What's going on in Westview?

Three episodes into WandaVision, the guys discuss what seems to be happening so far, and share some theories. Is Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) controlling everything? it seems like we get some explanations in the fourth episode, out this weekend, so we're eager to see if our guesses prove correct.

WandaVision So Far

Horrific violence keeps repeating itself in the film, and in real life

In the Oscar-nominated short film Two Distant Strangers, a young Black man (Joey Bada$$) finds himself trapped in a hellish time loop, relentlessly targeted by a racist white cop. The film is written by Emmy winner Travon Free, who directs with Martin Desmond Roe. Free says the film is meant to illustrate the exhausting, horrific repetition of police killings of unarmed Black people. (You can listen to his interview over at the MovieMaker podcast.) Keith talks in this episode about how watching Two Distant Strangers reminded him of the emotional death he's felt too many times before, after past police killings. We also talk about police who kill and get away with it, whether there's any point in talking with racists, and how real events in the past week — including Derek Chauvin's trial for killing George Floyd — prove the film's point.

Watching Two Distant Strangers During the Derek Chauvin Trial

A coming of age tale both familiar and unfamiliar

Concrete Cowboy is a coming of age story with cowboys but also with Black people in Philly; maybe not the combination you were expecting. The film pulls off most of what it intends to do, including one of the better story arcs for estranged parents seeking to help their child through a difficult time of their life. And surprisingly, there are a ton of parallels in narrative structure to the award-winning movie Nomadland that we discuss in detail.

Concrete Cowboy 

Marvel's latest and its tie to a lost HBO series

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, from showrunner Malcolm Spellman, builds on our nostalgia for buddy movies like Lethal Weapon 2. But it also offers a glimpse at what might have been if HBO had moved forward with Confederate, a proposed show from the creator of Game of Thrones that Spellman was to have worked on. Spellman and his team have managed to include real-world racial struggles and nuance in a show about super soldiers.

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier and Confederate

Our discussion of Coming 2 America takes some turns

When you think of garbage, don't think of Coming 2 America: We very much enjoyed the Coming to America sequel, despite the debate around the film and quibbles with the Zamundan system of succession. If you miss this episode you'll also miss out on some solid recommendations for underrated Wesley Snipes films.

Coming 2 America, Low-Key Feminism, and Wesley Snipes' Most Underrated Films

What does Fern want?

In awards-season darling Nomadland, Frances McDormand plays a woman named Fern who takes to the open road when her husband — and town — dies. We talk about what Fern wants, whether the movie should be harder on American businesses, and some interesting similarities between Nomadland and Borat Subsequent Moviefilm.

Nomadland and Characters With No Destination

Can you love a movie about people you don't like?

I Care a Lot is about a crooked legal guardian (Rosamund Pike) who makes a living stripping seniors of all their worldly possessions. Things go great (or terribly, if we're talking about morality) until she targets Jennifer Peterson (Diane Wiest), who is connected to the worst person you could ever cross (Peter Dinklage). The film has gotten good reviews, but criticism from viewers who don't like movies about people they don't like. We also talk about double standards around bad onscreen men like Walter White and bad onscreen women like the protagonist of I Care a Lot.

I Care a Lot and Despicable Protagonists

A discussion of the new Black Panthers film from Shaka King

Keith, Aaron and special guest Sam from the Sam Said It podcast discuss Judas and the Black Messiah, starring Daniel Kaluuya and LaKeith Stanfield. Believe the marketing — the protagonist is federal informant William O’Neal and not the groundbreaking leader he got assassinated, Fred Hampton.&nbsp;

Judas and the Black Messiah

Hurt People, Hurt People

Malcolm and Marie is a movie about a tense, revealing argument between a budding filmmaker and an aspiring actress after his critically acclaimed directorial debut. The premise sounds tame on the surface but the film goes in unexpected directions and features an acting masterclass between people in front of the camera - John David Washington and Zendaya. Check out this episode for a spoiler filled review and hilarious discussions on poor judgment during relationship spats.

Malcolm and Marie

What's behind the door?

Aaron Lanton, Keith Dennie, and Tim Molloy look at pop culture through a racial lens, focusing on the low-key things some people might miss to discuss their deeper meanings.

Low Key

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Concrete Cowboy

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier and Confederate

Coming 2 America, Low-Key Feminism, and Wesley Snipes' Most Underrated Films