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Published by Bad Dads
Several years ago 4 self confessed movie fanatics ruined their favourite pastime by having children. Now we are telling the world about the movies we missed and the frequently awful kids tv we are now subjected to. We like to think we're funny. Come and argue with us on the social medias. Twitter: @dads_film Facebook: BadDadsFilmReview Instagram: instagram.com/baddadsjsy www.baddadsfilm.com
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This week on Bad Dads Film Review, Sidey, Dan, Reegs and Cris take on Steven Soderbergh’s Traffic , the Oscar-winning 2000 ensemble drama about the war on drugs, starring Michael Douglas, Benicio del Toro, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Don Cheadle, Luis Guzmán, Erika Christensen, Dennis Quaid and several thousand other people you recognise from better-lit rooms. The episode begins with Reegs back from France, a heroic return to walking football, a 6–2 win, snacks from Grand Marché, Rioja on the table and the usual sense that the podcast might be more structured if anyone genuinely wanted that. Recent viewing includes Dan on Early Man , Ted Lasso and Grown Ups , Reegs going deep into Reacher , Cris bringing a bit of cartel-adjacent homework energy, and Sidey watching Barry plus Netflix serial-killer thriller The Whisper Man , a film he enjoys until the last-minute ghost business turns up and starts knocking over the furniture. Before the main film, the dads count down Steven Soderbergh and Soderbergh-adjacent favourites. Cris explains how Benicio del Toro led him towards Traffic and Che , while the conversation takes in the myth and reality of Che Guevara, Soderbergh’s habit of editing and shooting under pseudonyms, and the frankly annoying fact that he appears to have made several films since this paragraph began. The list includes Solaris , Contagion , Syriana , Logan Lucky , Erin Brockovich , Magic Mike , Ocean’s Eleven , Ocean’s Thirteen , Haywire , Her , Confessions of a Dangerous Mind and Sidey’s beloved Out of Sight , which he still considers a 10-out-of-10 film thanks to Clooney, J-Lo, Luis Guzmán, Catherine Keener, David Holmes and the sort of charm that should probably be illegal. Then it is time for Traffic , a film the dads remember as serious, long, colour-coded and very much trying to win awards, which, to be fair, it did. The review follows the film’s interlocking stories: Javier Rodriguez trying to do good police work in Mexico while the system around him is already captured by cartel politics; DEA agents Montel Gordon and Ray Castro attempting to protect an informant long enough to bring down Carl Ayala; Helena Ayala discovering that being a wealthy pregnant society wife becomes much more complicated when your husband is dragged away by federal agents; and Robert Wakefield becoming America’s new drug czar just as his own daughter Caroline falls into addiction. The dads dig into the film’s bleak central point: the drug war is not really a war that can be won, because every apparent victory is also part of somebody else’s business model. Sidey describes the film as showing where drugs come from, how they move, how people try to stop them, where demand lives and why the whole machine is so futile. Cris particularly likes the Mexico storyline and the way the film’s colour palette helps you instantly know which world you are in, while Reegs connects the whole thing to the kind of institutional fatalism later explored in The Wire . A major talking point is the subtitle disaster. Dan and Sidey both watched versions where the Spanish sections were not properly translated, which is not ideal when huge parts of your Oscar-winning bilingual drama are in Spanish. Dan’s version apparently just told him people were “speaking Spanish”, which he had already managed to work out by being awake. Reegs uses this as a chance to grumble, correctly, about the loss of physical media and the way streaming platforms can serve up broken versions of films without anyone seeming to care. The film itself gives the dads plenty to chew on: Benicio del Toro’s quiet moral centre, the funfair arrest and “don’t shoot the clown”, Luis Guzmán’s excellent Ray Castro and his brutal car-bomb exit, Catherine Zeta-Jones going from shocked wife to ruthless operator, Dennis Quaid sniffing around the Ayala money, Caroline Wakefield’s awful spiral, Michael Douglas having to confront the war on drugs happening in his own house, and Javier’s beautifully modest final request for electricity so kids can play baseball at night. Verdicts are positive, but not breathless. Sidey thinks Traffic is extremely well made, handheld, fluid, serious and still strong, but also calls it a one-and-done rather than a film he would rush to revisit. Dan struggles more, partly because the missing subtitles kneecapped the experience and partly because the film is long, worthy and occasionally lost up its own arse; if forced to choose, he is watching Gladiator twice before watching Traffic twice. Cris is warmer on it, praising the acting, the structure, the Mexican material and the way the separate stories connect without turning into a neat crossover event. So the Bad Dads verdict lands somewhere between strong recommend and medium-well: a serious, grown-up Soderbergh drama about drugs, power, money, family and futility, admired more than loved, and improved enormously if your streaming service can manage the advanced technical feature known as subtitles. You can now text us anonymously to leave feedback, suggest future content or simply hurl abuse at us. We'll read out any texts we receive on the show. Click here to try it out! We love to hear from our listeners! By which I mean we tolerate it. If it hasn't been completely destroyed yet you can usually find us on twitter @dads_film , on Facebook Bad Dads Film Review , on email at baddadsjsy@gmail.com or on our website baddadsfilm.com . Until next time, we remain... Bad Dads
This week on Bad Dads Film Review , Sidey, Dan and Cris review Tony Gilroy’s Michael Clayton , starring George Clooney , Tom Wilkinson , Tilda Swinton and Sydney Pollack . It is a legal thriller without grandstanding courtroom speeches, a corporate conspiracy movie without cartoon villains, and a George Clooney film where the star power is deliberately worn down into exhaustion, debt and moral compromise. Sidey has loved this one for years, Cris remembers liking it, and Dan arrives as a Michael Clayton virgin after realising the “Michael” film in his head was actually Michael Collins . The dads begin with the film’s strange, non-linear opening: Arthur Edens spiralling through a voiceover, Michael being dragged away from a backroom poker game to clean up a rich client’s hit-and-run, and the early reminder that Clayton may have a fixer’s reputation but he is not a miracle worker. He can tell a man to face the music; he cannot make the consequences vanish. The review digs into Clayton as a man trapped by other people’s mess. He is the firm’s problem-solver, not a partner. He has an ex-DA past, a failed restaurant business, a brother whose addictions helped put him in debt, and an $80,000 hole that makes him useful to Sydney Pollack’s Marty Bach. Clooney plays him as tired rather than cool: still sharp, still well-dressed, but visibly sick of being sent into the night to mop up disasters for people richer and worse than him. At the centre of the film is Arthur Edens, played brilliantly by Tom Wilkinson. Arthur’s breakdown during the U-North deposition is spectacular and humiliating, but the dads keep coming back to the idea that his madness is tangled up with moral clarity. He has spent years defending a company whose weed killer has damaged and killed people, and once he finds the smoking-gun memo proving U-North knew the truth, he can no longer keep doing the job. His obsession with Anna, one of the plaintiffs, and with the fantasy book Realm and Conquest gives the film its odd spiritual thread, leading eventually to the horses on the hill that save Michael’s life. Tilda Swinton’s Karen Crowder becomes the face of corporate panic. The dads talk about her sweaty armpits, her rehearsed speeches, her desperation to satisfy U-North’s board and her terrible decision to hire surveillance operatives who turn into assassins. Arthur’s murder is one of the episode’s key talking points because it is so coldly procedural: no big struggle, no dramatic villain speech, just sedation, injection, staged suicide and the awful efficiency of people doing a job. As Michael follows the clues Arthur left behind, the film becomes a study in compromised people trying to survive a rotten system. He finds the marked book, learns about the memo, realises Arthur had thousands of copies printed, and starts to suspect that the suicide story is nonsense. Yet when Marty offers him the money he needs, Michael takes it. That is part of what makes the film work for the dads: he is not pure. He sells Arthur out for $80,000 before finding his way back to something like decency. The finale is pure thriller satisfaction. After the bomb in Clayton’s car fails because he has walked up the hill to look at the horses from his son’s book, he confronts Karen at the U-North settlement meeting. She thinks he is dead, then thinks he can be bought. Michael pushes her into saying enough, reveals he is wearing a wire, and walks away as her world collapses behind him. The final taxi ride, with Clooney silently processing everything as the credits roll over his face, gets praised as a perfect ending. Verdicts are emphatic. Sidey gives Michael Clayton the strongest possible recommend and says he could watch it again immediately. Dan calls it one of the best midweek films the podcast has done this year and wants more undiscovered films like it. Cris loves that the legal world is not glamorised: it is late-night rooms full of lawyers billing hours, protecting corporations and turning human cost into numbers. The dads praise the whole cast, especially Clooney’s pared-back performance, Wilkinson’s haunted intensity, Swinton’s Oscar-winning panic and Pollack’s completely believable law-firm authority. In short: a brilliant grown-up thriller about corporate greed, moral exhaustion, legal compromise and the terrifying power of a memo everyone wants buried. You can now text us anonymously to leave feedback, suggest future content or simply hurl abuse at us. We'll read out any texts we receive on the show. Click here to try it out! We love to hear from our listeners! By which I mean we tolerate it. If it hasn't been completely destroyed yet you can usually find us on twitter @dads_film , on Facebook Bad Dads Film Review , on email at baddadsjsy@gmail.com or on our website baddadsfilm.com . Until next time, we remain... Bad Dads
This week on Bad Dads Film Review, the dads review Giant , the Prince Naseem Hamed biopic starring Amir El-Masry as Naz and Pierce Brosnan as legendary Sheffield trainer Brendan Ingle . It is a boxing film, a mentor-protégé story, a study of fame and arrogance, and a surprisingly knotty argument about whether loyalty, recognition and money can ever stay clean once a child prodigy becomes a multi-million-pound champion. The episode opens with Reegs still absent in French France, which means no clever intro but plenty of warnings about swears and spoilers. Dan has watched classic film noir Laura and revisited Universal Soldier for the Midweeker, Cris has been watching Pierce Brosnan in western series The Son alongside some nostalgic X-Men ’97 , and Sidey has been back into Barry while also sampling a Netflix serial-killer thriller involving De Niro and missing boys. There is also football, DIY, paint guns, teal walls and the sort of domestic detail that proves cinema podcasting is mostly glamour. For Top 5 Giants, the dads go suitably massive. Dan starts with The Iron Giant and the animated BFG , while Cris brings in Romanian basketball player Gheorghe Mureșan via Billy Crystal’s My Giant , then stretches the theme through the MonsterVerse, The Odyssey , Leprechaun 4: In Space and Rush Hour 3 . Sidey nominates Fezzik from The Princess Bride , They Might Be Giants, The The’s “Giant”, Game of Thrones’ actual giants and finally the Giant from Twin Peaks , giving him another chance to declare David Lynch’s nightmare television more or less untouchable. The Stay Puft Marshmallow Man, Attack of the 50 Foot Woman , Riding Giants and several real-life giants also get thrown into the oversized mix. The main review focuses on Giant as a story about two men rather than one. Prince Naseem is obviously the famous fighter, but the film arguably belongs just as much to Brendan Ingle, whose Sheffield gym gives young lads discipline, community and a way to redirect anger. The dads talk through the early scenes: Brendan spotting young Naz’s footwork, taking him into the gym, making new boys sing before they fight, teaching movement before punching, and helping him deal with racist abuse in an environment where National Front attitudes are never far from the surface. As Naz rises, the film follows the familiar sports-biopic path of talent, training, showmanship and success, but the more interesting material comes from the relationship slowly cracking. Brendan nurtures Naz’s cockiness because it fuels the fighter, but that same confidence becomes harder to control once promoters, sponsorships, family influence and huge money arrive. Frank Warren sees the commercial value of Naz’s brash persona, the family starts questioning Brendan’s cut, and the childhood handshake deal over 25% becomes the moral fault line of the film. Sidey and Dan both find that argument more complicated than the film first appears to suggest. Brendan clearly changes Naz’s life, puts the money back into the gym, builds champions and cares deeply about the boy he trained from childhood. At the same time, agreeing a huge percentage with a 12-year-old is uncomfortable, however much both of them believed in the dream. The imagined reconciliation scene near the end gives the film its strongest emotional beat, because it lets Naz say he was a child and Brendan say he gave everything. The sting is that, in real life, they never properly reconciled. The performances get the strongest praise. Pierce Brosnan is very good as Brendan Ingle, and the various actors playing Naseem — especially Amir El-Masry as the adult Naz — capture the movement, swagger and showboating well. The fight scenes are convincing, the Sheffield material gives the story texture, and the film does enough with a modest-feeling British production to stay watchable throughout. The verdict is positive but measured. Sidey thinks it is pretty paint-by-numbers and admits he was never a huge fan of Naseem’s arrogance, though he respects the story and really likes the performances. Dan enjoys the sports-movie structure and the tragic mentor-student angle, but does not think the film quite lands a knockout blow. Cris had not seen it in time for recording, but the discussion leaves the film sounding like one he would still watch. Overall, the dads call it a moderate to strong recommend : interesting, well acted and easy to watch, if not quite a heavyweight classic. You can now text us anonymously to leave feedback, suggest future content or simply hurl abuse at us. We'll read out any texts we receive on the show. Click here to try it out! We love to hear from our listeners! By which I mean we tolerate it. If it hasn't been completely destroyed yet you can usually find us on twitter @dads_film , on Facebook Bad Dads Film Review , on email at baddadsjsy@gmail.com or on our website baddadsfilm.com . Until next time, we remain... Bad Dads
This week on Bad Dads Film Review , Dan, Sidey and Cris revisit Universal Soldier , the 1992 sci-fi action thriller from Roland Emmerich starring Jean-Claude Van Damme and Dolph Lundgren as Vietnam soldiers killed in action, frozen, revived and turned into government-controlled super-commandos. Naturally, nothing about that plan goes wrong apart from absolutely everything. The episode opens with the realisation that the podcast has not covered nearly enough Van Damme, despite some hazy memories around Bloodsport , Kickboxer and the sacred word “Kumite”. From there the dads head into the film’s Vietnam prologue, where Luc Deveraux discovers that Dolph Lundgren’s Sergeant Andrew Scott has gone completely bananas, started collecting ears and decided that everyone is a traitor. Luc refuses to execute civilians, Scott kills one with a grenade, and the two men finish the scene by shooting and stabbing each other to death. Twenty-five years later, both men are back as Universal Soldiers: refrigerated black-ops zombie-cyborg-commandos who need cooling down, daily injections and convenient memory suppression. Their first big showcase comes during a hostage crisis at a dam, where they are dropped from absurd height, swim, climb, snipe and punch their way through the terrorists while the military tries very hard to keep the press away from the weird dead-men-with-cameras situation. Unfortunately for the programme, a freshly unemployed reporter sneaks into the operation, sees more than she should, and ends up on the run with Luc after Dolph’s Scott starts remembering Vietnam and immediately chooses murder. What follows is a wonderfully daft road-chase movie in which Luc removes a tracker, discovers nudity-based comedy, learns that food tastes good, orders nearly everything in a diner, drinks heroic amounts of Pepsi, beats up a chef for expecting payment and slowly becomes more human while the military and a rapidly unraveling Dolph hunt him down. The dads also get into the supermarket/freezer sequence, Dolph’s speeches about traitors, the prison-van chase, grenades being thrown back through windows, Luc returning home to Louisiana, Dr Gregor’s extremely generous pseudoscience and the final barn fight in the rain. It is classic Van Damme business: spinning kicks, split kicks, slow motion, a syringe of Mega Juice and a massive agricultural machine waiting patiently to mince the villain at exactly the right moment. There is room for plenty of action-movie nostalgia as well. Cris remembers the film as part of a shared VHS diet alongside Kickboxer , Bloodsport , Double Impact , Commando and Total Recall , including wonderfully flat Romanian dubbing. Dan talks about Van Damme and Dolph being near the peak of their powers, while Sidey admits he skipped the film back in the day because it looked like a poor man’s RoboCop , only to discover it is much more enjoyable than expected. The verdict is positive. Universal Soldier may be silly, sweaty and scientifically indefensible, but it is also fast, funny, practical, quotable and powered by two properly iconic action bodies. Sidey lands on a strong recommend , with the caveat that he is not quite ready to go spelunking through all the lower-budget sequels. You can now text us anonymously to leave feedback, suggest future content or simply hurl abuse at us. We'll read out any texts we receive on the show. Click here to try it out! We love to hear from our listeners! By which I mean we tolerate it. If it hasn't been completely destroyed yet you can usually find us on twitter @dads_film , on Facebook Bad Dads Film Review , on email at baddadsjsy@gmail.com or on our website baddadsfilm.com . Until next time, we remain... Bad Dads
This week on Bad Dads Film Review, Wolf Week continues as Sidey, Dan and new dad Jamie sink their teeth into Martin Scorsese’s riotous financial crime epic The Wolf of Wall Street, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Jonah Hill, Margot Robbie, Matthew McConaughey, Kyle Chandler, Rob Reiner, Jon Bernthal, Jon Favreau and Joanna Lumley. With Reegs absent and therefore no proper intro to keep things vaguely professional, the dads begin by catching up on what they’ve been watching. Dan has largely swapped screen time for Cold War spy histories while his wife is away in the Czech Republic for the summer, Jamie has returned to the comforting embrace of Blue Bloods, No Offence and Stuart Fails to Save the Universe, and Sidey has endured Jason Statham’s Mutiny, a revenge-on-a-boat action thriller with suspiciously Die Hard-adjacent poster energy. The Top 5 this week is Wolves, which naturally sends the conversation roaming all over the cultural wilderness. There’s Winston Wolf from Pulp Fiction, Moro from Princess Mononoke, Teen Wolf and the obvious sporting advantage of being Michael J. Fox with werewolf powers, plus Shrek’s Big Bad Wolf and a detour through wolf-related music from Warren Zevon, Ozzy Osbourne, Metallica, Duran Duran, Howlin’ Wolf, Steppenwolf, Los Lobos, Wolfmother and Wolf Alice. Liam Neeson’s miserable survival odds in The Grey get a mention, as do Bad Wolf and Rose Tyler from Doctor Who, Jack Nicholson in Wolf, Remus Lupin, Dances with Wolves, Portia Crystal from Sing 2, Lupine Howl, the direwolves from Game of Thrones, How Wolves Change Rivers, Rainier Wolfcastle and Oz from Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Then it’s on to The Wolf of Wall Street, a film the dads note is arriving neatly alongside Jersey’s current Martin Scorsese cinema season. They follow Jordan Belfort from his first day as Wall Street pond scum through Matthew McConaughey’s career-rescuing lunch scene of coke, booze,chest-thumping and “rookie numbers”, before Black Monday promptly ends any chance of a respectable finance career. From there it’s penny stocks, Spike Jonze, 50% commissions and the arrival of Donnie Azoff, whose cousin-wife logic, blinding white teeth and crack-pipe networking help turn Stratton Oakmont into a full-blown fraud machine. Along the way, the dads dig into the film’s most notorious moments: the “sell me this pen” lesson, motivational speeches, middle fingers to clients, dwarf tossing, strippers, head shaving, Rob Reiner as Belfort’s furious father, Margot Robbie’s Naomi making her entrance, Donnie’s appalling first impression, the famous 11-second romance, Vegas excess, penicillin shots and a superyacht wedding present. They also cover Kyle Chandler’s FBI agent Patrick Denham closing in, Jon Favreau’s lawyer trying desperately to make Jordan stop, the Steve Madden IPO, hidden stock ownership, Joanna Lumley’s Aunt Emma and the Swiss bank account, plus Jordan’s spectacularly arrogant attempt to bribe the FBI with lobster, prostitutes and absolutely no self-awareness. The review also takes in the yacht storm and Italian rescue, the infamous Lemmon Quaaludes sequence with crawling, ham-choking and the destroyed Lamborghini reveal, Jordan wearing a wire while warning Donnie not to incriminate himself, and the ugly final collapse as Naomi demands a divorce, Jordan turns violent and everything finally crashes. By the end, the dads are left wrestling with prison, sales seminars and the uncomfortable question of whether the film really works as a cautionary tale, or whether it is simply too entertaining for its own good. Verdicts are strong across the board. Sidey recommends it, while still insisting it is far too long. Dan also gives it a strong recommend, particularly for the endlessly quotable scenes, and Jamie calls it a must-watch — although preferably consumed as three one-hour chunks rather than one enormous sitting. You can now text us anonymously to leave feedback, suggest future content or simply hurl abuse at us. We'll read out any texts we receive on the show. Click here to try it out! We love to hear from our listeners! By which I mean we tolerate it. If it hasn't been completely destroyed yet you can usually find us on twitter @dads_film , on Facebook Bad Dads Film Review , on email at baddadsjsy@gmail.com or on our website baddadsfilm.com . Until next time, we remain... Bad Dads
This week on Bad Dads Film Review , it is Wolf Week , which means we are heading to the moors, the Tube, the London Zoo wolf enclosure and one of cinema’s all-time great transformation scenes for An American Werewolf in London . Sidey and Dan are joined by guest dad Jamie for John Landis’s 1981 horror-comedy about two American backpackers, one very unwelcoming pub, and the worst possible way to discover that “stay on the road” was not just local colour. Sidey had somehow never watched the whole film before, despite having seen the famous transformation sequence many times. Jamie definitely saw it before, but at an age where he absolutely should not have. Dan brings the cult-classic affection, and the result is a review full of practical effects appreciation, Yorkshire pub suspicion, Jenny Agutter, decomposing best mates and moon-based needle drops. Along the way we discuss: Jamie’s debut as a Bad Dad and the need for subtitles/phone voice The Slaughtered Lamb and Britain’s least welcoming pint Rick Mayall, Brian Glover, Frank Oz and other “what was he in?” faces why the film does not bother over-explaining the village, the cover-up or the logistics of getting David to London Jack returning as an increasingly decomposed undead adviser the nightmare sequences, including the Nazi werewolf home invasion Jenny Agutter as Nurse Alex Price and the film’s spectacularly fast romance David being oddly honest about his visions, nightmares and wolf problem Rick Baker’s Oscar-winning makeup and the transformation scene that still holds up why practical effects age so much better than dodgy CGI David waking naked in London Zoo and trying to buy a small boy’s balloons the doomed attempt to get arrested by abusing the police and the monarchy the porno-theatre support group of victims suggesting suicide methods Piccadilly chaos, armed police, decapitation and catastrophic traffic management the moon-heavy soundtrack, from Blue Moon to Bad Moon Rising whether the film is horror, comedy, romance, body horror, or all of them at once The dads come away with a very strong recommend. It is brisk, funny, gruesome, strangely sweet, brilliantly made and still properly entertaining. The werewolf may occasionally look like it is on a dolly, but the transformation remains magic, the comedy still lands, and the whole thing has exactly the right amount of nonsense. You can now text us anonymously to leave feedback, suggest future content or simply hurl abuse at us. We'll read out any texts we receive on the show. Click here to try it out! We love to hear from our listeners! By which I mean we tolerate it. If it hasn't been completely destroyed yet you can usually find us on twitter @dads_film , on Facebook Bad Dads Film Review , on email at baddadsjsy@gmail.com or on our website baddadsfilm.com . Until next time, we remain... Bad Dads
This week on Bad Dads Film Review , we review True History of the Kelly Gang , Justin Kurzel’s bleak, stylish and aggressively unromantic version of the Ned Kelly myth, starring George MacKay , Essie Davis , Nicholas Hoult , Charlie Hunnam and Russell Crowe . Before we get to Australian outlaw trauma, we discuss the important stuff: Dan’s adult-nappy experiment, whether “pound a piss” is a viable subscription model, and Sidey’s long-standing policy of treating every body of water as a toilet. Our top five is gangs / revolutions / rebellions , featuring: Chris remembering the Romanian Revolution of 1989, childhood gunfire and shiny spent shells The Warriors and “Warriors, come out to play” The Wanderers and its soundtrack the Rebel Alliance as freedom fighters / terrorists, depending on perspective Spartacus and historical inaccuracy done properly Police Academy 2 as, apparently, gang cinema Daniel Day-Lewis method-acting complaints during Gangs of New York the Fremen from Dune and spice-fuelled jihad the Baader-Meinhof gang, Joe Strummer T-shirts and Luke Haines Green Street Hooligans and football-fight bravado childhood gangs from Stand by Me and It the War Boys from Mad Max: Fury Road Then we get into True History of the Kelly Gang , including: the film’s fake-truth title gag a red dress, a white horse and an apocalyptic Australian bush young Ned Kelly watching his mother bargain with Charlie Hunnam’s police sergeant Red Kelly, stolen cows, hidden dresses and emasculated fathers Essie Davis as Ellen Kelly: protective, seductive, terrifying and constantly pushing Ned toward violence Ned being offered a possible escape through education, only for his mother to sabotage it Russell Crowe’s Harry Power, an enormous beard, and a family singalong about the “Constable Cunt” Ned being sold into outlawry and refusing Harry Power’s pancakes Charlie Hunnam having a very bad day in a whorehouse the Sons of Sieve, dresses, mud-blackened faces and theatrical rebellion George MacKay’s adult Ned arriving through brutal prize-fighting Ned and Joe Byrne’s intense, ambiguous bond Nicholas Hoult’s Fitzpatrick in suspenders socks, spreading vice and misery wherever he goes Marlon Williams’ astonishing hair and “I’m gonna be your daddy” energy Fitzpatrick’s predatory deal over Ned’s sister and the confrontation that finally tips everything over Ellen Kelly asking why Ned did not kill him police murders, severed ears, hostage-taking and bank robbery the famous homemade armour a botched train derailment plan a strobing, bloody final siege where the police do not care who else is in the building Ellen’s command to “die like a Kelly” whether Australia’s Ned Kelly mythology is heroic, poisoned, or both It is not an easy watch. Dan finds it long, bleak and punishing, though brilliantly acted. Reegs thinks it looks amazing and digs the way it interrogates Australian identity, colonial oppression and generational trauma. Chris appreciates the harshness and lack of romance. Sidey thinks this is probably closer to what survival and outlawry actually felt like than the cleaner folk-hero versions. Verdicts: Dan gives it a mid recommend ; Reegs, Chris and Sidey are on strong recommends . You can now text us anonymously to leave feedback, suggest future content or simply hurl abuse at us. We'll read out any texts we receive on the show. Click here to try it out! We love to hear from our listeners! By which I mean we tolerate it. If it hasn't been completely destroyed yet you can usually find us on twitter @dads_film , on Facebook Bad Dads Film Review , on email at baddadsjsy@gmail.com or on our website baddadsfilm.com . Until next time, we remain... Bad Dads
This week on Bad Dads Film Review , we review Marty Supreme , Josh Safdie and Ronald Bronstein’s A24 sports-hustle drama starring Timothée Chalamet as Marty Mauser, a table-tennis prodigy with Olympic-level confidence and almost no visible concern for anyone else. Only Dan and Chris have done the homework this week, leaving Sidey and Reegs to interrogate them on the plot, the tone, the ping-pong, the Gwyneth Paltrow of it all, and whether Chalamet can truly carry a film when he still looks like a haunted Victorian child who has discovered hair product. Along the way we discuss: Chris failing to return from Romania with the promised contraband parents discovering IMAX and immediately wanting a monthly cinema club the Safdie brothers going their separate ways, with Josh Safdie on this and Benny Safdie off with The Rock Marty working in a shoe shop but dreaming of table-tennis glory a sperm-and-egg title sequence that nobody had quite expected Marty robbing the family business while trying to frame it as sensible career planning London tournaments, The Ritz and the ping-pong federation Gwyneth Paltrow as Kay Stone, a famous actress in a loveless marriage Endo, the terrifying Japanese player with the modern grip and superior paddle whether the table-tennis sequences are CGI, doubles or just very committed editing orange ping-pong balls, champagne bills and Marty’s endless self-mythologising a hotel bath falling through the ceiling Moses the gangster dog Harlem Globetrotters-style ping-pong tricks Marty getting to Japan, losing an exhibition match, refusing to kiss a pig, and demanding one more game whether achieving your dream means anything if you have used everyone around you to get there The big question: is Marty a brilliant, driven outsider, or just a selfish arsehole with a paddle? Dan finds the character so unpleasant that it limits his enjoyment, even while acknowledging the film is very well made. Chris is more taken with the craft, the period detail, the tension and the way the film keeps moving despite its hefty runtime. Reegs hears shades of The Karate Kid , White Men Can’t Jump and Uncut Gems , while Sidey remains deeply suspicious of Timothée Chalamet’s pixie leading-man energy. Verdicts: Chris is on a strong recommend , Dan is somewhere between mid and strong recommend , and Sidey and Reegs are officially TBC. You can now text us anonymously to leave feedback, suggest future content or simply hurl abuse at us. We'll read out any texts we receive on the show. Click here to try it out! We love to hear from our listeners! By which I mean we tolerate it. If it hasn't been completely destroyed yet you can usually find us on twitter @dads_film , on Facebook Bad Dads Film Review , on email at baddadsjsy@gmail.com or on our website baddadsfilm.com . Until next time, we remain... Bad Dads
This week on Bad Dads Film Review, it is prison week — although with Riggs and Chris missing, Sidey and Dan are doing hard time as a two-man crew. Before the main feature, we look at memorable prisons and prison stories from film, TV and music. That means everything from miscarriage-of-justice anger to escape-movie comfort food, brutal borstal drama, wizard prisons, sitcom prisons and, naturally, George Clooney being offensively cool in Out of Sight . Along the way we discuss: In the Name of the Father and the fury of the Guildford Four injustice The Shawshank Redemption , new fish, Red, Andy Dufresne and the power of endless TV rewatchability The Green Mile as another Stephen King prison classic Birdman of Alcatraz , Escape from Alcatraz and The Rock why Pete is missed whenever a Sean Connery impression is required Brubaker , with Robert Redford discovering prison corruption from the inside the glorious stupidity of Prison Break and its tattooed escape-plan premise Scum , Midnight Express , Azkaban and The Great Escape Folsom Prison Blues , Jailhouse Rock , I Fought the Law and John Lennon’s Attica State Porridge , HMP Slade and Fletcher trying to survive the system by wisecracking Escape from Sobibor and the power of stories about people walking out through horror Out of Sight , Glades Correctional Institution and the possibly illegal hotness of George Clooney Then we review Sing Sing , directed by Greg Kwedar and starring Colman Domingo as John “Divine G” Whitfield. Inspired by the real Rehabilitation Through the Arts programme at Sing Sing Correctional Facility, the film follows a group of incarcerated men who use theatre to build community, process emotion and make something together in a place designed to strip people of freedom. The film opens with Divine G performing on stage. For a moment, it could be Broadway. Then the prison reality returns: standing to attention, routines, walls, control. That contrast becomes the film’s central power. Inside the rehearsal room, the men are not reduced to their crimes or their sentences. They are actors, writers, collaborators, comedians and friends. A big part of the film’s authenticity comes from the cast. Alongside professional actors like Domingo and Paul Raci, many performers are real RTA alumni and formerly incarcerated men playing versions of themselves. Sidey and Dan both pick up on how much that matters. The film feels lived-in because many of the faces on screen have lived some version of this world. The main dramatic spark comes when Clarence “Divine Eye” Maclin joins the theatre group. He is guarded, tough and suspicious of vulnerability, but he is also the person who suggests the troupe should make a comedy instead of another serious drama. That choice leads to Breakin’ the Mummy’s Code , a real RTA production full of time travel, ancient Egypt, Hamlet and absolute chaos. Sidey had not heard of Sing Sing before this week and might not have watched it without the nomination, but he is very glad he did. Dan is just as positive. The dads admire the film’s warmth, pace and humanity, and the way it avoids becoming either a grim prison misery parade or a simplistic “art fixes everything” story. It is moving, funny, generous and grounded — a prison film about performance, friendship, grief, justice and purpose. Strong recommend from both dads. You can now text us anonymously to leave feedback, suggest future content or simply hurl abuse at us. We'll read out any texts we receive on the show. Click here to try it out! We love to hear from our listeners! By which I mean we tolerate it. If it hasn't been completely destroyed yet you can usually find us on twitter @dads_film , on Facebook Bad Dads Film Review , on email at baddadsjsy@gmail.com or on our website baddadsfilm.com . Until next time, we remain... Bad Dads
This week on Bad Dads Film Review, we head back to 1938 for Angels with Dirty Faces , Michael Curtiz’s classic gangster drama starring James Cagney , Pat O’Brien , Humphrey Bogart and Ann Sheridan . It is very much an old-school Hollywood crime picture — street kids, reform school, crooked lawyers, corrupt city rackets, priests, gangsters, ledgers, shootouts and plenty of “what do you say, what do you know?” patter — but the dads are surprised by how modern and effective parts of it still feel. We start with young Rocky Sullivan and Jerry Connolly, two poor kids stealing from freight cars in the hope of making a few dollars. Jerry makes it over the fence. Rocky gets caught. That one moment sends their lives in opposite directions: Jerry becomes Father Connolly, a priest trying to help the local boys; Rocky becomes a famous gangster whose name alone is enough to make those same boys look at him like a hero. The film’s central question is simple and still uncomfortable: what happens when the person the kids admire most is exactly the person they should not become? Rocky returns to the old neighbourhood after prison looking for the $100,000 he is owed by Frazier, played by Humphrey Bogart in full slippery villain mode. Instead of paying up, Frazier and his partners try to have Rocky killed, while Rocky’s presence in the neighbourhood starts pulling the Dead End Kids away from Father Jerry’s attempts to give them discipline, sport and a better path. Along the way we discuss: James Cagney’s magnetic gangster energy Humphrey Bogart before he became top-billed Bogart Pat O’Brien as Rocky’s childhood friend turned priest Ann Sheridan as Laury, the grown-up “pigtails” from Rocky’s youth the Dead End Kids as younger versions of Rocky and Jerry the basketball scene and Jerry’s attempt to teach rules and teamwork corrupt rackets, hidden ledgers and gangster bookkeeping Rocky’s refusal to let Frazier and Mac kill Jerry the rooftop/tenement shootout that seals Rocky’s fate the electric-chair ending and whether Rocky’s fear is real or performed why that final walk is the thing everyone remembers the film’s influence on Angels with Filthy Souls in Home Alone Sidey had not seen the film before and comes away genuinely impressed, especially by how strong the filmmaking feels for 1938. The camera moves more than expected, the street scenes have real life in them, and the moral ending still lands. Dan highlights Cagney’s star power and the way his gangster roles sit alongside his broader musical and performance talents. So does it still work? Absolutely. The language and rhythms are unmistakably of their time, but the story of poverty, idol worship, bad choices and one final attempt at redemption still has weight. Strong recommend, see? You can now text us anonymously to leave feedback, suggest future content or simply hurl abuse at us. We'll read out any texts we receive on the show. Click here to try it out! We love to hear from our listeners! By which I mean we tolerate it. If it hasn't been completely destroyed yet you can usually find us on twitter @dads_film , on Facebook Bad Dads Film Review , on email at baddadsjsy@gmail.com or on our website baddadsfilm.com . Until next time, we remain... Bad Dads
This week on Bad Dads Film Review, we complete our accidental trilogy of “third things.” After covering Close Encounters of the Third Kind on the midweek show, we turn to Army of Darkness , Sam Raimi’s third Evil Dead film, and use that as an excuse to dig into the noble, messy and often suspicious art of the threequel. There is no formal intro this week — time has apparently been attacked by Deadites — so we open with a catch-up on what everyone has been watching. Reegs has been busy with Backrooms , Obsession , Disclosure Day and Apple TV’s Cape Fear , which gets a recommendation so long as you know going in that it is extremely ridiculous. Sidey has finally finished The Pit , finding the second season weaker than the first but still worth the time, and has also watched Backrooms and started The Mandalorian . Dan has finished series five of Slow Horses , which he continues to push as an absolute treat, and has also seen The Odyssey at the cinema, where three hours apparently went by surprisingly quickly. That leads us into the usual wandering preamble: 4DX screenings with shaking seats, water and wind; panoramic side-screen cinema formats; the Sphere in Vegas; Sidey somehow still not having made it to IMAX; Spider-Man: Brand New Day and big cinema opening weekends; Tom Holland and Jon Bernthal on Hot Ones ; and the general horror of people getting overconfident with hot sauce before reality arrives in liquid form. The Top 5 this week is third films in a franchise , which gives us one of those lists where genuinely great films sit shoulder to shoulder with absolute nonsense. Dan opens strongly with The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King , a film that swept the Oscars so hard it practically brought its own broom. Sidey goes for Toy Story 3 , remembering Lotso, Spanish Buzz, the daycare escape, the furnace sequence and the emotional finality of Andy giving up his toys. Reegs makes a spirited defence of The Matrix Revolutions , arguing that its uneasy truce ending and refusal to give everyone a simple victory has aged better than its reputation suggests. From there, we move through Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade , with Sean Connery, River Phoenix and the Holy Grail; The Bourne Ultimatum , which Sidey remembers as peak Jason Bourne closure and kinetic shaky-cam action; Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 , praised by Reegs for Rocket’s unexpectedly emotional backstory; The Naked Gun 33⅓: The Final Insult , because Frank Drebin remains Frank Drebin; and Die Hard with a Vengeance , which gives Sidey an excuse to talk about Zeus, Simon Says, Jeremy Irons and New York puzzle chaos. There are plenty of other third-film detours too, including RoboCop 3 , Austin Powers in Goldmember , The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift , Alien 3 , John Wick: Chapter 3 — Parabellum , Back to the Future Part III , Halloween III: Season of the Witch , The Good, the Bad and the Ugly , the Cornetto trilogy, Avengers: Infinity War , Blade: Trinity , Karate Kid Part III and Ocean’s 13 . Sidey bends the rules by choosing the third episode of Twin Peaks , “Zen, or the Skill to Catch a Killer,” while Dan lands on Before Midnight , the third film in Richard Linklater’s Before trilogy. Eventually, we arrive in 1300 AD for Army of Darkness itself. Dan has not seen it, but has correctly gathered that this is not really the same kind of horror film as The Evil Dead . Reegs, who has seen it many times, explains the tonal journey of the series: the first film as bleak, grimy horror; Evil Dead II as a genuine horror-comedy masterpiece; and Army of Darkness as the point where Ash becomes the full cartoon version of himself — part action hero, part idiot, part Bruce Campbell chin-delivery system. We talk about Sam Raimi’s direction, Bill Pope’s cinematography before The Matrix , Danny Elfman’s contribution to the score, and the way Raimi’s visual energy clearly echoes forward into later filmmakers such as Edgar Wright. The plot is gloriously simple and gloriously stupid: Ash is dragged through time after Evil Dead II , lands in the middle of a medieval conflict between Lord Arthur and Henry the Red, gets thrown into a pit, fights Deadites, reclaims his chainsaw hand, introduces everyone to the boomstick, and immediately becomes insufferable once the locals start treating him as their prophesied saviour. The film then sends Ash off to retrieve the Necronomicon , with one very clear instruction: say the words “Klaatu barada nikto” before taking the book. Naturally, Ash being Ash, he half-remembers, fudges it and unleashes the titular army of darkness. Along the way we get the windmill sequence, tiny mirror Ashes, Three Stooges slapstick, bad Ash splitting out of good Ash, Sheila falling for exactly the worst man available, and a castle siege finale full of skeletons, homemade weapons, a modified car and Ray Harryhausen-style chaos. We also get into the two endings: the darker UK/director’s cut version, where Ash takes too many drops and wakes up in a ruined future, and the more crowd-pleasing US S-Mart ending, where he returns to work, tells the story and gets one last heroic Deadite showdown. Reegs prefers the bleaker ending because it feels funnier and more in keeping with Ash’s ability to mess up almost everything. The verdict is affectionate, even if slightly qualified. Reegs still thinks Evil Dead II is the one to watch if you only watch one Evil Dead film, and he does not think Army of Darkness is great in quite the same way. But it is funny, quotable, inventive and packed with cult moments: the boomstick, S-Mart, “primitive screwheads,” bad magic words, skeleton armies and Bruce Campbell at maximum Ash. Sidey thinks Dan would probably enjoy it, describing it as something like The Princess Bride with Ray Harryhausen effects and comedy horror nonsense thrown in. So the final recommendation is simple: if you only watch one, Reegs says watch Evil Dead II . If you ask Sidey, just watch them all. You can now text us anonymously to leave feedback, suggest future content or simply hurl abuse at us. We'll read out any texts we receive on the show. Click here to try it out! We love to hear from our listeners! By which I mean we tolerate it. If it hasn't been completely destroyed yet you can usually find us on twitter @dads_film , on Facebook Bad Dads Film Review , on email at baddadsjsy@gmail.com or on our website baddadsfilm.com . Until next time, we remain... Bad Dads
This week on Bad Dads Film Review, the dads look to the skies for Steven Spielberg’s Close Encounters of the Third Kind , a film packed with UFO classifications, mysterious lights, mashed potato mountains, musical alien communication and one of cinema’s more questionable parenting decisions. Sidey begins by digging into what a “close encounter of the third kind” actually means, using J. Allen Hynek’s UFO classification system as a guide. The dads move from first and second kind sightings into the third kind itself, before noting that later fourth and fifth kinds make parts of Spielberg’s film feel even stranger in retrospect. From there, the conversation follows the film’s global mystery: missing aircraft in the Sonoran Desert, the SS Cotopaxi, Bermuda Triangle mythology, air traffic controllers who definitely do not want to file an official UFO report, and Claude Lacombe’s calm international investigation. The episode then turns to Roy Neary, whose roadside encounter with the impossible changes him completely. The dads talk through the power outage, the lights, the shaking truck, the radio interference and the physical burn that marks Roy’s experience as more than just a sighting. What follows is one of Spielberg’s most famous depictions of obsession, as Roy becomes consumed by an image he cannot explain: first in shaving foam, then in mashed potato, and eventually in the enormous Devil’s Tower model that takes over his family home. Barry’s abduction also gets plenty of attention, partly because the sequence remains so unsettling and partly because Dan remembers the repeated cry of “Barry!” as one of those film moments that became permanently lodged in family folklore. The dads discuss Spielberg’s clever methods for directing such a young child, the way Barry’s toys come to life, and the strange mixture of fear and wonder that runs through the whole sequence. As the film moves toward Devil’s Tower, the dads dig into the bigger ideas underneath the spectacle. Close Encounters is a film about translation, interpretation and communication: people trying to understand languages, music, symbols, visions and experiences that do not fit ordinary life. Reegs picks up on the repeated non-verbal communication, while the group discuss how the aliens never feel like a straightforward invading force in the Independence Day mould. Spielberg’s first contact is eerie and overwhelming, but also curious, musical and strangely hopeful. The final act gives the episode its big Spielberg moment: the government cover story, the fake contamination zone, the secret landing site, the five-note musical conversation, the glass-shattering alien volume and the mothership reveal that still looks astonishing nearly fifty years later. The dads also touch on production trivia, including model details, Easter eggs such as R2-D2, and the famous Spielberg/Lucas percentage swap between Close Encounters and Star Wars . Naturally, the Bad Dads courtroom saves its harshest scrutiny for Roy boarding the alien ship. Is he a terrible dad for abandoning his family, or does his altered mental state earn him some kind of cosmic mitigation? Sidey is ready to place Roy firmly in the Bad Dad category, while Dan offers a partial defence on the grounds that Roy has clearly been changed by forces beyond normal human control. Either way, it leads into a broader discussion of Spielberg’s recurring interests in fathers, fragmented families, engineers, artists, music, communication and wonder. The verdict is a unanimous strong recommend. Nearly fifty years on, Close Encounters of the Third Kind still works as spectacle, mystery, family drama, spiritual science fiction and pure Spielberg awe. It is hopeful without being naïve, strange without becoming hostile, and still technically impressive thanks to practical effects, patient build-up and one of cinema’s great mothership reveals. Roy may or may not get a full Bad Dad pardon, but the film itself absolutely gets a pass. You can now text us anonymously to leave feedback, suggest future content or simply hurl abuse at us. We'll read out any texts we receive on the show. Click here to try it out! We love to hear from our listeners! By which I mean we tolerate it. If it hasn't been completely destroyed yet you can usually find us on twitter @dads_film , on Facebook Bad Dads Film Review , on email at baddadsjsy@gmail.com or on our website baddadsfilm.com . Until next time, we remain... Bad Dads
This week the Bad Dads go big. Very big. City-smashing, helicopter-swatting, nuclear-lizard big. Sidey has been watching the modern Warner Bros / Legendary MonsterVerse with his daughter, and the results are a full kaiju download covering Godzilla, Kong: Skull Island, Godzilla: King of the Monsters, Godzilla vs. Kong, and Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire. What We Cover Sidey’s family MonsterVerse marathon and why his daughter was hooked The difference between classic Japanese Godzilla, the 1990s Matthew Broderick version, and the modern Legendary / Warner Bros series Kong: Skull Island and its excellent mix of Vietnam-era war movie, lost-world adventure and giant ape carnage Samuel L. Jackson, John Goodman, John C. Reilly, and why Kong looks “like a badass” Godzilla: King of the Monsters, including Mothra, Rodan, King Ghidorah, Monarch, Charles Dance, and Ken Watanabe’s heroic nuclear sacrifice Godzilla vs. Kong and the eternal playground question: giant lizard or giant monkey? Mechagodzilla, Apex Cybernetics, and why the monsters teaming up is exactly the kind of nonsense we came for Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, Scar King, little ape business and the expanding Hollow Earth mythology Why the human drama in these films often feels like an interruption between monster fights Godzilla Minus One and the contrast between Godzilla as hero and Godzilla as terrifying destructive force Why huge CGI monsters smashing things remains deeply satisfying when done properly Choice Quote / Pull Line “They’re obviously completely stupid, but I really love big kaiju, big monster movies. They’re so cool.” Episode Angle A loving, sweary, spoiler-friendly defence of the MonsterVerse as premium switch-your-brain-off blockbuster entertainment: not always smart, not always coherent, but frequently brilliant at giving audiences exactly what they paid for — enormous creatures battering each other while humans explain things near laptops. You can now text us anonymously to leave feedback, suggest future content or simply hurl abuse at us. We'll read out any texts we receive on the show. Click here to try it out! We love to hear from our listeners! By which I mean we tolerate it. If it hasn't been completely destroyed yet you can usually find us on twitter @dads_film , on Facebook Bad Dads Film Review , on email at baddadsjsy@gmail.com or on our website baddadsfilm.com . Until next time, we remain... Bad Dads
This week on Bad Dads Film Review, the dads head into deep space for Project Hail Mary — a Ryan Gosling-led Andy Weir adaptation about astrophage, reluctant heroism, alien engineering, musical communication and the most loveable rock-spider in modern sci-fi. What we covered The return to Podcast Mountain after a week off, with Sidey explaining why recent recording plans went slightly sideways. Sidey and Reegs seeing The Streets at Alexandra Palace, immediately considering Iceland, and generally having a far better time than Sidey later had in Malta. Malta being very hot, not especially relaxing, and a strong avoid unless you are on the picturesque ferry to Gozo. Family hotel movie nights, including a MonsterVerse run and the crushing parental disappointment of Raiders of the Lost Ark being switched off for being boring. Ryan Gosling news from Comic-Con, including Ghost Rider , Star Wars , and whether anyone can make Ghost Rider look good on screen. Gosling’s range: Only God Forgives , Lars and the Real Girl , The Gray Man , blockbuster charm and oddball credibility. Andy Weir, The Martian , and why the dads respond to optimistic science-problem movies where clever people solve practical disasters. The central crisis: astrophage is eating the Sun’s energy, reducing solar output and threatening Earth. The Hail Mary mission as humanity’s last desperate throw, sent to Tau Ceti because that system appears mysteriously resistant to the astrophage problem. Ryland Grace waking from stasis with no memory, dead crewmates, a HAL-like computer and a beard that suggests deep-space personal care needs work. The flashbacks revealing Grace as a molecular biologist turned school teacher recruited by Eva Stratt to help understand astrophage. The moral ugliness of Grace not volunteering for the suicide mission, then being sedated and sent anyway after the intended crew are killed. The grim Earthside stakes: collapsing sunlight, food-chain panic, frightened children and governments handing Stratt extraordinary power. First contact with Rocky , the engineer from Erid whose own planet is facing the same astrophage disaster. Rocky’s musical language, the translation process, and the dads’ comparison with Close Encounters of the Third Kind . The two-ship friendship: different atmospheres, pressure barriers, xenonite tunnels and two scientists learning to trust each other through diagrams and experiments. Rocky’s look: rock-like, spider-like, toy-like and somehow instantly endearing. The discovery of taumoeba , the organism that eats astrophage and offers a possible solution for both Earth and Erid. Rocky saving Grace at huge personal risk, then Grace choosing to use his remaining fuel to save Rocky when he realises Rocky’s ship is in danger. The film’s optimistic message: cooperation across species, cultures and worlds is the only thing that saves anyone. Grace ending up on Erid, teaching alien children about Earth, and the dads enjoying the full-circle return to teaching. The reported $200 million budget, worldwide box office heading toward $700 million, UK-built Hail Mary sets, and Gosling’s likely “double bubble” as star and producer. Key moments / quotes Sidey says “hopes were high for Project Hail Mary” because of the Gosling/Andy Weir pedigree. Dan explains the title through American football: the last desperate throw into the end zone. The dads note that Grace “didn’t fucking volunteer”, which makes Earth’s plan morally spicy even if the stakes are existential. Rocky’s musical tones immediately bring Close Encounters to mind. The group enjoy the idea of a sci-fi film built around “scientist guy figuring shit out”. Cris appreciates that the film is warmer and more colourful than the bleaker spaceship sci-fi he usually struggles with. Sidey reads the Grace/Rocky relationship as a story about different worlds working together on the same problem. Cris highlights the happy ending, the little rock children and the satisfying “don’t go back / actually he should go back” emotional turn. Sidey notes the film has done serious box office business against a huge production budget. The final verdict lands simply: “Strong? Strong. Strong. Yeah. Strong.” Verdict The dads give Project Hail Mary a unanimous strong recommend. They respond to the Andy Weir problem-solving structure, Ryan Gosling’s easy likeability, the film’s optimistic tone, and especially Rocky — an alien sidekick/friend/co-scientist who turns the film from simple survival story into something warmer and more memorable. It is big-budget, accessible sci-fi with a hopeful streak: funny, emotional, smart enough to feel satisfying, and powered by the very Bad Dads-friendly idea that cooperation beats panic, even when the Sun is being eaten. You can now text us anonymously to leave feedback, suggest future content or simply hurl abuse at us. We'll read out any texts we receive on the show. Click here to try it out! We love to hear from our listeners! By which I mean we tolerate it. If it hasn't been completely destroyed yet you can usually find us on twitter @dads_film , on Facebook Bad Dads Film Review , on email at baddadsjsy@gmail.com or on our website baddadsfilm.com . Until next time, we remain... Bad Dads
This week on Bad Dads Film Review, the dads dive into Luc Besson’s cult aquatic epic The Big Blue — a nearly three-hour blend of freediving rivalry, French mysticism, Jean Reno charisma, dolphin longing and some deeply questionable romantic choices. What we covered Le Grand Bleu: the original title, the French phenomenon, and whether saying it properly makes the film any shorter. The director’s cut runtime and the general feeling that 168 minutes is a lot of ocean. The black-and-white childhood opening in Greece, where Jacques and Enzo’s friendship/rivalry begins. Jacques witnessing his father’s diving death, and how the sea becomes both trauma and home. Enzo’s adult introduction: Jean Reno in full swagger mode, rescuing a trapped diver and somehow turning it into a payday. Jacques as scientific anomaly: slowing his heart rate, bonding with dolphins, and generally behaving less like a man than an aquatic screensaver with cheekbones. Rosanna Arquette’s Johana, who falls hard for Jacques and makes some bold career decisions in pursuit of a man who would rather be underwater. The freediving championship sequences, including the dads trying to understand how niche sport fame works. Breath-holding records, Kate Winslet’s lungs, pure oxygen cheating, and the grim reality that most of us are good for about 35 seconds. Enzo and Jacques’ rivalry: affectionate, macho, dangerous, and meaningful mostly because Enzo needs it to be. The film’s underwater photography, which everyone agrees is often genuinely impressive. The score, which won a César and still gets absolutely battered here. Cris’s appreciation of the costumes, wetsuits, shirts, colour coordination and general seaside style. The dolphin break-out sequence, aka the brief Free Willy section of the film. Enzo’s fatal final dive and Jacques’ decision to return him to the depths. Jacques’ final choice, Johana’s pregnancy, and whether the ending is poetic transcendence or a man abandoning responsibility via dolphin. Key moments / quotes Sidey clocks the film as having a “runtime of 73 hours”. Dan admits he chose it and remembered liking it, but that it was not as great as he remembered. Reegs describes the Amazon Prime aspect-ratio problem as so bad he had to find another version to watch it properly. Sidey asks whether Luc Besson edited it himself, because surely someone should have said: “This is not a fucking three-hour movie.” Reegs objects to the film romanticising Jacques, describing the ending as abandonment of a pregnant woman through grief and dolphins. Cris likes the style more than the film: the beachwear, shirts, boat shoes, wetsuits and Italian flag diving suit all get more enthusiasm than the story. Dan still has affection for the film’s imagery, Jean Reno and the childhood memory of its oceanic grandeur. Verdict The dads admire the look, the water photography and Jean Reno, but the film takes a pasting for length, pretension, thin characterisation, the writing of Johana, and Jacques being less romantic hero than emotionally unavailable dolphin botherer. A very Bad Dads kind of strong recommend: if you have three hours spare and absolutely nothing else to do, you might come away with some nice water and a deep desire to watch football instead. You can now text us anonymously to leave feedback, suggest future content or simply hurl abuse at us. We'll read out any texts we receive on the show. Click here to try it out! We love to hear from our listeners! By which I mean we tolerate it. If it hasn't been completely destroyed yet you can usually find us on twitter @dads_film , on Facebook Bad Dads Film Review , on email at baddadsjsy@gmail.com or on our website baddadsfilm.com . Until next time, we remain... Bad Dads
This week on Bad Dads Film Review, regular programming is temporarily suspended because the World Cup has taken over. No movie this time — instead, Sidey, Dan, Cris and Reegs look ahead to England v Argentina on Wednesday 15 July 2026 , and ask the most important question in football: is it actually coming home? What we covered #ICH: the birth of “It’s Coming Home” energy and why this World Cup feels different. England’s long road from the lows of Euro 2008, Steve McClaren’s brolly, Iceland, and the underachieving golden generation. Why the modern England setup has changed: St George’s Park, elite player development, the under-21 pipeline, and a squad that actually seems to like each other. Gareth Southgate’s legacy: restoring pride and culture, even if tactical caution may have cost England against Italy, Croatia and Spain. Thomas Tuchel’s England: more intensity, better defensive structure, set pieces, positive substitutions, and a clearer tactical plan. England’s tournament so far: not always dazzling, but resilient, adaptable and capable of raising the level when the opposition demands it. Hydration breaks: cynical advert break, useful tactical reset, and Dan’s preferred toilet window. England’s attacking identity: direct, vertical, fast and built around Kane’s movement, Bellingham’s late arrivals, and wide players who can stretch tired full-backs. The “starters and finishers” idea: Madueke as chaos engine, Saka as late-game punishment. Argentina’s threat: shithousery, tempo control, physicality, Romero, and the small matter of Lionel Messi. Cris’s theory that England win if they keep the tempo high and make Argentina run. Predictions: Cris 3–0 England, Reegs 3–2 England, Sidey/Dan closer to 1–0 or 2–1, possibly after extra time. Sidey’s BetBuilder: Gordon to score, Romero booked, England to go through. Key moments / quotes Dan opens with the unavoidable: “It’s coming home.” Sidey describes it as “a change to regular programming” because the World Cup has taken over. The group revisits the old England problem: club rivalries, players sitting at separate tables, and a golden generation that never really became a team. Cris backs the development pathway argument, noting how promoting from within helped bypass old rivalries. Dan gives Southgate credit for putting pride back into the shirt, even if he was not always convinced by him as a manager. Reegs frames Tuchel’s England as reflecting “some of the best things about English football”: intensity, defensive security and set pieces. Cris says England are not Spain, France or Brazil in terms of central artistry — they are more direct, more vertical, more “crash bang wallop”. The group agrees Messi is still the great unknown: maybe the old days are gone, but nobody wants to be the team that finds out they are not. Sidey’s gambling-adjacent closing thought: Gordon goal, Romero yellow, England through. Verdict Confidence is high, but nobody is fully relaxed because England are England and Argentina are Argentina. The dads are backing England to go through, but with varying degrees of emotional self-protection. You can now text us anonymously to leave feedback, suggest future content or simply hurl abuse at us. We'll read out any texts we receive on the show. Click here to try it out! We love to hear from our listeners! By which I mean we tolerate it. If it hasn't been completely destroyed yet you can usually find us on twitter @dads_film , on Facebook Bad Dads Film Review , on email at baddadsjsy@gmail.com or on our website baddadsfilm.com . Until next time, we remain... Bad Dads
This week on Bad Dads Film Review, we review The Life Ahead , the 2020 Netflix drama directed by Edoardo Ponti and starring Sophia Loren as Madame Rosa. It is a film about grief, trauma, community, memory, faith, chosen family, and a young boy called Momo who is running out of safe places until he collides with an elderly woman who understands pain better than most. What we covered Monday-recording energy after England’s glorious World Cup defeat of Mexico at the Azteca. Recent watches including The Armstrong Lie , Marco Pierre White, Cape Fear , Shot Caller , The Boys , and some explosive dynamite nominations. Sophia Loren’s return in a film directed by her son, Edoardo Ponti. Madame Rosa: Holocaust survivor, former sex worker, carer for the children of other sex workers, and a woman still carrying deep fear of doctors and institutions. Momo’s introduction: stealing Rosa’s candlesticks in the market, trying to stash them badly, and giving possibly the least heartfelt apology ever. Dr Cohen’s attempt to place Momo with Rosa, and the negotiation that moves from “absolutely not” to a deal once the money improves. Rosa’s household: Babu, Yosef, Lola, and the mix of Jewish, Muslim, Catholic, immigrant, queer and street-level lives around her. Lola as a transgender sex worker, parent and former boxer, and the dads’ discussion of how the film includes a lot of identity and community threads. Momo being given a job by Mr Hamil, who helps connect him to his Muslim and Senegalese heritage. Momo’s parallel life as a young hash dealer, including his quick success, his maths brain, and the fishmonger/drug dealer who tells him never to mess him about. The recurring lioness imagery and how it connects to Momo’s mother, protection, Senegal, faith and abandonment. Madame Rosa’s decline: the rain episode, the staring spells, dementia-like symptoms, and Momo covering for her to preserve her dignity. Rosa’s hidden basement room, her Auschwitz tattoo, her Jewish memories, and the place she has built to feel safe. The promise Rosa extracts from Momo: do not let them take me to hospital. Momo’s guilt when Rosa is hospitalised while he has been out drinking and dealing. The hospital “jailbreak” and the return to the basement, where Momo tries to keep his promise. The fake mimosa plant Momo makes for Rosa, and why that gesture becomes one of the film’s most moving moments. The ending: Rosa’s death, the funeral, and Momo walking away with Lola and Mr Hamil as a fragile new family unit. Sophia Loren’s screen presence at 86: still fiery, still commanding, and especially powerful in the largely silent final section. Ibrahima Gueye’s debut as Momo, which the dads thought was hugely impressive. The criticism that the film is sometimes too broad, too sweet, and a bit treacly — touching on many serious subjects without fully developing all of them. Why the drug storyline, in particular, feels like it could have gone somewhere darker but is resolved quite softly. The film’s Puglia setting, warm colours, Italian street life, and very direct community feeling. Key quotes / moments Sidey notes that this is probably his first proper Sophia Loren film. Reegs calls the film “a bit treacly, a bit saccharine,” and argues that it throws too much in without examining enough of it in depth. Cris argues that the breadth is part of the Italian community texture: different faiths, identities, politics, histories and people all trying to get by. Dan responds strongly to the setting, the culture, and the idea of people with difficult lives still trying to do something decent for a child. The fake mimosa plant stands out as the small gesture that shows Momo has changed. Verdict A strong recommend . The dads acknowledge that The Life Ahead is well-intentioned and sometimes too broad or sentimental, but the performances, warmth, setting and emotional generosity carry it. Sophia Loren is excellent, Ibrahima Gueye is terrific, and the film’s simple message — damaged people can still look after each other — lands. You can now text us anonymously to leave feedback, suggest future content or simply hurl abuse at us. We'll read out any texts we receive on the show. Click here to try it out! We love to hear from our listeners! By which I mean we tolerate it. If it hasn't been completely destroyed yet you can usually find us on twitter @dads_film , on Facebook Bad Dads Film Review , on email at baddadsjsy@gmail.com or on our website baddadsfilm.com . Until next time, we remain... Bad Dads
This week on Bad Dads Film Review, we head into early Scorsese territory with Mean Streets , starring Harvey Keitel as Charlie and Robert De Niro as Johnny Boy. It is New York, 1973: Catholic guilt, bar-room bravado, small-time gangster pressure, unpaid debts, family loyalty, loaded silences, unloaded guns, and the unmistakable beginning of the Scorsese crime-movie language that would later explode into Goodfellas . What we covered The famous opening idea: “You don’t make up for your sins in church. You do it on the streets.” How clearly the film points toward later Scorsese: Catholicism, crime, music, neighbourhood codes, restless camera moves and men trapped by loyalty. Harvey Keitel’s Charlie: a young man trying to be a gangster, a good Catholic, a loyal friend, and a decent person — all at once, badly. Charlie’s guilt, the candle-burning, and the sense that a few Hail Marys are nowhere near enough for what he thinks he deserves. Robert De Niro’s Johnny Boy as a reckless human hand grenade: charming, funny, dangerous, and absolutely allergic to consequences. Johnny Boy’s debts, the pressure from Michael, and why the lack of respect becomes almost more dangerous than the lack of money. The rooftop gun scene, including the attempt to shoot the light off the Empire State Building. The “mook” bar fight — possibly the most memorable use of the word “mook” in cinema history. The corrupt cop casually taking a bribe after the bar fight. Teresa, Charlie’s relationship with her, and the family/friendship knot that keeps Charlie tied to Johnny Boy. The grimy restaurant kitchen scene and its spectacularly dubious food hygiene energy. The ending: the drive-by shooting, Scorsese’s possible cameo as the gunman, the crash, the sirens, and the refusal to offer neat redemption. The low-budget invention: LA standing in for New York in places, Scorsese’s family and friends appearing, and the camera-rig drunk shot attached to Keitel. The fashion: De Niro’s hair, the sideburns, the silk shirts, and the sheer 1973 Italian-American wardrobe content. Key quotes / moments Sidey spots the Goodfellas DNA almost immediately. Dan calls Johnny Boy “a human hand grenade.” Reegs remembers the “mook” scene as the thing that stuck with him from the film. Cris singles out De Niro’s hair and later the restaurant kitchen, which looks like one of the worst episodes of Kitchen Nightmares . The dads admire the film as the raw blueprint for Scorsese’s later, more polished crime films. Verdict A strong recommend . The dads recognise that Mean Streets is looser and rougher than Scorsese’s later work, but that is part of its power: it is gritty, restless, funny, violent, Catholic, and absolutely foundational. You can now text us anonymously to leave feedback, suggest future content or simply hurl abuse at us. We'll read out any texts we receive on the show. Click here to try it out! We love to hear from our listeners! By which I mean we tolerate it. If it hasn't been completely destroyed yet you can usually find us on twitter @dads_film , on Facebook Bad Dads Film Review , on email at baddadsjsy@gmail.com or on our website baddadsfilm.com . Until next time, we remain... Bad Dads
This week on Bad Dads Film Review, we review Sidney Lumet’s 12 Angry Men , the 1957 jury-room classic starring Henry Fonda and Lee J. Cobb . A young man’s life is on the line. Eleven jurors are ready to convict. One juror wants to talk. From that simple setup, the film becomes a tense, brilliantly engineered argument about reasonable doubt, prejudice, memory, class, personal baggage and the terrifying confidence of people who think they are definitely right. What we covered The beautifully simple setup: a death-penalty murder case, a hot jury room, and a judge who seems very ready to go home. Juror 8’s position: not “he is innocent,” but “I am not convinced beyond reasonable doubt.” The first 11–1 guilty vote and how quickly the accused boy could have been sent to death row. The supposedly unique switchblade, and the moment Henry Fonda produces an identical knife. The old man’s testimony, the timing experiment, the passing train, and whether the witnesses could really have seen or heard what they claimed. The boy’s cinema alibi, and why forgetting details under stress might not prove guilt. The glasses clue and the late “Sherlock” moment that shakes the logical stockbroker juror. Juror 10’s racist rant and the powerful staging of the rest of the room turning away from him. Lee J. Cobb’s Juror 3, whose anger toward his own son becomes tangled up with the fate of the defendant. Sidney Lumet’s craft: the rehearsals, the sweat, the lowering camera, the tightening room, and the way the film becomes more claustrophobic as it goes. Why the premise can be remade in different countries and eras as a way to examine each culture’s justice system and prejudices. Whether some of the jury-room behaviour would cause a mistrial in real life. Short answer: probably yes, especially the duplicate murder weapon. Key quotes / moments Reegs calls it “an incredible piece of science fiction” because it imagines people being persuaded by rational thought. Sidey points out that the film never proves innocence; it proves doubt. Cris remembers watching the Henry Fonda version with his dad. Dan compares its single-room effectiveness to the pleasure of low-budget, high-idea films like Coherence . The dads admire how every line either reveals character, advances the plot, or exposes someone’s bias. Dan lands the final group verdict: this is “four agreed men.” Verdict A unanimous and very strong recommend. The dads see 12 Angry Men as one of the strongest black-and-white films covered on the podcast: precise, gripping, brilliantly performed and still painfully relevant. You can now text us anonymously to leave feedback, suggest future content or simply hurl abuse at us. We'll read out any texts we receive on the show. Click here to try it out! We love to hear from our listeners! By which I mean we tolerate it. If it hasn't been completely destroyed yet you can usually find us on twitter @dads_film , on Facebook Bad Dads Film Review , on email at baddadsjsy@gmail.com or on our website baddadsfilm.com . Until next time, we remain... Bad Dads
This week the Bad Dads take a midweek spin of the Amazon Prime roulette wheel and land on The Bad Education Movie , the 2015 big-screen send-off for Jack Whitehall’s BBC Three sitcom. Sidey is not thrilled. Reegs has seen some of it before. Cris has only caught the ending. Dan is mostly wondering how all this happened. What We Covered Amazon Prime roulette: With no planned theme and a hectic week, the Dads pick numbers, scroll through Prime, and end up with The Bad Education Movie. Sidey vs Jack Whitehall: Sidey clarifies that Jack Whitehall may be lovely in real life, but the posh, fumbling, “I’ve said a swear word” comic persona absolutely grates. The sitcom-to-film set-up: A BBC Three comedy becomes a feature-length send-off, following teacher Alfie Wickers and his suspiciously adult-looking class. Amsterdam chaos: Mushrooms, the Anne Frank museum, a stolen model, E.T. bicycle imagery, and an early sign of the film’s comic level. Classroom carnage: Harry Enfield appears, the PTA are unimpressed, and a hamster gag goes full Richard Gere. Cornwall instead of Vegas: The school trip ends up around the Eden Project rather than the intended big blow-out, with Cornish stereotypes and a fake liberation movement driving the plot. Running gags: Fencing, the unfinished C-L-A tattoo, the tourist helicopter, gentrification, Tarquin, and the Cornish Liberation Army all get set up and paid off — just not, in the Dads’ view, amusingly. Gross-out humour: The relic/foreskin/pork-scratching gag, the Cornish strip club, zip-lining nudity, and repeated close-ups of Jack Whitehall’s anatomy take the film firmly into loud juvenile territory. The cast: The Dads note a surprisingly large cast, including Harry Enfield, Iain Glen, Matthew Horne and Clarke Peters, while repeatedly asking why some of them are in this. The broader Whitehall question: The episode detours into Jack Whitehall’s mainstream TV appeal, his safe-bet presenting persona, American audiences, and Michael Whitehall’s industry background. Key Quotes / Moments “There’s only so good that somebody can make you look.” “This was chosen in a sort of lottery-type fashion.” “I’m sure he’s very nice… but I don’t find him funny.” “This makes Brothers Grimsby look quite nuanced.” “All the jokes that they set up, they do pay off. They’re just not funny.” “Top five worst things I’ve watched for the pod.” “Strong avoid for me.” Verdict A strong avoid. Sidey finds the film loud, juvenile, exhausting and almost entirely unfunny, placing it among the worst things watched for the podcast. Dan agrees with a strong avoid, Reegs recognises the sitcom background but does not rescue it, and Cris’ “strong recommend?” is pure mischief. You can now text us anonymously to leave feedback, suggest future content or simply hurl abuse at us. We'll read out any texts we receive on the show. Click here to try it out! We love to hear from our listeners! By which I mean we tolerate it. If it hasn't been completely destroyed yet you can usually find us on twitter @dads_film , on Facebook Bad Dads Film Review , on email at baddadsjsy@gmail.com or on our website baddadsfilm.com . Until next time, we remain... Bad Dads
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Observed September 19, 2026. Cached outside the daily freshness window; the positions keep the date they were taken on.
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