Wilder and Merser are late to join the admirers of the extraordinary film Hamnet, but only because Merser wasn’t sure she wanted to take the emotional journey.

“I can’t believe I almost missed this incredibly special film. It may be one of the best movies I’ve ever seen, for so many reasons.”

In this episode of Screen Thoughts, Wilder and Merser dive deeply into a film layered with grief, love, marriage, art, motherhood, memory, and the mysterious way great loss becomes great creation. When a film is this rich, there are endless layers to examine, and not one emotional stone goes unturned in this remarkable conversation.

You will be glad you experienced Hamnet through the eyes of two women who do not let a single moment pass unappreciated.

Remarkably Bright Creatures is one of the quietest films I’ve seen in years, and maybe one of the most powerful because of it. Starring Sally Field and Lewis Pullman, the film unfolds slowly, patiently, almost tenderly, as it explores grief, loneliness, friendship, aging, and the strange ways human beings find each other again after heartbreak. And at the center of it all is an octopus named Marcellus, who may understand more about humanity than the humans themselves. - Christine Merser, Critic

In this episode I take a deep dive into The Reluctant Fundamentalist, a film that should have been front-row center but never got its moment. I talk about Riz Ahmed’s extraordinary performance, the quiet brilliance of Mira Nair’s direction, the music that pulls you into another cultural syntax, and the way the film exposes America’s post-9/11 blind spots without shouting. It is a story about identity, belonging, and the small humiliations that shape a life. And maybe more than anything, it’s a reminder that no one becomes a fundamentalist in a vacuum — and we should stop pretending otherwise. - Hollister

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Merser and Wilder could not wait to unpack Season Three of The Diplomat, which Merser calls “the best of the three, by a diplomatic mile.” After a quick walk through Seasons One and Two, they dive into the complex and ingenious storytelling that defines this season.

You cannot talk about The Diplomat without invoking The West Wing and Homeland, and Debora Cahn, who wrote for both, shows how to fuse the best of those worlds while making something singular in The Diplomat. The plot is a high-stakes global crisis, personal entanglements that complicate every choice, and a quieter script that lets tension build in the spaces between lines.

In a world on edge, this story lands close to home and makes for must-watch TV. Spoilers ahead.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"May December," featuring a star-studded cast including Julianne Moore and Natalie Portman, is much more than the torrid story of a seventh-grade teacher who ensnared her student, went to prison for it, and married him upon her release. It transcends that narrative, offering a profound exploration of complex themes. Don't miss the discussion on the film's production, including the techniques employed by Todd Haynes. His interpretations consistently delve deeper than the obvious.

JI5Ugqcy89Ve5vHa6ABf

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Christine Merser aka Hollister has a solo episode for us after watching and being left speechless by Netflix's new documentary, Martha, about Martha Stewart. Christine marvels about Martha being our first real influencer and first female self-made billionaire, her sense of excellence and what that sometimes means for the people around her, and concludes with a heartfelt apology. And, at the end Who should watch this? Any woman in business. Or maybe just any woman. What we took away? Learn something new every day. We start tomorrow.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Christine Merser AKA Hollister has nothing but praise for Jesse Eisenberg from the start of this week's episode, as she dives into his latest film, A Real Pain, which he wrote, directed, and starred in. Starring alongside Eisenberg is Kieran Culkin, as the two portray mismatched Jewish-American cousins traveling to Poland to honor their late grandmother—taking us on a heartfelt, funny, and emotional journey.

In a surprising first, Christine places another writer on the same pedestal as Aaron Sorkin. While we won’t give too much away about the title, we absolutely love it—and we think you will too after watching the film. While we encourage you to see it in theaters if it's still playing in your area, A Real Pain is now streaming on Hulu, and we’d love to hear your thoughts.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Christine’s review of Adolescence, Netflix’s #1 series about an eleven-year-old boy who kills his classmate, will have you turning off her video to start watching it—if you haven’t already. Starring Stephen Graham and Owen Cooper, the show addresses, in a new and painfully palatable way, the demise of our tweens and teens and the perils they face growing up in a society that has unwittingly nurtured these outcomes. And for film buffs, the way this series was shot and rolled out is game-changing.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Christine Merser (AKA Hollister) goes this one alone Fresh Kills, according to her review, should have been front and center at the Academy Awards. Was it overlooked because it's the first mafia genre film told from a woman's perspective? How could it have been overlooked? According to Hollister, it provides a perfect script, amazing acting, and a plotline that explores not only insight into mafia life but also inner family relationships: a strong father versus a daughter who wants out, a mother who doesn't see her daughter as something other than what she was, even though she knows it is not enough. And, perhaps most importantly, a sister-sister relationship complicated by anger and love, betrayal and love, and, lastly, hatred. Don't miss this review, but more importantly, don't miss this film. Streaming on Prime and Peacock.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

High schooler Addie Tedrow, a lover of all things Hunger Games, joins Christine Merser to discuss the latest in the series, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, as well as the other stories in the iconic Hunger Games franchise. Don't miss their interesting, intergenerational discussion of this film. Christine's fear of snakes coils around the difficulty of some of the scenes. P.S. we do include some spoilers in this episode.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"The Holdovers," bringing back 70s and 80s boarding school films, heads toward awards season with Paul Giamatti finding his way to front-page news. Why hasn't he had more starring roles when he's such a strong actor? We have our theories. And "NYAD", where Annette Bening and Jodie Foster save the day. NYAD's swim is an amazing feat, no question about that. How they made it into a movie is up for discussion.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices