The Extra Credits

This is a free sample from our conversation on David Lean’s Lawrence of Arabia (1962), the sweeping desert epic that looms large over George Lucas’s vision for his Star Wars saga as a whole. We dig into the film’s imperial critique, Peter O’Toole’s mesmerizing performance, and how Lean turns scale into a tool of psychological storytelling. For the full episode head to our Patreon at the link below.

The Extra Credits YouTube Chan...

Our four-part Star Wars deep dive series is now live on Patreon—starting with a free 15-minute preview of our epic Star Wars -Phantom Menace breakdown. From podraces, to tariffs, to Darth Maul's double-bladed duel of the fates chaos, we unpack the Star Wars mythology, this era of Lucas, this massive indie production, and our relationship to the divisive prequels. Join us on Patreon to unlock the full four episode series (Ep's 1, 2,...

Danny Boyle and Alex Garland return to the franchise they helped define with 28 Years Later . A bold, emotional, and politically charged vision of our past, present, and future. We break down the film’s story, style, themes of myth-making, isolationism, nationalism, and standout performances from Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Ralph Fiennes, and breakout star Alfie Williams. We also look ahead to where this trilogy could go nex...

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In this Patreon episode, we dive deep into the 28 Days Later franchise—breaking down its lo-fi horror legacy, Danny Boyle’s kinetic filmmaking, the breakout performances from Cillian Murphy and Naomie Harris, and Alex Garland’s sharp political commentary. We also talk about the early buzz for 28 Years...

This is a free sample from our conversation on William Wyler's Ben-Hur (1959), the epic that helped shape George Lucas’s cinematic imagination and paved the way for Star Wars: The Phantom Menace. We talk about Ben-Hur's blend of myth, spectacle, and spirituality, how its structure mirrors the Skywalker saga, and why Judah Ben-Hur walks so Anakin Skywalker can...get his legs cut off. For the full episode, including our compl...

FULL FREE EPISODE ON PATREON – In this special sample episode, we dive into Mission: Impossible (1996), the film that launched Tom Cruise’s iconic run as Ethan Hunt. We break down Brian De Palma’s stylish direction, that legendary langley heist, and the beginning of one of cinema’s greatest action franchises. This is a full deep dive into the spy thriller that changed the genre forever. Listen to the full episode now (free for all ...

Today we dive into Celine Song’s Materialists, a glossy, thematically ambitious romcom that left us more intrigued than moved. Following the quiet power of Past Lives, Song pivots hard...playing with genre conventions to critique romance as transaction, intimacy as performance, and dating as capitalist spectacle. We talk about how the film tries to reclaim a dying genre while simultaneously dissecting it, why the trio of Pedro Pasc...

Alfred Hitchcock’s North by Northwest is the sleek, stylish spy thriller that basically invented the modern action movie and laid the blueprint for the Mission: Impossible / James Bond franchises. We break down its iconic set pieces, paranoid energy, and why Cary Grant running from a crop duster still rips. This is a 5-minute sample from our full #1 Boy Movie Club episode. To hear the entire deep dive, head to our Patreon below.

The...

In our episode on Jerry Maguire, we dive into Tom Cruise and Cameron Crowe’s genre-blending masterpiece as both a rom-com and sports drama that dissects the emotional and professional crash out of a self-interested man. Alongside this, we break down the broader arc of Cruise’s career—from 1980s heartthrob to 1990s dramatic powerhouse to post-2000s action icon—and how Jerry Maguire stands at a critical turning point: a film that bri...

Kelsi and Trey review Wes Anderson's newest film The Phoenician Scheme and also trace the five distinct eras of Anderson’s career. Anderson’s latest pastel-laced genre experiment is part espionage caper, part theological road movie, and part anti-capitalist fever dream. We break down how this film fits into the “post-Grand Budapest” phase of his work, explore its sub-narratives and surreal spiritual detours, and celebrate its q...

This is a 5-minute sample of our full podcast episode on Billy Wilder’s The Apartment — a film that somehow blends mid-century office politics, romantic dysfunction, and existential comedy into one perfect holiday movie. To hear the full conversation and unlock over 200 hours of movie deep dives, including more classics, new releases, and filmmaker spotlights, head to our Patreon and become a member in the link below.

The Extra Cred...

Kelsi and Trey react to Tom Cruise's final MI film in 'Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning' plus we rank all eight Mission: Impossible films, from De Palma’s paranoid thriller to McQuarrie’s AI-fighting epics, and trace how the franchise evolved from emotional espionage to Cruise-as-messiah spectacle. We dive deep into each entry’s themes, set pieces, and shifting tone, debating what was gained in stunt-driven myt...

Somehow Star Wars Returned! Trey and James Steck dive deep into our personal history with Star Wars—how it shaped our childhoods, our friendships, and how Andor Seasons 1 and 2 reignited our passion. We reflect on the highs, lows, and evolution of the franchise across movies, TV shows, games, and why Tony Gilroy’s Andor redefined what Star Wars could be: smart, political, emotionally rich, and unafraid to explore the slow burn of r...

In this special Extra Credits+ episode, we're joined by guests Kira and James to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar. Together, we dive deep into Nolan’s career arc, unpacking how Interstellar stands out as his most spiritual and vulnerable film. Along the way, the group breaks down iconic performances by Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain, and Matt Damon, and explores the mov...

In this critical deep dive, we explore Sinners, the bold, genre-blending vampire-western-horror-musical from director Ryan Coogler and star Michael B. Jordan. We unpack its ambitious themes of assimilation, artistic legacy, cultural survival, and spiritual freedom—all wrapped inside a chaotic IMAX-sized spectacle. From standout newcomer Miles Caton’s lead performance to the film’s uneven third act and rich but overloaded symbolism,...

Trey reviews Ryan Coogler’s Sinners: a $100-million genre-bending vampire western horror musical set in 1930s Mississippi. It’s Coogler’s boldest, weirdest, and most ambitious film to date, blending myth, legacy, identity, and the cost of assimilation into a chaotic cinematic experiment. Trey unpacks the film’s anti-genre intentions, its Faustian themes, its wild tonal swings, and the standout performances from Michael B. Jordan an...

Kelsi and Trey count down and critically discuss our picks for the 30 best movies of 2024—an unpredictable, wildly entertaining, and emotionally resonant year for cinema. From studio epics like Dune: Part Two and Furiosa, to international gems like La Chimera and I’m Still Here, to genre-benders like Challengers, The Substance, and Red Rooms, we break down what made these films stand out—formally, politically, emotionally, and narr...

On the 30th anniversary of David Fincher’s Se7en, we take a deep dive into the legacy of one of the most unsettling and influential thrillers of modern cinema. We explore the film’s impact on the serial killer genre, Fincher’s signature style and career-defining choices, and how Se7en critiques the very systems—and audiences—that consume stories of violence and moral decay. We also get into the unforgettable performances from Brad ...

For Toy Story's 30th anniversary, we’re diving deep into the film and studio that changed animation forever—but also how Pixar itself evolved from a revolutionary indie disruptor into a corporate franchise machine. We’ll explore Pixar’s early era, where its films tackled bold political and existential themes—from A Bug’s Life's working-class rebellion to WALL-E's anti-consumerist dystopia—before shifting, post-Disney ac...