Afterthought FM

Absolutely. The Running Man has explosions, dystopian game-show violence, big action set pieces, and plenty of spectacle—so on paper, this should absolutely work for me. Unfortunately, there was one problem: I did not care about the Running Man. In this episode of Afterthought FM , I’m talking about why Ben never clicked for me, the supporting characters I found infinitely more interesting, and wh...

Predator: Badlands finally puts a Yautja at the center of the story—and apparently the secret ingredient was emotional intelligence. Dek leaves home for his first hunt, determined to prove he’s worthy of the clan that rejected him. Instead, he lands on a planet where everything wants to eat him, gets saddled with an extremely chatty Weyland-Yutani synth, accidentally adopts a collection of alien c...

Predator: Killer of Killers (2025) is one of the most unusual entries in the Predator franchise, trading a single protagonist for an anthology of legendary warriors drawn from different eras of human history. As the stories slowly converge, the film reveals that the real focus isn't the humans at all—it's the Yautja. By expanding Predator civilization, rituals, tournaments, and ideas of ho...

Alien vs. Predator (2004) has a reputation for being "the cheesy crossover movie," but there's more going on beneath the surface than people often remember. Set inside an ancient Antarctic pyramid, the film expands Predator lore with ritual hunts, honor, and coming-of-age traditions while preserving the Alien franchise's relentless focus on survival. Through Lex, another capable...

Prey (2022) is a return to form for the Predator franchise, stripping away the government conspiracies, secret labs, and over-the-top spectacle in favor of a simple but effective story about a hunter facing the ultimate prey. Set in the early 1700s, the film follows Naru, a young Comanche woman whose intelligence and observation skills lead her to uncover a mysterious threat moving through the foo...

The Predator (2018) is one of the strangest entries in the franchise—a movie that feels like five different films fighting for control of the same story. Part action-comedy, part conspiracy thriller, part family drama, and part Predator sequel, it follows a crash-landed Predator, a group of traumatized veterans, and a scientist trying to understand why two alien hunters are at war. Along the way,...

The hunt gets a lot bigger in Predators (2010). What starts as a group of dangerous strangers waking up in an unfamiliar jungle quickly becomes something far stranger: an alien game preserve stocked with humanity's most lethal individuals. This week, we follow Royce, Isabelle, and an increasingly suspicious doctor as they uncover Predator factions, hunting rituals, surviving prey, and evidence...

In this episode of Afterthought FM, I continue into Predator 2 (1990), a movie that somehow takes the jungle survival horror of the original Predator and turns it into a sweaty, neon-lit urban nightmare. Los Angeles is collapsing under gang warfare, police militarization, heat waves, and nonstop violence when the Predator arrives and starts treating the city like a hunting ground. But this sequel...

In this episode of Afterthought FM, I continue my sci-fi horror journey with Predator (1987), a movie that starts as pure 80s military action nonsense before slowly transforming into survival horror. An elite team of heavily armed soldiers enters the jungle thinking they’re the hunters… until something starts hunting them back. Between the thermal vision, the clicking sounds, the ritualized huntin...

In this episode of Afterthought FM, I continue through the Alien franchise with Alien Resurrection, the strangest and most chaotic entry so far. After Ripley’s sacrifice in Alien 3, scientists clone her centuries later in order to recover the alien queen inside her… except the cloning process also mixes Ripley’s DNA with the xenomorphs. What follows is a deeply weird blend of body horror, identity...

In this episode of Afterthought FM, I continue through the Alien franchise with Alien 3 and talk about why this might be the bleakest film in the entire series. After the emotional ending of Aliens gets ripped away almost immediately, Ripley finds herself trapped on a decaying prison labor colony while yet another xenomorph outbreak begins. Between institutional neglect, bodily autonomy horror, re...

In this episode of Afterthought FM, I continue through the Alien franchise with Aliens and talk about how the sequel transforms the original film’s isolated labor horror into militarized trauma horror. Ripley wakes up 57 years after the events of Alien only to discover the nightmare planet has been colonized, the company still refuses accountability, and once again nobody listens to the smart lady...

In this episode of Afterthought FM, I revisit Alien (1979) and talk about why it still works so well decades later. Beneath the creature horror and claustrophobic atmosphere is a story about labor exploitation, institutional betrayal, and ordinary workers being treated as expendable by the systems they serve. The Nostromo crew feels grounded and human, which makes the slow collapse of safety and t...

In this episode of Afterthought FM, I talk about The Crazies—a tense, fast-moving horror film about fear, paranoia, and the collapse of normal life. What begins as strange behavior in a small town quickly spirals into something much larger, turning familiar people and everyday places into sources of terror. More than anything, the film works as a piece of social horror, exploring trust, isolation,...

In this episode of Afterthought FM, I talk about Escaflowne, a visually striking and emotionally driven fantasy that’s less about logic and more about experience. While the story can feel confusing at first, it becomes clearer when viewed through an emotional lens, focusing on themes of isolation, connection, and healing. Rather than explaining everything, the film leans into symbolism and charact...

In this episode of Afterthought FM, I talk about 21, a fast-paced, character-driven look at card counting, ambition, and the cost of living a double life. While the structure may feel familiar, the film builds tension through its shifting character dynamics and the pressure of maintaining control. As things begin to unravel, it becomes less about the system and more about the consequences. A solid...

Content warning: This episode discusses themes of suicide. In this episode of Afterthought FM, I talk about 1408, a psychological horror that leans more into the mind than traditional scares. What starts as a skeptical investigation quickly turns into something much more intense, as reality begins to unravel and control slips away. With a focus on memory, perception, and psychological pressure, th...

In this episode of Afterthought FM, I talk about Ocean’s 8. A more elegant and controlled take on the classic heist formula. Set against the backdrop of the Met Gala, this film leans into exclusivity, precision, and subtle strategy rather than chaos. With a sharp plan, a distinct crew, and a focus on execution over ego, it delivers a satisfying and stylish heist that feels both fresh and familiar.

In this episode of Afterthought FM, I talk about Ocean’s 13. A return to form that brings back the smooth execution and quiet confidence of the original. This time, the story centers around revenge, but it works because it’s grounded in something human. With a clear objective, subtle humor, and trust in the audience, this one feels focused, satisfying, and just really fun to watch.

In this episode of Afterthought FM, I talk about Ocean’s 12. A fun but more chaotic follow-up that leans into reputation, ego, and rising stakes. While I still enjoyed it, this one feels busier and more performative than the first. It all comes together in the end, but along the way, it sometimes feels more like a game than a plan.

In this episode of Afterthought FM, I talk about Ocean’s 11, which is a heist movie that just works. From its smooth pacing to its subtle humor and strong character dynamics, this film builds tension without losing its sense of fun. It trusts the audience, keeps things moving, and delivers a clean, satisfying payoff.

Spoilers Ahead In this episode of Afterthought FM, I break down Sunshine, a film with a strong setup, compelling characters, and a lot of tension. For most of its runtime, it builds a grounded, psychological sci-fi story driven by human error and high-stakes decisions. But as it goes on, the tone shifts in a way that feels hard to reconcile. I liked a lot of it. I just don’t think it needed to bec...

In this episode of Afterthought FM, I take a look at The Cave. Yeah, it leans a little cheesy, but still manages to work. Set in an underground cave system, the film blends exploration horror with a biological twist, creating an environment that feels just as threatening as the creatures within it. There’s a strong sense of the unknown, and that alone carries a lot of the tension. It’s not a perfe...

In this episode of Afterthought FM, I break down Daybreakers, a film with a genuinely strong concept that doesn’t fully follow through. Set in a vampire dystopia facing a blood shortage, the movie introduces ideas around survival, class division, and the ethics of sustaining a broken system. It’s a compelling setup, but something starts to feel off as it unfolds. The tone shifts between serious an...

I watched Ghost in the Shell (1995), and while I liked it overall, the ending didn't sit right with me. This this episode, I break down why the film's take on identity, growth, and transcendence feels unearned, and why losing yourself shouldn't be treated as evolution.