The Cult Popcast

Episode 232 ”Aftersun”

| Review | I think it’s nice that we share the same sky. Aftersun is a dreamy and wistful slice of life that tells the story of a father and daughter on holiday at a fading little resort in Turkey. Loosely inspired by writer/director Charlotte Wells’ own childhood experiences with her father, this haunting piece of fiction is a charming coming of age story set against a pervasive and foreboding sense of sadness. But first, a quick review of the new James Gray picture Armageddon Time - another film inspired by a writer/director’s childhood.

Episode 231 ”Women Talking”

| Review | Do nothing. Stay and fight. Or leave. Sarah Polley’s big screen adaptation of the Miriam Toews novel Women Talking is the final Best Picture nomination we’ve yet to cover for this year’s Academy Awards. Described as “an imagined response to real events,” it’s a powerful story with a lot to say about religion, gender roles, power dynamics, institutionalized violence and oppression… you get the idea.

Episode 230 ”Atlanta” Season Four

| Review | In November 2020, Donald Glover tweeted that Atlanta seasons 3 and 4 would be some of the best television ever made, on the same level as The Sopranos. Well, the show is over now, and the TCP is here to evaluate. However you feel about it, one thing is for sure: there is really nothing else like it on TV.

Episode 229 ”All Quiet on the Western Front”

| Review | War is hell, always has been - but World War I was a new kind of hell for its time. Originally a novel published in 1928, Netflix’s All Quiet on the Western Front is a retelling of that infamous conflict, from the perspective of a group of young German men fighting in it. Initially filled with nationalistic pride and eager to serve their country, the boys are quickly hardened and hollowed by the terror and grim brutality of trench warfare. Joining the cast to break it all down is casual historian and wartime expert Bryce Reif.

Episode 228 ”Empire of Light”

| Review | You’d think the dynamic duo of Sam Mendes and Roger Deakins would turn out some kind of spectacular and ambitious movie, especially after their last banger, 1917. But Empire of Light is not a globetrotting thrill ride or wartime epic. It’s about a quiet little theater in a small coastal town in 1980’s England. Outside of the beautiful cinematography and some fantastic performances, this probably isn’t going to be one for the books.

Episode 227 ”Alpha Zulu” by Phoenix

| Analysis | Why choose your body over time? French pop sensation Phoenix has risen from the ashes of the pandemic with their seventh studio LP, Alpha Zulu. Coming in strong with new riffs on their classic sound, this album aims to be as timeless as The Louvre it was recorded in. But is it? Check a listen...

Episode 226 ”The Whale”

| Review | Adapted from Samuel D. Hunter’s stage play of the same name, Darren Aronofsky’s The Whale marks the triumphant return to the big screen for 90’s heartthrob and action star Brendan Fraser. It’s a small but powerful story of love, loss, and that old familiar struggle against the dark void of depression. This is a tough film to swallow.

Episode 225 ”Babylon”

| Review | Lights, camera, action! Babylon is 2022’s latest and greatest sensationalist love letter to the history of Hollywood and cinema as an art form. It’s Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood meets La La Land and set in the roaring twenties (with perhaps a little extra coke-fueled craziness thrown in). Whether or not it’s your cup of tea, it’s clear Damien Chazelle is one hell of a director. This is a wild, irreverent, fun movie. And holy smokes, Margot Robbie!

Episode 224 ”Avatar: The Way of Water”

| Review | We are not in Kansas anymore! Avatar: The Way of Water is finally out in theaters after a decade of production, and James Cameron is keen to make a few more billion dollars at the box office. Wait, there's gonna be three more? Bro.

Episode 223 ”2022 Retrospective”

| Analysis | Hop on the band wagon, this train’s leaving. We’re talking Bros, White Noise, Jeremy Render, 1899, Golden Globes, and our top ten films of 2022. You will hear a sneak peek at our feelings on Avatar, Babylon, The Whale, and many more.