Pop Culture Confidential

We’re pulling back the curtain on one of modern horror’s most unforgettable new icons: Aunt Gladys from Zach Cregger’s smash hit Weapons .  Christina is joined by makeup department head  Leo Satkovich  and special makeup effects designer  Jason Collins,  the brilliant team behind her terrifying transformation. They explore how Aunt Gladys was brought to life: from drawing inspiration in Cindy Sher...

In this episode, Christina is joined by rising star Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas, recently named one of Variety’s 10 Actors to Watch, to talk about her role as Agnes in Joachim Trier’s Oscar-contending drama  Sentimental Value . The film, also starring Stellan Skarsgård, Renate Reinsve, and Elle Fanning, explores family, identity, and the complicated bond between two sisters and their father. Inga shar...

A Modern Masterpiece! Christina is joined by Ryan McQuade of AwardsWatch.com to dive into Paul Thomas Anderson’s  One Battle After Another , starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Sean Penn, Teyana Taylor, Regina Hall, Chase Infiniti, and Benicio Del Toro. Edge-of-your-seat, urgent, and timely, Anderson’s bold filmmaking delivers a cinematic experience like no other. Join us for a deep dive into one of the y...

Joachim Trier’s  Sentimental Value  is the talk of the season, and Christina sits down with the acclaimed Norwegian director to dig into it. Featuring Renate Reinsve, Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas, Stellan Skarsgård, and Elle Fanning, the film has already won the Grand Prix at Cannes, charmed audiences on the festival circuit, and is quickly becoming an Oscar favorite. Christina and Trier dive into its...

Hollywood turns its spotlight on television’s biggest night this Sunday — the 77th Primetime Emmy Awards! Christina is joined by Tyler Doster, TV Editor at  AwardsWatch.com , to predict the major categories and discuss potential surprises and upsets. From  The Pitt  and  Severance  to  The Studio  and  Adolescence , which shows and stars will walk away with Emmy gold? Learn more about your ad choi...

All new Pop Culture Confidential: Telluride Dispatch! What a festival! Together with each of the incredible  AwardsWatch.com  team, we dive into the biggest conversations at Telluride — from  Hamnet ,  Jay Kelly ,  Bugonia ,  If I Had Legs I’d Kick You , to the Springsteen biopic 🎸 and much more! We explore the themes running through this year’s line-up — fathers and daughters, regret, redemption...

This week, Christina welcomes Ryan McQuade (AwardsWatch) for a deep dive into Bruce Springsteen on film — including a look ahead at  Deliver Me From Nowhere , the highly anticipated biopic starring Jeremy Allen White. From the Malick-inspired  Nebraska  to iconic soundtrack moments, we explore Springsteen’s cinematic inspirations and how his music continues to live on the big screen. Learn more ab...

In this episode, we dive into the phenomenon of  Weapons , filmmaker Zach Cregger’s latest hit. From the success of  Barbarian  to this ambitious follow-up, Cregger has quickly become one of the most exciting names in horror. I’m joined by Ryan McQuade (AwardsWatch) to break down our reactions to  Weapons  — the scares, the themes, the filmmaking, and the cinematic influences and nods to PTA, Lync...

Christina welcomes back one of the sharpest voices in film —  Sean Fennessey  of  The Big Picture  — for a wide ranging conversation on the year in movies so far and what’s next. From  Weapons  and the horror/genre boom to box office shocks, Nolan fever, political storytelling, their Telluride predictions — and plenty more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Author and critic John Bleasdale joins Christina to discuss his excellent new book,  Darkness Visible: The Cinema of Jonathan Glazer —a deep dive into the work of the visionary director behind  Sexy Beast , Birth ,  Under the Skin , and  The Zone of Interest . They also break down the exciting 2025 Venice Film Festival line-up, featuring Luca Guadagnino’s  After the Hunt starring Julia Roberts, Ka...

The industry was rocked by the news that CBS is cancelling  The Late Show with Stephen Colbert  and ending the franchise entirely in 2026. While CBS claims it’s purely a financial decision, speculation is swirling — including questions about political pressure. Christina is joined by AwardsWatch’s Ryan McQuade to unpack Colbert’s exit — and whether this marks the beginning of the end for tradition...

As Emmy nominations approach, we’re revisiting one of our standout conversations of the year! Actor  Taylor Dearden  delivers a powerful performance as Dr. Mel King in  The Pitt , the gripping medical drama now streaming on HBO Max. In this encore episode, Taylor joins Christina to talk about filming the intense series, medical boot camp, how her ADHD shaped her performance, working with Noah Wyle...

From film news to fresh reviews — it’s a packed week on the show. We’re diving into some of the biggest releases of the summer, including  28 Years Later ,  Jurassic World: Rebirth ,  F1 ,  The Materialists , and  Eddington . Plus, we break down Nolan’s  The Odyssey  teaser, the latest on the  Social Network  sequel, and Denis Villeneuve taking on  007 . With special guest Ryan McQuade (AwardsWatc...

We’re thrilled to welcome actor Alexej Manvelov to the show. His standout portrayal of  Akram  in Netflix’s hit  Dept. Q has made the character one of this season’s most acclaimed and beloved. In Scott Frank’s adaptation of the bestselling novels, Manvelov plays Akram, a former Syrian police officer and refugee who joins Edinburgh’s cold-case unit alongside Detective Carl Mørck (Matthew Goode). Hi...

Summer may not be the official spooky season, but it’s long been a surprisingly perfect time for horro r.  From the 1975 release of  Jaws —which turns 50 this year!—to  Poltergeist ,  Friday the 13th , and A24’s  Hereditary  and Midsommar , horror has thrived under the summer sun. Now, summer 2025 is shaping up to be another standout season for the genre, with titles like  28 Years Later ,  M3GAN...

On this episode, Christina is joined by writer and critic Ryan McQuade (AwardsWatch) for the fun (and difficult!) exercise of ranking their favorite films of the decade so far, from 2020 through 2024. Tune in for passionate picks, tough calls, unexpected choices, a few controversial rankings, and plenty of love for the movies that have defined these first five years! Learn more about your ad choic...

Creator of  Andor  and Oscar-nominated filmmaker Tony Gilroy ( Michael Clayton ,  The Bourne  films) joins Christina for a wide-ranging conversation about the groundbreaking  Star Wars  prequel series — a show that’s as politically urgent as it is thrilling. With the second and final season now complete, they look back at the creative journey. They explore the big themes at the heart of  Andor : f...

Joining Christina is film critic and writer Ryan McQuade of  AwardsWatch  as they wrap up the 2025 Cannes Film Festival. From what it was like covering this year’s festival, to the Palme d’Or winners, major Neon and MUBI acquisitions, standout titles from Joachim Trier and Spike Lee,  The Secret Agent ,  The History of Sound , and more—this episode dives into all the unforgettable moments that mad...

In this special dispatch from the Croisette, Christina is joined by the brilliant and effortlessly cool Stellan Skarsgård, starring in Joachim Trier’s  Sentimental Value —a strong Palme d’Or contender at this year’s festival. Skarsgård plays Gustav, a once-renowned director who tries to reconnect with his estranged daughter by casting her in his comeback film. They discuss  Sentimental Value , the...

Christina is joined by critic and author John Bleasdale (The Magic Hours: The Films and Hidden Life of Terrence Malick) for a new dispatch from the Croisette. They dive into some of the most talked-about titles at the festival, including The Phoenician Scheme by Wes Anderson, Pillion starring Alexander Skarsgård, and two films directed by actors: Kristen Stewart’s The Chronology of Water and Harri...

🎬  Dispatch 3 from Cannes 2025 Christina is joined once again by Ryan McQuade (AwardsWatch) for a new dispatch from the Croisette. They dive into some of the festival’s buzziest titles so far, including Ari Aster’s  Eddington ,  The Plague ,   Sound of Falling . Plus, thoughts on the latest  Mission: Impossible. In other news: Pop Culture Confidential  which was selected by FeedSpot as one of the...

🎬  Dispatch 2 from Cannes 2025! Christina is joined by Ryan McQuade (AwardsWatch) for a dispatch from the Croisette. They break down Christopher McQuarrie’s Q&A—featuring a surprise appearance by Tom Cruise—Neon’s impressive Cannes track record and this year’s contenders, and Robert De Niro’s politically charged moment at the festival. Please note: This episode was recorded on location in Can...

Christina’s first dispatch from Cannes 2025! Highlights from the Opening Press Conference with Juliette Binoche, Jeremy Strong & more—on festival expectations, Trump’s tariffs, and the new red carpet dress rules. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sharing a special episode! Christina joined the AwardsWatch podcast for the 78th Cannes Film Festival Preview . On episode 287 of The AwardsWatch Podcast, Executive Editor Ryan McQuade is joined by Editor-In-Chief Erik Anderson, Associate Editor Sophia Ciminello, and special guest Christina Birro of Pop Culture Confidential to preview the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, which they will all be attending...

We’re just days away from the 78th Cannes Film Festival, and one of the most anticipated moments is the premiere of  Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning  on May 14 at the Grand Théâtre Lumière. Tom Cruise returns as Ethan Hunt in this eighth installment of the legendary action franchise, joined by director Christopher McQuarrie and an all-star cast. In this episode, we’re joined by Ryan McQu...