Flixwatcher: A Netflix Film Review Podcast

Charlotte Sometimes and George Wood (freelance film writers) join Flixwatcher to review Charlotte’s choice Sicario. Sicario (2015) is the seventh feature film from director Denis Villeneuve. It stars Emily Blunt as Kate Macer, an FBI Special Agent recruited by Josh Brolin’s Matt Graver, a CIA officer, as a technical necessity so the CIA can operate in Mexico, outside the US border. Benicio del Toro plays Alejandro Gillick, a former Mexican prosecutor turned assassin with a specialism in torture. Also starring in an early role is Daniel Kaluuya as Reggie Wayne, a rookie FBI Special Agent and Kate's partner. Sicario, Spanish for ‘hitman’, features strong performances and some incredible but tense set pieces. It is not an easy watch, due to the content and the unrelenting bleakness. The cinematography by Roger Deakins and score by Jóhann Jóhannsson are highlights in the darkness of the content. Scores for recommendability reflected the harsh subject matter, it is a technical achievement but lacking in emotion a

Lizzie Swindells and Neel Bhatt (Empire Podcast) join Flixwatcher to review Lizzie’s choice Paddington 2. Paddington 2 (2017) sees Paddington (voiced by Ben Whishlaw) having settled into London life with the Brown family, framed for theft and sent to prison (on fairly shaky evidence). While Paddington is in prison, impressing the imposing Knuckles (Brendan Gleeson) with marmalade, the Brown family (led by Sally Hawkins, Julie Walters and Hugh Bonnerville) are trying uncover the real thief, Phoenix Buchanan (Hugh Grant having a lovely time). Paddington is pretty much universally adored by everyone, well everyone other than Helen maybe. At the films heart is the belief there is good in everyone and kindness will always prevail. Unsurprisingly Paddington 2 scored extremely highly on recommendability, how could you not? Scores across the other Flixwatcher categories were very high, not high enough to challenge number 1 but a still a very respectable 4.68 overall, earning a place in the top 10.   [supsystic-tables

Sean Wilson and Andy Williams from Frame to Frame podcast return to Flixwatcher to review Sean’s choice Young Adult. Young Adult (2011) is a comedy-drama from director Jason Reitman and writer Diablo Cody, their second collaboration after Juno (2007), who would go onto to make a third film together in 2018 with Tully. Charlize Theron plays Mavis Gary, a 37-year-old divorced alcoholic, she works as a ghost writer of a series of young adult novels that are soon to be cancelled. When she receives an email from old flame Buddy, played by Patrick Wilson, she sees it as a sign to return to her home town to win him back. Young Adult followed the pretty much universally adored Juno and its tone couldn’t be more different. Theron does an incredible job of bringing humanity to a character that has very little redeeming qualities and is so very mean to people. While it is a comedy, it is very much a bleak black humour and not laugh out loud. This was reflected in the recommendability scores, despite this Young Adult sti

Meg Waters (Glamour, Stylist and Little White Lies) and Sarah Collier join Flixwatcher to review Meg’s choice Last Night in Soho. Last Night in Soho (2021) is a psychological horror from director Edgar (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz) Wright. 1960s obsessed Eloise/Ellie (Thomasin McKenzie) moves to London from sleepy Cornwall to follow her dreams and study fashion at London College of Fashion. She falls victim to the taunts of queen bee university bully Jocasta (Synnøve Karlsen) and moves into a creepy bedsit with Ms Collins (Diana Rigg, in her final role) as the landlady. In her new bedsit Ellie has a dream where she is transported by to the swinging sixties London and is transported into the body of Sandie (Anya Taylor-Joy), an aspiring singer, and meets seedy bar owner Jack (Matt Smith). When Ellie’s dreams start merging into reality things take a dark turn. Views on Last Night in Soho were mixed, there are some excellent technical scenes and 1960s styling but the clunky plot and unintentional comedy made for

Stephen Carty (BBC Radio Scotland, Radio Times, Empire Magazine) and Simon Williams (You’re Going to Need a Bigger Boat film quiz) join Flixwatcher to review Stephen’s choice The Equalizer. The Equalizer (2014) directed by Antoine (Training Day) Fuqua stars Denzel Washington as Robert McCall, a former US Marine and DIA officer, now retired and working in an hardware store. On one of his late night dinner visits he meets a sweet, teenage prostitute called Teri, played by Chloë Grace Moretz. When Teri is badly beaten by pimp, Slavi, Robert takes a personal interest in her wellbeing and takes matters into his own hands by paying her pimp a visit to buy her freedom. When his offer is declined Robert uses his old skills to take out Slavi and his gang, indadvertedly starting an all out war with a Russian syndicate. While The Equalizer doesn’t rewrite the retired specialist killer coming out of retirement to seek justice genre it does bring a lot of entertainment and a top tier Denzel performance. The final act als

David Llong and Neil Gregory from We Needed Roads podcast join Flixwatcher to review David’s choice Scream. Scream is the first film in the Scream franchise, released in 1996 it was written by Kevin (Dawsons Creek) Williamson and directed by horror legend Wes (A Nightmare on Elm Street) Craven. It stars Neve Campbell as Sidney Prescott, a high school senior who receives threatening phone calls from Ghostface, a masked killer who taunts their victims before brutally stabbing them to death. It also stars as fellow high schoolers Matthew Lillard, Skeet Ulrich, Rose McGowan, Jamie Kennedy and Drew Barrymore, and David Arquette as local sheriff Dewey Riley with Courteney Cox as reporter Gale Weathers. Scream completely rebooted horror back in 1996, its clever deconstruction of the genre and self reflective knowingness delighted horror kids and casual fans alike. Its longevity was given a boost in 2022 with Scream and Scream VI in 2023 but Scream (1996) still retains its freshness and shock first kill. Scores for r

Sean Higgins (The Sofa Cinema) and Lucy Buglass (Tea-V-Time podcast) join Flixwatcher remotely for a spooky special to review Sean’s choice Halloween. Halloween is the 1978 John Carpenter slasher classic starring Jamie Lee Curtis (in her film debut) as Laurie Strode who is terrorised on Halloween by mental patient on the loose Michael Myers. That is basically the plot! It has inexplicably spawned 12 sequels of extremely mixed quality - Carpenter very wisely had zero involvement in the sequels - but it is widely agreed that Halloween (1978) is the best. Laurie has entered into film history as an original ‘final girl’ and the Michael Myers mask has entered popular culture multiple times (see Baby Driver). Halloween is probably unlikely to shock and scare 2022 viewers like it did in 1978 but that doesn’t stop it being highly endearing and winning over even non-horror fan Kobi. Scores for Halloween were very high, especially for recommendability, slightly lower engagement give it an overall rating of 3.95.   [sup

Midsommar is the 2019 second feature film from writer and director Ari Aster. Starring Florence Pugh, Jack Reynor William Jackson Harper and Will Poulter as a group a friends invited to visit Sweden to experience an exclusive midsummer festival. After a family tragedy, the tensions in the relationship between Dani and her boyfriend Christian are out in the open. Despite her obvious fragile mental state she agrees to come along and it is not long before strange things start happening and the lines between reality and hallucinations become blurred. Midsommar is an extremely vivid and imaginative folk horror than manages to move between the disturbing and the amusing with ease. Anchored by a phenomenal performance by Florence Pugh helps the two hour and 27 minute run time feel light. The Podcast Nobody Asked For has to date recommended Midsommar 146 times - therefore it was not a surprise that their scores for recommendabilty were the full five. Slightly lower scores for small screen - this is film best viewed w

Pravina Rudra (online editor and writer at the New Statesman) and Megan Agnew (news features writer at The Sunday Times) return to Flixwatcher to review Pravina’s choice She’s the Man. She’s the Man (2006) is an American teen romantic comedy. Inspired by Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, in this version Viola (Amanda Bynes), who is pretending to be her twin brother Sebastian so she can play soccer (football!) ends up being roommates with Duke (Channing Tatum) who is the soccer team captain. While in disguise as her brother, Olivia (Laura Ramsey) falls in love with Viola and Viola falls in love with Duke, who is in love with Olivia (and Viola not in disguise as Sebastian). There is also a big soccer game between the rival schools, where Vinnie Jones plays the coach and David Cross is the flamboyant school principal Horatio Gold. She’s the Man requires a high level of suspension of belief - Despite the numerous plot holes, She’s the Man is a highly enjoyable and a completely ridiculously watch. It scored very well

Kate Cocker (Everyday Positivity podcast) and Anni Hood (Well Intel Daily podcast) return to Flixwatcher to review Kate’s choice Game On: The Unstoppable Rise of Women’s Sport. Game On: The Unstoppable Rise of Women’s Sport (2023) is a Netflix documentary directed by women’s sport activist Sue Anstiss MBE and Jack Tompkins. The documentary explores the recent growth and population of women’s sport and its impact. It features interviews with some of the biggest names in women’s sport including Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson, Stacey Copeland, Clare Balding CBE, Dame Denise Lewis and Kelly Smith MBE. While Game On celebrates the successes it also highlights the inequality and prejudice that surrounds women’s sport. It is optimistic about the future but it is also shocking and extremely sad to hear the challenges some professional women athletes, like the Lionesses, have faced and continue to face. Recommendability scores for Game On were super high, as with all documentaries the repeat viewing was low and the onl

Rosie Wilby (The Breakup Monologues podcast) and Sasha Bates (Shrink the Box podcast) return to Flixwatcher to review Rosie’s choice Marriage Story. Marriage Story (2019) is an American drama film written and directed by Noah Baumbach. It stars Scarlett Johansson as Nicole and Adam Driver as Charlie, a married couple brought together by their creative passions but presently experiencing martial difficulties. After their counselling breaks down their agreement for an amicable divorce also disintegrates when Nicole hires feisty divorce lawyer Nora (Laura Dean) and Charlie retaliates with his own lawyers Bert (Alan Alda) and later Jay (Ray Liotta). Baumbach is no stranger to divorce, his parents divorce was the inspiration for The Squid and the Whale, and he wrote Marriage Story after his divorce from actress Jennifer Jason Leigh. It earned six Oscar nominations including Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay and acting nominations for Driver, Johansson and Dern, who won for Best Supporting Actress. Scores for

Dee and Randa from the Switchblade Sisters Social Club podcast return to Flixwatcher to review Dee’s choice Bridesmaids. Bridesmaids (2011) is an American comedy written by Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo, and directed by Paul Feig. It stars Kristen Wiig as Annie, Maya Rudolph as Lillian, Rose Byrne as Helen, Melissa McCarthy as Megan, Wendi McLendon-Covey as Rita, Ellie Kemper as Becca, Chris O'Dowd as Officer Nathan Rhodes, Matt Lucas as Gil, Rebel Wilson as Brynn and Jon Hamm as Ted. Annie and Lillian are lifelong best friends. Annie is down on her luck after her dream bakery closed and in a terrible casual relationship with Ted. When Lillian gets engaged and asks Annie to be her maid of honour their relationship unravels as Annie feels threaten by Lillian’s new friend Helen. A serious of unfortunate events, including explosive diarrhoea at a bridal boutique, lead Lillian to assign duties to Helen and break up with Annie. Bridesmaids was a huge box office success and earned Melissa McCarthy and Wiig and Mum

Elaine and Mark from The Honeymoon Period podcast return to Flixwatcher to review Elaine’s choice Heat. Heat (1995) is a heist drama written and directed by Michael Mann. Its ensemble cast features Al Pacino as Lieutenant Vincent Hanna, LAPD, Robert De Niro as Neil McCauley, Val Kilmer as Chris Shiherlis, Jon Voight as Nate, Tom Sizemore as Michael Cheritto, Diane Venora as Justine Hanna, Amy Brenneman as Eady, Ashley Judd as Charlene Shiherlis, Mykelti Williamson as Sergeant Bobby Drucker, Wes Studi as Lieutenant Sammy Casals, Ted Levine as Detective Mike Bosko, William Fichtner as Roger Van Zant, Natalie Portman as Lauren Gustafson, Tom Noonan as Kelso AND Hank Azaria as Alan Marciano. Neil McCauley leads a gang of elite criminals, but when a robbery of bearer bonds goes sour when one of the crew kills a guard he ends up in the path of Lieutenant Vincent Hanna, a hardened and obsessive detective. McCauley discovers Hanna on his tail but doesn’t spook and agrees to one last heist. Heat is widely considered

Andy Williams and Sean Wilson from Frame to Frame podcast join Flixwatcher to review Andy’s choice Son of Rambow. Son of Rambow (2007) is a British comedy coming of age film written and directed by Garth (Sing) Jennings. Set over a summer in the 1980s, Will (Bill Milner) is a quiet and shy 11-year-old who lives with his religious family where TV is banned. He meets Lee (Will Poulter), an older and possibly the worst behaved boy in school who is left home alone with his older brother. Lee sees an opportunity for Will to be his stuntman in a film he making inspired by First Blood for a competition and they form a friendship. Son of Rambow is a charming, sweet slice of 1980s nostalgia. Will Poulter is clearly a star in the making and the film within a film is equally as charming. Recommendability for Son of Rambow was very high, even for first time watcher Andy, slightly lower repeat viewing scores give an overall rating of 4.35.   [supsystic-tables id=327]   Episode #314 Crew Links Thanks to the Episode #314 Cr

Megan Agnew (news features writer at The Sunday Times) and Pravina Rudra (online editor and writer at the New Statesman) join Flixwatcher to review Megan’s choice Bridget Jones’s Diary. Bridget Jones’s Diary (2001) is a British romantic comedy based on the novel of the same name by Helen Fielding. Directed by Sharon Maguire (Bridget Jones's Baby) with a script by Richard (Four Weddings and a Funeral) Curtis, Andrew (Pride and Prejudice (1995 TV series)) Davies, and Helen Fielding it stars Renée Zellweger as Bridget with Hugh Grant as Daniel Cleaver and Colin Firth as Mark Darcy, Bridget’s love interests. It’s New Year’s Eve 1999, Bridget, 32, works in a publishing office, she is single, concerned with her weight, smoking and drinking and her attraction to her flirty boss Cleaver. At her parents annual New Year party she is introduced to the newly single Darcy, an old childhood friend who is now a handsome successful barrister. Comedy and a love triangle ensues as Bridget attempts to find true love. It is fair

John Loftus (BT Young Scientist STEM Inspirations podcast, 8Radio Ireland) and Dr. Nicola Millard return to Flixwatcher to review John’s choice RRR. RRR (2022) is an Indian Telugu-language action epic - it’s runtime is three hours plus - directed by S. S. Rajamouli. The central story is fictional but based on historical figures. In this version of history, S. S. Rajamouli took the coincidences between real life Indian revolutionaries Alluri Sitarama Raju and Komaram Bheem and imagined what it would be like if they had met and become friends. Don’t be fooled by the historical context in thinking RRR is going to be an accurate or remotely believable story. From the outset we are informed no animal were harmed, because they are CGI and completely ridiculous. It made history when the big musical number “Naatu Naatu” was the Oscar for Best Original Song, making it the first song from an Indian film, as well as the first from an Asian film, to win in this category. RRR is a tricky one to recommend, it’s mash of ge

Anni Hood (Well Intel Daily podcast) and Kate Cocker (Everyday Positivity podcast) join Flixwatcher to review Anna’s choice The Gentlemen. The Gentlemen (2019) is the 11th feature film from British director Guy (Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels) who returns to his love of East End gangsters and swearing after the remake that nobody wanted Aladdin. The ‘Gentlemen’ in question are sweary Fletcher (Hugh Grant), a national rag reporter looking to sell his screenplay to Raymond Smith (Charlie Hunnam). Raymond is right-hand man to Mickey Pearson (Matthew McConaughey) who is looking to retire from his £400million marijuana empire, with interested buyers that include American billionaire Matthew Berger (Jeremy Strong) and Chinese gangster Lord George (Tom Wu) and his unpredictable underboss Dry Eye (Henry Golding). In support are Mickey’s glamourous girl boss wife Rosalind (Michelle Dockery) and local boxing Coach (Colin Farrell). The Gentlemen for the most part is typical Guy Richie fare - fast talking, rhyming s

Randa and Dee from the Switchblade Sisters Social Club podcast join Flixwatcher to review Randa’s choice I, Tonya. I, Tonya (2017) is mockumentary biographical sports film that follows the life and career of American figure skater Tonya Harding and her involvement in the assault of Nancy Kerrigan that led to the end of her professional skating career. Directed by Craig (Lars and the Real Girl) Gillespie it stars Margot Robbie as Tonya (earning her a Best Actress Oscar nomination), Allison Janney as LaVona Golden, Tonya’s abusive mother (winner her a Best Supporting Actress Oscar), Sebastian Stan as Jeff Gillooly, Tonya's abusive ex-husband and Paul Walter Hauser as Shawn Eckardt, Jeff’s friend and partner in the assault on Nancy Kerrigan. I, Tonya blurs the lines between fact and fiction, using the Rashomon effect to tell story of Tonya’s rise to fan and the infamous incident, what is clear though is that Tonya was let down by everyone and suffered discrimination that other skaters didn’t face. The recommend

Sasha Bates (Shrink the Box podcast) and Rosie Wilby (The Breakup Monologues podcast) join Flixwatcher to review Sasha’s choice Little Women. Little Women (2019) is the seventh adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s timeless novel of the same name. This version sees Greta (Ladybird) Gerwig writing and directing and adding her alternative take on the ending and bringing a modern feminist angle to the classic story. It’s star studded cast includes Saoirse Ronan as Josephine "Jo" March, Emma Watson as Margaret "Meg" March, Florence Pugh as Amy March, Eliza Scanlen as Elizabeth "Beth" March, Laura Dern as Marmee March, Timothée Chalamet as Theodore "Laurie" Laurence, Meryl Streep as Aunt March, Bob Odenkirk as Father March, James Norton as John Brooke, Louis Garrel as Friedrich Bhaer and Chris Cooper as Mr. Laurence. Little Women achieved success at the box office and received his praise from critics and movie lovers alike, despite receiving six Academy Award nominations (including Best Picture and Best Adapted Screen

Al Horner (Script Apart podcast, Empire Magazine) and Sadia Azmat (stand-up comedian, writer and comedy producer) return to Flixwatcher to review Al’s choice The Hunger Games. The Hunger Games (2012) is based on the YA novel of the same name by Suzanne Collins. Directed by Gary (Big) Ross and starring Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen, Josh Hutcherson as Peeta Mellark, Liam Hemsworth as Gale Hawthorne, Woody Harrelson as Haymitch Abernathy, Elizabeth Banks as Effie Trinket, Lenny Kravitz as Cinna, Stanley Tucci as Caesar Flickerman, Donald Sutherland as President Coriolanus Snow, Wes Bentley as Seneca Crane and Toby Jones as Claudius Templesmith. In this dystopian future, the post-apocalyptic nation of Panam is divided into 12 districts. As a punishment for a revolt and a reminder of their position in the social hierarchy, each district must submit two tributes who will take part in the annual Hunger Games. Aged between 12 and 18 the tributes must fight to the death until there is one survivor. When Katn