Jan. 13, 2026

Why 2025 Reminded Us What Movies Are For and What Our Favourites Reveal | A Year in Film 2025

Aaron and Brash look back on the films that defined 2025. From blockbuster standouts to emotionally resonant genre films, they present the Fandom Awards for Best Movie, Best Hero, and Best Villain of 2025, exploring why these choices mattered on a personal and cultural level. Along the way, the conversation reflects on how cinema continues to evolve, why character driven storytelling still matters most, and how films can help us better understand ourselves and the world around us. As they loo...

Aaron and Brash look back on the films that defined 2025.

From blockbuster standouts to emotionally resonant genre films, they present the Fandom Awards for Best Movie, Best Hero, and Best Villain of 2025, exploring why these choices mattered on a personal and cultural level. Along the way, the conversation reflects on how cinema continues to evolve, why character driven storytelling still matters most, and how films can help us better understand ourselves and the world around us.

As they look ahead to 2026, Aaron and Brash invite listeners to reflect on their own favourites.

Timestamps and Topics

00:00 Reflecting on 2025 as a defining year in film
02:33 The Fandom Awards begin: Best Movies of 2025
05:17 Friendship, identity, and emotional storytelling
07:32 Nostalgia, legacy franchises, and modern expectations
08:38 Cultural reflection through K Pop and global storytelling
11:01 Horror’s evolution and emotional depth
13:54 The Bone Temple and mythic storytelling
15:22 Coming of age in post apocalyptic worlds
17:45 Reframing heroism through Superman
20:21 Avatar and technology in service of story
24:21 Code Three and grounded heroism
28:56 Del Toro’s Frankenstein and the cost of humanity
32:33 The complexity of modern heroes
34:17 Empathy, leadership, and responsibility
38:17 Villains and why they resonate
45:50 Fandom Awards recap
46:13 Looking ahead to 2026 and community updates

Key Takeaways

Story and character leave a deeper impact than technical spectacle
Films act as mirrors for cultural tension and personal struggle
Rewatching movies can unlock new meaning and insight
Heroes resonate most when they are flawed and human
Villains matter because they reflect fears, not just threats
Cinema remains a powerful tool for reflection and connection

Why This Episode Matters

This episode reframes awards as reflection rather than ranking. It reminds listeners that the films that matter most are not always the loudest, but the ones that say something honest about who we are and what we value.

Keywords

Film Podcast, Movie Analysis, Pop Culture, Storytelling, Character Studies, Film Awards, Movie Discussion, Personal Growth, Heroes and Villains, Cinema Reflection, Film Themes, Fandom Culture, Modern Movies, Movie Lessons, Cultural Commentary

Contact Us:
Website: https://www.fandomportalspodcast.com/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@FandomPortals

Instagram: instagram.com/fandomportals/?locale=en
Threads: threads.net/@fandomportals
Email: fandomportals@gmail.com
Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/fandomportals

Discord: https://discord.gg/7Q4TAmSP

00:00 - Setting The Stage: Why Reflect

01:03 - The 2025 Film Wave

03:57 - How We Judge: Messages Over Hype

05:16 - The Fandos: Categories And Rules

06:58 - Brash’s Pick: Mickey 17

10:30 - Aaron’s Pick: F1 And Mentorship

15:59 - Nostalgia And I Know What You Did

19:19 - K‑Pop Demon Hunters And Identity

24:39 - 28 Years Later: Fear And Choice

30:33 - Superman Reimagined: Hope And Humanity

38:20 - Avatar: Grief, Scale, And Rivalry

45:37 - Code 3: Everyday Heroes

WEBVTT

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Welcome to the Phantom Portals Podcast, a podcast that proves that your favorite films have something to teach you.

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If you want more from the movies you watch, then you are in the right place.

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I'm your host, Aaron.

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I'm a teacher and a film fan, and I am joined as always by Brash.

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How are you, Brash?

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I am spectacular.

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That is amazing to hear.

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We are doing a reflective episode this time.

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We are looking at all of the movies we've seen in 2025, as it is the start of 2026.

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And this is the time when you look back.

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You look back on where you've been and what you've done, and you think to yourself, oh, what did I learn?

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Which is basically what our podcast is about.

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So we're looking at the movies that we enjoyed, but more so we're looking at the movies that moved us.

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What movies had messages that really stuck with us this year?

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Because we are going to crown our top pick.

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We are looking at the movies that made and shaped our 2025.

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So, Brash, without any further ado, 2025 was a blockbuster year for movies, especially through that July period.

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If you remember, there was like the triple header.

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Everybody was all over Barbenheimer when it was a thing, like Barbie and Oppenheimer, which was 2024.

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But this year we had a triple trifecta.

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We had Superman, we had Fantastic Four, and we also had Jurassic Park Rebirth all in the same sort of time.

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I was extremely excited for a lot of the movies that were coming out this year, Brash.

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And you know what?

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Looking back, and I was doing some reflecting when I was on my on our threads earlier this week.

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And I think I have you ever had an experience where you overhype something and then it's ruined for you?

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Yes.

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Yeah.

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Several movies this year.

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Yeah, exactly.

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That's what I mean.

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I think that has happened to me this year.

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So I'm in a process now of going back and re-watching some of these movies that I think I was pretty harsh on and trying to see them in new light.

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All right, let's jump into our lists that we're doing.

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All right.

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So we usually call these the fandom portals awards, but we've renamed them the fandos.

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So the fandos are going to best movie, best hero or protagonist, and best villain or antagonist.

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And we've sort of reshaped these to be not literally the best movie that has come out, because we were talking before about how technically and stylistically and story-wise and acting-wise and cinematography-wise and directing-wise, you could couple lots of movies together that are usually up for lots of different awards.

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But here on the Phantom Portals podcast, we really just focus on story and character, and we really just focus on the messages that these movies present that sit with the viewer.

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Brash and I have yeah, the feels, the vibes is what we go for here at Phantom Portals.

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These movies might not be the traditional ones that you see appearing on top 10 lists of movies that you've watched in 2025 because they they resonate with with Brash and I.

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And obviously, we haven't watched every single movie that has come out in 2025.

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So if you've missed one off of the list that we think or that you think should be on there, then by all means message us on our Instagram, on our threads, or even on our new Discord, which we'll talk about in the later parts of the show.

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But these ones are resonant toward us.

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And I think if we have any overlap brash, I don't think we'll hit them twice and talk about them twice.

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I think you like if if you say one that I have on my list, then I might just say while you're speaking, I had that at number, whatever number it is, and then we'll we'll talk about it together.

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So is that cool with you?

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That's cool.

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Lovely.

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We're gonna start in reverse order because that's how things are done.

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They leave the suspense for the number one until last.

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So would you like to go first or me?

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I'll go first.

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I'll go first.

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Mickey 17.

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Okay.

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I loved that movie.

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I thought it was so fucking funny.

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And Royal Patterson and that was just brilliant.

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And I've been on a bit of a Robert Patterson kick ever since, like um Batman and everything like that.

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So he and like some of the other movies he's been in, uh he's been absolutely amazing in Water for Elephants.

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But um, yeah, no, Mickey 17 and takes my number four spot this year.

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I really, really enjoyed that movie.

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It was just a bit of fun, and yeah, I I love that.

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I think you're absolutely right.

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And for for me, what played out most for me, directed by Boonjon Ho and obviously Robert Pattinson in the title role, he played two characters, and I think that's very difficult to do, but it was the year for playing two characters in one movie.

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Obviously, Michael B.

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Jordan did it in Sinners as well.

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But Robert Pattinson, he was really nuanced in the way that he did his performance with Mickey 17 and Mickey 18, you might say, one being slightly more meaner than the other.

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But I love the comedy that came between them and the physical aspects between those two as well.

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And I think, you know, what comes back to me with the message of Mickey 17 was he's obviously this unlikely hero who steps up in a place where it obviously seems like there's overwhelming odds, and he finds something to live for, and he he tries his best to pursue that, even though there is an element of himself in Mickey 18, physically manifested in this case, that is trying to fight against him.

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So I think the message in this one is is really good too.

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Like sometimes your biggest enemy is yourself, and sometimes you have to get through that, you know.

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So I like that pick.

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Number four, Mickey 17.

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Good stuff.

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All right, mine is going to be F1.

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Have you seen F1 Brash?

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I haven't.

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I've seen a lot, I've seen a lot of clips, but I haven't actually watched it yet.

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It's on my my list of ones I need to watch.

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Yeah.

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So F1 is probably one of the best movies that came out in 2025, in my opinion, because it obviously stars Brad Pitt and he plays this aging Formula One driver who's really struggling to get back into the game or find any relevance in any sort of circuit.

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But he has a really good old friend played by Javier Bardem who invites him back, knowing how much skill and knowledge of the track that he actually has, so he can actually teach his up-and-coming driver as a mentor who's really a hotshot, and he really wants him to mentor him and teach him the ways of the track.

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So the the young driver's name is Joshua Pierce, played by Damson Idris, really great young actor as well.

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And I think for me, the thing that stuck out for this movie was the fact that this is like an old dog mentoring the new young Maverick in this case, also directed by Joseph Kaczynski, the director of Top Gun Maverick.

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So it's got all of the flashy vibes of machinery going fast, high octane action, all that kind of thing.

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But at the heart of it, it was really just a tale of a man, Brad Pitt, thinking to himself whether he still has the chops, for one, and for two, finding his value in a new space around something he loves, which is really resonant with me because as some of the fandom portals people know, I play grid iron American football, and I'm getting to the stage, and age in my career, where I'm going to have to transition off the field and into a coaching role.

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So seeing this as kind of personal for me this year, so F1, definitely watch it, Brad Brash is a good one.

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Yes, no, no, it is definitely on my list of ones to watch.

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Now, this is when it started getting hard.

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So I'm gonna have to go, I know what you did last summer.

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It was sort of like a bowing out of the old and introducing new.

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So in this one, it's it brings back all the supply in the original cast, Singer Free Prince Jr.

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and Jennifer Jennifer as the living members of the previous movies.

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However, it also brought back in it was more just like a weird vision flashback.

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So she one of the characters is going to be crowned the new sort of queen of Southport like Sir Michelle Gellowa.

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Yeah.

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And it was sort of a really big nostalgia sort of hit.

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Yep.

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I mean, I watched this with a really good friend of mine as well.

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And it was such a stunch hit because it was pretty much the exact same plot for the first movie for this movie, but with a massive twist at the end.

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I didn't ever expect like out of all things to happen, it was one thing I did not think would happen.

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And that was it.

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Yeah.

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Very nice.

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And like I I know that these movies, the I Know What You Did Last Summer movies, they deal with a lot of like the consequences of your actions and looking on past regret kind of themes and motifs as well.

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So I'm imagining this one also investigated a few of those.

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And it also stars Madeline Kleins, and she's like a new up-and-coming actress that's really like been in quite a few things now as well.

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I watched her in the map that leads to you, and she was really captivating in that as well.

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So that's one that I'm gonna have to check out as well.

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Beautiful.

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Probably one of the most controversial choices I'm going to make here.

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K-pop Demon Hunters was probably one of the best movies of 2025.

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And I'm not even going to be shy about saying that because the first time I went to watch this, I was coerced to watch it by my lovely partner Kalia.

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And I think because of the background and the meme culture around it, I was really resistant.

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Obviously, being a middle school sort of age teacher, every single student that I interacted with had something to say about this movie.

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So I went in very opinionated.

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But then when I watched it again, as we were talking about before, after reflection, this movie's actually got so many themes and so many different like ways you could view this and really some really good messages for young people.

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I really love the representation of Gen Z in this movie.

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I loved the obvious reference to the Korean pop culture scene.

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The songs are really catchy.

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They're ones that live on your iPad rent-free.

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But at its core, you're really looking at a story where these three individual friends are getting through life together for one.

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So it's about like friendship and togetherness.

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And then secondly, Rumi, the hero of this story, is hiding like a big secret.

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She's obviously part demon.

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And that being the case, she's very reluctant to reveal that to her friends, wondering how they would react because of their strong opinions towards those kinds of people.

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But it's about, you know, finding trust in the people that you love and allowing them to love you for who you truly are.

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But there's also this undercurrent and this love story between Rumi and Gino, which is just really great to see.

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And there's this song called Free in it that really talks about how Rumi feels amazing that she can be her true self around Gino and be loved, and Gino feels the same way.

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And I think that that's one of the hardest things to do.

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And it says in the song as well that like it's it's we know how great this could be if we could do it, but it's so hard to do it.

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And I really resonate with that because I think anybody that's been in any kind of relationship before, whether it be romantic or friendship, the hardest thing to do is just to be vulnerable.

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It's the bravest thing to do, and it's the hardest thing to do.

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So I think the themes that come up in this movie are really resonant and really great for young people to view in a fun and colourful and amazing way.

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And also, who doesn't love the song Golden?

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So you've heard Golden, obviously, Brash.

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Come on.

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I I've watched K Pop Demon Hunter several.

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Yeah, it's amazing.

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Like Soda Pop is such a great song as well.

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And some text to that song, though.

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I know, I know.

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I like you just start wiggling your shoulders like they do on that thing there.

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Like, yeah, it's just like as a child, as a kid watching or like listening to Soda Pop, you're like, oh yeah, bubbly fun song.

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Then listen to the lyrics.

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Like actually listen to the lyrics, and then you're like, I don't think my kids should be listening to this.

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That's exactly right.

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So looking at the lyric video that came up, I didn't really clock it until I read the lyrics of that song as well.

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So yeah, you're right.

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There is definitely some undertones, but you'd be surprised how many times kids would listen to a song and just it just completely goes over their head.

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Because obviously we're looking at it with that adult lens, but like like Harry Styles Watermelon Sugar, apparently that's about something that's not so PG-rated as well.

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And you know, that goes completely over people's heads if you if you're not in the know.

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So yeah, K-pop demon hunters, no shame.

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Let's go.

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28 years later.

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Okay.

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This is one I couldn't bring myself to watch because the opening scene had all these people in a room watching the Teletubbies, and then something terrible happens to them, and they're all children.

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And I was like, no, I couldn't watch it.

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So I know it gets better after that, and that's a very like bad thing for me to say because everybody knows I'm squeamish with horror, but please go ahead.

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Because I'll I'm I'm a big fan of the 28 series.

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28 days, swinging out weeks, swinging out months.

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28 years later, just like I went I wasn't into it expecting, oh yeah, it's just gonna be like you know, the zombie horror people running away from zombies, killing zombies, blah blah.

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But I probably shouldn't have thought that because every single one has like some sort of deeper story to it, and with this one's a story of spike.

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Now I initially thought that this was a like that uh the main character was gonna be Aaron Taylor Johnson.

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Well that's how it's marketed.

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Yeah, and I was also because I'm also in a big Aaron Taylor Johnson kick at the moment.

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But no, it's of his son Spike.

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His son Spike's the main character.

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Uh Aaron Taylor Johnson's character, Jamie, takes his son outside of their little island, like they've got like this little island that is only accessible by like a strip of land when it's low tide.

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So it keeps uh it keeps all the monsters away, like all the people infected with the rage virus because they can't swim.

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So when there's low tide, Jamie usually goes out and like there's other people in the town as well.

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They go out foraging, obviously, try and find more stuff because they're on an island and he there's only so much that they can do on the island.

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So they have to venture out and try and look for supplies, medicines, and stuff like that.

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His coming of age, the spike, is that he's going to get taken out by his father onto the mainland to forage for the first time, get shown the land when they come across different sort of rage monsters, learn about them and learn how to kill them and everything like that.

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And that's pretty much like the first half of the movie.

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Yeah.

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It always baffles me when they have all these like child actors, like I think his name's Alfie Williams in this one going through all this hardcore stuff.

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And I'm like, as a kid actor, wouldn't that really affect you?

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But like it sounds like he's created this really awesome world in the 28 years pantheon, you could say.

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Like it's because it's a very much so a coming of age sort of movie where sort of Alfie transitions from being this like young kid and has to pretty much grow up fairly quickly and learn some harsh truths and some heavy lessons, especially in the second half when he meets the doctor and when he has to make a choice.

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Because I'm not gonna there's one part of it that I haven't said that I'm not gonna spoil because it's a very interesting part.

00:14:24.399 --> 00:14:37.039
But a choice that was made with an infected person that like has a um it'd be uh like made me think of what I would do in that situation, and like I I still not sure what I would do.

00:14:37.519 --> 00:14:46.480
Um, but they chose probably the more noble choice, Alfie and his mother, the soldiers they were traveling with, didn't and karma got him real quick.

00:14:46.799 --> 00:14:47.440
Yeah.

00:14:48.000 --> 00:14:48.960
See, that's really good.

00:14:49.039 --> 00:14:55.440
That's really good that a movie that you saw left you thinking afterwards about like morality and a choice like that.

00:14:55.600 --> 00:14:58.720
So I mean, maybe I'll have to look past the teletubby scene and give it a watch.

00:14:58.879 --> 00:15:01.039
Just to just skip the first couple minutes.

00:15:01.200 --> 00:15:09.919
Just realistically, because you see that, you know, because it's their first scene, and really that doesn't pay off until the very end when you meet the kid from that place again.

00:15:10.240 --> 00:15:10.720
Very good.

00:15:10.879 --> 00:15:16.480
So my next pick is going to be one that I think is pretty popular for a lot of people.

00:15:16.720 --> 00:15:19.919
I think Superman was probably one of the best movies of 2025.

00:15:20.000 --> 00:15:25.840
And the reason I've got it here is obviously because of the themes that are within it, including the themes of hope.

00:15:26.000 --> 00:15:31.120
I was really worried, as I think everybody was, about what kind of Superman we were going to get.

00:15:31.279 --> 00:15:35.679
There was lots of people who are very attached to Henry Cavill for amazing reasons.

00:15:35.759 --> 00:15:36.960
He definitely looks the part.

00:15:37.039 --> 00:15:44.480
He's a humble dude in real life, but we all know that the there is some contention between whether Zack Snyder's idea of Superman is is what it should be.

00:15:44.559 --> 00:15:48.559
But I think James Gunn really hit the nail on the head in terms of what Superman should be.

00:15:48.720 --> 00:15:50.720
The tagline for the movie, look up.

00:15:51.039 --> 00:15:58.559
I think movies do something that's really important in culture, and they they highlight aspects of culture that is needed at the time.

00:15:58.639 --> 00:16:02.399
And I think for Superman, it's definitely something that we needed at the time.

00:16:02.480 --> 00:16:07.279
Like there is a lot of things going on in the world that people want to look towards something else.

00:16:07.440 --> 00:16:08.559
And Superman gave us that.

00:16:08.639 --> 00:16:10.559
David Cornsweat played an amazing role.

00:16:10.639 --> 00:16:15.120
I think the the chemistry between Rachel Brosnahan and David Corensweat was great.

00:16:15.279 --> 00:16:26.240
And I think this representation of Superman on screen was awesome because he wasn't perfect, he wasn't noble, he wasn't a boy scout, he was a person, he was a human, as said in the final sort of interaction with Lex Luther.

00:16:26.320 --> 00:16:28.559
And he was just really just doing his best.

00:16:28.799 --> 00:16:33.440
So I think for me, Superman was one that I could not leave off this list.

00:16:33.679 --> 00:16:50.240
My favorite scene in this entire movie was the one where he's talking to his uh his his father Jonathan Kent or his adoptive father Jonathan Kent at the farm when Superman is worried that his people sent him to Earth for different reasons than what he initially thought.

00:16:50.399 --> 00:16:56.879
And it brings back those lessons of your choices make you who you are, not your history or your past.

00:16:57.120 --> 00:17:00.480
And I think that really resonated with me when I watched it.

00:17:00.639 --> 00:17:12.079
But also I think that that's really important to know is that your choices matter and who you are as a person isn't defined by the things that you perceive in your past or the mistakes that you've made.

00:17:12.240 --> 00:17:18.079
So some really great characters, some really great messages and technically brilliant, some amazing scenes.

00:17:18.160 --> 00:17:22.720
Again, soundtrack, the song Five Years' Time, I think was the song we were playing over and over again.

00:17:22.960 --> 00:17:24.480
Yeah, Five Years Time with Mr.

00:17:24.559 --> 00:17:25.039
Terrific.

00:17:25.200 --> 00:17:25.359
Yep.

00:17:25.440 --> 00:17:27.039
Yeah, also another great character, Mr.

00:17:27.119 --> 00:17:27.680
Terrific.

00:17:27.920 --> 00:17:30.079
And you can't forget Onkrocker.

00:17:30.480 --> 00:17:31.359
Oh yeah, yeah.

00:17:31.519 --> 00:17:36.160
And you know, maybe being kind as the real punk rock actually circulated around for a while.

00:17:36.400 --> 00:17:45.680
So when movies change the zeitgeist and it changes the culture of real life happenings in a pop cultural space, I think you can't deny that it is something that is moving.

00:17:45.839 --> 00:17:47.440
And Superman definitely did that.

00:17:47.839 --> 00:17:51.039
But um, um, it was Superman's actually my number two.

00:17:51.759 --> 00:17:55.440
Yeah, because I I I really Okay, and you're probably gonna hate me for this.

00:17:55.599 --> 00:17:56.880
I never hate you, Brash.

00:17:57.519 --> 00:18:01.599
I hated Henry Cavill's Superman.

00:18:01.839 --> 00:18:02.799
I do hate you for that.

00:18:02.960 --> 00:18:03.599
No, I don't.

00:18:03.759 --> 00:18:04.160
That's fair.

00:18:04.319 --> 00:18:13.440
I love I love Henry Henry Cavill, and I also agree he makes like uh picture, picture-wise, he makes the a perfect Superman.

00:18:13.680 --> 00:18:17.039
But yes, uh like you said, the Zack Ryder version, I didn't like it.

00:18:17.119 --> 00:18:23.519
I understand like if you look at some of the comics, the way that he's portrayed in the movie is like how he is in some of the movie in some of the comics.

00:18:23.759 --> 00:18:34.000
Yeah, especially the injustice run, like he's very definitive in terms of being a defender, and also Zack Snyder placed a lot of emphasis on him being this godly presence.

00:18:34.079 --> 00:18:41.359
Like, there are so many backlit shots of Superman just sort of levitating and being angelic that it kind of forced the perspective that he was a good guy.

00:18:41.519 --> 00:18:47.599
Whereas I think the narrative and the story and the dialogue helped David Cornsweat Superman be lifted in that space, which I liked better too.

00:18:47.920 --> 00:18:51.039
The thing that I didn't like is him killing Zod.

00:18:51.599 --> 00:18:56.559
As soon as I saw that I could I loved the movie all the way through, and then as soon as that happened, I was like, that's shit.

00:18:56.640 --> 00:19:11.039
The fact that he couldn't do anything else but snap Zod's neck to stop him from zapping like a eye lasering those people was I think he had the strength to break his neck, but he does the strength to like roof his head up or something.

00:19:11.519 --> 00:19:12.640
Yeah, well, exactly.

00:19:12.960 --> 00:19:20.799
He could have he could snap his neck enough, like he could turn his head enough to snap his spine, but not enough to angle his head to look at the roof for five seconds while they ran away.

00:19:21.039 --> 00:19:30.319
That that or like he couldn't, you know, do the Superman, like do the Superman thing and you know, put himself in front of those people and take the beanie.

00:19:30.640 --> 00:19:35.599
Like, no, he killed Dodd and I was like, no, that is not my Superman.

00:19:35.680 --> 00:19:40.160
But whereas like the in the new one, he's more like all-star Superman, which I really like too.

00:19:40.240 --> 00:19:45.039
Where it's like very, very uh Boy Scout, big boy Boy Scout.

00:19:45.279 --> 00:19:54.799
And I I really enjoyed that where he's yeah, so really optimistic, and yeah, as we said, uh was it maybe um that maybe that is the real pump rock.

00:19:55.200 --> 00:19:55.680
Very cool.

00:19:55.920 --> 00:19:57.920
All right, so that was one that we had mutually.

00:19:58.000 --> 00:19:59.200
So I guess it's back to my turn.

00:19:59.279 --> 00:20:03.680
My next Next one is going to be Avatar, Fire and Ash.

00:20:03.839 --> 00:20:13.839
Now, there is a lot of hate going around for the Avatar franchise because everybody sees James Cameron make billions of dollars on his movies and he's only doing the Avatar franchise and people seem to have a problem with that.

00:20:13.920 --> 00:20:24.480
But the way that I look at the Avatar franchise is back in the day, if like Leonardo da Vinci was creating a new flying machine, everybody would go to see that because it was the new advancement in technology.

00:20:24.559 --> 00:20:29.119
These Avatar movies are the new advancements in technology in the industry of film.

00:20:29.279 --> 00:20:34.240
And if you can sit in a cinema and watch it on the biggest screen possible, then what better way?

00:20:34.319 --> 00:20:36.240
Like you're witnessing history in that moment.

00:20:36.319 --> 00:20:48.400
And you might say that that is saying things in an over-the-top way, but every single time James Cameron has made an Avatar movie, there has been a development in film that has caused those movies to be able to do something spectacular that has not been done before.

00:20:48.559 --> 00:20:53.200
So for that reason, I really think that Avatar Fire and Ash is one of the best movies of 2025.

00:20:53.359 --> 00:21:00.079
That coupled with the fact that this is exploring a story of a family that is living through an experience after grief.

00:21:00.240 --> 00:21:05.440
If you haven't seen Avatar The Way of Water, there is something that happens in that movie that no family should ever have to go through.

00:21:05.599 --> 00:21:10.640
And when I first started watching this, I saw Jake Sully, played by Sam Worthington, Australian.

00:21:10.799 --> 00:21:15.519
And I first of all thought he was a really big dickish version of a father, right?

00:21:15.759 --> 00:21:21.440
Because his son was going through lots of different sorts of turmoil and he never had his back and he never really stood up for him.

00:21:21.519 --> 00:21:31.839
But I realized that he was a man that was going through grief as well, trying to lead a family, trying to protect a nation, obviously dealing with a wife who had lots of different sorts of turmoils of her own, too.

00:21:31.920 --> 00:21:35.039
So in fact, he was a realistic representation of a character.

00:21:35.200 --> 00:21:46.400
And then you look at his wife, Nearti, and she was also played by Zoe Seldania, navigating this grief in a completely different way as well, having just suffered through quite a lot of turmoil.

00:21:46.559 --> 00:21:57.279
And she lives in this space where she's completely surrounded by family, loves her people, but she's also in this conflict because she she loves a man that's from the opposing force.

00:21:57.440 --> 00:22:05.759
And there's all these different character interactions within these movies that really just solidify it as one of the best things that I think happened in 2025 on the screen.

00:22:05.920 --> 00:22:12.559
Not to mention villain-wise, Miles Quarich, people will look at him and say, How many times does this guy have to die on screen?

00:22:12.799 --> 00:22:21.119
Absolutely agree with you, but I think that his back and forth with Jake Sully is like it's going to go down in history as one of the best rivalries on screen.

00:22:21.200 --> 00:22:24.240
Like you could compare it to Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader if you wanted to.

00:22:24.400 --> 00:22:29.759
In the modern era, that's probably as close as we've got in terms of cinema and pop cultural reference.

00:22:29.920 --> 00:22:44.319
And he's just this militaristic guy that is starting to go in his own transition through a redemption arc, it seems like, as well, because he's obviously embraced the form that he is now living in of the Navi people, seeing the advantages that has.

00:22:44.400 --> 00:22:50.960
But also, Jake often tells him, open your eyes to this world and it will give you more back than you ever expected.

00:22:51.119 --> 00:22:52.720
And I think that's starting to happen with him.

00:22:52.799 --> 00:23:00.079
So seeing this villain in transition, it gives me like real excitement to see where this trilogy goes or this set of movie goes.

00:23:00.160 --> 00:23:02.079
And I really hope James Cameron can make more.

00:23:02.160 --> 00:23:09.279
He said that he's definitely willing to, but he he's not thinking about it until this one makes any form of cash money.

00:23:09.359 --> 00:23:11.920
So I think it's already hit those benchmarks, so we'll have to wait and see.

00:23:12.079 --> 00:23:18.079
But this one, I was wrestling between this one and my number one pick, but I really enjoyed Avatar Fire and Ash to all the haters.

00:23:18.240 --> 00:23:19.359
Stop hating on progress.

00:23:19.599 --> 00:23:21.920
Go look at an amazing story that looks mu looks awesome.

00:23:22.160 --> 00:23:28.000
And I did the review of this of the Avatar Byron Ash DLC, and that was absolutely amazing.

00:23:28.160 --> 00:23:39.599
So any gamers out there listing, if you've played Avatar and you want to jump into the James Cameron world of the newest movie, the Frontiers of Pandora is uh a set of blaze.

00:23:39.759 --> 00:23:46.799
And that was a that was a very good cool because like there are sort of nods to the movie in in the game.

00:23:47.200 --> 00:23:52.720
Yeah, and what a breathtaking world to immerse yourself in, gamer-wise, or even watching these sets of movies.

00:23:52.799 --> 00:23:53.839
That was part of it as well.

00:23:53.920 --> 00:24:02.160
I went and watched this movie, sat in the the theaters and was literally immersed being surrounded by Pandora and landscape.

00:24:02.319 --> 00:24:09.200
And that happened to me when I watched the first one because it came out in 3D and you watched it in 3D, and it happened to me in the second one and then the third one as well.

00:24:09.279 --> 00:24:14.319
And there isn't many trilogies that do that for me three times in a in succession.

00:24:14.400 --> 00:24:16.240
So Avatar for me, top tier.

00:24:16.400 --> 00:24:17.440
What's your next one, Brash?

00:24:17.599 --> 00:24:20.160
This is my number one, and it may surprise you.

00:24:20.400 --> 00:24:20.799
Go for it.

00:24:21.039 --> 00:24:22.319
It's code three.

00:24:22.640 --> 00:24:23.519
Code three?

00:24:23.759 --> 00:24:25.359
I haven't heard of that.

00:24:26.079 --> 00:24:27.279
Go ahead.

00:24:28.240 --> 00:24:31.359
So this is a movie with Rain Wilson.

00:24:31.599 --> 00:24:32.079
Mm-hmm.

00:24:32.480 --> 00:24:36.400
Oh, actually Lil'Ray Arel Howry and Amy Carrero.

00:24:36.720 --> 00:24:41.680
You may remember Amy Carrero for such DD games as Critical Roll.

00:24:41.920 --> 00:24:43.200
She played Opal in that.

00:24:43.359 --> 00:24:47.680
So in this story, Rain Wilson plays an EMT.

00:24:48.000 --> 00:25:00.480
Uh, he's been EMT for 20 odd years, and he's looking to try and find another job because the toll and the burden of being an EMT has taken like has finally caught up with him and he's had enough.

00:25:00.640 --> 00:25:10.400
His partner, Little Red Harry, who plays Mike, is the only person who can ride along with him because he's the only person who can sort of stand his sort of sourness.

00:25:10.559 --> 00:25:19.440
But on the day that's meant to be his last day, he is coupled with a new trainee to join along to do a ride-along for the day.

00:25:20.240 --> 00:25:28.720
And you get to see sort of like probably an exaggerated view, but a gricky sort of and honestly watching it, I was like, you know what?

00:25:28.880 --> 00:25:29.920
I would not be surprised.

00:25:30.240 --> 00:25:32.799
This is what they had to go through day in and day out day out.

00:25:33.039 --> 00:25:33.359
Yeah.

00:25:33.519 --> 00:25:38.960
But yes, no, it this movie surprised me on just how how good it was.

00:25:39.200 --> 00:26:04.000
I I expected some sort of B-grade comedy sort of thing, but honestly, like just watch like the just watching how much effort they put into their roles like had me believing that this is the shit that everyone has to put out, like these guys have to put up with every day, and made me feel like I felt like going out and just donating everything I had in my bank account to the EMTs to show them how good a job they're doing.

00:26:04.160 --> 00:26:13.759
Cause it the stress and the toll that that this job would take on a person is beyond my imagining.

00:26:13.920 --> 00:26:21.200
Couldn't imagine I couldn't imagine doing a job and thank you all for your service, EMTs out there.

00:26:21.519 --> 00:26:22.319
Couldn't agree more.

00:26:22.480 --> 00:26:26.720
But yes, no, it's hard to put into words, but just every and especially Amy Carrera.

00:26:26.880 --> 00:26:28.720
Like I was surprised with Amy Carrera's performance.

00:26:28.880 --> 00:26:31.680
She was so good in this in this movie, so good.

00:26:31.839 --> 00:26:35.759
And Rain Wilson just like absolutely nailed it.

00:26:36.160 --> 00:26:43.519
He is an interesting actor for me because he he can do drama really well, but he can also run that line of comedy really well.

00:26:43.680 --> 00:26:44.559
So he can do both.

00:26:44.880 --> 00:26:47.039
Sort of molds both into this.

00:26:47.200 --> 00:26:50.480
So there's plenty of drama in this as well as comedy.

00:26:50.559 --> 00:27:00.000
Like like one of my favorite comedy scenes of this movie is when they go to a n they get a call to a nursing home to say that because someone's had a heart attack, they it empties them.

00:27:00.319 --> 00:27:05.359
So they get there, and the nurse, the guy nurse that's there, shows her body.

00:27:05.519 --> 00:27:08.480
And they as soon as I walk in, they always go, Alright, we're leaving.

00:27:08.720 --> 00:27:09.920
Like, what aren't you gonna help her?

00:27:10.079 --> 00:27:16.000
And then you see the person, and it's this lady, she's like bone white, if there's a board, just dead.

00:27:16.079 --> 00:27:19.200
And they're like, Well, she's been dead for hours.

00:27:19.359 --> 00:27:23.200
You try to call us so you can put palm your issue off to us instead.

00:27:23.359 --> 00:27:24.559
We're not touching this.

00:27:24.960 --> 00:27:32.960
Um the she's the she the guy's like, Oh, I'm gonna get my um supervisor, and he's like, Alright, that's not gonna change the outcome.

00:27:33.200 --> 00:27:37.119
Um, the head the head nurse is like, Oh, I like to see like her violence.

00:27:37.279 --> 00:27:40.960
He's like, vitamins, and then she goes, pulse zero.

00:27:41.759 --> 00:27:43.039
Don't touch her, zero.

00:27:44.799 --> 00:27:47.440
She is dead, and uh that was like the best song.

00:27:47.519 --> 00:27:50.079
Oh, it was it's just such a wildcrafted scene.

00:27:51.039 --> 00:27:53.279
Oh man, so yeah, number one.

00:27:53.440 --> 00:27:54.480
Oh yeah, that's my number one.

00:27:54.559 --> 00:27:59.039
It it was a movie that I've watched it twice now.

00:28:00.160 --> 00:28:03.359
When I had to think up this list, I was like, I need to watch that again.

00:28:03.440 --> 00:28:04.400
That was so good.

00:28:04.559 --> 00:28:06.240
So it's on my list to watch again.

00:28:06.640 --> 00:28:07.039
Very good.

00:28:07.119 --> 00:28:12.880
I'll have to check that one out because yeah, you did actually mention that that to me before, but yeah, yeah.

00:28:13.440 --> 00:28:14.319
Yeah, definitely check it out.

00:28:14.400 --> 00:28:15.519
It is a really, really good movie.

00:28:16.000 --> 00:28:19.680
It really surprised me because it was like it was fairly low budget, I'm pretty sure.

00:28:19.920 --> 00:28:23.839
Gros gross worldwide gross worldwide, 35,190.

00:28:24.480 --> 00:28:27.279
Just goes to show you don't need a lot of money to tell a good story.

00:28:27.359 --> 00:28:34.960
We went from amazing blockbuster of Avatar, Fire and Ash to this low budget movie that resonated just as well with with two different people.

00:28:35.119 --> 00:28:36.079
So yeah.

00:28:36.240 --> 00:28:36.720
All right.

00:28:37.039 --> 00:28:43.039
My number one movie for 2025 is Guillermo Del Toro's Frankenstein.

00:28:43.200 --> 00:28:45.519
I chose Frankenstein for lots of different reasons.

00:28:45.759 --> 00:28:50.799
First and most obviously, Del Toro crafts beautiful cinematography.

00:28:50.880 --> 00:28:53.440
It is a feast to watch for anybody.

00:28:53.599 --> 00:29:00.079
It basically every scene looks like a gothic oil painting that's just steep in macabre.

00:29:00.160 --> 00:29:08.960
And I think Jacob Allordi's performance as the creature in this goes towards one of the best acting performances in 2025 as well, Australian.

00:29:09.200 --> 00:29:14.480
And he just embodies this total different personality, you could say.

00:29:14.640 --> 00:29:23.279
And I think that seeing him act out some of the scenes that he had to in this, it's very easy to do the creature as a caricature.

00:29:23.440 --> 00:29:29.519
And he really brought pain in a way that really made you love this thing, basically.

00:29:29.680 --> 00:29:32.400
So it was very interesting to see how he crafted this.

00:29:32.480 --> 00:29:41.759
And and Guillermo de Toro has this obsession with what is alive and what is living and what makes us or the creature beyond what is humanity?

00:29:41.920 --> 00:29:46.720
Is it the creature or is it the human that's wearing the human face that makes you question these various different things?

00:29:46.799 --> 00:29:50.240
Because it pits the creature and Frankenstein, Dr.

00:29:50.319 --> 00:29:51.440
Frankenstein, together.

00:29:51.519 --> 00:30:10.799
And obviously Frankenstein's the human in the situation, but he is he acts very coldly, he is very calculating, he he treats the creature like his ambition project, he treats the creature like it is something that he is trying to prove to others that will bolster his social standings.

00:30:10.880 --> 00:30:23.200
And the creature goes through this development as children usually do, where he is curious about the world, he is curious about connection, he values connection with people that connect with him.

00:30:23.279 --> 00:30:28.880
And I think it was really an enigmatic story that uplifted me when I watched it.

00:30:29.039 --> 00:30:41.200
And I think it really draws that line between human and monster, and that line is not drawn by form, but it's drawn by the courage to offer compassion when fear tells you that you should look the other way.

00:30:41.359 --> 00:30:52.000
So when you're when you're scared of something because of how it looks or because of what the situation may entail, like sometimes the truth behind that is very different to what you perceive.

00:30:52.079 --> 00:31:01.279
And I think that that message really resonated with me, but also Del Toro's storytelling craft, together in a full package, just made a really big cinematic experience for me.

00:31:01.440 --> 00:31:11.599
I will say though, you kind of have to be in the mood to watch this sort of kind of movie because it is almost like an art piece as opposed to a popcorn flick.

00:31:11.759 --> 00:31:14.480
So there's that little caveat on the end of that one, too.

00:31:14.559 --> 00:31:21.279
But I think Frankenstein and Guillermo Del Toro's work is by far for me 2025's best movie.

00:31:21.519 --> 00:31:24.480
So we have two very different lists, Brash.

00:31:24.799 --> 00:31:33.440
Only one movie in common, that being Superman, and your top being Code 3, mine being Frankenstein, and we might go into our best heroes.

00:31:33.519 --> 00:31:39.920
So, Brash, who was your top protagonist of 2025 and why did they resonate with you specifically?

00:31:40.079 --> 00:31:42.400
Which character really touched you this year?

00:31:42.960 --> 00:31:44.880
It was such a hard call.

00:31:45.279 --> 00:31:47.039
Because my first thought was Superman.

00:31:47.519 --> 00:31:48.000
Yes.

00:31:48.319 --> 00:31:54.160
Because I I I love I'm usually more of a Batman guy than I am a Superman guy.

00:31:54.640 --> 00:32:08.079
But I love the story they told, and I love the version of the Superman that was portrayed in the new Superman movie, and that would be my honorable hero, but unfortunately, Superman didn't quite make it.

00:32:08.480 --> 00:32:13.920
And my hero would actually have to be Josh Brolin in weapons.

00:32:14.480 --> 00:32:16.160
Okay, yeah, another one I haven't seen.

00:32:16.400 --> 00:32:18.559
So tell me about tell me about Josh Brolin.

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What makes him a hero and what resonated with you to give him your top spot as best hero of the year?

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So, and I think as much as it is a horror and you probably hate it, I reckon you would really like this movie.

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So, Josh Brolin is a father whose child and a bunch of other kids from the same class all go missing from this one class, except for one kid.

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Understandably, he's quite upset.

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And everyone sort of blames the teacher, and through his own investigations, he sort of comes to a different conclusion.

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