The 2026 Movies We Can't Stop Thinking About with Martin Kessler — The Becky Challenge: Going Ape

Description:

Film writer and podcaster Martin Kessler joins Becky to look back at the best movies of the year so far.

Without sharing their lists beforehand, Becky and Martin each reveal their Top 5 Films of the Year So Far, leading to genuine surprises, passionate recommendations, and one very meaningful overlap: DISCLOSURE DAY.

Along the way, they celebrate standout horror and science fiction films, champion hidden gems, and compare the movies they haven't been able to stop thinking about. Martin introduces Becky to a pair of intriguing international discoveries she's excited to seek out, while Becky makes the case for one of her favorite horror films of the year, HOKUM.

Then it's time for The Becky Challenge: Going Ape (1:15:04)! Becky tests Martin's knowledge of cinema's greatest gorillas, chimpanzees, orangutans, and giant apes in a challenge inspired by one of his favorite movie subjects.

Will Martin earn the title of Ape Supreme... or find himself guarding bananas on Skull Island?

Keep discovering great movies and hang out with Becky!

Host: Becky D'Anna

Guest: Martin Kessler

Producer: Kyle Reardon

Produced and Edited By: KPR Media

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• Instagram: @thebeckydanna
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Producer Kyle Reardon returns for his first official episode as a guest to discuss SUPERGIRL and the future of James Gunn's DC Universe.

After falling in love with 2025's SUPERMAN, Becky and Kyle had high hopes for SUPERGIRL. While they both admired the ambition behind the film, they ultimately felt it lacked the emotional depth, vibrant visual style, and sense of wonder that made SUPERMAN such a memorable beginning to DC's new cinematic universe.

Together, they discuss why the story didn't quite soar for them, why Superman's appearance became one of the film's highlights, and what SUPERGIRL means for the future of James Gunn's DC Universe. Along the way, they celebrate Kyle's lifelong love of DC Comics—from the 1940s Batman serials to modern animation—and share their hopes of seeing Superman and Supergirl team up in a future adventure.

Then it's time for The Becky Challenge: Heroes Assemble (45:34)! Becky tests Kyle's knowledge of superhero movies spanning Marvel, DC, and beyond.

Will Kyle achieve Hall of Justice Hero status... or find himself trapped forever in the Phantom Zone?

Grab your cape and hang out with Becky!

Host: Becky D'Anna

Guest: Kyle Reardon

Producer: Kyle Reardon

Produced and Edited By: KPR Media

Subscribe to Hanging with Becky on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HangingwithBecky

Follow Hanging with Becky:

• Instagram: @hangingwithbecky
• Twitter: @hangwithbecky
• BlueSky: @hangingwithbecky
• TikTok: @hangingwithbecky
• Letterboxd: @hangwithbecky

Follow Kyle Reardon

• Letterboxd: @kylereardon

Documentary and animation producer, Adam Rackoff returns to Hanging with Becky for a very different conversation.

This week, Becky and Adam discuss TOY STORY 5 and the surprisingly powerful themes at the heart of Pixar's latest adventure. Together, they explore parenting, technology, loneliness, rejection, self-worth, and what it means to find your people and embrace who you are.

As parents of only children whose daughters are navigating many of the same challenges explored in the film, Becky and Adam find that TOY STORY 5 hits much closer to home than either expected. Along the way, they reflect on their history with Disney and Pixar, the growing role technology plays in kids' lives, and why some stories continue to resonate no matter how old we get.

Naturally, the conversation also finds its way back to T2.

Then it's time for The Becky Challenge: In the Frame (57:50)! Becky tests Adam's knowledge of filmmaking terminology, cameras, aspect ratios, animation, and movie-making magic. What starts as a game quickly turns into a mini filmmaking master class as Adam explains the answers along the way.

Will Adam become the first two-time Becky Challenge champion and earn Master Filmmaker status?

Never stop imagining and hang out with Becky!

Host: Becky D'Anna

Guest: Adam Rackoff

Producer: Kyle Reardon

Produced and Edited By: KPR Media

Subscribe to Hanging with Becky on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HangingwithBecky

Follow Hanging with Becky:

• Instagram: @hangingwithbecky
• Twitter: @hangwithbecky
• BlueSky: @hangingwithbecky
• TikTok: @hangingwithbecky
• Letterboxd: @hangwithbecky

Follow Adam Rackhoff:

• Twitter: @AdamRackhoff