The Extra Credits

Kelsi and Trey explore the world of one of our favorite romantic comedies Notting Hill. This 1999 rom-com gem pairs the awkward charm of Hugh Grant with one-and-only Julia Roberts. We discuss their careers, the rom-com king Richard Curtis, and the meta commentary that Trey thinks makes Notting Hill one of the most interesting Hollywood cultural artifacts ever made. The Extra Credits YouTube Channe...

Kelsi and Trey dive into We Live in Time , a conventional romantic drama starring the incredible Florence Pugh and Andrew Garfield. We unpack the film’s exploration of love, loss, and the passage of time, and discuss how it uses the formulaic genre to its advantage. We talk about the chemistry of Pugh and Garfield, analyze the film’s narrative flaws, and dig into its non-linear storytelling, inclu...

VIDEO DROPS TOMORROW. Kelsi and Trey deep dive into The Substance , a maximalist allegory that satirizes the media's obsession with women's bodies. With Demi Moore delivering a brilliant meta-performance, the film navigates the dark undercurrents of media exploitation and the commodification of women. We unpack the movie’s subversive use of the male gaze, its critique of beauty standards, and the...

Kelsi and Trey explore Charlotte Wells' stunning debut film, Aftersun . Through heartfelt analysis and thoughtful discussion, we explore the film’s mediative portrayal of memory and loss, examining the nuanced performances of Paul Mescal and Frankie Corio, the layers of emotional depth in the screenplay, and the themes of familial bonds, identity struggles, and unresolved grief. ⁠The Extra Credits...

Kelsi and Trey dive deep into the 1968 classic Rosemary’s Baby , a landmark in horror cinema and cultural commentary. We explore the film’s themes of gaslighting, autonomy, and betrayal, unpacking how it critiques societal control over women’s bodies. From Mia Farrow's haunting portrayal of Rosemary to the chilling dynamics of the Castevets and Guy's (John Cassavetes) devastating betrayal, we anal...

Kelsi and Trey are joined by The Ringer's Sean Fennessey of The Big Picture podcast to dive into the career of Ridley Scott, one of cinema’s most prolific and visionary directors. With Gladiator II releasing wide this week, we revisit Scott’s genre-defining works—Alien, Blade Runner, Prometheus, among others—and explore his ability to transform blockbuster IP into ambitious epics. We discuss wheth...

Kelsi and Trey discuss Sean Baker’s Anora , a tonally ambitious American tragedy with a thinly written lead character study--a near-masterpiece thanks to Baker's direction and Mikey Madison's star performance. We unpack Baker’s raw, unflinching portrayal of life on the margins, his signature empathy, and how Anora compares to his earlier works like The Florida Project and Tangerine . They grapple...

Kelsi and Trey dive into Gladiator II with a non-spoiler review of Ridley Scott’s epic return to ancient Rome (00:00-11:44). They discuss how this ambitious sequel stacks up against the iconic original, specifically examining Scott's vision at 87 years old and how his signature style evolves with the film’s massive scale and complex characters. From Paul Mescal’s new take on the reluctant hero to...

Kelsi and Trey are joined by friend James Steck to dive into Ari Aster’s Hereditary , a chilling exploration of family trauma, grief, and conditioned traits that has redefined modern psychological horror. They break down the story of the Graham family, led by Toni Collette’s unforgettable performance as Annie, whose descent begins with the mysterious death of her secretive mother. As supernatural...

Kelsi and Trey deep dive Get Out , Jordan Peele’s groundbreaking horror debut that redefined the genre with its social commentary and eerie atmosphere. They explore the film’s narrative of Chris (Daniel Kaluuya), a young Black man navigating the hidden dangers within his white girlfriend’s family, uncovering a chilling secret that speaks to the insidious nature of neoliberal post-racial fantasies....

Kelsi and Trey explore Edward Berger's 'Conclave,' the suspenseful novel adapted into a star-studded film featuring Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, Carlos Diehz, and Isabella Rossellini. Set in the atmospheric halls of the Vatican, the story follows the intense politics, spiritual introspection, and personal ambition of cardinals from around the world who convene to elect a new pope. Kelsi and Trey...

Trey speaks with Ethan Berger, the director of ' The Line ,' to discuss his debut feature and the gritty, provocative exploration of fraternity culture that drives the film. Ethan talks about what inspired him to create a movie that serves as an antithesis to the more traditional, comedic depictions of fraternity life seen in popular culture. We dive deep into the lead character Tom (Alex Wolff),...

Kelsi and Trey discuss Todd Phillips and Joaquin Phoenix's subversive detour in the comic book genre with 2019's 'Joker.' We explore the muddled ideas of the movie, the divisive conversation about the film's politics and execution, and, yeah, idk, we get into all the BS about Joker that you can expect. Enjoy! Become a member of The Extra Credits+ on Patreon ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠...

Todd Phillips and Joaquin Phoenix delivered a divisive detour in the superhero genre with 2019's 'Joker,' now returning with their more-meta, multi-genre sequel 'Joker: Folie à Deux.' In a both non-spoiler and spoiler conversation, Kelsi and Trey discuss the discourse around both Joker films, the intention vs reaction to these character studies, and whether or not Phillips totally concentrates his...

In anticipation for 'Gladiator II,' Kelsi and Trey explore Ridley Scott's epic 'Gladiator.' We discuss our relationship to Gladiator, its influence on pop culture, historical accuracy in movies, Russell Crowe vs. Joaquin Phoenix, and more! Become a member of The Extra Credits+ on Patreon ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠How to link Patreon to Spotify and Ap...

Kelsi and Trey discuss one of the more recent instant-classic films, Sean Baker's 'The Florida Project.' This tragic coming-of-age journey is subversively beautiful, as we follow a young girl and her mother as a family stuck in hidden homelessness in their Florida motel; a sweaty-pastel twist on the Disney princess archetype with an angry message targeted at the fallacies of the "...

Kelsi and Trey discuss Ridley Scott's final (?) installment in the Alien franchise with 'Alien: Covenant.' This movie expands on the human hubris throughline of 'Prometheus' and is led by the very-great Michael Fassbender as David and Walter. The rest of the cast and crew help deliver this multi-genre nightmare with one of the great gore set pieces of the past decade. Become a...

Kelsi and Trey explore one of the great 21st century sci-fi epics in Ridley Scott's 'Prometheus.' We discuss the divisive fandom of Prometheus and 'Alien: Covenant,' the recent reclaiming of Prometheus and Covenant due to the 'Alien: Romulus' financial success, how Scott's vision of a legacy prequel actually sets a blueprint for future franchises, the power of Micha...

GAME OVER, MAN! Alien August continues with Kelsi and Trey's exploration of the iconic sequel to Ridley Scott's 'Alien.' We discuss the action spectacle of 'Aliens,' and Cameron's legacy as an escapist blockbuster filmmaker, as well as how he struggles to totally realize his commentaries of a marine-Vietnam satire, the motherhood ideas, and the power dynamics of Weyland...

Kelsi and Trey discuss the legacy of the 'Alien' franchise while exploring Fede Álvarez's disappointing 'Alien: Romulus.' Outside of a few notable set pieces, and the Cailee Spaeny and David Jonsson performances, we're left surprised by this unoriginal, fan-service-heavy, mutation of Romulus' other Alien predecessors, such as Ridley Scott's Prometheus and Alien: Cov...

Kelsi and Trey discuss Jordan Peele and Lupita Nyong'o's puzzling horror masterpiece 'Us' for 3+ hours. This conversation takes many turns, but we mostly follow the throughline of Peele's work by exploring his filmography's ambitious thematic goal of revealing the "American Dream" as an American nightmare. In 'Us,' Peele smartly subverts genres with the al...

Kelsi and Trey explore the cotton-candy colored world of 'Poor Things' starring the singular Emma Stone. We discuss the divisive discourse about the film's many commentaries, such as its choices on Bella's age, the sexual and class politics, the landscape of fragile men, as well as the film's commercially smart exploitation of leftist iconography, as a movie that is primarily i...

Kelsi and Trey begin WEIRD GIRL SUMMER by discussing the bizarre mind of Yorgos Lanthimos' tragicomedy 'The Favourite.' This unique period piece explores the cost of absolute power and is memorable for its transactional love triangle between leads Emma Stone, Rachel Weisz, and Olivia Colman. Become a member of The Extra Credits+ on Patreon ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠...

Kelsi and Trey discuss the entertaining Jake Gyllenhaal legal thriller on Apple TV+ 'Presumed Innocent' and then explore Lee Isaac Chung's legacy remake/reboot (?) 'Twisters' starring Glen Powell and Daisy Edgar-Jones. Both are remolding their previous 1990s IP-- Presumed Innocent certainly had its exciting moments, but we mostly talk about how Twisters fell flat for us as a fo...

Kelsi returns from her surgery to discuss some prestige TV in 'House of the Dragon' seasons 1 and 2, 'Presumed Innocent,' and 'The Bear' season 3. We also explore 'The Great British Bake Off,' 'Gilmore Girls,' and 'Friday Night Lights' among other TV and movies. House of the Dragon (7:06) Presumed Innocent (47:52) The Bear (01:16:29) The Great Britis...