118: Should Coders Give Auteurs Notes? Plus: 'Thor: Love and Thunder' reviewed!
On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) have a little bit of fun with the idea that the folx coding Netflix’s recommendation algo should have any say in what the algo actually delivers to people. (You can read the story they’re discussing here (https://www.theverge.com/23196764/netflix-culture-ted-sarandos-employee-f...
32m Jul 12, 2022
32m
117: Gentleminions: Boon or Curse? Plus: 'Elvis' reviewed!
On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) try to figure out if the Gentleminion craze sweeping the nation—in which teens and tweens wear suits to see Minions: The Rise of Gru and get rowdy while doing so—is a controversy or nontroversy. Then they review Elvis! Make sure to swing by Friday for the special bonus episode ...
40m Jul 05, 2022
40m
116: 'Spiderhead' Review
On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) discuss Netflix’s Spiderhead and the tumult at the world’s largest streamer. How is it that a film from the director of the biggest movie of the summer can release a movie starring a key part of the MCU and the star of one of Netflix’s biggest hits ever can just kind of … show ...
38m Jun 28, 2022
38m
115: Why Did 'Lightyear' Bomb?
On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) try to figure out why Lightyear dramatically underperformed projections. Is this a function of new customer behavior, the burgeoning culture war Disney finds itself embroiled in, or both? And then the gang reviews Lightyear, which is at best fine and at worst not fine. Very not...
39m Jun 21, 2022
39m
114: 'Jurassic World Dominion' Review
On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) discuss the ways in which entertainment companies and the media inadvertently highlight and promote marginalized racists, a phenomenon noted by Kat Rosenfield in this essay for Unherd. And then the gang reviews Jurassic World Dominion, the latest big dumb movie in a series full...
38m Jun 14, 2022
38m
113: 'We Own This City': The Angriest Show on Streaming
On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason Magazine) discuss why Top Gun: Maverick is succeeding and whether or not it codes “conservative,” like American Sniper or The Passion of the Christ. And then they review We Own This City, David Simon and George Pelecanos’s angry look at a real-life police scandal in Baltimore st...
42m Jun 07, 2022
42m
112: Is 'Top Gun: Maverick' The Summer's Best Movie?
On this week’s Across the Movie Aisle, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) review the biggest hit of the summer (so far!), Top Gun: Maverick. Meanwhile, the gang discusses the pluses and minuses of “militainment,” entertainment in bed with the military-industrial complex. Make sure to head back to Bulwark+ on Friday for our discussion o...
35m Jun 01, 2022
35m
111: Did Frank Langella Deserve to Be Fired? Plus: 'Men' reviewed!
On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) ask whether or not the firing of Frank Langella (background here and here) was a controversy … or a nontroversy. Then they review Men, the new folk-horror flick from Alex Garland. What’s the matter with men—and Men? Make sure to come back for Friday’s bonus episode, in which we...
48m May 24, 2022
48m
110: Should Netflix Have Stood Up to Its Employees? Plus: 'Moon Knight,' reviewed!
On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) try to figure out why Netflix had to clarify to their employees that hosting a breadth of content may mean working on something they disagree with ideologically. Doesn’t everyone work at a journal of ideas that tolerates dissenting viewpoints? And then they discuss Moon Knight,...
42m May 17, 2022
42m
109: Should 'Doctor Strange 2' Have Been Rated R?
On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) consider the bubbling controversy (or nontroversy?) surrounding the PG-13 rating for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Then the gang reviews the new Sam Raimi-directed feature. Is this a bog-standard MCU movie or something more? Make sure to come back to Bulwark+ Fri...
35m May 10, 2022
35m
108: Wes Anderson: Fascist?
On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason), discuss the dumbest cons and nons of all time. Then they review The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, the new meta-movie from Nicolas Cage. Make sure to check out the bonus episode at Bulwark+ (https://atma.thebulwark.com/)  on great movies about movies. And if you liked th...
36m May 03, 2022
36m
107: Is Netflix Doomed?
On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason), look at Netflix’s disastrous quarter and ask how they can right the ship. And they review The Northman, director Robert Eggers’s vision quest to the gates of Valhalla. Make sure to swing by Bulwark+ on Friday for our bonus episode on historical epics! And share this episode wi...
43m Apr 26, 2022
43m
106: Gone Fishin'
Hey folks, just dropping in a quick episode to say we're off this week. But we'll be back next week! 
1m Apr 19, 2022
1m
105: 'Everything Everywhere All at Once': Good ... or Great?
This week, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) talk about the best movie of the year (so far!): Everything Everywhere All at Once, the trippy new sci-fi action-comedy family-drama multiversal epic from the directing duo known as Daniels. Meanwhile, in cons and nons, the gang revisits “The Slap” for, hopefully, the last time. Make sure t...
42m Apr 12, 2022
42m
104: Is Cancel Culture Canceled?
On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) discuss the near-simultaneous Grammy win by Louis C.K. and delays of Will Smith movies following his attack on Chris Rock at the Oscars. Is cancel culture canceled? Or are these perfectly reasonable actions? Then the gang discusses Apollo 10 1/2, which just showed up on Netflix...
44m Apr 05, 2022
44m
103: 'The Slap': Controversy or Nontroversy?
On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) discussed the most controversial moment at the Oscars, and no, I’m not referring to Zack Snyder’s sweep of the fan favorite categories. We break down Will Smith’s attack on Chris Rock, using Smith’s recent memoir and his efforts to be less people-pleasing and more true to himse...
41m Mar 29, 2022
41m
102: Why Is YA Fiction So Broken?
On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) try to make sense of the latest controversy (or possibly nontroversy!) roiling the waters of YA Twitter. Meanwhile, Peter and Alyssa try to convince Sonny that Drive My Car is better than he thinks it is. Will they succeed? Listen now to find out. And make sure to come back to ...
34m Mar 22, 2022
34m
101: How Should Disney Have Reacted in Florida?
On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) discuss the rock and a hard place Disney CEO Bob Chapek found himself in when he was pressured by employees to respond to Florida’s so-called “Don’t Say Gay” bill. Then the gang reviewed Turning Red, the new Pixar picture sent straight to Disney+. Make sure to head to Bulwark+ ...
40m Mar 15, 2022
40m
100: ATMA Vs. 'The Batman'
On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) argue the merits and demerits of AMC charging folks more to see The Batman. Then they talk about whether or not you should see The Batman! Is it any good? Is it too long? Is it weirdly empty, politically and aesthetically? They’ll let you know! If you enjoyed this episode, plea...
43m Mar 08, 2022
43m
99: Can 'Coda' Win Best Picture?
This week, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post) and Peter Suderman (Reason) discussed the efforts of cultural institutions and their response to Russia’s war on Ukraine and reviewed the best picture-nominated Coda, which just won the best ensemble category at the SAG Awards. Full disclosure: We taped this week’s episode Monday afternoon and by Monday evening the gr...
38m Mar 01, 2022
38m
98: Is the Video Game Movie Curse Broken?
On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) ask if the Oscars made a big mistake by allowing a potential Boaty McBoatfacing situation by opening up voting to the Twitter-based masses. And the gang reviewed Uncharted. Is Tom Holland the new Leonardo DiCaprio? Is the video game movie curse dead and buried? Is the movie any...
37m Feb 22, 2022
37m
97: Can Anything Save the Oscars?
On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason Magazine) discuss the Oscars nominees, whether or not multiple hosts can save flagging interest, and whether or not a Twitter poll can interest audiences who feel as though the awards show snubs popular pictures. And then the gang reviews Death on the Nile, Kenneth Branagh’s fol...
38m Feb 15, 2022
38m
96: Does Anyone Care About the Winter Olympics?
On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) discuss the myriad reasons no one cares about the Olympics and the shameful acquiescence to Chinese human rights abuses by so many in the sports media. Then the gang reviews Nightmare Alley, which just received four Oscar nominations, including a surprise best picture nod! And ...
43m Feb 09, 2022
43m
95: Neil Young Vs. Joe Rogan
On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) discuss the raging controversy over Neil Young’s decision to remove his music from Spotify as a result of their partnership with Joe Rogan. From disinformation to audio quality to the sprawling nature of the internet to the limitless nature of boycotting people you disagree wit...
39m Feb 02, 2022
39m
94: Why Does Hate Sell?
On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason Magazine) discuss a rather terrible “breaking news” item about West Side Story’s Rachel Zegler in the Daily Beast and the broader trend of using random nobodies on Twitter as a hook for stories designed to gin up hate toward celebrities. Then they review The Lost Daughter, Maggi...
37m Jan 26, 2022
37m
93: How Disastrous Was Joss Whedon's NY Mag Interview?
On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason), try to figure out just how bad this profile (https://www.vulture.com/article/joss-whedon-allegations.html) is for its subject, Joss Whedon. Then they review The Tragedy of Macbeth, Joel Coen’s adaptation of The Bard’s play starring Denzel Washington as the titular tragic figur...
43m Jan 19, 2022
43m
92: The Golden Globes Happened. Did Anyone Know or Care?
This week, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) discuss the complete absence of buzz about The Golden Globes and what that means for the state of moviegoing in general. Then the gang reviews Paul Thomas Anderson’s new film, Licorice Pizza. And on a sad bonus episode, they pay tribute to a quartet of major talents who have recently passed...
38m Jan 12, 2022
38m
91: Is Norman Mailer Too Offensive to Be Read Today?
On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) discuss consolidation in the book industry and whether that contributed to the potential cancellation of a book celebrating Norman Mailer’s centennial. Then the gang reviews Don’t Look Up, Netflix and Adam McKay’s messy satire. And on the bonus episode, our three hosts pick the...
36m Jan 05, 2022
36m
90: Should 'The Matrix' Have Been Resurrected?
This week Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) unveil their five favorite movies of the year. A surprising amount of unanimity in this year’s lists! The gang reviews The Matrix Resurrections, Warner Bros. and Lana Wachowski’s super-meta reboot of the beloved franchise. And on the bonus episode (http://atma.thebulwark.com/p/wachowski-bonu...
44m Dec 29, 2021
44m
89: Should You See Spider-Man: No Way Home?
On this week’s episode, Sonny, Alyssa, and Peter talk about the biggest movie of the year: Spider-Man: No Way Home. Before that, in cons and nons, they ask why Disney released three pickups from Fox—West Side Story, Nightmare Alley, and The King’s Man—in such close proximity not only to each other but also what was likely to be, again, the biggest movie of the year. And on the special bonus epi...
38m Dec 22, 2021
38m
88: Was the New Yorker Too Mean to Jeremy Strong?
On this week’s episode, Alyssa Rosenberg of the Washington Post returns from maternity leave to join Peter Suderman (Reason) and Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark) to discuss whether or not the New Yorker was too mean to Succession star Jeremy Strong in their profile of the actor. And the gang reviews Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story remake: even the notoriously musical-averse Sonny is wowed by it. Ma...
40m Dec 15, 2021
40m
87: 'The Power of the Dog,' Netflix's Awards-Minded Western
On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch, Peter Suderman, and Chris Orr tackle Jane Campion’s western (or maybe not quite western?) The Power of the Dog. Is this a basic attack on toxic masculinity, or something a little more interesting? On cons and nons, the guys bid a not-so-fond farewell to Chris Cuomo, who has finally been fired from CNN. And the show ends on a slightly sad note, as Sonny pays ...
33m Dec 08, 2021
33m
86: The Fall of the 'House of Gucci'
On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch, Peter Suderman, and Chris Orr look at the transition of power at Twitter and muse over how to fix the service that has an outsized—and potentially ill—effect on society. And the gang reviews House of Gucci, Ridley Scott and Lady Gaga’s overlong and over-accented look at one absurd Italian family. And on the bonus episode, the guys fete the career of Adam Dri...
40m Dec 01, 2021
40m
85: 'King Richard' Kicks Off the Oscar Race
On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch, Peter Suderman, and Chris Orr highlight the first genuine, nominations-guaranteed piece of Oscar bait of the season: Will Smith’s King Richard, a look at the man behind the women who would go on to become the greatest female tennis players of all time. And in controversies and nontroversies, the guys debate whether or not Sean Baker, director of Tangerine an...
34m Nov 24, 2021
34m
84: Are NFTs a Scam, the Future, or Both? Plus: 'Belfast' Reviewed!
On this week’s episode Sonny Bunch, Peter Suderman, and Chris Orr talk about non-fungible tokens, and the scarcity and value of art. They also review Belfast, Kenneth Branagh’s semi-autobiographical look at growing up in Northern Ireland during The Troubles. And on the bonus episode they consider the most disposable—and, possibly, most-watched—movie of the year, Red Notice. If you enjoyed the e...
38m Nov 17, 2021
38m
83: Is Big Bird a Government Propagandist?
On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch, Peter Suderman, and Chris Orr ask whether it’s a controversy or a nontroversy that Big Bird is reassuring kids that getting shots won’t hurt them. And they review Eternals: Is it Marvel’s first DC movie? And on the bonus episode and in honor of Eternals earning the MCU its first splat on Rotten Tomatoes, the gang discusses their favorite rotten movies from b...
38m Nov 10, 2021
38m
82: Art, Fussiness, and 'The French Dispatch'
This week, Sonny Bunch, Peter Suderman, and Chris Orr review The French Dispatch, Wes Anderson’s love letter to the New Yorker and art of all kinds. And we discuss the disastrous state of affairs in world cinema, where rising authoritarianism threatens the cinematic arts from Hong Kong to Kabul. What can the U.S. do to help? And on a special members-only episode (http://atma.thebulwark.com/p/we...
37m Nov 03, 2021
37m
81: 'Dune' Reviewed
On this week’s episode of Across the Movie Aisle, Sonny is joined by Peter Suderman and Chris Orr, who will be filling in for Alyssa while she’s on maternity leave. We discussed the tragedy on the set of Rust, a film that was in production until Alec Baldwin accidentally shot and killed the director of photography, Halyna Hutchins, and wounded director Joel Souza. What are some of the things th...
37m Oct 27, 2021
37m
80: Is Netflix's Handling of Dave Chappelle a Controversy or a Nontroversy?
On this episode, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) ask whether Dave Chappelle, his new special, and the way Netflix has handled internal and external fallout from its airing, are controversies, or nontroversies. Then the gang reviews The Last Duel, a/k/a Medieval Me Too. (For more on The Last Duel, you can read Sonny here, Alyssa here...
42m Oct 20, 2021
42m
79: 'No Time to Die'
On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) highlight the IATSE union work stoppage that seems pretty inevitable at this point. What do Hollywood’s trade unions want, in terms of money and work-life balance? Then the gang sets their sights on Bond, James Bond. Did they enjoy Daniel Craig’s final turn as 007? And, in the ...
38m Oct 13, 2021
38m
78: Does 'The Many Saints of Newark' Do 'The Sopranos' Right?
On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) break down the strange story of Ozy Media, the various scams of which have been chronicled by the NYT’s Ben Smith in recent weeks, and the overall state of media accountability. Then they review The Many Saints of Newark, David Chase and HBO’s new prequel to The Sopranos curren...
35m Oct 06, 2021
35m
77: 'The Eyes of Tammy Faye'
On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) discuss the legal back and forth between Disney and the estates of Marvel’s most famous creators, including those of Steve Ditko and Stan Lee, as well as fan reactions to the (very slight!) possibility that copyright termination notices will be the death of the MCU as we know i...
41m Sep 29, 2021
41m
76: Why Shouldn't Activists Have to Compete?
This week Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post, and Peter Suderman (Reason) take a look at the controversy swirling about CBS’s instantly canceled show, The Activist. What’s so bad about making activists compete for attention dollars? And the gang reviews Cry Macho, the latest from director-star Clint Eastwood. Is he too old for this movie, or is Sonny a despicable a...
35m Sep 22, 2021
35m
75: 'The Card Counter'
This week Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), Peter Suderman (Reason), and Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark) discuss the pros and cons of advice columns and whether or not it’s okay—or, frankly, just plain hilarious—to lie to advice columnists. And the gang reviews Paul Schrader’s The Card Counter (Sonny’s review here; Peter’s here). Make sure to check out our bonus episode on Oscar Isaac’s great d...
38m Sep 17, 2021
38m
74: Did 'Shang-Chi' Save Movie Theaters?
Alyssa (The Washington Post), Peter Suderman (Reason), and Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark) know folks are a little tired of MCU-centric episodes, but this week demonstrates why it’s a constant topic of conversation: Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings grossed $75 million over its first three-day weekend and almost $95 million once Labor Day was included. Does this prove Disney was correct to ke...
40m Sep 09, 2021
40m
73: Do the Movies Have a Conspiracy Theory Problem? Plus: "What If...?"
On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) discuss the controversy (or possibly the nontroversy?) surrounding Spike Lee’s inclusion of 9/11 Truthers in his new documentary about New York City’s last 20 years. (To get a full sense of the issue, make sure to read this Slate piece (https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2021/...
42m Sep 01, 2021
42m
72: Why Did Jeopardy Lose Its New Host in Record Time? And 'Reminiscence' Reviewed!
On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) argue about whether or not the controversy swirling around Jeopardy’s hosting post is a controversy or a nontroversy. Why didn’t Sony do a better job of vetting their host? In the back half of the show, the gang reviews Reminiscence, the neo-noir from Westworld mastermind Lisa ...
38m Aug 25, 2021
38m
71: Why Is Shang Chi Going to War with Disney's Chief?
On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) address whether it’s a controversy or a nontroversy that the star of Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is calling out the head of Disney for saying the film’s release—a 45-day theatrical run followed by the film’s release on streaming—is an “experiment.” Is this all a p...
37m Aug 18, 2021
37m
70: 'The Suicide Squad'
On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason Magazine) all agree that James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad is, basically, a nine-figure descendant of The Toxic Avenger. But does that make it good, or expensive, overbearing schlock? And they debate whether or not Johnny Depp should be given the lifetime achievement award at the S...
39m Aug 11, 2021
39m
69: Scarlett Johansson Sues Disney: Can She Win?
This week Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) take a hard look at Scarlett Johansson’s suit against Disney alleging that the Mouse House’s dual VOD/theatrical strategy will cost her upwards of $50 million. Is this is a game-changing moment in the relationships between movie stars and studios? Or is she going to get steamrolled? Plus: th...
44m Aug 04, 2021
44m