Movies That Matter

Movies that Matter is the podcast going beyond basic film criticism to boldly explore a social issue affecting people's lives.

Movies That Matter Says Goodbye 04/18/2025

Movies That Matter Says Goodbye Stacy, Adam, Garret, Lexy, Justin and Nicole give a final send-off to the podcast. The hosts reflect on making the podcast, memorable moments on mic and off, and favorite episodes. We thank everyone who participated and everyone who listened along the way. We'll miss you. /episode/index/show/moviesthatmatter/id/35484330

Wicked and the Quest for Popularity 01/09/2025

Wicked and the Quest for Popularity Lexy, Garret, and Nicole discuss Wicked and how much of society still operates like status in high school. We rave about the movie from the performances, to the costumes, to the cinematography, and the utter triumph Jon Chu created. The social issues in the movie are presented through the lens of high school and the movie's most popular song, Popular, which is resonant to the way we seek status in our adult lives. Nicole recommends a Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers classic . Lexy recommends the movie podcast . Garret recommends the original . Facebook /episode/index/show/moviesthatmatter/id/34743345

Gladiator II and the Cynical Cash Grab 12/16/2024

Gladiator II and the Cynical Cash Grab Stacy, Lexy, Adam, Justin and Nicole discuss the Gladiator sequel and its cynical cash grab. Everyone disliked the movie although most were entertained mainly finding fault with shoddy writing and Paul Mescal and liking the fights and Denzel Washington. We talk about the legacy of sword and sandal movies and the first Gladiator. We find the movie as a pretty cynical cash grab without any meaning or purpose. Justin recommends Black Spartacus, Lexy recommends Y2K, Adam recommends The King, Nicole recommends visitn Antelope Canyon. Facebook /episode/index/show/moviesthatmatter/id/34468515

Conclave and How We Choose Our Leaders 11/11/2024

Conclave and How We Choose Our Leaders Lexy, Garret, and Nicole discuss Conclave and election and how we decide what our future should be. We praise the craft of the movie from the lighting to the cinematography to the costume design. We wrap our head around a movie about an election recording the day after our U.S. presidential election. We talk about how the decisions of the conclave between left and right mirrors the most recent U.S. election. Lexy recommends . Garret recommends and being kind to yourself. Nicole recommends . Facebook /episode/index/show/moviesthatmatter/id/33882477

The Wild Robot and Unexpected Parenthood 10/25/2024

The Wild Robot and Unexpected Parenthood Justin, Stacy, and Lexy discuss The Wild Robot and the trope of unexpected parenthood. We praise the movie's animation and emotional beats. We also discuss the time-honored trope of a childless loner finding themselves accidentally a parent. We find the movie still finds unexplored territory, surprising us with a more modern view of motherhood. The movie tackles the challenges of being a parent along with the rewards and the need for cooperation in a hostile world. Lexy recommends and Justin recommends and . Facebook /episode/index/show/moviesthatmatter/id/33613482

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice and the Nostalgia Play: Part II 09/30/2024

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice and the Nostalgia Play: Part II Nicole, Adam, Garret, Justin, and Lexy discuss Beetlejuice Beetlejuice and the trend of capitalizing on nostalgia in movies. In part II, we discuss what we term "legacy sequels" or the sequel that comes decades afer the original. We explore whether the audiences are demanding these sequels or if the studios are pushing them. Facebook /episode/index/show/moviesthatmatter/id/33076972

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice and the Nostalgia Play: Part I 09/16/2024

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice and the Nostalgia Play: Part I Nicole, Adam, Garret, Justin, and Lexy discuss Beetlejuice Beetlejuice and the trend of capitalizing on nostalgia in movies. In part I, we discuss the movie in comparison to the original. We mostly enjoyed the movied but found the script lacking. Stay tuned for part II where we dive into selling audiences nostalgia and IP. Facebook /episode/index/show/moviesthatmatter/id/33073972

IF and Coping Through Imagination 06/18/2024

IF and Coping Through Imagination Garret and Nicole discuss IF and how imaginary friends, and imagination in general, can help get us through the dark times. Unlike most critics, we both liked the movie and its exploration of coping through loss, lonelieness, aging, and the other trials life throws our ways. Yes. There's a lot of crying. Garret recommends self care and Dr. Seuss. Nicole recommends Drop Dead Fred and Hadestown. Facebook /episode/index/show/moviesthatmatter/id/31779612

I Saw The TV Glow and the Beauty of Allegory 06/07/2024

I Saw The TV Glow and the Beauty of Allegory Stacy and Nicole discuss I Saw The TV Glow and the beauty of using allegory to tell a trans story. Stacy relates to the suffocation of suburbia where Nicole enjoys a unique story told in a unique way. While enjoying the movie for different reasons, we discuss our alternate views on the ending. We discuss the setting of the late 90s and the understanding of transgenderism in that time period for mainstream suburbia. Nicole recommends Philosphy Tube's Stacy recommends getting out into nature. Facebook /episode/index/show/moviesthatmatter/id/31652432

Challengers and Bringing Sexy Back 05/17/2024

Challengers and Bringing Sexy Back Lexy and Nicole discuss Challengers and the dearth of fun sexiness in movies and tv. We disagree on the craft and entertaiment value of the film. We talk about how flirtiness and light-hearted sexy times have gone out of style and why people might want it back. Lexy recommends Joy Ride. Nicole recommends The Thinking Woman's Guide to Real Magic. Facebook /episode/index/show/moviesthatmatter/id/31358257

The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare and the Rules of War 05/03/2024

The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare and the Rules of War Justin and Nicole discuss The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare and how we think about the morality of war. We find the movie entertaining but technically not particularly adept. We talk about the morality of war in general and of the world wars tackling what it means to have rules of war. Justin recommends and . Nicole recommends Brooklyn 99 and Who Killed the Video Store. Facebook /episode/index/show/moviesthatmatter/id/31104288

Civil War and Photojournalism 04/18/2024

Civil War and Photojournalism Adam and Nicole discuss Civil War and the movie's meditation on war photojournalism. We appreciated all the technical aspects of the movie, editing, cinematography, soundtrack, and sound design. All of the elements worked together to create a nuanced, almost meditative view on the role of photojournalism in war reporting. The movie tackles the inherent contradiction in taking a great photo of something horrific. Adam recommends and . Nicole recommends . Facebook /episode/index/show/moviesthatmatter/id/30884778

2024 Oscar Show: Design and Animated Awards 03/07/2024

2024 Oscar Show: Design and Animated Awards Nicole, Lexy, and Stacy tackle the Oscars covering costume, production design, song and animated films. We share our thoughts on the nominees and the films we saw in 2023. Facebook /episode/index/show/moviesthatmatter/id/30194108

2024 Oscar Show: Performances 03/04/2024

2024 Oscar Show: Performances Nicole, Lexy, Justin, and Stacy tackles the Oscars covering the best performances-- supporting actor/actress and leading actor/actress. We share our thoughts on the nominees and the films we saw in 2023. /episode/index/show/moviesthatmatter/id/30201523

2024 Oscar Show: Best Overall Awards 02/26/2024

2024 Oscar Show: Best Overall Awards Nicole, Lexy, Justin, and Stacy tackles the Oscars covering Best Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Director and Best Picture. We share our thoughts on the nominees and the films we saw in 2023. Facebook /episode/index/show/moviesthatmatter/id/30117603

Flashback: The Farewell and Staying vs. Leaving for America 01/25/2024

Flashback: The Farewell and Staying vs. Leaving for America Christopher and Nicole with special guest, Dan, discuss The Farewell and the issues that come along with generational conflicts that cross international boundaries as well. We disagree about the actual quality of the filmmaking particularly the bizarre score, Dan discusses the dissonance between what was considered funny by Asian vs non-Asian audiences, and the tension between the families who emigrate and the families who stay. It's worth hearing the real story from This American Life. For more on Lulu Wang, check out this from The Atlantic. Nicole recommends early Ang Lee: and . Christopher recommends . Facebook /episode/index/show/moviesthatmatter/id/29610673

Flashback: Get Out and White Spaces 01/11/2024

Flashback: Get Out and White Spaces Nicole and Stacy talk with Sari about Get Out, the fear of being black in white spaces, white fragility, and horror movie tropes. Mentioned in the episode is a an interview with Jordan Peele on the . Recommendations this week: and . Facebook /episode/index/show/moviesthatmatter/id/29356358

Wonka and Pure Imagination 12/28/2023

Wonka and Pure Imagination Garret and Nicole gush over Wonka and the movie's whimisical and joyful pure imagination. We love the cast, the costumes, the sets, and the world the movie created. We literally tear up talking about getting enveloped by this movie. We talk about the value of having genuine emotional experiences at the movies without having to tackle all the world's ills. Garret recommends reading out loud to another person. Nicole recommends . Facebook /episode/index/show/moviesthatmatter/id/29258618

Napoleon and War Movies 12/14/2023

Napoleon and War Movies Adam and Nicole discuss Napoleon and what makes for a good war movie. We don't know what this movie was about and found it a failure of a narrative. Beyond that, the acting and casting choices didn't work, the soundtrack made no sense, and only the costumes were worthy of praise. We discuss what makes for a good war movie including having stakes, an understanding of the cause, and perspectives from among the ranks. Also you actually have to have two armies fighting in the movie for it to be a war movie. Adam recommends . Nicole recommends . /episode/index/show/moviesthatmatter/id/28989003

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes and How to Play the Hunger Games 11/30/2023

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes and How to Play the Hunger Games Garret, Stacy, and Nicole discuss the Hunger Games: Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes after also reading the book. As fans of the Hunger Games, we all enjoyed the movie and the look back at how Katniss and Peeta's games came to be. We praise the cast diversity, but disagree on the success of the rewind back to earlier times presented in the movie. We discuss what it means to play the Hunger Games and to win them. We dig into how our backgrounds and personalities guide our chosen strategies. Garret recommends seeing the movie again. Stacy recommends catching up on history. Nicole recommends . Facebook /episode/index/show/moviesthatmatter/id/28806388

Rustin and Building a Protest 11/16/2023

Rustin and Building a Protest Justin and Nicole discuss Rustin and the intricacies of putting together social moviements. We highly enjoyed the performances, particularly Colman Domingo who captured the charisma and passion of Bayard Rustin. We talk about the challenges, the infighting, and the varying approaches to building a social movement. Justin recommends . Nicole recommends Nature's Premium aloe . Facebook /episode/index/show/moviesthatmatter/id/28585678

Killers of the Flower Moon and Centering American Indians 11/02/2023

Killers of the Flower Moon and Centering American Indians Justin and Nicole with special guest Rosebud Sioux tribe member Marietta discuss Killers of the Flower Moon and American Indian stories that aren't getting told. We disagree on our enjoyment of a three and a half hour movie but praise the performances. We wish the story focused more on the Osage. We have a wide ranging discussion on American Indian culture and history. We learn about , prima ballerina from the Osage tribe. Marietta also recommends checking out the in the spring in New Mexico. We discuss the issue of missing and murdered indigenous women, an issue that touched Marietta personally with the murder of her great niece's best friend . We also cover the residential schools and the repatriation of american indian remains. Marietta recommends and . Justin recommends and . Nicole recommends going to the Renwick Gallery for the exhibit. Facebook /episode/index/show/moviesthatmatter/id/28465139

The Exorcist: Believer and the Horror of Possession 10/27/2023

The Exorcist: Believer and the Horror of Possession Adam and Lexy discuss The Exorcist: Believer and whether being possessed by the devil still carries the same scare factor as it did when the original movie was made. Both hosts find the new movie fails to make good use of a legacy character and falls flat in the scare factor. We discuss if possession by the devil remains a timely fear versus other forms of possession. We find a known factor makes the fear much more unlikely. Adam recommends author . Lexy recommends . Facebook /episode/index/show/moviesthatmatter/id/28441889

Dumb Money and the Trap of Individual Investing 09/28/2023

Dumb Money and the Trap of Individual Investing Lexy and Nicole discuss Dumb Money and the difficulties most of us face running our investments. Lexy liked the movie better than Nicole who could not get past the central messaging of bad financial advice. We find the movie does a good job bringing audiences back into the world of the pandemic and describes the financial techniques and the basics of reddit well but some of the characters fell short. We discuss how the american economy has forced us all to be investors without the necessary training. We also note how this was an example of online life becoming in real life. Lexy recommends . Nicole recommends You're Wrong About's series on the . Facebook /episode/index/show/moviesthatmatter/id/28167785

Barbie and The Patriarchy Part II 08/24/2023

Barbie and The Patriarchy Part II Picking up where they left in the discussion of the male backlash again Barbie, Stacy and Nicole talk about how the movie stays away from using the word feminism but that the patriarchy is bad for both genders. We also discuss the consumerism aspect of Barbie. Stacy recommends and Nicole recommends season 16 of . Facebook /episode/index/show/moviesthatmatter/id/27746451

Barbie and The Patriarchy Part I 08/17/2023

Barbie and The Patriarchy Part I Stacy and Nicole discuss Barbie and the movie's message about The Patriarchy. The first of a two part episode, we praise the movie for its sets, costumes, performances, and its honor of Barbie. We get into the male backlash against the movie and how men prefer toxic masculinity to any alternative presented on the left. Stay tuned for the second half! Facebook /episode/index/show/moviesthatmatter/id/27745878

Oppenheimer and Mutually Assured Destruction 08/03/2023

Oppenheimer and Mutually Assured Destruction Justin and Nicole discuss Oppenheimer and the issues around nuclear proliferation. We disagree on how much we liked the movie. We enjoyed the parts about the bomb and the sound design but disagreed on the later segments featuring Robert Downey Jr. We talk about the benefits and risks of nuclear proliferation, and Japan's special status as the only country to experience a nuclear bomb. Justin recommends and . Nicole recommends . Facebook * Note Lise Meitner's name was incorrectly pronounced in the episode, but her story is very important to keep in mind about how women's contributions to science are erased. /episode/index/show/moviesthatmatter/id/27612249

Joy Ride and Korean Adoptees 07/20/2023

Joy Ride and Korean Adoptees Lexy, Nicole, and special guest Monique discuss Joy Ride and the unique experience of Korean adoptees growing up in white families. We disagree on the humor based on personal taste and our appreciation of raunchy comedy. We all enjoyed the more serious and heartfelt aspects of film. We delve into a discussion about the experiences of Korean adoptees especially the difficulties of interracial adoption and how that affects identity. Lexy recommends , Nicole recommends , and Monique recommends . Facebook /episode/index/show/moviesthatmatter/id/27485436

The Dial of Destiny and a Review of Indiana Jones 07/13/2023

The Dial of Destiny and a Review of Indiana Jones Adam and Nicole talk Indiana Jones, reviewing Dial of Destiny and the franchise as a whole. We give our definitive rankings on the five films and talk about how Indiana Jones has weathered the changes in movies while staying surprisingly consistent over time. At heart, the franchise is a swashbuckling adventure featuring a likable hero, a rare commodity these days. Adam recommends the franchise and Nicole recommends . Facebook /episode/index/show/moviesthatmatter/id/27400518

Elemental and The Immigrant Story 06/29/2023

Elemental and The Immigrant Story Lexy and Nicole discuss Elemental and the stereotypical immigrant story. Lexy liked the movie better than Nicole despite agreeing the plot and writing were clunky. Performances by the actors elevated the poor material. The story sticks to a very stereotypical immigrant story casting the first generation american child against the prescribed path of her immigrant parents. It does little to tread any new territory beyond the basics. Facebook Nicole recommends Zootopia. Lexy recommends the Litter Robot. /episode/index/show/moviesthatmatter/id/27268317

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