Episodes

  • THE MAGIC FARAWAY TREE: Enchanting or just lost in the woods?
    Mar 26 2026
    Some exciting news—The Take is now on Patreon: www.patreon.com/kermodeandmayo Become a Vanguardista or an Ultra Vanguardista to get video episodes of Take Two every week, plus member-only chat rooms, polls and submissions to influence the show, behind-the-scenes photos and videos, the monthly Redactor’s Roundup newsletter, and access to a new fortnightly LIVE show—a raucous, unfiltered lunchtime special with the Good Doctors, new features, and live chat so you can heckle, vote, and have your questions read out in real time. On this week’s episode of Kermode and Mayo’s Take, director François Ozon joins us to talk about his latest film, The Stranger. He sits down with Simon and Mark to discuss the inspirations behind the story, balancing ambiguity and tension, and the challenges of bringing such a distinctive vision to the screen—along with a few reflections on his wider body of work and the themes that continue to draw him in. You’ll be able to hear Mark’s full verdict on The Stranger in two weeks’ time, and this week we have a packed slate of new releases. First up, The Magic Faraway Tree brings a beloved children’s classic to life with a mix of whimsy, adventure, and a touch of nostalgia. Then there’s Splitsville, a comedy exploring relationships in all their messy, unpredictable glory. And finally, They Will Kill You, a new horror starring Tom Felton—son of Jason Isaacs, of course. They’re really related you know, just like all the Skarsgårds and Sargaards….The Elsewhere, we’ll have all the usual Take treats: the box office top 10, a Laughter Lift that may (or may not) brighten your week, and your ever-wonderful correspondence. Thanks for listening! You can contact the show by emailing correspondence@kermodeandmayo.com or you can find us on social media, @KermodeandMayo Please take our survey and help shape the future of our show: https://www.kermodeandmayo.com/survey Sony Music Entertainment production. Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts and follow us @sonypodcasts To advertise on this show contact: podcastadsales@sonymusic.com Timecodes: 00:00:00 Show starts 00:07:57 Splitsville 00:14:59 Box Office top ten 00:31:43 François Ozon Interview 00:44:11 They Will Kill You review 00:51:35 Laughter Lift 00:56:56 The Magic Faraway Tree Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    1 hr and 11 mins
  • Is Stephen Graham another bad boy in THE GOOD BOY?
    Mar 19 2026
    Some exciting news—The Take is now on Patreon: www.patreon.com/kermodeandmayo. Become a Vanguardista or an Ultra Vanguardista to get video episodes of Take Two every week, plus member-only chat rooms, polls and submissions to influence the show, behind-the-scenes photos and videos, the monthly Redactor’s Roundup newsletter, and access to a new fortnightly LIVE show—a raucous, unfiltered lunchtime special with the Good Doctors, new features, and live chat so you can heckle, vote, and have your questions read out in real time. On this week’s episode of Kermode and Mayo’s Take, Stephen Graham joins us to talk about his new film The Good Boy. It’s an unsettling thriller where he plays a father fixated on a strange rehabilitation ritual for a violent young man who he takes in and…erm… chains up in his basement. Stephen chats to Simon about navigating the film’s darker emotional undercurrents, finding the human intrigue in morally murky territory, and being his usual lovely Liverpudlian self. You’ll be able to hear Mark’s full verdict on The Good Boy in this week’s show too, alongside a packed slate of other new releases. First up, Project Hail Mary finally lands—bringing big ideas, bigger stakes, and one very lonely astronaut to the big screen. Then there’s Ready or Not 2: Here I Come, which ups the ante on the original’s gleefully gory game of survival. And finally, Dead Man’s Wire, a tense thriller starring Bill Skarsgard that sees a desperate act spiral into a gripping standoff. Elsewhere, we’ll have all the usual Take treats: the box office top 10, a Laughter Lift that may (or may not) brighten your week, and your ever-wonderful correspondence. Thanks for listening! Timecodes: 00:00:00 Show starts 00:09:44 Dead Man's Wire review 00:18:12 Box office top ten 00:30:51 Stephen Graham interview 00:44:11 The Good Boy review 00:53:37 Laughter Lift 00:57:06 Ready or Not 2: Here I Come review 01:04:42 What's On? 01:09:21 Project Hail Mary You can contact the show by emailing correspondence@kermodeandmayo.com or you can find us on social media, @KermodeandMayo Please take our survey and help shape the future of our show: https://www.kermodeandmayo.com/survey 🌎 Get an exclusive 15% discount on your first Saily data plans! Use code [Take] at checkout. Download Saily app or go to to https://saily.com/Take ⛵ A Sony Music Entertainment production. Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts and follow us @sonypodcasts To advertise on this show contact: podcastadsales@sonymusic.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    1 hr and 30 mins
  • Oscars Schmoscars 2026
    Mar 16 2026
    In this Oscarsspecial episode of Kermode & Mayo’s Take, Simon Mayo and Mark Kermode break down the biggest moments from the 2026 Academy Awards. Mark shares his reactions to the ceremony, from Avatar: Fire and Ash winning Visual Effects to the triumph of Sentimental Value.  Simon and Mark unpack the night’s major wins — including One Battle After Another sweeping six awards and Paul Thomas Anderson’s backstage reflections on politics, culture, and “bringing common sense and decency back into fashion.” They also explore the fierce race between One Battle After Another and Sinners, Michael B. Jordan’s emotional Best Actor win, and Autumn Durald Arkapaw’s groundbreaking Cinematography victory. Hear extended backstage moments from Paul Thomas Anderson, Michael B. Jordan, and Jessie Buckley as they reflect on the significance of their awards, artistic responsibility, and historymaking achievements. The duo also discuss Amy Madigan’s longawaited Supporting Actress win, Norway’s triumph with Sentimental Value, and the powerful documentary Mr Nobody Against Putin. Plus: the rise of KPop Demon Hunters, Guillermo del Toro’s three craft wins for Frankenstein, a rare Oscars tie, Conan O’Brien’s sharp hosting, emotional tributes to Rob Reiner, Catherine O’Hara, Diane Keaton and Robert Redford — and the films that left emptyhanded. The video version of this episode is available on our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/kermodeandmayo You can contact the show by emailing correspondence@kermodeandmayo.com or you can find us on social media, @KermodeandMayo Please take our survey and help shape the future of our show: https://www.kermodeandmayo.com/survey 🌎 Get an exclusive 15% discount on your first Saily data plans! Use code [Take] at checkout. Download Saily app or go to to https://saily.com/Take ⛵ A Sony Music Entertainment production. Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts and follow us @sonypodcasts To advertise on this show contact: podcastadsales@sonymusic.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    46 mins
  • Ryan Gosling on PROJECT HAIL MARY
    Mar 12 2026
    Some exciting news—The Take is now on Patreon: www.patreon.com/kermodeandmayo. Become a Vanguardista or an Ultra Vanguardista to get video episodes of Take Two every week, plus member-only chat rooms, polls and submissions to influence the show, behind-the-scenes photos and videos, the monthly Redactor’s Roundup newsletter, and access to a new fortnightly LIVE show—a raucous, unfiltered lunchtime special with the Good Doctors, new features, and live chat so you can heckle, vote, and have your questions read out in real time. On this week’s episode of Kermode and Mayo’s Take, Ryan Gosling is with us to talk about his new sci-fi epic Project Hail Mary. From the challenge of bringing Andy Weir’s beloved novel to the screen to the peculiar pressures of carrying a space-set survival story (often alone), Gosling reflects on the film’s mix of brainy science, cosmic peril and unexpected heart. This week it’s Mark he’ll be chatting to, and they get deep on sci-fi gems from Silent Running to The Abyss—plus some behind the scenes gossip on Project Hail Mary’s epic karaoke scene. Keep an ear out for Mark’s review next week, and in the meantime there’s a trio of new releases on this week’s review slate. First up is Scarlet, a swashbuckling anime revenge drama based on the story of Hamlet. Then there’s How To Make A Killing, a darkly comic crime caper starring Glen Powell, and loosely based on the Ealing Comedy classic Kind Hearts and Coronets. And finally, One Last Deal—where a sports agent (played by he who shall not be named) battles to land a big contract and save his career. In Mark’s eyes though, the lead actor’s career is way beyond saving. Rant on the horizon, folks! We’ll also be shouting out our favourite women directors for this Women’s History Month; Plus all the usual Take treats: the box office top 10, a Laughter Lift that may (or may not) restore your faith in humanity, and your ever-splendid correspondence. Thanks for listening! Timecodes: 00:00:00 Show starts 00:11:51 Scarlet review 00:19:01 Box Office Top 10 00:39:08 Ryan Gosling interview 00:51:28 How To Make A Killing review 00:57:36 Laughter Lift 01:02:08 One Last Deal review You can contact the show by emailing correspondence@kermodeandmayo.com or you can find us on social media, @KermodeandMayo Please take our survey and help shape the future of our show: https://www.kermodeandmayo.com/survey 🌎 Get an exclusive 15% discount on your first Saily data plans! Use code [Take] at checkout. Download Saily app or go to to https://saily.com/Take ⛵ A Sony Music Entertainment production. Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts and follow us @sonypodcasts To advertise on this show contact: podcastadsales@sonymusic.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    1 hr and 15 mins
  • Take Ultra preview - A look ahead to the Oscars
    Mar 9 2026
    Here's a cheeky preview of our latest Take Ultra video episode in which Mark and Simon look ahead to this week’s Oscars and assess the state of the race. Ultra-Vanguardistas get these live streams every other week, our weekly T2 episodes in video and loads more. You can join them here: https://www.patreon.com/c/kermodeandmayo/membership Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    11 mins
  • Does THE BRIDE! earn its exclamation mark?
    Mar 5 2026
    Some exciting news—The Take is now on Patreon: www.patreon.com/kermodeandmayo. Become a Vanguardista or an Ultra Vanguardista to get video episodes of Take Two every week, plus member‑only chat rooms, polls and submissions to influence the show, behind‑the‑scenes photos and videos, the monthly Redactor’s Roundup newsletter, and access to a new fortnightly LIVE show—a raucous, unfiltered lunchtime special with the Good Doctors, new features, and live chat so you can heckle, vote, and have your questions read out in real time. On this week’s episode of Kermode and Mayo's Take, actor and national treasure Martin Clunes joins Simon… On the review slate this week: Pixar’s latest animated adventure, Hoppers—a high-concept tale of body-swapping beavers and environmental derring-do. Will it burrow into the Take’s good books, or be politely shown the exit? Then there’s The Bride!, a bold and buzzy reimagining of a classic monster myth from Maggie Gyllenhaal, starring Gothic romance, big hair, bigger ideas—Mark digs into the film’s ambition, while Simon weighs up whether it truly crackles with life. We also head back to Birmingham’s smoky underworld with Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man, as the Shelby saga makes the leap to the big screen. Is it a cinematic evolution worthy of its razor-sharp legacy, or does it feel like prestige telly in slightly fancier trousers? Rounding things off is Mother's Pride, an intimate drama exploring family, sacrifice and the stories we tell ourselves. Tissues may be required. Mark considers its emotional pull; Simon braces for impact. Plus all the usual Take treats: the box office top 10, a Laughter Lift that may (or may not) restore your faith in humanity, and your ever-splendid correspondence. Thanks for listening! Timecodes 00:00:00 Show starts 00:11:33 Hoppers review 00:21:02 Box Office Top 10 00:33:27 Martin Clunes interview 00:49:06 Mother’s Pride review 00:56:35 Laughter Lift 00:59:10 The Bride! review 01:13:28 Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man review You can contact the show by emailing correspondence@kermodeandmayo.com or you can find us on social media, @KermodeandMayo Please take our survey and help shape the future of our show: https://www.kermodeandmayo.com/survey 🌎 Get an exclusive 15% discount on your first Saily data plans! Use code [Take] at checkout. Download Saily app or go to to https://saily.com/Take ⛵ A Sony Music Entertainment production. Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts and follow us @sonypodcasts To advertise on this show contact: podcastadsales@sonymusic.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    1 hr and 28 mins
  • Celebrating Women in Film with Vanguard
    Mar 2 2026
    This episode is brought to you with Vanguard, whose Managed ISA service provides a smart way to invest with confidence, giving you a better chance of investment success. It’s an International Women’s Day special, and we’ll be celebrating women in film by looking back at some of our favourite interviews with women filmmakers who have joined us on the Take. We’ve got Past Lives director Celine Song, editing legend and pioneer Thelma Schoonmaker, megastar actor-turned-director, Kate Winslet, and our live show guest Nia DaCosta on directing 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple. Plus we’ll hear from our Take guest booker Heather Dempsey about the importance of championing female filmmakers, and what barriers we need to keep pushing. If you’ve been putting off sorting your ISA, or you’re new to investing and don’t know where to start, Vanguard’s Managed ISA might be a good fit. Essentially, it’s a Stocks and Shares ISA but managed by Vanguard experts. They’llhelp you work out your risk appetite, match you to an investment plan that’s right for you, and then they’ll do the rest. So, you can focus on the things you’d rather be doing… like listening to more of the Take, of course. You can find out more at: https://www.vanguardinvestor.co.uk/investing-explained/stocks-shares-isa/we-do-it-for-you?cmpgn=DP0126PBAMISA01UKEN0082 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    27 mins
  • What did Mark make of the BAFTAs?
    Feb 26 2026
    Some exciting news—The Take is now on Patreon: www.patreon.com/kermodeandmayo. Become a Vanguardista or an Ultra Vanguardista to get video episodes of Take Two every week, plus member‑only chat rooms, polls and submissions to influence the show, behind‑the‑scenes photos and videos, the monthly Redactor’s Roundup newsletter, and access to a new fortnightly LIVE show—a raucous, unfiltered lunchtime special with the Good Doctors, new features, and live chat so you can heckle, vote, and have your questions read out in real time. Mark actually went to the BAFTAs this year IRL—and this week’s Take kicks off with a rundown of the winners and all the big moments of the ceremony, including of course some reflections on its controversy from Mark and Simon and from your correspondence. In celebration of Pixar’s 40th anniversary, Chief Creative Officer Pete Docter is our special guest this week. As the creative force behind some of Pixar’s most beloved films—including Up, Monsters Inc. and Inside Out, he joins Simon and Mark to celebrate the studio’s milestone birthday, and to look ahead to the release of their brand-new adventure, Hoppers. Featuring reflections on four decades of storytelling, a peek behind the animation curtain, and the secrets to making grown adults crumple into sobbing wrecks (in a good way). Mark’s Hoppers review is still to come next week—but first it’s another packed show with the Good Doctors’ verdicts on all the biggest big screen releases of this week. First up, the latest instalment in a horror institution, Scream 7, where the body count rises and we’re once again promised that this really is the last one of these films (bet it isn’t though). Remember what Mark thought of the last one? Well, you’re in for a ranty treat... Then there’s EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert—so anyone who knows how Mark feels about Elvis will know we’re in for a ravey treat. Plus The Testament of Ann Lee, a Shaker musical exploring faith, fervour, and ecstatic song starring Amanda Seyfried. You can hear her and director Mona Fastvold on last week’s show too. Finally, Sirât—the nerve-jangling desert-set tale from Oliver Laxe that is blowing minds left right and centre. Mark throws his hat into the ring. Plus all the usual delights of the Take: the box office top 10, the unpredictable and unbridled joy of the Laughter Lift, and your always-excellent correspondence. Thanks for listening! Timecodes 00:00:00 Show starts 00:15:21 Scream 7 review 00:24:54 Box Office Top 10 00:38:38 Pete Docter interview 00:56:49 The Testament of Ann Lee review 01:07:38 Laughter Lift 01:10:16 EPiC review 01:21:23 Sirât review You can contact the show by emailing correspondence@kermodeandmayo.com or you can find us on social media, @KermodeandMayo Please take our survey and help shape the future of our show: https://www.kermodeandmayo.com/survey EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ https://nordvpn.com/take Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee! A Sony Music Entertainment production. Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts and follow us @sonypodcasts To advertise on this show contact: podcastadsales@sonymusic.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    1 hr and 35 mins