Above the Line is a film podcast about contemporary cinema, film culture, & the theatrical experience. Hosted by Ian & McKenzie.
Above The Line Podcast
We highlight new films they've seen lately, then have a a brief conversation about the swings and risks of David Lowery's latest and how they (mostly) pay off. Finally, we get into a shared recent favorite of ours: the very very charming film, The Sheep Detectives.
On this episode (recorded on 3/7/2026), we discuss what we think should win and will win at the 98th Academy Awards. Additionally, we discuss some of our personal favorites from this year in all the categories.
We catch up on our Oscar preparations by rewatching and discussing Ryan Coogler's Sinners. We discuss the record breaking 16 Oscar nominations this movie recently received, its big blockbusting spectacle, the performances that we love, and the thematic multitudes that it contains.
Join us as we watch the Oscar Nominations get announced live and react in real time!
On this episode we are joined by our friend Josh Wilbur to discuss the newest in Rian Johnson's Knives Out series. Wake Up Dead Man is, in our opinion, without question the best of these films yet and we love just about everything about it.
On this episode we discuss Hamnet and why it works better for some people than it does for others. We talk about Jessie Buckley's powerhouse performance, Paul Mescal's so-so performance. Then, we discuss the film in the context of the 2025 Oscar race.
Ian and McKenzie give their brief reviews and some thoughts on Jafar Panahi's It Was Just an Accident. McKenzie also reports on seeing the man himself in-person at a Q&A at Chicago's Music Box Theatre.
On this episode we are joined by Frankie Simmons and Josh Wilbur to discuss the newest film from Joachim Trier as he teams back up with Renate Reinsve.
We are joined by Christian Gutiérrez to chat about the latest from Guillermo del Toro, his adaptation of Mary Shelley’s iconic Frankenstein.
On this episode we are joined by Kevin Reilly Jr. to break down the new film from Yorgos Lanthimos and Emma Stone, Bugonia.
Ian and McKenzie discuss Richard Linklater’s new film Blue Moon, in this transcript from the Above The Line episode (edited for readability).