The Minions are back in the third instalment of their standalone franchise, and this time, the adorable, semi-gibberish-spouting yellow creatures are taking over Hollywood and unleashing monsters. Pierre Coffin pays tribute to multiple horror classics and tropes while also hewing to the well-established formula of Minion hijinks and physical comedy. We discuss whether this is the best film in the series before discussing the best on-screen sidekicks and why they matter. 

Image Credit: IMDb

The Minions are back in the third instalment of their standalone franchise, and this time, the adorable, semi-gibberish-spouting yellow creatures are taking over Hollywood and unleashing monsters. Pierre Coffin pays tribute to multiple horror classics and tropes while also hewing to the well-established formula of Minion hijinks and physical comedy. We discuss whether this is the best film in the series before discussing the best on-screen sidekicks and why they matter. Image Credit: IMDb

Talking apes and Jedi Knights are cool, but how do they impact Hollywood as a whole? That's the kind of stuff we talk about on Popcorn Culture - a mixed-bag-exploration of the movies, TV shows, and pop culture buzz that we love, as well as the ones we love (slightly) less.

Talking apes and Jedi Knights are cool, but how do they impact Hollywood as a whole? That's the kind of stuff we talk about on Popcorn Culture - a mixed-bag-exploration of the movies, TV shows, and pop culture buzz that we love, as well as the ones we love (slightly) less.

Popcorn Culture

Minions & Monsters + Best Sidekicks

We kick off this episode by reviewing DC, the fourth film by Arun Matheswaran, the acclaimed Tamil filmmaker behind Rocky (not the Sylvester Stallone film about boxing) and Saani Kaayidham. Like his other films, the film follows characters from the margins of society and centres around revenge and crime. This time, however, Matheswaran places that familiar brutality within a romance – specifically a violent retelling of Bengali romance novel Devdas by Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay. It stars Lokesh Kanagaraj in his acting debut as the title character, Devdas, alongside Wamiqa Gabbi as Chandra.

Separately, Casino Royale celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. The film marked Daniel Craig’s debut as James Bond, rebooting the franchise with a grittier, more grounded take on the iconic spy. In light of that, we will be reviewing the entire Craig Bond series as a whole, looking back at how this era redefined the character, what worked, what didn’t, and how it holds up two decades. 


Image Credit: IMDb

We kick off this episode by reviewing DC, the fourth film by Arun Matheswaran, the acclaimed Tamil filmmaker behind Rocky (not the Sylvester Stallone film about boxing) and Saani Kaayidham. Like his other films, the film follows characters from the margins of society and centres around revenge and crime. This time, however, Matheswaran places that familiar brutality within a romance – specifically a violent retelling of Bengali romance novel Devdas by Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay. It stars Lokesh Kanagaraj in his acting debut as the title character, Devdas, alongside Wamiqa Gabbi as Chandra. Separately, Casino Royale celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. The film marked Daniel Craig’s debut as James Bond, rebooting the franchise with a grittier, more grounded take on the iconic spy. In light of that, we will be reviewing the entire Craig Bond series as a whole, looking back at how this era redefined the character, what worked, what didn’t, and how it holds up two decades. Image Credit: IMDb

DC + Daniel Craig’s Bond Films

7 years after the last Spider-Man outing, we return to the world and story of Peter Parker, as he operates as the web-slinging superhero, but in a time where everyone’s forgotten that he exists. As he faces an evolution in his powers, he also faces one of the most powerful threats he’s ever encountered. This film sees the return of the familiar trio of Tom Holland, Zendaya and Jacob Batalon, alongside Mark Ruffalo, Sadie Sink and Jon Bernthal. We discuss whether it lives up to the hype as one of this year’s most eagerly anticipated blockbusters and where Marvel might go next. 

Image Credit: IMDb

7 years after the last Spider-Man outing, we return to the world and story of Peter Parker, as he operates as the web-slinging superhero, but in a time where everyone’s forgotten that he exists. As he faces an evolution in his powers, he also faces one of the most powerful threats he’s ever encountered. This film sees the return of the familiar trio of Tom Holland, Zendaya and Jacob Batalon, alongside Mark Ruffalo, Sadie Sink and Jon Bernthal. We discuss whether it lives up to the hype as one of this year’s most eagerly anticipated blockbusters and where Marvel might go next. Image Credit: IMDb

Spider-Man: Brand New Day

In this episode, it's a double-bill of reviews! First, we review The Drama — Norwegian director Kristoffer Borgli's romantic black comedy starring Zendaya and Robert Pattinson as a happily engaged couple whose relationship is thrown into crisis when an unexpected revelation surfaces during their wedding week. Meanwhile, Widow's Bay is a horror-comedy series on Apple TV+ set in a quaint New England island town where Mayor Tom Loftis (Matthew Rhys) is desperate to revive his struggling community, all while contending with superstitious locals convinced the island is cursed. Created by Katie Dippold (Parks & Rec) and directed by Hiro Murai (Atlanta), the show is one of the year's freshest genre blenders. Then on Take Two, we look at memorable performances that have stayed with us long after the credits roll.


Image Credit: IMDb

In this episode, it's a double-bill of reviews! First, we review The Drama — Norwegian director Kristoffer Borgli's romantic black comedy starring Zendaya and Robert Pattinson as a happily engaged couple whose relationship is thrown into crisis when an unexpected revelation surfaces during their wedding week. Meanwhile, Widow's Bay is a horror-comedy series on Apple TV+ set in a quaint New England island town where Mayor Tom Loftis (Matthew Rhys) is desperate to revive his struggling community, all while contending with superstitious locals convinced the island is cursed. Created by Katie Dippold (Parks &amp; Rec) and directed by Hiro Murai (Atlanta), the show is one of the year's freshest genre blenders. Then on Take Two, we look at memorable performances that have stayed with us long after the credits roll. Image Credit: IMDb

Minions & Monsters + Best Sidekicks

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