The Story Punk Podcast

Episode 024: This week on Story Punk, we kick off our first full review of the year with a deep dive into Predator: Badlands, directed by Dan Trachtenberg (Prey). And this one isn’t business-as-usual for the franchise. Unlike previous films, Predator: Badlands makes the Predator (Yautja) the central character, delivering a sci-fi action story that blends brutal survival, creature feature thrills,...

Episode 023: In this special Look Ahead to 2026 episode, Story Punk sets its sights forward and breaks down the upcoming movies of 2026 that have us counting the days. From big studio releases and franchise continuations to original projects and potential dark horses, we talk through what’s on the calendar and why these films have landed on our must-watch list. We dig into directors we trust, acto...

Episode 022: In this special Story Punk Wrap-up episode we pause, look back, and take stock of a year that marked a fresh beginning. After a nine-year hiatus, we talk about why we decided to revive the podcast in 2025, what pulled us back into weekly movie conversations, and how returning with new perspective changed our approach to podcasting. We revisit the movies we analyzed this year, reflecti...

Episode 021: This week on Story Punk, we’re celebrating the season with Frank Capra’s timeless holiday classic It’s a Wonderful Life, starring James Stewart, Donna Reed, Lionel Barrymore, and Thomas Mitchell. We revisit why this film endures as one of the most beloved movies ever made, from its humanist themes and emotional storytelling to its lasting place in American cinema. Along the way, we ex...

Episode 020: This week on Story Punk, Jon Berkowitz is back in the studio with Scott and Drew to revisit Phil Alden Robinson’s smart, prescient tech thriller Sneakers, starring Robert Redford, Sidney Poitier, Dan Aykroyd, River Phoenix, Ben Kingsley, and Mary McDonnell. Decades ahead of its time, the film blends espionage, hacking culture, and political paranoia into a sharply written ensemble cap...

Episode 019: Our newest Story Punk episode is a special one! It’s our very first interview on the show, and we couldn’t have asked for a better guest.   This week, Drew and I sit down with Jon Berkowitz, VP Creative Director at ASPECT, the award winning creative agency behind the trailers and title sequences of some of your favorite entertainment, such as Wicked: For Good, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga,...

Episode 018:  On this week’s Story Punk, we hit the track with Joseph Kosinski’s high-octane racing drama F1: The Movie, starring Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem, and Tobias Menzies. Powered by the filmmaking team behind Top Gun: Maverick and featuring real Formula 1 teams and circuits, this film blends adrenaline, IMAX-driven spectacle, and intense character drama. We break d...

Episode 017: This week on Story Punk we carve into Eli Roth’s slasher throwback "Thanksgiving", starring Patrick Dempsey, Nell Verlaque, Addison Rae, Gina Gershon, and Rick Hoffman. From holiday-horror traditions to Roth’s gleefully brutal set pieces, we break down how this grindhouse-inspired story evolved from a fake trailer into a full-blown seasonal bloodbath. We’re dropping this episode two d...

Episode 016: On this week’s Story Punk episode, Scott and Drew methodically dissect David Fincher’s 2023 film "The Killer", a sleek, ruthless assassin thriller starring Michael Fassbender, Tilda Swinton, Charles Parnell, and Arliss Howard. We unravel its existential assassin mindset, voice-over mantras, graphic novel roots, and how Fincher’s precision meets Reznor & Ross’s haunting score.

Episode 015: On this week’s episode of Story Punk, we do our own research into Ari Aster’s divisive modern Western-thriller starring Joaquin Phoenix, Pedro Pascal, Emma Stone, and Austin Butler. Set in a fictional New Mexico town during the height of the COVID pandemic, the film pits a sheriff against a mayor and unfolds as a raw commentary on polarization, social media, power, and crisis. We brea...

Episode 014 — Scott and Drew decode Denis Villeneuve’s Arrival, a mind-bending sci-fi masterpiece starring Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner, and Forest Whitaker. We explore its emotional storytelling, haunting score by Jóhann Jóhannsson, and how its unique take on time, language, and communication reshaped modern science fiction.

Episode 013: Halloween Scary Movie Series Part 5 of 5. This week we celebrate our 13th episode with an installment for the Friday the 13th franchise, James Isaac’s wild sci-fi take on the slasher series that sends Jason Voorhees into space. Starring Kane Hodder, Lexa Doig, Lisa Ryder, and Chuck Campbell, we dissect the film’s blend of horror and camp, the distinct Canadian-ness of the production,...

Episode 012: Halloween Scary Movie Series Part 4 of 5. This week Scott and Drew take a stab at Halina Reijn’s 2022 film Bodies Bodies Bodies, a Gen-Z-fueled slasher satire starring Amandla Stenberg, Maria Bakalova, Rachel Sennott, Myha’la Herrold, Chase Sui Wonders, and Pete Davidson. We dig into the film’s biting humor, social media paranoia, neon-lit chaos, and how it flips classic whodunit trop...

Episode 011: Halloween Scary Movie Series Part 3 of 5. This week Scott and Drew enter the twisted, theological game set by Scott Beck & Bryan Woods, starring Hugh Grant as the enigmatic Mr. Reed, with Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East as Mormon missionaries caught in his eerie experiment. We explore how Heretic blends horror with philosophy, its observations on faith & control, and whether Gr...

Episode 010: Halloween Scary Movie Series Part 2 of 5. week we delve into David Robert Mitchell’s haunting indie horror hit "It Follows" starring Maika Monroe, Keir Gilchrist, and Daniel Zovatto. We examine its slow-burn tension, metaphorical terror, synth-driven score by Disasterpeace, and why it remains one of the most unsettling horror films of the 2010s.  

BONUS EPISODE: Scott and Drew discuss Paul Thomas Anderson’s sweeping political action drama "One Battle After Another" starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Sean Penn, Benicio Del Toro, Regina Hall, Teyana Taylor, and Chase Infiniti. We break down its Vineland inspiration, revolutionary themes, Jonny Greenwood’s score, and PTA’s signature blend of chaos, intimacy, and spectacle. So sit back and relax, and...

Episode 009: Halloween Scary Movie Series Part 1 of 5. Scott and Drew unravel Zach Cregger’s latest horror mystery, starring Josh Brolin, Julia Garner, Alden Ehrenreich, Austin Abrams, Benedict Wong, and Amy Madigan. We delve into the chilling disappearance of 17 children, the ensemble cast’s power, the creeping atmosphere, the score, and what makes this genre-bender more than just scares.

Episode 008: Scott and Drew take a closer look at Dan Gilroy’s neo-noir thriller starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Rene Russo, and Riz Ahmed. We examine the film’s dark take on ambition, media ethics, Los Angeles at night, and Gyllenhaal’s unforgettable performance as Lou Bloom.

Episode 007: Story Punk digs into James Gunn’s DCU reboot of Superman with David Corenswet in the title role, Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, and Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor. We explore the new take on the origin of Kal-El, the bright, new world-building, character dynamics, scene stealing with Krypto, and what a “new chapter” means for the Man of Steel.

This week we unpack Sidney Lumet’s Dog Day Afternoon, a tense, character-driven heist drama set in New York City, starring Al Pacino, John Cazale, Charles Durning, and Chris Sarandon. A story surprisingly forward thinking for a movie made 50 years ago. We dig into this film’s gritty realism, unforgettable performances, true-crime roots, and its place in 1970s New Hollywood cinema.

Episode 005: In this week's episode we give you a full report on the visceral Iraq war drama Warfare, co-directed by Alex Garland & Ray Mendoza, starring Will Poulter and Joseph Quinn. We examine the real time tension, sound design chaos, gritty realism, and memory based storytelling that make this A24 release unforgettable.  

Edge of Tomorrow (2014) — This week we are under orders to dive into Doug Liman’s time-loop sci-fi epic starring Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt. From the action sequences to character arcs, world-building, and visual effects, we explore why this film (also known as Live Die Repeat) still stands out. Also, feel free to fully immerse yourself into the Edge of Tomorrow experience and listen to this week'...

Episode 003: This week we dig into Predator: Killer of Killers (2025), Dan Trachtenberg & Josh Wassung’s brutal, animated take on the Predator mythos: we are discussing the themes, voice acting, overall place in the Predator franchise as well as a brilliant, surprise cameo and how this one expands the franchise.

Episode 002: We're dissecting John Carpenter's paranoid masterpiece "The Thing" (1982) to explore how Kurt Russell's iconic performance and Rob Bottin's legendary practical effects transformed a simple alien invasion script into the ultimate exercise in claustrophobic terror and body horror. Join us as we analyze how Carpenter's genius direction turns an Antarctic research station into horror cine...

Episode 001: We're diving into Ryan Coogler's ambitious vampire and blues mashup, "Sinners", to unpack how Michael B. Jordan's dual role as bootlegging twins and Ludwig Göransson's genre bending score attempt to blend 1930s Mississippi Delta atmosphere with supernatural horror and whether this"kitchen sink" approach actually works or just makes a beautiful mess. Join us as we dissect what happens...