In this episode of Cinema Callback, Andy and Michael discuss Anniversary (2025) directed by Jan Komasa, a tightly controlled psychological drama that begins in recognisable domestic territory before quietly shifting into something far more disquieting. What initially feels like a familiar life invasion setup gradually opens into a study of control, desire, and emotional power.

Through the show’s voice note conversation format, the hosts talk about the film’s precise tone, its slow tightening of perspective, and how it locates tension in behaviour and subtext rather than overt plot. They explore how the film plays with expectations of the genre, where it aligns with classic life invasion cinema, and where it deliberately resists easy readings, allowing discomfort and ambiguity to linger.

The episode also features special voice notes from screenwriter Lori Rosene-Gambino, responding directly to ideas raised in the discussion and offering insight into the writing process, character construction, and the thematic intentions behind the film.

In this episode of Cinema Callback, Andy and Michael discuss Triangle (2009), Christopher Smith’s mind bending psychological thriller that begins as a simple sailing trip and spirals into a labyrinth of repetition, dread, and existential punishment.

Through the show’s voice note conversation format, the hosts talk about the film’s shifting structure, how it weaponises déjà vu, and the way it gradually reframes what first appears to be a survival story into something closer to a moral puzzle. They explore the mechanics of its time loop, the emotional logic beneath its horror, and how the film invites viewers to piece together meaning rather than spelling it out.

In this episode of Cinema Callback, Andy and Michael discuss Possum (2018), Matthew Holness’s deeply unsettling debut feature that strips horror back to mood, repetition, and psychological decay. Set in a bleak, unnamed England, the film follows a man returning to his childhood home, carrying with him both a literal and emotional burden he cannot escape.

Through the show’s voice note conversation format, the hosts talk about the film’s oppressive atmosphere, its use of sound and absence, and how it withholds explanation in favour of sustained dread. They explore the symbolism of the Possum puppet, the film’s relationship to childhood trauma and repression, and how its slow, punishing rhythm becomes the point rather than an obstacle.

In this episode of Cinema Callback, Andy and Michael discuss Trust (1990), Hal Hartley’s breakthrough indie film that blends romance, comedy, and philosophical inquiry with a distinctly deadpan tone. Centered on the unlikely connection between Maria and Matthew, the film reframes young love as an act of resistance against social expectation and emotional inertia.

Through the show’s voice note conversation format, the hosts talk about Hartley’s stylised dialogue, rigid framing, and minimalist performances, and how these choices create a world that feels both artificial and emotionally sincere. They explore the film’s relationship to American independent cinema at the start of the 1990s, its scepticism toward institutions, and its belief in honesty as a moral position.

They also discuss how Trust balances irony with genuine feeling, why its awkward tenderness still resonates, and how Hartley’s precise, controlled style turns small gestures and conversations into quietly radical moments.

In this episode of Cinema Callback, Andy and Michael discuss The Panic in Needle Park (1971), Jerry Schatzberg’s raw, unsentimental portrait of addiction and dependency in early-70s New York, starring Al Pacino and Kitty Winn.

Through the show’s voice note conversation format, the hosts talk about the film’s stripped back realism, its immersion in street level life, and how it resists moralising or narrative comfort. They explore Pacino’s early star presence, Kitty Winn’s devastating performance, and how the film frames romance as something slowly hollowed out by need rather than melodrama.

In this episode of Cinema Callback, Andy and Michael discuss Scarecrow (1973), Jerry Schatzberg’s tender, wandering road movie starring Al Pacino and Gene Hackman as two drifters moving across America with little more than dreams and unresolved pasts.

Through the show’s voice-note conversation format, the hosts talk about the film’s loose, episodic structure and how it lets character take precedence over plot. They explore the evolving friendship between Pacino and Hackman, the way masculinity is expressed through vulnerability and performance, and how the film quietly dismantles the myth of the American Dream without ever announcing its intentions.

They also discuss the film’s tonal shifts from humour to devastation, its humanist perspective, and why Scarecrow remains a deeply affecting, often overlooked entry in 1970s American cinema.

This is a quick film-club preview of the next four Cinema Callback episodes.

We’ll be covering Scarecrow (1973), The Panic in Needle Park (1971), Trust (1990), and Possum (2018). , so if you want to watch along, now’s the time — and then check out the episodes when they drop.

Scarecrow - 13/01/2026

The Panic in Needle Park - 20/01/2026

Trust - 27/01/2026

Possum - 04/02/2026

In this episode of Cinema Callback, Andy and Michael discuss The Firm (1993), Sydney Pollack’s slick legal thriller starring Tom Cruise at the peak of his early-90s stardom. What begins as a glossy story of professional success slowly reveals itself as a paranoid nightmare about power, control, and the cost of getting exactly what you want.

Through the show’s voice-note conversation format, the hosts talk about the film’s shifting tone from aspirational career fantasy to claustrophobic conspiracy and how Cruise’s star persona is used to lure both the character and the audience into a false sense of security. They explore the film’s depiction of institutions that feel benevolent until they don’t, and how its Southern setting adds to the sense of unease beneath the polish.

They also discuss how The Firm reflects 90s anxieties around corporate loyalty and upward mobility, why its slow-burn structure still works, and whether its thriller mechanics hold up in an era far more cynical about money, work, and authority.