The Cinephile's Aisle

Awards season is here, and for this episode, we are thrilled to be joined by Irima to kick it off! We discuss the 2025 SAG Awards’ biggest categories: Outstanding Male and Female Leads and their Supporting counterparts. Then, we switch gears to talk about why a Better Man stands out. We had a blast recording this one and we hope you enjoy it too.Available now, wherever you listen

What makes a movie the Christmas movie? Is it the cozy vibes, holiday spirit, or just a snow-covered backdrop? On this episode, we tackle the big question, share our personal favorite Christmas movies, and even debate the eternal question: is Love Actually really a Christmas movie?Plus, we take on the challenge of reimagining non-Christmas movies as holiday films! From classics to

Dive into our latest episode as we unpack Conclave, exploring its twists and the deeper philosophy around the interplay of certainty, doubt, and faith. This was an incredibly engaging discussion, capped off with our takes on potential Best Picture winners—ranging from mainstream favorites to some hipster niche picks. While Steve couldn’t join us this time, we were thrilled to h

The TCA is joined by a special guest to cover Steve's "next Best Picture" and Ofili's "one of the best four movies in 2024." In episode 16 we discuss Sean Baker's filmmaking style, the various on-screen relationship dynamics depicted in Baker's latest independent drama, and that final sequence that has got everyone talking. We also talk about how Baker is doing for sex workers what

*SPOILER-FREE* Say what you want about Crowley's nonlinear structuring of his 2024 tearjerker, but Florence Pugh and Andrew Garfield have just delivered the most grounded performances for an on-screen couple in 2024. Ofili and Steve are back to cover the latest romantic drama from A24, WE LIVE IN TIME, and they discuss how the film tackles grief, the feeling of not being enough, an

"In my opinion, OSCAR-worthy 2025, very easily" is how Ofili starts off talking about the feature directorial debut from Freemont, CA filmmaker Sean Wang, DÌDI (弟弟). Together with Steve, TCA covers the coming-of-ager and how Academy Award nominee Wang draws inspiration from his 2008 California summers showing learning to kiss, the struggle to fit in with your peers, and the im

Send us a textSupport the showFind us on Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube at @CinephilesAisle.

Ofili and Steve are joined with Nigerian filmmaker, Ikem Okeke, writer and director of the 2021 short film, HUSBANDRY. Okeke takes them behind the scenes (2:55) of what shooting in Lagos was like, the shoestring constraints of a short film, and how thinking on your feet can be the defining factor of any passion project. Okeke also discusses his next film, and how he has grown as a

Ofili and Steve are back covering the latest crowd favorite, MONKEY MAN. They share what they loved about Dev Patel's directorial debut, what creative choices rubbed them the wrong way, and how not every film featuring a man wearing a suit while fighting bad guys should be termed a "John Wick Movie."Send us a textSupport the showFind us on Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube at @Cineph

"My planet Arrakis is so beautiful when the sun is low." *SPOILER ALERT: Episode contains key plot details from DUNE: PART TWO* In this Season 1 finale, we discuss all things DUNE. Ofili and Steve give their initial reactions to Denis Villeneuve's epic science-fiction sequel to DUNE (2021), the inspired performances of Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson and Javier Bardem, the dev