In this podcast, we dive deep into Seconds (1966), John Frankenheimer’s haunting and criminally underrated masterpiece about identity, alienation, and the terrifying price of personal reinvention. Blending psychological horror, science fiction, and existential drama, Seconds explores what happens when the desire for a new life collides with the inescapable truth of who we really are. Its surreal, distorted cinematography by James Wong Howe creates an atmosphere of paranoia that still feels shockingly modern.

This analysis also looks at the body horror elements of the film and modern LGBTQ+ and queer readings that paved the way for new modern film makers like Coralie Fargeat and their Oscar nominated genre movie The Substance. With Rock Hudson — then a closeted Hollywood star — playing a man forced to adopt a new identity, Seconds becomes a powerful metaphor for queer repression, dysphoria and the pressure to conform. This movie is literally swimming in theories, themes and metaphors so join me as we take a deep dive into the horrific sci-fi horror world of 'Seconds' (1966), a masterpiece still bringing new meanings to audiences today.

If you’re interested in deep-dive film analysis, or overlooked masterpieces of horror, this is a film — and an essay — you won’t want to miss.

Subscribe for more podcasts on cinema history and hidden gems from every era.