The Next Reel Film Podcast
Brian and Charles
We close out Thinking Machines with Brian and Charles—a Welsh inventor, a washing machine robot, and a father-son story that splits us right down the middle.
April 23, 2026
For all you proper film enthusiasts who would like to peruse the films of TruStory FM’s entertainment podcasts by release decade. Get ready for a firehose of film history in these here stacks.
We close out Thinking Machines with Brian and Charles—a Welsh inventor, a washing machine robot, and a father-son story that splits us right down the middle.
Andy Weir sent Ryan Gosling to space with an alien rock puppet and somehow made the most emotionally devastating buddy movie of the year. The Film Board breaks down why Project Hail Mary works — and whether it’s The Martian in cosplay or something genuinely new.
Kevin Williamson returns to the franchise he created, Neve Campbell returns to the role she built, and Scream 7 opens to franchise-record box office and a 34% on Rotten Tomatoes. Pete Wright, Tommy Metz III, Steve Sarmento, and Mandy Kaplan dig in. Full spoilers. Strong opinions. One and a half stars from Tommy.
Returning to our Rocky series with “Creed III,” we unpack Michael B. Jordan’s directorial debut, anime-inspired fight visuals, and the first Rocky film without Rocky—plus what Majors brings.
Chris Pratt wakes up strapped into a futuristic courtroom chair with 90 minutes to live and an AI judge who looks like Rebecca Ferguson, so naturally the movie turns into Minority Report: Touchpad Edition. Pete Wright, Andy Nelson, Tommy Metz III, and Steve Sarmento argue whether Mercy is a cautionary tale about surveillance and AI… or just a very shiny roller coaster that keeps finding new ways to trip over its own shoelaces.
James Cameron’s Avatar: Fire and Ash may be a technical marvel, but does it remember to be a movie? The Film Board breaks down adaptive frame rates, hollow spectacle, and why Pandora keeps getting bigger while the story keeps shrinking.
A knife in a locked church and a mystery that insists certainty is the real sin. The Film Board takes on Wake Up, Dead Man, where Rian Johnson strips the joy out of the whodunit—and somehow makes it hit harder.
Stephen King’s dystopian manhunt gets a 2025 upgrade, as the Film Board tracks Glenn Powell through Edgar Wright’s The Running Man—where entertainment kills and revolution streams live.
The Film Board Gathers! The gang re-enters the grid to battle Jared Leto’s glowing ego, dissect Trent Reznor’s righteous soundtrack, and try to remember why TRON still exists. Spoilers, complaints, and some genuine love for Greta Lee await in this electric, overclocked deep dive.
What happens when Paul Thomas Anderson makes a $175 million action epic about fascism, family, and a stoner dad in a bathrobe? We spoil One Battle After Another rotten—DiCaprio, Penn, secret cabals, and all.