Dead and discussing our experiences watching the film, as well as Dawn of the Dead (1978), Day of the Dead (1985), Land of the Dead (2005), Diary of the Dead (2007), and Survival of the Dead (2009). We praise the performance of Duane Jones and allude to the representation politics of Night of the Living Dead and Dawn of the Dead, casting a man of colour in both lead roles. We discuss the breadth of the genre and how zombie films have developed over time.

The Final Destination saga. Sarah Watt, Jeremy Downing and William Chen discuss Final Destination: Bloodlines (2025) and the original Final Destination (2000), as well as the sequels in between: Final Destination 2 (2003), Final Destination 3 (2006), The Final Destination (2009) and Final Destination 5 (2011). We begin by discussing the Health and Safety elements of the films, especially the 'Public Service Announcement' lurking under the surface of the majority of the grisly deaths in the series. Jeremy, Sarah, and William each reminisce about their experiences watching the films. We talk about the process that recent series directors Zach Lipovsky and Adam B. Stein went through to land the job of the latest film. We celebrate our positive reactions to various moments from across the series, especially the fifth film. We honour the work of Tony Todd and the connections to Candyman (1992) in the series. We talk about the nebulous role of Death as a villain and the logic of the premonitions in each film. Jeremy and William talk through their top kills from the series. We discuss Ali Larter's character, Clear Rivers, the genesis of the original film as a television episode, the range of quality in the acting and the development of the audience's expectations over time.

Episode 109: The Last Showgirl & Barb Wire by Cinema in Context

Artificially Intelligent girlfriends. Sarah Watt, Jeremy Downing and William Chen discuss Companion (2025) and Her (2013). Both films have director-writers in Drew Hancock and Spike Jonze, respectively. We start by discussing the vision of the future Her presents and how much has come to pass - 'prescient' is the word we all describe the film as. We celebrate a number of elements of Her that we enjoy. The conversation then moves to a discussion of Companion and how we found the film not as complex as Her. We discuss the films in connection to Lost In Translation (2003), Barbarian (2022), Ex Machina (2014), M3GAN (2022), Hereditary (2018), Midsommar (2019), Beau Is Afraid (2023), Heretic (2024), The White Lotus (2021-) and Yellowjackets (2021-). We praise the performances of Joaquin Phoenix, Amy Adams, Sophie Thatcher and Jack Quaid. We end with a discussion about real-world AI today and how the films connect to matters at hand.

Week-long liaisons. Sarah Watt, Jeremy Downing and William Chen discuss two films about a young sex worker asked to be a date for a week: Anora (2024) and Pretty Woman (1990). We discuss our initial experiences watching the Gary Marshall's Pretty Woman. We praise the film's creation of tropes, archetypes and memorable movie moments. We celebrate the performances, especially Julia Roberts. We talk about the types of romantic comedies like Pretty Woman that made up a lot of our movies back in the 1990s and early 2000s. We shift our discussion to Anora and gush over the quality of the film. We talk about the comedy elements of the film, the improvisation, the production design, makeup, costume design and the prowess of director Sean Baker. We praise the performance of Mikey Madison as Anora and also Yura Borisov as Igor, both up for acting Oscars. We finish our conversation by looking at connections between the two films.

Minisode: Oscars 2025 by Cinema in Context

Three Paddington films. Sarah Watt, Jeremy Downing and William Chen discuss Paddington (2014), Paddington 2 (2017) and Paddington in Peru (2024) and our general reactions to the films, especially those of us who haven't seen a Paddington film before. We talk about the work of writer and director Paul King, including The Mighty Boosh and Wonka (2023), and praise the work of first-time director Dougal Wilson. We discuss the cast and performances in the films, including the work of Hugh Bonneville, Sally Hawkins, Emily Mortimer, Ben Wishaw, Jessica Hynes, Matt Lucas, Peter Capaldi, Nicole Kidman, Hugh Grant, Olivia Colman, Julie Walters, Michael Gambon, Jim Broadbent, Brendan Gleeson and Noah Taylor. We praise the films' visuals, especially Paddington's animation. This extends into a discussion of live-action, special effects, visual effects and computer generation. We touch on Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (2024), the work of Ray Harryhausen - Jason and the Argonauts (1963) and Clash of the Titans (1981), the original Godzilla (1954), King Kong (1933), Jurassic Park (1993), Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999), Doctor Who (1963-) and The Thing (1982).

The best of the year. Sarah Watt, Jeremy Downing and William Chen discuss their film and television highlights of the year, including their biggest surprise, biggest disappointment, wildcard, best television and best films of 2024. Here are the films and television shows we discussed: • Biggest surprise of the year: Migration (William); Kneecap (Sarah); Wicked: Part 1 (Jeremy) • Biggest disappointment of the year: Means Girls (Sarah and Jeremy); The Bear, Season 3 (William) • Wildcard: Alien: Romulus (Jeremy); Grand Theft Hamlet (Sarah); Hundreds of Beavers (William) • Best television: Delicious in Dungeon (William); Hacks, Season 3 (Jeremy); Mr. & Mrs. Smith (Sarah) • Runner-ups to the film of the year: The Substance and Civil War (Jeremy); The Wild Robot and Robot Dreams (William); Origin and American Fiction (Sarah) • Best film of the year: Dune: Part Two (Jeremy); Successor | Zhua wa wa (William); All of Us Strangers (Sarah) Additional shout-outs to Gut Instinct, Rebel Ridge, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Inside Out 2.