Episodes

In this episode of Bad Dads Film Review, Sidey, Dan, Reegs and Cris review Memories of Murder, Bong Joon-ho’s 2003 South Korean crime thriller inspired by the real Hwaseong serial murders. They discuss the rural 1980s setting, Song Kang-ho as Detective Park, the clash between hunch-based local policing and evidence-led investigation from Seoul, police brutality, false confessions, ruined crime scenes, the ignored female officer who spots the radio-song pattern, the suspect with soft hands, the unresolved ending, the later real-life identification of Lee Choon-jae, and whether the film’s mix of bleak suspense and black comedy fully works.

In this episode of Bad Dads Film Review, Sidey, Dan, Reegs and Cris review Kathryn Bigelow’s Blue Steel (1990), starring Jamie Lee Curtis as rookie police officer Megan Turner and Ron Silver as deranged Wall Street trader Eugene Hunt. The dads discuss the film’s fetishised gun imagery, Brad Fiedel’s score, Megan’s disastrous first day, the missing crime-scene weapon, Eugene’s obsession, the way Megan is repeatedly doubted by male authority figures, Clancy Brown’s Detective Nick Mann, Tom Sizemore’s brief appearance, the subway shootout and the abrupt ending. Verdicts are mixed: Sidey enjoys the style and villainy, Dan gives it a medium-to-blue recommend, Reegs admires the lurid psychosexual madness while questioning Megan’s competence, and Cris is unimpressed after spending £2.50 to rent it.

In this episode of Bad Dads Film Review, Sidey, Dan and Reegs review Reacher season 1 episode 1, “Welcome to Margrave”, the Prime Video adaptation of Lee Child’s first Jack Reacher novel Killing Floor. They discuss Alan Ritchson’s physical suitability as Jack Reacher, the opening murder, Reacher arriving in Margrave, the diner and pie setup, Detective Finlay’s interrogation, Hubble’s false confession, the prison and shower fights, Reacher’s military-police background, the comparison with Tom Cruise’s film version, the appeal of Reacher as a giant Sherlock Holmes action hero, and the cliffhanger reveal that the murder victim is Reacher’s brother.

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 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 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, 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 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 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.

Welcome back to Bad Dads Film Review! This week we’re diving deep into the underworld of cinematic mentorship and criminal patronage with our Top 5 Godfathers (but no, not that Godfather), followed by a look at Jacques Audiard’s powerful crime drama, A Prophet (2009). Grit, transformation, and the shadows of paternal influence are the order of the day. 🧑‍🦲 Top 5 Godfathers (but not The one) Wilson Fisk – Daredevil (Netflix, 2015–2018) Vincent D’Onofrio’s Kingpin isn’t your traditional god...

Welcome back to Bad Dads Film Review! This week, we’re blowing out the candles and unwrapping a nostalgia-packed episode with our Top 5 Birthdays in Film and TV, followed by a dive into Happy Gilmore 2 — the long-awaited, fan-service sequel to Adam Sandler’s 1996 cult classic. Spoiler alert: it’s still not about the golf. 🎉 Top 5 Birthdays in Film and TV Bilbo Baggins' Eleventy-First Birthday (The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring) The Shire’s biggest party and Bilbo’s dramatic d...

Welcome back to Bad Dads Film Review! This week, we’re doing something a little different in honour of Cris’s birthday – and what better way to celebrate than by diving into a handpicked selection of actors whose careers, films, or sheer star quality connect (tenuously or not) to our resident birthday boy. There’s no Top 5 this time around – instead, it’s all about Helen Mirren, Kate Beckinsale, Kevin Spacey, Jason Statham, and Sandra Bullock, with a war film classic anchoring the episode: Full ...

You can now text us anonymously to leave feedback, suggest future content or simply hurl abuse at us. We'll read out any texts we receive on the show. Click here to try it out! Welcome back to Bad Dads Film Review! This week we’re taking a tumble — both literally and metaphorically — as we break down our Top 5 Falls in Movies and TV, followed by a closer look at the slow-burning, Palme d'Or-winning courtroom drama Anatomy of a Fall. No kids' section this time around — just a lot of bodies hittin...

Welcome back to Bad Dads Film Review! This week’s episode packs a punch as we dive into Top 5 Juniors in Movies and TV, followed by a deep dive into the intense war thriller Warfare (2025). No kids’ TV show this week — we’re keeping it strictly grown-up. 🎯 Top 5 Juniors in Movies and TV Indiana Jones Jr. (Young Indiana Jones / Indiana Jones Series) Before he became the famed archaeologist, we met young Indy — curious, brave, and always in the thick of danger. Junior (Junior, 1994) Arnold ...

Welcome back to Bad Dads Film Review, where this week we're ticking all the right boxes with our Top 5 Watches in film and TV. From time-stopping devices to classic wrist candy, we’re delving into the chronometers that do more than just tell time. 🕰 Top 5 Watches in Film and TV 1. The Rolex Submariner – James Bond Series The ultimate symbol of spy sophistication. First worn by Sean Connery in Dr. No (1962), Bond’s Rolex is more than just a stylish accessory — it’s a tool of the trade, packed ...

Welcome back to Bad Dads Film Review! This week we’re embracing all things angular, round, and abstract with our Top 5 Shapes in Movies & TV, diving into Ruben Östlund’s Triangle of Sadness, and finishing up with a charming kids' pick: Shape Island. It’s geometry, but make it cinematic. 🟦 Top 5 Shapes in Movies & TV 1. The Monolith – 2001: A Space Odyssey A perfect black rectangle that sparked humanity’s evolution and a thousand late-night debates. Kubrick gave us a shape that’s as mysteri...

Welcome back to Bad Dads Film Review! This week we’re spinning in circles—in the best possible way—with our Top 5 Loops in film and television. Whether they’re time loops, narrative loops, or just delightfully circular plot structures, these stories keep us guessing and coming back for more. We’re also checking out Armando Iannucci’s razor-sharp satire In The Loop and revisiting the chronologically chaotic world of Power Rangers Time Force. 🔁 Top 5 Loops in Film & TV 1. Groundhog Day (1993...

Welcome back to Bad Dads Film Review! This week’s episode is all about singularity, identity, and what it means to be “the one.” We kick things off with our Top 5 'Ones' in film and TV, followed by a look at the emotionally complex Murderbot Diaries adaptation, and we round things out with the plucky preschool heroine Ridley Jones. 🎯 Top 5 'Ones' in Movies and TV Neo – The Matrix The definitive “One.” Chosen by prophecy, forged by code. Neo’s journey from hacker to messiah redefined sci-fi c...

Welcome back to Bad Dads Film Review! This week, we’re sinking into the beautifully awkward and emotionally layered world of The Graduate (1967), a landmark in American cinema that captured the confusion and alienation of a generation—and still resonates today. Directed by Mike Nichols and based on Charles Webb’s novel, The Graduate stars a breakout Dustin Hoffman as Benjamin Braddock , a recent college graduate adrift in a sea of expectations, ennui, and passive-aggressive dinner parties. Re...

Welcome back to Bad Dads Film Review ! This week we’re dusting off our ruffled shirts and setting our time machines to the 1980s as we revisit The Wedding Singer (1998), a rom-com that’s equal parts sweet, silly, and synth-soaked. Directed by Frank Coraci and starring Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore , this nostalgic crowd-pleaser finds Sandler in perhaps his most charming role as Robbie Hart, a down-on-his-luck wedding singer trying to recover from heartbreak. After being jilted at the altar,...

Welcome back to Bad Dads Film Review , where things get a little surreal this week as we juggle fire-eaters, human oddities, and digital freakshows in our Top 5 Circuses in Film and TV . We also run away to the big top with Guillermo del Toro’s noir thriller Nightmare Alley , and finish with the technicolour brain-melt that is The Amazing Digital Circus . 🎪 Top 5 Circuses in Film and TV: 1. The Circus (1928) – Charlie Chaplin’s silent-era classic features The Tramp joining a circus by acci...