The Strange Harbors Podcast

This week, we review the third film in the whodunnit series of Benoit Blanc mysteries: Wake Up Dead Man. After Knives Out and Glass Onion, director Rian Johnson returns to the reins of his favorite genre. We discuss the franchise's increasingly charismatic roster of secondary protagonists, the year of Josh O'Connor, and whether or not Johnson's penchant for heavy-handed topicality once again derails a Benoit Blanc tale.

Last year's Wicked: Part One, despite its shortcomings, was bolstered by infectious energy, powerhouse performances, and bop-worthy songs. Can this year's followup, For Good, pull off the same magic trick again? Once again, our resident Wicked fan faces off with the two laymen of the podcast to review the second half of the hit adaptation.

Two of our hosts watch their first Lynne Ramsay film with Die My Love, a relationship thriller that tests the boundaries of expression with its D+ CinemaScore and divisive reactions. In Die My Love, new mother Grace (Jennifer Lawrence) molds away at home while her aloof husband Jackson (Robert Pattinson) is at work. With only her baby, a barking dog, and her own thoughts to keep her company, she begins to unravel. We discuss its mixed reception, the economics of auteurism, and dive deeper into our fractured consensus on the film.

Guillermo del Toro's long-gestating passion project, Frankenstein, is here. Perhaps one of the famed Mexican filmmaker's greatest influences, Mary Shelley's horrifying creature once again graces the big screen, this time with del Toro's signature, gothic sensibilities. We discuss the monster's history, its many adaptations, and review its latest incarnation.

After our Luca Guadagnino episode, we are continuing our coverage of director in their "pump 'em out" phase with Yorgos Lanthimos' third film in as many years — Bugonia. Once again re-teaming with his muse Emma Stone, Lanthimos delivers an uproarious, mean-spirited conspiracy thriller. We discuss director jail, an updated rundown of Lanthimos' filmography, and a review of the film.