PODCAST · tv
Beyond Bechdel
by Beyond Bechdel
Nevertheless, we ALL persisted. A podcast about film and feminism from writers behind liveforfilm.com.
Episodes
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Have the Oscars ignored the best films of 2025 (Part 2)
Just like buses, not a peep for years and then two episodes come along at once! Join Contrarah, Jen and Chris as they assess the huge number of films that came out in 2025 and how their Top Ten lists may not reflect what the Academy nominated as Best Picture. We bet you'll find something here…
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Have The Oscars Ignored The Best Films of 2025?
Do not adjust your headphones, we are back in your feed! Beyond Bechdel returns in a time of need, we think the Academy has it wrong about the best films of 2025! Join Contrarah, Jen and Chris as they rank their top lists of 2025 movies, and make the case for why these films should have been...
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73 - Why you should watch The Premise
OH NO WHITE MAN PRIVILEGE ALERT! Correct, this is an episode about a TV show produced by a white, straight, male showrunner, BUT it's different, we promise. The Premise is a new comedy anthology on Disney+ (shocking) looking at our pre-conceived ideas about gender, morality, race and sex and...
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72 - Dune and Foundation or So What Exactly is Hard Sci-Fi?
We're back! And here with a look at the new age of Hard Sci-Fi. Is it new? Is it good? Is it female-friendly? How hard, is hard? We answer all these questions and a whole lot more in the episode focused on Denis Villeneuve's new movie and Apple TV's new series, based on not-so-new IP. Please…
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71 - Top Ten Movies about Humanity
We invite back the delightful and witty Courtney Hodgkiss (https://twitter.com/courtneyishere) to talk movies that are so awe-inspiring, breathtaking, maddening and emotional that you can't stop yourself shouting about them to anyone who'll listen. We came up with ten, count em, TEN movies that…
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70 - Thank Heaven For Little Girls (but Don't Thank These Movies)
You're minding your own business, watching classic movies, movies that won Best Picture at the Oscars, and then you stop, and think...does this film glamourise child prostitution?! Nick and Contrarah take a look at three classic films from yesteryear examining them through a 2021 lens. They are...
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69 - A Quiet Place 2 Explained
We are back in the cinema with a big, bold action movie that celebrates sound and champions hearing loss - A Quiet Place: Part 2. Join Contrarah for an episode about what the film represents, if it's any good and how Millicent Simmonds is its runaway star. This episode contains SPOILERS in…
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68 - Lillian & Julia Vs Mary & Muriel
This episode delves into Hollywood history and the fascinating back story surrounding the 1977 Oscar-winning movie Julia. Based on the memoirs of playwright Lillian Hellman and starring Jane Fonda and Vanessa Redgrave, Julia is a strange and thrilling story about Hellman's real life brush with...
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67 - How Ella Greenwood Became an Award-winning Filmmaker by Shining a Light on Teen Mental Health.
Filmmaker Ella Greenwood packed in a lot in the last couple of years. She made an award-winning short film about her struggles with teenage mental health issues (Faulty Roots), she made an animated film to bring those discussion topics to a younger audience (Dreary Days), she started working on…
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66 - Were the most popular movies of 2020 actually bad?
Ah 2020, a great year for health, positivity, movies.... in the immortal words of Thor, is it, though? Contrarah researched what movies we went to see at the cinema and on streaming services, and some interesting trends emerged. Did we choose movies to watch because they were the best? Or because...
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65 - Paris, Open City with Jenna Suru and Latoya Austin
This is a real treat of an episode for anyone wanting tips on how to find work in cinema, and for anyone who loves Paris (that's everyone, surely?) Contrarah is joined by director, actress, writer and film festival producer Jenna Suru to talk about the Paris International Film Festival and her…
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64 - Jen loves Producers, Becky loves Authors, I Love Dick
Now that we have your attention... In honour of (and a little bit in spite of) IWD we made an episode about the women who inspire us - every day - across the arts. Contrarah asked filmmakers Becky Lima-Matthews (Becky-matthews.com) and Jen Francis (Sassy Jam Productions) to come talk, champion…
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63 - Has Lesbian Cinema Finally Gone Mainstream?
To celebrate and commemorate LGBTQ History Month (in the UK) we take a look at lesbian cinema, focusing on movies that put gay relationships front and centre. Join Contrarah and Nick as they discuss what's good and bad about films made in the 1960s, the 2010s and right now in 2021, and the...
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62 - Wandavision. Why it's good, What has happened and ALL of the Theories.
We turn our attention to Wandavision, the mystery box show that everyone is talking about and nobody fully understands. If you have a passing interest in the new Disney+ show but don't have the energy to find out what's happening, let Contrarah do the hard work for you. She sets out why it's such…
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61 - 5 Movies that Predicted 2021 Politics
Welcome to a new era...of (hopefully) better, kinder government. The film industry has seen its fair share of political scandal and Contrarah wonders if we can learn lessons from movies, especially those made many years ago. We discuss 5 movies spanning a period of worldwide political upheaval…
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60 - The New Oscar Rules & Movies We Love that Break Them with Kristin Janssen of SIWTS
2021! A new year and a renewed opportunity to get excited about the Academy Awards! Kinda... Soon the Academy will be implementing a new set of diversity and inclusion rules, which can't come soon enough. Kristin Janssen - podcast host of So...I'm Watching this Show joins Contrarah to break down...
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59 - Mank
This is part 3 of a now 4-part series (screw chronology) because Mank is a movie with so many layers it demands its own episode! While David Fincher is definitely not the greatest closet feminist of all time, Mank says a lot about Hollywood hierarchies, gender roles, politics and numerous power...
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58 - Why 2020 was a great year for TV soundtracks
Yeah, yeah 2020 is a living hellscape...but...is it though? The prestige TV world is booming and this year we were able to enjoy some of the best shows around. Also, we could finally concentrate on listening to the music behind these big shows. Music can be very subjective, as Contrarah found…
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57 - David Fincher Part 2: Killers, Killjoys and Kissing
In Part 2 of this series, we're still to determine whether David Fincher is the greatest closet feminist of all time? In this period Fincher starts to utilise a range of female characters, takes a view on disability and even hires some (read: a few) people of colour. But we cannot deny that the...
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56 - David Fincher
Is David Fincher the greatest hidden feminist of all time? Unlikely, but his movies appeal to all of our darker desires. Join us on a poorly lit but beautifully sounding journey through the director's back catalogue, and then decide for yourself: Fincher - friend or foe of film feminism?
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55 - Loathe, Like, Love: Cush Jumbo and The London Film Festival
This episode is devoted to the superhuman acting capabilities of Cush Jumbo. It's also a teaser for our London Film Festival 2020 coverage - this year's festival is full of thought-provoking movies made by filmmakers with something to say. Clips in the episode are from: Herself - Dir. Phyllida...
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54 - Loathe, Like, Love: I Am The Law!
We have a legal theme for this episode, asking: how is the law serving women on screen? Contrarah analyses a new Netflix show that might be doing more harm than good, followed by a quick retrospective of a legal titan. You want to lay down the law? Contact us at beyondbechdel.com Tweet us Send us...
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53 - Loathe, Like, Love: Cognitive Dissonance
You know when you feel all the feelings, including thinking two alternative beliefs at the same time? Like.... Me: I hate this show, it's so trashy/horrifying/boring! Also me: I love this show it's the best ever, I can't look away!! That's what this episode is about. Send us your conflicting...
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52 - TENET
A special bonus episode about the film that is going to 'save cinema'. Contrarah has braved TENET twice so she and Nick (a one-time slightly confused viewer) review and breakdown Christopher Nolan's latest complex and controversial spy caper. NOTE: The episode is broken down into a 1) non-spoiler...
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51 - Loathe, Like, Love, Literature
While we work on season 3, let's look at some things we love, and some that we loathe. In this episode: reading matter!
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50 - Loathe, Like, Love
While we work on season 3, let's look at some things we love, and some that we loathe...
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49 - Pandemic Pod Episode 5: The Easy Watch
Half-way through the year 2020 and who knows how far into the devilish reign of COVID-19, Contrarah asks if we're getting film fatigue? She and notorious series-hater Nick debate project length, subject and what two decades can do to our perception, and wonder if it's ok to simply enjoy...
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48 - Pandemic Pod Episode 4: Never, Rarely, Sometimes, Always, Always, Always
Contrarah is joined by Nick again for a new bonus episode on some excellent new films with a common theme. Firstly there's a discussion on enjoying versus enduring a movie, with our take on Joker. Before the main event: looking in depth at two powerful movies directed by directors at the top of...
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47 - Pandemic Pod Episode 3: What these 15 films can teach us about surviving a pandemic (Part 2)
Movies have long helped us to live out our best and worst fantasies. And what better way to cope with stressful times than by social distancing in the safety of your own home while watching famous, beautiful people do all the hard work. In this second part of a two-parter, we look at the films…
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46 - Pandemic Pod Episode 2: What these 15 films can teach us about surviving a pandemic
Movies have long helped us to live out our best and worst fantasies. And what better way to cope with stressful times than by social distancing in the safety of your own home while watching famous, beautiful people do all the hard work. But can film actually help us during the coronavirus…
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45 - Pandemic Pod Episode 1: How to Cope with the Calm Catastrophe
In these strange times we wanted to bring listeners comfort, in the form of coping tips, media recommendations and the sound of three people laughing through the madness. Hope this helps. Jen's brand new web series Phase 2 can be found here: www.youtube.com/channel/UCuS1mtCoDwYXiq2zALzLYqw We're...
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44 - Bye, Bye Tennies, Hello Roaring Twenties (plus Best of the Decade Part 3)
2020 - sounds good doesn't it? We predict great things for filmmaking in this new decade! Contrarah asked some previous pod guests what they are most looking forward to. She and Nick also finish their discussion on the best films of the last ten years. In a Hole Doll's House Key time codes: 5:01…
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43 - The Top Ten Best Movies of The Decade (Part 2)
The last decade saw some fantastic movies and some big steps forward for women in film, but no one told Nick that, he just loves himself some MAN movies full of MEN. Thank goodness Contrarah weighs in with some big time, money-making, award-winning female films. Contrarah and Nick continue their...
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42 - The Top Ten Best Movies of The Decade (Part 1)
The last decade saw some fantastic movies and some big steps forward for women in film. Contrarah and Nick review their tastes in cinema from 2010 to 2019 - each with a wildly different focus. Did your movie make the cut?
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41 - Specialist Subject 4: Red Fem Redemption? With Dr Esther Wright
Computer gaming - it's for boys only, right? Wrong! And yet, history hasn't been kind to the gamer community, especially in terms of gender discrimination. Instead of laying blame, maybe it's time to look at whether the games themselves are contributing towards a culture. Contrarah enlists the…
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40 - What Exactly IS Cinema?
What is Cinema? Scorsese thinks he knows, but does he? Nick with his TV industry work knowledge and Contrarah debate this question focussing on art, entertainment with a segue into what exactly is a human being? Plus, do we want our Netflix content even faster? Bonus Drinking Game: Take a sip…
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39 - Trojan Horse 3: Romcom Heroines with JustJen
It's easy to look back at films from 20 years ago and cringe hard, wondering, "what were we thinking?" Yet the 90s brought us so many good things, including a new a golden age for the romantic comedy - a genre sometimes frowned upon today. Writer/director/producer Just Jen thinks we shouldn't...
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38 - Specialist Subject 3: True Crime Heroes
Amber Hunt, Amanda Rossman, Elizabeth Andes. Madeleine Baran, Parker Yesko, Bertha Tardy. Liliana Segura, Jordan Smith, Donna Brown. You might not know their names. All women. All important. Listen to find out why. Bad things happen to women every day, and women are doing invaluable work to make...
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37 - Trojan Horse 2: Nurse! With Audrey Fox
Remember old-school nurses? The white-starched uniform, kind bedside manner and comforting, feminine presence? Cinema remembers. A movie was made that sought to turn that stereotype on its head. Nurse Ratched is widely known as the most deliciously heinous member of the nursing profession. She's...
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36 - Specialist Subject 2: Stefanie Davis made a hot mess!
Getting a film made is a huge undertaking. And the vast majority of films are produced and directed by men. So when we heard that Stefanie Davis had written. directed and produced her own feature, we hunted her down and begged her to share her secrets! Stefanie and Contrarah go into detail about...
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35 - Trojan Horse: At Tomorrow's Edge
One of the best modern sci-fi action films in recent years, Edge of Tomorrow purported to be a Tom Cruise vehicle, but really it brought us Emily Blunt kicking all kinds of alien ass! This is our first 'Trojan Horse' of the season and boy is the Angel of Verdun a goodun! \ Come join Nick and...
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Mini Series Promo - Specialist Subjects & Trojan Horses in Cinema
And we're BACK! Welcome to this 8-part mini-series of Beyond Bechdel, where we delve into cinematic culture from a very particular point of view. Stay with us for interviews, reviews, discussion and a lot of laughter from fantastic people working in the film and TV industry. The title might sound…
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34 - Specialist Subject: Sound with Emma Butt
Can you hear us? Our season opener and first 'Specialist Subject' episode is all about sound. ADR and sound production specialist Emma Butt takes us through her career and influences, and gives invaluable advice for anyone who also wants to be a sound specialist. She is funny and…
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33 -Completionism
Are you a completionist? Find out by listening here. Contrarah and Nick take us through the cinematic steps that brought the world to the brink of obsession Mild spoilers for Avengers: Endgame in the first half of the pod & Major Spoilers from around 0.45m in.
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32 - Captain Marvel EXPLAINED
(NEWSFLASH: Boden & Fleck are not married - apologies to them and yay to the concept of platonic opposite sex filmmakers!) Hopefully you'll get that the title of this episode is a joke. BUT it's true that the MCU's masterpiece Captain Marvel means different things to different people. Join...
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31 - ROMA backwards is AMOR
The 2019 Academy Awards raise many questions for Contrarah, and she finds three directors who can answer them - with revolutionary films and performances. Many spoilers for Oscar nominated films in this episode. Roma, Roma, Roma!
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BONUS -All I Want For Xmas is an end to gender bias, female director Oscars, less Die Hard & a quiz!
Merry Christmas to you from Beyond Bechdel. In this last episode of 2018 we give you a CHRISTMAS MOVIE MUSIC QUIZ! Followed by the obligatory discussion of the categorisation of Christmas movies, plus our review of 2018 and our hopes for next year's crop of films. Thank you, as always, for...
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30 - Kill the Bitch or Volcanoes? With Becky Matthews
Mona Eltahawy said, "What would the world look like if girls were taught they were volcanoes?" Women watching Fatal Attraction could be heard shouting "Kill the Bitch!" as the film concluded. Anger can take many forms, so Contrarah and Becky Matthews explore how this new age of rage is playing…
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29 - We Saw Fantastic Breasts (Part 2)
Nick and Contrarah raced back to Beyond Bechdel towers to give their quick verdict on Fantastic Beasts 2: The Crimes of Grindelwald. To listen to the our deep-dive exploration of feminism in the Wizarding World please listen to episode 28. Contrarah's review of Fantastic Beasts 2 for...
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28 - Fantastic Breasts and Where to Find Them (Part 1)
Yep....you read that title correctly. This episode is all about 'Arry Potter! In the episode Nick and Contrarah ask: - are the women of the wizarding world getting short shrift? - Is JK Rowling caught in a spell cast by the Patriarchy? - What is Nagini's deal? Maledictus or Retcon victim? - can…
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Beyond Bechdel have?
Beyond Bechdel currently has 77 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Beyond Bechdel about?
Nevertheless, we ALL persisted. A podcast about film and feminism from writers behind liveforfilm.com.
How often does Beyond Bechdel release new episodes?
Beyond Bechdel has 77 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Beyond Bechdel?
You can listen to Beyond Bechdel on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Beyond Bechdel?
Beyond Bechdel is created and hosted by Beyond Bechdel.
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