Kermode & Mayo’s Take

The Take is now on Patreon: www.patreon.com/kermodeandmayo

Become a Vanguardista or an Ultra Vanguardista to get video episodes of Take Two every week, plus member-only chat rooms, polls and submissions to influence the show, behind-the-scenes photos and videos, the monthly Redactor’s Roundup newsletter, and access to a new fortnightly LIVE show - a raucous, unfiltered lunchtime special with the Good Doctors, new features, and live chat so you can heckle, vote, and have your questions read out in real time.



Legendary French actress Juliette Binoche is our special guest this week. She’ll be talking to Simon about her new film Queen at Sea, a hard-hitting drama examining the tensions and taboos of caring for a family member with Alzheimer’s. Plus we’ll hear a little about her dance documentary directorial debut In-I in Motion - which is also released in the UK this week. She even challenges Simon to get on the dancefloor…now that we would like to see…



Mark reviews Queen at Sea, as well as three more big screen releases - it is, as they say, a packed show. We’ll get his verdicts on Resident Evil - an adaptation of the hugely popular videogame from Weapons director Zach Cregger - as well as dark classroom satire Bad Apples, starring Saoirse Ronan, and the latest Aardman animated treat, Shaun The Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom.



Plus an uncharacteristically quite-funny Laughter Lift (which we really did need this week…), and all your excellent correspondence. Keep it coming please!



You can contact the show by emailing [email protected] or you can find us on social media, @KermodeandMayo.



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: [email protected]



EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ https://nordvpn.com/take Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee!



Our Christmas Movie Spectacular is back! It’s in Bristol this year on Sunday 6th December. Don’t miss it!



Here’s the link for tickets:

https://www.fane.co.uk/kermode-and-mayo

Timecodes:



00:00:00 Introduction

00:09:51 Resident Evil review

00:20:20 Box Office Top Ten

00:31:52 Juliette Binoche interview

00:48:02 Queen at Sea review

01:00:04 Laughter Lift

01:03:12 Bad Apples review

01:12:38 Shaun The Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom review


Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Take is now on Patreon: www.patreon.com/kermodeandmayo   

Become a Vanguardista or an Ultra Vanguardista to get video episodes of Take Two every week, plus member-only chat rooms, polls and submissions to influence the show, behind-the-scenes photos and videos, the monthly Redactor’s Roundup newsletter, and access to a new fortnightly LIVE show - a raucous, unfiltered lunchtime special with the Good Doctors, new features, and live chat so you can heckle, vote, and have your questions read out in real time. 

 

On this week's Take, Simon and Mark are back in the booth and diving into a packed slate of new releases. From the spellbinding return of Practical Magic 2 to the vertigo-inducing thrills of Fall 2, they weigh up the latest sequels hoping to recapture cinematic lightning in a bottle. There's also a look at the tense wartime-weather-system drama Pressure and jazz biopic Everybody Digs Bill Evans, exploring the life and legacy of one of the genre’s most influential musicians and featuring last week’s guest Bill Pullman.  

 

Plus, director Nicolas Winding Refn joins Simon for a conversation about coming back from the dead (for real), and Her Private Hell—his first film in a decade, out on September 25th. Keep your eyes peeled for Mark’s review then too.  

 

Along the way there's the usual mix of film news, recommendations, correspondence, and of course the Laughter Lift. Time to settle in, press play, and enjoy another trip to the cinema with Mark and Simon.  

 

You can contact the show by emailing [email protected] or you can find us on social media, @KermodeandMayo. 

 

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: [email protected] 

 

EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ https://nordvpn.com/take Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee! 

 

Our Christmas Movie Spectacular is back! It’s in Bristol this year on Sunday 6th December. Don’t miss it!  

 

Here’s the link for tickets: 

https://www.fane.co.uk/kermode-and-mayo  

Timecodes: 

00:00:00 Introduction

00:13:23 Pressure review 

00:23:25 Box Office Top Ten 

00:35:21 Nicholas Winding Refn interview 

00:49:01 Everybody Digs Bill Evans 

00:59:05 Laughter Lift 

01:01:31 Fall 2 

01:12:01 Practical Magic 2 
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Take is now on Patreon: www.patreon.com/kermodeandmayo

Become a Vanguardista or an Ultra Vanguardista to get video episodes of Take Two every week, plus member-only chat rooms, polls and submissions to influence the show, behind-the-scenes photos and videos, the monthly Redactor’s Roundup newsletter, and access to a new fortnightly LIVE show - a raucous, unfiltered lunchtime special with the Good Doctors, new features, and live chat so you can heckle, vote, and have your questions read out in real time.



This week’s special guest is Hollywood stalwart Bill Pullman, who across the decades has starred in Independence Day, Spaceballs, David Lynch’s Lost Highway, Sleepless in Seattle and many more. This time we see him in Everybody Digs Bill Evans, where he plays the father of the titular jazz legend. He chats to Simon about father-son stories, jazz, and how working in black and white changes his acting.



Mark will review Everybody Digs Bill Evans next week, and in the meantime we’ve got a packed show with four big screen releases up for the Good Doctors’ judgement. We’ve got Late Fame, a New York set indie about an aging former poet (Willem Dafoe), who is surprised to find his work reappraised by a group of young bohemians. Then there’s Leviticus, an Australian conversion therapy horror from the producers of The Babadook and Talk To Me, and Supernature, a love letter to nature documentary shot entirely on Super 8. And finally, following our interview with director Michael Sarnoski last week, the wait is over for Mark’s verdict on The Death of Robin Hood.



All that plus an especially groan-inducing Laughter Lift, and all your top correspondence, including some great What’s On bulletins this week.



You can contact the show by emailing [email protected] or you can find us on social media, @KermodeandMayo.



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: [email protected]



EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ https://nordvpn.com/take Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee!



Our Christmas Movie Spectacular is back! It’s in Bristol this year on Sunday 6th December. Don’t miss it!



Here’s the link for tickets:

https://www.fane.co.uk/kermode-and-mayo



Film Suffolk: linktr.ee/ouatis



Ikea Knightley https://iwittr.com/wiki/page/Ikea_Knightley

Timecodes:



00:00:00 Introduction

00:09:06 Late Fame review

00:18:15 Box Office Top Ten

00:30:20 Bill Pullman interview

00:44:54 Supernature review

00:53:25 Laughter Lift

00:55:16 Leviticus review

01:02:36 The Death of Robin Hood review
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Take is now on Patreon: www.patreon.com/kermodeandmayo

Become a Vanguardista or an Ultra Vanguardista to get video episodes of Take Two every week, plus member-only chat rooms, polls and submissions to influence the show, behind-the-scenes photos and videos, the monthly Redactor’s Roundup newsletter, and access to a new fortnightly LIVE show - a raucous, unfiltered lunchtime special with the Good Doctors, new features, and live chat so you can heckle, vote, and have your questions read out in real time.



Three more of the week’s big screen offerings reviewed by the Good Doctors on the Take. First up, The Dog Stars—Ridley Scott’s latest post-apocalyptic survival thriller offering starring Jacob Elordi and Josh Brolin. Then there’s the new drama from our favourite multicoloured Spanish maximalist Pedro Almodóvar, Bitter Christmas, and even more outrageously, Gregg Araki’s kinky comedy I Want Your Sex, starring Olivia Wilde and Cooper Hoffman.



Plus our guest this week is Michael Sarnoski, director of Pig, A Quiet Place: Day One, and now The Death of Robin Hood, Out next week, it shows us a darker side of the folk legend, following Hugh Jackman’s grizzled Robin Hood in later life as he reckons with the legacy of years of violence. No men in tights here, sorry. Michael chats to Simon and Mark about reimagining this famous take and directing Huge Action through some serious Northern Irish mud.



Laugther Lift too as usual, plus the best of your excellent correspondence, including some great What’s On info and another entry into our new technophobic feature A, I Don’t Like That. Enjoy!



You can contact the show by emailing [email protected] or you can find us on social media, @KermodeandMayo.



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: [email protected]



EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ https://nordvpn.com/take Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee!



Our Christmas Movie Spectacular is back! It’s in Bristol this year on Sunday 6th December. Don’t miss it!



Here’s the link for tickets:

https://www.fane.co.uk/kermode-and-mayo

Timecodes:



00:00:00 Introduction

00:12:11 The Dog Stars review

00:21:41 Box Office Top Ten

00:30:35 Michael Sarnoski interview

00:45:08 Bitter Christmas review

00:53:37 Laughter Lift

01:01:28 I Want Your Sex review

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Take is now on Patreon: www.patreon.com/kermodeandmayo

Become a Vanguardista or an Ultra Vanguardista to get video episodes of Take Two every week, plus member-only chat rooms, polls and submissions to influence the show, behind-the-scenes photos and videos, the monthly Redactor’s Roundup newsletter, and access to a new fortnightly LIVE show - a raucous, unfiltered lunchtime special with the Good Doctors, new features, and live chat so you can heckle, vote, and have your questions read out in real time.



Our special guest this week is Johnny Flynn, who stars in & Sons—A dysfunctional family drama with a twist. His character Richard is one of three long suffering sons to Billy Nighy’s A.N. Dyer, a mega-successful novelist turned alcoholic recluse and personal disaster zone. Johnny chats to Simon about the movie, its unusual filmmaking process, and working alongside Nighy, Imelda Staunton, George McKay and Noah Jupe as part of its all-star ensemble cast. Plus we hear a little about his upcoming performances as Paul Simon in South-African-set drama The Road Home, as a beleaguered sheriff in western A Prayer For The Dying, as Dostoevsky in The Idiots, and as Lucuis Malfoy (i.e. Jason Isaacs) in Harry Potter. I do wish someone would give this lad a bit of work, he must be desperate for something to get his teeth into…



Mark reviews & Sons, as well as two more of the week’s most exciting titles. First up, Coyote vs Acme, a live action animation hybrid that sees Looney Tunes’ murderous canine Wile E. Coyote return to the screen in a meta legal drama with the suppliers of his ever-malfunctioning gadgets. Plus, Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma (one film not two), a meta-slasher starring Gillian Anderson in which a film director becomes obsessed with casting her ‘final girl’ in a classic horror sequel. The most Mark film evz? We’ll find out.



All that plus the Laughter Lift, the return of Simon after Sanjeev’s super subbing last week, and of course your witty, erudite and delightful correspondence. Keep the postbag full please gang!



You can find out more about Medi Cinema and donate here: https://www.medicinema.org.uk





You can contact the show by emailing [email protected] or you can find us on social media, @KermodeandMayo.



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: [email protected]



EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ https://nordvpn.com/take Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee!



Our Christmas Movie Spectacular is back! It’s in Bristol this year on Sunday 6th December. Don’t miss it!



Here’s the link for tickets:

https://www.fane.co.uk/kermode-and-mayo

Timecodes:



00:06:25 Coyote vs Acme Review

00:14:25 Box Office Top Ten

00:26:58 Johnny Flynn interview

00:42:43 & Sons review

00:59:09 Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma review

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Take is now on Patreon: www.patreon.com/kermodeandmayo

Become a Vanguardista or an Ultra Vanguardista to get video episodes of Take Two every week, plus member-only chat rooms, polls and submissions to influence the show, behind-the-scenes photos and videos, the monthly Redactor’s Roundup newsletter, and access to a new fortnightly LIVE show - a raucous, unfiltered lunchtime special with the Good Doctors, new features, and live chat so you can heckle, vote, and have your questions read out in real time.



You can contact the show by emailing [email protected] or you can find us on social media, @KermodeandMayo.



Supersub Sanjeev is sitting in for Simon on this week’s Take, and he and Mark will be bringing you three brand spanking new reviews of the coming cinematic attractions. The End of Oak Street has got dinosaurs, mysterious teleportation, and… kids with bows and arrows - which is the most unbelievable of those things, according to Sanjeev. But is this 80s-set adventure pleasantly Spielbergian, or just prehistoric? Then there’s Tony, the Anthony Bourdain origin story starring Dominic Sessa as the young rockstar chef to be. It might have Mark salivating - or maybe it’s just an odd mixture of ingredients…



And finally we have Lady, starring this week’s special guest, Sian Clifford. In this madcap comedy the BAFTA-winning Fleabag actress plays a self-obsessed aristocrat who looks in the mirror for so long that she starts to see herself disappearing. She talks to Sanjeev about the role and why she hates being on camera as an actor.



All that plus the Laughter Lift - this week at least delivered by an actual comedian - the box office top 10, and of course your top correspondence.



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: [email protected]



EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ https://nordvpn.com/take Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee!



Our Christmas Movie Spectacular is back! It’s in Bristol this year on Sunday 6th December. Don’t miss it!



Here’s the link for tickets:

https://www.fane.co.uk/kermode-and-mayo

Timecodes:



00:00:00 Introduction

00:10:13 The End of Oak Street review

00:22:52 Box Office Top Ten

00:36:57 Sian Clifford interview

00:51:02 Lady review

01:03:28 Laughter Lift

01:07:25 Tony review
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Take is now on Patreon: www.patreon.com/kermodeandmayo

Become a Vanguardista or an Ultra Vanguardista to get video episodes of Take Two every week, plus member-only chat rooms, polls and submissions to influence the show, behind-the-scenes photos and videos, the monthly Redactor’s Roundup newsletter, and access to a new fortnightly LIVE show - a raucous, unfiltered lunchtime special with the Good Doctors, new features, and live chat so you can heckle, vote, and have your questions read out in real time.



Mark Kermode assesses Eli Roth’s gory horror Ice Cream Man, about an ice-cream van whose treats turn kids into homicidal monsters. He also reviews French drama Love Me Tender, starring Vicky Krieps as a mother whose divorce and sexuality trigger a brutal custody battle. Staying abroad, Mark then covers The Summer Book, a Tove Jansson adaptation set on a Finnish island, featuring a standout turn from Glenn Close as a grandmother helping a grieving child and her withdrawn father.



And Simon Mayo chats to Taika Waititi on adapting the New Zealand novel Wild Pork and Watercress into the much-loved Hunt for the Wilderpeople as it returns in a 10th anniversary 4K release.



Plus, the Box Office Top Ten jumps back in time to 1976. As does the Laughter Lift for that matter….



You can contact the show by emailing [email protected] 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!



Our Christmas Movie Spectacular is back! It’s in Bristol this year on Sunday 6th December. Don’t miss it!



Here’s the link for tickets:

https://www.fane.co.uk/kermode-and-mayo



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: [email protected]

Timecodes:

00:00:00 Introduction

00:11:52 Ice Cream Man review

00:21:32 Box Office Top Ten (1976)

00:33:37 Taika Waititi Interview

00:47:23 Love Me Tender review

00:55:01 Laughter Lift

00:59:52 The Summer Book review
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Take is now on Patreon: www.patreon.com/kermodeandmayo

Become a Vanguardista or an Ultra Vanguardista to get video episodes of Take Two every week, plus member-only chat rooms, polls and submissions to influence the show, behind-the-scenes photos and videos, the monthly Redactor’s Roundup newsletter, and access to a new fortnightly LIVE show - a raucous, unfiltered lunchtime special with the Good Doctors, new features, and live chat so you can heckle, vote, and have your questions read out in real time.



Spider-Man is swinging back onto cinema screens this weekend in Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Tom Holland’s masked web slinger is anonymous once again, his identity having been wiped from the memories of his fellow New Yorkers - including those once closest to him. Mark reviews this latest Marvel blockbuster, alongside a homegrown British indie that’s generating some serious buzz: Ish. Recalling Kes, The 400 Blows and the Apu trilogy, it’s a vivid coming-of-age debut you won’t want to miss.



Also coming soon on digital is Our Hero Balthazar, a dark satire tackling gun violence and internet culture, starring Asa Butterfield - who is our special guest this week. He plays Solomon, a gun-obsessed would-be school shooter, online-trolling from the Texas trailer he shares with his granny. The film centres around Solomon’s uneasy friendship with Balthazar, a New York rich kid who craves the social cachet of preventing a shooting by befriending its potential perpetrator. Asa joins Mark and Simon to unpack this transformational performance.



Plus the Laughter Lift, more on our inevitable technological overlords in new mini-feature ‘AI Don’t Like That’, and of course lots of top correspondence from you. Cheers!



You can contact the show by emailing [email protected] or you can find us on social media, @KermodeandMayo.



Our Christmas Movie Spectacular is back! It’s in Bristol this year on Sunday 6th December. Don’t miss it!



Here’s the link for tickets:

https://www.fane.co.uk/kermode-and-mayo



What’s On info:

https://www.deliveryafterdark.com/

https://theatreship.co.uk/#tickets



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: [email protected]

Timecodes:

00:00:00 Introduction

00:08:29 Ish review

00:16:27 Box Office Top Ten

00:31:22 Asa Butterfield interview

00:46:51 Our Hero, Balthazar review

00:57:48 Laughter Lift

00:59:26 AI don't like that

01:03:32 Spider-Man: Brand New Day review
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Take is now on Patreon: www.patreon.com/kermodeandmayo

Become a Vanguardista or an Ultra Vanguardista to get video episodes of Take Two every week, plus member-only chat rooms, polls and submissions to influence the show, behind-the-scenes photos and videos, the monthly Redactor’s Roundup newsletter, and access to a new fortnightly LIVE show - a raucous, unfiltered lunchtime special with the Good Doctors, new features, and live chat so you can heckle, vote, and have your questions read out in real time.



We have a very ‘precious’ guest for you this week… yes, it’s Andy Serkis, AKA Gollum himself. The actor, director, and motion capturer extraordinaire chats to Simon about his new film Animal Farm - an animated adaptation of Orwell’s classic story for a young audience. With Seth Rogan putting a comic spin on Orwell’s porky totalitarian Napoleon, and a key new character and third act added, Serkis’ child-friendly version has attracted some ire already - but is it fair? Listen in to find out where Mark stands.



Plus, we’ve got two more reviews of what’s out this week for anyone not going to see The Odyssey. First up, Pinocchio Unstrung - the latest in Twisted Childhood’s series of slasher-fied, copyright free children’s classics. Then there’s Ask E. Jean, a powerful doc about American columnist E. Jean Carroll, who took on Trump in the courts and won. Plus, the Laughter Lift as usual, and we’re also debuting a technophobic new feature ‘AI don’t like that’ - a home for the ever-increasing correspondence about the terrifying ascendency of our future AI overlords.



You can contact the show by emailing [email protected] 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: [email protected]

Timecodes:



00:00:00 Introduction

00:09:04 Pinocchio Unstrung review

00:15:49 Box Office Top Ten

00:31:00 Andy Serkis interview

00:48:20 Animal Farm review

01:02:58 Laughter Lift

01:09:01 Ask E. Jean review

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Take is now on Patreon: www.patreon.com/kermodeandmayo

Become a Vanguardista or an Ultra Vanguardista to get video episodes of Take Two every week, plus member-only chat rooms, polls and submissions to influence the show, behind-the-scenes photos and videos, the monthly Redactor’s Roundup newsletter, and access to a new fortnightly LIVE show - a raucous, unfiltered lunchtime special with the Good Doctors, new features, and live chat so you can heckle, vote, and have your questions read out in real time.



The time is upon us for the biggest and most epic cinematic event of the year: Sir Christopher Nolan’s Odyssey is finally hitting the (very) big screen—shot on IMAX film, no less. With Matt Damon as Odysseus, Anne Hathaway as Penelope, and a smattering of other screen superstars including Tom Holland, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong’o, and Zendaya in the cast, it’s the cinematic event we’ve all been waiting for. Not to mention Samantha Morton who, as you’ll hear, might just steal the show… Strap in for a bumper review from Mark and Ben—plus of course Simon’s interview with director Sir Christopher Nolan himself. He tells us all about his decades long journey with this ancient story, bringing myth to life, and wrestling with the gods in this massive movie.



Synthetic Sincerity is our second film up for review—a docufiction curio about a filmmaker’s deal with an AI company that hovers somewhere between fiction and reality. Plus, Mark and Ben will run down the box office top 10, witter around your excellent correspondence, and subject us all to the Laughter Lift again—although we can blame/credit (delete as applicable) you guys for some of the jokes this time. Thanks as always for being part of the Witterverse!



You can contact the show by emailing [email protected] 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: [email protected]



Our Christmas Movie Spectacular is back! It’s in Bristol this year on Sunday 6th December. Don’t miss it!



Here’s the link for tickets:

https://www.fane.co.uk/kermode-and-mayo

Timecodes:

00:06:52 Synthetic Sincerity review

00:22:51 Box Office 10

00:40:02 Sir Christopher Nolan interview

00:56:09 The Odyssey review

01:19:19 Laughter Lift--
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Take is now on Patreon: www.patreon.com/kermodeandmayo

Become a Vanguardista or an Ultra Vanguardista to get video episodes of Take Two every week, plus member-only chat rooms, polls and submissions to influence the show, behind-the-scenes photos and videos, the monthly Redactor’s Roundup newsletter, and access to a new fortnightly LIVE show—a raucous, unfiltered lunchtime special with the Good Doctors, new features, and live chat so you can heckle, vote, and have your questions read out in real time.



Disney animated smash Moana is getting the live action treatment this week—and our guest is director Thomas Kail, who previously helmed both the screen and stage versions of Lin Manuel Miranda’s Hamilton and In The Heights too. He talks to Simon about their longstanding collaboration, the whole island of creatives it took to make this movie, and discovering the perfect Moana from thousands of auditionees in Catherine Laga’aia. Plus Mark reviews it—will he be charmed, or is this one live action remake too far?



Also on the review slate this week we’ve got Rosebush Pruning, a twisted indie family drama featuring all the bodily fluids, and Evil Dead Burn—the latest in the super-influential zombie series. Is the franchise unkillable, or a dead man walking? Don’t miss Mark’s verdict.



All that plus the box office top 10, the weekly trial of the Laughter Lift (sorry), and of course plenty of correspondence from you lot. Keep it coming!



You can contact the show by emailing [email protected] 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: [email protected]



Our Christmas Movie Spectacular is back! It’s in Bristol this year on Sunday 6th December. Don’t miss it!



Here’s the link for tickets:

https://www.fane.co.uk/kermode-and-mayo



WHAT’S ON:



Dr. Jazz and the Cheshire Cats Swingin’ At The Movies:

https://stockportplaza.co.uk/whats-on/dr-jazz-and-the-cheshire-cats/



The Labours of Hercule: Poirot Double Bill:

https://www.picturehouses.com/movie-details/022/HO00017996/the-labours-of-hercule-poirot-double-bill?filter=

Timecodes:

00:10:46 Rosebush Pruning

00:19:41 Box Office Top Ten

00:36:16 Thomas Kail interview

00:51:47 Moana review

01:01:36 Laughter Lift

01:04:10 Evil Dead Burn
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Take is now on Patreon: www.patreon.com/kermodeandmayo

Become a Vanguardista or an Ultra Vanguardista to get video episodes of Take Two every week, plus member-only chat rooms, polls and submissions to influence the show, behind-the-scenes photos and videos, the monthly Redactor’s Roundup newsletter, and access to a new fortnightly LIVE show—a raucous, unfiltered lunchtime special with the Good Doctors, new features, and live chat so you can heckle, vote, and have your questions read out in real time.

Pffft. Bottom. Yes, it’s Minions movie week. Directed by last week’s guest Pierre Coffin, this latest instalment sees the little yellow fellas take on filmmaking. But will Mark’s love for the franchise endure?

On a much more adult note, our guests this week are Edward Norton and Olivia Wilde, who star in (and in Wilde’s case direct) searing and sexy dark comedy The Invite. It follows Jaded couple Angela (Wilde) and Joe (Seth Rogen), whose marital troubles are thrown into relief by a visit from their fruity neighbours Pena (Penelope Cruz) and Hawk (Norton). Simon sits down with them to talk compersion, catastrophe, and colour coordination.

Plus, internet sensation turned big screen effort Nirvanna The Band The Show The Movie, and finally a Supergirl review too. Don’t miss another top Take!

As promised, here’s the ticket link for the special K&M live show in Bristol: 

https://www.fane.co.uk/kermode-and-mayo-s-2026-tickets/bristol-beacon-hall/2026-12-06-19-00  

You can contact the show by emailing [email protected] or you can find us on social media, @KermodeandMayo.



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Timecodes:

00:10:56 Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie review

00:22:18 Box Office top ten

00:29:32 Supergirl review

00:43:58 ad break

00:45:32 Edward Norton & Olivia Wilde interview

00:57:38 The Invite review

01:09:57 Laughter Lift

01:13:05 Ad break

01:17:10 Minions and Monsters
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The Take is now on Patreon: www.patreon.com/kermodeandmayo

Become a Vanguardista or an Ultra Vanguardista to get video episodes of Take Two every week, plus member-only chat rooms, polls and submissions to influence the show, behind-the-scenes photos and videos, the monthly Redactor’s Roundup newsletter, and access to a new fortnightly LIVE show—a raucous, unfiltered lunchtime special with the Good Doctors, new features, and live chat so you can heckle, vote, and have your questions read out in real time.



With Mark recording the show from the air-conditioned cool of a film festival in Croatia while the UK swelters, Simon bravely holds the fort back in showbiz north London as he chats to Minions creator Pierre Coffin about the new film, Minions and Monsters.



For this week’s reviews, Mark dons his safety helmet and grabs a sick bucket for Jackass: Best & Last, the latest big-screen goodbye to Johnny Knoxville and the Jackass crew, packed with stunts, injuries and end-of-an-era nostalgia. It’s not for everyone (Simon) but will Mark indeed find it “best and last”, or a stunt too far?



Back on safer ground 500 Miles comes under the spotlight. It’s a YA-novel adaptation in which two brothers run away from home and travel across land and sea to reach their grandfather in rural Ireland, encountering music, mishaps and buried family history along the way.



Finally, A Private Life is a French-language mystery-thriller from Rebecca Zlotowski starring the always excellent Jodie Foster as a psychiatrist drawn into a patient’s death and a spiral of suspicion.



And as ever, there’s box office chat (predictably dominated by Toy Story 5 this week), our always thought-provoking listener correspondence, and yes…hahahhahaha…. the Laughter Lift.



You can contact the show by emailing [email protected] or you can find us on social media, @KermodeandMayo.



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Timecodes:

00:00 Introduction

00:11:06 500 Miles review

00:16:59 Box Office top 10

00:31:16 Pierre Coffin interview

00:48:19 A Private Life review

00:56:14 Laughter Lift

01:02:31 Jackass: best and last review
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The Take is now on Patreon: www.patreon.com/kermodeandmayo   

Become a Vanguardista or an Ultra Vanguardista to get video episodes of Take Two every week, plus member-only chat rooms, polls and submissions to influence the show, behind-the-scenes photos and videos, the monthly Redactor’s Roundup newsletter, and access to a new fortnightly LIVE show—a raucous, unfiltered lunchtime special with the Good Doctors, new features, and live chat so you can heckle, vote, and have your questions read out in real time. 

 

The box office big beast this week is Toy Story 5, and we’re bringing you Mark’s verdict on this fifth instalment of the beloved Pixar franchise. It’s been a Take favourite since it first hit screens in the 90s and has never let us down so far, but can it really live up to the hype for the fifth film in a row?  

 

Plus we’ve got two more reviews from this weekend’s cinema slate. First up, Welsh language drama Effi o Blaenau, which recasts a Greek tragedy plot in working-class Cardiff. And from gritty modern drama to glossy period drama, there’s Virginia Woolf’s Night and Day - an ‘unromantic comedy’ based on a comic novel by modernist literature’s most famous feminist.  

It also brings us to our guest this week…  

 

It’s Timothy Spall, who will be chatting to Simon about playing the film’s crusty old patriarch, Mr. Hilbery. One of our most respected and versatile British actors, Spall has played everyone from Winston Churchill to Wormtail, and has made several celebrated films with Mike Leigh (famously, the friendliest of all directors). This one is a meaty chat not to be missed.  

 

Mark will be playing Mr Punchline in this week’s Laughter Lift - unfortunately unlikely to make it any funnier. Lots and lots of correspondence from you lot too, including a thorough Disclosure Day debrief. Don’t miss it!  

 

You can contact the show by emailing [email protected] or you can find us on social media, @KermodeandMayo. 

 

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A Sony Music Entertainment production.     

 

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To advertise on this show contact: [email protected] 

Timecodes: 

00:07:09 Effi O Blaenau review 

00:14:50 Box Office Top Ten 

00:24:56 Timothy Spall interview 

00:39:57 Virginia Woolf's Night and Day review 

00:47:33 Laughter Lift 

00:54:36 Toy Story 5 review 

 
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Take is now on Patreon: www.patreon.com/kermodeandmayo



Become a Vanguardista or an Ultra Vanguardista to get video episodes of Take Two every week, plus member-only chat rooms, polls and submissions to influence the show, behind-the-scenes photos and videos, the monthly Redactor’s Roundup newsletter, and access to a new fortnightly LIVE show—a raucous, unfiltered lunchtime special with the Good Doctors, new features, and live chat so you can heckle, vote, and have your questions read out in real time.



It’s Disclosure Day week! Yes, film buffs, that means it’s time for a new Steven Spielberg film—and not just a new Spielberg, but a new Spielberg sci-fi. We can’t wait to see the iconic director return to the genre he defined, and to hear Mark’s verdict. Should we believe the hype that it’s his best film in decades?



As well as Mark’s review, we’ll hear Simon’s interview with two of its stars, Emily Blunt and Colman Domingo. They talk Spielbergian on-set insights, space aliens, and, erm… Percy Pigs. Plus, yet more speculation as to whether Jaws is or is not about a shark.



On top of that we’ve got two more reviews of two new movies who dared to release alongside this box office whopper. First up, quirky Scottish tragicomedy The Fall of Sir Douglas Weatherford, about a man desperate to keep his small town’s true history alive when a Game-of-Thrones-style production circus arrives and threatens to redefine it. And it’s reissue time for Paul Thomas Anderson’s Boogie Nights, scrubbed up in glorious 4K, and back on the big screen to celebrate. How does this groovy and grimy modern classic stand up after nearly 30 years? Let’s see what the Good Doctors say.



All that plus the usual hilarity/hardship of the Laughter Lift, and of course your erudite and insightful correspondence to boot. Don’t sleep on another top Take!



You can contact the show by emailing [email protected] or you can find us on social media, @KermodeandMayo.



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To advertise on this show contact: [email protected]

Timecodes:

00:10:27 The Fall of Sir Douglas Weatherford review

00:20:03 Box Office Top 10

00:35:23 Colman Domingo and Emily Blunt interview

00:46:23 Disclosure Day review

01:12:10 Boogie Nights review

01:22:57 What's On?

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Take is now on Patreon: www.patreon.com/kermodeandmayo

Become a Vanguardista or an Ultra Vanguardista to get video episodes of Take Two every week, plus member-only chat rooms, polls and submissions to influence the show, behind-the-scenes photos and videos, the monthly Redactor’s Roundup newsletter, and access to a new fortnightly LIVE show—a raucous, unfiltered lunchtime special with the Good Doctors, new features, and live chat so you can heckle, vote, and have your questions read out in real time.



The one and only Richard E. Grant joins us on this week’s Take for a chat with both Mark and Simon about Savage House. He stars as the flamboyant and grotesque Lord Chauncey Savage in this unhinged satirical period drama, alongside Claire Foy. Expect wigs, leeches, the pox and quite a lot of poo.



Mark will also be reviewing Savage House, alongside two more of the week’s biggest releases. Masters of the Universe sees an all-star ensemble cast led by Nicholas Galitzine, Camila Mendes and Idris Elba (erm, and Jared Leto) bring the He-Man franchise to the big screen—but is it superpowered, or another revival nobody asked for? Plus, Scary Movie, the latest instalment in Mark’s (least) favourite horror spoof franchise.



All that plus the usual excess witterings, and plenty of your excellent correspondence—including many more Muppet Game entries. We may have started something we can’t finish with this one….



You can contact the show by emailing [email protected] or you can find us on social media, @KermodeandMayo.



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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Timecodes:

00:00 Intro

11:54 Masters of the Universe review

21:45 Box Office Top Ten

34:12 Richard E. Grant interview

48:23 Savage House review

56:58 Laughter Lift

01:00:49 Scary Movie review

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Take is now on Patreon: www.patreon.com/kermodeandmayo

Become a Vanguardista or an Ultra Vanguardista to get video episodes of Take Two every week, plus member-only chat rooms, polls and submissions to influence the show, behind-the-scenes photos and videos, the monthly Redactor’s Roundup newsletter, and access to a new fortnightly LIVE show—a raucous, unfiltered lunchtime special with the Good Doctors, new features, and live chat so you can heckle, vote, and have your questions read out in real time.



Our guest this week is James Graham, one of Britain’s most prolific and successful writers, including of the brand new BBC series Dear England. Adapted from a play which Graham also wrote, it charts the journey of Gareth Southgate’s England men’s team from the disappointment of the ‘golden generation’ to the success we all cheered on in recent years—except for Mark, of course. No chance of him following the football. James talks to Simon about the highs and lows, moving from stage tp screen, and why Gareth Southgate has a redemption narrative straight outta Shakespeare.



Mark reviews it too, plus three more of the week’s big releases—a packed show again. We’ve got Power Ballad, a dark musical comedy of unfulfilled potential and stolen success starring Paul Rudd and Nick Jonas, Backrooms a new A24 horror that started life as a viral YouTube video, and Tuner, the crime thriller starring Dustin Hoffman and last week’s Take guest Leo Woodall.



All that plus the usual lovely nonsense. Enjoy!

Timecodes:

00:00 Introduction

10:04 Power Ballad review

16:38 Box Office 10

30:29 James Graham interview

47:00 Dear England review

53:33 Laughter Lift

01:00:31 Backrooms Review

01:08:22 Tuner review



The fundraising page for Dave Mitchell, director of Alien On Stage can be found here:

https://www.goodhub.com/go/helpdave



You can contact the show by emailing [email protected] or you can find us on social media, @KermodeandMayo.



🌎 Get an exclusive 15% discount on your first Saily data plans! Use code [Take] at checkout. Download Saily app or go to https://saily.com/Take ⛵



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: [email protected]

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Take is now on Patreon: www.patreon.com/kermodeandmayo

Become a Vanguardista or an Ultra Vanguardista to get video episodes of Take Two every week, plus member-only chat rooms, polls and submissions to influence the show, behind-the-scenes photos and videos, the monthly Redactor’s Roundup newsletter, and access to a new fortnightly LIVE show—a raucous, unfiltered lunchtime special with the Good Doctors, new features, and live chat so you can heckle, vote, and have your questions read out in real time.



Our guest this week is Leo Woodhall, who stars in upcoming thriller Tuner as Nikki, a new York piano tuner who discovers a talent for cracking safes, thanks to his hypersensitive hearing. He chats to Simon about the process behind his performance, going to piano-tuning-school, and working with Hollywood legend Dustin Hoffman. Keep an ear out for Mark’s review of Tuner, coming up in next week’s podcast.



On this week’s review slate we’ve got three more of the biggest movies hitting the big screen. First up, it’s The Mandalorian and Grogu, the latest Star Wars franchise adventure starring Pedro Pascal as the helmeted bounty hunter, alongside a super cute/slightly unnerving puppet [delete as applicable]. Will Mark jump onboard, or is this one Star Wars spin off too many? Plus we’ve got the Good Doctors’ verdicts on Manchester-set romcom Finding Emily, and road trip horror Passenger.



All that plus the usual bountiful witterings from Mark and Simon and excellent emergency mails from you listeners. We might read yours out, but you’ll also have to endure The Laughter Lift – so it’s swings and roundabouts. Another top Take nonetheless!



The fundraising page for Dave Mitchell, director of Alien On Stage can be found here:

https://www.goodhub.com/go/helpdave



You can contact the show by emailing [email protected] or you can find us on social media, @KermodeandMayo.



🌎 Get an exclusive 15% discount on your first Saily data plans! Use code [Take] at checkout. Download Saily app or go to https://saily.com/Take ⛵



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: [email protected]

Timecodes:

00:00 Introduction

00:09:39 Finding Emily review

00:16:22 Box Office 10

00:29:43 Leo Woodall interview

00:44:13 Passenger review

00:52:51 Laughter Lift

01:00:47 Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu review

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Some exciting news—The Take is now on Patreon: www.patreon.com/kermodeandmayo   

Become a Vanguardista or an Ultra Vanguardista to get video episodes of Take Two every week, plus member-only chat rooms, polls and submissions to influence the show, behind-the-scenes photos and videos, the monthly Redactor’s Roundup newsletter, and access to a new fortnightly LIVE show—a raucous, unfiltered lunchtime special with the Good Doctors, new features, and live chat so you can heckle, vote, and have your questions read out in real time. 

 

Another week, another national treasure. This week Simon Mayo talks to Olivia Colman, joined by Sophie Hyde, director of the new film Jimpa, in which Olivia stars. The film explores queerness, intergenerational family, and gender fluidity, and places kindness firmly at its heart - but will that be enough for Mark? You’ll have to listen to his verdict in this week’s Take Two to find out. 

 

In this week’s reviews: The Christophers stars last week’s guest Sir Ian McKellen as a once‑great artist whose awful children plan to forge his unfinished paintings for their own financial gain. Obsession is a creepy love‑horror that’s far too much for Simon, but which Mark is more than happy to peer into. And finally, Normal drops Bob Odenkirk and Henry Winkler into a Fargo‑esque Minnesota small town packed with axe‑throwing, car‑blowing‑up oddballs. Sounds fun - but will Mark enjoy it? 

 

Oh. And there’s the Laughter Lift. Sorry. 

 

 

You can contact the show by emailing [email protected] or you can find us on social media, @KermodeandMayo 

🌎 Get an exclusive 15% discount on your first Saily data plans! Use code [Take] at checkout. Download Saily app or go to https://saily.com/Take ⛵ 

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: [email protected] 

Timecodes: 

00:00:00 Audio start 

00:06:30 Obsession review 

00:15:14 Ad break 

00:15:20 Box Office 10 

00:30:50 Olivia Colman & Sophie Hyde interview 

00:56:17 Laughter Lift 

00:58:26 Ad break 

01:01:53 Normal review 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Some exciting news—The Take is now on Patreon: www.patreon.com/kermodeandmayo

Become a Vanguardista or an Ultra Vanguardista to get video episodes of Take Two every week, plus member-only chat rooms, polls and submissions to influence the show, behind-the-scenes photos and videos, the monthly Redactor’s Roundup newsletter, and access to a new fortnightly LIVE show—a raucous, unfiltered lunchtime special with the Good Doctors, new features, and live chat so you can heckle, vote, and have your questions read out in real time.

This week’s very special guest is a living legend and bona fide National Treasure: Sir Ian McKellen. He chats to Simon from the comfort of his very own East London pub The Grapes about his new film ‘The Christophers’. This Steven Soderbergh directed drama of art, family feuds and friendship is a late-career gem from McKellen, who plays cantankerous celebrity artist Julian Sklar in an unlikely and uneasy friendship with Michaela Coel’s Laurie, his new assistant. Sir Ian and Simon prop up the bar and talk grumpy old men, unfinished business… and what it’s like to be Gandalf.

Mark will review The Christophers next week, but for now we’ve got three more fresh film releases to dissect. Three fresh reviews this week too: first up, the new Hugh Jackman-starring family adventure that’s like “Babe meets Knives Out”: ‘The Sheep Detectives’. A star-studded affair with roles played by Hugh Jackman, Emma Thompson, and Molly Gordon with sheep voiced from the likes of Chris O’Dowd, Patrick Stewart and Bryan Cranston, the ‘cozy-crime’ tale sees the sheep turn sleuths. Plus, a full review of Legends, the new Netflix series form last week’s Take guest Steve Coogan, where ordinary customs workers go undercover to fight Britain’s heroin crisis. And finally a look at the fourth time made, second era’d Mortal Kombat II.

And as always we’ve got top correspondence from you lovely listeners, extended and unadulterated wittering from Mark and Simon—and Laughter Lift jokes guaranteed to induce the most exasperated groans. It’s what The Redactor lives for.

You can contact the show by emailing [email protected] or you can find us on social media, @KermodeandMayo

🌎 Get an exclusive 15% discount on your first Saily data plans! Use code [Take] at checkout. Download Saily app or go to to https://saily.com/Take ⛵

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: [email protected]

Timecodes:

00:00:00 audio start

00:09:59 The Sheep Detectives

00:19:18 Box office 10

00:30:08 Sir Ian McKellen interview

00:46:11 Legends review

00:54:56 Laughter Lift

01:00:27 Mortal Kombat review

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Some exciting news—The Take is now on Patreon: www.patreon.com/kermodeandmayo

Become a Vanguardista or an Ultra Vanguardista to get video episodes of Take Two every week, plus member-only chat rooms, polls and submissions to influence the show, behind-the-scenes photos and videos, the monthly Redactor’s Roundup newsletter, and access to a new fortnightly LIVE show—a raucous, unfiltered lunchtime special with the Good Doctors, new features, and live chat so you can heckle, vote, and have your questions read out in real time.

On this week’s Take, Mark and Simon return with more of the week’s freshest film reviews – and the Redactor is back from his holibobs (boo hiss).

First on the review slate we’ll revisit the world of fashion, ambition, and withering put-downs in The Devil Wears Prada 2, the much-anticipated sequel to the beloved original. Has the magic survived the runway return, or should some classics be left untouched? Then it’s Surviving Earth, a tender new family drama centred on a refugee harmonica player trying to hold his fractured family together. And finally, Hokum, a chilling Irish-set horror about a haunted hotel and a family secret, starring Adam Scott.

Plus, Steve Coogan stops by to talk about his new Netflix series Legends, based on the true story of ordinary customs workers going deep undercover to tackle Britain’s heroin crisis in the 90s. One of Britain’s most renowned character actors, Coogan chats to Mark and Simon about playing real people, life beyond Partridge, and how he gets deep into his roles. For the football fans, there’s some Saipan chat too.

And as ever, there’s correspondence from the faithful, a few unexpected cinematic tangents, and the familiar blend of conviction, camaraderie, and gentle sparring that keeps the Take motoring along. Oh, and the Laughter Lift—as if we hadn’t all suffered enough.

You can contact the show by emailing [email protected] or you can find us on social media, @KermodeandMayo

Please take our survey and help shape the future of our show: https://www.kermodeandmayo.com/survey

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To advertise on this show contact: [email protected]

Timecodes:

00:11:50 The Devil Wears Prada 2 review

00:22:43 Box Office Top 10

00:26:20 Lee Cronin's The Mummy review

00:38:03 Steve Coogan interview

00:51:56 Hokum review

01:07:04 Surviving Earth

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Some exciting news—The Take is now on Patreon: www.patreon.com/kermodeandmayo

Become a Vanguardista or an Ultra Vanguardista to get video episodes of Take Two every week, plus member-only chat rooms, polls and submissions to influence the show, behind-the-scenes photos and videos, the monthly Redactor’s Roundup newsletter, and access to a new fortnightly LIVE show—a raucous, unfiltered lunchtime special with the Good Doctors, new features, and live chat so you can heckle, vote, and have your questions read out in real time.

On this week’s Take, Mark and Simon return with another trio of fresh reviews spanning the big and small screen.

First up, they dive into the BBC’s Half Man, a hard-hitting new series from Baby Reindeer creator and star Richard Gadd, who is also our very special guest on the show. It’s already prompting plenty of discussion—but does it live up to the hype, or crumble under the weight of expectation? Then it’s The Rose of Nevada, Mark Jenkin’s new seafaring feature that could see him launch into the mainstream. And finally, Michael—the Michael Jackson biopic that’s already divided the critics. Find out what Mark makes of it.

And as ever, there’s correspondence from the faithful, a handful of cinematic detours, and the usual mix of passion, persuasion, and playful disagreement that keeps the Take ticking along nicely. Oh, and the Laughter Lift.

You can contact the show by emailing [email protected] or you can find us on social media, @KermodeandMayo

Please take our survey and help shape the future of our show: https://www.kermodeandmayo.com/survey

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To advertise on this show contact: [email protected]

Timecodes:

00:13:34 Rose of Nevada review

00:23:19 Box Office Top Ten

00:40:20 Richard Gadd interview

00:55:13 Half Man review

01:02:13 Laughter Lift

01:11:16 Michael review
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Some exciting news—The Take is now on Patreon: www.patreon.com/kermodeandmayo

Become a Vanguardista or an Ultra Vanguardista to get video episodes of Take Two every week, plus member-only chat rooms, polls and submissions to influence the show, behind-the-scenes photos and videos, the monthly Redactor’s Roundup newsletter, and access to a new fortnightly LIVE show—a raucous, unfiltered lunchtime special with the Good Doctors, new features, and live chat so you can heckle, vote, and have your questions read out in real time.

On this week’s Take, Mark and Simon are back with more box fresh film reviews of the latest big screen releases. And we are still reviewing three brand new films out this week, even though it’s Easter holibobs and the show is pre-recorded—because the Good Doctors are actual time travellers now, ICYMI.

First up, they head to the Highlands for Glenrothan, Brian Cox’s whisky-soaked directorial debut family drama—does it live up to its lofty ambitions, or get lost in the Scottish mist? Then it’s Rebuilding, a quietly affecting portrait of second chances and fragile hope starring Josh O’Connor as a cowboy without a ranch. And finally, Wizard of the Kremlin—where Vladamir Putin is played by… Jude Law?!

Plus Mark talks to ‘The Pope of Trash’ John Waters, director of cult classics like Pink Flamingoes and Multiple Maniacs, and high priest of bad taste. He’s celebrating the BFI’s Trash season. Expect a gleeful and provocative conversation on the art of trash cinema, the pleasures of the disreputable, and why good bad films might just be the most honest kind of all.

Plus, as always, there’s the latest correspondence from the faithful, a few choice diversions, and the sort of cinematic enthusiasm (and exasperation) you’ve come to expect.

You can contact the show by emailing [email protected] or you can find us on social media, @KermodeandMayo

Please take our survey and help shape the future of our show: https://www.kermodeandmayo.com/survey

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Sony Music Entertainment production.

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To advertise on this show contact: [email protected]

And here is the link to the Faith for Holy Places article as promised in the episode: https://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2026/20-march/faith/faith-for-holy-places/faith-for-holy-places

Timecodes:

00:00:00 Show starts

00:13:01 Glenrothan review

00:36:46 John Waters Interview pt 1

00:38:51 John Waters interview pt 2

00:50:51 Rebuilding review

00:57:08 Laughter Lift

01:02:29 Wizard of the Kremlin review
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Some exciting news—The Take is now on Patreon: www.patreon.com/kermodeandmayo

Become a Vanguardista or an Ultra Vanguardista to get video episodes of Take Two every week, plus member-only chat rooms, polls and submissions to influence the show, behind-the-scenes photos and videos, the monthly Redactor’s Roundup newsletter, and access to a new fortnightly LIVE show—a raucous, unfiltered lunchtime special with the Good Doctors, new features, and live chat so you can heckle, vote, and have your questions read out in real time.

Fresh film talk and finely tuned cinematic debate await in this week’s episode of Kermode & Mayo’s Take. The Good Doctors return with their trademark blend of insight and irreverence, casting a critical eye over the latest arrivals on the big screen.

Leading the lineup is Father Mother Sister Brother, the latest slanted family drama from Jim Jarmusch, with an all-star cast including Adam Driver, Cate Blanchett, and Charlotte Rampling. Then on to some moody existentialism with The Stranger, an adaptation of Albert Camus’ seminal novel, directed by François Ozon—who was our guest a couple of weeks back. And finally, The Undertone, a podcast-based, sound-forward horror—but will it resonate with Mark?

He’ll also be reviewing Glenrothan—a warming, Scottish-set tale of family reunion through whisky, directed by Brian Cox. Simon sits down with this formidable acting talent to discuss his turn to directing. Cox reflects on the changes and challenges of moving behind the camera, and what we can expect from his feature debut.

All that alongside a generous helping of listener correspondence, probably some spirited disagreement, and the familiar flickers of presenter exasperation—another essential listen for wittertainees the world over.

You can contact the show by emailing [email protected] or you can find us on social media, @KermodeandMayo

Please take our survey and help shape the future of our show: https://www.kermodeandmayo.com/survey

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Sony Music Entertainment production.

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Timecodes:

00:00:00 Show starts

00:12:02 Father Mother Sister Brother review

00:20:31 Download Chart

00:31:55 Brian Cox interview

00:45:27 Laughter Lift

00:49:49 Undertone review

01:01:30 The Stranger review
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Some exciting news—The Take is now on Patreon: www.patreon.com/kermodeandmayo

Become a Vanguardista or an Ultra Vanguardista to get video episodes of Take Two every week, plus member-only chat rooms, polls and submissions to influence the show, behind-the-scenes photos and videos, the monthly Redactor’s Roundup newsletter, and access to a new fortnightly LIVE show—a raucous, unfiltered lunchtime special with the Good Doctors, new features, and live chat so you can heckle, vote, and have your questions read out in real time.

More movie musings and cinematic chat this week on Kermode & Mayo’s Take. The Good Doctors will be reviewing this week’s biggest big screen releases—plus a bit of TV for you too today.

First up, there’s The Drama, a black comedy starring Robert Pattinson and Zendaya as a soon-to-be-married couple whose romantic bliss is derailed by a shocking confession. Then more white-knuckle stuff in Fuze—a bomb disposal meets heist thriller starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Theo James and Sam Worthington. On a much more colourful note, we’ve got Super Mario Galaxy—but will this latest screen outing for the videogame franchise be a level up or game over?

On the small screen, the spotlight turns to the BBC’s Twenty Twenty Six—a brand new sequel series that catches up with Hugh Bonneville’s Ian Fletcher in all his bureaucratic glory. This time he’s been appointed ‘Head of Integrity’ on the organizing committee for an international football tournament taking place in summer 2026, which definitely isn’t the FIFA World Cup. Simon sits down with the ever-charming Hugh to unpack the series—plus a word on his latest stage outing in Shadowlands, and little bit of Downton chat too.

All that, along with the usual listener correspondence and presenter cantankerousness—you won’t want to miss this one.

You can contact the show by emailing [email protected] or you can find us on social media, @KermodeandMayo

Please take our survey and help shape the future of our show: https://www.kermodeandmayo.com/survey

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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: [email protected]
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Some exciting news—The Take is now on Patreon: www.patreon.com/kermodeandmayo

Become a Vanguardista or an Ultra Vanguardista to get video episodes of Take Two every week, plus member-only chat rooms, polls and submissions to influence the show, behind-the-scenes photos and videos, the monthly Redactor’s Roundup newsletter, and access to a new fortnightly LIVE show—a raucous, unfiltered lunchtime special with the Good Doctors, new features, and live chat so you can heckle, vote, and have your questions read out in real time.

On this week’s episode of Kermode and Mayo’s Take, director François Ozon joins us to talk about his latest film, The Stranger. He sits down with Simon and Mark to discuss the inspirations behind the story, balancing ambiguity and tension, and the challenges of bringing such a distinctive vision to the screen—along with a few reflections on his wider body of work and the themes that continue to draw him in.

You’ll be able to hear Mark’s full verdict on The Stranger in two weeks’ time, and this week we have a packed slate of new releases. First up, The Magic Faraway Tree brings a beloved children’s classic to life with a mix of whimsy, adventure, and a touch of nostalgia. Then there’s Splitsville, a comedy exploring relationships in all their messy, unpredictable glory. And finally, They Will Kill You, a new horror starring Tom Felton—son of Jason Isaacs, of course. They’re really related you know, just like all the Skarsgårds and Sargaards….The

Elsewhere, we’ll have all the usual Take treats: the box office top 10, a Laughter Lift that may (or may not) brighten your week, and your ever-wonderful correspondence. Thanks for listening!

You can contact the show by emailing [email protected] or you can find us on social media, @KermodeandMayo

Please take our survey and help shape the future of our show: https://www.kermodeandmayo.com/survey

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: [email protected]

Timecodes:

00:00:00 Show starts

00:07:57 Splitsville

00:14:59 Box Office top ten

00:31:43 François Ozon Interview

00:44:11 They Will Kill You review

00:51:35 Laughter Lift

00:56:56 The Magic Faraway Tree

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Some exciting news—The Take is now on Patreon: www.patreon.com/kermodeandmayo. Become a Vanguardista or an Ultra Vanguardista to get video episodes of Take Two every week, plus member-only chat rooms, polls and submissions to influence the show, behind-the-scenes photos and videos, the monthly Redactor’s Roundup newsletter, and access to a new fortnightly LIVE show—a raucous, unfiltered lunchtime special with the Good Doctors, new features, and live chat so you can heckle, vote, and have your questions read out in real time.

On this week’s episode of Kermode and Mayo’s Take, Stephen Graham joins us to talk about his new film The Good Boy. It’s an unsettling thriller where he plays a father fixated on a strange rehabilitation ritual for a violent young man who he takes in and…erm… chains up in his basement. Stephen chats to Simon about navigating the film’s darker emotional undercurrents, finding the human intrigue in morally murky territory, and being his usual lovely Liverpudlian self.

You’ll be able to hear Mark’s full verdict on The Good Boy in this week’s show too, alongside a packed slate of other new releases. First up, Project Hail Mary finally lands—bringing big ideas, bigger stakes, and one very lonely astronaut to the big screen. Then there’s Ready or Not 2: Here I Come, which ups the ante on the original’s gleefully gory game of survival. And finally, Dead Man’s Wire, a tense thriller starring Bill Skarsgard that sees a desperate act spiral into a gripping standoff.

Elsewhere, we’ll have all the usual Take treats: the box office top 10, a Laughter Lift that may (or may not) brighten your week, and your ever-wonderful correspondence. Thanks for listening!

Timecodes:

00:00:00 Show starts

00:09:44 Dead Man's Wire review

00:18:12 Box office top ten

00:30:51 Stephen Graham interview

00:44:11 The Good Boy review

00:53:37 Laughter Lift

00:57:06 Ready or Not 2: Here I Come review

01:04:42 What's On?

01:09:21 Project Hail Mary

You can contact the show by emailing [email protected] or you can find us on social media, @KermodeandMayo

Please take our survey and help shape the future of our show: https://www.kermodeandmayo.com/survey



🌎 Get an exclusive 15% discount on your first Saily data plans! Use code [Take] at checkout. Download Saily app or go to to https://saily.com/Take ⛵

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: [email protected]


Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this Oscars special episode of Kermode & Mayo’s Take, Simon Mayo and Mark Kermode break down the biggest moments from the 2026 Academy Awards. Mark shares his reactions to the ceremony, from Avatar: Fire and Ash winning Visual Effects to the triumph of Sentimental Value.  

Simon and Mark unpack the night’s major wins — including One Battle After Another sweeping six awards and Paul Thomas Anderson’s backstage reflections on politics, culture, and “bringing common sense and decency back into fashion.” They also explore the fierce race between One Battle After Another and Sinners, Michael B. Jordan’s emotional Best Actor win, and Autumn Durald Arkapaw’s groundbreaking Cinematography victory. 

Hear extended backstage moments from Paul Thomas Anderson, Michael B. Jordan, and Jessie Buckley as they reflect on the significance of their awards, artistic responsibility, and historymaking achievements. The duo also discuss Amy Madigan’s longawaited Supporting Actress win, Norway’s triumph with Sentimental Value, and the powerful documentary Mr Nobody Against Putin. 

Plus: the rise of KPop Demon Hunters, Guillermo del Toro’s three craft wins for Frankenstein, a rare Oscars tie, Conan O’Brien’s sharp hosting, emotional tributes to Rob Reiner, Catherine O’Hara, Diane Keaton and Robert Redford — and the films that left emptyhanded. 

The video version of this episode is available on our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/kermodeandmayo 

You can contact the show by emailing [email protected] or you can find us on social media, @KermodeandMayo 

Please take our survey and help shape the future of our show: https://www.kermodeandmayo.com/survey  

 🌎 Get an exclusive 15% discount on your first Saily data plans! Use code [Take] at checkout. Download Saily app or go to to https://saily.com/Take ⛵  

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: [email protected] 

 
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Some exciting news—The Take is now on Patreon: www.patreon.com/kermodeandmayo. Become a Vanguardista or an Ultra Vanguardista to get video episodes of Take Two every week, plus member-only chat rooms, polls and submissions to influence the show, behind-the-scenes photos and videos, the monthly Redactor’s Roundup newsletter, and access to a new fortnightly LIVE show—a raucous, unfiltered lunchtime special with the Good Doctors, new features, and live chat so you can heckle, vote, and have your questions read out in real time.

On this week’s episode of Kermode and Mayo’s Take, Ryan Gosling is with us to talk about his new sci-fi epic Project Hail Mary. From the challenge of bringing Andy Weir’s beloved novel to the screen to the peculiar pressures of carrying a space-set survival story (often alone), Gosling reflects on the film’s mix of brainy science, cosmic peril and unexpected heart. This week it’s Mark he’ll be chatting to, and they get deep on sci-fi gems from Silent Running to The Abyss—plus some behind the scenes gossip on Project Hail Mary’s epic karaoke scene.

Keep an ear out for Mark’s review next week, and in the meantime there’s a trio of new releases on this week’s review slate. First up is Scarlet, a swashbuckling anime revenge drama based on the story of Hamlet. Then there’s How To Make A Killing, a darkly comic crime caper starring Glen Powell, and loosely based on the Ealing Comedy classic Kind Hearts and Coronets. And finally, One Last Deal—where a sports agent (played by he who shall not be named) battles to land a big contract and save his career. In Mark’s eyes though, the lead actor’s career is way beyond saving. Rant on the horizon, folks!

We’ll also be shouting out our favourite women directors for this Women’s History Month;

Plus all the usual Take treats: the box office top 10, a Laughter Lift that may (or may not) restore your faith in humanity, and your ever-splendid correspondence. Thanks for listening!

Timecodes:

00:00:00 Show starts

00:11:51 Scarlet review

00:19:01 Box Office Top 10

00:39:08 Ryan Gosling interview

00:51:28 How To Make A Killing review

00:57:36 Laughter Lift

01:02:08 One Last Deal review

You can contact the show by emailing [email protected] or you can find us on social media, @KermodeandMayo

Please take our survey and help shape the future of our show: https://www.kermodeandmayo.com/survey



🌎 Get an exclusive 15% discount on your first Saily data plans! Use code [Take] at checkout. Download Saily app or go to to https://saily.com/Take ⛵

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: [email protected]
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Here's a cheeky preview of our latest Take Ultra video episode in which Mark and Simon look ahead to this week’s Oscars and assess the state of the race. 

Ultra-Vanguardistas get these live streams every other week, our weekly T2 episodes in video and loads more. You can join them here: https://www.patreon.com/c/kermodeandmayo/membership  
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