Pop Culture Confidential
by Pop Culture Confidential
Conversations at the intersection of movies, television, and pop culture. Hosted by Christina Jeurling Birro, this podcast delivers candid interviews with filmmakers, actors, creators, and cultural tastemakers, plus festival and awards-season coverage, reviews, and in-depth explorations of the stories shaping what we watch and why it matters.
Episodes
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550: Inside the Edit: Oscar-Winning Editor Mikkel E.G. Nielsen on Wild Horse Nine!
Oscar-winning editor Mikkel E.G. Nielsen (Sound of Metal, The Banshees of Inisherin) joins Christina for a veritable editing masterclass on his latest collaboration with Martin McDonagh, Wild Horse Nine, starring John Malkovich, Sam Rockwell, and Steve Buscemi. Mikkel takes us inside his process:...
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549: From YOU CAN SEE EVERYTHING to FJORD: Truth at the Movies in 2026 (with Christopher Rosen of The Ankler)
What is truth, and who gets to tell it? Christopher Rosen, Deputy Editor of The Ankler, joins Christina for a fascinating conversation about why so many of this year’s films and filmmakers are exploring and interrogating the idea of “truth.” From YOU CAN SEE EVERYTHING to FJORD to LA BOLA NEGRA…
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548: ‘You Can See Everything’ .... You’ve Never Seen Anything Like It. Christina Birro & Ryan McQuade Review
It’s the film event of the year! Thirty-four days before she’s sent to prison, Elizabeth Holmes invites Nathan Fielder to move in with her. The result is You Can See Everything, Fielder and Lance Oppenheim’s masterful, riveting, mind-bending documentary about the Theranos founder. Christina Birro...
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547: We Talk The Social Reckoning (Guest: Critic Jorge Tenreiro)
Freelance critic Jorge Tenreiro joins Christina to dig into The Social Reckoning, Aaron Sorkin’s follow-up to The Social Network. The film stars Mikey Madison as Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen and Jeremy Allen White as Wall Street Journal reporter Jeff Horwitz, with Jeremy Strong as Mark...
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546: Dispatch from NYFF. Behemoth! + Digger Talk (with Ryan McQuade)
In this dispatch from the New York Film Festival 2026, Christina and Ryan McQuade (AwardsWatch) dig into the festival's Centerpiece film, Tony Gilroy's Behemoth!, starring Pedro Pascal. Plus, Digger talk!
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545: A Conversation with Palme d'Or–Winning Director Cristian Mungiu (Fjord)
A special episode of Pop Culture Confidential! Christina had the honor of interviewing Cristian Mungiu, director of the Palme d'Or film Fjord. In a wide-ranging conversation, they discuss the film, the themes that run through his body of work, the conversations Fjord has sparked, and much more....
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544: Chris Rosen (The Ankler) Joins Us to Talk TIFF, La Bola Negra, Fall Films, and the Oscar Race!
Toronto just wrapped, closing out the fall festival trio of Venice, Telluride, and TIFF, and the Oscar picture is starting to come into focus. This week, Christopher Rosen (deputy editor at The Ankler, co-host of the Prestige Junkie podcast) joins the show to break it all down. We dig into TIFF...
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543. Mini Review: Nathan Fielder's Elizabeth Holmes Doc "You Can See Everything". Telluride Film Festival Dispatch
Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim's documentary "You Can See Everything" about Elizabeth Holmes blew the roof off the Telluride Film Festival at its secret screening. Christina sat down with Jay Ledbetter and Ryan McQuade of the Director Watch podcast (AwardsWatch) to process the experience!
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542: Mini Review : "La Bola Negra": Dispatch from Telluride Film Festival 2026
High above Telluride, Christina hops aboard a gondola with Jorge Tenreiro and Sophia Ciminello of AwardsWatch to talk about La Bola Negra, the new film from Los Javis. From the Telluride Film Festival.
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541: Mini Reviews: "Wild Horse Nine" & "A Long Winter": Dispatch from Telluride Film 2026
Christina and Ryan McQuade of AwardsWatch.com discuss two of Telluride's most talked-about films: Martin McDonagh's Wild Horse Nine and Andrew Haigh's A Long Winter.
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540: Emmy Predictions 2026. Final Picks Before the Envelopes Open (Guest Eoin Daly)
Emmy time! Eoin Daly is back for our final Emmy predictions ahead of the 78th Emmy Awards, hosted by Mariska Hargitay, (airing September 14th). Who will take home the gold? Tune in! Follow Eoin on instgram @eoin_daily
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539: A Conversation with Actor Steve Way! ('Furious')
This week Christina has the honor of talking to actor, comedian, writer and activist Steve Way about his incredible performance as Alden on Furious, creator Liz Meriwether's riveting crime thriller. (Furious was just renewed for a second season!) In a wide-ranging conversation, they talk about…
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538: Special Episode: Guesting on the AwardsWatch Podcast: Previewing the 53rd Telluride Film Festival
Christina joins the AwardsWatch podcast for a special episode! We’re less than two weeks before the 53nd Telluride Film Festival kicks off on Labor Day weekend and we have a packed show. On episode 360 AwardsWatch Executive Editor Ryan McQuade is joined by Editor-In-chief Erik Anderson Associate...
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537: We Talk 'The End of Oak Street', 'The Invite', & TV's 'Furious' and 'Lanterns' (Guest: Ryan McQuade)
Summer's winding down but the watchlist isn't. Ryan McQuade (AwardsWatch) is back on Pop Culture Confidential to review and discuss The End of Oak Street and The Invite, plus a couple of TV picks worth your time, Furious and Lanterns.
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536: Director Brian L. Tan & Co-Producer Tara McNamara On Their Award-Winning Film 'Bandit' & Filmmaking Journey
Christina is joined by director Brian L. Tan and co-producer Tara McNamara to talk about their new film Bandit & their filmmaking journey! Tan describes the film as "The White Lotus from the perspective of the help." Set in Indonesia, Bandit follows two childhood friends, desperate for cash…
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535: Lupin to Blood Sacrifice: Creator and Showrunner George Kay's Global Playbook
Christina talks to creator and showrunner George Kay. Kay is one of the most versatile and prolific creators working in television. His work spans genres and continents, with global hits like Lupin, The Long Shadow, and Hijack. George Kay is seemingly the busiest man in television, with two shows...
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534: The Best Movies of 2026, So Far! (Guest: Ryan McQuade)
It's been an incredible first part of the year at the movies! Ryan McQuade (AwardsWatch.com) joins Christina to talk about their 10 best movies of the year so far (not an easy task!) Plus, they talk about the Venice Film Festival 2026 lineup that just dropped, the steep decline of women directors...
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533: Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey. Review & Deep Dive (Guest: Ryan McQuade)
Guest Ryan McQuade (AwardsWatch.com) and Christina journey into Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey! Join us as we review, discuss, and dissect Nolan's latest epic.
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532: The Footballer Who Vanished: Directors Ramiel Petros & Nicholas Freeman on Their Doc 'The Last Guest Of The Holloway Motel'
He was Player of the Year for Norwich City Football Club in the 1970s. Then he vanished, for decades. Directors Ramiel Petros & Nicholas Freeman found him hiding in plain sight, managing a motel in Los Angeles that was about to close for good. His name is Tony Powell, and his story became the…
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531: A Conversation With The Great K Callan! ('Ruth', Widow's Bay)
We are thrilled and honored to be joined by Widow's Bay's own Ruth, the incredible K Callan (Widow's Bay just got 19 Emmy nominations!!!). At 90 years old, K Callan is a LEGEND , over 7 decades working in TV, from Norman Lear shows to Bosom Buddies with Tom Hanks, Martha Kent in ABC's Lois &…
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530: Guadagnino's 'Artificial' Dropped by Amazon. Google Invests in A24. AI: Hollywood's Big Dilemma? (Guest: Critic/Author John Bleasdale)
Film critic and journalist John Bleasdale joins Christina to discuss the news that Luca Guadagnino's film about OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Artificial, has been dropped by Amazon, which just happens to have a partnership with OpenAI... Also in the mix: the many partnerships forming between creators…
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529: Emmys 2026! Nomination Predictions ft. Guest Eoin Daly
TV time! Emmy nominations drop on July 8th. Christina and guest Eoin Daly make their boldest nom predictions. From The Pitt to Hacks, Widows Bay, Pluribus, and a lot of surprises. Who's getting in? Who's getting snubbed? The Emmys ceremony is on September 14th. Eoin Daly on Instagram. @eoin_daily
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Episode 528: Unpacking and Reviewing Spielberg's Disclosure Day. Guest: Ryan McQuade
It's Disclosure Day! Christina is joined by Ryan McQuade of AwardsWatch to discuss and review Steven Spielberg's latest film. They dig into how it fits into the director's filmography as well as his biography, exploring where his mastery shines through, where the film falls short, and how it all...
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527: Entering the 'Backrooms' with Guests Production Designer Danny Vermette and VFX Supervisor Edward J. Douglas
Backrooms is the record-breaking horror phenomenon of the summer. Christina sat down with brilliant production designer Danny Vermette and VFX supervisor Edward J. Douglas to talk about their work on the film and their collaboration with 20-year-old YouTube creator Kane Parsons , A24's...
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526: Brittany Allen on Her Powerful Performance as Roxie on 'The Pitt'
Actor Brittany Allen (The Boys, Dexter: Original Sin, Jigsaw) joins the show to discuss her Emmy-buzzed performance as Roxie Hamler, a terminal cancer patient on HBO’s The Pitt. We dive into the research behind her role, her collaboration with Noah Wyle and the cast and crew of the medical drama,...
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525: Backrooms, Obsession & The YouTube Creators Filling Cinemas! (Guest: Ryan McQuade)
Ryan McQuade of AwardsWatch.com joins Christina to discuss the mega-hits Obsession (directed by 26-year-old Curry Barker) and Backrooms (by 20-year-old Kane Parsons), the rise of YouTube content creators in cinema and more! Plus they talk basketball! :) Don’t miss it
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524: Dispatch 10: Final Cannes Report & The Award Winners! Guest, Ryan McQuade
524: Dispatch 10: Final Cannes Report! Guest Ryan McQuade, AwardsWatch.com
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523: Cannes Dispatch 9. Club Kid, Coward, The Man I Love & Jim Queen. Guest:Erik Anderson, AwardsWatch.
Cannes Film Festival Dispatch 9. Club Kid, Coward, The Man I Love & Jim Queen with guest: Erik Anderson, AwardsWatch. https://awardswatch.com Video Anton Isiukov https://www.antonisiukov.com
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522: A Conversation with Sean Fennessey ('The Big Picture') at Cannes 2026
Cannes Film Festival 2026 Dispatch nr 8. A Conversation with Sean Fennessey. Guest: Sean Fennessey https://www.theringer.com/podcasts/the-big-picture https://substack.com/@seanfennessey Video: Anton Isiukov http://antonisiukov.com
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521: Cannes Dispatch 7. Cannes Unfiltered! Sales, Palme Buzz, the Palm Dog & Reviews! Guest Wendy Mitchell, Screen International
Guest Wendy Mitchell Contributing Editor for Screen International and ScreenDaily.com https://www.filmwendy.com/writing
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520: Cannes Film Festival Dispatch 6. Reviews Koreeda, Gray & Dupieux (Guest: John Bleasdale
Guest, author and film critic John Bleasdale https://www.johnbleasdale.com Video by Anton Isiukov https://www.antonisiukov.com
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518: Cannes Film Festival Dispatch 4. Gustaf Skarsgård & Peter Birro ('The Cannibal')
On a special episode from Cannes 2026, Christina interviews (her husband:), screenwriter Peter Birro, and director Gustaf Skarsgård about their upcoming film. They are at the festival to introduce The Cannibal, a psychological horror film about a screenwriter who goes to the island of Fårö to…
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519: Cannes Film Festival Dispatch 5! Review Paweł Pawlikowski's 'Fatherland' (Guest Sophia Ciminello – AwardsWatch)
Cannes Film Festival Dispatch 5: Review Paweł Pawlikowski 's 'Fatherland' (Guest Sophia Ciminello – AwardsWatch)
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517: Cannes Film Festival Dispatch 3. Review "Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma" (Guest Ryan McQuade)
Review! We are excited about Jane Schoenbrun's ‘Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma’ starring Hannah Einbinder and Gillian Anderson. Guest Ryan McQuade AwardsWatch.com
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516: Cannes Film Festival 2026. Dispatch 2 (Guest: Ryan McQuade, AwardsWatch)
Ryan McQuade of AwardsWatch joins Christina live from the Cannes Film Festival 2026 to discuss this year’s jury, predictions, and some of the fests biggest stories.
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515: Cannes Film Festival 2026! Dispatch 1, a quick hello from Christina!
What to expect from Pop Culture Confidential at the Cannes Film Festival 2026. Join us!
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515: TV Talk! Hacks, Beef, Half Man, The Pitt, Emmy predictions & more (Guest: Eoin Daly)
Emmy season is heating up, and Christina is joined by Eoin Daly (of @onofusnet) to break down and discuss the most buzzworthy TV! From the sharp humor of Hacks, to the brilliance of Beef season 2, Half Man, The Pitt, Survivor, and everything in between. With nominations just around the corner…
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Special Episode! AwardsWatch Podcast: New Oscar Rules and Preview of the 79th Cannes Film Festival with Special Guest Christina Birro
Special cross-over episode! On episode 344 of The AwardsWatch Podcast, Executive Editor Ryan McQuade is joined by Editor-In-Chief Erik Anderson, AwardsWatch Associate Editor Sophia Ciminello, and Pop Culture Confidential’s Christina Birro to preview the 2026 Cannes Film Festival and also discuss...
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514: Our First Ever Summer Movie Draft! (Guests Jay Ledbetter & Ryan McQuade)
Welcome to the first-ever Pop Culture Confidential Summer 2026 Movie Draft! Christina is joined by Jay Ledbetter and Ryan McQuade (hosts of The Director Watch Podcast) to draft the films of the summer season. From Nolan and Spielberg to Toy Story 5, the chilling Backrooms, and so much more, who...
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513: A Conversation About Lena Dunham's New Memoir 'Famesick' (Guest: Sophia Ciminello)
Lena Dunham’s 'Famesick' is here! On this episode, Christina is joined by Sophia Ciminello (AwardsWatch, Oscar Wilde podcast) to unpack the much-anticipated memoir and explore Dunham’s cultural impact.
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512: Cannes Film Festival 2026 Preview (Guest: Ryan McQuade, AwardsWatch)
Sachs, Farhadi, Almodóvar, Pawlikowski, Kore-eda, Hamaguchi, Mungiu and many more! Ryan McQuade of AwardsWatch.com joins Christina to preview the Cannes Film Festival 2026, featuring an incredible lineup of films and filmmakers.
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511: A Conversation With Writer/Director Mary Bronstein ('If I Had Legs I'd Kick You')
The brilliant writer/director Mary Bronstein joins Christina to discuss her film If I Had Legs I’d Kick You. The film is a raw and revelatory exploration of motherhood, anchored by an incredible, Oscar-nominated performance by Rose Byrne. Christina and Mary Bronstein dive into where Mary was in…
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510: 'The Drama,' the Oscars Move, Scorsese & More. A Grab Bag Episode (Guest: Ryan McQuade)
This episode, Ryan McQuade (AwardsWatch) joins Christina for a grab bag of news, reviews, and all manner of good stuff! They dive into 'Project Hail Mary', 'The Drama', Colbert taking on Tolkien, the Oscars venue move, Scorsese’s book adaptation, Supergirl, the Harry Potter TV series, and so much...
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509: Director Weronika Tofilska. Exploring Existential Themes, 'Baby Reindeer', and Netflix’s 'Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen'.
Emmy-nominated director Weronika Tofilska joins Christina to discuss her bold, existential storytelling, from the wildly successful Baby Reindeer to her latest project, Netflix’s chilling horror series Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen (exec-produced by the Duffer Brothers and starring Camila...
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508: We Recap the 2026 Academy Awards! (With Guest Ryan McQuade)
Ryan McQuade of AwardsWatch joins Christina to recap last night’s 2026 Academy Awards (and cap off a long season!) One Battle After Another’s biggest wins, Sinners' successes, the surprises, emotional highlights, and so much more
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507: Our 2026 Oscar Predictions! Guest Erik Anderson, AwardsWatch
Join us as we dive into the 2026 Oscar predictions! Christina is thrilled to be joined by Erik Anderson of AwardsWatch.com. This year has brought us outstanding films, incredible performances, and one of the most unpredictable awards seasons we’ve seen in a long time. Listen as we discuss our...
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506: The State of the Oscar Race. BAFTAs, PGAs & the Actor Awards with Ryan McQuade
The race is alive! We’re just about ten days away from the Oscars, and things are heating up on the precursor front. The BAFTAs were last weekend, and this weekend brought the PGAs and the Actor Awards (the awards formerly known as the SAG Awards). Ryan McQuade of AwardsWatch joins Christina to...
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505: Oscar Nominated Costume Designer Malgosia Turzanska on Designing Hamnet
Christina is joined by 2026 Oscar nominated costume designer Malgosia Turzanska, celebrated for her extraordinary work on Chloé Zhao’s Hamnet. Known for her unforgettable costumes in Train Dreams, Stranger Things, The Green Knight, X, Pearl, and more, Malgosia takes us deep into her art and the...
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504. Inside Train Dreams: A Conversation with Writer-Director Clint Bentley
Writer and director Clint Bentley joins Christina to discuss his acclaimed film Train Dreams, one of the most beautiful and celebrated films of the season! Nominated for four Academy Awards, including Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Picture, the film recently earned Bentley Best Director and…
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503: Arian Moayed Returns! On Working with Malala, 'Wonder Man', the 'Succession' Family & the Urgency of Art
The endlessly inspiring Arian Moayed is back on the show and it is, as always, an absolute blast. The actor, director, and producer joins Christina to talk about his exciting new Marvel series Wonder Man and co-producing the documentary Champions of the Golden Valley with Malala Yousafzai. They...
About this show
Conversations at the intersection of movies, television, and pop culture. Hosted by Christina Jeurling Birro, this podcast delivers candid interviews with filmmakers, actors, creators, and cultural tastemakers, plus festival and awards-season coverage, reviews, and in-depth explorations of the stories shaping what we watch and why it matters.
Hosted by
Pop Culture Confidential