Kelsi and Trey dive into Gladiator II with a non-spoiler review of Ridley Scott’s epic return to ancient Rome. They discuss how this ambitious sequel stacks up against the iconic original, specifically examining Scott's vision at 87 years old and how his signature style evolves with the film’s massive scale and complex characters. From Paul Mescal’…

Kelsi and Trey are joined by friend James Steck to dive into Ari Aster’s Hereditary, a chilling exploration of family trauma, grief, and conditioned traits that has redefined modern psychological horror. They break down the story of the Graham family, led by Toni Collette’s unforgettable performance as Annie, whose descent begins with the mysteriou…

Kelsi and Trey deep dive Get Out, Jordan Peele’s groundbreaking horror debut that redefined the genre with its social commentary and eerie atmosphere. They explore the film’s narrative of Chris (Daniel Kaluuya), a young Black man navigating the hidden dangers within his white girlfriend’s family, uncovering a chilling secret that speaks to the insi…

Kelsi and Trey explore Edward Berger's 'Conclave,' the suspenseful novel adapted into a star-studded film featuring Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, Carlos Diehz, and Isabella Rossellini. Set in the atmospheric halls of the Vatican, the story follows the intense politics, spiritual introspection, and personal ambition of cardinals from around the worl…

Topics covered include: Harris’s longing to be 40, finding security in insecurity, eternal things, having an allergic response to fame, unsolicited wisdom from Tom Cruise, giving bite-sized chunks of yourself, murky waters, I Heart Huckabees healing a broken heart, wounded bits, embracing scary material, matching Florence’s courage in We Live in Ti…

Trey speaks with Ethan Berger, the director of 'The Line,' to discuss his debut feature and the gritty, provocative exploration of fraternity culture that drives the film. Ethan talks about what inspired him to create a movie that serves as an antithesis to the more traditional, comedic depictions of fraternity life seen in popular culture. We dive…

Kelsi and Trey discuss Todd Phillips and Joaquin Phoenix's subversive detour in the comic book genre with 2019's 'Joker.' We explore the muddled ideas of the movie, the divisive conversation about the film's politics and execution, and, yeah, idk, we get into all the BS about Joker that you can expect. Enjoy! Become a member of The Extra Credits+ o…

Todd Phillips and Joaquin Phoenix delivered a divisive detour in the superhero genre with 2019's 'Joker,' now returning with their more-meta, multi-genre sequel 'Joker: Folie à Deux.' In a both non-spoiler and spoiler conversation, Kelsi and Trey discuss the discourse around both Joker films, the intention vs reaction to these character studies, an…

In anticipation for 'Gladiator II,' Kelsi and Trey explore Ridley Scott's epic 'Gladiator.' We discuss our relationship to Gladiator, its influence on pop culture, historical accuracy in movies, Russell Crowe vs. Joaquin Phoenix, and more! Become a member of The Extra Credits+ on Patreon ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠…

Topics covered include: Sebastian’s early childhood in Romania, being a reformed introvert, obstacles as a good thing, past lives as Law & Order day players, a certain tenderness that runs thru Sing Sing, the risk and reward in playing real people, Colman being “knocked out by” A Different Man, motherly advice to “get some moisturizer,” living like…

Kelsi and Trey discuss one of the more recent instant-classic films, Sean Baker's 'The Florida Project.' This tragic coming-of-age journey is subversively beautiful, as we follow a young girl and her mother as a family stuck in hidden homelessness in their Florida motel; a sweaty-pastel twist on the Disney princess archetype with an angry message t…

Kelsi and Trey discuss Ridley Scott's final (?) installment in the Alien franchise with 'Alien: Covenant.' This movie expands on the human hubris throughline of 'Prometheus' and is led by the very-great Michael Fassbender as David and Walter. The rest of the cast and crew help deliver this multi-genre nightmare with one of the great gore set pieces…

Kelsi and Trey explore one of the great 21st century sci-fi epics in Ridley Scott's 'Prometheus.' We discuss the divisive fandom of Prometheus and 'Alien: Covenant,' the recent reclaiming of Prometheus and Covenant due to the 'Alien: Romulus' financial success, how Scott's vision of a legacy prequel actually sets a blueprint for future franchises, …

GAME OVER, MAN! Alien August continues with Kelsi and Trey's exploration of the iconic sequel to Ridley Scott's 'Alien.' We discuss the action spectacle of 'Aliens,' and Cameron's legacy as an escapist blockbuster filmmaker, as well as how he struggles to totally realize his commentaries of a marine-Vietnam satire, the motherhood ideas, and the pow…

Kelsi and Trey discuss the legacy of the 'Alien' franchise while exploring Fede Álvarez's disappointing 'Alien: Romulus.' Outside of a few notable set pieces, and the Cailee Spaeny and David Jonsson performances, we're left surprised by this unoriginal, fan-service-heavy, mutation of Romulus' other Alien predecessors, such as Ridley Scott's Prometh…

Kelsi and Trey discuss Jordan Peele and Lupita Nyong'o's puzzling horror masterpiece 'Us' for 3+ hours. This conversation takes many turns, but we mostly follow the throughline of Peele's work by exploring his filmography's ambitious thematic goal of revealing the "American Dream" as an American nightmare. In 'Us,' Peele smartly subverts genres wit…

Kelsi and Trey explore the cotton-candy colored world of 'Poor Things' starring the singular Emma Stone. We discuss the divisive discourse about the film's many commentaries, such as its choices on Bella's age, the sexual and class politics, the landscape of fragile men, as well as the film's commercially smart exploitation of leftist iconography, …

Kelsi and Trey begin WEIRD GIRL SUMMER by discussing the bizarre mind of Yorgos Lanthimos' tragicomedy 'The Favourite.' This unique period piece explores the cost of absolute power and is memorable for its transactional love triangle between leads Emma Stone, Rachel Weisz, and Olivia Colman. Become a member of The Extra Credits+ on Patreon ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠…

Kelsi and Trey discuss the entertaining Jake Gyllenhaal legal thriller on Apple TV+ 'Presumed Innocent' and then explore Lee Isaac Chung's legacy remake/reboot (?) 'Twisters' starring Glen Powell and Daisy Edgar-Jones. Both are remolding their previous 1990s IP-- Presumed Innocent certainly had its exciting moments, but we mostly talk about how Twi…

Kelsi returns from her surgery to discuss some prestige TV in 'House of the Dragon' seasons 1 and 2, 'Presumed Innocent,' and 'The Bear' season 3. We also explore 'The Great British Bake Off,' 'Gilmore Girls,' and 'Friday Night Lights' among other TV and movies. House of the Dragon (7:06) Presumed Innocent (47:52) The Bear (01:16:29) The Great Brit…

Trey explores Oz Perkins' Longlegs starring Nicolas Cage and Maika Monroe. This episode covers the hyperbolic reaction to 2024s newest horror-suspense film, the atmospheric feat of its world-building, and why the film struggles to balance its ambitious commentary on the serial killer genre with its underbaked, supernatural 3rd act. Free members on …

Today is the beginning of our new series on the best movies of the 2020s with critics, podcasters, and filmmakers. We're joined in Part 1 of this series by critic, author, and professor Adam Nayman. He is one of our favorite critical writers in the film community; a truly sobering and thoughtful thinker. Today Adam has chosen to discuss four signif…

Trey explores Fx and Hulu's 'The Bear' Seasons 1, 2, and deep dives 3. The Bear has been quality TV for 2 seasons; a cohesive workplace psychodrama that understands the service industry led by Jeremy Allen White and Ayo Edebiri. With evocative filmmaking, memorable character work, and an exceptional kitchen atmosphere, the showrunners thoughtfully …

Trey discusses Kelsi's recent surgery and recovery, the future of The Extra Credits in the video space, and how free members on our Patreon can access full episodes of Alien, Silence of the Lambs, Ex Machina, and Midsommar for a limited time from June 30th - August 31st. Become a member of The Extra Credits+ on Patreon ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠…

Kelsi and Trey discuss Richard Linklater's Before Sunrise, Sunset, and Midnight in a ~4 hour deep dive about god, romance, and Kelsi being good at laser tag! We walk through this trilogy by exploring Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy's characters Jessie and Celine as they go through a tragic/romantic coming-of-age journey. These films span 20 years with …

Kelsi and Trey discuss Richard Linklater's career, style, and sensibilities in this deep dive of his newest film 'Hit Man'. Linklater returns to form as he attempts to satirize an American obsession with violence and true crime, while also empowering the ability to express ones self. Ultimately, the movie lives and dies by the magnetic performances…

Kelsi and Trey discuss Mad Max: Fury Road from the bizarre imagination of George Miller. This film features all-time great performances from Charlize Theron, Tom Hardy, and Nicholas Hoult as they help deliver one of the most frenetic and poignant action movies ever made. Our full 3+ hour discussion is exclusively on Patreon: WITNESS ME!!! Become a …

Trey is joined by director Wes Ball to discuss his adventure epic Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes. We explore his work on Maze Runner, the Planet of the Apes wider universe, and the subversive reexamination of the Caesar mythos. This discussion is spoiler-filled and for the real Ape heads! Wes Ball Shorts Become a member of The Extra Credits+ on …

Kelsi and Trey deep dive the epic odyssey of George Miller's Furiosa! We explore the psychological and physical battle through the wasteland as we follow Furiosa (Anya Taylor-Joy) fight for hope in the face of Dementus (Chris Hemsworth). Spoilers Begin (23:34) Become a member of The Extra Credits+ on Patreon ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠…

Topics covered include: The script as a spell to perform, sneaking around your parents house, career ending movie ideas, the inaugural podcast compliment break, work and savoring as the only true constants, riding the Spook-A-Rama under the influence at Coney Island, the G word, so many boring people, finding equilibrium after a film, Jane’s favori…

Kelsi and Trey explore the end of Caesar's trilogy with Matt Reeves' best Apes film War for the Planet of the Apes. We discuss how War corrects some of our problems with Dawn and how Caesar's arc finishes in a multi-genre epic dabbling in revenge western and religious parable narratives. We hope you enjoyed our series on Caesar! Become a member of …

Kelsi and Trey discuss why they are TEAM KOBA (mostly) in Matt Reeves' shakespearean, religious epic Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. We explore how the film is impressive in pacing, tone, and digital/practical world-building while also having moments of not fully realizing its character studies, especially with Koba, while still delivering one of t…

Kelsi and Trey explore the Caesar trilogy beginning with Rise of the Planet of the Apes. While this entertaining blockbuster feels more like a superhero movie than a thematically rich installment in the Apes franchise, it still rules in many ways. Andy Serkis's iconic performance as Caesar has created one of the more compelling trilogies of the 21s…

Kelsi and Trey discuss Wes Ball’s Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes as a successful adventure epic that thrills with its digital world-building and provokes with its subversive interrogations of the audience's relationship to Caesar. This is the 10th Apes installment and arguably one of the most ambitious of the 21st century; a compelling evolution…

Kelsi and Trey explore the career of Ryan Gosling through his newest semi-successful film The Fall Guy and then arguably his best performance in The Nice Guys. Gosling's career has taken many turns; from an indie darling in Half Nelson, to a stoic angry stunt driver in Drive, to the dreams of stardom in La La Land, and maybe no better than last yea…

Kelsi and Trey finish off their anti-war series and begin their Emily Blunt discussion with the very thrilling and politically complicated Denis Villeneuve's Sicario. This is a technical masterclass on several fronts; with an imposing performance from Benicio Del Toro, stunning photography from Roger Deakins, and a brutal soundtrack from the late-g…

Kelsi and Trey explore the convincing cinematic power of Luca Guadagnino’s Challengers. We also question the narrative’s internal logic with its character studies led by dynamic performances from Zendaya, Mike Faist, and (especially) Josh O’Connor. Then we discuss what makes Guadagnino’s films so compelling, from the bizarre technical motifs, the p…

We discuss one of the greatest cinematic representations of apocalyptic realism in Alfonso Cuarón’s Children of Men. This anti-war parable is covered in historical imagery and dystopian symbolism; a film subverting cautionary tale tropes with one of the most disturbing call-to-action movies ever made. Cuarón provokes contemporary conversations abou…

Kelsi and Trey react and deep dive Alex Garland’s Civil War. While a technical feat, Civil War is politically unchallenging and lacks a nuanced confrontation as an anti-war movie. Thankfully, Kirsten Dunst as a hollowed photojournalist on this road trip to D.C. with her dynamic co-stars Wagner Moura, Cailee Spaeny, and Stephen McKinley Henderson ke…

Kelsi and Trey discuss the divisive and widely misinterpreted Alex Garland's Men. This surrealist folk horror film uses conventions of the genre to explore the perpetual exploitation of women; depicting an absurd-level of imagery and symbolism specific to patriarchal mythology and the horror genre born out of it. Garland's Men, much like Jordan Pee…

Kelsi and Trey discuss the maze of Alex Garland's Ex Machina. We explore how this sci-fi puzzle tests the audience by provoking questions about constructs, consciousness, selective empathy, and who is guilty of exploiting the power of artificial intelligence. We also talk about Oscar Isaac's dance moves, Domhnall Gleeson's weirdo enegy, and Alicia …

Kelsi and Trey explore the most emotionally compelling and gripping movie of 2023 in Anatomy of a Fall. The film is being interpreted as a courtroom thriller and a whodunit, but its subversive focus is on the societal pressures and expectations of women, mothers, monogamy—a brilliant interrogation of genre and constructs. Triet imposes imagination …

Kelsi and Trey explore the movie landscape of 2023 by ranking our 20 favorite movies! This episode doesn't have any major-spoilers and there are tons of recommendations from the year. Time stamps for part 2 of our ranking are below. #10 (09:09) #9 (21:09) #8 (36:55) #7 (44:35) #6 (01:05:00) #5 (01:14:15) #4 (01:29:30) #3 (01:41:37) #2 (01:59:12) #1…

Kelsi and Trey explore the movie landscape of 2023 by ranking our 20 favorite movies! This episode doesn't have any major-spoilers and there are tons of recommendations from the year. Time stamps for part 1 of our ranking are below. #20 (22:00) #19 (34:40) #18 (42:00) #17 (50:27) #16 (59:45) #15 (01:04:30) #14 (01:09:45) #13 (01:19:47) #12 (01:32:3…

Kelsi and Trey give their immediate reactions to the 96th Academy Awards! We discuss the highlights of the Oscars, the nuance of Oppenheimer and Poor Things being praised, the complexities of Killers of the Flower Moon and Lily Gladstone being overlooked, the GOAT status of Justine Triet (insert P.I.M.P.), Cord Jefferson taking a shot at the indust…

Kelsi and Trey discover a throughline of Denis Villeneuve’s ambitious filmography while exploring the radical epic of ‘Dune: Part Two’. This subversive follow up to ‘Part One’ continues its indictment of fundamentalist empires through a grand scale chess game of intergalactic power. Villeneuve’s tonally ambiguous and mysterious adaptation of Frank …

Topics covered include: Wrinkly passports, being unable to operate any form of transportation, the Kim’s Video of 90s El Salvador, changelings, teenage obsessions with Sofia Coppola’s Marie Antoinette, scholarships for congeniality, night terrors, Julio’s short stint handing out chocolate samples at Fairway supermarkets, never-aired SNL sketches, t…

Kelsi and Trey explore the universe of 'Dune' and what makes Denis Villeneuve’s ambitious past decade of blockbuster filmmaking legendary. We discuss what makes 'Dune: Part Two' an epic in scope and scale, but how it might lack the intimacy and political caution of 'Part One'. After our reaction to 'Part Two' we deep dive 'Dune: Part One' for over …

Kelsi and Trey discuss for almost 4 HOURS how 'Portrait of a Lady on Fire' is Céline Sciamma's highly successful attempt at subverting conventions across cinema, storytelling, and history at large. Noémie Merlant and Adèle Haenel invent this echo of a romance to give us one of the great masterpieces of the 21st century. Become a member of The Extra…

Kelsi and Trey discuss the informal universe of Ridley Scott and Denis Villeneuve's project of Blade Runner set in a postmodern society where a few humans play god, consumerism is religion, and all of the human condition has been reduced to constructs and commodities. A lot to explore thematically with class and gender, as well as stylistically wit…