

The Every Movie Ever! Podcast
Ben Groves & Rob Macfarlane
Join hosts Ben Groves & Rob Macfarlane for a weekly mental health check in disguised as a movie podcast. Weekly episodes released every Sunday have the boys talking everything from Hollywood blockbusters to indie darlings and all manner of highs and lows in-between!
Episodes
Mentioned books

Feb 2, 2026 • 1h 4min
Sinners (2025): Does This Deserve To Be The Most Nominated Film In History?!
Ben and Rob dive into Sinners, the intense, genre-blurring drama that’s become one of the most talked about films of the year and, remarkably, the most Oscar-nominated movie in history.Often mistaken for a vampire story but driven more by themes of guilt, faith, and morality than horror, Sinners uses its haunting atmosphere and tightly unified style to tell a story that feels uncannily contemporary, even though it isn’t set in the present. With every department working in striking harmony, the film’s look, sound, and performances create a singular, deliberate vision.But what is Sinners, really? a prestige drama, a modern allegory, or something else entirely? Does it truly deserve its record-breaking recognition? And what does its success say about the kinds of stories the Academy wants to celebrate?Ben and Rob unpack what works, what doesn’t, and what it all adds up to in one of the year’s most debated films.Please support out dear friends, The Boardroom Gaming Cafe here: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/qr/Onvr5Gjn?utm_campaign=sharemodal&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=shortlink

Jan 25, 2026 • 1h 16min
Twilight (2008): The Worst Best B-Movie Of All Time?!
Ben and Rob sink their teeth into the endlessly debated phenomenon of Twilight (2008), the moody supernatural romance that launched a franchise, a thousand memes, and an entire generation of Team Edward vs. Team Jacob discourse. Starring Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner, Twilight follows an awkward new girl who moves to a rainy town, falls for a mysterious classmate, and quickly discovers that eternal love comes with fangs, glitter, and some deeply questionable life choices.What is Twilight, really? A tragic romance, a paranormal soap opera, or an accidentally hilarious teen melodrama; how does the film’s Mormon subtext shape its ideas about love, abstinence and destiny; and what went wrong (and occasionally right) behind the scenes during its famously scrappy production? How do the movie’s stiff line readings, bizarre tonal shifts and earnest sincerity combine into something strangely compelling; what parts of the plot are genuinely effective, which are baffling, and which are completely unhinged; and how did this odd little adaptation become one of the biggest pop-culture juggernauts of the 21st century? And finally, what does Twilight actually mean about romance, identity, fantasy, and the stories we tell teenagers about what love is supposed to look like?CONSUUUME to find out all this and much, much more!PLUS! We have a Patreon with EXCLUSIVE content just for you starting at just ONE POUND (ish... Apple charge more for reasons?) a month - click the link below!Find us on your socials of choice atwww.linktr.ee/everymovieeverpodcast

Jan 18, 2026 • 1h 11min
Short Circuit (1986): Johnny 5 is ALIVE!
Ben and Rob plug into the charming chaos of Short Circuit (1986), the beloved sci-fi comedy about a military robot who accidentally gains self-awareness and discovers the joys and dangers of being alive. Starring Ally Sheedy, Steve Guttenberg, Fisher Stevens and the unforgettable Johnny Five, Short Circuit follows a runaway robot as he escapes government capture and learns about humanity through pop culture, friendship and an endless appetite for input.Why has Short Circuit endured as one of the most lovable robot movies of the 1980s; how does the film balance slapstick comedy with surprisingly sincere questions about consciousness and personhood; and what is it about Johnny Five that made him such an instantly iconic screen character? How do Ally Sheedy’s warm performance and Steve Guttenberg’s affable energy ground a story filled with laser guns and pratfalls; what does the film get right, and very wrong, about technology and cultural representation; and how does Fisher Stevens’ performance fit into the conversation around Hollywood’s past casting choices? And finally, what does Short Circuit ultimately say about life, learning and empathy?CONSUUUME to find out all this and much, much more!PLUS! We have a Patreon with EXCLUSIVE content just for you starting at just ONE POUND a month - click the link below!Find us on your socials of choice at www.linktr.ee/everymovieeverpodcast

Jan 11, 2026 • 59min
The Life Of Chuck (2024): What Makes This The Most Inspiring Movie Of The Year?
Ben and Rob chart the final moments of ‘Life Of Chuck’, Mike Flanagan’s Stephen King adaptation that has quickly become one of the most talked about life affirming films of the year. Starring Tom Hiddleston, Mark Hamill, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Karen Gillan, Matthew Lillard, Jacob Tremblay and Mia Sara, Life Of Chuck tells the story of an ordinary man whose existence unfolds backwards through collapsing worlds, childhood dance lessons and the small moments that define a human life.Why has Life Of Chuck become such a powerful Stephen King adaptation for modern audiences; how did Mike Flanagan turn a strange, non linear short story into a deeply emotional and life affirming film; and why are so many viewers calling this one of the most moving movies of the year? How do Tom Hiddleston, Mark Hamill and Chiwetel Ejiofor anchor a story built on memory, grief and joy; what do the attic and the cupola really represent; and how do the recurring objects across timelines quietly rewrite what the film is saying? And finally, what does Life Of Chuck really mean about connection, mortality and the fear of forgetting what made life beautiful? CONSUUUME to find out all this and much, much more!PLUS! We have a Patreon with EXCLUSIVE content just for you starting at just ONE POUND a month - click the link below!Find us on your socials of choice at www.linktr.ee/everymovieeverpodcast

Jan 5, 2026 • 59min
Buffalo '66 (1998): A Most Uncomfortable Love Story
Ben and Rob abduct ‘Buffalo 66’, Vincent Gallo’s 1998 cult drama that sits uncomfortably between love story, character study and anti movie. Starring Vincent Gallo, Christina Ricci, Ben Gazzara, Mickey Rourke and Anjelica Huston, Buffalo 66 follows a deeply broken man staging a fake relationship to impress his parents, while quietly becoming one of the strangest and most divisive romantic films of its era.What makes Buffalo 66 so unconventional when compared to traditional romantic dramas; why is this film so intensely polarising for audiences; and how much of its discomfort is deliberate rather than accidental? How does the insane real life persona of Vincent Gallo bleed into the film itself; where does performance end and self mythologising begin; and what does Buffalo 66 really mean when stripped of its controversy and reputation?CONSUUUME to find out all this and much, much more! PLUS! We have a Patreon with EXCLUSIVE content just for you starting at just ONE POUND a month - click the link below!Find us on your socials of choice at www.linktr.ee/everymovieeverpodcast

Dec 28, 2025 • 54min
The Very Best Films Of 2025
Ben and Rob take stock of cinema with their best films of 2025 episode; a sprawling, argumentative and occasionally unhinged reflection on a year that refused to be tidy. From blockbuster expectations to quiet character pieces, franchise sequels to left field surprises, this episode circles titles like Weapons, Sinners, Sisu 2, Bugonia, Good Boy, A Real Pain and Superman, alongside many more films that shaped, disappointed or completely blindsided them over the last twelve months.Did all of these films make the list; did none of them; or did some sneak in while others were left in the cold? What even defines a great film year now; how much does context change taste; and why do certain movies linger while others evaporate instantly? How much do Ben and Rob agree; how much do they absolutely not; and what does a best of list really say about the people making it? CONSUUUME to find out all this and much, much more!PLUS! We have a Patreon with EXCLUSIVE content just for you starting at just ONE POUND a month - click the link below!Find us on your socials of choice at www.linktr.ee/everymovieeverpodcast

Dec 22, 2025 • 55min
This Is Spinal Tap (1984): The Birth of the Mockumentary and Why We Care
Ben and Rob turn it up to eleven with ‘This Is Spinal Tap’, Rob Reiner’s 1984 mockumentary that permanently rewired comedy, metal, and how musicians see themselves. Starring Christopher Guest, Michael McKean and Harry Shearer, This Is Spinal Tap follows England’s loudest and least self aware heavy metal band as they tour America, argue about amps, lose drummers at an alarming rate and accidentally create one of the most influential films of all time.How did Rob Reiner and Christopher Guest invent an entirely new comedic language; why is metal as a genre uniquely perfect for satire; and how did This Is Spinal Tap go on to influence everything from The Office to modern mockumentary storytelling? How many real musicians see themselves uncomfortably reflected in this film; why do Ben and Rob have their own deeply Spinal Tap style music industry war stories; and what does This Is Spinal Tap really mean about ego, creativity and the absurdity of chasing greatness? CONSUUUME to find out all this and much, much more! Find us on your socials of choice at www.linktr.ee/everymovieeverpodcast

Dec 14, 2025 • 1h 5min
Frankie Freako (2024): Why Weird Movies Still Matter
Ben and Rob phone ‘Frankie Freako’, the latest low budget creature feature from Steven Kostanski that completes an unofficial trilogy of modern cult chaos. Made with rubber puppets, absurd creature designs and pure genre conviction, Frankie Freako leans hard into the legacy of VHS era monsters, late night cable movies and franchises like Ghoulies, while proving once again that small budgets and big ideas can still thrive outside the studio system.Is Frankie Freako a love letter to genre movie making or a deliberate test of audience patience; how does low budget filmmaking become a strength rather than a limitation; and where does this sit alongside his winning movie Psycho Goreman? Is this the perfect example of love it or hate it niche storytelling; and what does Frankie Freako really mean in a landscape where safe films dominate and weird voices struggle to survive?CONSUUUME to find out all of this and much, much more!PLUS! We have a Patreon with EXCLUSIVE content just for you starting at just ONE POUND a month - click the link below!Find us on your socials of choice at www.linktr.ee/everymovieeverpodcast

Dec 8, 2025 • 1h 2min
The Wizard Of Oz (1939): Wicked History and the Dark Side of Oz
Ben and Rob meet ‘The Wizard Of Oz’, the 1939 fantasy musical that became one of the most recognisable films in cinema history. Starring Judy Garland, Frank Morgan, Ray Bolger, Bert Lahr, Jack Haley and Margaret Hamilton, The Wizard Of Oz tells the magically bizarre story of a girl whisked away from Kansas into a land where witches rule, monkeys fly and nothing is quite what it seems.What are the versions of this story that you do not know? How is this film older than you can ever imagine; and what makes the world of Oz so strangely sinister when you really look at it? How shocking was the making of this beloved classic; how does Wicked and its upcoming sequel Wicked For Good reframe the iconography of Oz for a new generation; and what does The Wizard Of Oz really mean? CONSUUUME to find out all this and much, much more!PLUS! We have a Patreon with EXCLUSIVE content just for you starting at just ONE POUND a month - click the link below!Find us on your socials of choice at www.linktr.ee/everymovieeverpodcast

Dec 1, 2025 • 57min
Psycho Goreman(2020): Steve Kostanski, Blood, Chaos and Childhood Friends
Ben and Rob unleash the chaos of ‘Psycho Goreman’, the cult cosmic comedy from director Steven Kostanski that blends Saturday morning cartoon energy with head-splitting intergalactic violence. Starring Nita Josee Hanna, Owen Myre, Matthew Ninaber, Adam Brooks, Alexis Kara Hancey and a whole army of rubber-suited nightmares, Psycho Goreman tells the story of two kids who accidentally awaken an ancient alien warlord and promptly make him their best friend.Where did Psycho Goreman come from? What makes this such a rare movie universe; how does a film this bizarre feel so strangely coherent; and how many blink and you will miss them references did Steven Kostanski hide in plain sight? And finally, what does Psycho Goreman really mean?CONSUUUME to find out all this and much, much more.PLUS! We have a Patreon with EXCLUSIVE content just for you starting at just ONE POUND a month - click the link below!Find us on your socials of choice at www.linktr.ee/everymovieeverpodcast


