The Strange Harbors Podcast

This week we're diving into Todd Field's first film in over 16 years: the searing, thorny Tár. We talk about the film's timely themes, its surprising humor, and the towering performances by Cate Blanchett and Nina Hoss. A portrait of a woman undone by the ego of her own genius, Tár is one of the year's most talked about films.

The sequel to Ryan Coogler's game-changing, culture-shifting Black Panther is finally here. Reconfiguring an already-written screenplay as a moving tribute to the late Chadwick Boseman, Wakanda Forever already gets points for degree of difficulty alone. It’s sprawling, shaggy, and overstuffed, but leave it to Ryan Coogler to pull off the miraculous feat of deftly threading real-life tragedy with cultural acuity and an affecting superhero story on grief, loss, and the cycle of violence. Listen to our thoughts!

Men and their decimated kinships unraveled upon the screen, richly textured and frequently uproarious, Martin McDonagh's The Banshees of Inisherin explores evaporating bonds, crushing loneliness, and enmity in grotesque escalation. We discuss the playwright's latest and his intimate account of a detonating friendship, starring Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson, Barry Keoghan, and Kerry Condon. This is The Banshees of Inisherin.

“The closer you look, the harder you fall.” Park Chan-wook cross-pollinates a police procedural with a femme fatale romance in his latest film. Swirling around two lost souls navigating a web of murder, deceit, and desire to desperately cling to their perverse affair, Decision to Leave is a sensual puzzle box. We discuss the illustrious director's filmography, the painterly craft behind the movie, and the inscrutable Tang Wei.

This week, we're wrapping up our discussion of the first season of House of the Dragon and its final three episodes. Derek is on vacation for one more week, so Jeff and Amir sit down and discuss the home stretch of the inaugural season of this much-hyped Game of Thrones spinoff. Does it stick the landing? Tune in and find out.

Is the hierarchy of power in the DC Universe really about to change? We review the DCEU's latest, Jaume Collett-Serra's Black Adam, a superhero film almost 20 years in the making. How is Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson as the Shazam-powered antihero? We discuss that, the Justice Society of America, the big cameo, and more.

This week, we discuss the new AMC series, Interview with the Vampire. A new adaptation of Anne Rice's The Vampire Chronicles, we compare the new series - starring Jacob Anderson and Sam Reid - to Neil Jordan's 1994 film and delve into this modernization. How do the new Louis and Lestat stack up against the classic performances from Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise? Tune in and find out.

Game of Thrones is back! This week, we discuss the OTHER big-budget fantasy series on the air right now, House of the Dragon. With its first big time jump out of the way, this is the perfect opportunity to discuss and review the series. We talk about the legacy of its parent series, and whether or not it's worth watching, especially if you were burned by the final season of Game of Thrones. Tune in and hear our thoughts.

Tony Gilroy returns to the Star Wars universe to helm Andor, a new Disney Plus series serving as the origin story for Rogue One’s morally ambiguous rebel spy. A refreshing bottom-up approach eschewing retreads and cameos, Andor breaks new ground detailing the everymen of Star Wars, the oppressive rot of The Empire, and the broiling foment of rebellion. Tune in for our review of the first three episodes.

Can creepy murder dungeons be included in a house’s square footage on Zillow? We talk everything Barbarian, director Zach Cregger's sleeper horror hit that's taken the country by storm. Surprisingly funny with nasty surprises, gore-hounds and squirm-fiends with appetites for the sick stuff will have a great time. Tune in to hear our thoughts!

Amazon Prime Video's big streaming play and the most expensive series ever made, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, is finally here. Taking place during the murky Second Age of Middle-Earth with dangers known and unknown lurking, does this sprawling fantasy epic live up to its deep pockets? We discuss fantasy television, Peter Jackson, Tolkien purists, and some of the controversy surrounding the show.

Australian director George Miller returns with his first feature since 2015's Mad Max: Fury Road with Three Thousand Years of Longing. A fable for adults, the film stars Tilda Swinton and Idris Elba in a fateful encounter between a nebbish narratologist and wish-granting Djinn. Join us as we discuss the film's oddly misleading marketing, what the film tells us about the power of stories, and our full thoughts on the movie.

Nathan Fielder returns to television with his indescribably bizarre new series: The Rehearsal, now streaming on HBO Max. Part social experiment, part docuseries, part meta comedy, and all head trip, The Rehearsal uses Fielder's brand of puppet mastery to help people prepare for the big events and confrontations of their lives. We dive deep into this uproarious new show and the moral implications of Fielder's manipulations.

This week, we dive into the resident mind-melter from this year's Sundance Film Festival, Andrew Semans' psychological horror film, Resurrection, starring Rebecca Hall and Tim Roth. A tale about motherhood, hidden pasts, and the limits of control, Resurrection unspools a single mother’s crushing secret in a steely structure that belies its brazen, outrageous horror. And you bet we talk about its doozy of an ending that left us divided.

This week we're talking about the latest installment of the wildly uneven Predator franchise, Dan Trachtenberg's back-to-basics Prey, which stars Amber Midthunder and Dakota Beavers as 18th Century Comanche hunters squaring off with a deadly alien threat. We discuss the movie's strange release as a streaming-only title and dive deep into Predator history: our favorite entries, the awfulness of 2018's The Predator, and how Prey fares against its predecessors.

This week we're filling in a lull in programming by discussing THE action musical sensation of the year, S. S. Rajamouli's Tollywood epic, RRR. Available on Netflix in dubbed Hindi or on the ZEE5 streaming platform in its native Telugu, RRR is one of the wildest, most entertaining movies you'll see this year. Do you know...Naatu?

This week, we're diving deep into Jordan Peele's third feature film after 2017's Get Out and 2019's Us: Nope. Does Peele solidify his horror chops with a hat trick? Or is this UFO mystery his first flop? Stick around and find out!

This week, we're talking about the third - and latest - Star Trek series streaming on Paramount Plus, which just wrapped its first season. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is a new approach to this new era of Trek. Following Discovery and Picard, can Strange New Worlds break new ground? Or is it another case of diminishing returns for the franchise? Tune in and find out!

This week, we're discussing the silly - and divisive - Ragnarok redux, Thor: Love and Thunder. The third lowest rated Marvel Cinematic Universe entry on Rotten Tomatoes, the latest Odinson adventure from the mind of Taika Waititi has people wondering: Are we turning on the MCU? We discuss the movie, its critical reception, and our own - perhaps surprising - opinions.

Can you still squeeze juice out of the musical biopic formula? Baz Luhrmann - madman director of films such as Romeo+Juliet, Moulin Rouge, and The Great Gatsby - is sure up to the challenge. Austin Butler gives a tour de force performance as Elvis Presley, the King of Rock and Roll, but is the rest of the film up to snuff? We debate in this week's episode.

This week, we discuss one of the most hyped and anticipated horror movies of the year, Scott Derrickson's The Black Phone. 10 years ago, Derrickson and frequent collaborator C. Robert Cargill terrorized us with snuff films and Bughuul in Sinister, a film that science has deemed "the scariest movie ever." Now, their new film, The Black Phone, aims to recapture that magic with Ethan Hawke once again. Does it succeed? Tune in and find out!

Amir is out this week for a big move, but Jeff and Derek get together to talk about the latest Disney Plus Star Wars series, Obi-Wan Kenobi, which brings back Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christiansen, reprising their iconic roles from the Star Wars prequel trilogy. How does the show fare amongst its streaming Star Wars contemporaries? Is there still juice left to squeeze from the oft-tread sands of Tatooine? Tune in and find out!

David Cronenberg is back! This week, we're discussing the latest sci-fi mind-bender with Crimes of the Future, starring Viggo Mortensen, Léa Seydoux, and Kristen Stewart. Come for Cronenberg’s body horror resurgent, stay for the perfect weirdo performances. This is a weird one!

This week, we're talking about the long awaited, long delayed Top Gun: Maverick, directed by Joseph Kosinski. We discuss Tom Cruise and his inimitable star power, his filmography, and his absolute commitment to analog spectacle. Top Gun: Maverick is one of the year's best action films, and it's nothing like you've ever seen. Listen along!

Men, am I right? This week we're split on Alex Garland's latest mind-melting horror film, Men. Starring Jessie Buckley, Rory Kinnear, and Papaa Essiedu, the film follows a beleaguered Harper Marlowe as she grapples with the creepy denizens of a remote town, all wearing the same face. What did we think of the movie and its wild third act? Tune in and find out.

A casual episode of The Strange Harbors Podcast, we catch up on all the things we've been watching this year that we haven't covered on the pod. This week, we're talking about shows such as Severance, Winning Time, The Afterparty, Hacks, The Staircase, Better Call Saul, Outer Range, and Halo. We also take a look at the new meta Nicolas Cage buddy comedy, The Unbearable Weight Massive Talent.

Arguably the biggest film of the year so far, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is finally here. Does it blow the doors off the multiverse concept? Does legendary horror maestro Sam Raimi get to flex his muscles? What's next for the Marvel Cinematic Universe? Tune into our discussion and find out!

This week, we make an auspicious return to covering more television with Disney Plus' new Marvel series, Moon Knight, which wrapped up this past week. How does the show fare in adapting one of Marvel's most complex characters? We discuss the character, its difficulty in translating onto the screen, and Oscar Isaac's killer performance playing multiple roles.

This week, we're talking Robert Eggers and his latest, metal as hell Viking revenge epic, The Northman. Breathing new life into sword and sorcery following The Witch and The Lighthouse, The Northman returns Hamlet back to its Nordic roots with an epic scope, a bigger budget, and a thirstier bloodlust. What did we all think? Tune in and find out.

Everyone is yelling, everything is exploding, and nothing makes any sense in Michael Bay’s breakneck heist actioner, Ambulance. And that’s exactly why it’s delightful. This week, we're discussing everyone's favorite auteur and his divisive filmography, his latest film, and a Jake Gyllenhaal performance for the ages. Let's take a ride in Michael Bay's Ambulance.

Verse-jump into the most fun you'll have at the movies this year. Exploding intimate family drama into a multiverse-hopping, martial arts, sci-fi epic, Everything Everywhere All at Once is a blast of inventive genre fiction. We talk its zany creativity, its kinetic action, and the themes at the movie's heart.

With the news of Bruce Willis' retirement from acting, we're diving deep into the venerated actor's storied career. We discuss hits and misses, his place in the action star pantheon, and of course, our personal favorite Bruce Willis movies. Join us as we say farewell to a legend.

Who won big at the Oscars and who went home empty handed? We discuss the good, the bad, and the ugly of the 94th annual Academy Awards, and of course, the big slap at the center of it all.

With bloody slasher mayhem unspooling on a porn set, Ti West’s latest slice of brutality, X, brings the nudity and gore, but underneath its vintage horror pastiche lies a sex-positive, beating heart that examines the cutting power of jealousy and the unforgiving cruelty of time. What did we think of this throwback slasher? Tune in and find out!

Within the glut of modern superhero fiction on the big screen, Matt Reeves’ The Batman is a stylish, revitalizing tonic. A coming-of-age story grafted onto a pitch-black noir, the film plants the seeds for The World’s Greatest Detective and strikes at the beating hearts of Batman, the Waynes, and Gotham City. How does the latest Caped Crusader stack up within the character's storied history of film adaptations? Hear our thoughts with the latest episode!

Leave it to Steven Spielberg to spin a stage-to-screen retread into dazzling, cinematic gold. 2021’s West Side Story wisely retains its original orchestrations while injecting depth into its conflicts and modern verve into its visuals, mining multiple star-making performances out of its sprawling cast. This week, we discuss Spielberg's legendary filmography as well as his latest, and his very first, movie musical.

With his latest film Kimi, Steven Soderbergh appropriates the inelegance of pandemic dramas and tech gimmicks to craft a crackling paranoid thriller. On this week's episode we discuss the experimental filmmaker's filmography, his latest film, and the merits and pitfalls of pandemic filmmaking. What did we all think of Kimi? Tune in and find out.

This week, we're discussing two completely unrelated topics: the recently revealed Oscar nominations, and the cult horror favorite, David Prior's under-the-radar The Empty Man, which is now streaming on HBO Max. We dive into Oscar surprises and snubs, and then a full review of the chilling secrets and ontological dread of The Empty Man.

Guillermo del Toro's gorgeously bleak remake of the 1947 noir, Nightmare Alley, is now streaming on HBO Max and Hulu. This week, we discuss the famed director's filmography and his latest journey into darkness, which stars Bradley Cooper, Rooney Mara, Cate Blanchett, Willem Dafoe, and Toni Collette.

This week, we're talking Peacemaker, James Gunn's HBO Max spinoff of last year's The Suicide Squad, starring John Cena, Danielle Brooks, Freddie Stroma, Jennifer Holland, and Steve Agee. We dive right into its blast of an opening credits, its sick sense of humor, and the weird state of the DC Comics canon. Tune in!

Yellowjackets is the buzziest show on TV that has taken the Internet by storm. Showtime's genre mashup that crosses Lost with Lord of the Flies is part survival epic, part psychological horror story, and part coming-of-age drama. Tune in as we recap and recount the entire first season with theories looking forward and the theories that didn't pan out.

Last week, we took a look at some of our favorite movies and shows from 2021. Now, we're looking forward. Join us as we go through our most anticipated movies and series coming in 2022. From new Martin Scorsese to new Robert Eggers to a ton of returning franchises and sequels, 2022 is looking to be jam-packed year.

2021. Another year down, COVID is still raging, and things are looking pretty grim for movie theaters out there. The pandemic has transformed the cinematic landscape into a tempest of uncertainty, with only the most gargantuan of tentpoles being sure things at the box office. But just because profitability is scarce doesn’t mean movies are dead. Just to name a few gems, this year saw lush Arthurian legend come to life, a new freewheeling Paul Thomas Anderson flick, Ridley Scott in his element, and fresh bloodcurdling horrors. Tune in and follow along as Jeff, Derek, and Amir count down their lists.

The final episode of 2021! This week, we talk about Lana Wachowski's divisive sci-fi romance, The Matrix Resurrections, which finds Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss returning for a fourth installment. A strange film that is most likely not what you would expect from a sequel to one of the best films of the last three decades, The Matrix Resurrections contains multitudes and multitudes of layers. We're firmly split down the middle on this one. Which side will you come down on? Tune in and find out.

The biggest movie of the year, Marvel's Spider-Man: No Way Home, is finally here. Tom Holland's third solo outing as the web-slinger has built up an unbelievable amount of hype. Does the movie, with its slew of villains and surprise guests, live up to the hype? We discuss the film, what it means to be Spider-Man, and the future of the franchise.

Long-delayed and eagerly anticipated, Paul Verhoeven’s incisive take on “nunsploitation” is finally here. There will be many to point out Benedetta's racy sex scenes and its high lesbian camp, but the film is so much more than that. This week, we discuss Verhoeven's filmography, his latest sprawling satire, and its abundance of themes.

Welcome to the Ridley Scott Power Hour, a jam-packed episode in which we talk about the esteemed director's filmography and dive deep into the two films he's made this year: House of Gucci and The Last Duel. We review the films and discuss their themes, their performances, and the unique controversies surrounding each. Tune in!

Hope everyone enjoyed their Thanksgiving holiday! This week, we're back discussing Marvel's latest Disney Plus series, Hawkeye, starring Hailee Steinfeld as Kate Bishop and Jeremy Renner as Clint Barton. What did we think of the front half of this street-level romp? Who's the big villain teased in the third episode? Tune in and find out!

One of the most anticipated films - and one of the most anticipated performances - of the year is here in the form of Pablo Larraín's Spencer, starring Kristen Stewart as Diana, Princess of Wales. This week, we discuss this psychological horror film disguised as a biopic, the searing performance at its center, and Princess Diana herself.

This week, we're discussing Chloé Zhao's foray into the Marvel Cinematic Universe: the sprawling, messy, and oh-so-divisive Eternals. An overlong epic that attempts to balance Zhao's humanist themes with Jack Kirby's cosmic corner of Marvel, Eternals is a fascinating film trying to do a lot of things. Is it successful? Tune in and find out.