Special guest Mike Overhulse of the Mad Men Men podcast joins Jon Negroni and Will Ashton to break down Mission: Impossible – Final Reckoning, the latest (and possibly final?) installment in the long-running spy franchise starring Tom Cruise as the ever-unbreakable Ethan Hunt. Directed once again by Christopher McQuarrie, the film sends the IMF team on a high-octane collision course with a rogue AI known as The Entity, in what may be the most self-aware entry in the series to date.

Jon, Will, and Mike unpack the film’s jaw-dropping action sequences, its tangled narrative web, and how Final Reckoning reflects a growing anxiety in Hollywood around digital threats both on and off the screen. They debate the movie’s emotional stakes, its increasingly meta commentary on Cruise’s career, and whether this half of the story sticks the landing as a standalone film.

Links:

• Read Jon's critic review of the film here!
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Will Ashton returns with a solo Instant Take on Another Simple Favor, the Amazon Prime sequel to Paul Feig’s 2018 suburban noir comedy-thriller A Simple Favor. With Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively reprising their roles, this follow-up heads to Italy for a destination wedding filled with secrets, frenemy tension, and stylish intrigue.

Will breaks down what works—and what fizzles—in this second helping. Despite a few fun twists and an appealing setting in Capri, the film struggles to recapture the charm of the original. Kendrick’s character lacks clear evolution, while Lively’s return, though enjoyable, can’t quite carry the film through its sillier and more uneven second half.

With vibes that feel more White Lotus than Gone Girl, Another Simple Favor tries to balance camp, crime, and couture. Will questions whether this sequel really needed to exist at all, comparing it to other lackluster follow-ups (The Whole Ten Yards, anyone?) that get the gang back together but forget the plot.

If you were a fan of the first film, there are still some moments of cheeky fun—like a memorable truth serum scene—but overall, this one might leave you regretting asking for more.

Links:

• Email your feedback for the show to cinemaholicspodcast [at] gmail.com
• Join our Discord and chat with us! We have a Cinemaholics channel here.
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Will Ashton returns with another Instant Take, this time tackling The Amateur, a new action-thriller starring Rami Malek (Mr. Robot, Bohemian Rhapsody) as a surveillance tech expert turned reluctant vigilante. With a vibe that borrows from Death Wish and Jason Bourne, the film delivers slick set pieces, familiar genre beats, and a central performance that’s more restrained than revolutionary.

Will explores how The Amateur flirts with deeper character nuance, particularly in its depiction of Malek’s potentially autistic-coded lead. Though the film never explicitly confirms it, the character’s traits raise questions about representation in action movies and whether the film embraces or falls back on tired tropes.

Alongside Malek, the film features a solid supporting cast: Rachel Brosnahan (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel), Laurence Fishburne, John Bernthal, Holt McCallany (Mindhunter), and Julianne Nicholson. Some standout moments include inventive “trap-like” set pieces and moody, high-rise shootouts that pop in premium formats. But Will questions if that’s enough to elevate an otherwise middle-of-the-road revenge thriller.

Will Ashton returns with another Instant Take, this time tackling The Amateur, a new action-thriller starring Rami Malek (Mr. Robot, Bohemian Rhapsody) as a surveillance tech expert turned reluctant vigilante. With a vibe that borrows from Death Wish and Jason Bourne, the film delivers slick set pieces, familiar genre beats, and a central performance that’s more restrained than revolutionary.

Will explores how The Amateur flirts with deeper character nuance, particularly in its depiction of Malek’s potentially autistic-coded lead. Though the film never explicitly confirms it, the character’s traits raise questions about representation in action movies and whether the film embraces or falls back on tired tropes.

Alongside Malek, the film features a solid supporting cast: Rachel Brosnahan (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel), Laurence Fishburne, John Bernthal, Holt McCallany (Mindhunter), and Julianne Nicholson. Some standout moments include inventive “trap-like” set pieces and moody, high-rise shootouts that pop in premium formats. But Will questions if that’s enough to elevate an otherwise middle-of-the-road revenge thriller.

Links:

• Email your feedback for the show to cinemaholicspodcast [at] gmail.com
• Join our Discord and chat with us! We have a Cinemaholics channel here.
• Check out our Cinemaholics Merch!
• Check out our Patreon to support Cinemaholics!
• Connect with Cinemaholics on Facebook and Instagram.

• Email your feedback for the show to cinemaholicspodcast [at] gmail.com
• Join our Discord and chat with us! We have a Cinemaholics channel here.
• Check out our Cinemaholics Merch!
• Check out our Patreon to support Cinemaholics!
• Connect with Cinemaholics on Facebook and Instagram.

Support our show on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cinemaholics

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.