The Every Movie Ever! Podcast

Ben and Rob wade into the beautiful mind of Beach Boy Brian Wilson’s mind waters with ‘Love & Mercy’ the biopic that, much like the man, is split right in two. With Paul Dano as the young Brian Wilson crafting Pet Sounds and battling hallucinations, and John Cusack as the older Brian Wilson trapped under the thumb of a manipulative therapist, ‘Love & Mercy’ captures the genius of Brian Wilson, the dysfunction within The Beach Boys, and the line between inspiration and illness.

But why is Ben so deeply emotionally attached to Brian Wilson? Is Paul Dano secretly becoming w...

Ben and Rob test ‘Ex Machina’, Alex Garland’s sleek, sterile sci-fi thriller where tech anxiety gets seductive and sinister. Domhnall Gleeson plays Caleb, a wide-eyed coder sent to play assistant to Oscar Isaac’s Natan, a tech genius channeling Elon Musk if he ever got off the bad stuff; but the star of ‘Ex Machina’ is Ava—Alicia Vikander’s uncanny AI creation who may or may not be running her own Turing test on everyone.

The lads crack open the algorithms behind Ex Machina to find out whether this modern sci-fi masterpiece is Alex Garland’s best work—or jus...

Ben and Rob play ‘Funny Games’, Michael Haneke’s brutal shot-for-shot 2007 remake of his original home invasion masterpiece from ten years prior. Starring Naomi Watts, Michael Pitt, Tim Roth and Brady Corbet, ‘Funny Games’ is a hauntingly cold movie about not only the holiday from hell, but of horror movies and why we watch them.

But why did director Michael Haneke choose to remake almost exactly the same film he released ten years prior? Why do our villains keep breaking the fourth wall? Why do we enjoy such horrific films? And how does this all relate to Oscar darl...

Ben and Rob play ‘Funny Games’, Michael Haneke’s brutal shot-for-shot 2007 remake of his original home invasion masterpiece from ten years prior. Starring Naomi Watts, Michael Pitt, Tim Roth and Brady Corbet, ‘Funny Games’ is a hauntingly cold movie about not only the holiday from hell, but of horror movies and why we watch them.

But why did director Michael Haneke choose to remake almost exactly the same film he released ten years prior? Why do our villains keep breaking the fourth wall? Why do we enjoy such horrific films? And how does this all relate to Oscar darl...

Ben and Rob feel “DREDD”, the 2013 Pete Travis directed adaptation of 2000AD’s megastar character Judge Dredd, starring Karl Urban, Lena Headey and Olivia Thirlby. Written by Alex Garland (director of ‘Ex Machina’, ‘Civil War’, ‘Warfare’), ‘DREDD’ struggled to make back its budget, despite good reviews and praise for its accuracy to the source material.

But why did ‘DREDD’ flop so hard at the box office? Was it the studio’s awful need for this to be ‘DREDD 3D’? The general public not knowing who the hell Judge Dredd is? Or was it due to a certain secret director having to save t...

Ben and Rob autopsy ‘Death Of A Unicorn’, A24’s latest horror comedy starring Paul Rudd, Jenna Ortega, Richard E Grant and Will Poulter. ‘Death Of A Unicorn’ tells the tale of a father-daughter duo who hit a mythical beast with their car and somehow end up in a biotech conspiracy full of blood, mythology and not-so-subtle satire.

Is this film a takedown of late-stage capitalism or just a weird flex from a studio that knows we’ll watch anything as long as the lighting is moody enough? Why do the unicorns change colour? Has ‘Death of a Unicorn’ giv...

Ben and Rob wake up in ‘Dark City’, the dark sci-fi fantasy from Alex Proyas, director of ‘The Crow’. Released a year before ‘The Matrix’, ‘Dark City’ tells the story of John Murdock (Rufus Sewell), a man who has lost his memory in a city that never sees the sun where memory and time itself are the playthings of a race of alien beings known only as The Strangers. ‘Dark City’ was a critical success but a complete box-office bomb, with Alex Proyas ultimately blaming a studio that didn’t support the film correctly.

But what on earth made ‘Dark City’...

Ben and Rob discover ‘Critters’, the 1986 horror comedy from practical FX masterminds The Chiodo Brothers. When intergalactic creatures escape space jail, a small Kansas farmhouse must now deal with the critter menace with only alien futurecops to help them. Released in the wake of ‘Gremlins’ but written long before, ‘Critters’ made good at the box office and has become cult favourite horror comedy in the decades since it’s release.

But underneath ‘Critters’ craziness, is there a darker undercurrent of communist paranoia? Or perhaps an even deeper foretelling of a future American crisis? Have we proved that ‘Critters’ tells the...

Ben and Rob elect ‘Conclave’ for this week’s episode! Directed by Edward Berger and shockingly well timed, ‘Conclave’ follows the story of Cardinal Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes) as he is tasked with leading one of the world's most secretive and ancient events; selecting a new Pope to be the head of the Catholic church. Not content with making over five times its budget, ‘Conclave’ also won the Oscar Best Adapted Screenplay at the Academy Awards and received widespread critical acclaim for it’s cast and crew.

But what on earth could have prompted Ben and Rob to reach for a dram...

Ben and Rob defeat ‘The Last Starfighter’; 1984’s discount Star Wars; directed by none other than Michael Myers himself, Nick Castle. Alex Rogan, an expert video game player, lives in a trailer park and has no promising future. One day he discovers his favourite video game wants to recruit him as a starfighter pilot.

This film has massive nostalgia vibes for Rob, but has Ben ever seen this masterpiece? Why does the CGI look like it was done on a potato? And is this the most important film of the last fifty years!?

CONSUU...

DINO-MITE! (get it? Because... T-Rex)

Ben & Rob delve into B-movie royalty with Stewart Raffill’s 1994 Trash Masterpiece (Trashterpiece?) Tammy & The T-Rex! Starring Denise Richards and Paul Walker in their first feature film roles, this deliciously over-the-top campy triumph of 90’s cinema is the most Ben film EVER… but does Rob buy into it?

Join the boys as they answer everything you’ve never wanted to know and more! How did this film get made? Why does it have 2 versions? And most importantly, Is this the greatest romance movie to ever exist?!

CONSUUUUUUUUME to find out...

Ben and Rob wash up on ‘The Island Of Dr Moreau’, the 1996 commercial and critical flop starring Marlon Brando, Val Kilmer, David Thewlis, and Fairuza Balk. This film is an absolute fever dream involving cloning, body horror and nonsense plotting; only overshadowed by the drama happening behind the scenes. Marlon Brando improvised what lines he wasn’t fed via earpiece, Val Kilmer was a walking menace and the lead role was recast three times.

So how does such a famous book get adapted into one of the messiest films of all time? How did the original director employ...

Ben and Rob spring ‘Trap’; M Night Shyamalan’s 2024 thinly veiled advert for his daughters music career. Starring Josh Hartnett, Ariel Donoghue and Saleka Night Shyamalan ‘Trap’ tells the nonsensical story of a serial killer and his oblivious teenage daughter attending a concert that is in fact, and you’re not gonna see this one coming, a trap.

But why does this film exist? Where is M Night Shyamalan getting the money to make these movies? Can you build a tunnel in a limousine? And is this actually the best movie released in 2024?!

CONSUUUME to find out all...

Ben and Rob dive in to the inconceivably good ‘Princess Bride’, Rob Reiner’s classic 1987 fantasy comedy starring Cary Elwes, Robin Wright, Mandy Patinkin, Chris Sarandon, Christopher Guest, Wallace Shawn and André the Giant. Buttercup is madly in love with farm boy Westley; unfortunately, things take a turn in their lives when Westley goes out in search of employment and gets attacked by a pirate.

But as a lifelong hater of fantasy, can Ben get in to the wholesome vibes on offer? Who was Andre The Giant when the cameras stopped rolling? What’s with Cary Elwes’ intermitten...

Ben and Rob conclude the Swayze Trilogy with ‘Point Break’, Kathryn Bigelow’s perfect blockbuster from the golden days of 1991. Starring Patrick Swayze, Keanu Reeves and Gary Busey, ‘Point Break’ tells the tale of Johnny Utah and Bohdi as their dangerous cat and mouse relationship as cop and robber takes a radical turn.

But why is Bohdi’s past never discussed? How is he so physically capable and intellectually pretentious? Perhaps because he’s lived a full life as first a dancer, and then a bouncer? Could it be that Bohdi is James Dalton who is in fact Johnny Ca...

Ben and Rob spinkick the wheels of ‘Roadhouse’, the B-Movie made for AAA money all the way back in 1989. Starring Patrick Swayze as a legendary bouncer hired to restore order at a notorious bar and ending up the target of the ruthless crime boss who controls the town.

But having never seen it before, can famously cynical Rob find anything to enjoy in this camp tale of love and violence? Why was this film the cause of a New York Police Department scandal? And can Ben begin to prove that this film is in fact part...

Ben and Rob have hungry eyes for ‘Dirty Dancing’, the 1987 smash hit that lifted Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey into superstardom and defined summer camp for generations. Produced on a tiny budget and absolutely destroying the box office, ‘Dirty Dancing’ went on to be enjoyed for decades and to this day counts millions among it’s fanbase.

But having never seen it before, can famously cynical Rob find anything to enjoy in this camp tale of love and rhythm? Are the stories of on set tension between Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey true? And can Ben begin to prove t...

Ben and Rob summon ‘Nosferatu’; Robert Eggers’ 2024 smash hit remake of the 1922 classic vampire story. In the 1830s, estate agent Thomas Hutter travels to Transylvania for a fateful meeting with Count Orlok, a prospective client. In his absence, Hutter's new bride, Ellen, is left under the care of their friends, Friedrich and Anna Harding. Plagued by horrific visions and an increasing sense of dread, Ellen soon encounters an evil force that's far beyond her control.

Starring Bill Skarsgard, Lily Rose Depp, Nicholas Hoult, Willem Dafoe and Aaron Taylor Johnson ‘Nosferatu’ was a hit with audiences and critics alike, but...

Ben and Rob knock on ‘Heretic’s door and spread the good word about Hugh Grant’s masterful villain turn of 2024. Written and directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, ‘Heretic’ was another A24 success story making over sixty million dollars from a budget of just ten. Starring Hugh Grant, Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East, ‘Heretic’ tells the story of two Mormon missionaries who knock on the wrong door with horrific consequences.

It has the brains that Rob hungers for and the fun that Ben craves but does that make this the best horror film of 2024? Ben tries to defen...

Ben and Rob ‘Blink Twice’ as they cover Zoe Kravitz’s directorial debut starring Channing Tatum, Naomi Ackie, Christian Slater, Haley Joel Osment, Kyle MacLachlan and Geena Davis. When tech billionaire Slater King invites cocktail waitress Frida to his private island, wild nights blend into sun-soaked days. But when strange things start to happen, Frida must uncover the truth if she hopes to make it out alive.

‘Blink Twice’ made double its budget at the box office and was warmly received by critics, despite many of its themes being close to over-explored in modern cinema. But does this film...

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Ben and Rob hire ‘The Killer’ to finish off their series covering every David Fincher movie EVER! Starring Michael Fassbender, Tilda Swinton and Charles Parnell, ‘The Killer’ was released and funded by Netflix as part of the directors ongoing deal with the streaming platform, and follows an assassin dealing with the fallout of a job gone wrong.

Released to fair reviews but widely considered a weaker entry in Fincher’s filmography, ‘The Killer’ was nonetheless praised for its stellar performances and gritty action - when it had it. But what is this film really about? Why doe...

Ben and Rob meet ‘Mank’; David Fincher’s first movie project for Netflix. Starring Gary Oldman, Amanda Seyfried and Charles Dance, this film is rarely mentioned in conversations about Fincher’s greatest films. Yet our hosts, approaching it with sheer dread, make the case that this is Fincher’s most slept-on masterpiece. Gorgeous visuals, masterful performances and an unbelievable soundtrack combine to create the best film you’ve probably never watched.

But is this tale of a cynical and disillusioned writer more personal of a story to Fincher than we know? Is Gary Oldman the perfect actor? Who really w...

Ben & Rob ask ‘Citizen Kane’ if he has anything relevant to say to us in the year 2025, or whether it’s time to throw this Rosebud on the fire of progress. Released in 1941, ‘Citizen Kane’ is widely regarded by a certain type of film fan as ‘The Greatest Movie Of All Time’; pioneering cinematic and storytelling techniques still in use today. Its director and star Orson Welles denied it being based on famed newspaper mogul W Randolph Hearst, denied the co-writer his due credit and even denied the film deserved the praise it still receives to this day.

But over 80...

Ben and Rob return to hunt for 'Gone Girl', David Fincher's 2014 murder marriage mystery masterpiece starring Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike. Released in 2014 to critical acclaim for both it's central performances and Fincher's trademark detail driven direction, 'Gone Girl' is a film about toxic marriage and psychopaths for the ages.

But which of our two star crossed lovers is really the biggest psychopath? Amy Dunne may have become one of cinema's most iconic female villains, but is she in fact the scapegoat of a far smarter, far more hidden psychopath? Is this film actually a...

Ben and Rob get back on the Fincher Train and dive into his 2011 remake of ‘The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo’. Designed by Sony as their franchise of the decade, ‘The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo’ starred Rooney Mara, Daniel Craig, Stellan Skarsgard and Christopher Plummer never received a sequel.

But what can this failure teach us about dealing with our own mistakes? Is this David Fincher’s darkest movie? And is David Fincher a serial killer?!

CONSUUUUME to find out all this and much MUCH more!

PLUS! We have a Patreon with EXCLUSIVE...

Ben and Rob meet ‘A Different Man’, the new film from Aaron Schimberg starring Sebastian Stan, Adam Pearson and Renate Reinsve. An aspiring actor undergoes a radical medical procedure to drastically transform his appearance but his new dream face quickly turns into a nightmare as he becomes obsessed with reclaiming what was lost. Released by A24, the studio responsible for ‘Everything Everywhere All At Once’ and ‘Hereditary’, ‘A Different Man’ has delighted critics the world over for it’s deeply layered storytelling and fresh perspective.

But is this film just another tale of beauty being what’s within? Is this a th...

Ben and Rob poke ‘The Social Network’, David Fincher’s 2010 telling of the founding of Facebook during Mark Zuckerberg’s time at Harvard. Starring Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield and Justin Timberlake, ‘The Social Network’ won three of the eight Academy Awards it was nominated for, with Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross’ incredible soundtrack beating Hans Zimmer’s ‘Inception’ to the Oscar.

But nearly fifteen years later, did David Fincher accurately predict the digital hellscape we would all be living in? How did this get written in spite of Facebook flatly denying any involvement? How can Rob find this tale of greed a...

Ben and Rob armour up for the latest Ridley Scott universe to be plundered for more cash ‘Gladiator II’! Starring Paul Mescal, Denzel Washington, Connie Neilsen and Pedro Pascal, ‘Gladiator II’ follows grown up Lucius as he walks far too closely in the footsteps of the original masterpiece. Twenty three years after the release of the Russell Crowe career maker, Ridley Scott is hoping this franchise can be revived without it going as poorly as every other time he’s done it.

But is this Riddle-y Scott or Diddly Squat when it comes to genius filmmaking? This isn’t just...

Ben and Rob experience the ultimate in anti-aging and witness one of the most tragic, heart wrenching love stories ever told. Bookended in odd, seemingly problematic age differences, THAT’S RIGHT! David Fincher’s 2008 Sci-Fi? Romantic? Period drama? … All three? The Curious Case of Benjamin Button starring Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett and Tilda Swinton, paints a harrowing, heart breaking yet beautiful story highlighting what it means to be young and the impact one life can have on another.

Join us as we find out why this is the best romantic film Ben has ever seen, why this is the...

Ben and Rob travel back to ancient Rome to help conquer Germania with our favourite Spaniard, Maximus in Ridley Scott’s 2000 sword and sandal EPIC, Gladiator! Starring Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix and Connie Nielsen, this emotionally charged story of loss, heartache and ultimately revenge gives us a harrowing look at the brutality of Maximus’ gladiator arc.

Join us as we investigate what inspired Ridley Scott to make this film? How did the script evolve from inception to final draft? Can Ridley take all the credit for this film’s incredible success at the box office and most import...

Ben and Rob unmask ‘Zodiac’, David Fincher’s tale of the hunt for the self-proclaimed “Zodiac Killer”, responsible for a spate of grisly murders across California from the late sixties through to the early seventies. Starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Mark Ruffalo and Robert Downey Jr, Fincher’s ‘Zodiac’ is a long, uncompromising film beloved by critics but widely ignored by audiences upon its release in 2007.

But is this the most painfully personal movie in David Fincher’s whole filmography? What drove Robert Downey Jr to compare working with Fincher to Soviet prison camps? Which scene in this darkest of movies is the o...

We've gotta take a break from the usual weekly format to have a much needed clearing of the air between each other, a word with ourselves and some news for you, our dearest regular listeners.

New listener? We love that you're here, but maybe circle back to this one after checking out one of the many excellent films in our catalogue. We wanna sit with the regulars for a sec.

We discuss the making of the show, how it used to be, how it is now, and the ways in which so much has changed...

Ben and Rob lock themselves into ‘Panic Room’, David Fincher’s box-office sensation starring Jodie Foster, Kristen Stewart, Forest Whitaker and Jared Leto. Mother and daughter duo Meg and Sarah are forced to hide in a panic room in their house when intruders break in; unfortunately for them, the intruders want something that is hidden inside the room and will stop at nothing to claim it. This film allowed Fincher to calm studios fears in his financial reliability after the box-office failure of ‘Fight Club’ whilst flexing his muscles as a technical master behind the camera.

So with every...

Ben and Rob examine ‘Joker 2: Folie A Deux’ so you don’t have to! Billed as the biggest film event of the year, ‘Joker 2’ will go down in history as one of the all time box-office bombs, reviewing lower than ‘Madame Web’ and left with no route to recouping its massive budget. Starring Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga and Brendan Gleeson with Todd Phillips returning to direct, all seemed set for success for this story of an unwell man facing an unjust world.

So how did the original team behind such an excellent original deliver such a dead-on-arrival dud? Was the f...

Ben and Rob break the first rule of ‘Fight Club’ and talk about why this David Fincher masterpiece is more controversial today than audiences found it on its 1999 release. Starring Brad Pitt, Ed Norton Helena Bonham Carter, ‘Fight Club’ follows an unnamed Narrator as his friendship with a charismatic soap salesman devolves from underground fight clubs into domestic terrorism. Met with confused concern at the time of its release, ‘Fight Club’ flopped at the cinema but soared to unseen heights for its DVD release. Now sitting as the number one most viewed film on Letterboxd.com, we explore how the making o...

Ben and Rob get what they deserve for ‘Joker’, Todd Phillips’ 2019 character study smuggled into box-office history under a supervillains cape. Starring Joaquin Phoenix, Robert DeNiro, Zazie Beetz and Frances Conroy, ‘Joker’ tells the story of mentally unwell and financially destitute Arthur Fleck and his journey to become a stand-up comedian; a journey that takes a terrifying wrong turn when Gotham repeatedly turns it back on his suffering. The film lacking an appearance from Batman didn’t stop ‘Joker’ delighting DC Comics fans as deeply as the critics; becoming the first R rated movie to cross the billion dollar mark at the box...

Ben & Rob lose touch with reality as they play ‘The Game’, David Fincher’s 1997 mystery thriller straring Michael Douglas, Sean Penn, Deborah Kara Unger and James Rebhorn. When merchant banker Nicolas receives a voucher for a game from his brother Conrad, he ends up fighting to keep control of his life and mind as the birthday present from hell has him confronting his past. Often overlooked in Fincher’s catalogue, we continue our series covering EVERY David Fincher movie EVER and take a long look at how this movie holds up to contemporary audiences.

Released hot on the heel...

Ben & Rob Netflix & chill with the hosts of the Ctrl Alt Critique podcast for ‘Inseminoid’, Britain’s 1981 answer to the age old question: “Can you make Ridley Scott’s sci-fi classic ‘Alien’ but with a fraction of the budget, talent and schedule?” Well obviously not, but we’ve got Adam, Amber and Bailey from Ctrl Alt Critique in to help us dissect all things ‘Inseminoid’, from its bizarre plot to its awfully dated effects, tone and subject matter. Banned in the UK with copies legally required to be destroyed by police, ‘Inseminoid’ stars Judy Geeson, Robin Clark, Victoria Tennant and Stephanie Beacham as a...

Ben & Rob open the box to find ‘Se7en’, their first episode covering EVERY David Fincher movie EVER!!!

Following the disastrous results of his directorial debut, Fincher would have to wait three years before winning a second opportunity to make a full length feature. Written by Andrew Kevin Walker, shot by Darius Khondji and starring Morgan Freeman, Brad Pitt, Gwyneth Paltrow, Martin Serene and Kevin Spacey, ‘Se7en’ is possibly the greatest ever example of the neo-noir detective genre. David Fincher starts his journey to directorial stardom with a story of two detectives, a rookie and a veteran...

Ben & Rob point and laugh at ‘The Crow’, Hollywood’s latest insult to its own history as it constantly ruins everything good in this world. It may star Bill Skarsgard and FKA Twigs as Eric Draven and Shelly but the similarities end there - classic villain Top Dollar is gone, and now Eric fights demons with soundcloud raps. It’s also been a critical and commercial disaster, with critics yawning and the audience not even showing up.

But what on earth possessed them to ‘fox’ something that was never broken? Is there anything to redeem this latest Hollywood ca...