Kermode & Mayo’s Take

We have a fantastic selection of new releases and nostalgia for you this week. First of all, we look at Meryl Streep’s best films and put it to you to pick one. The final result was almost too tight to call - around 52/48%, if that number sounds terribly familiar...

We also look at brand new releases Starve Acre and Robot Dreams, as well as looking forward to next week, when we’ll review Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. Of course we didn’t forget! Starve Acre is a chilling tale of British folk horror at its finest, while Robot Dreams...

Ben and Nemone put Jackson Lamb from Slow Horses on the couch. Gary Oldman’s version of Mick Herron’s character has become household name, and you can see why. A man with many layers, a million secrets, and a lightning rod for other’s emotions – perhaps he is the perfect Freudian analyst. Nemone gives us a crash course in transference and counter-transference, looks at why people mask and create false selves, and what drives people into a career where they hide their true selves from everyone, including themselves.

This is the PERFECT watching companion to Season 4 of Slow...

This week we put all the heavyweights from cinema’s best year – 1984 – into the ring, and see who comes out victorious. Think Terminator, Dune, Stop Making Sense, Beverly Hills Cop – I mean, there’s nowhere near enough space to list them all. But who will win...?

Mark also gives his take on the re-release of Amazing Spiderman 2, with future Oscar-winner Emma Stone and Andrew Garfield in the lead roles now. Mark explains why we’re getting so many of these films back in cinema, too, for those wondering... We hear his thoughts on the new Netflix big hitter, KAOS...

Ben and Nemone put Raymond Holt on the couch. We look at how this trailblazing policeman (the first black, gay police captain in the force) stands out from the rest of the precinct. We learn how family dynamics inform behaviour and what it takes to be a great leader. Nemone looks at a diagnosis of ASD or Asperger’s Syndrome for the captain, and Ben gives a heartwarming tribute to the great actor who played him, André Braugher.

We want to hear about any theories we might have missed, what you’ve thought of the show so far a...

This week Mark is joined by another Take fave Ben Bailey Smith to talk all things cinema.

Mark also gives his take on a swathe of new releases, including ‘Kneecap’, a comedy-drama based on true events that sees fate bring together a Belfast teacher and two self-confessed down-and-outs – the real musicians playing themselves – to form a hip-hop trio that rises to global fame; ‘Between the Temples’, which sees a cantor in a crisis of faith have his world turned upside town when his grade school music teacher reenters his life as his new adult bat mitzvah student; and ‘Blink T...

Ben and Nemone put Moira Rose on the couch and take a deep dive into her narcissistic tendencies, and what effect that has on the rest of the Schitts. Nemone explains how narcissism is not as easy to spot as its widespread use would have you believe. We also discuss the collection of wigs that Moira keeps in her closet and why they are transitional objects. And if you’re interested in hearing more on narcissism, then check out our episode on Game of Thrones’ Cersei Lannister.

We want to hear about any theories we might have miss...

This week we have an extra special treat, as Take fave Sanjeev Bhaskar joins Mark in the host’s seat to deliver a funny and insightful episode.

Mark reviews various new releases, including ‘Only the River Flows’, a Chinese neo-noir crime thriller, which sees an ambitious police detective attempt to solve a series of murders from a disused cinema; ‘Swan Song’, an immersive documentary following The National Ballet of Canada as it mounts a legacy-defining new production of Swan Lake; and ‘Alien: Romulus’, a new addition to the sci-fi horror franchise, which sees space colonisers come face-to-face with the most...

If characters in ‘trapped’ dramas escape, is that the end of the show? Ben and Nemone explore The Handmaid’s Tale and Severance as examples. Plus, Ben reacts to a listener’s ‘constructive’ feedback and Nemone explores Polyvagal Theory to explain why we might react in the way we do from childhood trauma.

We want to hear about any theories we might have missed, what you’ve thought of the show so far and your character suggestions. Please drop the team an email (which may be part of the show): shrinkthebox@sonymusic.com

NEXT CLIENTS...

We have a VERY special guest this week. The legendary thrill-maker M Night Shyamalan comes on to talk all things Exorcist, family and his process behind his new release, Trap, starring Josh Hartnett. This was a great chat, so there’s even more in our premium episode. Plus, we review Caligula’s re-issue and get into some more results from our World Cups of Tom Hanks and 1984. Meryl Streep to come next week... also a special guest appearance from The Redactor. We also review the cracking Sky Peals, a head-twister in which a gas station attendant starts to believe he’s...

Ben and Nemone discuss The Wire’s ‘Bubbles’ aka Reginald Collins. An informant and heroin user, a man with a fragile support network who finds himself stranded while trying to forge closer bonds with those around him. Nemone tells Ben how unconditional love is the hardest thing to give an addict, and the key to helping them start their journey to sobriety. Plus we hear wisdom from Gabor Maté. Our episode on the Queen’s Gambit has great insights into addiction if you’re looking for even more on this subject.  

We talked about AA, Al Anon and S...