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🎙️ Popcorn Pundits – Week 84: Dangerous Animals & The Salt Path

This week, it’s survival of the fittest — emotionally and literally. Peter and James tackle two very different cinematic hikes: one full of snakes, secrets, and sketchy blokes; the other full of cliffs, grief, and Gillian Anderson in a waterproof.

🕷️ Dangerous Animals (Preview Screening at the Odeon)
Peter and James braved an early look at this Australian slow-burn thriller — and let’s just say, the only thing more poisonous than the local wildlife is the relationship at the film’s centre.

An anxious romantic getaway turns full-blown nightmare when a young couple’s “off-grid” honeymoon ends up somewhere between Wolf Creek and a relationship therapy session in hell. There’s toxic masculinity, literal toxicity (spiders, snakes, probably a bad kebab), and a twist that had half the Odeon clutching their popcorn like it was a life vest.

Think: The Beach with more fangs. Or Crawl, but instead of alligators and hurricanes, it’s red flags and one really suspicious Aussie dude in a bucket hat.

Peter said it reminded him of Killing Ground meets You’re Next — except with less gore and more gaslighting. James said he needed a stiff drink afterwards. We’re pretty sure one couple in the audience broke up on the way out.

🌊 The Salt Path
Meanwhile, James took a quiet solo pilgrimage through heartbreak, hiking boots, and heavenly seascapes. The Salt Path adapts Raynor Winn’s bestselling memoir and stars Jason Isaacs and Gillian Anderson as a couple walking 630 miles of Britain’s South West Coast Path after losing their home and getting hit with a terminal diagnosis.

It’s beautiful, it’s meditative, and it’s very British — featuring long silences, meaningful glances at sea spray, and an unspoken competition about who can make it to Land’s End without crying.

James called it A Walk in the Woods if it were written by Raymond Briggs. The cinematography is basically a National Trust postcard come to life, and Anderson is fantastic — like if The Crown’s Margaret put on waterproofs and got deeply philosophical about clifftops.

🌀 Nikky’s Sequel
Nikky dusts off the archives and rewinds to a film we reviewed this time last year. Did it age like fine wine or curdle like cinema nacho cheese? She’ll tell us — complete with receipts.

🎧 New episode drops Thursday – Come for the reviews, stay for the awkward metaphors.

📍 Spotify | YouTube | Podcasts | Your nan’s iPad

💬 Let us know in the comments:
Would you rather be stuck in the outback with a pathological liar, or walk 600 miles knowing what’s waiting at the end? (Bonus points if you pack snacks.)

#PopcornPundits #Week84 #DangerousAnimals #TheSaltPath #NikkySequel #SurvivalCinema #RelationshipGoalsButMakeItTerrifying #BritishGriefWalks #PeterNikkyJames #PreviewScreening #OutbackAndOcean #MoviePodcast

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🎬 This Week at The Popcorn Pundits – Week 83
Peter & James went full IMF as Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning exploded onto screens—and yes, Tom Cruise is still sprinting like the fate of the world depends on it.

💥 Directed by Christopher McQuarrie
🕶️ Starring: Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Pom Klementieff, Esai Morales, Henry Czerny

What’s the mission?
Ethan Hunt’s team is racing to stop a rogue AI (called “The Entity”—spooky) from triggering nuclear doom via a sunken Russian sub. It’s global espionage, emotional trauma, and underwater chaos… with stunts that should probably be illegal.

🎯 What we loved:
• Cruise jumping off more things than necessary 🚁
• Benji sweating bullets (as always) 💻
• The Skyfall-style emotional depth
• That submarine finale—Hunt for Red October vibes with a 2025 makeover

🎶 The score? Pulse-pounding.
🎭 The stakes? Higher than Ethan’s last motorbike jump.
🎉 The verdict? A high-octane, globe-trotting farewell (…or is it?)

🌀 Plus, Nikky's got this week’s Sequel throwback waiting for you too—what movie did she dig out of the Pundit vault?

📅 New episodes every Thursday
🎧 Listen on Spotify
📺 Watch on YouTube @ThePopcornPundits
📸 Follow us @ThePopcornPundits
📧 thepopcornpundits@gmail.com

👇 Tell us your fave Cruise stunt in the comments!
#MissionImpossible #FinalReckoning #TomCruise #PopcornPundits #PeterNikkyJames #MoviePodcast #FilmReview #ActionMovies #IMFApproved #NewEpisodeEveryThursday

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🎬 The Popcorn Pundits – Week 82: Final Destination: Bloodlines

This week, Peter & James returned to the scene of Death’s best work: elaborate, gruesome chain reactions. Final Destination: Bloodlines brings back the franchise with fresh victims, brutal creativity, and more “Nope!” moments than ever.

💀 Final Destination: Bloodlines (2025)
🎬 Directed by Zach Lipovsky & Adam B. Stein (Freaks)
🎭 Starring: Brec Bassinger, Kaitlyn Santa Juana, Richard Harmon
🏢 Produced by New Line Cinema
🔞 Rated R (gore, bad luck, and home decor gone rogue)

The Setup:
One vision. One escape. Then… well, you know what comes next. As usual, a group of teens cheats Death—but Death’s patient. This time, it’s personal (and tied to the OG film).

Why It Slaps (and slices, and splatters):

Classic Final Destination formula—only sharper.

Wildly inventive kills. Death’s still a sadistic genius.

Gen Z cast brings modern panic and believable poor choices.

Great balance of horror, tension, and fan-service.

Legacy Vibes:

A spiritual sibling to Scream 5 and Halloween Ends.

Nods to the original Final Destination will make longtime fans smile... nervously.

Less reboot, more blood-soaked love letter.

Verdict:
It’s ridiculous. It’s relentless. It’s Final Destination back in form—and just when you think you’re safe, you're not. Don't stand too close to anything sharp. Or hot. Or heavy.

🌀 Nikky’s Sequel
Nikky brings back a past Pundits review—but will this blast from the past live, or die horribly in a freak kettle accident?

🎧 New Episode Every Thursday
Listen to us flinch so you don’t have to.

🎧 Spotify
📺 YouTube – @ThePopcornPundits
📸 Instagram | 🎵 TikTok: @ThePopcornPundits
📧 thepopcornpundits@gmail.com

💬 What’s the dumbest way Death could take you out? We’re thinking: vending machine.

#FinalDestinationBloodlines #PopcornPundits #PeterNikkyJames #MoviePodcast #DeathNeverDies #NewEpisodeEveryThursday

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Week 81: Warfare, The Surfer, & The Uninvited
This week, Peter charges into cinematic combat with Warfare, while James gets sand in his soul from The Surfer and gate-crashes an existential dinner party in The Uninvited. From bunkers to beaches to Beverly Hills breakdowns, we’ve got you covered.
🎖️ Warfare
🔞 Rated: R (loud bangs, louder trauma)
Peter dives into this boots-on-the-ground war thriller that trades superhero capes for shaky cam chaos. It’s Black Hawk Down meets The Hurt Locker, minus the Hollywood gloss.
Expect sweat, dust, and a lot of yelling over gunfire.
Verdict:
Serious. Gritty. Full of brotherhood and bullets. Bring earplugs and emotional stamina.
🏄‍♂️ The Surfer
🔞 Rated: R (surf rage, identity crisis, Cage intensity at Level 12)
James paddles into this sun-soaked, mind-bending descent into masculine ego and sandy paranoia. Nic Cage returns to a coastal town with his son, only to be rejected by beach bros and haunted by his own crumbling identity.
It’s giving:
The Swimmer (but with more seaweed and madness)
Mandy vibes (minus chainsaws, plus surfboards)
Blue Velvet beach edition
Score by: François Tétaz – think surf rock dipped in nightmare fuel.
Verdict:
Like riding a wave of existential dread—confusing, hypnotic, and weirdly beautiful.
🏛️ The Uninvited
🔞 Rated: PG-13 (emotional damage, dinner table dread)
Also on James’s plate this week: a Hollywood dinner party gone full meltdown. A mysterious woman crashes the soirée, peeling back layers of fame, insecurity, and passive-aggressive wine refills.
If you like:
Sunset Boulevard meets Birdman
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf with better lighting
The Party but way less fun and way more unraveling
Verdict:
It's not just the canapés that are cold. A slow-burn social thriller that makes you wonder why anyone hosts dinner parties anymore.
🌀 Nikky’s Sequel
Nikky’s back with another trip down memory lane—what film did the Pundits tackle this time last year? And were our takes timeless or tragically off?
🎧 New Episode Every Thursday
Grab your gear, your surfboard, and a stiff drink—this week’s episode is a triple-threat of tension, testosterone, and tasteful score choices.
Listen & Watch Here:
🎧 Spotify
📺 YouTube – @ThePopcornPundits
💬 Your turn:
Would you rather face war, wipeout, or wine-fuelled social collapse?
Connect with Us:
📸 Instagram: @ThePopcornPundits
🎵 TikTok: @ThePopcornPundits
📧 Email: thepopcornpundits@gmail.com
#WarfareMovie #TheSurfer #TheUninvited2025 #PopcornPundits #PeterNikkyJames #MoviePodcast #NewEpisodeEveryThursday #NicCage #DinnerPartyDisasters #CinemaOfDiscomfort

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Week 80: Thunderbolts

This week, Peter & James strapped in for Marvel’s broodiest group project yet—Thunderbolts—where therapy sessions are swapped for tactical vests, and emotional baggage is part of the team kit.

💥 Thunderbolts (2025)
📽 Director: Jake Schreier (Beef, Paper Towns)
🎭 Starring: Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan, David Harbour, Wyatt Russell, Olga Kurylenko, Lewis Pullman, Julia Louis-Dreyfus & more
🏢 Production: Marvel Studios
🔞 Rated: PG-13 (stylish violence, unresolved trauma, and sarcasm levels off the charts)

The Breakdown:
Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus in full “scheming aunt at Christmas” mode) assembles a squad of super-powered misfits for a government-sanctioned mission that definitely wasn’t run through HR. Think Suicide Squad if the therapist quit halfway through.

It’s messy. It’s morally grey. It’s Marvel—but with more brooding and fewer quips (okay, some quips... thanks, David Harbour).

🦸 Team Notes:

Florence Pugh’s Yelena = MVP with emotional depth and deadpan humour.

Sebastian Stan’s Bucky = still traumatised, still swoony, still allergic to peace.

Wyatt Russell’s John Walker = walking moral dilemma in a Captain America knockoff suit.

Lewis Pullman’s Sentry = Marvel’s wild card. Big powers, bigger problems. Basically Superman meets “maybe I shouldn’t be here.”

🎵 Score: Son Lux brings the angst with a haunting soundtrack that sounds like a breakup between a synth and a cello. Gorgeous.

🎯 Why It Works (Kinda):

Found-family chaos? Check.

Secret missions with too many secrets? Check.

Emotional healing via punching people? Marvel’s speciality.

Guardians of the Galaxy vibes if they all had trauma and a file with the CIA.

🌀 Nikky’s Sequel
Nikky's taking a break from missions (classified or otherwise) to dig up another golden oldie from last year. Will it be a buried gem or a misfire we tried to forget?

🎧 New Episode Every Thursday
We break down Marvel’s moody misfits, one awkward team dynamic at a time.

Listen & Watch Here:
🎧 Spotify
📺 YouTube – @ThePopcornPundits

💬 Let us know:
Which Thunderbolt would you back in a bar fight? And is Valentina the worst boss… or the best?

Connect with Us:
📸 Instagram: @ThePopcornPundits
🎵 TikTok: @ThePopcornPundits
📧 thepopcornpundits@gmail.com

#Thunderbolts #MarvelPhase5 #PeterNikkyJames #ThePopcornPundits #FlorencePugh #SebastianStan #MCUMisfits #MoviePodcast #NewEpisodeEveryThursday

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**🎬 The Popcorn Pundits – Week 79: *The Accountant 2* & *Until Dawn***

This week, the Pundits crunch some numbers and scream into the void. Peter and James tackle high-functioning trauma in tailored suits while Nikky tries to survive a cabin full of emotionally unstable teenagers. It’s murder, mayhem, spreadsheets, and jump scares—so basically, just another Thursday.

---

🧮 **The Accountant 2**
📽 *Director:* Gavin O’Connor
🎭 *Starring:* Ben Affleck (still quietly terrifying), Jon Bernthal (loudly terrifying), Cynthia Addai-Robinson (the only adult in the room)
🏢 *Production:* Warner Bros. / Proximity Media
🔞 *Rated:* R for violence, financial fraud, and brotherly brawls

**What’s the maths on this one?**
Christian Wolff is back and still solving crimes with the help of extreme numeracy and even more extreme violence. He’s got a ledger in one hand and a Glock in the other. Bernthal’s back too, probably punching through walls and family therapy sessions.

**Expect:**
- A full-blown conspiracy thriller with added autism-coded John Wick energy
- Intense brotherly banter (where "banter" = headlocks and firearms)
- Suit porn: If tailoring could kill, Christian Wolff would be the Grim Reaper of Zara

**The Verdict:**
It’s slick, smart, and very satisfying—like watching your accountant do parkour while balancing your books and body-slamming your ex.

---

🕹 **Until Dawn**
📽 *Director:* David F. Sandberg (*Annabelle: Creation*, AKA “Nope: The Movie”)
🎭 *Starring:* Ella Rubin, Michael Cimino, Odessa A’zion
🏢 *Production:* Sony Pictures / PlayStation Productions
🔞 *Rated:* R for spooky teens, cursed cabins, and repeating your worst night ever

**The Setup:**
A group of attractive, emotionally damaged young people go to a remote cabin—because they’ve clearly never seen a horror movie—and immediately start dying in horrific ways. But wait: plot twist! It’s a time loop. Now they get to die again. And again. And again.

**Expect:**
- Teen drama meets supernatural horror meets Groundhog Day with blood
- A *looping* soundtrack that will haunt your dreams (and maybe your Spotify)
- A cabin that has seen more trauma than a therapy retreat for final girls

**The Verdict:**
It's *The Evil Dead* meets *Edge of Tomorrow* via *Euphoria*—and somehow it works. Bring snacks, scream responsibly.

---

🌀 **Nikky’s Sequel**
Nikky’s back with her time-turner, digging up a review from exactly one year ago. Was it a hidden gem or a cinematic war crime? Only one way to find out. (Spoiler: James probably loved it. Peter probably didn’t.)

---

🎧 **New Episode Every Thursday**
We watch the movies so you don’t have to (but honestly, you probably should). Expect passion, popcorn, and at least one bad pun per segment.

**Listen & Watch Here:**
🎧 [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/show/2bB8BNrN0cZDfIY0v90iK5)
📺 [YouTube – @ThePopcornPundits](http://www.youtube.com/@ThePopcornPundits)

💬 **Your Turn:**
Would you rather survive a financial conspiracy with Ben Affleck or a supernatural hell-loop with a Gen Z friend group who make *very* bad decisions?

**Connect with Us:**
📸 Instagram: @ThePopcornPundits
🎵 TikTok: @ThePopcornPundits
📧 thepopcornpundits@gmail.com

#TheAccountant2 #UntilDawn #PopcornPundits #MoviePodcast #PeterNikkyJames #NewEpisodeEveryThursday #TimeLoopTerrors #BenAffleckBeCalculating #CabinOfScreams

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Week 77:
This week, we’re diving into a trio of wildly different worlds—no two are alike, but all promise cinematic thrills! From wordless survival epics to blocky adventures and down‑and‑dirty espionage, Peter, James, and Nikky have you covered.
🌊 Flow
A flooded world… a lone cat… and zero dialogue. Flow uses pure visuals and sound design to tell its story—think Wall‑E meets The Red Turtle. Peter explores how this silent gem packs emotional punch without a single spoken word.
🟫 A Minecraft Movie
Four misfits. One mysteriougamer‑fueled blockbuster: does it level up to a true family favorited Hess’s gamer‑fueled blockbuster: does it level up to a true family favorite, or does it crash and burn like a creeper in daylight?
🕵️ The Amateur
Rami Malek stars as Charlie Heller, a cryptographer turned rogue operative bent on revenge after his wife’s murder. Nikky digs into this lean, mean spy thriller—equal parts Mr. Robot tension and Jason Bourne grit.
🔄 Plus, Nikky’s Sequel
Don’t miss this week’s time‑travel segment, where Nikky resurrects one of last year’s Pundits’ picks. Which film do you think she’s dragging back into the spotlight?
🎧 New episode every Thursday – Get your weekly fix of sharp takes, deep dives, and plenty of cinematic chaos.
Listen & Watch:
Spotify:
YouTube: @ThePopcornPundits
💬 Tell us: Which world would you survive—wordless floodlands, a pixelated realm, or the dark underbelly of international spycraft?
Connect with Us:
Instagram: @ThePopcornPundits
TikTok: @ThePopcornPundits
Facebook: The Popcorn Pundits
Email: thepopcornpundits@gmail.com

#FlowMovie #MinecraftMovie #TheAmateur #NikkysSequel #MoviePodcast #FilmReview #ThePopcornPundits #PeterNikkyJames #NewEpisodeEveryThursday

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Week 78: Sinners, Warfare & Drop
Buckle up, because this week the Pundits are sinking their teeth into supernatural Southern Gothic, crawling through the chaos of modern warfare, and getting trapped in the world’s most stressful dating app experience. It's Popcorn Pundits: Genre Roulette—with a touch of blood, bullets, and Bluetooth.
🩸 Sinners
🎬 Directed by: Ryan Coogler
🎭 Starring: Michael B. Jordan (x2!), Aunjanue Ellis, LaKeith Stanfield
🏢 Production: Proximity Media / Warner Bros.
🔞 Rated: R (for vampire violence, salty language, and some deep emotional wounds)
What’s it about?
Twin brothers Smoke and Stack return to their Southern hometown only to find it’s less “small-town nostalgia” and more “ancient evil in the attic.”
Think True Blood meets The Witch, with the emotional weight of Moonlight lurking behind every porch light.
Why it hits:
Michael B. Jordan pulls a Dead Ringers (or Adaptation for the Cage fans) with eerie nuance. Coogler crafts a vampire tale that trades jump scares for social scars—this one’s all about trauma, faith, and bloodlines that bite back.
🎖️ Warfare
🎬 Directed by: Henry Alex Rubin (Disconnect)
🎭 Starring: Glen Powell, Stephan James, Caleb Landry Jones
🏢 Production: A24 / Thunder Road Pictures
🔞 Rated: R (war is hell—and so is the language)
What’s it about?
A tight-knit squad of elite soldiers is dropped into a mission that spirals into chaos—both on the battlefield and in their own heads.
Why it hits:
It’s Black Hawk Down meets The Hurt Locker with a Saving Private Ryan side of trauma. Sweaty, shaky, and full of sand-in-your-eyes realism.
Shot in handheld, with minimal score and maximum tension—it’s Dunkirk, but if Nolan let everyone swear like sailors.
📱 Drop
🎬 Directed by: Christopher Landon (Freaky, Happy Death Day)
🎭 Starring: Meghann Fahy, Dylan Gelula
🏢 Production: Blumhouse / Universal Pictures
🔞 Rated: PG-13 (mild peril, digital dread)
What’s it about?
A widow’s blind date turns into a digital nightmare when her phone starts buzzing with threats—and we’re not just talking about bad Hinge messages.
Why it hits:
It’s Gone Girl meets Searching, trapped inside an episode of You. Landon delivers a stylish, satirical thriller that plays out like You’ve Got Mail if Jordan Peele wrote it… while caffeinated.
Smart, tense, and just techy enough to make you rethink location sharing.
🌀 Nikky’s Sequel
You know the drill—Nikky dives into the archives to resurrect a film we reviewed exactly one year ago. Will it still sparkle like Twilight in the sun… or crumble like a Cats DVD under pressure?
🎧 New Episode Every Thursday
More film chat than you can shake a cinema loyalty card at.
Listen & Watch Here:
🎧 Spotify
📺 YouTube – @ThePopcornPundits
💬 Tell us in the comments:
Would you rather face a blood-sucking family reunion, survive a warzone with no backup, or go on a date that turns into a thriller?
Follow Us:
📸 Instagram: @ThePopcornPundits
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