THEY SHOOT FILMS

Steven Soderbergh's Traffic (2000) follows the drug trade across three intertwined stories: a newly appointed U.S. drug czar (Michael Douglas), a Tijuana cop (Benicio del Toro), and the wife of an arrested trafficker (Catherine Zeta-Jones). On this episode of They Shoot Films, we dig into how the film works as both a drug war drama and a formal cinematic experiment. Adapted by Stephen Gaghan from...

Ken and FT dig into Tony Gilroy's Michael Clayton (2007), the George Clooney/Tilda Swinton/Tom Wilkinson/Sydney Pollack thriller that took Gilroy nearly a decade to get made. This episode covers the film's long road to production, Gilroy's path from Bourne franchise screenwriter to first-time director, and how Clooney agreed to work for no salary to get the film greenlit. Beyond the making-of stor...

Is The Graduate actually a feel-good coming-of-age story, or one of the darkest endings in classic film history? On this episode of They Shoot Films, we break down Mike Nichols' 1967 masterpiece—from the iconic Simon and Garfunkel soundtrack to that famously ambiguous bus-stop ending. We look back at Mike Nichols' stranger-than-fiction life. We cover Dustin Hoffman and Anne Bancroft's performances...

Part two of our deep dive into Joel and Ethan Coen's Inside Llewyn Davis picks up where we left off. In this episode, we turn to the choices Llewyn Davis makes across the film, and what they reveal about his character. We also go looking for the real people hiding inside this film. Inside Llewyn Davis is loosely inspired by the life of folk legend Dave Van Ronk, and the film is populated with char...

Joel and Ethan Coen's Inside Llewyn Davis (2013) is one of the great American films of the 21st century—and arguably their best. In part one of this special two-part episode of They Shoot Films, we dig deep into Joel and Ethan Coen's most haunting and misunderstood film—and make the case that it's an all-time masterpiece. What makes Inside Llewyn Davis so hard to shake? Why does the film begin and...

Everyone knows Dazed and Confused. The stoner comedy. The hangout film. The movie that launched Matthew McConaughey. But what if that reputation is exactly the camouflage writer/director Richard Linklater intended? In this episode of They Shoot Films, we take a deep look at the 1993 coming-of-age classic that launched the careers of McConaughey, Ben Affleck, Parker Posey, and Milla Jovovich, intro...

Sean Penn’s The Pledge isn’t a detective film. It’s a detective film being systematically dismantled from the inside — and one of the most underrated American movies of the 21st century. In this episode, we go deep on Penn’s haunting 2001 adaptation of Friedrich Dürrenmatt’s novella, starring Jack Nicholson as a retiring detective who makes a sacred oath to a grieving mother — and is destroyed by...

What does it mean to get away with murder — and live with it? In this episode, we dive deep into Woody Allen’s Crimes and Misdemeanors, widely considered one of the greatest American films of the 20th century and Allen’s most philosophically ambitious work.   We unpack the film’s dual narratives: Judah Rosenthal’s (played by Martin Landau) desperate, darkening spiral after arranging the murder of...

In this episode, we take a deep dive into Mildred Pierce (1945), directed by Michael Curtiz and starring Joan Crawford in her Academy Award–winning role. Mildred Pierce tells the story of a fiercely determined mother who builds a restaurant empire during the Great Depression—only to be undone by ambition, class anxiety, and a toxic mother-daughter relationship. Crawford’s performance as Mildred re...

In this episode, we dive headfirst into Uncut Gems (2019), the Safdie Brothers’ nerve-shredding thriller that redefined modern cinematic anxiety. Starring Adam Sandler in a career-best dramatic performance, Uncut Gems is a chaotic blend of crime film, character study, and high-stakes morality play set in New York City’s Diamond District. We break down the film’s relentless pacing, immersive sound...

A special year-end announcement from Ken Mercer and FT Kosempa about the future of They Shoot Films.

In this episode, we dive deep into L.A. Confidential (1997), Curtis Hanson’s modern noir masterpiece and one of the defining crime films of the 1990s. Set against the corruption-soaked backdrop of 1950s Los Angeles, L.A. Confidential blends classic Hollywood noir with sharp, contemporary filmmaking. We explore how the film adapts James Ellroy’s novel, and how it draws key plot elements from Los An...

In this episode, we step inside the golden glow of rock-and-roll nostalgia as we dive deep into Cameron Crowe’s Almost Famous. We break down the iconic coming-of-age classic and explore how Crowe transformed his real-life experiences at Rolling Stone into one of the most heartfelt, music-soaked films of the 2000s. We’ll discuss the film’s unforgettable performances by Kate Hudson, Billy Crudup, Pa...

In part two of this special two-part episode, we fall back into Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo (1958). Tune in as we explore the recurring motifs of Vertigo, the deleted ending, and the controversy surrounding the scene that contains a flashback to the murder of Gavin Elster's wife. Vertigo is one of the most haunting and psychologically complex movies ever made. From its hypnotic visuals and Bernard...

In part one of this special two-part episode, we fall into Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo (1958) — one of the most haunting and psychologically complex movies ever made. From its hypnotic visuals and Bernard Herrmann’s swirling score to its exploration of obsession, identity, and control, Vertigo remains a masterpiece that still fascinates critics and filmmakers decades later. Tune in as we explore th...

What happens when David Cronenberg trades body horror for psychological horror? In this episode, we break down A History of Violence—a tense, haunting look at identity, brutality, and the masks people wear to survive. We explore how Viggo Mortensen’s haunting performance captures dual identity, buried pasts, and the thin line between peace and brutality. From its shocking opening to its chilling f...

We break down Paul Thomas Anderson’s debut film, Hard Eight (1996) — the sharp, atmospheric crime drama that quietly launched one of the great modern directors. From Philip Baker Hall’s haunting performance to Anderson’s early hints of the visual and emotional style that would define Boogie Nights and Magnolia, this episode explores how Hard Eight set the stage for everything to come. Join us as w...

Step into the unsettling world of Jordan Peele’s groundbreaking horror film Get Out. In this episode, we break down the movie’s chilling themes, unforgettable performances, and innovative use of psychological tension. From the Sunken Place to the film’s biting social commentary, we explore why Get Out became both a critical and cultural phenomenon. Whether you’re a longtime fan or revisiting the f...

In this episode, we break down Michael Mann’s Collateral (2004), the stylish thriller starring Tom Cruise and Jamie Foxx. We explore how Collateral transformed Los Angeles into a glowing, dangerous character through Mann’s groundbreaking digital cinematography, and why Cruise’s cold, calculated hitman remains one of his most unforgettable roles. From the tense cab ride setup to the film’s themes o...

In this episode, we take a deep dive into Albert Brooks’ 1985 classic 'Lost in America,' a comedy about chasing freedom and crashing into reality. We break down the film’s biting satire of the American Dream, its critique of 1980s consumer culture, and why the unforgettable “nest egg” scene has earned a place in comedy history. Along the way, we discuss Albert Brooks’ influence as a filmmaker, the...

Orson Welles' Touch of Evil marked the director’s return to Hollywood and contains what is widely considered one of the greatest shots in cinema. In this episode, we dive into the difficulties involved in getting that shot, the origins of the movie, and the inside story of how Welles and Charlton Heston celebrated after the final night of the shoot. The cast of the 1958 film includes Welles, Charl...

William Friedkin's Sorcerer is now considered an unsung masterpiece but was a critical and box office failure when it was first released in 1977. Quentin Tarantino has called Sorcerer one of his favorite films and Stephen King has named it as his favorite film. In this episode, Ken Mercer and FT Kosempa look at the origins of the film, tell some harrowing tales from the set, and discuss the career...

Writer/Director Damien Chazelle’s Academy Award winning drama Whiplash was voted number 17 in the The New York Times reader’s poll of the top 100 movies of this century. Peers, critics, and other industry insiders ranked it first among all the films ever screened at the Sundance Film Festival. Miles Teller and J. K. Simmons star with Paul Reiser and Melissa Benoist in supporting roles.

Marathon Man, starring Dustin Hoffman and Lawrence Olivier as a Nazi war criminal, created a sensation when it was released in 1976. In this episode, Ken Mercer and FT Kosempa examine the film’s infamous dental torture scene, the contributions of writer William Goldman, and the movie’s connection to the Coen brother's The Big Lebowski. The thriller was directed by John Schlesinger and features Roy...

The Sweet Smell of Success is now considered one of the classics of American cinema but was a critical and box office failure when it was first released in 1957. In this episode, Ken Mercer and FT Kosempa dive into the making of the film, the contributions of Clifford Odets and James Wong Howe, and the shadow that the McCarthy-era blacklist cast over the production. They also try to answer the que...