Me several times while watching The Passion of Anna tonight:

'Heated Rivalry,' 'Fellow Travelers,' and the Hard Limits of the Sex Scene Discourse Although they appear to be different, Heated Rivalry and Fellow Travelers both challenge what we take away from explicit sex scenes in television.

I didn’t think I’d be spending the first hours of 2026 writing about a pop culture discourse but I think Heated Rivalry and its forebear Fellow Travelers are tapping into the same side of the “sex scenes are unnecessary” debate. My first WTGP piece of the year: whenthingsgopop.com/2026/01/01/h...

The Best Film Performances of 2025 From Timothée Chalamet playing ping pong to Amy Madigan stealing children's souls, dive into the best film performances of 2025.

109 films, 3 film festivals, 12 months, and countless words later, I’m very happy to share my Best Film Performances of 2025 list. 32 performances that I haven’t stopped thinking about. Some expected picks, some not. I hope you enjoy! whenthingsgopop.com/2025/12/28/t...

A couple of hours into Pokémon Legends Z-A and I think it works best as a slice of life game. The missions, especially when they have you seek out a Pokemon or play with one (Slurpluff and his macaroons) are a blast. Oh, and Alpha Pokémon continue to be my favorite mechanic. (Look at this big lug!)

So…what’s good over here? Lol

The Refreshing 'Fantastic Four: First Steps' Strives to Solve the Heroic Sacrifice Equation Freed from the mainline MCU timeline, Matt Shakman's take on Marvel's First Family seeks to grapple with the testy relationship between superheroes and the people they protect.

I thought Fantastic Four: First Steps was a very good film that expands the conversation around superheroism and their duties to the public with Superman and Thunderbolts. It loses its nerve a bit, but still makes for a charming effort. My full thoughts for WTGP: whenthingsgopop.com/2025/07/22/f...

#Superman  is thrilling and earnest: a comic book brought to life, with James Gunn asking intriguing questions about heroism and self-actualization, alongside wildly creative uses of Clark's powers. Its narrative sprawl leads to some character shakiness, but the new DC hits hard.

I’m officially calling the arrival of the Chris Evans Renaissance. Materialists aligns perfectly with his strengths, and Song helps him uncover new depths that stunned me. It’s soul-bearing work, refreshingly vulnerable and gentle. One of my favorite performances this year.

Materialists is utterly charming and quietly soul-crushing in its observations about love and self-worth. Song’s script is marvelous, with lines that’ll make you laugh and shred your heart. A strong cast, but Zoe Winters and Chris Evans are stunning, with him turning in the best work of his career.

I think three things can be true at the same time: NEON really wanted to win big at Cannes (even though the filmmakers are the ones winning), they genuinely want to distribute the films they think align with their sensibilities, and losing Hit Man to Netflix made them get overall more aggressive.

The existence of Honey Don’t has been validated by this moment right here. I don’t care if it’s bad; this WILL be used as a meme. I’m ready for the Evans-sance!

'Captain America: Brave New World' Isn't Really About Captain America Anthony Mackie tries to take flight in his first solo outing as Captain America, but a story with little to do with him clips his wings.

Brave New World was a decent MCU flick, but a disappointment of a Captain America flick, because it had little to do with Captain America himself. Sam Wilson (and a never better Anthony Mackie) deserve better than The Incredible Hulk’s reheated nachos. My review: whenthingsgopop.com/2025/02/14/c...

Robbie Williams's Ego Lands Well in the Spirited Biopic 'Better Man' The jukebox musical about Robbie Williams is best when it leans into the British pop legend's self-effacement and gleeful anarchy.

Since it seems like everyone is discovering how great Better Man is now that it’s on digital, here are my thoughts on the Robbie Williams biopic, which is best when it leans into his self-effacing, pop anarchist nature. Also, Rock DJ is everything. whenthingsgopop.com/2025/02/13/r...

A very beardy Jason Kelce in a brown tweed and houndstooth (?) suit

he looks like the two banshees of inisherin guys combined

This awards season has been chaotic as hell (hi Anora!), but there have been some nominee narratives/journeys that have intrigued me, and could intrigue Oscar voters. I dig into Demi Moore, Timothée Chalamet, Sebastian Stan, and Fernanda Torres's stories for WTGP. whenthingsgopop.com/2025/02/09/2...

Sebastian Stan on the importance of empathy and curiosity:

This is my favorite part of my conversation with Sebastian Stan. It perfectly captures his career’s rigor and intentionality, which ultimately led to this moment of acclaim and recognition (after years of being underestimated as an actor for different reasons).

INTERVIEW: Sebastian Stan on Curiosity, Confrontation, and His Oscar Contenders An interview with Sebastian Stan on his Oscar-nominated work in 'The Apprentice' and his Golden Globe-winning work in 'A Different Man.'

I knew I’d have to cut a bunch out of my interview with Sebastian Stan for AwardsWatch. Luckily, there was more than enough to warrant publishing the full Q&A on When Things Go Pop, digging into A Different Man, The Apprentice, and his thoughtful career approach. whenthingsgopop.com/2025/02/06/i...

AwardsWatch - ‘A Different Man’ Director Aaron Schimberg on Changing How Disability is Captured on Screen Through a Personal Lens “All I can do is be true to my own experience and what I feel is ethical and right in the stories I want to undertake. It’s not up to me to correct the history of disability representation.” “He sh…

Another A Different Man interview for @awardswatch.bsky.social, this time with director Aaron Schimberg, exploring what disability/disfigurement looks like on screen and how he's trying to shift what representation looks like. awardswatch.com/a-different-...

AwardsWatch - In ‘Hard Truths,’ Marianne Jean-Baptiste Reunites with Mike Leigh and Finds the Humanity in Pansy’s Misanthropy It was the reunion that set the hearts of cinephiles aflutter. In September, British filmmaker Mike Leigh returned to the silver screen with Hard Truths, starring Marianne Jean-Baptiste. The film m…

In 'Hard Truths,' Marianne Jean-Baptiste Reunites with Mike Leigh and Finds the Humanity in Pansy's Misanthropy by @blewis1103.whenthingsgopop.com awardswatch.com/in-hard-trut...

AwardsWatch - Sebastian Stan on How ‘The Apprentice’ and ‘A Different Man’ Tackle Comfort, Curiosity, and Confronting Our Fears It’s an embarrassment of riches to have two transformative, awards-worthy roles in one career. But what does it mean when you have two in the same season? Sebastian Stan finds himself this year in …

Sebastian Stan on How 'The Apprentice' and 'A Different Man' Tackle Comfort, Curiosity, and Confronting Our Fears by @blewis1103.whenthingsgopop.com awardswatch.com/sebastian-st...

On winning the Golden Globe: "It's incredibly gratifying...For me, at 42 years old, having been around for 20 years, you're always hoping you'll be up there one day to thank some of these people who have contributed to my life. It was a nice moment for my mom."

On A Different Man’s awards season journey: “A Different Man had an interesting journey. Aaron and I always kept saying, 'We're at the Gothams, the Globes, Berlin.' There were signs that this was connecting with people. But it felt like we had to be the cheerleaders to A24 to keep it going.”

Some b-sides from my Sebastian Stan interview:

On Trump’s response to the California wildfires: “Even in these horrific fires, [Trump], instead of offering solutions, is sitting there and using what’s happening in California to serve his story, point fingers and assign blame. It’s horrific.”

An excerpt from my interview with Sebastian Stan: how his childhood growing up amidst and in the aftermath of the fall of the Eastern Bloc and emigrating to the United States informed his performance in The Apprentice.

AwardsWatch - Sebastian Stan on How ‘The Apprentice’ and ‘A Different Man’ Tackle Comfort, Curiosity, and Confronting Our Fears It’s an embarrassment of riches to have two transformative, awards-worthy roles in one career. But what does it mean when you have two in the same season? Sebastian Stan finds himself this year in …

For @awardswatch.bsky.social, I spoke with newly-minted Golden Globe winner Sebastian Stan about his awards season journey and how he approached his two films, A Different Man and The Apprentice, featuring two seemingly opposite but thematically linked characters. awardswatch.com/sebastian-st...

A very big day with a very big interview…

AwardsWatch - In ‘Hard Truths,’ Marianne Jean-Baptiste Reunites with Mike Leigh and Finds the Humanity in Pansy’s Misanthropy It was the reunion that set the hearts of cinephiles aflutter. In September, British filmmaker Mike Leigh returned to the silver screen with Hard Truths, starring Marianne Jean-Baptiste. The film m…

You can read the full piece here: awardswatch.com/in-hard-trut...

An excerpt from my conversation with Marianne Jean-Baptiste, reflecting on what the reception to Hard Truths means to her and the broader film industry:

AwardsWatch - In ‘Hard Truths,’ Marianne Jean-Baptiste Reunites with Mike Leigh and Finds the Humanity in Pansy’s Misanthropy It was the reunion that set the hearts of cinephiles aflutter. In September, British filmmaker Mike Leigh returned to the silver screen with Hard Truths, starring Marianne Jean-Baptiste. The film m…

Kicking off the New Year with my chat with Marianne Jean-Baptiste of Hard Truths for @awardswatch.bsky.social, where we discussed her reunion with Mike Leigh and how it “terrifying and exhilarating.” awardswatch.com/in-hard-trut...