A Reel Pain

This week on A Reel Pain , Matthew brings John into the hidden world of The Spiderwick Chronicles , the 2008 fantasy adventure movie starring Freddie Highmore that made a whole generation wonder if goblins, fairies, ogres, and secret creatures were hiding just beyond the backyard. Matthew remembers The Spiderwick Chronicles as a creepy, magical Gen Z childhood favorite, while John watches it for t...

Happy 4th of July from A Reel Pain, where John brings Matthew into the wonderfully over-the-top world of Independence Day. This week, the crew breaks down the 1996 alien invasion classic starring Will Smith, Jeff Goldblum, Bill Pullman, and Randy Quaid — a movie packed with exploding landmarks, inspirational president speeches, chaotic character introductions, and one very questionable dolphin eng...

Matthew’s Gen Z pick takes A Reel Pain straight into the unsettling world of Backrooms , and John may never look at an empty mall hallway the same way again. Fresh from the theater, the guys break down why this eerie, internet-born horror story feels so effective, from the found-footage sequences and sound design to the strange, liminal fear that makes the whole movie feel wrong in the best way. T...

This week on A Reel Pain, John brings one of his millennial-era comfort movies to the table: Tango & Cash. Sylvester Stallone and Kurt Russell team up as two “best cops in L.A.” who get framed, sent to prison, tortured, break out, clear their names, and somehow end the movie holding hands after a high five. Matthew experiences the full 80s fever dream for the first time, from the cartoony vill...

Matthew is bringing John into the Glade with his pick, The Maze Runner — the 2014 dystopian thriller that hit at the perfect time for middle school Gen Z kids, but apparently looked “pretty dumb” to John when it first came out. Now, John is watching it for the first time to see if the maze, the Grievers, and the whole YA dystopian era still hold up. The guys talk about being dropped into the story...

John brings his millennial pick to the table with Masters of the Universe from 1987, the live-action He-Man movie starring Dolph Lundgren, Courteney Cox, Skeletor, Castle Grayskull, and a whole lot of unexpected Earth-based chaos. Matthew goes in with almost no He-Man knowledge outside of the memes, while John revisits a childhood-adjacent universe that he quickly realizes may not hold up quite th...

Matthew brings The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie from 2004 to A Reel Pain , forcing John to experience SpongeBob, Patrick, Goofy Goober, David Hasselhoff, and peak early-2000s Nickelodeon chaos for the very first time. As the Gen Z host with deep SpongeBob nostalgia, Matthew makes the case for why this movie is more than just a kids’ cartoon — it’s the true ending of the original SpongeBob era, pack...

Kenyon Murray joins A Reel Pain for a three-generation movie debate as he brings in his pick: Weird Science — the 1985 John Hughes comedy that was a full-blown nostalgic classic for 13-year-old Kenyon, but hits a little differently on a rewatch at 52. With John representing the Millennial perspective, Matthew coming in as Gen Z, and Kenyon bringing the Gen X nostalgia, this episode gets into wheth...

Matthew’s pick takes A Reel Pain back to 2008 for Journey to the Center of the Earth , the Brendan Fraser adventure movie built for red-and-blue 3D glasses, giant dandelions, flying fish, mine carts, questionable CGI, and pure roller-coaster chaos. John comes in with almost no attachment to the movie, while Matthew revisits a childhood favorite that somehow feels ridiculous, nostalgic, and way mor...

Is Mortal Kombat actually a legit cult classic… or just a nostalgia-fueled fever dream? In this episode of A Reel Pain, John (Millennial) revisits a childhood favorite, while Matthew (Gen Z) steps into the tournament with fresh eyes—and zero attachment. What follows is a chaotic, hilarious breakdown of one of the most iconic video game adaptations ever made. From the instantly recognizable theme s...

A millennial and two Gen Z voices take on The Devil Wears Prada—and what starts as a nostalgic rewatch quickly turns into a full-on debate about career ambition, toxic workplaces, and whether this iconic fashion film still hits the same in 2026. In this episode of A Reel Pain , Matthew and John are joined by Rachel Pursell (Gen Z) and Naomi Winder (Millennial) to break down a movie that defined an...

In this episode of A Reel Pain, John brings one of his all-time favorites to the table: Liar Liar—the 1997 comedy starring Jim Carrey at the height of his powers. What follows is a generational clash over one big question: does this iconic comedy still hit today, or is it carried by nostalgia? Matthew goes in completely blind, never having even heard of the movie before—while John remembers theate...

A childhood favorite meets a fresh set of eyes as we break down A Series of Unfortunate Events—and things get surprisingly complicated. Matthew grew up with the books, John didn’t… so does this gloomy, chaotic adaptation actually hold up, or is it just nostalgia doing the heavy lifting? From the moment the Baudelaire children lose everything, this movie leans into its dark tone—but balances it wit...

A Millennial favorite steps into the ring as John defends True Lies , a high-octane action-comedy starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jamie Lee Curtis—but does it actually hold up, or is it coasting on nostalgia? In this episode of A Reel Pain , John brings one of his all-time favorites to the table, while Gen Z co-host Matthew experiences the chaos for the first time. What starts as an explosive,...

A millennial and Gen Z perspective collide in this episode of A Reel Pain as the crew dives into the chaotic, colorful world of Mamma Mia! —but this time, it’s not just a debate… it’s a full-blown takeover. With Rachel Pursell and Taylor Petersen stepping in, the energy shifts fast as nostalgia, musical love, and brutally honest critiques all hit at once. From the iconic ABBA soundtrack to the ove...

What happens when a legendary Western isn’t what you remember it to be? In this episode of A Reel Pain , the generational debate takes a new turn as the crew is joined by special guest Phil O’Brien—bringing a Gen X perspective into the mix—to revisit Unforgiven , the Clint Eastwood classic that helped redefine the Western genre. From the jump, this conversation digs into more than just nostalgia....

In this episode of A Reel Pain , Matthew (Gen Z) forces a long-overdue first watch: There Will Be Blood . A slow-burn epic about ambition, isolation, faith, and oil — lots of oil. For years, this one sat in the “overhyped classic” category for John. But after finally sitting down with it, the reaction might surprise you. From the silent, tension-filled opening sequence to the explosive final “milk...

In this episode of A Reel Pain , the Millennial makes his case for one of the most quoted, dorm-room-DVD, late-’90s cult classics of all time: The Boondock Saints . A movie built on vigilante justice, Irish Catholic swagger, and pure “there was a firefight!” energy — but does it actually hold up in 2026? John revisits a film he once considered untouchable. The black coats. The slow-motion gunfight...

In this episode of A Reel Pain , the generational debate heads into animated territory as Gen Z picks Over the Hedge —and the millennial host watches it for the very first time. Originally released in 2006, Over the Hedge blends fast-paced animation with surprisingly sharp commentary on consumerism, suburbia, and family dynamics. What started as a “kids movie” quickly turns into a deeper discussio...

A millennial picks a ’90s action juggernaut—and a Gen Z host puts it on trial. In this episode of A Reel Pain , John selects The Rock , the 1996 Michael Bay action thriller starring Nicolas Cage, Sean Connery, and Ed Harris. What follows is a generational debate over whether The Rock still holds up—or if nostalgia is doing most of the heavy lifting. John revisits the film as a longtime fan, praisi...

A Gen Z pick puts millennial nostalgia to the test. In this episode of A Reel Pain , Matthew (Gen Z) brings Bottoms (2023) to the table — a chaotic, over-the-top high school comedy that John (millennial) somehow missed when it first hit theaters. Going in blind, John reacts in real time to a movie that thrives on satire, absurdity, and jokes that refuse to play it safe. The conversation breaks dow...

A millennial picks Ten Things I Hate About You (1999) — and a Gen Z co-host watches it with fresh eyes. In this Valentine’s Day episode of A Reel Pain, John and Matthew revisit one of the most iconic teen rom-coms of the late ’90s to answer the ultimate question: does this movie still hold up, or is it riding purely on nostalgia? From Heath Ledger’s legendary musical moment to the poetry scene tha...

In this episode of A Reel Pain , the generational tables turn. A Gen Z pick forces a millennial first-time watch as the crew dives into Death of a Unicorn —a dark, uncomfortable, and wildly polarizing film that sparks instant debate. What starts as a fresh Gen Z recommendation quickly becomes a clash of expectations, nostalgia, and modern filmmaking sensibilities. From brutal tonal shifts and unco...

A millennial and a Gen Zer clash over whether Lethal Weapon still deserves its “classic” status. In this episode of A Reel Pain, John brings one of his most nostalgic picks to the table, while Matthew watches Lethal Weapon for the very first time — completely blind. What starts as a confident defense of an 80s action staple quickly turns into a much messier conversation about aging movies, charact...

In this episode of A Reel Pain, Matthew (Gen-Z) finally convinces John (Millennial) to watch The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey for the first time — and the results are surprisingly wholesome. Together they debate whether Peter Jackson’s 2012 Tolkien return deserves more credit than it got at release. From Martin Freeman’s Bilbo to Gollum’s riddle scene to the controversy around stretching a childr...