Filmspotting
Filmspotting
Adam Kempenaar and Josh Larsen review new and classic movies, offering "affable, insightful film analysis since 2005" (NY Times).Social links:
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Top 5 Single Location Movies | Archive
From the suffocating tension of open-ocean survival and alcohol-fueled marital warfare, to the isolated terrors of demonic cabins and haunted bedrooms, Adam and Josh break down their Top 5 Single Location Movies. Unlock the full archive, Filmspotting Discord, ad‑free + bonus episodes, and more whe…
32:45
Ladies First: Sacha Baron Cohen Takes on the Matriarchy | SVU
Matt and Jordan punch their tickets to an alternate reality to review Ladies First, the new Netflix comedy starring Sacha Baron Cohen and Rosamund Pike. They break down the film's (mostly good!) relentless barrage of gags, its terrifyingly plausible marketing pitches, and whether it successfully na…
1:29:22
Tony Leung Talks Silent Friend, Plus Decorado and The Wizard of the Kremlin | #1065
Adam sits down with legendary actor Tony Leung (In the Mood for Love, Chungking Express) to discuss his brilliant career and his new starring role in Ildiko Enyedi’s Silent Friend. Then Adam and Josh share their thoughts on the meditative multi-era drama itself, followed by reviews of Alberto Vasqu…
1:25:27
Top 5 Superhero Costumes | Archive
From the timeless, unadorned perfection of early cinematic icons to the textured, battle-tested tactical gear of modern blockbusters, Adam and Josh (and some special guests) share their Top 5 Superhero Costumes and explore what makes a costume truly legendary. Unlock the full archive, Filmspotting…
44:54
Burden of Hoof, Pt. 2 – The Sheep Detectives
Kyle Balda’s new family film The Sheep Detectives pulls off a move George Miller was dissuaded from including in his 1998 sequel Babe: Pig in the City — killing off its human farmer figure — but that premise-setting death aside, it’s generally a warmer and gentler take on talking animals venturing …
1:26:58
The State of Streaming: Netflix | SVU
In the first installment of a semi-regular series, Matt and Jordan take a break from reviewing a single film in order to interrogate an entire streaming platform: the industry juggernaut, Netflix. They dissect it across five crucial categories—library size, playback interface, reliability, original…
1:24:02
The Tree of Life at 15: Malick’s Cosmic Masterpiece Revisited | #1064
15 years after its release, Adam and Josh return to the 1950s Waco of Terrence Malick’s The Tree of Life. They discuss Malick’s bold attempt to voice the divine, mapping the books of Job and Genesis onto his narrative, and his attempt to reconcile the beauty of creation with the reality of sufferin…
1:20:01
Blue Heron: A Lyrical Debut — and an Early Golden Brick Contender
Adam and Josh review Sophy Romvari’s debut feature Blue Heron, a semi-autobiographical "memory piece" that follows a Hungarian immigrant family on Vancouver Island in the late 1990s. They discuss Romvari’s distinct "observational elegance," the film’s striking meta-elements, and how it stacks up ag…
37:22
Top 5 Terrence Malick Scenes | Archive
From the outlaw poetry of Badlands to the cosmic spirituality of The Tree of Life, this week's Archive episode has Adam and Josh counting down the five most indelible moments from one of cinema's most elusive auteurs. Expect plenty of hushed voiceovers and magic-hour cinematography. Unlock the ful…
30:45
Lord of the Flies: The BBC Brings Art to Netflix | SVU
This week, Matt and Jordan flip for the conch to discuss the BBC’s new four-part adaptation of The Lord of the Flies, now streaming on Netflix. The duo dives deep into Jack Thorne’s "cinematic" take on the classic novel, debating the effectiveness of its character-focused structure and its haunting…
1:49:41