Overinvested

Based on a popular creepypasta concept and directed by a 20-year-old filmmaker who started out on YouTube, Backrooms became a runaway hit this summer, helping to kickstart a new wave of film deals for YouTube directors. In this episode, Steffan and Gavia discuss director Kane Parsons' impressive grasp of physical space as a source of horror, the film's underwhelming script, the online origins of the Backrooms, and whether Hollywood studios will actually do anything interesting on their quest to find the next lucrative YouTube movie.

Claire and Gavia break down the first three episodes of The Vampire Lestat, discussing the show's drastic tonal shift, its elaborate narrative structure, its bold exploration of abusive relationships - and much, much more. Adapting the iconic novel by Anne Rice, this season focuses more on Lestat's music career than on his historical backstory, reaffirming Interview with the Vampire's place among the best TV dramas of the decade.

Steven Spielberg's sci-fi conspiracy thriller Disclosure Day continues his career-long fascination with extraterrestrial life. Starring Emily Blunt and Josh O'Connor as two strangers being pursued by a shadowy military contractor, this film is a showcase for Spielberg's blockbuster expertise - although it also features some puzzling attitudes toward religion and conspiracy theories, culminating in a very divisive final act.

Claire and Gavia share their mixed feelings on Mother Mary, the stylish new psychological drama by David Lowery (The Green Knight). Exploring the tumultuous relationship between a Lady Gaga-esque pop star (Anne Hathaway) and her former costume designer (Michaela Coel), this genre-defying film incorporates elements of the supernatural into a story about creative collaboration and the destructive power of celebrity.

Anne Hathaway and Meryl Streep return for this smash-hit sequel, pivoting to a surprisingly bleak story about the demise of journalism. Among other topics, our review covers: Emily Blunt’s hilarious performance, the film’s inability to engage with its darker themes, and its depiction of how the magazine industry has changed in the 20 years since the original Devil Wears Prada movie came out.