Kermode and Mayo's Film Review · BBC Radio 5 Live

John Hawkes, Nomadland, The Mitchells vs The Machines and Wild Mountain Thyme

·1 hr 43 min·5 clips

Mark Kermode reveals why Christopher Walken's Irish accent in Wild Mountain Thyme is so disastrously off-putting.

This episode of Kermode and Mayo's Film Review features hosts Mark Kermode and Simon Mayo returning from a break to discuss new releases and listener correspondence. They are joined later by special guest, Oscar-nominated actor John Hawkes, to discuss his film "End of Sentence." The hosts read an email from a listener who proposed a "W" hand gesture as a secret greeting for fans, referencing its use in "The Hunger Games" and by The Who. Another listener shared a story of being detained in Slovenia, where listening to the podcast provided comfort in a police cell. The episode includes a debate about the Comic Sans font, with a listener defending its use in schools for children with learning difficulties. Mark reviews "Black Bear," praising Aubrey Plaza's performance and its Pirandello-like, self-reflexive structure. The hosts discuss the Official Film Chart, noting "Zack Snyder's Justice League" at number one and "The Greatest Showman" still charting highly. Mark recommends the Mexican drama "Identifying Features" on BFI Player, highlighting its haunting score and phantasmagorical portrayal of the U.S.-Mexico border crisis. A surprising claim is that the area around Chernobyl has become a haven for wildlife since the disaster. The funniest moment involves German subtitles for The Doors' song "The End" translating "ride the snake" with Teutonic efficiency into a specific length in kilometers. Mark describes "Willy's Wonderland" as a slog where Nicolas Cage has a non-speaking role, only fighting animatronic toys. The tone is conversational and humorous, filled with inside jokes and playful bickering between the hosts. The style blends film criticism with extensive, quirky listener interactions and personal anecdotes. Film enthusiasts who enjoy in-depth reviews mixed with comedic listener mail will love this episode. Listeners seeking a tightly focused, news-only film podcast might find the tangents and in-jokes distracting.

As heard by us

A breezy film-review roundtable with Oscar talk, running jokes, and a few detours.

The episode starts with a complaint and a correction before settling into Oscar talk, including the uneasy idea of posthumous recognition and the long-running puzzle of why some names never get the prize.

Read the full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

If you like film chat that veers from Oscars to odd accents, this is yours.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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