In this episode of Film Curious, Ashley and Nicole dive deep into The Starling Girl (2023), an indie drama written and directed by Laurel Parmet, starring Eliza Scanlen, Lewis Pullman, and Jimmy Simpson.

A 17-year-old in a Christian fundamentalist community develops a dangerous connection with her youth pastor, and the film handles it with nuance, restraint, and visual intelligence that most films three times its budget never achieve. We get into Eliza Scanlan's micro-expression masterclass, Laurel Parmet's brilliant visual storytelling, the consent conversation the film quietly forces you to have, the small details that tell everything you need to know, and why this filmmaker deserves so much more attention.

⚠️ This is a full spoiler discussion! We suggest watching it first if you haven’t already. Available to stream on Netflix currently.

⏱️Timestamps

00:00 Highlight Clip from the Episode

00:28 Intro to the Film & How Adeptly the Story Is Handled

06:39 ⚠️Spoiler Section Starts⚠️

23:57 Handling of Sex Scene & the Consent Discussion

29:43 Analysis of the Film & Its Themes

56:06 The Surprise Turn Towards the Ending & What the Ending Means for the Main Character Going Forward

01:00:00 Wrap Up - Excited and Hoping to See Laurel Parmet Make More Movies in the Future

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#TheStarlingGirl #ElizaScanlan #FilmPodcast

In this episode of Film Curious, Ashley and guest co-host Nicole revisit No Hard Feelings (2023), the Jennifer Lawrence comedy directed by Gene Stupnitsky, now streaming on Hulu and HBO MAX. We were missing out; it's way better than we ever expected!

We break down why Jennifer Lawrence is genuinely great in this role, why Andrew Barth Feldman's surprise musical moment works so well in the film, how the movie quietly subverts every expectation you bring into it, and how this is the exact kind of comedy Hollywood doesn't make enough of anymore but should!

We also get into the supporting work from Matthew Broderick and Laura Benanti, 21 Jump Street comparisons, and why this film deserves to be remembered.

⚠️This review does contain a small amount of spoilers⚠️

⏱️Timestamps

00:00 Highlight Clip from the Episode

00:45 Intro & Welcoming Nicole to the Show

02:16 Why Ashley & Nicole Dismissed No Hard Feelings When It Came Out

05:43 Overall Review of the Film, Subverting Expectations, Jennifer Lawrence's Performance, How It Delivers a lot of Heart without Being Romantic & Reminds Us of Great Comedies From When Were Younger
10:30 Spoiler Portion Begins

16:17 The Supporting Cast & How Well They Worked to Supplement the Story

18:38 The Slapstick Comedy Aspects That Sometimes Didn’t Work

21:47 Andrew Barth Feldman & The Wonderful Musical Moment

23:29 Wrap Up - Why This Film Deserves to Be Remembered

26:02 Outro - Thanks for Listening! Tune In Next Time!

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#NoHardFeelings #JenniferLawrence #FilmPodcast

In this episode of Film Curious, Pete chats about catching a midnight screening of Hokum at the Florida Film Festival before its wide release; Damian McCarthy's follow-up to Oddity, starring Adam Scott in a role unlike anything you've seen from him before. We discuss why this folk horror haunted hotel film genuinely scared Pete despite knowing every trick in the book, why you don't need to have seen Oddity to enjoy it but there’s a clear connection, and how Hokum fits into the recent golden era of emotional journey driven horror.

And then there are a few tangents on the bizarre online criticism that certain horror films are bad because they actually deliver on their premise and there’s no “twist,” and why tells work in certain stories but not in others.

🍿Pro Tip: Skip the trailer entirely with this one and just watch the film.

Guest Co-Host | Pete Tedone - Instagram

⏱️Timestamps

00:00 Intro - Brief Episode Info & Film Curious Theme Music

00:36 Hokum Plot Overview (No Spoilers) & Seeing It in a Packed Theater

03:14 Hokum: Another Great Horror Film That Is About the Emotional Journey

04:41 Ashley & Pete’s Tangent on Movies Not Needing to Have a Twist

13:37 Pete’s Rant on the Obvious Give Away in Marvel’s Iron Heart

14:57 Difference Between Giving the Bag Away vs. Only Catch It If You’re Paying Close Attention

19:40 Wrap Up - Definitely a Must See & Try to Watch Oddity Beforehand

20:49 Outro - Thanks for Listening! Don’t Forget to Subscribe!

This is a spoiler-free review. ⛔⚠️

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#Hokum #FolkHorror #FilmPodcast

In this episode of Film Curious, we're reviewing The Mummy (2026), the latest Universal monster reimagining directed by Lee Cronin (Evil Dead Rise), starring Jack Reynor, Leah Acosta, and May Calamawy. Not to be mistaken for the 1999 Mummy starring Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz. This is an entirely new one.

We debate whether this fresh take on The Mummy works, why Pete couldn’t shake the feeling he was watching an Evil Dead or Exorcist film, how the demon Nasmaranian has zero roots in Egyptian mythology, and whether the 2 hour and 14 minute runtime was necessary.

We also briefly touch on Universal's ongoing series of monster reboots, how it compares to The Invisible Man and Wolf Man, and what Mike Flanagan’s upcoming Exorcist film might mean for this corner of horror.

Guest Co-Host | Pete Tedone - Instagram

⏱️Timestamps

00:00 Highlight Clip from Episode

00:30 Intro - The Plot (No Spoilers), Director, & Cast Breakdown

03:59 Ashley’s Overall Feelings on the Film

05:01 Pete’s Overall Feelings on the Film

06:03 Is This Just an Evil Dead Movie?

07:30 Some Stipulations with a Major Plot Point

09:44 The Movie's Success So Far & How It Compares to Universal’s Other Monster Reboots

11:15 ⚠️Spoilers⚠️ - The Demon & The Ending

18:39 Wrap Up - Evil Dead & Halloween Horror Nights

20:49 Outro - Thanks for Listening! Don’t Forget to Subscribe!

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#TheMummy #HorrorMovies #FilmPodcast

In this episode of Film Curious, we're reviewing The Christophers, the NEON dark comedy directed by Steven Soderbergh and written by Ed Solomon, starring Ian McKellen as a once famous aging artist and Michaela Coel as an art forger hired by his children (played by James Corden and Jessica Gunning) to complete some of his unfinished, long-abandoned work so they’ll have an inheritance when he dies.

We discuss how McKellen and Coel's chemistry and performances are at the heart of the film, how Soderbergh quietly does some of his most superb directing through subtlety, why this feels like watching a play in the best possible way, and how this film has rightly earned its 97% score on Rotten Tomatoes.

Things We Mention in the Episode:

Ian McKellen in Mr. Holmes

NEON Shop | The Christophers’ Art Poster

Guest Co-Host | Pete Tedone - Instagram

⏱️Timestamps

00:00 Highlight Clip from Episode

00:27 Intro - The Christophers Synopsis, Cast, + Details

05:23 Steven Soderbergh’s Direction - Invisible But Brilliant

07:45 ⚠️SPOILERS⚠️ The Heart of the Film - Ian McKellen + Michaela Coel’s Performances

09:53 James Corden & Jessica Gunning - The Perfect Pair of Assholes

10:29 Little Moments Spread Throughout the Film with Great Payoffs

12:40 Ian McKellen is One of the Greats and Doing Some of His Best Work Later in Life

15:18 How This Film Would Work Great as Stage Adaptation

16:35 Soderbergh Quietly Putting Together a Great Catalog of Work Over the Years

18:07 NEON’s Shop Having The Christophers Artwork as a Poster Available

19:57 Find and Support a Small Theater Near You and Go See This Film

22:29 Outro - Thanks for Listening! Don’t Forget to Subscribe!

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#TheChristophers #IanMcKellen #MichaelaCoel #FilmPodcast

After watching Project Hail Mary (2026) in theaters and having our deep dive review of it, we decided to do a little Andy Weir novel adaptation comparison with a rewatch of The Martian (2015)—directed by Ridley Scott and starring Matt Damon eleven years ago. Same screenwriter Drew Goddard, same lone astronaut premise… but are these movies the same?

We talk about what makes The Martian’s puzzle box storytelling so satisfying, why Ridley Scott’s controlled direction still holds up, the two films' major differences, and whether we prefer Project Hail Mary or The Martian.

Guest Co-Host | Pete Tedone - Instagram

Timestamps

00:00 Highlight Clip from the Episode

00:12 Intro - Why Compare The Martian to Project Hail Mary

01:28 The Martian’s Storytelling & Pacing

03:20 The All-Star Cast You Forgot About

04:10 Where the Similarities End and Difference Begin

10:52 Ridley Scott’s Direction vs. Project Hail Mary

11:19 Are the stakes high enough?

12:14 Which One Do We Prefer?

15:41 David Bowie Starman Needle Drop Moment

18:51 The Ending of The Martian

20:35 Space Travel is Wild and Terrifying - Astronauts are Impressive

25:44 Outro - Thanks for Listening! Don’t Forget to Subscribe!

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#TheMartian #ProjectHailMary #FilmPodcast

This episode of Film Curious, Pete gives a brief, non-spoiler review of Merrily We Roll Along (2025)—the filmed version of the smash 4-time Tony Award-winning Broadway revival, starring Jonathan Groff, Daniel Radcliffe, and Lindsay Mendez, directed for the screen by Maria Friedman now on Netflix. He discusses the direction of the pro shot format, the actors' brilliant performances, and how this Tony-winning musical translates to the screen overall.

We also chat about what these stage to screen adaptations will look like going forward since there seems to be more and more of them being made, as well as go on a little side tangent about getting quality at-home movie viewing with 4K formats and OLED TVs.

Guest Co-Host | Pete Tedone - Instagram

Timestamps

00:00 Intro - Midweek Mini Review for Merrily We Roll Along

00:53 What Is Merrily We Roll Along? Synopsis + Background

02:05 Daniel Radcliffe’s Career - Harry Potter to Now

03:13 Stage to Screen Shot Choices & Jonathan Groff, Lindsay Mendez, + Daniel Radcliffe's Performances

12:12 Getting to Experience Theatre through Filmed Stage Performances + Filming Stage Productions Going Forward

13:37 4K Releases, OLEDs and At-Home Movie Watching Tangent

18:15 Outro - Thanks for Listening! Don’t Forget to Subscribe! + Upcoming Episodes

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#MerrilyWeRollAlong #Sondheim #FilmPodcast

In this episode of Film Curious, we cover one of A24’s latest theatrical releases, The Drama, starring Zendaya and Robert Pattinson as a happily engaged couple who is put to the test when an unexpected revelation sends their wedding week off the rails. We do a deep dive on this story’s psychological, anxiety-driven and, at times, darkly humorous sprint down the aisle, as well as pose questions the film seems to be asking, like who really is the terrible character here and are certain thoughts ever as bad or equal to actions?

Things We Mention in the Episode:

“I Don’t Like Mondays” Song by Boomtown Rats

Bowling for Columbine (Documentary)

Before Midnight (2013)

Unbreakable (2000) & Split (2016)

Remember Me (2010)

Guest Co-Host | Pete Tedone - Instagram

Timestamps

00:00 Highlight Clip from Episode

00:00:20 Intro - The Drama Background + Synopsis

00:02:44 SPOILERS⚠️ - The Drama’s “Wild Twist” - The Inciting Incident + Emma’s Revelation

00:9:08 The Drama Deep Dive Spoiler Discussion

00:59:01 Does The Drama Marketing Mislead Viewers + Does Its Twist Deserve a Trigger Warning

01:04:12 Side Story - Robert Pattinson Being in Another Movie w. Controversial American Moment - Remember Me

01:11:15 Wrap Up + Why You Should See The Drama in Theaters

01:13:26 Outro - Thanks for Listening! Don’t Forget to Subscribe! + Upcoming Episodes

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