The Minimum Commitment: Film Theory in Small Doses

NOTE: This episode contains MAJOR spoilers. If you haven’t seen the film yet, you might want to hit pause and come back when you’re ready.

Beneath the surface of shark attacks and summer screams lies a profound and thought-provoking film that explores the complex themes of institutional collapse, mounting disillusionment, and a society that has gradually lost its ability to understand and interpret the world around it. Spielberg did...

NOTE: This episode contains MAJOR spoilers. If you haven’t seen the film yet, you might want to hit pause and come back when you’re ready.

John Carpenter’s Halloween revolutionized the horror genre not through an abundance of gore and shocking violence, but through its masterful use of quiet, subtlety, and atmosphere. This episode explores how minimalist techniques, extended long takes, and meticulous sound design work together to e...

In Denis Villeneuve’s Arrival, the most profound discovery isn’t merely the revelation of extraterrestrial life, but the profound transformative power of language to fundamentally reshape our understanding of time, perception, and reality itself. This episode examines the captivating Sapir–Whorf hypothesis, highlighting how language shapes thought and perspective. It also highlights Amy Adams’ luminous and emotionally resonant port...

NOTE: This episode contains spoilers. If you haven’t seen the film yet, you might want to hit pause and come back when you’re ready.

In Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey, the director masterfully transforms the narrative of human existence into a profound visual language that encapsulates themes of evolution, advancing technology, and the mysterious unknown. This film episode meticulously employs pure imagery and sound...

NOTE: This episode contains spoilers. If you haven’t seen the film yet, you might want to hit pause and come back when you’re ready.

This episode explores Interstellar, examining it through the complex scientific principles of Einstein’s relativity as well as the profound emotional humanism that underpins its narrative. Nolan’s expansive space epic masterfully bends the fabric of time and space, creating a mind-bending voyage across...

NOTE: This episode contains spoilers. If you haven’t seen the film yet, you might want to hit pause and come back when you’re ready.

In Logan’s Run, life is programmed to end at the age of thirty, a brutal societal norm that is unquestioned by its citizens. This episode explores the film from Michel Foucault’s perspective on biopolitics, examining how rituals surrounding death, a techno-theocratic government, and a society found...

NOTE: This episode contains spoilers. If you haven’t seen the film yet, you might want to hit pause and come back when you’re ready.

This episode offers a deep exploration of the movie Blade Runner, analyzed through Alison Landsberg’s compelling theory of prosthetic memory. Set in a futuristic world where memories are not naturally experienced but artificially manufactured, and personal identity is constructed from fictional nar...

NOTE: This episode contains spoilers. If you haven’t seen the film yet, you might want to hit pause and come back when you’re ready.

In Alex Proyas’ Dark City, reality is portrayed as a fragile construct, meticulously crafted and easily manipulated. Memory, within this dystopian universe, transforms into a potent weapon, used to control, deceive, or conceal the truth. This episode explores the film's themes through the lens of sci-f...

NOTE: This episode contains spoilers. If you haven’t seen the film yet, you might want to hit pause and come back when you’re ready.

In this episode, we explore the intricate tapestry of Chinatown, examining it through the provocative lenses of Marxist political theory and existentialism. Jake Gittes embarks on a labyrinthine journey, grappling not only with the pervasive corruption that envelops him but also unearthing a deeply ent...

NOTE: This episode contains spoilers. If you haven’t seen the film yet, you might want to hit pause and come back when you’re ready.

This episode dives deep into David Lynch’s *Blue Velvet*, a haunting film that peels back the shiny, sanitized surface of suburban life to reveal the dark, chaotic underbelly lurking beneath. We explore provocative themes of voyeurism, repressed violence, and the false veneer of innocence, analyzing ho...

NOTE: This episode contains spoilers. If you haven’t seen the film yet, you might want to hit pause and come back when you’re ready.

This episode explores the film Out of the Past, providing a detailed look at themes such as fatalism and the often complex, misleading nature of memory. We follow Jeff Bailey as he moves through different times, experiencing flashbacks, false starts, and fleeting moments of hope. In the end, we see tha...

NOTE: This episode contains spoilers. If you haven’t seen the film yet, you might want to hit pause and come back when you’re ready.

In Billy Wilder’s Double Indemnity, doom isn’t a surprise; it’s a destination. This episode explores the film through fatalism and post-war disillusionment, analyzing how Walter Neff’s descent into murder is driven not by passion, but by weariness, control, and the illusion of escape. In Film Noir, eve...

In the world of Ballerina, violence transcends brutality to become a mesmerizing form of choreography, while vibrant colors convey profound emotions and narratives. This episode delves deep into the film, employing the lens of color theory, feminist film analysis, and the intricate art of movement. We embark on a journey alongside Eve, tracing her evolution from a quest for vengeance to the discovery of her own identity, all while ...

In the poignant Chapter 4, John Wick ceases his frantic sprint from the specter of death and instead strides resolutely towards it. This installment delves deep into the realms of thanatology, the study of death and the intricacies of dying. It unfolds with ritualistic violence and a mythic structure, weaving a narrative that gradually ascends towards a haunting silence. The saga transforms into a funeral in motion, each scene echo...

In the gripping narrative of Parabellum, John Wick finds himself with just one hour before the relentless forces of the world conspire to wipe him from existence. This intense episode explores the harrowing transformation of a once-vulnerable man into an enduring myth, as the brutal rituals of violence, profound betrayal, and primal instincts for survival systematically strip away the remnants of his former identity. No longer a me...

In the intricate and merciless world of John Wick, freedom comes at an exorbitant price. This episode examines John Wick: Chapter 2, unraveling its themes through the compelling framework of social contract theory, where oaths are etched in blood and debts are exacted through ruthless violence. John Wick, once driven by a thirst for revenge, now finds himself ensnared in a perilous game where each life taken is a desperate act of s...

The Last Jedi doesn’t follow the rules—it rewrites them. Through the lens of feminist film theory, this episode explores how the film subverts the “chosen one” narrative, critiques toxic heroism, and centers quiet, deliberate power in the hands of women. From Rey’s self-made path to Holdo’s silent strike, it challenges what strength looks like in a galaxy shaped by legacy and myth. This isn’t about who you’re born to be—it’s about ...