Why Wasn't It Better?

For years, video game movies had a reputation for missing the point. Then Silent Hill arrived in 2006 with an unusually faithful recreation of Konami's legendary horror franchise. Christophe Gans' adaptation won over many fans of the games while dividing critics. Two decades later, does Silent Hill deserve to be remembered as one of the best video game adaptations ever made? Producer Eric...

Following one of the greatest horror films ever made was never going to be easy. Poltergeist II: The Other Side brings back the Freeling family while expanding the mythology surrounding the Beast and introducing one of horror's most memorable villains in the Reverend Kane. Although the sequel has earned a mixed reputation over the years, it remains a fascinating, and deeply strange, entry. Was...

The Conjuring universe was still in its infancy when Annabelle arrived in 2014. Based on the creepy doll introduced in James Wan's blockbuster a year earlier, Warner Bros. quickly spun the character into her own franchise. Critics weren't impressed, but audiences showed up in droves, turning the film into one of the most profitable horror movies ever made and proving The Conjuring was more...

Often cited as the last of Alfred Hitchcock's classic period, The Birds is one of the most influential horror films ever made. Is it actually scary? Does it hold up 60+ years later? First time guest Carmelita Valdez McKoy joins to discuss. ____ Please consider joining our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/wwibofficial YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@whywasntitbetter Letterboxd: https://letterboxd...

One year after its release, it's time to review Tron: Ares. Following the cult success of Tron: Legacy, fans spent over a decade waiting for a follow-up. Instead of continuing the story that film set up, Disney delivered a very different movie, one that divided audiences and flopped at the box office. What happened? Was Ares doomed by development hell and delay? Did Disney misunderstand what a...

It's hard to believe now but at one point in the 1980s, Disney animation was in trouble. After The Black Cauldron bombed, the studio desperately needed a hit. What they got was The Great Mouse Detective, a charming Sherlock Holmes-inspired mystery featuring one of Disney’s greatest villains, a memorable cast of characters, and some surprisingly ambitious animation. Guest Adam Hecht is back to proc...

Despite featuring one of the greatest ensemble casts ever assembled, spectacular aerial photography, and an extraordinary commitment to historical authenticity, Battle of Britain was a box office failure. This week, we examine why. We discuss the film's incredible flying sequences, its documentary-style approach, the challenge of telling such a massive story without a central protagonist, and...

It's time for another ranking episode! Guest Kai Wang joins as we sort out the Pierce Brosnan James Bond films. ____ Please consider joining our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/wwibofficial YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@whywasntitbetter Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/wwibpodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wwib_official X: https://x.com/WWIBpodcast Subscribe! Rate! Review! Tell a...

Despite being a high-profile dramatic retelling of the biggest environmental disaster in American history, Deepwater Horizon was largely ignored by audiences in 2016. Director Peter Berg assembled a tension-filled, highly accurate portrayal that plays as one part docudrama, another part horror movie. Why didn’t this get more attention, and why has it still failed to leave much of a cultural impact...

With a new remake on the horizon, we're covering Cliffhanger, aka Die Hard On A Mountain. In need of a hit, Sylvester Stallone teamed up with director Renny Harlin for a high-altitude thriller packed with death-defying stunts, brutal violence, and one of the most memorable opening sequences of the decade. Add in a scenery-chewing performance from John Lithgow and you've got all the ingredi...

Enjoy this sneak preview of our Tron: Ares episode. The full episode is available right now for our supporters over on Patreon. The full episode will not be available for another month. So if you want early access, head over to patreon.com/wwibofficial and become a Patreon! _________________ Please consider joining our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/wwibofficial YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/...

A Patreon request! Few filmmakers are as instantly recognizable as Wes Anderson, and The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou may be the moment his style fully took over. Part ocean adventure, part midlife-crisis comedy, part tribute to Jacques Cousteau, the film follows the eccentric Steve Zissou as he sets out to hunt the mysterious shark that killed his best friend. The result was Anderson's biggest...

Despite a massive voice cast featuring Will Smith, Robert De Niro, Angelina Jolie, and Jack Black, Shark Tale has aged into one of the strangest animated hits of the 2000s. Released at the height of the DreamWorks Animation vs. Pixar rivalry, the film throws everything at the wall: celebrity impressions, mafia movie references, pop culture jokes, bizarre worldbuilding, and fish with human lips. He...

Enjoy this sneak preview of our Ranking thee Pierce Brosnan Bond Films episode. The full episode is available right now for our supporters over on Patreon. The full episode will not be available for another month. So if you want early access, head over to patreon.com/wwibofficial and become a Patreon! ____ Please consider joining our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/wwibofficial YouTube: https://w...

After making his MCU debut in Civil War, Tom Holland was given his own full-length cinematic debut with Spider-Man: Homecoming the following year. It was a big success for Marvel and well-liked, but what purpose does it serve beyond wedging everyone's favorite neighborhood superhero into the overall MCU? Guest and industry insider Ivan Calixto joins the pod to talk about his experience working on...

Cahill U.S. Marshal is one of the lesser-known late-career John Wayne westerns, and for good reason. Released during a period when the Western genre was rapidly evolving, Cahill feels caught between old-school Wayne heroics and the grittier, morally complex revisionist Westerns audiences were beginning to prefer. Why didn’t it leave more of an impact? Why has it largely faded into obscurity among...

In 1996, Arnold Schwarzenegger teamed up with director Chuck Russell for Eraser, a gloriously over-the-top 90s action movie filled with railguns, alligators, witness protection conspiracies, and Arnold one-liners. And yet… despite being a box office success, Eraser rarely comes up when people discuss Arnold’s best movies. It arrived right at the tail end of his run as the king of action cinema, ju...

Miami Vice should have been a slam dunk. Michael Mann adapting his own iconic television series with Colin Farrell and Jamie Foxx in the lead roles sounds like a guaranteed hit. Instead, audiences got a moody, digitally-shot crime film that cared far more about atmosphere, professionalism, and vibe than plot or nostalgia. But over the years, the movie has developed a passionate following. Mojito f...

The 20th Bond film was supposed to be a celebration of the series. Die Another Day was an enormous financial success but ended up being Pierce Brosnan's final film. EON decided to reboot the series. But why? Did Brosnan deserve another shot? Why wasn't it better? Guest Kai Wang returns to the podcast for our Season Eleven premiere as we discuss Die Another Day. ____ Please consider joining...

In a first for the podcast, we're hitting the Kalshi prediction market. Our first predictions are for two films releasing very soon: The Odyssey and Spider-Man: Brand New Day. ____ Please consider joining our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/wwibofficial YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@whywasntitbetter Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/wwibpodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wwib_offic...

On this bonus episode, we’re breaking down Hoppers, a weird, funny, and surprisingly unpredictable original that feels like a throwback to when Pixar wasn’t afraid to experiment. It’s not top-tier, but it’s exactly the kind of risk-taking, offbeat storytelling we’ve been missing. Is this the direction Pixar should be heading in? ____ Please consider joining our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/wwi...

Season Ten is all wrapped up. join us as we give our traditional recap and preview what's on deck for next season. ____ Please consider joining our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/wwibofficial YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@whywasntitbetter Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/wwibpodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wwib_official X: https://x.com/WWIBpodcast Subscribe! Rate! Review!...

We conclude Season Ten with Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, the sixth film in the series. By this point, the films were box office machines, but Half-Blood Prince is arguably the most disliked. Did it set things up for the finale? Or is it a poor adaptation of the book? Guest and Potterhead Jake Valkusky is back to discuss. _____ Please consider joining our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com...

Enjoy this sneak preview of our Spider-Man: Homecoming episode. The full episode is available right now for our supporters over on Patreon. The full episode will not be available for another month. So if you want early access, head over to patreon.com/wwibofficial and become a Patreon! ____ Please consider joining our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/wwibofficial YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@...

It's the 30th anniversary of a film that needs no introduction. Independence Day wasn't just one of the biggest blockbusters of all time. It became a huge piece of pop culture in the 1990s and remains one to this day. Does it hold up three decades later? We're going to try and sort that out. Here to celebrate America's birthday with us is guest Ivan Calixto. _____ Please consider j...