Episodes

This week on Bad Dads Film Review, Sidey, Dan, Reegs and Cris take on Steven Soderbergh’s Traffic, the Oscar-winning 2000 ensemble drama about the war on drugs, starring Michael Douglas, Benicio del Toro, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Don Cheadle, Luis Guzmán, Erika Christensen, Dennis Quaid and several thousand other people you recognise from better-lit rooms. The episode begins with Reegs back from France, a heroic return to walking football, a 6–2 win, snacks from Grand Marché, Rioja on the table an...

In this episode of Bad Dads Film Review, Sidey, Dan and Cris review Tony Gilroy’s Michael Clayton (2007), starring George Clooney as a tired law-firm fixer caught between debt, duty and conscience. The dads discuss Arthur Edens’ breakdown, the U-North class-action case, the smoking-gun memo, Tilda Swinton’s Oscar-winning performance as Karen Crowder, Sydney Pollack’s Marty Bach, the film’s cold depiction of corporate greed, Arthur’s murder, the car bomb, the horses on the hill, Michael’s $80,000 compromise and the brilliant final confrontation built around “I’m not the guy you kill, I’m the guy you buy.” Sidey gives it the strongest possible recommend, Dan calls it one of the best midweek films of the year, and Cris praises the unglamorous, believable depiction of corporate law.

In this episode of Bad Dads Film Review, Dan, Sidey and Cris review Giant (2025), Rowan Athale’s biographical sports drama about Prince Naseem Hamed and his trainer Brendan Ingle. They discuss Pierce Brosnan’s performance as Ingle, Amir El-Masry’s swagger as Naz, the Sheffield gym setting, the racist backdrop to Naseem’s early life, Brendan’s training methods, Naz’s footwork and showmanship, the influence of Frank Warren and family members, the controversial 25% agreement, the breakdown of the trainer-fighter relationship, the Barrera fight, the imagined reconciliation scene and why the film is watchable and well acted without quite becoming a knockout. The episode also includes a Top 5 Giants featuring The Iron Giant, Fezzik, The BFG, the MonsterVerse, Game of Thrones, Stay Puft Marshmallow Man, The Odyssey, Riding Giants, Twin Peaks and more.

In this episode of Bad Dads Film Review, Dan, Sidey and Cris review Universal Soldier (1992), Roland Emmerich’s sci-fi action film starring Jean-Claude Van Damme as Luc Deveraux and Dolph Lundgren as Sergeant Andrew Scott. They discuss the Vietnam prologue, the secret Universal Soldier programme, the dam hostage rescue, the reporter-on-the-run plot, Van Damme discovering food and money, Dolph Lundgren going rogue, the supermarket freezer sequence, the prison-van chase, Luc’s return home to Louisiana, the final barn fight, 90s action nostalgia and why the film remains much more fun than its ridiculous science should allow. Sidey gives it a strong recommend.

In this episode of Bad Dads Film Review, Sidey, Dan and Jamie continue Wolf Week with a Top 5 Wolves list before reviewing Martin Scorsese’s The Wolf of Wall Street (2013). They discuss Jordan Belfort’s rise from junior Wall Street broker to penny-stock fraud king, Matthew McConaughey’s famous “rookie numbers” lunch scene, Donnie Azoff, Stratton Oakmont’s outrageous office culture, Margot Robbie as Naomi, the Steve Madden IPO, Swiss bank accounts, FBI pressure, Lemmon Quaaludes, the yacht storm, Jordan’s domestic collapse and the film’s uneasy status as both cautionary tale and aspirational nightmare. Sidey and Dan give strong recommends despite the runtime, and Jamie calls it a must-watch.

In this episode of Bad Dads Film Review, Sidey, Dan and guest dad Jamie review An American Werewolf in London (1981), John Landis’s cult horror-comedy starring David Naughton, Griffin Dunne and Jenny Agutter. The discussion covers The Slaughtered Lamb, the Yorkshire moors opening, Jack’s increasingly decomposed appearances, David’s romance with Nurse Alex, the nightmare sequences, London Zoo, the Piccadilly finale, the moon-themed soundtrack, and Rick Baker’s Oscar-winning practical makeup effects, including the famous werewolf transformation scene.

In this episode of Bad Dads Film Review, the dads review True History of the Kelly Gang (2019), Justin Kurzel’s bleak and visually striking adaptation of Peter Carey’s novel about Ned Kelly. They discuss the film’s deliberately unstable relationship with truth, young Ned’s brutal upbringing, Ellen Kelly’s influence, the Sons of Sieve cross-dressing mythology, Russell Crowe as Harry Power, Nicholas Hoult’s disturbing Constable Fitzpatrick, George MacKay’s performance as adult Ned, the gang’s homemade armour, the failed train ambush and the bloody final siege. Dan gives the film a mid recommend because of its punishing bleakness, while Reegs, Chris and Sidey give strong recommends for the performances, visuals and thematic weight.

In this episode of Bad Dads Film Review, Dan and Chris review Marty Supreme (2025), Josh Safdie and Ronald Bronstein’s A24 table-tennis hustle drama starring Timothée Chalamet as Marty Mauser and Gwyneth Paltrow as Kay Stone. The dads discuss Marty’s obsessive drive to become the best ping-pong player in the world, his selfish treatment of friends and lovers, the London tournament, Endo’s superior Japanese paddle technique, the journey to Japan, the exhibition match, the pig-kissing humiliation and the film’s similarities to Uncut Gems, The Karate Kid and White Men Can’t Jump. Chris gives the film a strong recommend, while Dan lands closer to mid-to-strong because Marty is such an intensely unlikeable character.

In this episode of Bad Dads Film Review, Sidey and Dan mark prison week with a discussion of memorable screen prisons including In the Name of the Father, The Shawshank Redemption, Alcatraz films, Prison Break, Porridge, Escape from Sobibor and Out of Sight. The main review is Sing Sing (2023), Greg Kwedar’s A24 drama starring Colman Domingo as John “Divine G” Whitfield and Clarence “Divine Eye” Maclin as a version of himself. The dads discuss the real Rehabilitation Through the Arts programme at Sing Sing Correctional Facility, the casting of formerly incarcerated RTA alumni, the comedy production Breakin’ the Mummy’s Code, Divine G’s clemency struggle, Mike Mike’s death, and the film’s humane argument for purpose, creativity and connection inside prison.

In this episode of Bad Dads Film Review, Sidey and Dan review Angels with Dirty Faces (1938), Michael Curtiz’s classic gangster drama starring James Cagney, Pat O’Brien, Humphrey Bogart and Ann Sheridan. The discussion covers Rocky Sullivan’s rise from street kid to celebrity gangster, Father Jerry’s attempt to save the neighbourhood boys, the Dead End Kids, Bogart’s villainous Frazier, the film’s Depression-era setting, its influence on Home Alone’s Angels with Filthy Souls, and the famous final scene in which Rocky appears to turn coward on the way to the electric chair.

In this episode of Bad Dads Film Review, Sidey, Dan and Reegs review Army of Darkness, Sam Raimi’s 1992 third entry in the Evil Dead franchise. The dads discuss how the series evolves from the bleak horror of The Evil Dead, through the horror-comedy balance of Evil Dead II, into the broad medieval slapstick and cult fantasy chaos of Army of Darkness. The episode also uses Army of Darkness as the jumping-off point for a Top 5 on third films in a franchise, covering titles including The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Toy Story 3, The Matrix Revolutions, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, The Bourne Ultimatum, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, Die Hard with a Vengeance, Halloween III: Season of the Witch, Back to the Future Part III, John Wick: Chapter 3 — Parabellum, and more. The main review covers Ash being transported to 1300 AD, the chainsaw hand, the boomstick speech, the Necronomicon quest, the famous “Klaatu barada nikto” failure, bad Ash, skeleton armies, Ray Ha…

In this episode of Bad Dads Film Review, Sidey, Dan and Reegs review Steven Spielberg’s Close Encounters of the Third Kind. The discussion begins with J. Allen Hynek’s UFO classification system before moving through the film’s major set pieces: the Sonoran Desert opening, missing planes, Roy Neary’s roadside encounter, Barry’s abduction, Devil’s Tower, the musical alien language and the unforgettable mothership reveal. The dads discuss how the film uses translation, music, signs and images to build a hopeful version of first contact. They also put Roy Neary on trial as a Bad Dad for abandoning his family to board the alien ship, while considering whether his altered mental state gives him any defence. The verdict is a unanimous strong recommend: nearly fifty years old, still visually impressive, culturally iconic and full of Spielberg’s recurring interests in broken families, science, music, communication and wonder.

In this episode of Bad Dads Film Review, the hosts discuss the modern Warner Bros / Legendary MonsterVerse film series, including Godzilla (2014), Kong: Skull Island, Godzilla: King of the Monsters, Godzilla vs. Kong, and Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire. Sidey shares his experience watching the franchise with his daughter and explains why the series works best as spectacular, switch-your-brain-off kaiju entertainment. The discussion covers Kong, Godzilla, Mothra, Rodan, King Ghidorah, Mechagodzilla, Monarch, Apex Cybernetics, Hollow Earth, Godzilla Minus One, and the recurring problem of human drama getting in the way of monster action.

The Bad Dads return from a slightly chaotic break for Project Hail Mary, the Ryan Gosling-led adaptation of Andy Weir’s sci-fi novel. Before getting to the film, there is catch-up chat about Sidey and Reegs seeing The Streets at Alexandra Palace, Sidey’s Malta holiday being far too hot to properly enjoy, and some family hotel movie nights that included a MonsterVerse binge and the alarming discovery that Raiders of the Lost Ark can apparently be dismissed as boring after half an hour. The conversation moves into Ryan Gosling, partly because Comic-Con has thrown up fresh talk of him circling Ghost Rider and a new Star Wars project. Sidey and Cris make the case for Gosling as an unusually reliable modern movie star: someone who can handle glossy blockbuster material like The Gray Man, stranger mood pieces like Only God Forgives, and more vulnerable work like Lars and the Real Girl. That makes him a good fit for this kind of accessible, problem-solving sci-fi. The dads frame Projec…

The Bad Dads head underwater for Luc Besson’s The Big Blue, or Le Grand Bleu if you want to sound sophisticated while drowning slowly in late-80s synth. The discussion starts with the film’s scale: 168 minutes in the director’s cut, which immediately becomes one of the main charges against it. Dan chose the film and remembers liking it years ago, but even he admits this is a very long movie — the sort of film you watch over several evenings because holding your breath for the full running time would be medically inadvisable. The dads work through the black-and-white childhood opening in Greece, where young Jacques Mayol and Enzo Molinari are established as boys shaped by the sea in very different ways. Enzo is cocky, competitive and already built around status; Jacques is quieter, gentler and more emotionally fused with the water. Jacques’ father dies in a diving accident, an early trauma that seems to bind Jacques to the ocean rather than drive him away from it. As adults, t…

In this Bad Dads Film Review World Cup special, Sidey, Dan, Cris and Reegs preview England v Argentina on Wednesday 15 July 2026. The dads discuss England’s transformation from the low points of Euro 2008 and Iceland to the Southgate culture reset and Tuchel’s current tactical plan. They cover Kane, Bellingham, Saka, Madueke, Declan Rice, Argentina’s dark arts, Cristian Romero, Lionel Messi, hydration breaks, and give predictions for whether England can go through and keep the “It’s Coming Home” dream alive.

The Bad Dads turn to Netflix for The Life Ahead, the 2020 Italian drama directed by Edoardo Ponti and starring Sophia Loren as Madame Rosa, a Holocaust survivor and former sex worker who now cares for the children of other sex workers in Bari. The conversation begins in properly jaded Monday fashion — recorded after England’s glorious defeat of Mexico at the Azteca, naturally — before moving through recent watches including The Armstrong Lie, Marco Pierre White YouTube rabbit holes, the new Cape Fear, Shot Caller, The Boys, and a brisk top-five round on dynamite and explosions. When the dads get to the film, Sidey sets up Madame Rosa’s world: she is elderly, Jewish, traumatised, proud, and scraping by, pawning her candlesticks to cover the rent. Into her life crashes Momo, a young Senegalese orphan living with Dr Cohen, who steals Rosa’s bag in the market and is then forced to apologise. The apology goes badly, but Dr Cohen persuades Rosa — via an increasingly persuasive cash of…

The Bad Dads return to early Scorsese with Mean Streets, the 1973 New York crime drama that helped put both Martin Scorsese and Robert De Niro properly on the map, while giving Harvey Keitel one of his defining early roles. The conversation opens with the film’s famous line: “You don’t make up for your sins in church. You do it on the streets.” From there the dads immediately spot the Scorsese DNA that would later become unmistakable in Goodfellas: Catholic guilt, low-level gangsters, bar-room rituals, restless needle drops, family obligation, small neighbourhood pressure, and men who confuse loyalty with self-destruction. Sidey walks through Harvey Keitel’s Charlie, a small-time operator caught between his Catholic conscience, his uncle Giovanni’s criminal world, and his need to look after Johnny Boy. Dan highlights Charlie’s religious conflict — the guilt, the fear of hell, and the candle-burning self-punishment — while Cris and Reegs pick up on how tight and claustrophobic th…

The Bad Dads gather for a compact but enthusiastic review of Sidney Lumet’s 12 Angry Men, a film that turns one hot jury room, twelve men and a supposedly open-and-shut murder case into one of cinema’s great arguments about reasonable doubt. After the usual loose opening — Masters of the Universe chat, World Cup annoyance, and the rejected idea of everyone starting the episode by arguing — the dads settle into the 1957 Henry Fonda classic. Cris remembers watching it with his dad, Dan calls it an absolute classic, and Reegs immediately frames it as “an incredible piece of science fiction” because it imagines a world where people can be persuaded by rational thought and truth still matters. The discussion follows the jury’s movement from an initial 11–1 guilty vote to the final reversal. Juror 8 does not claim the accused boy is innocent; he simply refuses to send him to death row without talking through the evidence properly. From there the dads work through the key doubts: the “…

This midweek Bad Dads Film Review episode begins, naturally, with Reegs’ fresh haircut, the cost of beard sculpting, and a brief detour into barber-chair intimacy before Sidey reveals the week’s selection method: a hectic week, two shorter episodes, no proper theme, and a number-based Amazon Prime roulette that landed the Dads on The Bad Education Movie. Sidey sets the table with a confession: he never watched the BBC Three sitcom, partly because he “genuinely” cannot get on with Jack Whitehall’s posh, fumbling toff persona. Reegs admits, with some shame, to having seen bits of the TV series and the movie before. Cris has only watched the end, and Dan arrives ready to query how this became a feature film in the first place. The film itself is described as a 2015 feature-length send-off for Jack Whitehall’s BBC Three sitcom, following teacher Alfie Wickers and his class on a school trip that veers from Amsterdam chaos to Cornwall, the Eden Project, a kidnapped PTA chaperone, a mi…

This week on Bad Dads Film Review, the dads mark England week with a suitably subtle and tasteful main feature: Louis Leterrier’s Grimsby / The Brothers Grimsby, Sacha Baron Cohen’s aggressively filthy spy-comedy about a football hooligan reunited with his long-lost MI6 agent brother. The episode opens with Reegs introducing a show “to entertainment as VAR is to…” before promising misplaced national pride, confident incompetence, and enough disrepute to trouble the FA. Pete makes his triumphant return, Dan is absent for dinner with his mum, and the dads are already half-focused on England playing later — which gives the whole episode a lovely atmosphere of heat, football, lager, and people trying to finish before kick-off. The Top 5 England section takes the brief very loosely, which is usually where the best nonsense lives. Pete starts with English stereotypes in film — bad teeth, bad food, villains, tea, class, accents, and the baffling sandwich ubiquity of mayonnaise. Reegs n…

This week on Bad Dads Film Review, the dads brave record-breaking heat, abandon the man cave, and review Shane Meadows’ This Is England (2006) — a bruising coming-of-age drama about grief, belonging, skinhead culture, racism, and the poisonous simplicity of nationalist hate. The episode starts with the recording circumstances becoming part of the texture: England are playing later, it is unbearably hot, birds may or may not be audible, and the dads are adopting the careful pacing of an England tournament side. From there, Sidey frames the film as the second Shane Meadows pick after the much-loved Dead Man’s Shoes, while Pete explains how Meadows often drew from lived experience, with Shaun Field loosely based on Meadows himself. The dads praise the film’s 1983 setting as almost painfully accurate: the corner shops, council-house interiors, clothes, hair, glasses, playgrounds, charity-shop trousers, and anti-Thatcher atmosphere all feel completely lived-in. Shaun is introduced as…

This week on Bad Dads Film Review, Sidey, Reegs, Dan and Cris get on the road for Walter Salles’s The Motorcycle Diaries, the warm, humane, politically charged travel drama about young Ernesto “Che” Guevara and Alberto Granado crossing South America on a rapidly dying motorcycle. The episode opens with the usual Bad Dads detours — football, podcast housekeeping, dubious intros, David Walliams antipathy, and some listener follow-up — before the Dads rev into a Top 5 Motorcycles discussion. The nominations range from the iconic to the ridiculous: Arnie’s Harley-Davidson Fat Boy in Terminator 2, Tom Cruise’s Kawasaki in Top Gun and Mission: Impossible — Rogue Nation, the Easy Rider Captain America chopper, Indy and Henry Jones Sr. in the Last Crusade sidecar, Tron’s light cycles, Dumb and Dumber’s scooter, John Wick’s katana bike fight, Fonzie’s Harley, Judge Dredd-style sci-fi bikes, and Dan’s heartfelt case for Burt Munro and The World’s Fastest Indian. That motorcycle theme lead…

This week on Bad Dads Film Review, Sidey, Reegs, Dan and Cris head into Neo-Tokyo for Katsuhiro Otomo’s landmark 1988 anime, Akira — a film of biker gangs, psychic children, military coups, exploding cities, and one of the most famous motorbike slides in cinema. The episode opens, naturally, with Cape Verde apparently “thrashing” Spain nil-nil and a warning that football chat may start bleeding into the pod. From there the Dads connect Akira to the recent motorcycle theme, with the iconic “Akira slide” providing an obvious bridge into one of animation’s most influential images. Reegs guides the plot through the aftermath of World War III, the rebuilding of Neo-Tokyo, the Capsules biker gang, Kaneda’s red bike, Tetsuo’s resentment, and the discovery that the mysterious Akira is not quite the character most first-time viewers expect. The group dig into the psychic test subjects, Colonel Shikishima, the hospital sequences, Tetsuo’s power spiral, the Olympic Stadium, the jars of Aki…