Terrence Malick’s debut gets the Bad Dads treatment. We dive into the cool, clinical menace of Martin Sheen’s James-Dean-by-way-of-the-Midwest and Sissy Spacek’s fairytale-flat voiceover that makes murder sound like homework.
What the episode covers
- The real-world shadow: The Starkweather–Fugate killings that inspired Badlands, Springsteen’s Nebraska, and the film’s uneasy “romance.”
- Vibes and visuals: Malick’s painterly Midwest, perfect framing, big blue skies, dust-trail car chases, and double-denim iconography.
- That score you’ve “heard before”: The Carl Orff/“Gassenhauer” motif lineage and why True Romance echoes it.
- Kit & Holly, de-romanticised: Dog killing. Patricide. Tree-house hideout. Calm compliance instead of panic. What that says about complicity and control.
- Malick’s tone game: Spacek’s naïf narration vs. the on-screen violence; why the fairy-tale cadence makes it creepier.
- American Dream, skewered: Celebrity criminality, the cops’ weird reverence at arrest, and that chilling last beat.
- Law tangent, modern lens: How felony-murder doctrine reframes Holly’s “innocence” and where age, coercion, and responsibility collide.
Should you listen?
Yes. If you like films that look beautiful while making you feel morally grubby, this one’s prime. We keep it sharp: craft, context, and a few savage laughs at the myth of outlaw romance.
🎧 Hit play for a tight, provocative chat that’ll have you rewatching Badlands with fresh eyes—and side-eyeing anyone who calls it a love story.
We love to hear from our listeners! By which I mean we tolerate it. If it hasn't been completely destroyed yet you can usually find us on twitter @dads_film, on Facebook Bad Dads Film Review, on email at baddadsjsy@gmail.com or on our website baddadsfilm.com.
Until next time, we remain...
Bad Dads
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang
Ding dong! Join your culture consultants, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, on an unforgettable journey into the beating heart of CULTURE. Alongside sizzling special guests, they GET INTO the hottest pop-culture moments of the day and the formative cultural experiences that turned them into Culturistas. Produced by the Big Money Players Network and iHeartRadio.
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.