Why Did Apple Shelve 'The Savant'?
On this week’s episode, Sonny, Peter, and Alyssa discussed Apple’s move to shelve the TV show The Savant in the wake of multiple bouts of politically inspired violence. Then they reviewed One Battle After Another, the latest movie from Paul Thomas Anderson starring Leonardo DiCaprio. (Here’s a link to the New York Times profile (https://www.nytimes.com/1999/12/19/magazine/his-way.html) of PTA m...
54m Sep 30, 2025
54m
The FCC v. Jimmy Kimmel
On this week’s episode, delayed slightly due to technical difficulties, Sonny, Peter, and Alyssa broke down the struggle between Jimmy Kimmel, Disney, Nexstar/Sinclair, and Brendan Carr at the FCC. Is this just business as usual at the FCC, or has the regulatory administration overstepped its bounds here. Then we said goodbye to Robert Redford, looking at some of his 1970s classics like All the...
48m Sep 23, 2025
48m
The Degrading 'Long Walk'
On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch, Alyssa Rosenberg, and Peter Suderman discuss Comedy Central’s decision to pull a recent South Park from the rerun rotation after the assassination of Charlie Kirk. Then they review The Long Walk, a movie that is either appropriately brutal or exploitatively violent. Which? Hard to say, but the end result is pretty depressing, regardless. Make sure to swing b...
41m Sep 16, 2025
41m
The Delightfully Cranky 'Highest 2 Lowest'
On this week’s episode, Sonny, Alyssa, and Peter asked why Activision would turn down a chance to have Steven Spielberg direct a Call of Duty movie. Then they reviewed Highest 2 Lowest, the latest collaboration between Spike Lee and Denzel Washington. Spoiler: We all loved the score, which is apparently a controversial opinion in some quarters! (Also the rest of the movie is pretty good too.) M...
50m Sep 09, 2025
50m
Disney's Economic Inequality
On this week’s episode, Sonny, Alyssa, and Peter discuss the widening gap between the haves and the have-nots at Disney World, as chronicled in this New York Times (https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/28/opinion/disney-world-economy-middle-class-rich.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare) piece. Then they review Caught Stealing, the new Darren Aronofsky film that’s being marketed...
48m Sep 02, 2025
48m
The Lost Boys of 'Alien: Earth'
On this week’s episode, Sonny, Alyssa, and Peter highlight the shocking success of Netflix’s KPop Demon Hunters at the box office last weekend and muse about what it means for the streamer’s overall strategy. Then they review the first three episodes of Alien: Earth, the gory, thought-provoking new show on Hulu. Is it another hit for Noah Hawley (who made the TV shows Fargo and Legion?) Or a mi...
51m Aug 26, 2025
51m
'Nobody 2' Is Deadly, Dull
On this week’s episode, Sonny, Peter, and Alyssa discussed the problem of productions fleeing Georgia (https://www.wsj.com/business/media/disneys-marvel-abandons-georgia-taking-livelihoods-with-it-c3bd03c2?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email) for other locales with bigger tax incentives. Then they reviewed Nobody 2, one of the rare films to, possibly, be a too-tight 90. No bonus episode this w...
42m Aug 19, 2025
42m
'Weapons': 2025's Funniest Scary Movie
On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch, Alyssa Rosenberg, and Peter Suderman discussed how to best respond to South Park’s war on the Trump Administration and its cronies. Then they reviewed Weapons, the funniest scary movie of the year (so far!) that nevertheless has a poignant, melancholic core. (There are spoilers in this chat, so just let it be known that all three recommended it heartily if y...
51m Aug 12, 2025
51m
Why 'Oz' Is Coming to The Sphere in Vegas
On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch, Alyssa Rosenberg, and Peter Suderman ask why The Wizard of Oz is being mutilated via the alchemy of AI to be shown on the enormous 16K-resolution screen at The Sphere … and why Sonny is, honestly, kind of into it. (You can watch the CBS Sunday Morning segment on Oz at The Sphere here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0gpwcaNyIrY) .) Then they review The Naked...
44m Aug 05, 2025
44m
The Perfectly Fine 'Four'
On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) discussed the New York Times’s decision to move away from traditional reviews for certain cultural products. (You can read the Richard Brody piece discussed here (https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-lede/in-defense-of-the-traditional-review?_sp=ca1cc203-c67b-4141-b269-c2502dc...
51m Jul 29, 2025
51m
Canceling 'The Late Show': Business or Politics?
On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) discussed the cancellation of The Late Show. Is this move being motivated by politics or the declining economic prospects of linear TV more broadly? Then they reviewed Eddington, Ari Aster’s gonzo look at life in 2020, the year of Covid and The Doomscroll. Make sure to swing by...
53m Jul 22, 2025
53m
The Scourge of Celebrity AI Scams
Apologies: an editing snafu led to last week’s episode being reedited and uploaded in the initial version of this post. On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) ask why Keanu Reeves, of all people, is the most-impersonated celebrity by scammers and how AI is being used to take money from lonely elderly people. (For m...
46m Jul 15, 2025
46m
Paramount's Bad Trump Deal
On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) discussed the bad precedents set by media outlets being bullied by Donald Trump into backing down from defending the free press. Then they review Jurassic World Rebirth, a dino adventure more interested in the ethics of big pharma than big dino. Make sure to swing by Bulwark+ o...
46m Jul 08, 2025
46m
Is Denis Villeneuve the Right Guy for 'Bond'?
On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) discuss Denis Villeneuve’s new gig: director, Bond director. Is he the man for the job? And who should he bring on as his James Bond. What does James Bond even mean in the modern world? Then they review F1: The Movie, Apple’s first big theatrical hit. Make sure to swing by Bulw...
44m Jul 01, 2025
44m
The Ultimate Danny Boyle Movie Draft
In this bonus episode, Sonny, Alyssa, and Peter draft their favorite Danny Boyle films—from 28 Days Later to Slumdog Millionaire, Sunshine to Steve Jobs. But the real star of the show? Boyle’s new film 28 Years Later. The crew breaks down why it might be one of the best movies of the year—and how it redefines the legacy sequel.
18m Jun 26, 2025
18m
Danny Boyle Says He Shouldn’t Have Made Slumdog. Should He?
Danny Boyle says he couldn’t — and shouldn’t — make Slumdog Millionaire today. Sonny Bunch, Alyssa Rosenberg, and Peter Suderman dive into the cultural appropriation debate, the limits of identity in art, and how this all relates to Boyle’s latest film, 28 Years Later. They also tackle how these same culture-war battles are reshaping YA fiction, Hollywood, and who gets to tell which stories.
40m Jun 24, 2025
40m
The Romantic Comedy Is Solved
In this bonus episode of Across the Movie Aisle, Sonny Bunch, Alyssa Rosenberg, and Peter Suderman debate the state of the romantic comedy. Is When Harry Met Sally the unbeatable blueprint for the entire genre? Why have rom-coms fallen off—and are they finally making a comeback? They break down everything from Ephron classics and screwball oldies to Judd Apatow bros and modern rom-cons.
20m Jun 19, 2025
20m
Does 'Materialists' Work?
In this episode of Across the Movie Aisle, host Sonny Bunch is joined by Alyssa Rosenberg and Peter Suderman to unpack the outrage over indie film platform MUBI’s investment ties and whether ethical boycotts are even coherent in modern capitalism. Then they dig into Celine Song’s latest film Materialists, a rom-com that tries to be profound—but might just be pretty nonsense.
46m Jun 17, 2025
46m
Plotting 'The Phoenician Scheme'
On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) discuss the latest effort by conservatives to break into the world of big-time film production, this effort headed by Leonard Leo of the Federalist Society. Then they review The Phoenician Scheme, a movie some might describe as … conservative? Make sure to swing by Bulwark+ for...
41m Jun 10, 2025
41m
Why 'Lilo & Stitch' Is a Big Hit
On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) ask if the fractured media landscape makes it harder to mint movie stars. (You can read the discussed piece by Nicholas Quah here (https://www.vulture.com/article/new-media-circuit-hollywood-publicity.html?_gl=1*er5kq5*_gcl_aw*R0NMLjE3NDc0MDM2NjEuQ2owS0NRand4SnZCQmhEdUFSSXNBR1V...
42m Jun 03, 2025
42m
Finally 'Reckoning' with AI
On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) discussed how AI is both helping animators lip sync cartoons (https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/21/business/media/ai-cartoons-animation.html) and also completely inventing books for summer reading lists (https://apnews.com/article/fake-book-list-ai-newspaper-summer-reading-fcdf45...
45m May 27, 2025
45m
A Difficult 'Friendship'
On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) say goodbye to Max and take a mild victory lap in the process. Then they review Friendship, the new cringe comedy from Tim Robinson and A24. Is it the feel-bad movie of the year or just a feel-bad movie? Make sure to swing by Bulwark+ for our summer preview episode on Friday. A...
40m May 20, 2025
40m
Star Wars Gets Dark with 'Andor'
On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) discuss Spencer Kornhaber’s feature (https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2025/06/american-pop-culture-decline/682578/?gift=w4PTtxWc02_-PLPUpVBLHymFSLn28jRBZaHB2-FeVKw&utm_source=copy-link&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=share) in The Atlantic asking if this is the worst...
47m May 13, 2025
47m
Why Does Trump Want to Tariff Movies?
On this week’s episode, Peter’s off today, so Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark) is joined only by Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post) to discuss what, precisely, Donald Trump hopes to accomplish with his movie tariffs. Or what they’d even look like, really. Then they review Thunderbolts*, a well-reviewed standalone Marvel movie. What is this, 2014? Make sure to swing by on Friday for our bonus episo...
35m May 06, 2025
35m
Hanging Out with 'The Accountant 2'
On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) discuss the aging up of our movie star roster (https://puck.news/the-actors-gen-z-and-everyone-else-loves-best/?utm_campaign=What+I%27m+Hearing+-+SUBSCRIBERS+%284%2F24%2F25%29&utm_content=What+I%27m+Hearing+-+SUBSCRIBERS+%284%2F24%2F25%29&utm_medium=email_action&utm_source=cust...
40m Apr 29, 2025
40m
An All-'Sinners' Episode
Alyssa is off this week, so Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark) and Peter Suderman (Reason) are joined by Ben Dreyfuss (Calm Down (https://www.calmdownben.com/) ) to discuss all things Sinners. In cons and nons, they ask if Coogler’s unusual deal granting him copyright on the movie 25 years hence will really “destroy the studio system.” And then they review the film, which has done boffo box office and e...
41m Apr 22, 2025
41m
The Gripping Reality of 'Warfare'
On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) discuss the myriad ways in which tariffs could hurt (and maybe in one very minor way help) the entertainment business. Then they review Warfare, the latest film from Alex Garland and co-writer/co-director Ray Mendoza. No bonus episode on Friday, but we’ll be back with a full ep...
46m Apr 15, 2025
46m
Panic! at 'The Studio'
On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason/Coruscant (https://d2eehagpk5cl65.cloudfront.net/img/c2400x1350-w2400-q80/uploads/2017/12/151391173414.jpg.webp) ) ask if the wild behavior of teens and tweens at A Minecraft Movie is good or bad for the moviegoing experience. Then they review The Studio, AppleTV+’s new panic at...
39m Apr 08, 2025
39m
Trump's 'Free Speech Warrior' Goes After Free Speech
Apologies: Due to an audio editing error, Peter Suderman’s track wasn’t audible in the first version of this file that went out. Everyone’s here now! —SB On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) examine how Donald Trump’s “warrior for free speech” at the FCC, Brendan Carr, is using his position to punish companies w...
38m Apr 01, 2025
38m
'Snow White' Is a Disaster
On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) ask if Tom Ortenberg and Briarcliff’s mission to distribute contentious movies like The Apprentice and Magazine Dreams is a controversy or a nontroversy. (You can find the Wall Street Journal article referenced in the episode here (https://www.wsj.com/arts-culture/film/canceled...
41m Mar 25, 2025
41m
'Black Bag,' the Year's Best Date Movie
On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) discuss Joe Russo’s war on Harvey Weinstein (https://www.thetimes.com/culture/film/article/interview-russo-brothers-marvel-movies-not-just-for-kids-8mszh8jxv) (but not for the reasons you might think). Then they review Black Bag, a movie that makes marriage look fun. (Kinda. De...
38m Mar 18, 2025
38m
Why 'Mickey 17' Just Doesn't Work
On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) try to fairly adjudicate Kathleen Kennedy’s run at the Disney-owned Lucasfilm. Then they review Mickey 17, a movie that’s more committed to timely satire than big ideas. Make sure to swing by Bulwark+ on Friday for an episode on the new literalism. And if you enjoyed this episo...
40m Mar 11, 2025
40m
'Anora' Sweeps the Oscars
On this episode of Across the Movie Aisle, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) said goodby to Gene Hackman, who was found dead at the age of 95 last week. Then they discussed the Oscars, hosted by Oscar O’Brien. How was the show? What about the winners? Make sure to swing by Bulwark+ on Friday for a bonus episode with some reading recom...
41m Mar 04, 2025
41m
Bond's Brave New World
On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) talked about Amazon’s newfound ability to greenlight James Bond vehicles without the approval of the Broccoli family or Eon Productions. What does this mean for the British superspy? Then they review the first proper MCU movie in nearly 18 months. Has absence made the heart gro...
42m Feb 25, 2025
42m
The Quiet Terror of 'I'm Still Here'
On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) discuss the blight of the Inappropriate Laughers. (Here’s a gift link to the New York Times piece we reference. (https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/14/style/laughter-movie-theaters-nosferatu-anora-babygirl.html?unlocked_article_code=1.wE4.vcPf.KUk3yHXuo_jJ&smid=url-share) ) Then t...
39m Feb 11, 2025
39m
The Best Movies of 2024
Some websites and podcasts start putting out their best-of lists on December 1. Not Across the Movie Aisle. We want to make sure you had plenty of time to see all the award-season stuff. If it takes until February, well, so be it. If you enjoyed this episode, share it with a friend!
52m Feb 04, 2025
52m
An Unsettling 'Presence'
On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) discuss the, frankly, bonkers number of nominations received by Emilia Perez. Will the Academy favor it for best picture as a way to stick it to Trump? Then they review Presence, Steven Soderbergh’s new haunted house movie told from the perspective of the ghost. Is it just a fo...
46m Jan 28, 2025
46m
'September 5,' Working Amidst Terror
On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) ask what, precisely, Trump’s “ambassadors to Hollywood (https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/celebrities/2025/01/17/mel-gibson-trump-special-ambassador/77772649007/) ” are supposed to be doing. Then they review September 5, the harrowing tick-tock examination of how ABC...
53m Jan 21, 2025
53m
'The Brutalist,' a Near Masterpiece
On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) broke down why the PVOD window has settled where it settled. Then they review The Brutalist, Brady Corbet’s three-and-a-half hour portrait of artistry and immigration and assimilation in America. (We know this movie isn’t out in most of the country yet, so we tried to keep it p...
42m Jan 14, 2025
42m
Is 'Nosferatu' a Yes from Us?
On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) discussed the announcement that a Melania Trump documentary is in the works with director Brett Ratner for Prime Video. (No, this is not Mad Libs.) Then they reviewed Nosferatu, Robert Eggers’s remake of the 1922 silent film by F.W. Murnau. Make sure to swing by Bulwark+ on Fri...
41m Jan 07, 2025
41m
The Rise of Bob Dylan
On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason), discussed Will Tavlin’s n+1 opus on Netflix (https://www.nplusonemag.com/issue-49/essays/casual-viewing/) and the rise—or maybe resurgence—of casual viewing as the primary mode of media engagement. Then they reviewed A Complete Unknown, James Mangold’s movie about Bob Dylan’s ...
43m Dec 31, 2024
43m
The Deranged Exuberance of 'Emilia Pérez'
Merry Christmas Eve! On this week’s supersized episode to get you through the airport, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) ask if it’s a controversy or a controversy that Blake Lively’s costar and director, Justin Baldoni, seems to have orchestrated a virtual sliming of her in response to fears he was going to get called out for harassi...
49m Dec 24, 2024
49m
No One Was Cravin' 'Kraven'
On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) looked at The Entertainment Strategy Guy’s breakdown (https://entertainment.substack.com/p/this-wasnt-the-podcast-election-joe-rogan-trump-youtube-views-election) of podcast stats and asked if this truly was “the podcast election.” Then they reviewed Kraven the Hunter, a movie ...
36m Dec 17, 2024
36m
Amy Adams's Ode to Motherhood
On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) discussed a controversial (or possibly nontroversial?) op-ed in the New York Times (https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/04/magazine/diversity-era-movies.html?unlocked_article_code=1.gU4.QCvD.aoDYO9QXAMfr&smid=url-share) asking if “the awkward diversity era” of blockbuster filmmakin...
38m Dec 10, 2024
38m
Does 'Wicked' Defy Critical Gravity?
On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) ask if it matters that people prefer AI slop (https://maxread.substack.com/p/people-prefer-ai-art-because-people?r=1gn7x&utm_medium=ios&triedRedirect=true) to art produced by real-world hacks. (Kinda?) Then they review Wicked, a movie that’s half a movie despite being 160 minut...
42m Dec 03, 2024
42m
Does 'Gladiator II' Entertain?
On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) examine a shocking story in Vanity Fair (https://www.vanityfair.com/style/story/cormac-mccarthy-secret-muse-exclusive) by Vincenzo Barney about the legendary writer Cormac McCarthy’s “secret muse,” Augusta Britt, whom the 42-year-old writer met when the girl was just 16. Then t...
41m Nov 26, 2024
41m
Probing 'A Real Pain'
On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) ask if the Jake Paul/Mike Tyson “fight” that was “watched” (when they could get the stream to work) by “60 million people” (okay I’ll stop with the scare quotes) represents the future of streaming. Then they reviewed A Real Pain, Jesse Eisenberg’s new film about a pair of very ...
39m Nov 19, 2024
39m
The Joyful Pain of 'Anora'
On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) asked if wall-to-wall celebrity endorsements might have backfired on Kamala Harris. Then they reviewed Anora, a movie fascinating in both its sympathies and its judgments. Make sure to swing by Bulwark+ for Friday’s bonus episode on the best movies of the decade (so far!). And ...
43m Nov 12, 2024
43m
'Conclave,' a Modern Old-Fashioned Movie
On this Election Day’s episode, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) discuss Warner Bros. baffling decision to bury Clint Eastwood’s Juror No. 2. Why deprive young fogeys like this trio of a primo legal procedural from an aging master? Then they reviewed Conclave, another movie holding well at the box office designed to appeal to precise...
41m Nov 05, 2024
41m
Hopefully, this is Venom's 'Last Dance'
On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) ask if comic book legend Alan Moore is right to blame toxic fandom (https://www.theguardian.com/books/2024/oct/26/fandom-has-toxified-the-world-watchmen-author-alan-moore-on-superheroes-comicsgate-and-trump) and arrested development for the rise of Trump. Then they review Venom...
35m Oct 29, 2024
35m