Subtextual

Sam and Lizzie deprogram some serious queer relationship drama in David Fincher's The Social Network starring Jesse Eisenberg, Justin Timberlake, and honorary gay Andrew Garfield. We also debunk the myth that Mark Zuckerberg is an especially good coder, learn how to program, and discover yet another niche ship from the bowels of the gay internet. David Fincher, we heart you please accept our frien...

Lizzie and Sam light one up for 4/20 stoner movie staple Dude, Where's My Car? from the year Y2K starring hot idiots Ashton Kutcher and Seann William Scott. We do an academic deep dive into the history of the HIMBO and take a nostalgia loop through the sometimes charming, sometimes cringe humor of this stoner classic.  Link: Lizzie's Himbo Cinematic Universe Watchlist Clip: Tattoo Clip: Better tha...

Sam and Lizzie are putting their best foot forward for The Devil Wears Prada starring makeover queen Anne Hathaway, Oscar queen Meryl Streep, and cube of cheese queen Emily Blunt. We know...groundbreaking! Our research takes an unexpected though very welcome turn into queer fanfiction as we wrap our minds around the million and one ways this movie made us just a little bit gayer. To catch us blabb...

Lizzie and Sam set off on an adventure with 90s epic, The Mummy, starring Rachel Weisz (longtime icon of the pod) and Brendan Fraser (the himbo of your dreams). We also consult The Mummy experts and friends of the pod Lauren (@lserver362) and Tishon Pugh (@tishyp_) to dive into what it means to unearth your own queerness, the importance of mythology, and to reckon with the sheer number of hot peop...

Sam and Lizzie had it coming with one of the most highly awarded musical adaptations of all time, CHICAGO starring Renee Zellweger, Catherine Zeta Jones, and Queen Latifah. This story celebrates 100 years of queer subtlety and we go through which queer characters have gone "straight" through the adaptations and which queer characters shine through from day one. We sort through about a dozen vocal...

Lizzie and Sam join the royal family and acknowledge the miracle that is The Princess Diaries starring real life fairy godmother Julie Andrews and ultimate ally Anne Hathaway. We count a double digit number of queer-coded characters in this film and tease out several plot themes that speak to us subtextually. So thank you for being here today! Clip: Garry Marshall & mystery producer Photo: Hel...

Sam and Lizzie cross over to the other side with toe-curling, supernatural-romancing, pottery-throwing classic GHOST starring Whoopi Goldberg, Demi Moore, and Patrick Swayze. There's so much queerness to uncover in this film, least of all the gender-swapping thrupple moment. Tissues needed! Clip: Interview of Whoopi & Patrick Clip: THE Pottery Scene Clip: The Soul-Meets-Body Scene Watch the vi...

Lizzie and Sam are gonna need a gayer boat for this week's episode. The queer waters of Steven Spielberg's JAWS are rocking as we dive into harrowing tales from the making of this film and the surprising intimacy amongst all the blood in the water. Clip: Sharing Scars Watch the video episode on Youtube! Find bonus episodes at patreon.com/subtextualpod! Follow us on social  @subtextualpod Youtube |...

Sam and Lizzie break the first rule and cover David Fincher's Fight Club. We take a swing at the author's original intent, fume over the audacity of Brad Pitt's abs, and uncover an ungodly amount of underlying queerness.  Watch the video episode on Youtube! Support the creators at patreon.com/subtextualpod Follow us on social  @subtextualpod Youtube | Instagram  | TikTok | Letterboxd Subtextual is...

Subtextual is going live, baby. We will be bringing you queer movie subtext every month, twice a month in VIDEO FORMAT! So welcome to our faces. We'll also be relaunching our Patreon January 2026 at a CHEAPER PRICE and with MORE PERKS! & welcome to the team, Gerald Lee! Follow us on social  @subtextualpod Instagram | YouTube |TikTok | Letterboxd & support us at  Patreon.com/subtextualpod S...

Sam and Lizzie pour one out for the fabulous ally Diane Keaton with a holiday season fan favorite, The Family Stone. Some families can be too close and for once the gay kid is the stable one in the bunch. But serious lesbi-kudos to the style icon and cinema hero Diane Keaton. Now go call your mom!! MEDIA: Clip: The Family Dinner Support the creators and get bonus episodes on our Patreon! patreon.c...

Sam, Lizzie, and guest Gerald Lee (@geralddleee) slide into the holiday season with a movie that is snow good! We untangle the complicated spiritual rules of this universe, talk bad dads, bad habits, and the 90s dad fan fiction of it all. The snow plow giveth and the snow plow taketh! Support the creators at patreon.com/subtextualpod ! Follow us on social  @subtextualpod Instagram | Twitter  | Tik...

Lizzie, Sam & Gerald Lee (@geralddleee) blaze a trail to the lost city of gay! I mean, gold! A wild romp from the depth's of our childhood, this movie is all about old partnerships, new thruples, and unrealistic horse scenarios. Come adventure with us into the wild subtextual jungles of El Dorado! Clip: Meeting Miguel & Tulio Pic: The Arm Clasp! Clip: Death Confession Scene Tumblr 1 , Tumb...

Sam and Lizzie do it all for love over Luca Guadagnino's Challengers! A love triangle where every corner touches and tennis is much more a sport with balls, we get into every nook and cranny of the gayest sport film of our time. Pickup a racket and a protein shake and let's get hittin! Clip: Variety's Directors on Directors Clip: Luca talks score! Clip: Churro scene Clip: Alley scene Support the c...

We're BACK in the Batmobile seat to bring you a 90's stunner of a spectacle, Batman Forever, starring Val Kilmer (repeat offender from our Top Gun episode), Chris O'Donnell, Jim Carrey, Nicole Kidman and directed by Joel Schumacher. The Batman films of the 80s and 90s bring homoerotic to the next level and we get into it all! So hold on to your metal-sculpted nipples and let's ride. Clip: Dr. Chas...

Sam and Lizzie are really really really ridiculously good looking today for runway hit, Zoolander directed by Ben Stiller! Himbos are so hot right now and we sort through some tea from the production and visit Derek Zoolander's model origins. So grab an orange mocha frappucino and welcome Zoolander to the Subtextual Bicon Club! Clip: Derek Zoolander's first appearance Clip: Hansel Support the crea...

Lizzie, Sam, and bestie of the pod Gabby celebrate Lizzie's birthday and ring in the occasion with meat pies and man-bashing. We think of some tips for Megan Thee Stallion, discuss busoms, and take some stanky trips down memory lane. This movie is just straight enough to warrant a birthday episode! Clip: Worst Pies in London Clip: A Little Priest Get bonus episodes and vote on upcoming movies by j...

This week on Patreon, Sam and Lizzie dive into a double topic episode and discuss what fast food chain they would save from a natural disaster and take a moment to do some bragging. *hair flip* Come order off-menu items and hear what good things we're got to say about ourselves in a super special topic showdown bonus episode! Full episode available on our Patreon! Find us at Patreon.com/subtextual...

Lizzie and Sam bust into the holiday spirit with queerly engaging 2000's blockbuster How the Grinch Stole Christmas! He's a mean one and has a past worth dissecting with a subtextual lens. So hide your stockings and your roast beast, and dive into this tasty holiday treat. OH NO! I'm speaking in RHYME!! Photo: Taylor Momsen now Photo: The Grinch and the Nutty Professor Clip: The Grinch's Origin St...

Sam and Lizzie yell up from their diaphragms for British lesbo romcom Imagine Me & You starring Piper Perabo and Lena Headey. And we know what you're thinking, NO ITS NOT SUBTEXUAL but YES YOU WILL ENJOY IT. We could all use a bit of brain bleach to cleanse the palette, so dip in for some trifle and a cuppa and enjoy a true HEA. Video: Mina Le "yhy aren't romcoms romantic anymore?" Support the...

Enjoy this sneak peek of our latest bonus episode! Sam and Lizzie go over their magical/traumatizing childhood memories of reading Harry Potter and discuss the new upcoming series! Listen to the full episode on Patreon to hear our fancast choices! Support us and get hours of great content at patreon.com/subtextualpod Follow us on social  @subtextualpod Instagram | Twitter  | TikTok | Letterboxd Su...

Lizzie and Sam have a bloody fantastic time at prom with 1976 classic horror film CARRIE! From the twisted first novel of Stephen King, we find a lot of characters soaked in subtextuality and wait for the bucket of blood to drop. Happy Halloween and let the blood letting begin! Clip: Coming Out to Momma Support the creators and get bonus episodes on patreon.com/subtextualpod ! Follow us on social ...

Sam and Lizzie with returning guest Brodie go to space where no one can hear them scream for spookober classic ALIEN! This film sits at the intersection of groundbreaking and perfection, and is infused with so much underlying sexuality we are basically offering you a masterclass. From lesbian icon Ripley, to the xenomorph as a standin for the gender binary, this film gives so much more than you ba...

Lizzie & Sam lob each other's heads off with camp queer classic Death Becomes Her starring the incomparable Meryl Streep and Goldie Hawn. When two women are this obsessed with killing each other, you know we enter queer territory. Come lose your head with us over this spooktober classic! Clip: Violet Chachki on the runway Clip: 'Til Death Becomes Us by Jujubee and Trinity the Tuck Clip: Taste...

Sam and Lizzie revisit the spooky, bicurious world of The Haunting to kick off a month of horror classics! To date this film holds one of the lowest Subtextual scores and is a movie we will never forget for better and for worst. The queer baiting of it all, the beheadery, the sheer lunacy spanning over 60 years of film remakes. Happy haunting! MEDIA: Clip: Meeting Theo (1999) Clip: Meeting Theo (1...