
Kermode & Mayo’s Take
The new home of Mark Kermode and Simon Mayo. They’re back, and it’s bigger, and better and larger-er and more-er.
Film reviews, TV reviews, and all your conversation around movie and non-movie related stuff. Plus a whole bunch of recommendations to watch in cinemas, on all streaming services and on physical media.
As well as the film and TV reviews, Mark and Simon will be talking about anything and everything. Punctuation, Thunderbirds, obscure German pop music, fax machines, subtitles, MRI scans, magic, school assemblies, Scandinavia, and don’t forget the dad jokes.
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Latest episodes

Dec 15, 2023 • 1h 16min
Taika Waititi and Jaiyah Saelua, Next Goal Wins, What Happens Later, The Three Musketeers: Milady & Godzilla Minus One
This week sees Mark and Simon chat to director, writer and producer Taika Waititi and American Samoan footballer Jaiyah Saelua about ‘Next Goal Wins’, a sports comedy-drama based on the documentary of the same name, which chronicles the national team of American Samoa as they try to recover from the indignity of the worst loss in international football history and attempt to qualify for the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
Mark also offers up his thoughts on the film, along with reviewing ‘What Happens Later’, a romantic comedy that marks Meg Ryan’s second outing as director, and sees her star alongside David Duchovny as ex-lovers that get snowed-in at a regional airport; ‘The Three Musketeers: Milady’, an adaptation of Alexandre Dumas’ classic novel, which sees D’Artagnan embark on a frantic quest to save the woman he loves, joining forces with the mysterious Milady de Winter in the process; and ‘Godzilla Minus One’, a Japanese-language addition to the Godzilla franchise, which sees a post war Japan faced with a new crisis in the form of a giant monster, baptised in the horrific power of the atomic bomb.
Time Codes (relevant only for the Vanguard - who are also ad-free!):
08:32 What Happens Later Review
17:41 Box Office Top Ten
28:20 Taika Waititi and Jaiyah Saelua Interview
44:21 Next Goal Wins Review
49:45 Laughter Lift
56:01 The Three Musketeers: Milady Review
59:34 Godzilla Minus One Review
01:08:18 What’s On
You can contact the show by emailing correspondence@kermodeandmayo.com or you can find us on social media, @KermodeandMayo
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A Sony Music Entertainment production.
Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts and follow us @sonypodcasts
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Dec 8, 2023 • 1h 23min
Paul King & Simon Farnaby, Wonka, Please Don’t Destroy: The Treasure of Foggy Mountain & Leave the World Behind
Director and screenwriter Paul King and screenwriter Simon Farnaby discuss their new Christmas blockbuster 'Wonka', a prequel to 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory'. Mark reviews 'Please Don’t Destroy: The Treasure of Foggy Mountain' and 'Leave the World Behind', a psychological thriller interrupted by a mysterious blackout. They also touch on holiday traditions, treasure hunting in films, the importance of specificity, and the use of music in films. The podcast explores themes of race, class, identity, and trust in 'Leave the World Behind'.

Dec 1, 2023 • 1h 24min
George Mackay, Femme, Jason Isaacs, Archie & Eileen
Actor George Mackay discusses his role in the psychosexual noir 'Femme' and seeking revenge on one of his attackers. Jason Isaacs talks about playing Cary Grant in the ITV miniseries 'Archie'. An adaptation of 'Eileen' is reviewed, and Mark shares his thoughts on the film. The podcast also includes discussions about the popularity of Lots-O'-Huggin' Bear in Vietnam, the complex character of Cary Grant, and the making of 'Femme', a French indie that subverts the noir thriller genre.

Nov 24, 2023 • 1h 27min
Joaquin Phoenix and Vanessa Kirby, Jodie Whittaker, Napoleon, One Night & The Eternal Daughter
Strap in for a bumper week of interviews: Simon sits down for an entertaining chat with Joaquin Phoenix and Vanessa Kirby to discuss their turns in Ridley Scott’s new epic, ‘Napoleon’, which looks at the military commander’s origins and ruthless climb to emperor through the prism of his volatile relationship with his wife and one true love, Josephine; and both Simon and Mark talk to Jodie Whittaker about her new Australian-set series ‘One Night’, which follows three friends whose friendship was destroyed by a traumatic event 20 years prior.
Mark gives his thoughts on both, along with reviewing Joanna Hogg’s latest offering, ‘The Eternal Daughter’, a gothic mystery drama, which stars long-time collaborator Tilda Swinton in a double role, playing both a middle-aged filmmaker and her elderly mother who are guests at a mysterious hotel.
Time Codes (relevant only for the Vanguard - who are ad-free!):
06:26 The Eternal Daughter review
16:37 Box Office Top Ten
29:45 Jodie Whittaker interview
46:36 One Night review
51:26 Laughter Lift
54:44 Joaquin Phoenix and Vanessa Kirby interview
01:09:58 Napoleon review
01:19:25 What’s On
You can contact the show by emailing correspondence@kermodeandmayo.com or you can find us on social media, @KermodeandMayo
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A Sony Music Entertainment production.
Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts and follow us @sonypodcasts
To advertise on this show contact: podcastadsales@sonymusic.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nov 17, 2023 • 1h 22min
Todd Haynes, May December, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, The Marvels & Saltburn
Simon meets director Todd Haynes to discuss his thorny, new offering ‘May December’, which stars the powerhouse duo of Julianne Moore and Natalie Portman, and tells the story of a seemingly perfect married couple’s marriage buckling under the pressure when an actress arrives to do research for a film about their notorious tabloid romance twenty years prior.
Mark also weighs in on the film, along with giving his thoughts on ‘The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes’, the latest instalment of the dystopian kids franchise, which sees Rachel Zegler star as a defiant female tribute from the impoverished District 12; ‘The Marvels’, the second instalment for Brie Larson’s titular superhero Captain, which sees Carol Danvers get her powers entangled with those of Kamala Khan and Monica Rambeau, forcing them to work together to save the universe; and ‘Saltburn’, Emerald Fennell’s class-skewering psychological thriller, which she was on the show to talk about last week.
Plus, Mark and Simon take us through the Box Office Top 10 and the film events worth catching in this week’s What’s On.
Time Codes (relevant only for the Vanguard - who are ad-free!):
09:53 Hunger Games The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes Review
21:55 Box Office Top Ten
30:37 The Marvels Review
35:43 Todd Haynes Interview
56:26 Laughter Lift
01:00:15 Salburn Review
01:11:44 What's On
You can contact the show by emailing correspondence@kermodeandmayo.com or you can find us on social media, @KermodeandMayo
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A Sony Music Entertainment production.
Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts and follow us @sonypodcasts
To advertise on this show contact: podcastadsales@sonymusic.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nov 10, 2023 • 1h 22min
Emerald Fennell, The Automat, Anatomy Of A Fall & Dream Scenario
Simon sits down with actor-writer-director Emerald Fennell to discuss her new, star-studded, class-skewering, psychological thriller ‘Saltburn’, which sees an Oxford scholarship student drawn into the world of a charming aristocrat when he invites him to his family’s sprawling country estate.
Mark reviews ‘The Automat’, a Mel Brooks-fronted documentary centered on the vending machine popularised in the 20th Century that offered fresh cooked meals in a commissary-style eatery; ‘Anatomy of a Fall’, the Palme d’Or winning crime thriller about the trial of a woman accused of murdering her husband in their remote chalet in the French Alps; ‘Dream Scenario’, a surreal comedy about a hapless family man, played by Nicolas Cage, who finds his life upended when millions of strangers start seeing him in their dreams.
Plus, Mark and Simon take us through the Box Office Top 10 and the film events worth catching in this week’s What’s On.
Time Codes (relevant only for the Vanguard - who are ad-free!):
09:15 The Automat Review
20:48 Box Office Top Ten
36:56 Emerald Fennell Interview
52:35 Laughter Lift
55:18 Anatomy of a Fall Review
01:03:38 Dream Scenario Review
01:12:06 What's On
You can contact the show by emailing correspondence@kermodeandmayo.com or you can find us on social media, @KermodeandMayo
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A Sony Music Entertainment production.
Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts and follow us @sonypodcasts
To advertise on this show contact: podcastadsales@sonymusic.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nov 3, 2023 • 1h 20min
Gabriel Byrne, Dance First, How To Have Sex, Bottoms & The Killer
This week, Simon sits down with the brilliant and always-interesting Gabriel Byrne for a philosophical chat about his turn as the legendary Irish playwright Samuel Beckett in ‘Dance First’, James Marsh’s experimental biographical drama. Their conversation is so good, there’s more of it in Take 2!
Mark also gives his thoughts on the film, as well as reviewing ‘How To Have Sex’, cinematographer-turned director Molly Manning Walker's Cannes-winning feature debut about a group of teen girls’ rite-of-passage first holiday to Malia; ‘Bottoms’, the Young Hollywood-packed second feature from director Emma Seligman, which follows two unpopular queer high school students as they start a fight club in a bid to have sex before graduation; and ‘The Killer’, David Fincher’s latest offering starring Michael Fassbender as a – you guessed it – contract killer with a growing conscience.
Plus, Mark and Simon take us through the Box Office Top 10 and the film events worth catching in this week’s What’s On.
Time Codes (relevant only for the Vanguard - who are ad-free!):
11:12 How To Have Sex Review
21:24 Box Office Top Ten
32:55 Gabriel Byrne Interview
46:50 Dance First Review
52:09 Laughter Lift
57:52 Bottoms Review
01:04:27 The Killer Review
01:11:46 What's On
You can contact the show by emailing correspondence@kermodeandmayo.com or you can find us on social media, @KermodeandMayo
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A Sony Music Entertainment production.
Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts and follow us @sonypodcasts
To advertise on this show contact: podcastadsales@sonymusic.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Oct 27, 2023 • 1h 21min
Thelma Schoonmaker, Peeping Tom, Typist Artist Pirate King, Cat Person & Five Nights at Freddy’s
This week, certified film royalty is in the studio! Mark and Simon sit down with Martin Scorsese’s legendary film editor, Thelma Schoonmaker, who is here to discuss restoring her late husband director Michael Powell’s equally legendary body of work as part of the iconic filmmaking duo Powell and Pressburger. She also talks about her own work with Scorsese. A must listen!
Mark reviews the restoration of the Powell and Pressburger classic ‘Peeping Tom’, a psychological horror about a filmmaker who murders women and records their dying moments; ‘Typist Artist Pirate King’, director Carol Morley’s warm and sympathetic fictionalised portrait of the late “avant-garde and misunderstood” artist Audrey Amiss; ‘Cat Person’, a darkly comic psychological thriller about a college student who goes on an awkward date with an older man who may be a murderer, based on Kristen Roupenian’s viral New Yorker short story of the same name; and ‘Five Nights at Freddy’s, a supernatural horror inspired by the indie video game of the same name, which sees a troubled security guard menaced by creepy, animatronic, funhouse animals.
Plus, the duo takes us through the Box Office Top 10 and the film events worth catching in this week’s What’s On.
Time Codes (relevant only for the Vanguard - who are ad-free!):
10:38 Typist Artist Pirate King Review
22:27 Box Office Top Ten
35:45 Thelma Schoonmaker Interview
53:32 Laughter Lift
58:06 Cat Person Review
01:04:56 Five Nights At Freddy’s Review
01:10:17 What's On
You can contact the show by emailing correspondence@kermodeandmayo.com or you can find us on social media, @KermodeandMayo
EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ https://nordvpn.com/take Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee!
A Sony Music Entertainment production.
Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts and follow us @sonypodcasts
To advertise on this show contact: podcastadsales@sonymusic.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Oct 23, 2023 • 10min
Listen Now: Ghost Story
Tristan Redman is a journalist who doesn’t believe in ghosts. But weird things happened in his teenage bedroom – weirder than normal. When, years later, he discovers subsequent occupants of his family home were haunted by the ghost of a faceless woman, he’s curious. Because by a strange coincidence, it just so happens that the house Tristan grew up in is right next door to a murder scene - where his wife’s great grandmother was killed by two gunshots to the face. Could there be a connection? Tristan decides to investigate and soon finds himself where no son-in-law should ever be: delving deep into his wife’s family history, asking questions no one wants answered. Wondery and Pineapple Street Studios present Ghost Story — a seven-part podcast series about family secrets, overwhelming coincidences and the things that come back to haunt us.
Follow Ghost Story on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. Listen everywhere on October 23rd or you can binge ad-free on Wondery Plus starting the same day. Join Wondery Plus in the Wondery App or on Apple Podcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Oct 20, 2023 • 1h 18min
Errol Morris, The Pigeon Tunnel, Foe & Killers of the Flower Moon
Simon may be back in the studio, but this week Mark steps into the interviewer’s chair. He sits down with legendary documentarian Errol Morris to discuss his new film about the storied life and career of the equally legendary spy novelist, John le Carré.
Mark also gives his take on ‘Foe’, a psychological sci-fi starring Saoirse Ronan and Paul Mescal as a married couple conscripted into an off-planet settlement program; and ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’, Martin Scorsese’s epic Western crime drama set in 1920s Oklahoma, which centres on the serial murder of members of the oil-rich Osage Nation, a string of brutal crimes that came to be known as the Reign of Terror.
Plus our favourite duo takes us through the Box Office Top 10 and the film events worth catching in this week’s What’s On.
Time Codes (relevant only for the Vanguard - who are ad-free!):
11:19 Foe Review
20:53 Box Office Top Ten
36:20 Errol Morris Interview
48:56 The Pigeon Tunnel Review
54:17 Laughter Lift
58:54 Killers of the Flower Moon Review
01:08:48 What's On
You can contact the show by emailing correspondence@kermodeandmayo.com or you can find us on social media, @KermodeandMayo
EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ https://nordvpn.com/take Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee!
A Sony Music Entertainment production.
Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts and follow us @sonypodcasts
To advertise on this show contact: podcastadsales@sonymusic.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices