Episodes
Aug. 6, 2025
475: The State of Cinema, 'Weapons', Nolan Fever, Telluride & More with Guest Sean Fennessey, The Big Picture
Christina welcomes back one of the sharpest voices in film — Sean Fennessey of The Big Picture — for a wide ranging conversation on the year in movies so far and what’s next. From Weapons and the horror/genre boom to box offi...
July 31, 2025
474: 'Darkness Visible' – A New Book on Jonathan Glazer & Venice Film Festival Highlights (With Author And Critic John Bleasdale)
Author and critic John Bleasdale joins Christina to discuss his excellent new book, Darkness Visible: The Cinema of Jonathan Glazer —a deep dive into the work of the visionary director behind Sexy Beast , Under the Skin , and...
July 22, 2025
473: The Late Show with Stephen Colbert Cancelled — What It Means for Late Night. Plus Film Festival Lineups & Emmy Nom Reactions! (with guest Ryan McQuade)
The industry was rocked by the news that CBS is cancelling The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and ending the franchise entirely in 2026. While CBS claims it’s purely a financial decision, speculation is swirling — including q...
July 10, 2025
472: Summer Encore — Taylor Dearden on ‘The Pitt,’ Medical Boot Camp & Crafting Dr. Mel King
As Emmy nominations approach, we’re revisiting one of our standout conversations of the year! Actor Taylor Dearden delivers a powerful performance as Dr. Mel King in The Pitt , the gripping medical drama now streaming on HBO ...
July 3, 2025
471: The Odyssey Teaser, Summer Movie Reviews & More (Guest: Ryan McQuade)
From film news to fresh reviews — it’s a packed week on the show. We’re diving into some of the biggest releases of the summer, including 28 Years Later , Jurassic World: Rebirth , F1 , The Materialists , and Eddington . Plus...
June 22, 2025
470: Actor Alexej Manvelov — On His Standout Performance as Akram in 'Dept. Q' and His Remarkable Journey
We’re thrilled to welcome actor Alexej Manvelov to the show. His standout portrayal of Akram in Netflix’s hit Dept. Q has made the character one of this season’s most acclaimed and beloved. In Scott Frank’s adaptation of the ...
June 19, 2025
469: Summer Screams —Horror Thrives in the Heat (with Guest Eoin Daly)
Summer may not be the official spooky season, but it’s long been a surprisingly perfect time for horro r. From the 1975 release of Jaws —which turns 50 this year!—to Poltergeist , Friday the 13th , and A24’s Hereditary and Mi...
June 13, 2025
468: Best Films of the Decade (So Far!) with Guest Ryan McQuade
On this episode, Christina is joined by writer and critic Ryan McQuade (AwardsWatch) for the fun (and difficult!) exercise of ranking their favorite films of the decade so far, from 2020 through 2024. Tune in for passionate p...
June 5, 2025
467: A Conversation with Tony Gilroy — Andor Season 2, Revolution, and the Forces & Choices That Drive Us
Creator of Andor and Oscar-nominated filmmaker Tony Gilroy ( Michael Clayton , The Bourne films) joins Christina for a wide-ranging conversation about the groundbreaking Star Wars prequel series — a show that’s as politically...
May 28, 2025
Episode 466: And That’s a Wrap: Cannes 2025 with guest Ryan McQuade, AwardsWatch
Joining Christina is film critic and writer Ryan McQuade of AwardsWatch as they wrap up the 2025 Cannes Film Festival. From what it was like covering this year’s festival, to the Palme d’Or winners, major Neon and MUBI acquis...
May 21, 2025
465: Dispatch 5 from Cannes 2025. Interview: Stellan Skarsgård (‘Sentimental Value’)
In this special dispatch from the Croisette, Christina is joined by the brilliant and effortlessly cool Stellan Skarsgård, starring in Joachim Trier’s Sentimental Value —a strong Palme d’Or contender at this year’s festival. ...
May 19, 2025
464: Dispatch 4 from Cannes 2025: The Phoenician Scheme, Pillion, Urchin & The Chronology of Water. Guest John Bleasdale, critic & author
Christina is joined by critic and author John Bleasdale (The Magic Hours: The Films and Hidden Life of Terrence Malick) for a new dispatch from the Croisette. They dive into some of the most talked-about titles at the festiva...
May 17, 2025
463: Dispatch 3 from Cannes 2025: Eddington, The Plague, Sound of Falling & Mission: Impossible with Ryan McQuade
🎬 Dispatch 3 from Cannes 2025 Christina is joined once again by Ryan McQuade (AwardsWatch) for a new dispatch from the Croisette. They dive into some of the festival’s buzziest titles so far, including Ari Aster’s Eddington ,...
May 14, 2025
462: Dispatch 2 from Cannes 2025 with Ryan McQuade! – On Tom Cruise & McQuarrie, Neon’s Cannes Reign & De Niro
🎬 Dispatch 2 from Cannes 2025! Christina is joined by Ryan McQuade (AwardsWatch) for a dispatch from the Croisette. They break down Christopher McQuarrie’s Q&A—featuring a surprise appearance by Tom Cruise—Neon’s impressive C...
May 13, 2025
461: Dispatch 1 from Cannes 2025 – From the Opening Press Conference with Jury President Juliette Binoche, Jeremy Strong & More
Christina’s first dispatch from Cannes 2025! Highlights from the Opening Press Conference with Juliette Binoche, Jeremy Strong & more—on festival expectations, Trump’s tariffs, and the new red carpet dress rules. Learn more a...
May 10, 2025
Special Episode! AwardsWatch Podcast Ep. 287 – 78th Cannes Film Festival Preview with Guest Christina Birro
Sharing a special episode! Christina joined the AwardsWatch podcast for the 78th Cannes Film Festival Preview . On episode 287 of The AwardsWatch Podcast, Executive Editor Ryan McQuade is joined by Editor-In-Chief Erik Ander...
May 9, 2025
460: Countdown to Cannes — Mission: Impossible, The Franchise, and The Final Reckoning (with Ryan McQuade, AwardsWatch)
We’re just days away from the 78th Cannes Film Festival, and one of the most anticipated moments is the premiere of Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning on May 14 at the Grand Théâtre Lumière. Tom Cruise returns as Ethan Hunt in this eighth installment of the legendary action franchise, joined…
May 2, 2025
459: A Conversation With Barbie Ferreira ('Euphoria', 'Nope') On Her New Film 'Bob Trevino Likes It'
On the show this week: the exceptionally talented Barbie Ferreira, best known for her breakout role as Kat Hernandez on HBO’s Euphoria . Christina talks with Barbie about her wonderful new film Bob Trevino Likes It , where sh...
April 24, 2025
458: Ryan Coogler’s Sinners, Oscar Rule Changes & Iconic Movie Twins (with Ryan McQuade, AwardsWatch)
This week, Christina is joined by Ryan McQuade, Executive Editor of AwardsWatch, to dive into Sinners —Ryan Coogler’s ambitious, multilayered, and visually stunning new film. They also break down the latest Oscar rule changes...
April 21, 2025
457: Emmy-Winning Editor & Co-Producer Timothy Good ('The Last of Us') Unpacks the Powerful & Heartbreaking Season 2, Episode 2
Emmy-winning editor and co-producer Timothy Good ('The Last of Us') joins Christina to break down the episode everyone’s talking about — Season 2, Episode 2, “Through the Valley.” This unforgettable episode took over a year t...
April 10, 2025
456: Our Reactions to the Cannes Film Festival 2025 Lineup (with Ryan McQuade, AwardsWatch)
The 2025 Cannes lineup was just announced, and there’s a lot to talk about . Ryan McQuade (AwardsWatch) joins Christina to break down the buzziest titles heading to the Croisette—including Wes Anderson, Ari Aster, Kelly Reich...
April 4, 2025
455: Inside 'Adolescence': A Conversation with Actor Christine Tremarco
Christina is honored to speak with the brilliant Christine Tremarco from the powerful, hit series Adolescence . Written by Stephen Graham and Jack Thorne, the show follows a 13-year-old boy named Jamie who is arrested for the...
March 30, 2025
453: We Talk TV – Adolescence, Severance, The White Lotus, The Studio & More (with Tyler Doster, AwardsWatch)
On this episode of Pop Culture Confidential , we’re diving deep into the latest TV must-watches! Join us as we break down some of the biggest shows of the moment— Severance, The White Lotus, and The Pitt —all heading into the...
March 25, 2025
454: Coming Soon! Trailer Talk for the Most Anticipated Movies (With Ryan McQuade)
In this episode, Christina is joined by Ryan McQuade of AwardsWatch to break down the latest trailers for some of the year’s most anticipated upcoming movies. Some look awesome, some look... questionable — and a few totally s...