Best Film Ever

“The Force, it’s calling to you. Just let it in.”

Join Ian, Liam & Kev for our 329th episode as we celebrate our annual Star Wars Day release by jumping to lightspeed into J.J. Abrams’ galaxy-reviving blockbuster Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015). Megs? She's not with us this week — She's been recruited by the Resistance after showing a worrying amount of lightsaber proficiency.

This week we discuss:

The revival question — how The Force Awakens brought Star Wars back to life after a decade away. Nostalgia, safety, or smart recalibration?

Daisy Ridley’s Rey — mysterious, capable, and instantly central. Is she the perfect modern Star Wars protagonist? Why is her best work done when she's not talking?

John Boyega’s Finn — defector, comic relief, emotional anchor. Does the film fully realise his potential?

Adam Driver’s Kylo Ren — volatile, conflicted, and deliberately unfinished. One of the saga’s most interesting villains?

Ian breaks down the film’s structure — echoes of A New Hope. Homage, remix, or outright repetition?

Kev dives into the spectacle — practical effects, sound design, and what it's like to watch your first Star Wars Film

The legacy characters — Han, Leia, and Luke. How well does the film balance past and future?

The humour — lighter, faster, more modern. Does it fit the Star Wars tone?

The “show vs tell” balance — does the film rely too heavily on familiarity, or does it earn its emotional beats?

The ending — powerful, quiet, and iconic. Does it stick the landing?

And finally, whether Star Wars: The Force Awakens is the Best Film Ever — or simply the most important reboot of the modern blockbuster era.

Become a Patron of this podcast and support the BFE at
https://www.patreon.com/BFE

We are extremely thankful to our following Patrons for their most generous support:

Juleen from It Goes Down In The PM

Hermes Auslander

James DeGuzman

Synthia

Shai Bergerfroind

Ariannah Who Loves BFE The Most

Paul Komoroski

Duane Smith (Duane Smith!)

Andy Dickson

Chris Pedersen

Randal Silva

Nate The Great

Rev Bruce

Richard

Ryan Kuketz

Dirk Diggler

Stew from the Stew World Order podcast

NorfolkDomus

John Humphrey's Right Foot

Timmy Tim Tim

Aashrey

Youth Hosteling with Chris Eubank

Buy some BFE merch at https://my-store-b4e4d4.creator-spring.com/.

Massive thanks to Lex Van Den Berghe for the use of Mistake by Luckydog. Catch more from Lex's new band, The Maids of Honor, at https://soundcloud.com/themaidsofhonor

Also, massive thanks to Moonlight Social for our age game theme song. You can catch more from them at https://www.moonlightsocialmusic.com/

“Let my people go.”

Join Ian, Liam & Megs for our 328th episode as we part the Red Sea, confront destiny, and revisit one of the most ambitious animated films ever made with The Prince of Egypt (1998). Kev? He’s not with us this week — he attempted to follow a mysterious burning bush into the desert and hasn’t returned. We assume he’s negotiating some very specific commandments.

This week we discuss:

The scale of the storytelling — biblical epic through animation. How does the film balance intimacy with spectacle?

Val Kilmer’s dual performance — Moses and God. Subtle, conflicted, and quietly powerful.

Ralph Fiennes’ Ramses — tragic, proud, and deeply human. One of animation’s most underrated antagonists?

The music — from Deliver Us to When You Believe. Does the soundtrack elevate the film into something transcendent?

Megs explores the film’s emotional core — brotherhood, identity, and the cost of doing what is right.

Ian breaks down the animation — traditional techniques blended with early CGI. How well does it hold up?

Liam questions the narrative focus — is this Moses’ story, Ramses’ story, or something shared between them?

The depiction of faith — reverent, interpretive, and accessible. Does the film succeed regardless of belief?

The plagues sequence — visually stunning, morally complex, and still haunting.

The “show vs tell” balance — how much does the film trust its visuals versus its dialogue and songs?

Ian goes all Old Testament, telling us that 'the book was better' and how they left the ultimate sideplot sitting on the table

The ending — epic, earned, and emotionally resonant. Does it land as both spectacle and personal journey?

And finally, whether The Prince of Egypt is the Best Film Ever — or one of the greatest animated films ever made.

Become a Patron of this podcast and support the BFE at
https://www.patreon.com/BFE

We are extremely thankful to our following Patrons for their most generous support:

Juleen from It Goes Down In The PM

Hermes Auslander

James DeGuzman

Synthia

Shai Bergerfroind

Ariannah Who Loves BFE The Most

Paul Komoroski

Duane Smith (Duane Smith!)

Andy Dickson

Chris Pedersen

Randal Silva

Nate The Great

Rev Bruce

Richard

Ryan Kuketz

Dirk Diggler

Stew from the Stew World Order podcast

NorfolkDomus

John Humphrey's Right Foot

Timmy Tim Tim

Aashrey

Youth Hosteling with Chris Eubank

Buy some BFE merch at https://my-store-b4e4d4.creator-spring.com/.

Massive thanks to Lex Van Den Berghe for the use of Mistake by Luckydog. Catch more from Lex's new band, The Maids of Honor, at https://soundcloud.com/themaidsofhonor

Also, massive thanks to Moonlight Social for our age game theme song. You can catch more from them at https://www.moonlightsocialmusic.com/

You know we love our wrestling here at the BFE (well… some of us do).

Join Ian from Best Film Ever and Stew from The Stew World Order podcast as we break the BFE format by looking at WrestleMania 42. We discuss whether CM Punk vs Roman Reigns delivered on the big stage, why were there so many adverts, what was the point of Pat McAfee, did we care about the big return in the women's division, whether the Jade Cargill experiment is over now, and what was with all the wrestlers using each others' finishers this year?

Catch more of Stew on his own podcast: Stew World Order at
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/stew-world-order/id1559913522

You can also catch him at his website where he writes about all sorts of fun things:
https://swoproductions.com/

“Follow the money.”

Join Ian, Liam & Kev for our 327th episode as we type through the night, chase sources, and piece together one of the greatest journalistic thrillers ever made with All the President’s Men (1976). Megs? She’s not with us this week — she insisted on meeting a source in an underground parking garage and hasn’t come back up yet. We assume she’s waiting for a shadowy figure to confirm something.

This week we discuss:

Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman as Woodward & Bernstein — contrasting energies, relentless curiosity, and the slow grind of uncovering truth.

The procedural storytelling — phone calls, notes, dead ends. Why the film makes paperwork feel like high drama.

The pace — deliberately methodical. Does the lack of traditional “action” heighten tension or test patience?

Megs explores the role of journalism — integrity, persistence, and the cost of getting it right.

Ian breaks down the film’s structure — accumulation of detail, repetition, and how small discoveries build into something enormous.

Liam questions accessibility — does the film expect too much knowledge from its audience, or does it teach you as it goes?

The use of sound and silence — typewriters, newsroom chatter, and the weight of quiet spaces.

Deep Throat — myth, mystery, and whether the film benefits from keeping him just out of reach.

The ending — abrupt, unresolved, and historically loaded. Does it land emotionally without showing the full outcome?

We debate “show vs tell” — is the film a masterclass in restraint, or does it occasionally feel too distant?

The legacy — how this film shaped political cinema and public trust in journalism.

And finally, whether All the President’s Men is the Best Film Ever — or simply one of the most important investigative films ever made.

Become a Patron of this podcast and support the BFE at
https://www.patreon.com/BFE

We are extremely thankful to our following Patrons for their most generous support:

Juleen from It Goes Down In The PM

Hermes Auslander

James DeGuzman

Synthia

Shai Bergerfroind

Ariannah Who Loves BFE The Most

Paul Komoroski

Duane Smith (Duane Smith!)

Andy Dickson

Chris Pedersen

Randal Silva

Nate The Great

Rev Bruce

Richard

Ryan Kuketz

Dirk Diggler

Stew from the Stew World Order podcast

NorfolkDomus

John Humphrey's Right Foot

Timmy Tim Tim

Aashrey

Youth Hosteling with Chris Eubank

Buy some BFE merch at https://my-store-b4e4d4.creator-spring.com/.

Massive thanks to Lex Van Den Berghe for the use of Mistake by Luckydog. Catch more from Lex's new band, The Maids of Honor, at https://soundcloud.com/themaidsofhonor

Also, massive thanks to Moonlight Social for our age game theme song. You can catch more from them at https://www.moonlightsocialmusic.com/

"Welcome to Jumanji!"

Join Ian, Liam & Megs for our 326th episode as we press start, pick our avatars, and get sucked into the chaotic, comedic, and surprisingly heartfelt world of Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017). Kev? He’s not with us this week — he selected his character without reading the stats and is now stuck in the jungle with a weakness to cake and only one life remaining. We wish him luck.

This week we discuss:

The central gimmick — body-swap comedy meets video game logic. Why this concept works far better than it has any right to.

Dwayne Johnson’s performance — bravado, vulnerability, and comedic timing. Is this one of his most self-aware roles?

Kevin Hart as the reluctant sidekick — high-energy, fast-talking, and constantly outmatched. Does he elevate or overwhelm?

Jack Black’s scene-stealing turn — Surely even Megs will commend his commitment, physicality, and one of the boldest comedic performances in a mainstream blockbuster.  

Karen Gillan’s balancing act — action hero competence with awkward teenage insecurity underneath.

Megs explores the film’s take on identity — how stepping into a different body reframes confidence, perception, and self-worth.

Ian breaks down the narrative structure — game levels, stakes, callbacks and consequences that are both earned and why the film’s pacing feels so clean.

Liam questions the emotional core — does the film earn its character growth, or is it just well-disguised formula?

The video game rules — clear, fun, and occasionally inconsistent. When do they help the story, and when do they get bent? We're looking  at you, Nick Jonas

The humour — broad, physical, and surprisingly sharp. Which jokes land, and which ones don’t quite stick?

The ending — satisfying, predictable, or just the right amount of both?

And finally, whether Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle is the Best Film Ever — or one of the most unexpectedly successful reboots of the modern era.

Become a Patron of this podcast and support the BFE at
https://www.patreon.com/BFE

We are extremely thankful to our following Patrons for their most generous support:

Juleen from It Goes Down In The PM

Hermes Auslander

James DeGuzman

Synthia

Shai Bergerfroind

Ariannah Who Loves BFE The Most

Paul Komoroski

Duane Smith (Duane Smith!)

Andy Dickson

Chris Pedersen

Randal Silva

Nate The Great

Rev Bruce

Cheezy (with a fish on a bike)

Richard

Ryan Kuketz

Dirk Diggler

Stew from the Stew World Order podcast

NorfolkDomus

John Humphrey's Right Foot

Timmy Tim Tim

Aashrey

Youth Hosteling with Chris Eubank

Buy some BFE merch at https://my-store-b4e4d4.creator-spring.com/.

Massive thanks to Lex Van Den Berghe for the use of Mistake by Luckydog. Catch more from Lex's new band, The Maids of Honor, at https://soundcloud.com/themaidsofhonor

Also, massive thanks to Moonlight Social for our age game theme song. You can catch more from them at https://www.moonlightsocialmusic.com/