Do You See What I Mean?
by Joe Cooper & Mia Ward
Do You See What I Mean is a conversational film and culture podcast where hosts Mia and Joe unpack movies, performances, relationships, and the unspoken dynamics underneath them. Each episode blends sharp cultural analysis, lived experience, and humor to explore how we tell stories about love, work, art, and identity—and where those stories fall short or rise to the challenge. From classic films and prestige indies, to modern remakes and pop-culture moments, Mia and Joe aren’t interested in hot takes for shock value. They’re interested in clarity: what works, what doesn’t, and why it lands the way it does. Expect thoughtful disagreement, deep dives into character and performance, and the kind of conversations you keep having after the movie ends. If you’ve ever said, “Do you see what I mean?”—this show is for you. Questions or film recommendations? Reach out at [email protected].
Episodes
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The Odyssey
If you can get a ticket to the movie event of the summer, and the year, it’s worth it. Legends, myths, honor, deceit, waiting and redemption — it’s all here in master filmmaker Christopher Nolan’s latest, on this season finale of Do You See What I Mean.
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2026 Lookback
This week, we’re looking back at some of the films we haven’t yet dished about from 2026, including: The Drama (2026) In the Grey (2026) Crime 101 (2026) Project Hail Mary (2026) The Devil Wears Prada 2 (2026) Mother Mary (2026) Obsession (2026) Is God Is (2026) The Death of Robin Hood (2026)…
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The Invite
After the success of her brilliant feature directorial debut Booksmart in 2019, actor-writer-director Olivia Wilde faced tougher times with her follow-up, Don’t Worry Darling (2022), which was eclipsed by the PR nonsense around her affair with Harry Styles (honestly, good for her), Florence…
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Disclosure Day
Disclosure Day is the long-anticipated new blockbuster by one of the greatest directors of all time, Steven Spielberg, who brought us Jaws, Jurassic Park and Saving Private Ryan. Emily Blunt is tongue-tied in the teaser and trailer, which indicate an otherworldly presence is already here. Will…
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Crime & Heist Films
We all love a heist, and watching one unfold on screen is one of the oldest traditions in Hollywood. In this special episode, we look back at over 50 years of crime and heists in cinema, what drives the robbers and cops alike, and what role poses the most risk in a crew.
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I Love Boosters
“People don’t want to be the art – they want to be the artist.” We’d be hard-pressed to find another living artist with as much imagination and slapstick genius as Boots Riley, the Oakland multimedia artist and political provocateur behind the 2018 hit Sorry to Bother You. A band of fashion…
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Welcome to Season Two, and Backrooms
Mia and Joey are back for another season of Do You See What I Mean, and they are starting off with the horror hit of the year -- Backrooms. Step inside to find out how far the rabbit hole goes (and whether it went far enough) on our first episode of a new season.
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The Oscars Show: The 98th Annual Academy Awards
The show, the awards, the brooches, the Babs -- we've got it all covered on our season finale episode about the 98th Annual Academy Awards.
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Sinners (and Why It's Best Picture)
Ten nominees, two contenders: will Best Picture go to One Battle or Sinners in five short days? Mia and Joe revisit one of their favorite films of 2025, and make a case for why it is Best. From the idea, to the cast, to the music and more, we're headed to the Mississippi delta in 1932 to explore...
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Oscar Nominated Film Scores
It's time for tunes on this special episode, where Joe and Mia break down the five scores nominated for Academy Awards on March 15: Bugonia, Frankenstein, Hamnet, One Battle After Another and Sinners. We're talking composers, leitmotifs and what makes a Best Score on Do You See What I Mean.
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Nominated & Notable Films of Now
Kate Hudson — really? (Yes.) What about Ethan Hawke? (Absolutely.) How about the other Safdie brother’s film? (Definitely.) Every year is a great year for film if you know where to look, and fortunately, the Academy has expanded its sights to include a wider variety of films as the years go on.…
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"Wuthering Heights": We Were Promised Moor than We Got
Cathy's here, and Heathcliff too -- but that’s nearly we get from Emily Brontë’s 1847 novel in the latest of a long line of adaptations and interpretations, this one from director Emerald Fennell. In place of the full story, we do get eggs, synth pop and swoony lighting. In the latest episode of…
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Sex Off Screen: Five Films that Edited Out Sex
There are all kinds of films that reference, or stage in the story, or explicitly discuss sex but have little to none onscreen. These are films that felt the romance, sexual identity, gender identity, or sex scenes had to go because they would hurt the storyline, not help it. (Or for other...
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Die My Love & If I Had Legs I’d Kick You: Is Parenting Overrated?
In this episode of Do You See What I Mean, Mia and Joe take on two recent films about motherhood pushed to the breaking point: Lynne Ramsay’s Die My Love and Mary Bronstein’s If I Had Legs, I’d Kick You. Both films center mothers in crisis—but they provoke very different reactions. As the...
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Hamnet: Chloe Zhao and her Bedtime Story of Maternal Melancholy
Racing through awards season is Jessie Buckley for her raw portrayal of a longsuffering mother and wife of William Shakespeare in Chloe Zhao’s adaptation of the Maggi O’Farrell novel. Mia and Joe share slightly different takes about this fatiguing story that features a whole lot of wailing and…
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The 2026 Academy Award Nominations
Joe and Mia reflect on the 98th annual Academy Award nominations, and the surprises and shutouts that always surface.
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Introducing: Do You See What I Mean
Introducing: Do You See What I Mean, a conversational film and culture podcast. Each episode blends cultural analysis, lived experience, and humor to explore how we tell stories about love, work, art, and identity—and where those stories fall short or rise to the challenge. We’re talking about...
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Frankenstein: Guillermo del Toro’s Technical Masterpiece Rises (Again) to Life
Lifelong obsession, painstaking craft and the gothic horror of the romantics – Mary Shelley’s time tested tale is brought, finally and passionately to screen by one of our modern masters of the macabre. It’s gorgeous, it’s engaging, and yet something doesn’t quite work, even after the two years…
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Sentimental Value: Joachim Trier’s Empathetic Exploration of Family
Mia and Joe unpack Joachim Trier’s Sentimental Value, a quiet, prestige drama about grief, family, memory, and the emotional inheritance passed down through generations. From comparisons to Birdman and Lost in Translation to a sharp critique of prestige filmmaking that prioritizes aesthetics over...
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One Battle After Another: PTA's Dystopian Family Dramedy
In their first episode, Mia and Joe dive into One Battle After Another, PTA’s most political and provocative film yet. From ensemble performances to fetish, class shame, and state power, they explore why this film unsettles—and why that matters. Much buzzed about as 2026’s Best Picture winner...
About this show
Do You See What I Mean is a conversational film and culture podcast where hosts Mia and Joe unpack movies, performances, relationships, and the unspoken dynamics underneath them. Each episode blends sharp cultural analysis, lived experience, and humor to explore how we tell stories about love, work, art, and identity—and where those stories fall short or rise to the challenge.
From classic films and prestige indies, to modern remakes and pop-culture moments, Mia and Joe aren’t interested in hot takes for shock value. They’re interested in clarity: what works, what doesn’t, and why it lands the way it does. Expect thoughtful disagreement, deep dives into character and performance, and the kind of conversations you keep having after the movie ends.
If you’ve ever said, “Do you see what I mean?”—this show is for you.
Questions or film recommendations? Reach out at [email protected].
Hosted by
Joe Cooper & Mia Ward