On this week's episode, Megan talks about M3GAN 2.0 (2:58), the sci-fi action sequel which sees the return of the murderous robotic doll, directed by Gerard Johnstone and starring Allison Williams, Violet McGraw, and Jenna Davis. Flawed yet intermittently fun, it's inferior to the sharply crafted and delightful original horror film.

Then, Megan talks about RENT FREE (17:17), Fernando Andrés's indie comedy about two queer best friends (Jacob Roberts, David Treviño) attempting to live for a year without paying rent in Austin, Texas.

Lastly, Dave and Megan discuss MY MOM JAYNE (29:01), Mariska Hargitay's emotional documentary about her mother, actress and icon Jayne Mansfield, as she explores her grief, delves into her mother's life, and reconciles her mother's image and legacy. It's a compelling and vulnerable film that we both recommend.

And on our Patreon bonus episode, we discuss 1986 sci-fi thriller THE MANHATTAN PROJECT, starring John Lithgow, Christopher Collet, and Cynthia Nixon!

Evan is off this week, so it's Dave and Megan as a duo. First, Megan discusses THE QUEEN OF MY DREAMS (1:42), Fawzia Mirza's comedy-drama about a Bollywood-loving queer Pakistani-Canadian woman (Amrit Kaur) navigating her complicated relationship with her mother (Nimra Bucha) after a tragedy. It's a lovely film with great performances, vibrant costumes and production design, and a clever narrative structure.

Then, Dave delves into 28 YEARS LATER (12:27), the long-awaited third film in the post-apocalyptic zombie horror series. Directed by Danny Boyle and written by Alex Garland, it stars Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and Ralph Fiennes. Following a group of survivors on an island, does it live up to the iconic first film? Dave has lots of intense feelings about this one.

Finally, Dave and Megan talk about ELIO (38:20), Pixar's animated sci-fi adventure written and directed by Adrian Molina, Domee Shi, and Madeline Sharafian. It follows Elio (Yonas Kibreab), a space-loving boy living with his aunt Olga (Zoe Saldaña), who gets his wish when aliens abduct him. One of us was delighted by the adorably sweet, wonderfully weird film. But it just didn't work for one of us.

And on our Patreon bonus episode, we dive into 28 DAYS LATER (2002) and 28 WEEKS LATER (2007)!

This week, Megan took in MATERIALISTS, written and directed by Celine Song. Don't be fooled by the poster: It's not a romcom (though it does have some of those elements); it's much more than that. Megan really loved it. Then Evan and Dave joined her for BEST WISHES TO ALL, a bizarro Japanese horror film about what one family does to maintain it happiness, and whether one of the family members will accept the horrifying realities of that choice or reject them. Then they watched ECHO VALLEY, a thriller in which widowed horsewoman Julianne Moore's junkie daughter Sydney Sweeney makes Moore's already difficult life much, much worse when she shows up with a dead body in her car. Over on Patreon, we watched the 1985 this-kid-is-a-robot! comedy-drama D.A.R.Y.L.

This week Dave braved writer-director Mike Flanagan's adaption of Stephen King's THE LIFE OF CHUCK (3:19) and deems it strangely affecting despite not being in love, generally, with the weird maudlin nostalgia of King's non-horror work. Then Megan, Evan, and Dave weigh in on (this is actually its full title) FROM THE WORLD OF JOHN WICK: BALLERINA (20:47). It largely works for Evan, kind of works for Dave, and Megan didn't like it much at all, though they all agree it has some great action set pieces and it's always good to see the late Lance Reddick. Over on Patreon, we discuss the 1985 slasher-legal thriller JAGGED EDGE.

Megan is off this week, so Evan and Dave tackle LOST IN STARLIGHT (2:14), an animated romantic sci-fi drama about a dedicated scientist determined to go to space - but she meets the love of her life just before her departure. Then it's TORNADO (19:13). Set in the 1860s Scottish highlands, it's part western, part Samurai film, part heist flick, and all killin'. Over on Patreon, our second May poll movie is FRACTURE (2007) starring Anthony Hopkins and Ryan Gosling.

This week, Dave and Megan talk about FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH (2:47), Guy Ritchie's incredibly derivative and frustrating adventure film, starring John Krasinski and Natalie Portman as siblings on a globe-trotting trek for (you guessed it) the mythical Fountain of Youth.

Then, we all (Evan, Dave, and Megan) discuss FEAR STREET: PROM QUEEN (29:21), a slasher horror film and the latest entry in the franchise based on the R.L. Stine novel. Directed by Matt Palmer and starring India Fowler, Suzanna Son, and Fina Strazza, it follows high school prom queen finalists dying one by one. One of us had a lot of fun, but two of us were disappointed. Yet we all agree on some of the good performances and the excellent 80s soundtrack.

And on this week's Patreon bonus episode, we cover the winner of our sci-fi horror poll: James Ward Byrkit's 2013 film, COHERENCE!

This week, we review two international films featuring unconventional women protagonists. First, Evan and Megan talk about SISTER MIDNIGHT (1:56), Karan Kandhari's "genre-bending" dark comedy (from the UK and India) about a woman in India (Radhika Apte) in an arranged marriage who experiences strange events. One of us loved the weird and bold film for Radhika Apte's excellent performance as the defiant protagonist, Kandhari's assured direction, the film's vivid cinematography and soundtrack, its irreverent humor, and horror genre subversion. But one of us initially liked it but found it too strange and ultimately tedious.

Next, we all (Dave, Evan, and Megan) discuss THE OLD WOMAN WITH THE KNIFE (21:16), Min Kyu-dong's South Korean action film (based on the novel) about an iconic woman assassin in her sixties (Lee Hye-young) following a moral code clashing with a young hitman (Kim Sung-cheol).
One of us really enjoyed the film for the film's exciting action sequences and Lee Hye-young's excellent lead performance. We all agreed she's fantastic and that the film offers a great premise. But two of us couldn't get onboard with the film due to its convoluted yet predictable narrative and tedious pacing.

And on this week's Patreon exclusive bonus episode, we talk about WITNESS, Peter Weir's 1985 thriller, starring Harrison Ford and Kelly McGillis!

This week, the whole gang is back together! Yay! Evan and Megan start out by reviewing Paul Feig's whodunnit dark comedy, ANOTHER SIMPLE FAVOR (2:33), a sequel to you guessed it, A SIMPLE FAVOR. While it retains the crackling chemistry between its leads, Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively, the movie doesn't have much going for it other than its gorgeous location and fashions; its writing and dialogue are abysmal, and it's glacially paced. Next, we all discuss Eli Craig's horror film CLOWN IN A CORNFIELD (19:43), which is set in a small midwestern town that's terrorized by a killer clown in a cornfield. There's a lot more to this slasher than it seems from the title; it's well-paced, funny, features memorable kills, and has smart social commentary. And in this week's Patreon exclusive audio, we talk about Drew Hancock's sci-fi thriller COMPANION, starring Sophie Thatcher and Jack Quaid!