Directed by: Ben Wheatley
Written by: Derek Kolstad
Starring: Bob Odenkirk, Lena Headey, Henry Winkler
IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt31195136/

In this episode of Mindframes, Michael and Dave break down Normal (2026), a genre-blending action thriller from Ben Wheatley starring Bob Odenkirk as a temporary small-town sheriff uncovering a hidden criminal system beneath a seemingly quiet Minnesota town.

The discussion explores the film's strengths—particularly its sharp, inventive action sequences—while wrestling with its weaker character development and underdeveloped thematic ambitions. Along the way, the hosts compare Normal to films like No Country for Old Men, Fargo, and Hot Fuzz, asking whether the film earns its ideas about morality, violence, and the illusion of "normality."

Normal presents the idea that "normality" is not peace or order, but a fragile illusion maintained by hidden systems of violence and compromise. The film suggests that communities—and individuals—often accept morally compromised structures in exchange for stability, even when those systems are corrupt. However, while the idea is compelling, the film struggles to fully develop or emotionally ground this thesis, leaving it more implied than earned.

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Directed by: Christopher Borgli
Starring: Zendaya, Robert Pattinson, Alana Haim, Mamadou Athie
Episode: 115

In this episode of Mindframes, Michael and Dave explore The Drama (2026), a psychologically charged romantic drama directed by Christopher Borgli. The film follows an engaged couple whose relationship is destabilized during a wedding tasting dinner when a seemingly harmless party game—confessing the worst thing you've ever done—reveals a deeply disturbing secret.

What begins as an offbeat romantic setup quickly spirals into a tense moral examination of identity, forgiveness, and whether people can truly escape their past. Anchored by powerful performances from Zendaya and Robert Pattinson, the film blends discomfort, dark humor, and emotional intensity into a uniquely unsettling experience.

Are we defined by our worst thoughts, or only by the actions we take?
The film challenges the audience to confront whether intent—especially unacted intent—carries moral weight equal to real harm.
Ultimately, The Drama refuses to answer this question directly, instead forcing viewers to sit in discomfort and decide for themselves.

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Title: Sirat
Director: Olivier Laxe
Country: Spain / Morocco
Starring: Non-professional cast
Festival Run: Fantastic Fest, Cannes recognition (director)
IMDb: (Add link once available)

In this episode of Mindframes, Michael and Dave explore Sirat, a visually striking and spiritually immersive journey through the Moroccan desert. Following a father and son searching for a missing daughter, the film evolves from a grounded quest into something far more abstract and existential. The hosts unpack how the film uses rave culture, community, and physical endurance to explore themes of transcendence, identity, and surrender. What begins as a search becomes a stripping away—of purpose, of control, and ultimately of self.

Sirat presents life as an uncontrollable path that strips away identity through suffering, leaving individuals either isolated or transformed. Through the physical and communal ritual of rave culture, the film suggests transcendence is achieved not through control, but through surrender and shared experience. Ultimately, the film asks whether meaning is found in purposeful striving—or in accepting the dissolution of self into something greater.

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Film: The Bride (2026)
Director: Maggie Gyllenhaal
Starring: Jessie Buckley, Christian Bale, Annette Bening, Jake Gyllenhaal, Peter Sarsgaard, Penélope Cruz
Genre: Gothic Noir / Horror Reimagining
IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/

In this episode of Mindframes, Michael Cockerill and Dave Canfield discuss Maggie Gyllenhaal's ambitious reimagining of the Frankenstein myth, The Bride. The film centers on the Bride of Frankenstein—here named Ida—who is resurrected in 1930s Chicago to serve as a companion for Frankenstein's monster. What follows is a strange and sprawling narrative mixing gangster drama, feminist allegory, gothic horror, and a Bonnie-and-Clyde style crime story.

Michael and Dave examine how the film reframes the traditionally underdeveloped Bride character as a rebellious protagonist searching for identity and autonomy. While praising Jessie Buckley and Christian Bale's performances and the film's striking visual imagination, they debate whether the movie's numerous plotlines and meta-elements—especially the presence of Mary Shelley as a guiding figure—ultimately dilute the story.

Despite mixed reactions to its narrative coherence, the hosts agree that the film is a bold attempt to expand the Frankenstein mythos and finally place the Bride at the center of her own story.

The central theme explored in this episode is reinvigoration and rebirth—not only the literal resurrection of Ida but also the emotional and existential renewal experienced by both the Bride and Frankenstein's monster. The film presents identity as something fluid and constructed, asking whether characters defined as "monsters" can reclaim agency and define themselves outside the intentions of their creators. Ultimately, Michael and Dave debate whether the film succeeds in transforming the Bride from an iconic symbol into a fully realized character.

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Directed by: Matt Johnson
Starring: Matt Johnson, Jay McCarrol
Written by: Matt Johnson & Jay McCarrol
Genre: Comedy / Time Travel / Meta
Runtime: Approx. 100 minutes
IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt (insert final ID)

In this mini-episode of Mindframes, Michael and Dave review Nirvana the Band the Show the Movie, the long-awaited feature adaptation of the cult Canadian web series. When Matt and Jay's plan to finally book a show at Toronto's Rivoli goes catastrophically wrong, they accidentally travel back to 2008 — launching a chaotic, meta, Back-to-the-Future-inflected adventure through friendship, ego, and DIY filmmaking.

Unlike our usual episodes, this discussion does not center on a formal thematic breakdown. Instead, we explore how Matt Johnson's latest film fits into his body of work (including BlackBerry, The Dirties, and Operation Avalanche), why this may be his most overtly comedic film, and how its sincerity sets it apart from darker contemporary comedies.

We also discuss:

• The film's guerrilla filmmaking style

• The surprising twist that left audiences gasping

• The heavy (and self-aware) homage to Back to the Future

• Why this movie feels like an "anti-despair" comedy

Both hosts ultimately give the film a strong recommendation.

Though this is not a full thematic episode, a through-line naturally emerges in the discussion:

In a cultural moment saturated with irony and cynical humor, Nirvana the Band the Show the Movie chooses sincerity. Its characters are delusional and self-important, but they are also fundamentally kind — and that kindness becomes the emotional anchor of the film. The result is a comedy that feels both absurd and restorative.

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Film: Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die
Director: Gore Verbinski
Writer: Matthew Robinson
Starring: Sam Rockwell, Juno Temple, Michael Peña, Zazie Beetz, Haley Lu Richardson
Genre: Sci-Fi / Time-Loop Thriller / Dark Comedy
Release Year: 2025

IMDb: (Insert official link when available)

Michael and Dave explore Gore Verbinski's genre-blending sci-fi film Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die, a time-loop story about a soldier attempting to stop a rogue artificial intelligence across repeated attempts. What begins as a chaotic, humorous sci-fi premise unfolds into a deeper philosophical discussion about repetition, control, and emotional detachment.

Is the film a messy but ambitious meditation on gamified existence, or does its spectacle drown its humanity? The hosts debate whether infinite retries lead to growth — or erode meaning altogether.

The episode examines whether repetition creates growth or emotional numbness. Unlike Groundhog Day, where the protagonist is trapped until he becomes empathetic, this film presents a character who can reset at will — raising the question of whether control over repetition removes the stakes of human experience. Ultimately, the discussion centers on whether hope lies in continuing the loop — or in learning to step outside it.

Dave: ★★★★☆ (4/5)
A messy but engaging film where persistence, relationships, and the journey matter more than perfection.

Michael: ★★★☆☆ (3/5)
Ambitious and thought-provoking, but structurally uneven and emotionally diluted by spectacle.

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Episode 110 — Send Help

Title: Send Help
Director: Sam Raimi
Starring: Rachel McAdams, Dylan O'Brien, Dennis Haysbert, Chris Pang
Genre: Survival Thriller / Dark Comedy / Psychological Horror

In this episode, Michael and David examine Sam Raimi's Send Help, a survival thriller about two corporate survivors stranded on a deserted island after a plane crash. What begins as a struggle for survival turns into a psychological battle for power, identity, and control. The discussion focuses heavily on Linda's transformation — whether the island reveals her true nature or corrupts her — and what the film suggests about power, resentment, and human nature.

Send Help explores what happens when social hierarchies collapse and survival becomes the only currency. The film questions whether power corrupts or merely reveals what was already present within a person. Linda's journey suggests a darker possibility: that the oppressed may replicate the very systems that once diminished them.

• Starts as overlooked, competent, underappreciated worker

• Gains survival power → shifts into control and manipulation

• Film asks: Was this always Linda, or did the island create her?

• Corporate hierarchy collapses on the island

• Linda becomes capable / Bradley becomes helpless

• Echoes Triangle of Sadness: oppressed gaining power

• Linda mirrors the cruelty she once suffered

• The film may betray the "underdog triumph" trope

• Ending suggests survival ≠ moral growth

• Mix of dark humor, physical horror, and thriller tension

• Use of Raimi-cam and kinetic physicality

• Balance between comedy, brutality, and psychological tension

• Narrative is minimal: two people, one island, shifting dominance

• Rachel McAdams' performance carries emotional and thematic weight

• Film remains engaging through physical tension and character conflict

David: 4 / 5
Michael: 3 / 5

Strengths:

• Performance (McAdams)

• Physical humor and tension

• Raimi stylistic energy

Weaknesses:

• Thin premise

• Murky ending

• Uneven CGI realism

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28 Years Later: The Bone Temple (2026)

Episode Summary:
In this episode, Michael and Dave dissect 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, the most visually ambitious and thematically rich installment in the iconic 28 Days Later franchise. They explore the film's eerie cult narrative, psychological undercurrents, and the shifting horror dynamics that turn humans into the real monsters. With Nia DaCosta in the director's chair and Alex Garland returning as writer, the film blends horror, satire, and surprising moments of hope. A rich conversation for fans of speculative horror and social allegory.

• Director: Nia DaCosta (Candyman, The Marvels, Little Woods)

• Writer: Alex Garland (Ex Machina, Annihilation, Men, 28 Days Later)

• Cinematographer: Sean Bobbitt (12 Years a Slave, Widows, Hunger)

• Key Cast:

  • Ralph Fiennes as Dr. Ian Kelson – a monument builder and reluctant scientist

  • Alfie Williams as Spike – a returning survivor struggling with identity

  • Jack O'Connell as Jimmy Crystal – the chilling, charismatic cult leader

  • Chai Lewis-Perry as Samson – a towering infected in the midst of transformation

• The Jimmies as Symbol & Horror:
  The gang discusses how the Jimmies reflect societal decay, inspired by the real-life figure of Jimmy Savile. Their cultish behavior and unflinching cruelty mirror deeper fears about manipulation, lost innocence, and the rot at the core of community leadership.

• Samson's Redemption Arc:
  A standout element of the film, Samson's transformation from infected monster to near-human symbolizes the potential for recovery even in corrupted bodies and minds. His scenes with Dr. Kelson evoke tenderness, contrast with the Jimmies' savagery, and challenge the notion of what makes someone "monstrous."

• Human Evil vs. Infected Violence:
  The conversation explores how the infected, though dangerous, follow instinct—while the Jimmies choose cruelty. This blurs the line between traditional "monster" narratives and moral horror, echoing themes from Lord of the Flies and The Road.

• Visual Juxtaposition of Horror and Beauty:
  Bone temples, lush landscapes, and surreal moments (like cloud-gazing while high) create a strange harmony. These sequences ask whether beauty can exist in a world of collapse and whether healing is possible amid trauma.

• Cultural Legacy & Genre Evolution:
  Dave and Michael reflect on how the 28 franchise redefined the zombie genre, and how Bone Temple may mark a new phase—one that values emotional depth and psychological horror as much as jump scares.

Mentioned in this Episode:

• Films: Candyman (2021), Widows, Red Dragon, Gangs of London, Deluge (1933)

• Cultural Figures: Jimmy Savile, Mr. Rogers

• Literary/Genre References: Lord of the Flies, The Walking Dead, Mad Max, Godzilla

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