Movies & Us

Jen and Sarah review ‘Challengers’ and discuss the creative cinematography, dynamic performances, and time-jumping storytelling in this steamy tennis film.

Spoilers (~10:54)

Jen and Sarah review ‘Inside Out’ and discuss the incredible writing, gorgeous animation, and perfect casting in this beloved and relevant film.

Spoilers (~6:46)

Jen and Sarah are joined by Pat and Nate to review ‘Civil War.’ They discuss the film’s themes, wonder what its message is, and reflect on the characters and their journey.

Spoilers (~8:44)

Jen and Sarah review ‘Monkey Man’ and discuss the immersive cinematography, unique sound design, relevant themes, and emotional core in this action-packed thriller.

Spoilers (~31:02)

Jen and Sarah review ‘All of Us Strangers’ and discuss the creative way this film explores grief, the great performances, and how they interpret its surprising ending.

Spoilers (~8:36)

Jen and Sarah are joined by Michael Burgett of the Screen Nerds Podcast to review ‘Perfect Days.’ They discuss the important themes, well-crafted characters, and interesting backstory of this thoughtful film.

Spoilers (~24:02)

Jen and Sarah review ‘Mean Streets’ and discuss its technical achievements and the way this catapulted Scorsese’s career. They also reflect on the themes in this film and how these ideas have evolved over Scorsese’s extensive career.

Jen and Sarah react to this year’s Academy Awards. They celebrate the winners, share thoughts on Oppenheimer’s Oscar sweep, and reveal the winner of the Movies & Us Oscar wager.

Jen and Sarah discuss the Academy Awards and reveal their predictions for this year’s Oscars, as well as their personal picks in the categories. They also share about their yearly Movies & Us Oscar wager and wonder who will take home this year’s prize.

Jen and Sarah are joined by Alexis Gentry of Trashwire to review ‘Dune: Part Two.’ They discuss the innovative visuals, the spot-on pacing, and the thoughtful development of the characters in this stunning box office hit.

Spoilers (~8:19)

Jen and Sarah review ‘The Zone of Interest’ and discuss the weighty and important themes, intentionally straightforward filmmaking, and strategic and layered storytelling in this Oscar-nominated film.

Spoilers (~20:37)

Jen and Sarah review ‘The Color Purple’ and discuss the dynamic characters and important themes, and share the additional Oscar nominations they would award to this film.

Spoilers (~26:58)

Jen and Sarah review ‘May December’ and discuss the interesting plot structure, complex characters, and the real-life story that inspired this Oscar-nominated film.

Spoilers (~13:50)

Jen and Sarah review ‘Rustin’ and discuss Colman Domingo’s Oscar nomination, the film’s themes of teamwork and leadership, and the importance of the stories we tell.

Spoilers (~14:25)

Jen and Sarah review ‘Nyad’ and discuss the Oscar-nominated performances, the true story that inspired this film, and the stylistic choices made in this feel-good sports movie.

Spoilers (~7:56)

Jen and Sarah review ‘American Fiction’ and discuss the three-dimensional characters, important and relevant themes, and top-notch performances in this Oscar-nominated film.

Spoilers (~9:04)

Jen and Sarah dive into the Oscar nominations and discuss this year’s snubs, surprises, and winners. They also celebrate the films that were nominated and share some of what they hope to see on March 10th.

Jen and Sarah review ‘Anatomy of a Fall’ and discuss how the cinematography and screenplay go beyond the typical courtroom drama to explore important themes about our world today.

Spoilers (~24:35)

Jen and Sarah review ‘The Book of Clarence’ and discuss the creative choices, excellent performances, and great use of genre to explore important and relevant themes.

Spoilers (~11:09)

Jen and Sarah review ‘Poor Things’ and discuss the interesting characters, creative world-building, and the filmmaking components that come together to bring this coming-of-age story to life.

Spoilers (~19:24)

Jen and Sarah share the top 10 films they watched in 2023 and celebrate another great year of movies!

Jen’s List:

1. Killers of the Flower Moon
2. A Ghost Story
3. Get Out
4. The Departed
5. Oppenheimer
6. The Iron Claw
7. Kubo and the Two Strings
8. Aftersun
9. How to Blow Up a Pipeline
10. Women Talking

Sarah’s List:

1. Women Talking
2. Past Lives
3. Bardo
4. Godzilla Minus One
5. The Host
6. Holy Spider
7. Maestro
8. Polite Society
9. El Conde
10. They Cloned Tyrone

Jen and Sarah review ‘Ferrari’ and discuss the story, themes, and plot structure and why this film didn’t work well for them. They also pitch some alternate ideas for a movie about these characters and the infamous 1957 Mille Miglia.

Spoilers (~7:38)

Jen and Sarah are joined again by Michael of the Screen Nerds Podcast to review ‘The Iron Claw.’ They discuss the great performances, the portrayal of wrestling, and the restraint this film shows in depicting the tragedies this family experienced.

Spoilers (~23:21)

Jen and Sarah review ‘Maestro’ and discuss this movie’s framing and the parts of Bernstein’s life that it chooses to focus on, and question who the real protagonist of this story is.

Spoilers (~7:05)

Jen and Sarah review ‘Eileen’ and discuss the great setting and performances, the difficulties of adapting a book, and how trailers can set unrealistic expectations for movies.

Spoilers (~25:36)

Jen and Sarah review ‘Leave the World Behind’ and discuss the many themes and topics covered, the interesting characters, and the creative technical elements in this film.

Spoilers (~11:16)

Jen and Sarah are joined by Michael of the Screen Nerds Podcast to review ‘Godzilla Minus One.’ They discuss how the three-dimensional characters and great action highlight important themes and compare and contrast this with other kaiju films.

Spoilers (~7:31)

Jen and Sarah review ‘Saltburn’ and discuss the layered themes, complex characters, and stunning visuals present in the latest film by Emerald Fennell.

Spoilers (~6:58)

Jen and Sarah celebrate their 300th episode and reflect on the conversations they’ve had and the stories they’ve been able to learn from along the way. Then, they review the Christmas classic ‘Die Hard’ and discuss the great characters, cinematography, score, and more.

Milestone Reflections (1:27)

Die Hard Review (11:27)

Jen and Sarah are joined by special guest Dillon to review Ridley Scott’s ‘Napoleon.’ They discuss the screenplay, characters, and why this epic tale didn’t fully work for them.

Jen and Sarah review ‘The Holdovers’ and discuss the characters and themes and analyze why this melancholic and nostalgic Christmas story didn’t resonate with them.

Spoilers (~9:01)

Jen and Sarah review ‘The Killer’ and discuss the characters, pacing, and structure of this process movie and how these elements effectively set it apart from other films in the thriller genre.

Spoilers (~7:48)

Jen and Sarah review ‘Fingernails’ and discuss this film’s larger themes, interesting world-building, and relatable characters. They also reimagine portions of the film, sharing some ways its message could’ve been made more clearly.

Spoilers (~8:07)

Jen and Sarah review ‘Priscilla’ and discuss some of the film’s major themes, the restraint it shows in telling this story, and the way the casting, costumes, and even makeup reinforce the film’s larger messages.

Spoilers (~8:21)

Jen and Sarah are joined by Philip to review ‘Killers of the Flower Moon.’ They discuss the important themes, incredible performances, and impressive technical elements that come together in this epic film.

Spoilers (~12:25)

Jen and Sarah review ‘Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey’ and share their most pressing questions, theories about this cinematic universe, and what they would like to see from the upcoming sequel.

Spoilers (~9:12)

Jen and Sarah review ‘Past Lives’ and discuss the characters, themes, and how this compares to other films, including some iconic romances.

Spoilers (~6:36)

Jen and Sarah review ‘Reptile’ and discuss the story, character development, and overall message. Then they pivot and discuss the little details they (mostly Sarah) couldn’t stop thinking about.

Spoilers (~14:27)

Jen and Sarah review ‘The Creator’ and discuss the characters, themes, and plot and share what worked and what didn’t work for them in this sci-fi film.

Spoilers (~8:09)

Jen and Sarah conclude Scorsese September by reviewing ‘The Departed.’ They discuss the complex characters, parallel stories, and great performances in this thrilling cat-and-mouse game.

Spoilers (~10:24)

Jen and Sarah continue Scorsese September by reviewing ‘Casino.’ They discuss the complex characters, how their relationships build tension, and how this film builds upon themes explored in other Scorsese films.

Spoilers (~5:05)

Jen and Sarah begin Scorsese September by reviewing 'The King of Comedy'. They discuss the complex protagonist, the interesting themes, and this film’s relevance to our world today.

Spoilers (~10:02)

Jen and Sarah conclude A24 August by reviewing ‘Beau is Afraid.’ They discuss the characters, events, and symbols and how they contribute to the meaning of the film overall.

Spoilers (~22:02)

Jen and Sarah continue A24 August by reviewing ‘The Souvenir: Part II.’ They discuss the characters and their development, the major themes that are explored, and how this is a continuation of the first film rather than a typical sequel.

Spoilers (~7:07)

Jen and Sarah continue A24 August by reviewing ‘The Souvenir.’ They discuss how the cinematography, score, characters, and more are woven together in this rich and complex story based on writer and director Joanna Hogg’s real-life experiences.

Spoilers (~19:09)

Jen and Sarah celebrate five years of podcasting! They reflect on the history of Movies & Us and look ahead at what’s next. They also share their favorite episodes and moments of the last year.

Favorite Episode (~17:25)

Favorite Moment (~25:41)

Jen and Sarah continue A24 August by reviewing ‘Showing Up.’ They discuss the film’s style, how that reinforces the various themes, the complexities of the characters, and their relationships with one another.

Spoilers (~15:32)

Jen and Sarah kick off A24 August by reviewing ‘A Ghost Story.’ They reflect on the film’s macro and micro themes and discuss how the creative filmmaking components bring this melancholy and thoughtful story to life.

Spoilers (~15:41)

Jen and Sarah are joined by special guest, Philip, to review ‘Barbie.’ They discuss the characters, themes, and humor in this thoughtful and layered blockbuster. They also reflect on the magic of the movie-going experience and how this film has taken the internet by storm.

Spoilers (~14:08)

Jen and Sarah are joined by special guest, Dillon, to review ‘Oppenheimer.’ They discuss the complex characters, powerful performances, and thought-provoking themes present in this three-hour-long film.

Spoilers (~10:17)