March 5, 2026 • 21 mins
In this episode of TV Reload, hosts Benjamin Norris and Brose of Avard dive into the 2026 film The Bride, a visually stunning and dark Gothic tale about identity, autonomy and what it means to be alive.
They discuss the film's feminist reinterpretation of the Frankenstein story, its exploration of the concept of existence purely for someone else's creation and the themes of female empowerment.
With a star-studded cast, including Christian Bale, Jesse Buckley, and Penelope Cruz, the hosts dissect the film's visuals, performances, and tonal inconsistencies, leaving listeners wondering if this genre-bending film is a masterpiece or a mess.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
It's in the news today, but it was actually on
TV Reloaded podcast last week that lie. Hey, everybody, welcome
back to TV Reload. Fine aas Benjamin Norris and joining
me as always is Frankenstein's best man, brose of.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Art, and it was an honor and a privilege, Frankenstein's
best man. I kept the speech short because he kept
flowering at me, glowering, glaring at me.
Speaker 1 (00:20):
One of those words, would you be willing to hang
out with Frankenstein? If it is.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
Christian Bale Frankenstein doing an impersonation of Christian Bale doing
Batman Ragen Stein same, it's all the same voice?
Speaker 1 (00:33):
Is it all the same voice?
Speaker 2 (00:34):
It is the same voice.
Speaker 1 (00:35):
Well, today we're diving into one of this years. I
would say most visually fascinating films of twenty twenty six
The Bride.
Speaker 2 (00:43):
Yeah, definitely. He would have thought we would get not one,
but two Gothic romantic films in one year.
Speaker 1 (00:49):
It's our jam. Yeah, and Adele loved us talking about
Wuthering Heights, and here we are with another film that
fits into a very similar genre.
Speaker 2 (00:57):
I'd say, yeah, it kind of is in some ways,
kind of Yeah, nineteen thirties, but kind of Gothic at
the same time, with a bit of horror thrown into
good measure. What do you think, Benny boy? What did
you think? Overall? Just quickly before we get into some deats.
Speaker 1 (01:09):
Look, I mean I couldn't stop thinking about the fact
that this was trying to be some sort of a
romance film, and then I just kept going back to
Wuthering Heights. Why do we have to have such disturbing
and very messy and gross sex.
Speaker 2 (01:22):
That's what people want? Now? People love the or is
it row fantasy or whatever it's called, or the romance
fantasy novels are flying off the shelves of bookshops. So
I guess this is satisfying that need.
Speaker 1 (01:32):
Well, you might be onto something, and maybe so was
Warner Brothers when they decided to make the twenty twenty
six film The Bride. It is an inspired classic Frankenstein
mythology film that follows a woman resurrected by a brilliant
but troubled scientist and created to be the perfect companion
for a lonely monster aka Frankenstein. But when she begins
(01:53):
to question the role she was made for, this story
turns into a dark Gothic tale about identity, autonomy and
what it really means to be alive. Here's a quick
thirty second clip of the bride before we get into
today's conversation. What happened?
Speaker 2 (02:14):
You had an accident? An accident?
Speaker 1 (02:19):
We dug you up, I brought you back to life. Yeah,
what do you want with it?
Speaker 2 (02:31):
I'm the shame born from the dead, So am I
the Drankenstein. Overall, I enjoyed this film a lot, but
it is a bit messy as well, which is a
few too many ideas trying to be crammed into one
film by Maggie Gillen Hall. But yeah, I had a
(02:52):
lot of fun last night when we watched it.
Speaker 1 (02:54):
It's interesting, you know, you threw that in there, Maggie
Gallen Hulk. So this is her film. She wrote it
and directed it. And before or I went in, I
heard that she had difficulty getting it financed and getting
this film up. You know, I can understand that that
might be a little bit difficult for Maggy Gellnhull to
get this across the line, but she certainly she makes
a meal out of it.
Speaker 2 (03:12):
I will say that she does have a lot of
fun with it. And I was reading last night that
she part of her inspiration, well, one of her inspirations
was a tattoo of Frankenstein's Bride from the nineteen thirty
nine movie Or it might be wrong there, but also
the idea that in that film, Frankenstein's bride doesn't speak
and is only on camera for three minutes. So she
decided to flip that. But one of the things that
Frankenstein's Bride does do in that film is she says
(03:35):
the word no, so she actually refuses Frankenstein as the partner.
And so she wanted to explore that idea more, which
there's a lot of that in that film, where Frankenstein's
Bride is refusing to do things that people expected to do.
Speaker 1 (03:46):
I mean specifically, we've got Jesse Buckley as the resurrected Bride,
We've got Christian Bhale in monster mode, yeah, and Annette
Benning as mad Scientist, I should say, and I didn't
know Nett Benning was going to be in this movie,
but she.
Speaker 2 (03:58):
Was not expecting it wasn't that amazing saying what a treat?
Speaker 1 (04:00):
He was a real treat, like the whole way through it.
And I kept thinking about her teeth the whole way through.
Speaker 2 (04:05):
But I don't know. I thought the same thing. I
was on camera and I could see my two front
teeth slightly crossing over. I'd be like, I'm getting old.
It's time to do something, or it's just time to
leave it. I don't know.
Speaker 1 (04:15):
Hey, if it's good enough for Warren Beatty and they're
still together, then you know, cross those.
Speaker 2 (04:19):
Teeth, that's right. Peter Scarsguard obviously shows up as well
in Penalope Cruz as the Investigators, both of which do
an amazing job, really really well performed by both of them.
Speaker 1 (04:30):
And don't forget Jake Gellenhal who is fucking weird.
Speaker 2 (04:34):
Who apparently was the last guy to be cast, and
Maggie wasn't sure if she'd cast her brother or not,
but she did. But yeah, Jake gillen all out there
in all his singing and dancing wonder which he does
a lot of them Broadway but not much on the
silver screen. There is a.
Speaker 1 (04:47):
Twinkle in his either whole way through the movie. There's
a twinkle and his toes as well, but the twinkle
in his eye made me always think that this is
him being like I'm in my sister's movie. I kept
seeing that, do you know what I mean, like to
look on his eye where it is like, hey, hey,
I'm a good actor and you finally called me to
be in a movie, and here it is, I'm doing it.
Jake Kilan Hawling. I was like just getting a snapshot
(05:11):
of what it would be like to be Maggie and
Jake back in the day when they were growing up
putting on little plays for their parents.
Speaker 3 (05:18):
He says, I've been directing him our whole life. But no,
I love working with my brother. My brother is such
a I mean, he's so funny. You wouldn't always totally
know that from so many movies he does. He's so
dramatic and like, but he's really funny and so talented,
and I there's nothing like working with family, you know,
I mean, if it works.
Speaker 2 (05:41):
Yeah, well they haven't been in a film. I haven't
worked on a film together, sorry, since Donny Darko back
in two thousand and one. So yeah, that's pretty spectacular.
But I thought Jake was good because we know that
he's a song and dance man at heart. He's done
that on Broadway, he did it on Saturday Night Live
when he hosts it as well. So it's nice to
see him do it on film as well, even if
it is with a bit of a wink and a
nod to you know, the thirty films. I thought he
(06:01):
did a great job.
Speaker 1 (06:01):
Yeah, I'm a little bit out of that one.
Speaker 2 (06:03):
But it Ben's like, eh, I like my singing and
Nanza and I don't know if he quite nailed it.
Speaker 1 (06:08):
Is just a monster movie, though, is it. I mean,
it's a romantic, philosophical, slightly chaotic story about it.
Speaker 2 (06:14):
It's a bit of a genre mash as well. Yeah,
as well as a monster mash. It is the monster mash,
the mesh of them all.
Speaker 1 (06:23):
And do they play that song in the movie? They okay,
wait for it. One of the interesting things about this
film is the exploration of the concept that I guess
Maggie has been pretty open about talking about during promoting
The Bride, and that is this feminist reinterpretation of the
Frankenstein story. Historically, the Bride Frankenstein was conceived to be
(06:46):
the perfect companion for a monster, the male, and in
this version it really leans into the idea of asking
what it means to exist purely for someone else's creation,
and what happens when that character begins to question that
purpose and.
Speaker 2 (06:58):
The bride being acted from a gangster's mole who was
who died will put it at that, and then you know,
represents all of the gangster moles that have been done
away with for whatever reasons. I'm trying not to do
any spoilers here, but yeah, that whole that theme runs
very strong all the way through it, and I like
it for that reason. That's one of the reasons I
like this film. But again, I think because Maggie's got
(07:20):
a lot going on, I think he gets muddied up
with some of the other plot points as well. But yeah,
there's a lot of plot points kind of all fighting
for attention at times. My only negative I think.
Speaker 1 (07:30):
I don't know how many people are going to want
to go and see this movie. I mean, big names.
We've to discuss those big names. They have bums on
seeds type actors. But this subject matter has been done
quite a lot. Yeah, and I don't necessarily think that
the trailer tells the audience exactly what it's going to be,
except for very weird, do you know what I mean?
Like the trailer to me was like, come and watch this,
(07:51):
We're going to do the brider Frankenstein. It's going to
be very weird, and we've got some ailist actors, Like
I don't know if it sells exactly what this film
does best, And I think what this film does do
best is do some visually stunning and amazing moments, like
there's a Beetlejuice tip of the hat. I thought when
everyone burst into song and dance, it felt very deadly come.
Speaker 2 (08:15):
Because it was like a possession where, yeah, alive people
as opposed to the undead I guess, dance along as
if possessed by the two monsters choreography. Yeah, and it
was a bit of a tip to the hat to
Young Frankenstein as well by the monsters dancing to Putting
on the Ritz, which obviously they danced to and sing
in Young Frankenstein, which I thought was kind of cool.
(08:36):
So there's nods to a lot of other Frankenstein movies
and Beetlejuice and Bonnie and Clyde, and like you can
pick the references from top to bottom. There's even a
bit of a I feel like there was a bit
of a Scorsese reference in some way too as well
with the gangs stuff, but specifically kind of Scorsese references. So, yeah,
there's a lot going on in this film, a lot.
Speaker 1 (08:54):
I think if they just let us have it as
a Bonnie and Clyde, it might have worked better, or
like if it just picked its self Elane. But I
also thought, you know, great performances by Penelope Cruz and
Peter Sarsgar, Peter Scarsgart, Maggie Allenha's husband.
Speaker 2 (09:07):
And I thought a family affair.
Speaker 1 (09:09):
It's a family affair. But some of these performances are phenomenal.
Like Penelope Cruz seem like an odd choice when she
walks on screen, but she delivers some of the movie's
most delicious moments, Like she had some great looks that
she gives almost the audience, and she's probably one of
the only likable characters to be on the whole film.
Speaker 2 (09:27):
Yeah, in the whole movie, and again pushing that female
empowerment angle on it. She's a female detective, but not
by reputation because no one knows what she does. She's
kind of under the radar, and she's trying to get
herself seen and recognized as what she is, and obviously
the men in the police force don't see that. So yeah,
those themes are running all the way through the film
as well. The other bit we haven't talked about, though,
(09:48):
Ben is the Mary Shelley of it all. I don't
know how much of that we want to talk about, but.
Speaker 1 (09:53):
It was a mistake. Can we talk about that.
Speaker 2 (09:56):
I thought it was one line of narrative that we
probably didn't need. So, yeah, the bride is possessed somewhat
by Mary Shelley, the writer of Frankenstein, and then her
empowerment and revolution I suppose comes from the ghost of
Mary Shelley, and all of that is I completely I think,
completely unnecessary, but so bizarre.
Speaker 1 (10:17):
It's so weird because that particular choice of having the
same actress play those dual roles, you know, Mary Shelley
and our protagonist.
Speaker 2 (10:26):
Yeah, it's really odd.
Speaker 1 (10:27):
Because it seems like it's over explaining everything to us
as an audience, which Maggie Gallan Hull isn't really doing
when she's getting into her feminism. You know, I didn't
think she was hitting us over the head with I mean,
you're a straight white male. Did you feel like you
were being spoken down to her at some points? Or like,
how did that all land for you?
Speaker 2 (10:44):
I thought that the stuff like scripted, and the narrative
stuff I thought was great, and I thought the way
it was uncovered or revealed was really well done. But
the Mary Shelley of it all was really banging me
over the head with it, shout telling us that she
was a repressed intellectual as well as a repressed female.
The fact that she, you know, have the career she
wanted because she was a woman, which is all relevant.
It's all relevant. I'm not saying it's irrelevant, but it
(11:05):
is a lot of banging on my head, like, oh, okay,
I get it, I get it. It was a bit, it
was a bit intense, and then the turettes of it
all was bizarre. I thought I was watching the Bafters.
It was just unbelievable. The way that Jesse Buckley was
kind of going between the two characters at different times.
I didn't wasn't sure if that was completely necessary either.
It just left Frankenstein standing around looking more confused than normal.
Speaker 1 (11:27):
And didn't he look confused like Christian Bale. And it's
honestly not a lot of film that I can think
of in his backstory where he feels like he's being
sort of put to the side and being acted all
over like Jesse. His performance is phenomenal.
Speaker 2 (11:42):
She's so good in this. Yeah, like it's.
Speaker 1 (11:44):
Definitely even worse. I mean, I think the best thing
about this film, and maybe I'm going to double down
on some of this, but the actors are great. It's
a character actor film.
Speaker 2 (11:54):
That's we're all chewing it up. They're chewing it up.
They're having so much fun, even Bail, as you said,
And I mean, you know that suits the themes of
the film, right, that one of the greatest male actors
is being subservient to one of the greatest female actors,
up up and coming female actors at the moment as
well with an amazing turn in Hamnet, which you were
telling me she's guaranteed to win the Oscar for that one.
Speaker 1 (12:15):
Put your money on it. That's my melping cup bed
for the year.
Speaker 2 (12:18):
You put your money on a number anyone can play.
But yeah, so I guess that, you know suits the themes.
And I like seeing an older Christian Bale, at least
he looks older kind of being second too. I thought
that was really tasty, and in some ways Skarsgard is
kind of second to Penelope Cruise as well. It continues
with the themes. Yeah, it's absolutely strong and I like
that stuff, and it is romantic. There is this, you know,
(12:40):
nice kind of romanticism that there's an unrequited love I
guess from Franklin Seiner. To begin with, there's a bit
of gas lighting going on as well to a degree,
but then by the end of it, they kind of
come together. They see each other as the same kind
of unique being. It is quite a romantic film in
that respect. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (12:57):
I think, like all of us, they try not to
be the monster inside them, and I thought their ambition
these characters is not necessarily to be the monster that
they turn out to be. Yeah, you know, in some
ways you do sort of feel like they're tricked into it,
or you could given them some idea as to why
the monster might kill people, and it's because of the
(13:17):
mistreatment and all that. I mean, now we're going off
on I think my question for you about this film though,
is tonally, would it have worked better if it wasn't
so graphic, violent and disgusting.
Speaker 2 (13:31):
Your level of accepting of violence is a lot higher
low in the mind, I should say, I didn't find
it that graphic. There's a couple of deaths in it
that are quite shocking, and obviously the initial death at
the start is quite shocking. There was a lot of
graphic violence taken out of it apparently as well. There's
a I mean, oh sorry, there is the obviously the
first first incident as well with the bride and Rankenstein,
(13:52):
which is very graphic as well. So yeah, it's got
some graphic elements to it and adds that question too
of you can do that now very easily, but should you?
I guess this is the question. But yeah, there was
some more violence taken out that it was too graphic,
and there was a sex scene taken out as well
where Frankenstein licks the black goo that comes out of
the bride at some point.
Speaker 1 (14:12):
Thank you maker Yellen h or the editor.
Speaker 2 (14:14):
After some bad test screening she decided let's take that
stuff out. So you're right, there could be a little
less violence in there and it'd be just as much fun. Yeah,
does it detract I think it just shows the seriousness
of each situation.
Speaker 1 (14:25):
I guess even you made the noise of too much,
which was through one scene where you know, there was
the most graphic scene and everyone who goes and sees
this movie will not exactly what I'm talking about.
Speaker 2 (14:36):
It's like a montage slash sex scene thing.
Speaker 1 (14:38):
No, I'm talking about the stomp.
Speaker 2 (14:41):
So yes, yes, yes, the curb stomp. Oh that's graphic.
That's yeah, I think. And especially when the volice come
later and lift the sheet off and we see it again,
It's like, I don't think we need to see it again.
Speaker 1 (14:51):
That was what I put my popcorn on the ground
finally for the last time. I was like, I've been
slowly eating it, and then I was like, done with popcorn.
This movie is so grow anyway.
Speaker 2 (15:00):
I want to spin around a little bit though, because
despite everything we've just said, it is a lot of
fun in this film. It is a fun film. It's
a mad cap kind of crazy fun film. It's romantic,
it's got a lot of action. It's got you know,
there's this chase element to it to in the third act,
which is quite nice. You could have some fun in
this film as long as you're aware of the gratuity.
Don't you think gratuity gratuitous nature of some of the visuals,
(15:23):
don't you think, Ben.
Speaker 1 (15:23):
Yeah, I guess that it is. But at the same time,
is this a memorable movie? Will you ever think back
in years to come. On a Saturday evening, I'm going
to go back and watch this movie like it was
is it?
Speaker 2 (15:34):
Let me rephrase, Let me rephrase the question for you, Ben.
What if this is like first second film of a
mass romanticy genre explosion that people are going to go
crazy for over the next couple of years, much like Superheroes.
What if Romanticy is the next Game of Thrones? What
if this type of you know where wolves meets romance
or Monsters meets romance kind of thing is the future
(15:56):
for the next little while. Maybe women take cinema back
for a while and we have this type of film.
I know so many female friends that love that Romanticy
like it's like it's the second coming of fifty Shades
of Gray.
Speaker 1 (16:07):
Mate, I think that you're hanging out with different sorts
of people. I don't know where you're going.
Speaker 2 (16:13):
I'm like, listeners will know exactly what I'm talking about. Listeners,
they're hanging on every word. They're like, yes, we'd love
Romanticy to be in the cinema.
Speaker 1 (16:21):
I'm not sold on that. I really am not sold
on it.
Speaker 2 (16:23):
But we go on the screen and go in the cinema, Mate,
it'll be damp everywhere.
Speaker 1 (16:28):
I think we just found a job for you that
you can now write the taglines from movies, like you know,
just send them over to Brose of Art and he
will come up with a classic. It's exactly what Maggie
gillenhar needs. You know. What was really distracting for me
was the whole way through the film there was something
tonally that kept bringing me back to Joker. And it
wasn't I got out of the cinema that I realized
(16:50):
that the score was done by the same composer, Hildoor.
I can't say her name. How do I say that? Good?
Let's have a p Let's have a game, just a
quick game. Can you pronounce the composer Hilda?
Speaker 2 (17:02):
Hilda?
Speaker 1 (17:04):
I'm going with hid.
Speaker 2 (17:07):
And apologies to her as well, but she is a
fantastic composer and usually quite a minimalist. I've noticed, like
in Joker, she's quite low key. But this is a
big score.
Speaker 1 (17:18):
It felt good, yeah, but it still felt like it
was bringing me back to Joker. And because Jesse Buckley's
character in some ways does feel a little Harley Quinn,
it seemed like a choice to bring that composer in
to do this, who you know, has done very well
with Chernobyl the TV series. And then you've got Tar,
which did have a very minimalistic score that was very
(17:39):
iconic to that film.
Speaker 2 (17:41):
It was harrowing that film, Yeah, harrowing.
Speaker 1 (17:43):
But she's a great composer obviously has an amazing filmography.
But because of that, it was so close that performance
to something that we'd had already seen. I don't know
why that choice was made to sort of lean into that,
because the Joker was Joker was terrible.
Speaker 2 (17:57):
Like, yeah, the Joker was terrible in all aspects and
had some random musical numbers much like this film as well.
Speaker 1 (18:05):
There's some comparisons there that are a little bit disturbing,
and if I was making Gallen Hill, I probably.
Speaker 2 (18:09):
Would have made some joy leaned away from that.
Speaker 1 (18:11):
Exactly instead of leaning into it.
Speaker 2 (18:13):
So that being said, this film is much better than
The Joker.
Speaker 1 (18:16):
Absolutely. Look, this is the movie that the Joker could
and should have and wanted to be.
Speaker 2 (18:21):
Is likely kind of some very similar themes, a butt
of much stronger female presence than the Joker ultimately had. Yeah, yeah,
for sure, for sure. So scoring this film is going
to be a tough one. I feel we're a bit
back and forth. Would who do you want to go?
First film? To take a stab?
Speaker 1 (18:37):
What do you I think that you know, I think
my score at the Shock, so I'm not I don't
want to disturb your score.
Speaker 2 (18:43):
In any I know where you're going to go. I've
got a vague feeling. I've got a feel for how
you go with films. I'm going to give this. I'm
going to give it a look. It's probably a two
and a half. I'm going to give it a three. No,
I'm going to give it a three. It's very watchable.
If you spend your money on this at the summer,
I think you'd walk out with a lot to talk
about and you would have had a lot of fun.
Whether it's memorable and you're going to rewatch it over
and over, I mean that's up to you. Whether it's
the start of a whole cinematic movement into romanticy, who knows.
(19:06):
But I had fun when I walked out. The bad
balanced out enough with the good that the fun was
there and I enjoyed it. The two hour running time
actually felt pretty quick too. It wasn't too bad at all.
Speaker 1 (19:16):
I mean it was not an uncomfortable watch in MS.
Speaker 2 (19:19):
One hundred and twenty minutes is the new ninety minutes.
But yeah, Ben, what about you? I feel like you're
going to come in a little bit lower than.
Speaker 1 (19:24):
Just a little bit lower. But I'm going to go
with two and a half stars for this as fair.
I think it's a fair read on this movie. I
don't know whether or not it all comes together the
way that it should. It definitely hits its highs with
moments in this film, like some of the cinematography and
performances absolutely elevate this film, and I think I'll be
thinking of Christian Bale bursting into that dance routine for
(19:47):
a long time to come. And it is worth a
ticket price. Go and see this movie. Turn away if
you don't like the violence, and have a little nap
through some of the boring parts or whatever, but be
awake for the dance number. It felt like I was
watching Thriller the music video for.
Speaker 2 (20:02):
The first time.
Speaker 1 (20:03):
Yes it does, and that thrilled me.
Speaker 2 (20:05):
Yes, yes that Yeah, you're spot on? That was That
dance scene is really good fun.
Speaker 1 (20:10):
I want to watch it again. I want to go
back to the movie and watch it again. Even though
I was so disturbed through most of it.
Speaker 2 (20:18):
What do we got coming up? Benny Boy in the future.
Speaker 1 (20:20):
Okay, so next week we are going to drag you
to the movies to see Reminders of Him. So it
is based on the Colin Hoover novel and we all
know this novel list from the Blake Lively. It ends
with us film, which went on to have its own narrative.
Outside of that film, with all the disasters with the Baldoni,
(20:40):
justin bed Justin Baldoni still can't work out who is
wrong and who is right. But I think I hate
both of them.
Speaker 2 (20:47):
But essentially this author is really know who's right or wrong.
But they should both shut up.
Speaker 1 (20:53):
They should both be told in the classroom for the
principal's office. Anyway, this felt does look very hallmark. It
looks probably the lesser of the last few Colin Hoover
novels that have been made into a film. But I
love Trash and I can't wait to sit next to
you while we watch Trash. So next week we are
back for Reminders of Him, which is actually what I
(21:15):
call me on Tuesday next week when I remind you
to come with me.
Speaker 2 (21:20):
Bradley Widford's in it, so I'll just look forward to
those scenes. And Lauren Graham's in it too. Okay, So
there's a couple of TV stars that I like.
Speaker 1 (21:27):
Okay, that's enough for you to be there.
Speaker 2 (21:29):
Well.
Speaker 1 (21:29):
I hope you've enjoyed checking in with us this week
for our TV Reload film reload episode of The Bride.
If you are looking for something a little chaotic, a
little messy, and something to talk about afterwards, then The
Bride could be for you. We'll be back next week.
It's in the news today, but it was actually on
TV Reloaded podcast last week that lie. Hey, everybody, welcome
back to TV Reload. Fine aas Benjamin Norris and joining
me as always is Frankenstein's best man, brose of.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Art, and it was an honor and a privilege, Frankenstein's
best man. I kept the speech short because he kept
flowering at me, glowering, glaring at me.
Speaker 1 (00:20):
One of those words, would you be willing to hang
out with Frankenstein? If it is.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
Christian Bale Frankenstein doing an impersonation of Christian Bale doing
Batman Ragen Stein same, it's all the same voice?
Speaker 1 (00:33):
Is it all the same voice?
Speaker 2 (00:34):
It is the same voice.
Speaker 1 (00:35):
Well, today we're diving into one of this years. I
would say most visually fascinating films of twenty twenty six
The Bride.
Speaker 2 (00:43):
Yeah, definitely. He would have thought we would get not one,
but two Gothic romantic films in one year.
Speaker 1 (00:49):
It's our jam. Yeah, and Adele loved us talking about
Wuthering Heights, and here we are with another film that
fits into a very similar genre.
Speaker 2 (00:57):
I'd say, yeah, it kind of is in some ways,
kind of Yeah, nineteen thirties, but kind of Gothic at
the same time, with a bit of horror thrown into
good measure. What do you think, Benny boy? What did
you think? Overall? Just quickly before we get into some deats.
Speaker 1 (01:09):
Look, I mean I couldn't stop thinking about the fact
that this was trying to be some sort of a
romance film, and then I just kept going back to
Wuthering Heights. Why do we have to have such disturbing
and very messy and gross sex.
Speaker 2 (01:22):
That's what people want? Now? People love the or is
it row fantasy or whatever it's called, or the romance
fantasy novels are flying off the shelves of bookshops. So
I guess this is satisfying that need.
Speaker 1 (01:32):
Well, you might be onto something, and maybe so was
Warner Brothers when they decided to make the twenty twenty
six film The Bride. It is an inspired classic Frankenstein
mythology film that follows a woman resurrected by a brilliant
but troubled scientist and created to be the perfect companion
for a lonely monster aka Frankenstein. But when she begins
(01:53):
to question the role she was made for, this story
turns into a dark Gothic tale about identity, autonomy and
what it really means to be alive. Here's a quick
thirty second clip of the bride before we get into
today's conversation. What happened?
Speaker 2 (02:14):
You had an accident? An accident?
Speaker 1 (02:19):
We dug you up, I brought you back to life. Yeah,
what do you want with it?
Speaker 2 (02:31):
I'm the shame born from the dead, So am I
the Drankenstein. Overall, I enjoyed this film a lot, but
it is a bit messy as well, which is a
few too many ideas trying to be crammed into one
film by Maggie Gillen Hall. But yeah, I had a
(02:52):
lot of fun last night when we watched it.
Speaker 1 (02:54):
It's interesting, you know, you threw that in there, Maggie
Gallen Hulk. So this is her film. She wrote it
and directed it. And before or I went in, I
heard that she had difficulty getting it financed and getting
this film up. You know, I can understand that that
might be a little bit difficult for Maggy Gellnhull to
get this across the line, but she certainly she makes
a meal out of it.
Speaker 2 (03:12):
I will say that she does have a lot of
fun with it. And I was reading last night that
she part of her inspiration, well, one of her inspirations
was a tattoo of Frankenstein's Bride from the nineteen thirty
nine movie Or it might be wrong there, but also
the idea that in that film, Frankenstein's bride doesn't speak
and is only on camera for three minutes. So she
decided to flip that. But one of the things that
Frankenstein's Bride does do in that film is she says
(03:35):
the word no, so she actually refuses Frankenstein as the partner.
And so she wanted to explore that idea more, which
there's a lot of that in that film, where Frankenstein's
Bride is refusing to do things that people expected to do.
Speaker 1 (03:46):
I mean specifically, we've got Jesse Buckley as the resurrected Bride,
We've got Christian Bhale in monster mode, yeah, and Annette
Benning as mad Scientist, I should say, and I didn't
know Nett Benning was going to be in this movie,
but she.
Speaker 2 (03:58):
Was not expecting it wasn't that amazing saying what a treat?
Speaker 1 (04:00):
He was a real treat, like the whole way through it.
And I kept thinking about her teeth the whole way through.
Speaker 2 (04:05):
But I don't know. I thought the same thing. I
was on camera and I could see my two front
teeth slightly crossing over. I'd be like, I'm getting old.
It's time to do something, or it's just time to
leave it. I don't know.
Speaker 1 (04:15):
Hey, if it's good enough for Warren Beatty and they're
still together, then you know, cross those.
Speaker 2 (04:19):
Teeth, that's right. Peter Scarsguard obviously shows up as well
in Penalope Cruz as the Investigators, both of which do
an amazing job, really really well performed by both of them.
Speaker 1 (04:30):
And don't forget Jake Gellenhal who is fucking weird.
Speaker 2 (04:34):
Who apparently was the last guy to be cast, and
Maggie wasn't sure if she'd cast her brother or not,
but she did. But yeah, Jake gillen all out there
in all his singing and dancing wonder which he does
a lot of them Broadway but not much on the
silver screen. There is a.
Speaker 1 (04:47):
Twinkle in his either whole way through the movie. There's
a twinkle and his toes as well, but the twinkle
in his eye made me always think that this is
him being like I'm in my sister's movie. I kept
seeing that, do you know what I mean, like to
look on his eye where it is like, hey, hey,
I'm a good actor and you finally called me to
be in a movie, and here it is, I'm doing it.
Jake Kilan Hawling. I was like just getting a snapshot
(05:11):
of what it would be like to be Maggie and
Jake back in the day when they were growing up
putting on little plays for their parents.
Speaker 3 (05:18):
He says, I've been directing him our whole life. But no,
I love working with my brother. My brother is such
a I mean, he's so funny. You wouldn't always totally
know that from so many movies he does. He's so
dramatic and like, but he's really funny and so talented,
and I there's nothing like working with family, you know,
I mean, if it works.
Speaker 2 (05:41):
Yeah, well they haven't been in a film. I haven't
worked on a film together, sorry, since Donny Darko back
in two thousand and one. So yeah, that's pretty spectacular.
But I thought Jake was good because we know that
he's a song and dance man at heart. He's done
that on Broadway, he did it on Saturday Night Live
when he hosts it as well. So it's nice to
see him do it on film as well, even if
it is with a bit of a wink and a
nod to you know, the thirty films. I thought he
(06:01):
did a great job.
Speaker 1 (06:01):
Yeah, I'm a little bit out of that one.
Speaker 2 (06:03):
But it Ben's like, eh, I like my singing and
Nanza and I don't know if he quite nailed it.
Speaker 1 (06:08):
Is just a monster movie, though, is it. I mean,
it's a romantic, philosophical, slightly chaotic story about it.
Speaker 2 (06:14):
It's a bit of a genre mash as well. Yeah,
as well as a monster mash. It is the monster mash,
the mesh of them all.
Speaker 1 (06:23):
And do they play that song in the movie? They okay,
wait for it. One of the interesting things about this
film is the exploration of the concept that I guess
Maggie has been pretty open about talking about during promoting
The Bride, and that is this feminist reinterpretation of the
Frankenstein story. Historically, the Bride Frankenstein was conceived to be
(06:46):
the perfect companion for a monster, the male, and in
this version it really leans into the idea of asking
what it means to exist purely for someone else's creation,
and what happens when that character begins to question that
purpose and.
Speaker 2 (06:58):
The bride being acted from a gangster's mole who was
who died will put it at that, and then you know,
represents all of the gangster moles that have been done
away with for whatever reasons. I'm trying not to do
any spoilers here, but yeah, that whole that theme runs
very strong all the way through it, and I like
it for that reason. That's one of the reasons I
like this film. But again, I think because Maggie's got
(07:20):
a lot going on, I think he gets muddied up
with some of the other plot points as well. But yeah,
there's a lot of plot points kind of all fighting
for attention at times. My only negative I think.
Speaker 1 (07:30):
I don't know how many people are going to want
to go and see this movie. I mean, big names.
We've to discuss those big names. They have bums on
seeds type actors. But this subject matter has been done
quite a lot. Yeah, and I don't necessarily think that
the trailer tells the audience exactly what it's going to be,
except for very weird, do you know what I mean?
Like the trailer to me was like, come and watch this,
(07:51):
We're going to do the brider Frankenstein. It's going to
be very weird, and we've got some ailist actors, Like
I don't know if it sells exactly what this film
does best, And I think what this film does do
best is do some visually stunning and amazing moments, like
there's a Beetlejuice tip of the hat. I thought when
everyone burst into song and dance, it felt very deadly come.
Speaker 2 (08:15):
Because it was like a possession where, yeah, alive people
as opposed to the undead I guess, dance along as
if possessed by the two monsters choreography. Yeah, and it
was a bit of a tip to the hat to
Young Frankenstein as well by the monsters dancing to Putting
on the Ritz, which obviously they danced to and sing
in Young Frankenstein, which I thought was kind of cool.
(08:36):
So there's nods to a lot of other Frankenstein movies
and Beetlejuice and Bonnie and Clyde, and like you can
pick the references from top to bottom. There's even a
bit of a I feel like there was a bit
of a Scorsese reference in some way too as well
with the gangs stuff, but specifically kind of Scorsese references. So, yeah,
there's a lot going on in this film, a lot.
Speaker 1 (08:54):
I think if they just let us have it as
a Bonnie and Clyde, it might have worked better, or
like if it just picked its self Elane. But I
also thought, you know, great performances by Penelope Cruz and
Peter Sarsgar, Peter Scarsgart, Maggie Allenha's husband.
Speaker 2 (09:07):
And I thought a family affair.
Speaker 1 (09:09):
It's a family affair. But some of these performances are phenomenal.
Like Penelope Cruz seem like an odd choice when she
walks on screen, but she delivers some of the movie's
most delicious moments, Like she had some great looks that
she gives almost the audience, and she's probably one of
the only likable characters to be on the whole film.
Speaker 2 (09:27):
Yeah, in the whole movie, and again pushing that female
empowerment angle on it. She's a female detective, but not
by reputation because no one knows what she does. She's
kind of under the radar, and she's trying to get
herself seen and recognized as what she is, and obviously
the men in the police force don't see that. So yeah,
those themes are running all the way through the film
as well. The other bit we haven't talked about, though,
(09:48):
Ben is the Mary Shelley of it all. I don't
know how much of that we want to talk about, but.
Speaker 1 (09:53):
It was a mistake. Can we talk about that.
Speaker 2 (09:56):
I thought it was one line of narrative that we
probably didn't need. So, yeah, the bride is possessed somewhat
by Mary Shelley, the writer of Frankenstein, and then her
empowerment and revolution I suppose comes from the ghost of
Mary Shelley, and all of that is I completely I think,
completely unnecessary, but so bizarre.
Speaker 1 (10:17):
It's so weird because that particular choice of having the
same actress play those dual roles, you know, Mary Shelley
and our protagonist.
Speaker 2 (10:26):
Yeah, it's really odd.
Speaker 1 (10:27):
Because it seems like it's over explaining everything to us
as an audience, which Maggie Gallan Hull isn't really doing
when she's getting into her feminism. You know, I didn't
think she was hitting us over the head with I mean,
you're a straight white male. Did you feel like you
were being spoken down to her at some points? Or like,
how did that all land for you?
Speaker 2 (10:44):
I thought that the stuff like scripted, and the narrative
stuff I thought was great, and I thought the way
it was uncovered or revealed was really well done. But
the Mary Shelley of it all was really banging me
over the head with it, shout telling us that she
was a repressed intellectual as well as a repressed female.
The fact that she, you know, have the career she
wanted because she was a woman, which is all relevant.
It's all relevant. I'm not saying it's irrelevant, but it
(11:05):
is a lot of banging on my head, like, oh, okay,
I get it, I get it. It was a bit, it
was a bit intense, and then the turettes of it
all was bizarre. I thought I was watching the Bafters.
It was just unbelievable. The way that Jesse Buckley was
kind of going between the two characters at different times.
I didn't wasn't sure if that was completely necessary either.
It just left Frankenstein standing around looking more confused than normal.
Speaker 1 (11:27):
And didn't he look confused like Christian Bale. And it's
honestly not a lot of film that I can think
of in his backstory where he feels like he's being
sort of put to the side and being acted all
over like Jesse. His performance is phenomenal.
Speaker 2 (11:42):
She's so good in this. Yeah, like it's.
Speaker 1 (11:44):
Definitely even worse. I mean, I think the best thing
about this film, and maybe I'm going to double down
on some of this, but the actors are great. It's
a character actor film.
Speaker 2 (11:54):
That's we're all chewing it up. They're chewing it up.
They're having so much fun, even Bail, as you said,
And I mean, you know that suits the themes of
the film, right, that one of the greatest male actors
is being subservient to one of the greatest female actors,
up up and coming female actors at the moment as
well with an amazing turn in Hamnet, which you were
telling me she's guaranteed to win the Oscar for that one.
Speaker 1 (12:15):
Put your money on it. That's my melping cup bed
for the year.
Speaker 2 (12:18):
You put your money on a number anyone can play.
But yeah, so I guess that, you know suits the themes.
And I like seeing an older Christian Bale, at least
he looks older kind of being second too. I thought
that was really tasty, and in some ways Skarsgard is
kind of second to Penelope Cruise as well. It continues
with the themes. Yeah, it's absolutely strong and I like
that stuff, and it is romantic. There is this, you know,
(12:40):
nice kind of romanticism that there's an unrequited love I
guess from Franklin Seiner. To begin with, there's a bit
of gas lighting going on as well to a degree,
but then by the end of it, they kind of
come together. They see each other as the same kind
of unique being. It is quite a romantic film in
that respect. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (12:57):
I think, like all of us, they try not to
be the monster inside them, and I thought their ambition
these characters is not necessarily to be the monster that
they turn out to be. Yeah, you know, in some
ways you do sort of feel like they're tricked into it,
or you could given them some idea as to why
the monster might kill people, and it's because of the
(13:17):
mistreatment and all that. I mean, now we're going off
on I think my question for you about this film though,
is tonally, would it have worked better if it wasn't
so graphic, violent and disgusting.
Speaker 2 (13:31):
Your level of accepting of violence is a lot higher
low in the mind, I should say, I didn't find
it that graphic. There's a couple of deaths in it
that are quite shocking, and obviously the initial death at
the start is quite shocking. There was a lot of
graphic violence taken out of it apparently as well. There's
a I mean, oh sorry, there is the obviously the
first first incident as well with the bride and Rankenstein,
(13:52):
which is very graphic as well. So yeah, it's got
some graphic elements to it and adds that question too
of you can do that now very easily, but should you?
I guess this is the question. But yeah, there was
some more violence taken out that it was too graphic,
and there was a sex scene taken out as well
where Frankenstein licks the black goo that comes out of
the bride at some point.
Speaker 1 (14:12):
Thank you maker Yellen h or the editor.
Speaker 2 (14:14):
After some bad test screening she decided let's take that
stuff out. So you're right, there could be a little
less violence in there and it'd be just as much fun. Yeah,
does it detract I think it just shows the seriousness
of each situation.
Speaker 1 (14:25):
I guess even you made the noise of too much,
which was through one scene where you know, there was
the most graphic scene and everyone who goes and sees
this movie will not exactly what I'm talking about.
Speaker 2 (14:36):
It's like a montage slash sex scene thing.
Speaker 1 (14:38):
No, I'm talking about the stomp.
Speaker 2 (14:41):
So yes, yes, yes, the curb stomp. Oh that's graphic.
That's yeah, I think. And especially when the volice come
later and lift the sheet off and we see it again,
It's like, I don't think we need to see it again.
Speaker 1 (14:51):
That was what I put my popcorn on the ground
finally for the last time. I was like, I've been
slowly eating it, and then I was like, done with popcorn.
This movie is so grow anyway.
Speaker 2 (15:00):
I want to spin around a little bit though, because
despite everything we've just said, it is a lot of
fun in this film. It is a fun film. It's
a mad cap kind of crazy fun film. It's romantic,
it's got a lot of action. It's got you know,
there's this chase element to it to in the third act,
which is quite nice. You could have some fun in
this film as long as you're aware of the gratuity.
Don't you think gratuity gratuitous nature of some of the visuals,
(15:23):
don't you think, Ben.
Speaker 1 (15:23):
Yeah, I guess that it is. But at the same time,
is this a memorable movie? Will you ever think back
in years to come. On a Saturday evening, I'm going
to go back and watch this movie like it was
is it?
Speaker 2 (15:34):
Let me rephrase, Let me rephrase the question for you, Ben.
What if this is like first second film of a
mass romanticy genre explosion that people are going to go
crazy for over the next couple of years, much like Superheroes.
What if Romanticy is the next Game of Thrones? What
if this type of you know where wolves meets romance
or Monsters meets romance kind of thing is the future
(15:56):
for the next little while. Maybe women take cinema back
for a while and we have this type of film.
I know so many female friends that love that Romanticy
like it's like it's the second coming of fifty Shades
of Gray.
Speaker 1 (16:07):
Mate, I think that you're hanging out with different sorts
of people. I don't know where you're going.
Speaker 2 (16:13):
I'm like, listeners will know exactly what I'm talking about. Listeners,
they're hanging on every word. They're like, yes, we'd love
Romanticy to be in the cinema.
Speaker 1 (16:21):
I'm not sold on that. I really am not sold
on it.
Speaker 2 (16:23):
But we go on the screen and go in the cinema, Mate,
it'll be damp everywhere.
Speaker 1 (16:28):
I think we just found a job for you that
you can now write the taglines from movies, like you know,
just send them over to Brose of Art and he
will come up with a classic. It's exactly what Maggie
gillenhar needs. You know. What was really distracting for me
was the whole way through the film there was something
tonally that kept bringing me back to Joker. And it
wasn't I got out of the cinema that I realized
(16:50):
that the score was done by the same composer, Hildoor.
I can't say her name. How do I say that? Good?
Let's have a p Let's have a game, just a
quick game. Can you pronounce the composer Hilda?
Speaker 2 (17:02):
Hilda?
Speaker 1 (17:04):
I'm going with hid.
Speaker 2 (17:07):
And apologies to her as well, but she is a
fantastic composer and usually quite a minimalist. I've noticed, like
in Joker, she's quite low key. But this is a
big score.
Speaker 1 (17:18):
It felt good, yeah, but it still felt like it
was bringing me back to Joker. And because Jesse Buckley's
character in some ways does feel a little Harley Quinn,
it seemed like a choice to bring that composer in
to do this, who you know, has done very well
with Chernobyl the TV series. And then you've got Tar,
which did have a very minimalistic score that was very
(17:39):
iconic to that film.
Speaker 2 (17:41):
It was harrowing that film, Yeah, harrowing.
Speaker 1 (17:43):
But she's a great composer obviously has an amazing filmography.
But because of that, it was so close that performance
to something that we'd had already seen. I don't know
why that choice was made to sort of lean into that,
because the Joker was Joker was terrible.
Speaker 2 (17:57):
Like, yeah, the Joker was terrible in all aspects and
had some random musical numbers much like this film as well.
Speaker 1 (18:05):
There's some comparisons there that are a little bit disturbing,
and if I was making Gallen Hill, I probably.
Speaker 2 (18:09):
Would have made some joy leaned away from that.
Speaker 1 (18:11):
Exactly instead of leaning into it.
Speaker 2 (18:13):
So that being said, this film is much better than
The Joker.
Speaker 1 (18:16):
Absolutely. Look, this is the movie that the Joker could
and should have and wanted to be.
Speaker 2 (18:21):
Is likely kind of some very similar themes, a butt
of much stronger female presence than the Joker ultimately had. Yeah, yeah,
for sure, for sure. So scoring this film is going
to be a tough one. I feel we're a bit
back and forth. Would who do you want to go?
First film? To take a stab?
Speaker 1 (18:37):
What do you I think that you know, I think
my score at the Shock, so I'm not I don't
want to disturb your score.
Speaker 2 (18:43):
In any I know where you're going to go. I've
got a vague feeling. I've got a feel for how
you go with films. I'm going to give this. I'm
going to give it a look. It's probably a two
and a half. I'm going to give it a three. No,
I'm going to give it a three. It's very watchable.
If you spend your money on this at the summer,
I think you'd walk out with a lot to talk
about and you would have had a lot of fun.
Whether it's memorable and you're going to rewatch it over
and over, I mean that's up to you. Whether it's
the start of a whole cinematic movement into romanticy, who knows.
(19:06):
But I had fun when I walked out. The bad
balanced out enough with the good that the fun was
there and I enjoyed it. The two hour running time
actually felt pretty quick too. It wasn't too bad at all.
Speaker 1 (19:16):
I mean it was not an uncomfortable watch in MS.
Speaker 2 (19:19):
One hundred and twenty minutes is the new ninety minutes.
But yeah, Ben, what about you? I feel like you're
going to come in a little bit lower than.
Speaker 1 (19:24):
Just a little bit lower. But I'm going to go
with two and a half stars for this as fair.
I think it's a fair read on this movie. I
don't know whether or not it all comes together the
way that it should. It definitely hits its highs with
moments in this film, like some of the cinematography and
performances absolutely elevate this film, and I think I'll be
thinking of Christian Bale bursting into that dance routine for
(19:47):
a long time to come. And it is worth a
ticket price. Go and see this movie. Turn away if
you don't like the violence, and have a little nap
through some of the boring parts or whatever, but be
awake for the dance number. It felt like I was
watching Thriller the music video for.
Speaker 2 (20:02):
The first time.
Speaker 1 (20:03):
Yes it does, and that thrilled me.
Speaker 2 (20:05):
Yes, yes that Yeah, you're spot on? That was That
dance scene is really good fun.
Speaker 1 (20:10):
I want to watch it again. I want to go
back to the movie and watch it again. Even though
I was so disturbed through most of it.
Speaker 2 (20:18):
What do we got coming up? Benny Boy in the future.
Speaker 1 (20:20):
Okay, so next week we are going to drag you
to the movies to see Reminders of Him. So it
is based on the Colin Hoover novel and we all
know this novel list from the Blake Lively. It ends
with us film, which went on to have its own narrative.
Outside of that film, with all the disasters with the Baldoni,
(20:40):
justin bed Justin Baldoni still can't work out who is
wrong and who is right. But I think I hate
both of them.
Speaker 2 (20:47):
But essentially this author is really know who's right or wrong.
But they should both shut up.
Speaker 1 (20:53):
They should both be told in the classroom for the
principal's office. Anyway, this felt does look very hallmark. It
looks probably the lesser of the last few Colin Hoover
novels that have been made into a film. But I
love Trash and I can't wait to sit next to
you while we watch Trash. So next week we are
back for Reminders of Him, which is actually what I
(21:15):
call me on Tuesday next week when I remind you
to come with me.
Speaker 2 (21:20):
Bradley Widford's in it, so I'll just look forward to
those scenes. And Lauren Graham's in it too. Okay, So
there's a couple of TV stars that I like.
Speaker 1 (21:27):
Okay, that's enough for you to be there.
Speaker 2 (21:29):
Well.
Speaker 1 (21:29):
I hope you've enjoyed checking in with us this week
for our TV Reload film reload episode of The Bride.
If you are looking for something a little chaotic, a
little messy, and something to talk about afterwards, then The
Bride could be for you. We'll be back next week.
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.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
Kingdom of Fraud
It’s the unlikeliest of criminal partnerships: a devout polygamist from an insular Utah sect joining forces with a shadowy Armenian tycoon from LA. The result - a billion dollar fraud conspiracy. In Kingdom of Fraud, investigative reporter Michele McPhee traces the origins of the extraordinary alliance between Jacob Kingston and Levon Termendzhyan. Together, the two men trigger the largest tax investigation in American history and weave around themselves a web of dirty cops, influential political relationships and transnational money laundering. All this is set against the backdrop of Jacob Kingston’s clan – The Order. A powerful and secretive polygamist organization in Salt Lake City. To whom Jacob is desperate to prove his worth. Kingdom of Fraud is produced by Novel for iHeart Podcasts. For more from Novel, visit https://novel.audio/. You can listen to new episodes of Kingdom of Fraud completely ad-free and 1 week early with an iHeart True Crime+ subscription, available exclusively on Apple Podcasts. Open your Apple Podcasts app, search for “iHeart True Crime+, and subscribe today!