Cinema Callback

In this episode of Cinema Callback, Andy and Michael discuss The Novelist’s Film (2022), Hong Sang-soo’s quietly reflective drama about artistic frustration, creative renewal, and the fragile connections between people who make art. Through the show’s voice note conversation format, the hosts talk about Hong’s minimalist style, his use of repetition and conversation, and how the film blurs the lin...

In this episode of Cinema Callback, Andy and Michael discuss Bob le Flambeur (1956), Jean-Pierre Melville’s quietly influential crime film that blends American noir cool with a distinctly French sense of looseness and chance. Through the show’s voice note conversation format, the hosts talk about the film’s relaxed, almost drifting structure, and how its casual tone masks a precise understanding o...

In this episode of Cinema Callback , Andy and Michael discuss High and Low (1963) and Spike Lee’s Highest 2 Lowest (2025 , exploring how the same core premise can be reinterpreted across time, culture, and filmmaking style. Through the show’s voice note conversation format, the hosts talk about Akira Kurosawa’s precise, methodical construction, where moral tension unfolds through space, hierarchy,...

In this episode of Cinema Callback, Andy and Michael discuss Strange Darling (2023), a sharply constructed thriller that plays with perspective, chronology, and audience expectation to constantly shift the ground beneath its story. Through the show’s voice note conversation format, the hosts talk about the film’s fragmented structure, its deliberate withholding of information, and how it invites t...

In this episode of Cinema Callback, Andy and Michael discuss After Hours (1985), Martin Scorsese’s darkly comic odyssey through nocturnal New York, where a simple late night outing spirals into a surreal chain of misfortune and escalating paranoia. Through the show’s voice note conversation format, the hosts talk about the film’s relentless momentum, its nightmare logic, and how ordinary social an...

Here’s what’s next on the podcast… We’re heading from 90s indie relationship chaos to one of Scorsese’s wildest nights, a modern thriller full of surprises, and a special double-feature exploring how one story can evolve across filmmakers and generations. Upcoming episodes: • The Daytrippers (1996) — a sharp, funny indie road trip about love, suspicion, and family dynamics. • After Hours (1985) —...

In this episode of Cinema Callback, Andy and Michael dive into Acasă My Home (2020), Radu Ciorniciuc’s intimate documentary that follows the real-life Enache family as they are uprooted from their decades-long life on the edge of the Văcărești Delta, a wild, semi-urban wetland on the outskirts of Bucharest, and thrust into the challenges of modern city living. Using the show’s voice note conversat...

In this episode of Cinema Callback, Andy and Michael discuss Compartment No. 6 (2021), Juho Kuosmanen’s intimate road film set almost entirely aboard a long train journey across Russia. What begins as an uncomfortable shared space between two mismatched strangers gradually becomes a quiet exploration of loneliness, empathy, and human connection. Through the show’s voice note conversation format, t...

In this episode of Cinema Callback, Andy and Michael discuss River’s Edge (1986), Tim Hunter’s haunting portrait of teenage detachment set against a shocking act of violence that barely seems to disturb the world around it. Inspired by true events, the film follows a group of suburban teenagers whose emotional numbness proves more unsettling than the crime itself. Through the show’s voice note con...

In this episode of Cinema Callback, Andy and Michael discuss Materialists (2025), the sharply observed romantic drama that examines modern relationships through the language of status, value, and personal ambition. Set within the world of professional matchmaking, the film explores how love becomes entangled with ideas of success, security, and self worth. Through the show’s voice note conversatio...

The March lineup for Cinema Callback is officially here, and we’re covering everything from high-stakes romance to gritty cult classics. 🍿🎬This month, we’re diving deep into: ✨ Materialists – A star-studded look at modern romance featuring Pedro Pascal, Dakota Johnson, and Chris Evans. 🌲 River's Edge – A haunting 80s "callback" that explores teenage apathy. 🚂 Compartment No. 6 –...

In this episode of Cinema Callback, Andy and Michael discuss Terrestrial Verses (2023), the formally daring Iranian film that presents a series of encounters between ordinary citizens and unseen authorities, revealing how power operates through routine interactions rather than overt force. Through the show’s voice note conversation format, the hosts talk about the film’s rigid framing, theatrical...

In this episode of Cinema Callback, Andy and Michael discuss Miracle Mile (1988), Steve De Jarnatt’s strange, urgent blend of romantic drama and apocalyptic thriller set over the course of one increasingly frantic night in Los Angeles. Through the show’s voice note conversation format, the hosts talk about the film’s tonal shift from dreamy meet cute to nuclear countdown nightmare, and how that pi...

In this episode of Cinema Callback, Andy and Michael discuss Anniversary (2025) directed by Jan Komasa, a tightly controlled psychological drama that begins in recognisable domestic territory before quietly shifting into something far more disquieting. What initially feels like a familiar life invasion setup gradually opens into a study of control, desire, and emotional power. Through the show’s v...

In this episode of Cinema Callback, Andy and Michael discuss Triangle (2009), Christopher Smith’s mind bending psychological thriller that begins as a simple sailing trip and spirals into a labyrinth of repetition, dread, and existential punishment. Through the show’s voice note conversation format, the hosts talk about the film’s shifting structure, how it weaponises déjà vu, and the way it gradu...

In this episode of Cinema Callback, Andy and Michael discuss Possum (2018), Matthew Holness’s deeply unsettling debut feature that strips horror back to mood, repetition, and psychological decay. Set in a bleak, unnamed England, the film follows a man returning to his childhood home, carrying with him both a literal and emotional burden he cannot escape. Through the show’s voice note conversation...

In this episode of Cinema Callback, Andy and Michael discuss Trust (1990), Hal Hartley’s breakthrough indie film that blends romance, comedy, and philosophical inquiry with a distinctly deadpan tone. Centered on the unlikely connection between Maria and Matthew, the film reframes young love as an act of resistance against social expectation and emotional inertia. Through the show’s voice note conv...

In this episode of Cinema Callback, Andy and Michael discuss The Panic in Needle Park (1971), Jerry Schatzberg’s raw, unsentimental portrait of addiction and dependency in early-70s New York, starring Al Pacino and Kitty Winn. Through the show’s voice note conversation format, the hosts talk about the film’s stripped back realism, its immersion in street level life, and how it resists moralising o...

In this episode of Cinema Callback, Andy and Michael discuss Scarecrow (1973), Jerry Schatzberg’s tender, wandering road movie starring Al Pacino and Gene Hackman as two drifters moving across America with little more than dreams and unresolved pasts. Through the show’s voice-note conversation format, the hosts talk about the film’s loose, episodic structure and how it lets character take preceden...

This is a quick film-club preview of the next four Cinema Callback episodes. We’ll be covering Scarecrow (1973), The Panic in Needle Park (1971), Trust (1990), and Possum (2018). , so if you want to watch along, now’s the time — and then check out the episodes when they drop. Scarecrow - 13/01/2026 The Panic in Needle Park - 20/01/2026 Trust - 27/01/2026 Possum - 04/02/2026

In this episode of Cinema Callback, Andy and Michael discuss The Firm (1993), Sydney Pollack’s slick legal thriller starring Tom Cruise at the peak of his early-90s stardom. What begins as a glossy story of professional success slowly reveals itself as a paranoid nightmare about power, control, and the cost of getting exactly what you want. Through the show’s voice-note conversation format, the ho...

In this episode of Cinema Callback, Andy and Michael discuss 28 Years Later, the long-gestating return to Danny Boyle’s infected Britain and what it means to revisit a world that once defined post-millennium horror. Through the show’s voice-note conversation format, the hosts talk about how the film reframes rage, survival, and collapse through the lens of time, aging, and generational trauma. The...

In this episode of Cinema Callback, Andy and Michael discuss That They May Face the Rising Sun (2023), the quietly powerful Irish film adapted from John McGahern’s novel. Set in rural Ireland, the film observes everyday life, community bonds, and the passing of time with a patient, unshowy eye. Through the show’s voice-note conversation format, the hosts talk about the film’s observational style,...

In this episode of Cinema Callback, Andy and Michael turn their attention to Faraway, So Close! (1993), Wim Wenders’ follow-up to Wings of Desire. Continuing the story of angels observing human life in Berlin, the film shifts tone, scale, and ambition — raising questions about freedom, consequence, and what it really means to be human. Using the show’s voice-note conversation format, the two hosts...

In this episode of Cinema Callback, Andy and Michael dive into Warfare (2025), Alex Garland’s tense, grounded drama built around real-world military events and the political fallout surrounding them. We look at how Garland handles the material, the performances that carry the film, and the film’s commentary on loyalty, power, and the human cost of conflict. As always, the episode is built around o...