Talk Movies To Me
95 episodes - English - Latest episode: almost 2 years ago - ★★★★★ - 4 ratingsAs Hollywood falls into the same traps season after season, Rachel and Luke search out movies that, in ways large or small, break the monotony and provide new surprises and perspectives to their audience. Every month your favorite married co-hosts bring two episodes balancing compliments and critique of both mainstream and indie hits, as well as old favorites that have stood the test of time.
Homepage Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed
Episodes
Talk Men To Me
May 26, 2022 23:40 - 51 minutes - 36.9 MBFor a podcast that loved the last film written and directed by Alex Garland, Men was one of our most highly anticipated releases of the year. Unlike Annihilation, though, trying to make sense of Men feels like a losing battle. Still, that doesn't stop Luke and Rachel from devoting the majority of this episode to an analysis of that doozy of an ending (and why it felt so unsatisfying). We love horror movies that leave us thinking, but we can't help but feel like Men would have worked better i...
Talk Fresh To Me
May 22, 2022 04:27 - 52 minutes - 36.3 MBNever has the act of watching two people eat a well-prepared meatball been so uncomfortable as it is in Hulu's Fresh. A solid horror-thriller that is best enjoyed without knowing the full premise beforehand, Fresh admittedly left Luke and Rachel wanting a little something extra by the time the credits rolled. That said, great lead performances, smart cultural commentary, and an intriguing spin on the genre make this movie well worth streaming (for those who can stomach it).
Talk The Unbearable Weight of Everything Everywhere To Me
April 30, 2022 02:33 - 40 minutes - 28.9 MBThe Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent & Everything Everywhere All At Once have more in common than their equally wordy titles, although Luke and Rachel don't actually realize the similarities until midway through this episode. Regardless, it's another Talk Movies To Me double feature with two movies that include unhappy families, shifting genres, and ridiculous scenarios. You can probably guess which one does it better, but both films are more than fun enough to earn our recommendation.
Talk Turning Red To Me
April 18, 2022 01:40 - 42 minutes - 30.2 MBPixar's latest may have inspired a bizarre online controversy by telling a story that is specific and true to a certain upbringing, but Rachel and Luke believe that specificity is exactly what makes it so special. Yes, the film will be more relatable to those who were teenagers in the early 2000s, yet the universal themes of struggling with your own identity in the awkward transition between childhood and adulthood can be appreciated by anyone. By weaving authentic storytelling with common e...
Talk The Lost City To Me
March 31, 2022 02:18 - 23 minutes - 17.7 MBThe Lost City is a familiar story carried by fun performances and excellent chemistry between its leads (and also serves as a refreshingly light palate cleanser after The Batman's dark-as-can-be tone). It is not a challenging film nor an evolution of the action-romance genre, but entertaining characters and a regular supply of laughs create an undeniable good time nonetheless.
Talk The Batman To Me
March 17, 2022 02:41 - 1 hour - 44.4 MBTry to stick with us through this one because, if you stop listening before the end, you may take Luke's many unfavorable comparisons to The Dark Knight and Rachel's general anti-Batman sentiment to mean that we did not enjoy The Batman, but we did! While an imperfect film, The Batman's new interpretation of the titular hero left your cohosts excited for a sequel, which is really saying something considering how many different Batman reboots have come and gone in the past few decades. But fo...
Talk KIMI (and Jackass) To Me
February 27, 2022 23:52 - 50 minutes - 23.9 MBTalk Movies To Me arrives at the tail end of February to discuss the only two new films Luke and Rachel watched over the past month: Jackass Forever and KIMI. The former needs no critique as you already know whether or not you will enjoy the latest lowbrow (yet surprisingly wholesome) series of comedy skits from the Jackass crew. KIMI is something completely different, an intimate thriller about a woman pushing against the system to help someone in need. Unfortunately, despite an excellent s...
Talk Encanto To Me
January 29, 2022 01:56 - 49 minutes - 23.2 MBThe music of Encanto is a smash hit on TikTok and traditional music charts, but for some reason none of the songs really resonated with Luke and Rachel. The same can be said about much of the rest of the movie, which your hosts found to be perfectly pleasant without doing anything particularly outstanding or groundbreaking. Nevertheless, its core message about the things that define us and make us feel valued is unique and important, elevating the film from being another nice Disney movie to...
Talk Scream To Me
January 25, 2022 02:52 - 49 minutes - 22.7 MBTalk Movies To Me kicks off the new year by returning to form with a horror film, albeit one that openly mocks our preferred subgenre of "elevated horror." Some may be put off by how often this requel pokes fun at its own history, but Luke and Rachel had a blast witnessing all of the ways Scream subverts expectations without sacrificing its core identity as a more-than-competent slasher flick.
Talk 2021 To Me
December 31, 2021 22:40 - 1 hour - 35.9 MBRachel's heavy work schedule and her stubborn cold almost forced Talk Movies To Me to take a month-long holiday break, but Luke convinced her at the last minute to have a relaxed conversation about the noteworthy movies and television shows your hosts watched over the past year that didn't make it into any dedicated podcast episodes. Enjoy these (mostly) spoiler-free ramblings about the things we loved in 2021 and we'll see you again in the new year! TIMESTAMPS 5:59 - Dune 20:03 - Midn...
Talk Last Night in Soho To Me
November 30, 2021 03:50 - 42 minutes - 20.2 MBLast Night in Soho is plot-heavy with a bunch of little mysteries, so much of this episode's discussion lies behind a spoilers section. And while the magical first half is a delight for the senses, Soho's third act comes with a series of polarizing reveals that worked for Rachel, but not for Luke. If you've seen it too, let us know where you landed with a comment on our Instagram @talkmoviestomepodcast!
Talk Spencer To Me
November 25, 2021 03:18 - 42 minutes - 20.2 MBIn an episode that almost didn't happen due to a frustrating mishap on movie night, Luke and Rachel discuss Spencer, a Princess Diana biopic caked in the foreboding mood of a horror film. Driven by Kristen Stewart's talent for depicting discomfort, Spencer cuts through the glamour of royal life to highlight the miserable realities of being a modern-day princess.
Talk The Night House To Me
October 30, 2021 19:56 - 44 minutes - 20.7 MBJust in time for Halloween, Luke and Rachel look back to an August release for a strong conclusion to Spooky Season. With a small cast, moody atmosphere, building dread, and metaphorical interpretations for what we see on screen, The Night House is a quintessential Talk Movies To Me horror film and one of our favorite movies of the year.
Talk Venom: Let There Be Carnage To Me
October 23, 2021 22:12 - 35 minutes - 17 MBRachel has a thing for Venom. Specifically, Rachel has a thing for Venom's relationship with its host Eddie Brock, in an "I need fanfiction of this" sort of way. And in her defense, the bickering love between Venom and Eddie (and Tom Hardy's manic performance that comes with it) is the best part of the Venom movies. But unfortunately this is also a superhero movie, and something of a mediocre one at that, so even though Talk Movies To Me thinks you should see this weird mishmash of a film, w...
Talk Malignant To Me
September 29, 2021 03:59 - 38 minutes - 18.1 MBAfter weeks of being told very little about Malignant except that they needed to see it (by multiple people who weren't even sure if it was a good movie), Luke and Rachel finally discovered the secret truth: It's quite campy. Unfortunately, your hosts also discovered that they are not fans of camp, preferring their horror to fully commit to comedy instead of the so-bad-it's-good vibes that come from films like Malignant. Now two episodes into Spooky Season without any real winners, here's to...
Talk Candyman & Free Guy To Me
September 21, 2021 03:54 - 41 minutes - 19.5 MBTalk Movies To Me is making up for a single-episode August with a double feature, highlighting two films that have absolutely nothing in common except for the fact that they were both delayed a year due to COVID. Despite the many differences between the two movies, Luke and Rachel identify why the logical inconsistencies of Candyman led to disappointment while Free Guy's consistent characterization resulted in a fun experience that was better than it needed to be (and also recognizing how th...
Talk The Suicide Squad To Me
August 29, 2021 23:59 - 49 minutes - 24.4 MBDelayed by a vacation and a surgery, Luke and Rachel will only be delivering one episode this month to discuss The Suicide Squad. Not to be confused with the 2016 film of (almost) the same name, The Suicide Squad is a different kind of superhero movie that is full of profanity, gore, and shocking moments (most of which involve profanity and gore). It doesn't always work, but the moments that do make it well worth a watch for those in need of some dumb fun.
Talk The Forever Purge To Me
July 30, 2021 01:06 - 49 minutes - 23.6 MBWhile this episode is specifically about The Forever Purge, it also serves as a retrospective of The Purge franchise overall. Despite admitting that none of the five Purge films are "good movies," Rachel has had a strange fascination with the series since the first one. To her credit, it is very weird that a series known for stylish hyper-violence is full of progressive messaging and maintains a consistent position that violence is bad. Confused? Don't worry, Luke is too, so we're leaning on...
Talk Werewolves Within To Me
July 20, 2021 04:01 - 32 minutes - 16.1 MBWerewolves Within is one of the best-reviewed video game movies of all time, but as a film it is only adequate (with an exclamation point, according to Luke's notes). That isn't the worst news, considering the genre; blending horror and comedy together requires a delicate balance of tone that often results in failure. And Werewolves Within is by no means a failure, it just isn't doing anything to exceed expectations set by the simple premise of a werewolf hunting the quirky members of a litt...
Talk Luca To Me
June 29, 2021 02:58 - 49 minutes - 23.7 MBIn an episode as relaxed as Luca's idyllic Italian Riviera, Luke and Rachel's conversation takes the scenic route through an appreciation of kid art and an investigation into Luke's unexpected tolerance of daydreaming depictions for someone with a fierce hatred of traditional dream sequences. While the movie's simple and pleasant coming-of-age tale is refreshing for an animated film, glib treatment of some important underlying themes keeps Luca from becoming another timeless classic for Pixar.
Talk Censor To Me
June 27, 2021 01:54 - 44 minutes - 20.9 MBIs this striking woman on a banned VHS tape just an actress, or actually a long-lost sister in need of rescue? Luke and Rachel recently ventured out to a showing of Censor at a nearby arthouse theater to find answers. Whether this brooding psychological horror film succeeds in keeping its mysteries a secret until the final reveal is up for debate, but Censor is nonetheless an impressive feature-length directorial debut about a woman who is willing to do anything and everything to maintain a ...
Talk Raya and the Last Dragon To Me
May 31, 2021 21:16 - 48 minutes - 23.3 MBAfter covering 24 movies in a row from home, Talk Movies To Me is finally back in theaters! And despite initially being more excited by that fact alone than actually watching Raya and the Last Dragon, Luke and Rachel were pleasantly surprised by the film and all of its gorgeous worldbuilding, even wishing the story had been spread across multiple films to allow a deeper dive into the many unique cultures created for this original fantasy tale. However, with the worldbuilding also comes world...
Talk The Mitchells vs. the Machines To Me
May 19, 2021 01:08 - 40 minutes - 19.5 MBOn the cusp of Luke and Rachel being able to safely return to movie theaters for the first time in over a year, The Mitchells vs. the Machines reminds us that straight-to-streaming releases can still be just as fun as seeing something on the big screen. While not a perfect package, the excellent animation, well-written characters, and constant humor earn forgiveness for any shortcomings along the way, making The Mitchells vs. the Machines one of the best animated movies since Into the Spider...
Talk Stowaway To Me
April 30, 2021 04:00 - 39 minutes - 18.9 MBStowaway is unusual for a space exploration sci-fi film in that its story is small, simple, and mostly grounded in reality. Instead, it finds subtler ways to subvert your expectations - when was the last time you saw a space movie without a white man in the cast? - and stands out among a sea of Netflix Originals by keeping a tight plot and maintaining excellent pacing from beginning to end.
Talk I Care a Lot To Me
April 24, 2021 04:04 - 42 minutes - 20.3 MBI Care a Lot is a movie about bad people. Marla Grayson, our greedy leading lady, admits that she is bad in her opening narration, and the Russian crime lord coming after her isn't any better. Yet despite the lack of a moral center to ground the film, I Care a Lot succeeds thanks to strong performances and fun twists throughout, remaining entertaining to the end no matter who you root for.
Talk Saint Maud To Me
March 31, 2021 02:36 - 42 minutes - 19.7 MBTalk Movies To Me tackles another directorial debut this episode with Saint Maud, an unsettling film about a young religious devotee who believes she is on a mission from God to save the soul of a woman in her care. Despite being more of an emotionally-distant character study than a pure horror, the horror elements that do exist in Saint Maud are so effectively done that Luke and Rachel cannot wait to see what director Rose Glass does next.
Talk Happily To Me
March 23, 2021 02:25 - 36 minutes - 17.2 MBHappily presents a fun premise of a too-perfect couple, top-secret government meddling, and sudden murder by our protagonists, and Luke and Rachel spend the majority of this episode trying to make sense of how it all wraps up. Unfortunately, Happily's many mysteries prove to be hollow and without explanation, and the lazy absence of resolution is pointedly devoid of deeper meaning without even trying to be clever.
Talk Nomadland To Me
February 28, 2021 20:42 - 34 minutes - 16.2 MBOne of the best-reviewed films from 2020 is also one more concerned about characters and culture than a central plot, leading to a wandering conversation that is actually fitting for a movie full of wanderers. An exploration of a part of society not often seen, Nomadland uses real human stories of modern-day nomads to guide its narrative, showcasing a lifestyle that can be challenging and lonely yet fulfilling and transcendent all at once.
Talk The New Mutants To Me
February 10, 2021 03:40 - 41 minutes - 19.7 MBThree years ago on this very podcast, Luke and Rachel shared their excitement to see a superhero horror film that would be releasing in a few short months ... or so they thought. Now, after avoiding competing films, changing studio hands, and surviving a global pandemic, The New Mutants has finally made its way to Talk Movies To Me. And yet, despite all that anticipation and the best attempts by your co-hosts to focus on the positive, it's just not a good movie.
Talk Promising Young Woman To Me
January 20, 2021 03:09 - 1 hour - 28 MBLuke and Rachel expected Promising Young Woman to be a fun revenge thriller about a femme fatale carving a bloody path through the would-be predators of her local club scene. What they got instead was so much more, a deeply personal critique of obsessive revenge, rape culture, double-standards - and it's better because of it, with a final act that needs to be seen without spoilers. As only the third film to elicit more than an hour of podcast discussion, Promising Young Woman earns a major T...
Talk Soul To Me
December 31, 2020 21:22 - 49 minutes - 23 MBIn a year that left so many feeling aimless, Soul delivers an important message about embracing the little moments. It isn't perfect, with an emotional impact that is perhaps compromised further due to a non-theatrical viewing experience. However, like Inside Out, Pixar's latest original film succeeds by doing what the studio does best: capturing the essential aspects of life and personifying what it means to be human.
Talk Happiest Season To Me
December 09, 2020 03:19 - 46 minutes - 22.8 MBEvery December Hallmark, Lifetime, and other production companies flood the market with Christmas-themed romantic comedies, but very few of them feature a lesbian leading couple as seen in Happiest Season. Although this Hulu Original doesn't attempt to subvert the genre further, maybe it doesn't have to. After all, 2020 is finally coming to a close and we could all use a happy ending.
Talk Run To Me
November 24, 2020 03:04 - 35 minutes - 17 MBA horror thriller about being trapped in a house isn't exactly an original concept, nor is one about a creepy caregiver restraining someone against their will, but Run manages to stand out by making its victim so vulnerable that even the act of going down the stairs becomes a monumental feat. With well-written characters in a believable setting, Luke and Rachel came away pleasantly surprised from this high-anxiety Hulu Original Film.
Talk Monsters To Me
October 31, 2020 17:06 - 51 minutes - 24.1 MBHappy Halloween! This year Rachel and Luke are reliving childhood fears as they discuss the five movie monsters that scared them most as kids (along with a few bonus horrors because no Talk Movies To Me list arrives without a side of honorable mentions). Try to guess which monsters will make their lists and share your own answers on our Instagram post @talkmoviestomepodcast!
Talk Vampires vs. the Bronx / Extra Ordinary To Me
October 25, 2020 21:51 - 45 minutes - 22.3 MBThe double features keep coming as Talk Movies To Me enters the Halloween season to review two fun but imperfect horror comedies. In Vampires vs. the Bronx, three teenagers suspect that the real estate company buying up the neighborhood may have more blood-thirsty motives than simple gentrification. Meanwhile, Extra Ordinary tells a more personal story of a woman forced to confront her own insecurities of communicating with spirits to save a friend's daughter from ritual sacrifice. Although ...
Talk I'm Thinking of Ending Things To Shirley
September 30, 2020 01:26 - 44 minutes - 21.6 MBIt's a Talk Movies To Me double feature as your hosts attempt to discuss two films that left both of them feeling a bit stumped. Instead of delivering a pair of normal episodes, Luke and Rachel are here now to figure out exactly why I'm Thinking of Ending Things and Shirley seem so difficult to critique on the podcast.
Talk Bill & Ted To Me
September 06, 2020 21:57 - 45 minutes - 21.5 MBThe most likable airheads in cinema return after nearly 30 years to once again share their undying positivity with the world (a gesture that feels extra comforting in 2020). While not flawless, Bill & Ted Face The Music is shockingly successful for a sequel so long in the making and a blissful reprieve from reality that will leave you wishing everyone could be more excellent to each other.
Talk Relic To Me
August 28, 2020 04:05 - 51 minutes - 24.3 MBDoes a movie need to work on a surface level to be satisfying and enjoyable? That's the main question from today's episode, discussed at length as Luke and Rachel react to the surprising final reveals in the creeping-dread horror film Relic (safely tucked away behind a spoiler warning for those who have yet to see it, of course). Despite the polarizing ending, an eerie atmosphere and excellent use of subtle scares still make Relic an easy recommendation for fans of small-scale horror.
Talk Yes, God, Yes To Me
July 29, 2020 01:21 - 44 minutes - 20.5 MBPairing religious guilt with sexual self-discovery (not to mention a masterful double entendre of a title), Yes, God, Yes is a new coming-of-age film full of awkward comedy, the inevitable result of teaching strict morality lessons to hormonal teenagers. While Rachel relates better to an upbringing of Christian intensity than Luke does, both agree that Yes, God, Yes works well for anyone who remembers the discomfort of just trying to fit in.
Talk Palm Springs To Me
July 14, 2020 03:57 - 51 minutes - 24.6 MBPalm Springs is another one of those infinite time loop situations you might have heard about. Like Groundhog Day and the handful of other stories it inspired, an eternal daily reset button grants our characters a unique opportunity for self-reflection and personal improvement. And although your cohosts consider themselves to be fans of this hyper-specific time travel subgenre, does Palm Springs pull off its character-centric themes well enough to win them over? Unlike most episodes of Talk ...
Talk Hiatus To Me
June 27, 2020 23:24 - 10 minutes - 5.09 MBLuke and Rachel return with a podcast update after nearly a month away. In short, 2020's been a rough ride and we're taking a break to keep our mental and emotional health in check. So stay safe, wear a mask, and we'll be back soon.
Talk The Lovebirds To Me
May 30, 2020 21:31 - 40 minutes - 19.5 MBAnother movie intended for theaters that was picked up by a streaming service during the ongoing pandemic, The Lovebirds reunites director Michael Showalter with actor Kumail Nanjiani after the breakout success of The Big Sick. While lighter and less revolutionary than that 2017 sleeper hit, The Lovebirds still delivers fast fun held together by strong comedic chemistry between the two leads as they are forced to scramble through the city to solve a murder mystery just as their relationship ...
Talk The Lodge To Me
May 20, 2020 02:33 - 39 minutes - 18.6 MBThe Lodge is an uncomfortable viewing experience even aside from the fact that it features people stuck in an isolated home with no hope in sight, so please conduct a personal mental health check before proceeding if you're currently living through a global pandemic. Paranoia and religious trauma abound as the tension builds in this horror-thriller of unexplainable events. Is it supernatural? Cult activity? Something else entirely? Like the best of its kind, The Lodge reveals answers that ar...
Talk Bad Education To Me
April 29, 2020 01:43 - 38 minutes - 18.9 MBTheaters are still closed across the country but Talk Movies To Me is actually bringing you a conversation about a new film this week with HBO's Bad Education (though not before some talk about why Luke and Rachel couldn't even bother to finish watching Bad Boys). Administrative white-collar crime may sound dry, but a brilliant Hugh Jackman performance paired with masterfully-gradual reveals make this true story about the largest-ever embezzlement scandal within the American public school sy...
Talk Tangled To Me
April 22, 2020 03:22 - 53 minutes - 25.4 MBLike everyone else in the country at the time of this release, Luke and Rachel are isolated indoors, afraid of contacting coronavirus ... and Tangled has never felt more relatable. Rapunzel, too, leads an isolated existence, only instead of a pandemic, she was raised to fear all things outside her tower that inhabit the Kingdom of Corona (yes, that is actually the name of the land in this movie). But there are far more reasons to watch Tangled beyond coincidences tied to current events! Tune...
Talk Frozen 2 To Me
March 31, 2020 02:06 - 46 minutes - 22.5 MBYou should know something right away: We did not like Frozen 2. If that reveal frustrates you, please skip this episode. There is more than enough upsetting information in the world right now and we don't want to ruin any good moods. For those still with us, Talk Movies To Me is taking advantage of Disney's decision to release the four-month-old sequel to Frozen onto its streaming service ahead of schedule while everybody is staying inside during this global pandemic. Luke and Rachel know th...
Talk Onward To Me
March 17, 2020 01:06 - 44 minutes - 20.9 MBLuke and Rachel recently risked a trip to the theater to see Onward, the worst-reviewed Pixar movie that isn't a Cars sequel, just before the coronavirus really scared everyone away from going out in public. Was it worth it? And, perhaps more importantly, does this familiar fantasy even feel like a Pixar movie? (What does that even mean anyway?) All this and more as your favorite podcouple discusses what does and doesn't work with the first of two Pixar originals releasing in 2020.
Talk Shaun the Sheep Farmageddon To Me
February 23, 2020 18:00 - 36 minutes - 18.2 MBLuke and Rachel love Shaun the Sheep's first full-length feature from 2015 (and stop-motion animation in general), but the somewhat-derivative lost alien plot of Farmageddon had them both hesitant going into this sequel. Fortunately, the rapid-fire sarcastic humor and abundance of visual gags remain intact with Shaun and his friends, more than making up for a story that feels a little less satisfying than the last one.
Talk Parasite To Me
February 18, 2020 03:36 - 46 minutes - 22.3 MBFollowing a history-making Academy Awards run, Parasite gets the Talk Movies To Me treatment as Luke and Rachel fill one of the major holes from their 2019 discussion. While there is a lot of social commentary symbolism to unpack (and a bunch more that this podcouple definitely missed), part of the reason Parasite is so successful is that it excels as an entertaining thriller even without the metaphors. Conquer your fear of reading subtitles and settle in for one of last year's best films.
Talk 2019 To Me
January 21, 2020 03:24 - 1 hour - 39.6 MBDespite a temporary recording space (these echoes won't be permanent) and Rachel not yet setting foot in a Florida theater, your favorite podcouple rings in the new year just as they have in the past (albeit a few weeks late) to highlight favorites and stumbles from 2019 in film. From wonderful surprises to absolute disasters, Talk Movies To Me closes out another 12 months of podcasting with a monster episode of movie talk and a big "Thank you!" to everyone who is still out there listening.