Why Wasn't It Better?

By popular demand, we're back with another ranking episode. This time we try to sort out the original six films in the Star Trek galaxy with guest Paul Kind. ___ 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://...

Batman: Mask of the Phantasm is still the gold standard for Batman storytelling — and it’s not even live-action. Released theatrically at the height of Batman: The Animated Series, this noir-infused tragedy explores Bruce Wayne’s one real chance at happiness, and the moment he chooses the cowl instead. More romantic, more adult, and more emotionally devastating than most superhero films that follo...

The English Patient won nine Academy Awards and became one of the most debated Best Picture winners of all time. Often dismissed as slow or overpraised, the film is revisited here as a formally ambitious, emotionally precise adaptation of Michael Ondaatje's novel that rewards patience and attention. Its nonlinear structure, performances, and restraint reveal a work more interested in memory and co...

A film few people have seen or even heard of, The Exception is adapted from The Kaiser’s Last Kiss and stars Christopher Plummer as the exiled former German emperor living out his final days as World War II begins. Set far from the front lines, it’s a historical drama more interested in power, irrelevance, and moral compromise than battlefield spectacle. Sometimes we go obscure — and sometimes tha...

Tomorrow Never Dies was Pierce Brosnan's second outing as British secret agent James Bond. While not quite as warmly received as GoldenEye, it's been more recently hailed as ahead of its time. Is it somehow underrated or does it end up being a sophomore slump? Guest Peter Baldeo joins as we try to delivery tomorrow's news today. ___ Please consider joining our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/wwib...

Like him or not, John Wayne is an American icon. It's high time we covered one of his films and Rio Bravo seemed like a great place to start. Dismissed as just another Howard Hawks Western upon release, over the decades it's become a beloved classic. First time guest and podcast extraordinaire Cam Sully joins for some Duke talk. ___ Please consider joining our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/wwib...

Our (second) centennial celebration. We are now three years and two hundred episodes in! No official format here, just us and our producer rambling about various things. We touch on the state of the podcast and what's in store for the future. Thanks again to all of our listeners! ___ Please consider joining our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/wwibofficial YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@why...

Few films have experienced reputational turnaronds like John Carpenter's Big Trouble in Little China. Now a beloved classic, it was equally ignored by critics and audiences upon its release in 1986. Why did it bomb so badly? Could it be remade now? An absurdly fun movie was the right choice for our Season Ten premiere! ___ Please consider joining our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/wwibofficial Y...

A preview of our Ranking of the Original Stark Trek Films. The full episode is available right now for our supporters over on Patreon. This will become available to you in the next 2-3 weeks. So if you want early access, extra episodes, and to help keep the show going, head over to patreon.com/wwibofficial and become a Patreon! ___ Please consider joining our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/wwibo...

Now that Season Nine is in the wraps, 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!...

The darkest chapter in the Harry Potter saga brings political intrigue, teenage angst, and the rise of Voldemort out into the open. But despite its importance, Order of the Phoenix often feels rushed and uneven. With a new director at the helm and the longest book trimmed into the shortest film, it’s a turning point that doesn’t always hit the emotional highs it aims for. It's the Season Nine fina...

A preview of our coverage of The English Patient. The full episode is available right now for our supporters over on Patreon. This will become available to you in the next 2-3 weeks. So if you want early access, extra episodes, and to help keep the show going, head over to patreon.com/wwibofficial and become a Patreon! ___ Please consider joining our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/wwibofficial Y...

The latest in our "Worst Best Picture Winners series. Chicago is credited with briefly reviving interest in Hollywood musicals. It's a slick, fun musical with memorable songs and performances, but should it have won Best Picture in 2002? ___ Please consider joining our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/wwibofficial YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@whywasntitbetter Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.co...

It wasn’t supposed to be this movie and somehow, that’s what makes it work. The Emperor’s New Groove began as an epic Disney musical and ended up a chaotic buddy comedy with a llama, a talking squirrel, and more one-liners than heart. First time guest Adam Hecht joins to dig into the bizarre production history, David Spade’s deadpan dynasty, and why this misfit movie has become a cult classic, eve...

Alfred Hitchcock directing superstar talents Paul Newman and Julie Andrews in a spy thriller? Torn Curtain should’ve been a Cold War classic — so what went wrong? With mismatched stars and flat tension, we ask: is Torn Curtain a misunderstood experiment, or just a rare misfire from the Master of Suspense? ___ Please consider joining our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/wwibofficial YouTube: https:...

Sometimes called Avengers 2.5, Captain America: Civil War had a lot riding on it. Tensions exploded as heroes took sides over government oversight, fracturing the team like never before. Friendships were tested, alliances shattered, and the fate of the Avengers—and the world—hung in the balance. Marvel superfan guests Garret Ohringer and Ivan Calixto are back on the pod to take their own sides. __...

Will Smith is the last man on Earth, sort of. We revisit the post-apocalyptic blockbuster that launched a thousand memes, a few tears, and arguments about alternate endings. I Am Legend had all the right ingredients and still managed to feel like a missed opportunity. Guest Dennis Berscak joins to share his thoughts. ___ Please consider joining our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/wwibofficial You...

The third Benoit Blanc mystery came out a couple weeks ago, to the usual acclaim. How does it stack up against the first two? Guest Peter Baldeo returns to talk Wake Up Dead Man. ___ 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_off...

In 2005, Steven Spielberg released one of his most ambitious and polarizing films. Despite critical acclaim and multiple Oscar nominations, Munich never quite found a wide audience. How could one of the world's most celebrated directors make a film this bold and yet this overlooked? ___ Please consider joining our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/wwibofficial YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@whyw...

“You’re the man now, dawg!” Finding Forrester gave us Sean Connery’s penultimate role — and one of the most quoted (and memed) lines of the early 2000s. We revisit this feel-good mentor drama about a reclusive writer and a gifted teen, and ask: is there a great movie buried beneath the clichés? From its Good Will Hunting echoes to Connery’s quiet gravitas, we dig into why this film connected with...

By popular demand, here's another ranking episode! Guest and Marvel superfan Garret Ohringer joins to help us rank the Phase One films of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. ___ 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: h...

Our annual Christmas episode! Jim Carrey as Scrooge, animated in mo-cap 3D sounds like a holiday classic, right? Robert Zemeckis' version of A Christmas Carol promised a visually stunning, motion-capture reimagining of the timeless Dickens tale — but did it capture the magic of the original, or just get lost in the tech? ___ Please consider joining our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/wwibofficial...

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, & The Wardrobe promised magic, epic battles, and a talking lion. And it delivered, mostly. The 2005 big screen adaptation brought C.S. Lewis’ beloved book series to life, but still couldn’t quite escape the shadows of Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter. Guest Nathan Perry joins to weigh in. ___ Please consider joining our Patreon: https://www.patr...

Before Sherlock Holmes was a genius detective, he was an adventurous schoolboy in Young Sherlock Holmes. This forgotten 1985 gem combines teen detective charm, Indiana Jones-style action, and some seriously bizarre mystical shenanigans. Patrick and Anton dive into the film that tried to make a teen Sherlock a thing, but ended up more cult classic than franchise starter. Was it ahead of its time, o...

A special emergency episode as we honor the passing of one of our favorite actors, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa. ___ 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 friend!