The Film Board assembles to break down Fantastic Four: First Steps, Marvel’s bold leap into retro sci-fi parenthood. With Pedro Pascal stretching into Reed Richards and Vanessa Kirby shining as Sue Storm, the MCU skips the origin story to explore cosmic ethics, vintage flair, and a planet-hungry Galactus. Does skipping the intro pay off? How does a family of adventurers fit into a superhero universe? And is The Incredibles still the best Fantastic Four movie ever made?Pete Wright hosts the panel...
Jul 29, 2025•1 hr 22 min•Season 13Ep. 16
The Film Board Gathers! And this time… it’s for Superman. Yes, again. James Gunn has rebooted the Big Blue Boy Scout for the 37th time (give or take), and this version comes with a sunnier tone, a superpowered dog, and—brace yourself—feelings. Actual feelings.David Corenswet slips into the tights with impressive sincerity, Rachel Brosnahan delivers the Lois Lane we didn’t know we desperately needed, and Nicholas Hoult’s Lex Luthor is basically what would happen if Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk h...
Jul 15, 2025•1 hr 26 min•Season 13Ep. 15
The gang of thugs dons their most practical jungle gear and reluctantly boards the biotech boat for Gareth Edwards’ Jurassic World Rebirth. Scarlett Johansson leads a mission to harvest dinosaur DNA in what Universal hopes is the beginning of a new trilogy—but does this franchise still have life in its genetic code, or has it gone full dino-extinct?In this episode, Pete Wright, Steve Sarmento, Tommy Metz III, Justin “JJ” Jaeger, and Mandy Kaplan unpack everything from ADR overload and missing ve...
Jul 08, 2025•1 hr 7 min•Season 13Ep. 14
Wes Anderson’s The Phoenician Scheme crash-lands into theaters with a symmetry—and we’re here to unpack the wreckage. Benicio Del Toro plays Anatole “Zsa-Zsa” Korda, a morally exhausted arms dealer who survives a plane crash and decides, rather abruptly, to become a better man. His daughter, a nun (played with unsettling calm by Mia Threapleton), may be his salvation. Or his reckoning. Or both. Along for the ride: Michael Cera as a soft-spoken entomologist, a council of multinational bureaucrats...
Jun 10, 2025•58 min•Season 13Ep. 13
Are you tired of superheroes who always do the right thing? Exhausted by teams that save the day and, dare we say it, have a plan? This month, The Film Board dives into Marvel’s Thunderbolts—the super squad you get when you order the Avengers from the bargain bin. Pete Wright is joined by Mandy Kaplan, Justin Jaeger, Tommy Metz III, and Steve Sarmento for a roundtable that spoils everything, celebrates Florence Pugh’s star turn, and debates whether more MCU movies should end with a hug instead o...
May 20, 2025•53 min•Season 13Ep. 12
Some stories we inherit. Some are whispered through family trees. Others are passed down through song—riffs on pain, echoes of joy, blue notes of survival. In Ryan Coogler’s Sinners, we get all three. And this month, The Film Board—Pete, Tommy, and Andy—gathers to talk about a film that bends genres, then drips them in blood and gospel and IMAX-saturated twilight.This is a vampire movie. But not really. It’s a family tragedy. And a juke joint musical. And a war story. And a funeral procession th...
Apr 22, 2025•1 hr 4 min•Season 13Ep. 11
Prepare yourselves for a journey into the bewildering world of Bong Joon Ho's latest sci-fi offering. That's right—the director who brought you parasites in the basement and tentacles in the river has now delivered expendable humans on a frozen planet.In this week's utterly perplexing episode, Pete Wright gathers his gang of film-analyzing thugs to dissect "Mickey 17," a movie that asks the profound question: "What if your corporate job literally killed you repeatedly and you STILL couldn't quie...
Mar 11, 2025•1 hr 9 min•Season 13Ep. 10
Is the latest Captain America film a bold step forward, or a symptom of a larger malaise in the Marvel Cinematic Universe? We grapple with this question, flying into Captain America: Brave New World, not just as a superhero spectacle, but as a cultural artifact reflecting our anxieties about legacy, power, and the very nature of heroism.Sam Wilson's transition from Falcon to Captain America is a referendum on what it means to inherit a symbol in a world that no longer understands symbols. Is he ...
Feb 18, 2025•1 hr 3 min•Season 13Ep. 9
Enigmatic whispers in the Oregon woods. A father's love, twisted and gnarled. This isn't your grandmother's werewolf story. Because she probably killed the wolf and made his pelt into a coat, AmIRight?Pete, Tommy, and Steve venture into the shadowy heart of Leigh Whannell's Wolfman, a film that dares to ask: what if the monster within isn't just fur and fangs, but the inherited burden of family, the gnawing anxieties of parenthood, and the terrifying erosion of self? Forget silver bullets and fu...
Jan 21, 2025•57 min•Season 13Ep. 8
Is Amazon's $250 million Christmas blockbuster Red One a fresh take on holiday magic, or a cynical cash grab? Join Pete and guest Matthew Fox as they unwrap this action-packed holiday film starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and Chris Evans. From buff Santas to beach-fighting snowmen, this episode explores how Hollywood's attempt to "Marvelize" Christmas might have missed the spirit of the season.Did Red One forget what makes Christmas special? We dive deep into how the movie's attempt to univers...
Dec 24, 2024•51 min•Season 13Ep. 7
Welcome to The Film Board! If you’re anything like us, the year 2000 wasn't just a date on the calendar. It was a marker for boomer low-key existential dread. We’re talking, of course, about the Y2K bug, the fear that our computers, and therefore the entire world, were going to crash and burn at the stroke of midnight, thus confirming the prediction that we'd all be returned to our cave-people ancestry. So, we stocked up on canned goods, debated whether to unplug our toasters, and generally prep...
Dec 17, 2024•54 min•Season 13Ep. 6
From the blood-soaked sands of the Colosseum to the hushed halls of the Senate, a shadow looms large over the Roman Empire. It's not the specter of barbarian hordes, but something far more insidious: a sequel. Ridley Scott returns to the world of gladiators and emperors, but is this triumphant return, or a tragic stumble?On this episode of The Film Senate, Pete, Steve, Justin, and Tommy grapple with the cinematic beast that is Gladiator 2. The whispers started early – Denzel Washington, an actin...
Nov 26, 2024•54 min•Season 13Ep. 5
"Joker: Folie à Deux" has arrived, and with it, a cacophony of critical dissonance. Is it a cinematic triumph or an expensive folly? This week on The Film Board, Pete Wright, Steve Sarmento, and Tommy Metz III grapple with the sequel's perplexing identity. From the sterile confines of the courtroom to the surreal bursts of musical fantasy, the film dances between genres, leaving audiences and critics alike in a state of bewildered contemplation.The panel dissects the film's curious obsession wit...
Oct 15, 2024•59 min•Season 13Ep. 4
Gather 'round film fans, for a spirited discussion on the latest from the BCU — the Beetlejuice Cinematic Universe! Joining your host, Pete Wright, are Tommy Metz III and Steve Sarmento, ready to delve into some hella afterlife antics.This time around, the Deetz family takes center stage, with Lydia's daughter, Astrid, accidentally opening the door to the ghostly realm. We unpack the film's unique approach to handling multiple storylines, from Astrid's encounter with a charming ghost from the 90...
Sep 10, 2024•1 hr 2 min•Season 13Ep. 3
The Film Board gathers to dissect the 2024 remake of The Crow, starring Bill Skarsgård, and find themselves sharply divided. Pete Wright and panelists Ocean Murff and Matthew Fox, self-described goths, express their deep connection to the original film and its place in their own personal histories. For them, the 1994 The Crow, soundtracked by The Cure and pals, and drenched in shadow, was more than just a movie; it was a cultural touchstone. The remake, awash in sunlight and overstuffed with bac...
Aug 27, 2024•1 hr 27 min•Season 13Ep. 2
In "Alien: Romulus," director Fede Alvarez takes us on a thrilling journey back to the heart of the Alien franchise, capturing the essence of what makes these films so captivating. The movie expertly weaves together the themes of corporate greed, human exploitation, and the terrifying mystery of biological destruction that have become synonymous with the series.Alvarez, known for his mastery of suspense and horror, proves to be an excellent choice to helm this installment, investing in rich sets...
Aug 20, 2024•1 hr 1 min•Season 13Ep. 1
The Film Board Gathers! This month, Pete Wright and panelists Justin JJ Jaeger, Tommy Metz III, and Ocean Murff dive deep into the much-anticipated Marvel movie "Deadpool & Wolverine." The film brings together two iconic characters shaped by Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman in a meta-filled, fourth-wall-breaking adventure that has left audiences and critics divided. Maybe? Probably.We grapple with the film's overwhelming self-referential humor and the sheer number of inside jokes and Easter eg...
Jul 30, 2024•1 hr 5 min•Season 12Ep. 12
Pete, Tommy, and Steve put themselves in a box with a golden bird meant for a zoo and they all just wait for an audience. You might think we’re talking about podcasting. No, we’re podcasting about the latest from the family Night Shyamalan with Ishana Night Shyamalan’s debut, THE WATCHERS.What’s going on with this movie? Why does it … you know… do what it does? It’s beautiful, there’s no doubt about it. But as lovely as it is, it’s just as confusing. Our challenge this week is not to come up wit...
Jun 18, 2024•51 min•Season 12Ep. 11
On the latest episode of The Film Board, Pete Wright and panelists Steve Sarmento, Tommy Metz III, and Ocean Murff dive deep into the dystopian world of Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga.The long-awaited prequel to Mad Max: Fury Road tells the origin story of the fierce warrior Furiosa, played by Anya Taylor-Joy. Director George Miller returns to the wasteland, crafting a film that is part Shakespearean saga, part high-octane action thriller.The panelists grapple with the movie's themes of survival, hope,...
May 28, 2024•1 hr 19 min•Season 12Ep. 10
The Film Board gathers! This month, host Justin Jaeger is joined by Steve Sarmento and Tommy Metz III to litigate Alex Garland's provocative new film "Civil War." The movie depicts a dystopian near-future America fractured by a second civil war, following a group of journalists on a perilous trek to interview the authoritarian president.We dive into the film's central themes—what it means to bear witness to war, how allegiances break down in times of chaos, and whether the movie serves more as a...
Apr 16, 2024•1 hr 8 min•Season 12Ep. 9
In this inaugural episode of Cinema Scope, host Andy Nelson is joined by professors Leon Hunt and Chris Hamm to explore the captivating world of wuxia, a Chinese film genre that blends philosophy, action, and legend. They discuss the key elements that define wuxia, such as the chivalrous heroes, period settings, and fantastical elements, as well as the concept of jianghu, a unique world within wuxia stories.Leon and Chris trace the evolution of wuxia from its roots in early Chinese literature to...
Mar 27, 2024•1 hr 19 min
In the vast expanse of cinematic storytelling, few tales grip the imagination like Frank Herbert's "Dune." As Denis Villeneuve's vision unfolds in "Dune: Part Two," the Film Board gathers to unravel the complex tapestry of prophecy, power, and the perils of messianic fervor.Pete Wright, along with acolytes Steve Sarmento and Matthew Fox, embark on a journey through the dunes of Arrakis, where the line between hero and conqueror blurs like a mirage. As Paul Atreides grapples with his destiny, the...
Mar 05, 2024•1 hr 18 min•Season 12Ep. 8
The spy action comedy "Argylle" arrives in theaters this month with an all-star cast but mixed critical reviews. The film comes from director Matthew Vaughn, known for stylized spy franchises like "Kingsman." It also represents Apple TV+'s most ambitious foray into major theatrical releases to date."Argylle" stars Henry Cavill as the titular super spy, alongside Bryce Dallas Howard, Sam Rockwell, Bryan Cranston, Catherine O'Hara and others. The convoluted plot involves uncovering a global conspi...
Feb 13, 2024•57 min•Season 12Ep. 7
The Film Board Gathers! The gang of thugs is here to take on a movie currently in theaters, and this month, we have Michael Mann’s return to the big screen with “Ferrari.” Join Pete Wright with Tommy Metz III and Justin "JJ" Jaeger as they unpack the high-octane drama that has raced into theaters. Mann's return to the big screen after a lengthy hiatus has been much anticipated, with "Ferrari" taking the spotlight. The film, lensed with the sharp eye of Erik Messerschmidt, dives deep into the lif...
Jan 09, 2024•57 min•Season 12Ep. 6
The Film Board Gathers! Pete, JJ, and Tommy settle in ‘round the hearth to hear the story of the vengeful electrician and the silent treatment in John Woo’s return to Hollywood: Silent Night.Ok, right up front, The Film Board normally tries to pick films that are likely to be a bit bigger at the box office. Normally. But we have some ties to this production and, frankly, it’s a film trying some interesting things. No dialog? Sure! John Woo’s first Hollywood production in years? You bet! Ok, so t...
Dec 05, 2023•53 min•Season 12Ep. 5
This month, The Film Board is taking on David Fincher's latest, The Killer. Cinematographer Erik Messerschmidt sat down with Justin Jaeger and Tommy Metz III to talk about making the movie, how movies are made, and why David Fincher's reputation in one important area is wildly overstated. Support The Next Reel Family of Film Podcasts: Become a member for just $5/month or $55/year Join our Discord community of movie lovers The Next Reel Family of Film Podcasts: Cinema Scope: Bridging Genres, Subg...
Nov 14, 2023•26 min
“The Killer,” it turns out, is an interesting litmus test for movie lovers. David Fincher’s latest seems to push viewers to their corners. Is it just a movie? A competent excursion in action beats and voice-over? Or is it a meditation on what it means to work, but told through the eyes of a professional assassin? Or, perhaps the most cynical, is it simply a boring travelogue of a man exercising privilege through international travel and fast food? Whatever it is for you, it’s worth talking about...
Nov 14, 2023•1 hr 1 min•Season 12Ep. 4
Martin Scorsese first optioned the rights to David Grann's bestselling book Killers of the Flower Moon back in 2016, sensing it would make for a powerful film. After years of pre-production, casting leads like Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro, and nailing down the intricate period details of 1920s Oklahoma, Scorsese finally brought his sprawling murder mystery to life. Here's a hint at what we talk about: We dig into the movie's treatment of the real-life Osage murders, analyzing if Scorsese...
Oct 24, 2023•59 min•Season 12Ep. 3
The Film Board gathers! The gang of thugs is here to take on a movie currently in theaters and this month... Hey... do you ever wonder what it would be like if we all trusted AI? If we could work with these creations to build more great things? To solve hunger and teach our children? To work together in harmony?Well, wonder no more. Because Gareth Edwards thinks the Americans wouldn't be able to handle it, and would just build bigger tanks. Welcome to The Creator. ___Support The Next Reel Family...
Oct 01, 2023•53 min•Season 12Ep. 2
The Film Board gathers! The gang is here to take on a movie currently in theaters and this month we have a movie with no beginning and no ending... but does it have any stakes, as the Internet wonders? Or is there actually some meat on those bones... We’re setting sail on The Last Voyage of the Demeter.Tommy Metz III, Justin 'JJ' Jaeger, and Pete Wright set sail this week to discuss the long journey the Demeter has taken to see the big screen. We’re fans of André Øvredal and so many in the cast,...
Aug 29, 2023•59 min•Season 12Ep. 1
