Escapist Cinema

War. It’s humanity’s oldest bad habit — and cinema’s favorite playground.

From muddy trenches on Earth to laser-blasted battlefields on galaxies far, far away, war movies remind us that conflict is a…

Grab your flannel, fire up the dial-up, and let’s rewind to the 90s. In this episode, we dive into the movies that defined the decade for us — whether they were VHS staples, sleepover classics, or th…

Jen & Derek talk through their Top 5 Dystopian Films!

The 10 (well, technically nine) movies portray various types of dystopia on Earth. 

Each hosts ranks their personal Top 5 - valid only at the tim…

Hot Rod 

2007

Andy Samberg straps onto a moped like it’s the final frontier of stunt work and proclaims, “Cool beans!” with the most dramatic flair possible. Hot Rod is a misadventure where amateur s…

Saint Maud, 2017, A24 & MGM

St. Maud is a tense, unsettling character study about a deeply devout hospice nurse whose new patient—a once-famous dancer now facing the end of her life—stirs an intense …

Arthur (1981)

Meet Arthur Bach: a filthy-rich, perpetually drunk man-child with a heart of gold and zero responsibility. He lives in a penthouse, bathes in champagne (probably), and is supposed to ma…

The Pagemaster (1994)

Once upon a thunderstorm, a timid boy named Richard Tyler—armed with statistics, safety gear, and zero imagination—takes shelter in a strange, creaky library. But this is no ord…

Past Lives (2023) - a quiet, soul-stirring meditation on love, timing, and the people we might have been.

Written and Directed by Celine Song

Nora (Na Young) played by Greta Lee

Hae Sung played by Te…

Brigsby Bear (2017)

In this episode, we explore Brigsby Bear, a truly one-of-a-kind film that blends offbeat humor with raw emotional honesty.

What begins with an absurd premise unfolds into a touchi…

High Fidelity (2000)

This week, we spin the record back to High Fidelity, a music-soaked journey through love, heartbreak, and the messy work of growing up. With a killer soundtrack and sharp humor, …

Pearl (2022)

This unsettling, Technicolor fever dream dives into the early life of a young woman yearning for something bigger than her family’s isolated farm can offer. Set in 1918, Pearl blends vin…

Onyx the Fortuitous and the Talisman of Souls

This week, Derek brings a true wildcard to the table: Onyx the Fortuitous, a bizarre horror-comedy that blends low-budget charm with over-the-top eccentr…

Last week, Jen and Derek watched Robert Eggers' 2015 film, The VVitch and talked about their initial reactions.

It was Derek's first viewing and Jen's fifth, but neither were done talking about this …

Directed by Robert Eggers

In 1630, a farmer relocates his family to a remote plot of land on the edge of a forest where strange, unsettling t…

A punk rock band is forced to fight for survival after witnessing an act of violence at a skinhead bar. Oh, and Patrick Stewart is not-so-nice.

2015

Produced by A24

https://letterboxd.com/film/green-…

In the first episode of Escapist Cinema, Jen and Derek talk about one of their favorite movies - Strange Darling.

This cat-and-mouse movie weaves through the story of what happens when Demon and Lady…

In this episode of Escapist Cinema, Jen and Derek talk about an under-appreciated Netflix movie - Horse Girl.

Whatever you just imagined is likely nothing like this film! It's quirky, odd and well-ac…

Discover hidden gems as we talk about films you may have missed. 

New episodes drop every Thursday. Find us on Apple Podcasts…