Mama Needs a Movie
by Mama Needs a Movie
Join Anne Rieman (a proud mama) and Ryan Perez (not a mama) — two lifelong movie enthusiasts — as they dive into smart, funny, and thoughtful discussions about movies both old and new. Mama Needs a Movie also features guests like Jordan Morris of Jordan, Jesse, Go, Mike Mitchell and Nick Wiger of Doughboys, Ally Hord of Late Night with Seth Meyers, and Kayla Bates of ScreenVomit, who join Anne and Ryan for engaging, witty conversations about cinema. Also listen to patreon.com/MNAM to hear about little seen movies on ATTENTION MUST BE PAID. Graphic -Chris VanArtsdalen Music -Andrew Shaver
Episodes
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Oscar Talk
Anne and Ryan return from an extended podcasting break to discuss some Oscar-nominated movies from 2025, including BUGONIA, BLUE MOON, IF I HAD LEGS I’D KICK YOU, MARTY SUPREME, ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER, THE SECRET AGENT, SENTIMENTAL VALUE, and more.
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Sinners
Anne and Ryan take a bite out of Ryan Coogler's new vampire picture, SINNERS starring Michael B. Jordan, Hailee Steinfeld, Miles Caton, Jack O'Connell and Delroy Lindo. Coogler wrote and directed this original Southern Gothic horror tale of twin brothers Smoke and Stack (both played by Jordan),...
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An Update from Mama Needs a Movie
Anne gives a brief update on Mama Needs a Movie for the upcoming weeks. Follow our Patreon podcast, ATTENTION MUST BE PAID, at patreon.com/MNAM
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Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy
We discuss the new romantic comedy, BRIDGET JONES: MAD ABOUT THE BOY starring Renée Zellweger, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Leo Woodall, and Hugh Grant. Based on the Helen Fielding novel and directed by Michael Morris, this latest chapter of the Bridget Jones saga finds our titular heroine as a widowed…
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Kinda Pregnant
Anne and Ryan gestate their takes on the new comedy, KINDA PREGNANT starring Amy Schumer, Jillian Bell, Brianne Howey, and Will Forte. Directed by Tyler Spindel and written by Schumer and Julie Paiva, KINDA PREGNANT stars Schumer as a Brooklyn school teacher who fakes a pregnancy for attention....
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Emilia Pérez
Anne and Ryan discuss the year's most Oscar-nominated film, Jacques Audiard's musical EMILIA PÉREZ starring Zoe Saldaña, Karla Sofía Gascón and Selena Gomez. The film follows a Mexican cartel leader who recruits a lawyer to help her transition into a woman and restart her life as a…
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Lost Highway
In honor of the recently departed David Lynch, Anne and Ryan revisit one of the director's least-celebrated, but most haunting works, LOST HIGHWAY starring Bill Pullman, Patricia Arquette, Balthazar Getty, Robert Loggia, and Robert Blake. This 1997 neo-noir begins with a married couple receiving…
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The Brutalist
Anne and Ryan digest the architectural drama, THE BRUTALIST starring Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones, Guy Pearce, and Joe Alwyn. Directed by Brady Corbet and written by Corbet and Mona Fastvold, THE BRUTALIST follows a fictional Hungarian-Jewish architect László Tóth (Brody) as he immigrates to...
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The Movies of 2024
Anne and Ryan look back on the most memorable 2024 releases in a special year-in-review episode. Brace yourselves for a spoiler-heavy discussion of 2024's most divisive and impactful movies, including THE APPRENTICE, BABYGIRL, BETWEEN THE TEMPLES, CHALLENGERS, A DIFFERENT MAN, HARD TRUTHS, HERE,...
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A Complete Unknown with Alex Kavutskiy
Writer/director Alex Kavutskiy returns to the podcast to discuss the new Bob Dylan biopic A COMPLETE UNKNOWN starring Timothée Chalamet, Edward Norton, Monica Barbaro, and Elle Fanning. James Mangold directs this chronicle of Dylan's early successes, including his quick rise in the New York folk...
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Made in a Another Year, but Watched in 2024
We watched a ton of movies this year, but some of the most exciting ones weren't new. In a special holiday episode, Anne and Ryan discuss a handful of older films that fascinated them in 2024, from first-time discoveries of underseen gems to reexaminations of all-time classics. From noir to…
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Queer
Anne and Ryan discuss Luca Guadagnino's new drama QUEER starring Daniel Craig, Drew Starkey, Jason Schwartzman, and Lesley Manville. Based on the William S. Burroughs novella of the same name, QUEER follows an American writer living in 1950s Mexico City, pursuing a romance with a recently...
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Nightbitch with Courtney Davis
Writer/director/actor Courtney Davis returns to the podcast to discuss the newly-released NIGHTBITCH starring Amy Adams and Scoot McNairy. Marielle Heller directed this adaptation of Rachel Yoder's novel about an artist struggling with the monotony of stay-at-home motherhood. As her frustrations...
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Gladiator II
Anne and Ryan enter the arena of discussion for the newly-released epic GLADIATOR II starring Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal, Joseph Quinn, Connie Nielsen, and Denzel Washington. Ridley Scott directs this sequel to his Oscar-winning GLADIATOR, which finds Marcus Aurelius's grandson, Lucius (Mescal)...
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Joker: Folie à Deux
Anne and Ryan discuss JOKER: FOLIE À DEUX starring Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga. Todd Phillips directed this follow-up to 2019's stratospherically successful JOKER, which finds Arthur Fleck (Phoenix) confined to Arkham State Hospital and pursuing a romance with the mysterious inmate Lee (Gaga).…
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Anora
Anne and Ryan discuss Sean Baker's Palme d'Or winner, ANORA starring Mikey Madison and Mark Eydelshteyn. When Brooklyn stripper Ani (Madison) meets and impulsively weds the mega-wealthy Ivan (Eydelshteyn), a madcap adventure ensues as Ivan's family desperately attempts to annul the marriage.…
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A Real Pain
Anne and Ryan discuss the new released comedy-drama, A REAL PAIN starring Jesse Eisenberg and Kieran Culkin. Written and directed by Eisenberg, A REAL PAIN follows two estranged cousins on a tour through Poland as they attempt to connect with the memory of their recently deceased grandmother…
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The Manchurian Candidate with Dan Chamberlain
Our political thriller series comes to an exciting Election Day conclusion with writer and actor Dan Chamberlain (Have I Got News for You) joining to discuss John Frankenheimer's THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE starring Frank Sinatra, Laurence Harvey, Angela Lansbury and Janet Leigh. Based on Richard...
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JFK with Jack Allison
Our political thriller series reaches a fever pitch as writer Jack Allison (author of Kill the Rich) joins to discuss Oliver Stone's JFK starring Kevin Costner, Tommy Lee Jones, Gary Oldman, Kevin Bacon, Sissy Spacek, Joe Pesci, and many, many more. This 1991 Oscar-nominated drama relitigates the...
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Bridge of Spies
As the 2024 election draws near, we can't get enough political thrillers, this week looking at Steven Spielberg's Cold War tale, BRIDGE OF SPIES starring Tom Hanks and Mark Rylance. Scripted by Matt Charman, Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, the film tells the true story of James B. Donovan (Hanks), a…
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Three Days of the Condor
Our season-long Political Thriller obsession continues with Sydney Pollack's THREE DAYS OF THE CONDOR starring Robert Redford and Faye Dunaway. This 1975 suspense classic centers on a CIA researcher who returns from his lunch break to discover his co-workers are murdered and he's on the run for…
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The Falcon and the Snowman with Jon Millstein
Our Political Thriller season continues with writer and actor Jon Millstein joining to discuss the 1985 espionage true story THE FALCON AND THE SNOWMAN starring Timothy Hutton and Sean Penn. Directed by John Schlesinger, the movie tells the fact-based tale of two disillusioned friends who embark…
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American Psycho with Kayla Bates
Our season of political thrillers continues with guest Kayla Bates (host of ScreenVomit) joining to discuss Mary Harron's AMERICAN PSYCHO starring Christian Bale, Chloë Sevigny, Willem Dafoe, Jared Leto, Samanta Mathis and Reese Witherspoon. Based on the novel by Bret Easton Ellis, this...
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The Parallax View with Ally Hord
Writer Ally Hord (Late Night with Seth Meyers) joins our Political Thriller series to discuss Alan J. Pakula's 1974 paranoia-fest, THE PARALLAX VIEW starring Warren Beatty, Hume Cronyn, and Paula Prentiss. Beatty stars as an investigative newspaper reporter uncovering a sinister shadow…
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In the Line of Fire
Just in time for election season, we're kicking off our Political Thriller series with IN THE LINE OF FIRE starring Clint Eastwood, John Malkovich and Rene Russo. Wolfgang Petersen directed this 1993 suspense actioner about a Secret Service agent trying to thwart a would-be assassin targeting the...
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It Ends with Us
Anne and Ryan delve into the drama of the newly released IT ENDS WITH US starring Blake Lively, Justin Baldoni, Jenny Slate, Hasan Minhaj and Brandon Sklenar. Based on the bestselling novel by Colleen Hoover, the movie follows Lily Bloom (Lively), a florist reconciling her father's death…
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{UNLOCKED} Attention Must Be Paid: Morvern Callar
In this unlocked episode of Mama Needs a Movie's Patreon spinoff podcast, ATTENTION MUST BE PAID (patreon.com/MNAM), Anne and Ryan look back at Lynne Ramsay's MORVERN CALLAR, a 2002 Scottish drama anchored by a haunting performance from Samantha Morton that is worthy of far more attention....
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Twisters
Anne and Ryan discuss the newly-released disaster sequel, TWISTERS starring Daisy Edgar-Jones and Glen Powell. Lee Isaac Chung (director of 2020's Minari) helms this fresh follow-up to Jan de Bont's 1996 original. TWISTERS follows meteorologist Kate Carter (Jones) as she re-enters the dangerous...
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Twister
In anticipation of the newly released sequel, Anne and Ryan take a look back at 1996's original TWISTER starring Helen Hunt, Bill Paxton, Jami Gertz, Cary Elwes, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Lois Smith, Jeremy Davies, Todd Field and Alan Ruck. Director Jan de Bont's disaster spectacular follows a…
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The Bikeriders with Eva Anderson
Vroom vroom! Writer Eva Anderson returns to the podcast for a joy ride with THE BIKERIDERS starring Jodie Comer, Austin Butler, Tom Hardy and Mike Faist. Jeff Nichols wrote and directed this pedal-pumping drama based on Danny Lyon's book of the same name. Based on real figures from 1960s Chicago...
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Presumed Innocent with Courtney Davis
Writer/director/actor Courtney Davis returns to the podcast to help us judge Alan J. Pakula's 1990 legal thriller PRESUMED INNOCENT starring Harrison Ford, Raul Julia, Bonnie Bedelia, Brian Dennehy, Paul Winfield and Greta Scacchi. Based on the best-selling novel by Scott Turow, PRESUMED INNOCENT...
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Hit Man and Poolman: An All-Man Double Feature
It's raining men on Mama Needs a Movie with our first ever doubleheader review, discussing Richard Linklater's comedy noir HIT MAN and Chris Pine's lighthearted mystery POOLMAN. HIT MAN stars Glen Powell as a mild-mannered philosophy professor Gary Johnson, moonlighting as an undercover fake hit...
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Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
We push the pedal to the metal in our discussion of George Miller's post-apocalyptic actioner, FURIOSA: A MAD MAX SAGA starring Anya Taylor-Joy, Chris Hemsworth and Tom Burke. The fifth installment of Australia's venerable Mad Max series finds a young Furiosa kidnapped by biker warlord Dr....
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The Idea of You with Raft
Artist, writer and comedian Raft joins for a discussion of the new romantic comedy, THE IDEA OF YOU starring Anne Hathaway and Nicholas Galitzine. Directed by Michael Showalter, this Prime Video release tells the story of Solène (Hathaway), a Silver Lake art gallery owner and divorced mother...
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Challengers
Anne and Ryan volley points back and forth on Luca Guadagnino's tennis romance, CHALLENGERS starring Zendaya, Mike Faist and Josh O'Connor. CHALLENGERS is the chronologically jumbled story of two young tennis players, Patrick (O'Connor) and Art (Faist) who meet another pro, Tashi (Zendaya) and…
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Monkey Man with Craig Jorczak
Actor and podcaster Craig Jorczak (The Oscar Should Have Gone To) joins to discuss the newly released action thriller, MONKEY MAN starring Dev Patel, Sharlto Copley, Pitobash, Vipin Sharma and Sikandar Kher. The film marks Patel's directorial debut in which he plays Kid, a young man set on taking...
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Black Narcissus with Harrison Atkins
Director and writer Harrison Atkins (Lace Crater) joins for a discussion of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger's rhapsodic 1947 drama, BLACK NARCISSUS starring Deborah Kerr, Kathleen Byron, David Farrar and Sabu. Based on Rumer Godden's novel, BLACK NARCISSUS tells the story of Anglican nuns...
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MNAM's 100th Episode Special
Mama Needs a Movie celebrates 100 episodes of flawless podcasting with a telephone survey of former guests Danny Jelinek, Allan McLeod, Jessica Lee Williamson, Alex Kavutskiy, Courtney Davis, Meghann Murphy, Caramel Nguyen, Jon Millstein, and Rachel Lee Goldenberg.
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Dune: Part Two
Anne and Ryan serve up a spicy discussion of Denis Villenueve's DUNE: PART TWO, the second installment of the epic science-fiction saga starring Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Brolin, Austin Butler, Florence Pugh, and Javiar Bardem. Based on Frank Herbert's classic novel, the...
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Animal Farm with John Ross Bowie
Actor, comedian and playwright John Ross Bowie (Brushstroke) joins to discuss the 1954 animated adaptation of George Orwell's ANIMAL FARM featuring the voices of Gordon Heath and Maurice Denham. Co-directed by John Halas and Joy Batchelor, ANIMAL FARM is a beast fable symbolizing decades of…
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Titanic with Meghann Murphy
Actress and writer Meghann Murphy (host of The Oscar Should Have Gone To) joins for a look back at James Cameron's Oscar-winning romance TITANIC starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet and Billy Zane. Set aboard the ill-fated vessel, the story finds a newly-engaged first class passenger Rose...
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Poor Things
Anne and Ryan discuss Yorgos Lanthimos's gothic comedy POOR THINGS starring Emma Stone, Mark Ruffalo and Willem Dafoe. Based on a novel by Alasdair Gray, POOR THINGS tells the fantastical tale of Bella Baxter (Stone), a Victorian era woman resurrected from the dead through a brain transplant....
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The Movies of 2023
Anne and Ryan look back on their most memorable movie experiences from 2023 in this special year-in-review episode. Buckle up for a spoiler-heavy discussion of 2023 films including: AFIRE, ALL OF US STRANGERS, AMERICAN FICTION, ANATOMY OF A FALL, THE HOLDOVERS, THE IRON CLAW, KILLERS OF THE…
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Killing Them Softly
Our "Alone for the Holidays" series concludes with our final episode of 2023, a discussion of Andrew Dominik's bleak 2012 crime drama KILLING THEM SOFTLY starring Brad Pitt, James Gandolfini, Ray Liotta and Richard Jenkins. Set against the backdrop of the 2008 financial crises, KILLING THEM…
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Maestro
In this special holiday bonus episode, Anne and Ryan have seen MAESTRO and simply must have an emergency discussion of Bradley Cooper's long-gestating 2023 biopic of composer/conductor Leonard Bernstein. Cooper's drama largely focuses on Bernstein's marriage with Felicia Montealegre (Carey...
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Cast Away with Brian Finkelstein
Writer and performer Brian Finkelstein returns for our "Alone for the Holidays" film series, discussing Robert Zemeckis's survival tale, CAST AWAY starring Tom Hanks and Helen Hunt. In CAST AWAY, Hanks plays a time-obsessed FedEx employee who survives a plane crash on Christmas Eve, drifting…
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Jeanne Dielman with Owen Ashworth
Musician Owen Ashworth (Advance Base) joins our ongoing "Alone for the Holidays" series with a discussion of JEANNE DIELMAN, 23 QUAI DU COMMERCE, 1080 BRUXELLES starring Delphine Seyrig. At the age of 25, Chantal Akerman wrote and directed this slow-burning Belgian drama depicting the daily…
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Paris, Texas with Pat Bishop
Our "Alone for the Holidays" season kicks off with writer/director Pat Bishop (This Fool, Corporate) joining to discuss Wim Wenders's 1984 road film, PARIS, TEXAS starring Harry Dean Stanton, Nastassja Kinski, and Dean Stockwell. Scripted by Sam Shepard, the film opens in the Mojave desert where...
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Cat People with Joan Ford
Writer and performer Joan Ford returns to the podcast to discuss Mama Needs a Boo-vie's final spooky October selection, Paul Schrader's CAT PEOPLE (1982) starring Nastassja Kinski, Malcolm McDowell and John Heard. This loose remake of Jacques Tourneur's 1942 supernatural classic follows Irina...
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The Fly with Dave Ferguson
Writer Dave Ferguson (The Birthday Boys, I Love You America) braves our October excursion into cinematic scare fare with a discussion of David Cronenberg's 1986 classic THE FLY starring Jeff Goldblum and Geena Davis. The Canadian auteur injects his unmistakable brand of body horror into this…
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About this show
Join Anne Rieman (a proud mama) and Ryan Perez (not a mama) — two lifelong movie enthusiasts — as they dive into smart, funny, and thoughtful discussions about movies both old and new. Mama Needs a Movie also features guests like Jordan Morris of Jordan, Jesse, Go, Mike Mitchell and Nick Wiger of Doughboys, Ally Hord of Late Night with Seth Meyers, and Kayla Bates of ScreenVomit, who join Anne and Ryan for engaging, witty conversations about cinema. Also listen to patreon.com/MNAM to hear about little seen movies on ATTENTION MUST BE PAID. Graphic -Chris VanArtsdalen Music -Andrew Shaver
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Mama Needs a Movie