The Film Board
by TruStory FM
Ever leave the theater desperate to talk about that one wild scene, that questionable plot twist, or the inexplicably shirtless cameo? The Film Board is here for you. Each month, host Pete Wright assembles a panel of film obsessives—Tommy Metz III, Steve Sarmento, Justin Jaeger, and an ever-rotating cast of co-conspirators—for a round-table deep dive into the latest movies in theaters. Spoilers? Absolutely. Hot takes? Always. Polite, nuanced disagreement? We aspire. Perfect for film fans who love smart, spirited, and occasionally ridiculous conversations—and aren’t afraid of spoilers. Subscribe now and join the debate. Part of The Next Reel family of film podcasts. Find more at https://trustory.fm/the-film-board/.
Episodes
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The Social Reckoning
Aaron Sorkin goes back to Facebook. The Social Reckoning stars Mikey Madison as whistleblower Frances Haugen, Jeremy Allen White as Wall Street Journal reporter Jeff Horwitz, and Jeremy Strong as a Mark Zuckerberg who has run out of places to look away. Pete Wright, Tommy Metz III, Steve…
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Primetime • Have a Seat Right There
Primetime is here, and The Film Board is spoiling all of it. Pete Wright, Tommy Metz III, Steve Sarmento, and Ocean Murff have a seat in Lance Oppenheim’s sting house to ask who the predator really is: Robert Pattinson’s ego-cracking Chris Hansen, Merritt Wever’s unapologetic producer, the...
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Spider-Man: Brand New Day • Small Potatoes, Big Feelings
Spider-Man: Brand New Day is here, and The Film Board is spoiling all of it. Pete Wright, Tommy Metz III, Steve Sarmento, Justin Jaeger, Ocean Murff, and Matthew Fox debate spider puberty, the Jean Grey of it all, whether Peter Parker is secretly the villain of his own franchise, and one very bad...
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The Odyssey • Nolan Points the Whole Machine at Homer
Christopher Nolan does not do anything small, so of course his Odyssey is shot entirely on IMAX film, scored on Bronze Age instruments, and staged with a sixty-foot practical Cyclops in an actual cave full of actual bees. Pete Wright, Tommy Metz III, Ocean Murff, and Steve Sarmento pull up an oar...
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Disclosure Day: The Truth is on the Run
Steven Spielberg is seventy-nine years old, and he just made the movie where the government finally stops lying about aliens. Disclosure Day caps the loose trilogy he started with Close Encounters and E.T. — private awe, then childhood friendship, and now a global broadcast that yanks the curtain...
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The Lunchbox Mandalorian • The Mandalorian and Grogu
Seven years after The Rise of Skywalker, the saga finally got off the couch, and what it brought back was a tin-canned dad, a green gremlin, and a teenage Hutt with a glandular disorder. The Film Board lands split right down the middle, mostly in the affectionate way. Everyone agrees the…
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Project Hail Mary: The Buddy Movie That Made Us Love a Rock
Project Hail Mary gives us a spider-shaped rock creature with no eyes, no face, and a simplified vocabulary who makes a choice so selfless that four grown men on a podcast had to take a beat. That's the kind of movie this is. Andy Weir's third novel has been adapted by Lord and Miller — the...
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Scream 7: The Past Keeps Calling
Ghostface is back. Sidney Prescott is back. Kevin Williamson — the writer who started it all in 1996 — is back, this time in the director's chair. And The Film Board is here to pick through the wreckage. Pete Wright convenes the panel — Tommy Metz III, Steve Sarmento, and Mandy Kaplan — for a...
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Mercy: The Algorithm Wants Your Lunch Money
This month on The Film Board, Pete Wright drags Andy Nelson, Tommy Metz III, and Steve Sarmento into an emergency bonus hearing because Andy texted, essentially, “We can’t skip a month. Also I found a movie.” That movie is Mercy, a slick, noisy, deeply committed screenlife thriller where Chris...
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Avatar: Fire and Ash • When Spectacle Outpaces Story
This month on The Film Board, Pete Wright sits down with Tommy Metz III and Steve Sarmento to wrestle with a question that keeps resurfacing throughout Avatar: Fire and Ash: how can a movie built with such extraordinary care feel so strangely forgettable?James Cameron’s return to Pandora is, once...
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Wake Up Dead Man
A locked church. A sermon mid-amen. A knife that absolutely should not be where it is. This month, The Film Board turns its attention to Wake Up, Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, the most austere—and maybe most confrontational—entry yet in Rian Johnson’s whodunit canon. From the opening minutes…
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The Running Man
“Stop filming me!” The Film Board Gathers! This time, they're racing through Edgar Wright's adaptation of The Running Man, a sharper, more faithful take on Richard Bachman’s/Stephen King's dystopian manhunt. Glenn Powell stars as Ben Richards, sprinting for survival and truth in a world where...
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TRON: Ares
Greetings, Users! The Film Board Gathers again—this time to boot up TRON: Ares, Disney’s latest attempt to update a franchise that still doesn’t understand what “updating” means. Pete Wright, Tommy Metz III, Steve Sarmento, and Mandy Kaplan log on to debate Jared Leto’s turn as an AI messiah with...
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PTA Goes Full Action Dad with One Battle After Another
Paul Thomas Anderson just made an action movie you can take your in-laws to without a 20-minute lecture about American masculinity and bowling metaphors. One Battle After Another is PTA’s $175 million plunge into the now, mixing the absurdity of a stoner dad in a bathrobe with a razor-sharp...
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The Thursday Murder Club
Case Notes, August 30th, 2025: A suspiciously cozy murder mystery has been committed. The suspects—Tommy Metz III, Mandy Kaplan, Steve Sarmento, and Justin “JJ” Jaeger—have assembled remotely, each with their own dubious alibis and hot takes. The film: The Thursday Murder Club, Netflix’s big...
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The Fantastic Four: First Steps
The Film Board assembles to break down Fantastic Four: First Steps, Marvel’s bold leap into retro sci-fi parenthood. With Pedro Pascal stretching into Reed Richards and Vanessa Kirby shining as Sue Storm, the MCU skips the origin story to explore cosmic ethics, vintage flair, and a planet-hungry...
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Superman (2025)
The Film Board Gathers! And this time… it’s for Superman. Yes, again. James Gunn has rebooted the Big Blue Boy Scout for the 37th time (give or take), and this version comes with a sunnier tone, a superpowered dog, and—brace yourself—feelings. Actual feelings.David Corenswet slips into the tights...
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Jurassic World Rebirth
The gang of thugs dons their most practical jungle gear and reluctantly boards the biotech boat for Gareth Edwards’ Jurassic World Rebirth. Scarlett Johansson leads a mission to harvest dinosaur DNA in what Universal hopes is the beginning of a new trilogy—but does this franchise still have life…
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The Phoenician Scheme
Wes Anderson’s The Phoenician Scheme crash-lands into theaters with a symmetry—and we’re here to unpack the wreckage. Benicio Del Toro plays Anatole “Zsa-Zsa” Korda, a morally exhausted arms dealer who survives a plane crash and decides, rather abruptly, to become a better man. His daughter, a…
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Thunderbolts*
Are you tired of superheroes who always do the right thing? Exhausted by teams that save the day and, dare we say it, have a plan? This month, The Film Board dives into Marvel’s Thunderbolts—the super squad you get when you order the Avengers from the bargain bin. Pete Wright is joined by Mandy...
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Sinners
Some stories we inherit. Some are whispered through family trees. Others are passed down through song—riffs on pain, echoes of joy, blue notes of survival. In Ryan Coogler’s Sinners, we get all three. And this month, The Film Board—Pete, Tommy, and Andy—gathers to talk about a film that bends...
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Mickey 17
Prepare yourselves for a journey into the bewildering world of Bong Joon Ho's latest sci-fi offering. That's right—the director who brought you parasites in the basement and tentacles in the river has now delivered expendable humans on a frozen planet.In this week's utterly perplexing episode…
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Captain America: Brave New World
Is the latest Captain America film a bold step forward, or a symptom of a larger malaise in the Marvel Cinematic Universe? We grapple with this question, flying into Captain America: Brave New World, not just as a superhero spectacle, but as a cultural artifact reflecting our anxieties about...
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Wolf Man (2025)
Enigmatic whispers in the Oregon woods. A father's love, twisted and gnarled. This isn't your grandmother's werewolf story. Because she probably killed the wolf and made his pelt into a coat, AmIRight?Pete, Tommy, and Steve venture into the shadowy heart of Leigh Whannell's Wolfman, a film that...
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Red One
Is Amazon's $250 million Christmas blockbuster Red One a fresh take on holiday magic, or a cynical cash grab? Join Pete and guest Matthew Fox as they unwrap this action-packed holiday film starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and Chris Evans. From buff Santas to beach-fighting snowmen, this episode...
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Y2K
Welcome to The Film Board! If you’re anything like us, the year 2000 wasn't just a date on the calendar. It was a marker for boomer low-key existential dread. We’re talking, of course, about the Y2K bug, the fear that our computers, and therefore the entire world, were going to crash and burn at...
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Gladiator II
From the blood-soaked sands of the Colosseum to the hushed halls of the Senate, a shadow looms large over the Roman Empire. It's not the specter of barbarian hordes, but something far more insidious: a sequel. Ridley Scott returns to the world of gladiators and emperors, but is this triumphant...
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Joker: Folie à Deux
"Joker: Folie à Deux" has arrived, and with it, a cacophony of critical dissonance. Is it a cinematic triumph or an expensive folly? This week on The Film Board, Pete Wright, Steve Sarmento, and Tommy Metz III grapple with the sequel's perplexing identity. From the sterile confines of the…
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Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
Gather 'round film fans, for a spirited discussion on the latest from the BCU — the Beetlejuice Cinematic Universe! Joining your host, Pete Wright, are Tommy Metz III and Steve Sarmento, ready to delve into some hella afterlife antics.This time around, the Deetz family takes center stage, with...
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The Crow
The Film Board gathers to dissect the 2024 remake of The Crow, starring Bill Skarsgård, and find themselves sharply divided. Pete Wright and panelists Ocean Murff and Matthew Fox, self-described goths, express their deep connection to the original film and its place in their own personal…
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Alien: Romulus
In "Alien: Romulus," director Fede Alvarez takes us on a thrilling journey back to the heart of the Alien franchise, capturing the essence of what makes these films so captivating. The movie expertly weaves together the themes of corporate greed, human exploitation, and the terrifying mystery of...
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Deadpool & Wolverine
The Film Board Gathers! This month, Pete Wright and panelists Justin JJ Jaeger, Tommy Metz III, and Ocean Murff dive deep into the much-anticipated Marvel movie "Deadpool & Wolverine." The film brings together two iconic characters shaped by Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman in a meta-filled,...
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The Watchers
Pete, Tommy, and Steve put themselves in a box with a golden bird meant for a zoo and they all just wait for an audience. You might think we’re talking about podcasting. No, we’re podcasting about the latest from the family Night Shyamalan with Ishana Night Shyamalan’s debut, THE WATCHERS.What’s...
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Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
On the latest episode of The Film Board, Pete Wright and panelists Steve Sarmento, Tommy Metz III, and Ocean Murff dive deep into the dystopian world of Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga.The long-awaited prequel to Mad Max: Fury Road tells the origin story of the fierce warrior Furiosa, played by Anya...
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Civil War
The Film Board gathers! This month, host Justin Jaeger is joined by Steve Sarmento and Tommy Metz III to litigate Alex Garland's provocative new film "Civil War." The movie depicts a dystopian near-future America fractured by a second civil war, following a group of journalists on a perilous trek...
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Wuxia Unleashed: Leon Hunt & Chris Hamm on Martial Arts and Myth • Cinema Scope • Bonus Episode
In this inaugural episode of Cinema Scope, host Andy Nelson is joined by professors Leon Hunt and Chris Hamm to explore the captivating world of wuxia, a Chinese film genre that blends philosophy, action, and legend. They discuss the key elements that define wuxia, such as the chivalrous heroes,...
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Dune: Part Two
In the vast expanse of cinematic storytelling, few tales grip the imagination like Frank Herbert's "Dune." As Denis Villeneuve's vision unfolds in "Dune: Part Two," the Film Board gathers to unravel the complex tapestry of prophecy, power, and the perils of messianic fervor.Pete Wright, along…
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Argylle
The spy action comedy "Argylle" arrives in theaters this month with an all-star cast but mixed critical reviews. The film comes from director Matthew Vaughn, known for stylized spy franchises like "Kingsman." It also represents Apple TV+'s most ambitious foray into major theatrical releases to...
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Ferrari
The Film Board Gathers! The gang of thugs is here to take on a movie currently in theaters, and this month, we have Michael Mann’s return to the big screen with “Ferrari.” Join Pete Wright with Tommy Metz III and Justin "JJ" Jaeger as they unpack the high-octane drama that has raced into…
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Silent Night
The Film Board Gathers! Pete, JJ, and Tommy settle in ‘round the hearth to hear the story of the vengeful electrician and the silent treatment in John Woo’s return to Hollywood: Silent Night.Ok, right up front, The Film Board normally tries to pick films that are likely to be a bit bigger at the...
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Erik Messerschmidt joins Justin Jaeger and Tommy Metz III for a Conversation on The Killer
This month, The Film Board is taking on David Fincher's latest, The Killer. Cinematographer Erik Messerschmidt sat down with Justin Jaeger and Tommy Metz III to talk about making the movie, how movies are made, and why David Fincher's reputation in one important area is wildly overstated. Support...
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The Killer
“The Killer,” it turns out, is an interesting litmus test for movie lovers. David Fincher’s latest seems to push viewers to their corners. Is it just a movie? A competent excursion in action beats and voice-over? Or is it a meditation on what it means to work, but told through the eyes of a...
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Killers of the Flower Moon
Martin Scorsese first optioned the rights to David Grann's bestselling book Killers of the Flower Moon back in 2016, sensing it would make for a powerful film. After years of pre-production, casting leads like Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro, and nailing down the intricate period details of...
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The Creator
The Film Board gathers! The gang of thugs is here to take on a movie currently in theaters and this month... Hey... do you ever wonder what it would be like if we all trusted AI? If we could work with these creations to build more great things? To solve hunger and teach our children? To work...
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The Last Voyage of the Demeter
The Film Board gathers! The gang is here to take on a movie currently in theaters and this month we have a movie with no beginning and no ending... but does it have any stakes, as the Internet wonders? Or is there actually some meat on those bones... We’re setting sail on The Last Voyage of the...
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Barbie
The Film Board gathers! The gang of thugs is here to take on a movie currently in theaters and this month... let’s call it counter programming. The crew is going to try and prove that we, too, are Kenough as we talk about Greta Gerwig’s MUCH pinker sequel to Little Women: Barbie.It’s a film dense...
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Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
The Film Board Gathers! The gang of thugs is here to take on a movie currently in theaters and this month, we’re swinging into the unknown with Miles and Gwen in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. This month, Steve Sarmento, Justin 'JJ' Jaeger, Tommy Metz III, and Pete Wright relish in the...
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FAST X
We’ve only talked about one other Fast Saga film here at The Film Board and given our experience with Fast X, we’re starting to figure out why. But whether the film is good or bad isn’t really the question. The question is why? It’s big, bombastic, and bonkers-expensive, reportedly coming in at...
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Beau Is Afraid
The Film Board Gathers! The gang of thugs is here to take on a movie currently in theaters, and this month we’re following Joaquin Phoenix on a journey of sexual awakening and the longest punchline to every Your Mom joke ever made — Beau Is Afraid — with your hosts Tommy Metz III, Justin 'JJ'...
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Scream VI
The Film Board Gathers! The gang of thugs is here to take on a movie currently in theaters and this month, we’re headed to the big, bad city where everyone is dressed in robes... and masks age like fine marble. It’s Scream VI, where Ghostface follows the waterfront all the way to New York City....
About this show
Ever leave the theater desperate to talk about that one wild scene, that questionable plot twist, or the inexplicably shirtless cameo? The Film Board is here for you. Each month, host Pete Wright assembles a panel of film obsessives—Tommy Metz III, Steve Sarmento, Justin Jaeger, and an ever-rotating cast of co-conspirators—for a round-table deep dive into the latest movies in theaters. Spoilers? Absolutely. Hot takes? Always. Polite, nuanced disagreement? We aspire. Perfect for film fans who love smart, spirited, and occasionally ridiculous conversations—and aren’t afraid of spoilers.
Subscribe now and join the debate. Part of The Next Reel family of film podcasts. Find more at https://trustory.fm/the-film-board/.
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TruStory FM
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