Wade and Kevin round out their Oscar coverage with a review of the final remaining Best Picture nominee: Emerald Fennell's scathing Promising Young Woman . Starring Carey Mulligan as a vigilante of unconventional methods, the film takes dead aim at sexual predators, their enablers, and the culture that empowers both groups. The guys also turn their attention to the upcoming ceremony and offer their picks for what will win, what should win, and the surprises of an unusual year for filmgoing. Lear...
Apr 16, 2021•46 min•Ep. 287
Oscar season may be long over, but the Oscars themselves are just peeking over the horizon. Wade and Kevin catch up with one of the Best Picture nominees that eluded them at the end of 2020: Florian Zeller's film adaptation of his own play The Father . Featuring Anthony Hopkins as an elderly man dealing with dementia and Olivia Colman as his long-suffering daughter, the film pairs its melodrama with slippery filmmaking that draws the audience into the protagonist's world, causing us to question ...
Apr 09, 2021•40 min•Ep. 286
With the coming of spring, there's a light at the end of the pandemic tunnel, which means two things: movie theaters are becoming an option once again, and blockbusters are being released to take advantage of them. One of the most anticipated of the season so far is Adam Wingard's follow-up to Godzilla: King of the Monsters and Kong: Skull Island , Godzilla vs. Kong , which pits the titular beasts against each other in a monster mash of epic proportions. Wade is back in the hosting chair to revi...
Apr 02, 2021•44 min•Ep. 285
It's not every day that a franchise's fanbase is able to will a movie into existence, but that's exactly the rare occurrence that is under consideration on this week's episode. With Wade away from the hosting chair, Kevin is joined by Detroit critic Chris Williams to discuss Zack Snyder's Justice League (not to be confused with its predecessor, 2017's Justice League ). After the 2017 film saw director Zack Snyder exit the project due to a family tragedy and Joss Whedon come on board to complete ...
Mar 26, 2021•54 min•Ep. 284
Disney+ keeps the big releases rolling with Raya and the Last Dragon , an animated adventure about a fantasy world teetering on the edge of apocalypse, with magical dragons holding the key to saving humanity from encroaching outside evil ... and also from itself. Featuring Kelly Marie Tran ( The Last Jedi ) and Awkwafina ( The Farewell ) as the two title characters, the film celebrates the virtue of trust; Wade and Kevin dig into it to see if the film is also worthy of celebration. Also, don't m...
Mar 19, 2021•36 min•Ep. 283
On this week's special double-length episode, we offer something for lovers of blockbuster sci-fi/horror and indie sci-fi dramas. Wade and Kevin sit down with fellow critic Sarah Welch-Larson to talk about her brand-new book, Becoming Alien: The Beginning and End of Evil in Science Fiction's Most Idiosyncratic Film Franchise . In a fascinating conversation, they discuss the intersection of the Alien film franchise, Christian theology, and the philosophy of evil, as well as the role of Christians...
Mar 05, 2021•55 min•Ep. 282
Seeing & Believing closes out Black History Month with a look at the buzzed-about new film that is based on the true story of the death of Fred Hampton. Shaka King's Judas and the Black Messiah features two powerhouse performances from Get Out 's Daniel Kaluuya as Hampton and LaKeith Stanfield as Bill O'Neal, the man who worked to bring down Hampton's revolutionary operation in Chicago from the inside. But do these powerhouse performances result in a good film overall, and does the film do j...
Feb 26, 2021•40 min•Ep. 281
Valentine's Day is just around the corner, but the only love affair that Seeing & Believing has time for is that between Ralph Fiennes and archaeological excavations. Netflix's The Dig tells the true story of how a widow (Carey Mulligan) teamed up with a working-class excavation expert (Fiennes) to make one of Great Britain's greatest archaeological discoveries on the eve of World War II. Wade and Kevin dig into the film (heh) to examine its themes of time, the fleeting nature of life, and t...
Feb 12, 2021•42 min•Ep. 280
It's not every day that a new Denzel Washington-starring film gets released, especially when that film has been a quarter-century in the making. John Lee Hancock's screenplay for The Little Things has been floating around since the mid-1990s, and it's finally been released now, on HBO Max, with Hancock himself at the helm and a freshly minted Golden Globes nomination under its belt. Washington stars as an erstwhile detective whose haunting past mistakes have relegated him to an exile as a sherif...
Feb 05, 2021•38 min•Ep. 279
The show eases off the accelerator to focus on a single film this week. Acclaimed director Ramin Bahrani ( Chop Shop , Goodbye Solo ) is back with a new film for Netflix that positions itself as the anti- Slumdog Millionaire . Adapted from Aravind Adiga's novel of the same title, The White Tiger tells a story of a lower-caste servant in India (Adarh Gourav) who chafes under the yoke of his family's poverty and does what he thinks he must in order to get ahead. Part Goodfellas , part Parasite , B...
Jan 29, 2021•42 min•Ep. 278
In his continuing journey to give an award-worthy performance in every existing film genre, Tom Hanks is back in 2021 with his first crack at a Western, Paul Greengrass's News of the World . Based on the novel about a traveling newsreader in post-Civil War Texas, the film asks the question: can Hanks's persona as "America's dad" heal tensions in a divided country? Wade and Kevin also take a closer look at the family drama Minari , which placed on both of their top 10 lists of the year in last we...
Jan 22, 2021•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 277
Back from his break, Kevin rejoins Wade on the show to count down their favorite films of a very unusual year. With most mainstream films either missing in action or forced into unconventional release strategies because of the pandemic, 2020 has provided an opportunity to highlight the films that might otherwise fly under the radar. Join the guys as they bid 2020 a farewell and recommend its hidden gems! Music interlude by the Fair Green Band, "Depth of Hollow (Oli Mix)." Used under Creative Com...
Jan 15, 2021•2 hr 6 min•Ep. 276
On this episode of Seeing and Believing , Wade is joined by Sarah Welch-Larson of Think Christian to discuss Pixar’s new film, Soul . Soul tells the story of a jazz musician named Joe (voiced by Jamie Foxx). A music teacher by necessity, Joe finally catches his big break when he lands a coveted gig that could change his life forever. His best day, however, turns into his worst day when Joe dies and is transported out of his body, eventually landing in the pre-life (Or “The Great Before”). There,...
Jan 08, 2021•53 min•Ep. 275
On this episode of Seeing and Believing , Wade is joined by Steve Norton of ScreenFish.net to discuss Nomadland , the new film from Chloé Zhao. Nomadland is being touted as one of the year’s best movies, and the duo discusses whether it lives up to the hype. In the second half of the show, Wade and Steve talk Season 2 of Disney+'s The Mandalorian . Or, maybe they just gush about Baby Yoda the entire time. Music interlude by Phantom Atlantic, “No Way to Live." Used under Creative Commons license ...
Dec 18, 2020•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 274
With Kevin out this week, Wade is joined by Aaron White, co-host of the Feelin' Film Podcast, to discuss Mank , the new movie from David Fincher. Mank tells the story of Herman J. Mankiewicz and his tumultuous journey to write the screenplay for Citizen Kane . Spoiler alert: the movie does get made. In their second segment, the duo discusses Fatman , a new film starring Mel Gibson as Santa Claus. Need we say more? Music interlude by Rue Royale, “Snow on Snow (The Bleak Midwinter)." Used under Cr...
Dec 14, 2020•56 min•Ep. 273
Seeing and Believing heads to the British Isles this week with a pair of films poised to make their way into the end of the year awards talk. First up is Tomm Moore and Ross Stewarts's Wolfwalkers , the new project from the highly esteemed Cartoon Saloon. A mixture of myth and magic, Wolfwalkers uses stunning animation to tell the story of a young girl caught between the forces of prior allegiances and new friendships. After that, Wade and Kevin tackle Armando Iannucci's The Personal History of ...
Nov 27, 2020•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 272
With family gatherings just around the corner (or not) for Thanksgiving, Wade and Kevin take a look at a couple of new family dramas that are just hitting streaming platforms this week! First up is Ron Howard's Hillbilly Elegy , starring Amy Adams and Glenn Close. How does the cinematic adaptation of J.D. Vance's bestselling memoir fare in its transition from page to screen? The guys also review The Nest , Sean Durkin's follow-up to his psychological thriller Martha Marcy Mae Marlene . In its st...
Nov 20, 2020•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 271
Dust off your chess sets and start reminding yourself of the difference between pawns and bishops because the world of competitive chess is the talk of the town again. Netflix's lends some midcentury glamour to the cerebral, famously nerdy pursuit with its new miniseries The Queen's Gambit , featuring Anya Taylor-Joy as a fiercely ambitious chess prodigy who strives to excel in a game that is well-known for being male-dominated. Does the literary adaptation from Scott Frank and Allan Scott succe...
Nov 13, 2020•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 270
Seeing & Believing spend some time on the HBO streaming service this week! First up is Robert Zemeckis's try at remaking Roald Dahl's classic children's book The Witches . Transplanting the story to the 1960s American South and featuring Anne Hathaway and Octavia Spencer, Zemeckis's new film aims to refresh Dahl's tale of grotesque witches plotting to transform the world's children into mice. Wade and Kevin also take some time with David Byrne's American Utopia , which records the Broadway s...
Nov 06, 2020•56 min•Ep. 269
Sofia Coppola directs the first of several films for A24 and Apple+, On The Rocks which Wade and Kevin review first. The film reunites Coppola with Murray and brings in Office alum Jones as a Father/Daughter pair who are intent on catching Jones' fiancé in the act of betrayal while wrestling with Murray's own history of infidelity. The second half of the show reviews Ben Wheatley's remake of Alfred Hitchcock's Rebecca starring Lily James and Armie Hammer. Does the film live up to the legacy or d...
Oct 29, 2020•57 min•Ep. 268
As Election Day inches closer, Seeing & Believing devotes some time to a movie about the fallout from another chaotic election season: the riots that surrounded the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago. Aaron Sorkin writes and directs The Trial of the Chicago Seven with his usual verbal flair; does he find the cinematic flair to match? Wade and Kevin also look to the future of moviegoing over the next few months and do their best to identify the upcoming films that you should watch...
Oct 23, 2020•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 267
It's documentary week here on Seeing & Believing, featuring two new films from Netflix. Wade and Kevin dig into Dick Johnson Is Dead , an intensely personal new film from Cameraperson director Kirsten Johnson. By turns irreverent, playful, and deeply emotional, Johnson's film explores the prospect of death and what it means to say goodbye. The guys also spend some time with The Social Dilemma , a sobering documentary about smartphones, social media, and the dark underbelly of the technology ...
Oct 09, 2020•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 266
Detectives are the name of the game on Seeing & Believing this week. Netflix's new film starring Stranger Things ' Millie Bobby Brown has arrived, adding to the Sherlock Holmes Cinematic Universe with Enola Holmes . Brown plays the famous Sherlock's younger sister, who embarks on her own sleuthing adventure involving the disappearance of her mother and political intrigue in late Victorian England. Corrupt detectives figure into the episode as well, as Wade and Kevin draw the curtain on their...
Oct 02, 2020•1 hr•Ep. 265
With Wade on vacation, Kevin calls on Sarah Welch-Larson this week to help make sense of Charlie Kaufman's latest brain-bender. I'm Thinking of Ending Things , now streaming on Netflix, features Kaufman's trademark metafictional flourishes and thematic concerns; does it stand alongside Synecdoche, NY and Anomalisa in pulling off the balancing act between "challenging" and "inscrutable"? Sarah also takes the time to talk about one of the all-time great noirs, Carol Reed's postwar mystery The Thir...
Sep 18, 2020•1 hr•Ep. 264
The calendar says that summer is drawing to a close, but Seeing & Believing refuses to accept it! Blockbuster season goes on as the guys take the plunge on the Disney+ exclusive Mulan , the latest live-action remake of a Disney animated feature. The "Summer of Darkness" also continues with a review of Brick , Rian Johnson's 2006 debut, which sets the familiar hard-boiled detective story in a high school. Music interlude by ALPH, "It's That Kinda Night." Used under Creative Commons license 3....
Sep 11, 2020•57 min
Brush up on your air-guitar skills and get your SoCal dude-accents ready, because Seeing & Believing embarks on another excellent adventure this week. Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter may be getting a little long in the tooth, but that doesn't mean they can't bring their iconic slackers back for another victory lap around time and space. Wade and Kevin review Bill and Ted Face the Music to see if the Wyld Stallyns still have a spring in their step after all this time. They balance out the frivol...
Sep 04, 2020•52 min•Ep. 262
As election season spins up in earnest, the guys get into the spirit of the season with a new documentary. Boys State explores what happens when over a thousand bright high school boys from Texas get together to form their own two-party government: is it more Frank Capra or more Lord of the Flies ? Also on the docket is the next installment in the "Summer of Darkness" film noir marathon, featuring the first major noir to be directed by a woman, the great Ida Lupino. Music interlude by Idyllic, "...
Aug 28, 2020•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 261
Back from their one-week break, Wade and Kevin continue their Summer of Darkness series on film noir by crossing the Atlantic to check out <em>Elevator to the Gallows</em>, the Miles Davis-scored noir that launched the careers of director Louis Malle and star Jeanne Moreau. Also lighting up the screen this week is the new release <em>Tesla</em>, an unconventional, postmodern biopic featuring Ethan Hawke in the role of the enigmatic, withdrawn inventor. Music interlude by ...
Aug 21, 2020•55 min•Ep. 260
Two very different kinds of family melodramas are featured in this week's episode. First is actor James D'Arcy's directing/screenwriting debut, the Liam Neeson-starring Made in Italy , about a roguish artist, his estranged son, and the dilapidated villa in Italy they try to sell together. The other film this week is about a roguish salesman who gets involved in some family drama of his own when he tries to help a woman kill her husband for the insurance money. The "Summer of Darkness" series on ...
Aug 07, 2020•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 259
This week, Seeing & Believing kicks off a new series on film noir! Our "Summer of Darkness" begins in a slightly unconventional place with the Humphrey Bogart-starring In a Lonely Place , about a hotheaded screenwriter whose romance with a neighbor hits a rough patch when the police accuse him of murder. The thing is, maybe he is guilty? The guys also spend time with another dark story, the Dave Franco-directed thriller The Rental , about a group of friends who become the targets of a psycho...
Jul 31, 2020•57 min•Ep. 258
