The Drop with Osman Faruqi SMH & The Age

Two of the most hyped films of the year have been released in cinemas this week: Alex Garland's Civil War, starring Kirsten Dunst and Luca Gaudignino's Challengers, starring Zendaya.

Civil War is a bracing, incendiary and controversial look at a future, war-torn America and the role journalists play in covering conflict. Challengers is a throwback to erotic thrillers of the 90s, a tennis film that is really about sex, power and relationships.

Osman and Thomas discuss the movies, the complicated reaction to Civil War and how Challengers confirms Zendaya's star power.
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After 12 seasons and 25 years Curb Your Enthusiasm has finally bowed out, and paid homage to one of the most controversial TV finales of all time. Osman and Thomas discuss the best and worst TV finales, from The Sopranos and Mad Men to Lost and Game of Thrones, and what makes some work while others fall flat. They also discuss two of the most elegant shows on TV right now, Ripley and Shogun, and what makes them transcend other shows.
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Beyoncé’s latest album, Cowboy Carter, is a sprawling ode to the black roots of country as well as being a critique of America and the music industry at large. Osman and Thomas review the album and discuss how it’s been received, by those who love it and those who don’t. They discuss the new Netflix series Ripley and how it comes to the film starring Matt Damon and Jude Law before unpacking Monkey Man, the wild debut film from actor Dev Patel. Then Dev joins the show the talk about making the movie, his influences and the political message of the story.
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From pop to RnB, hip-hop to country, Osman, Thomas and Mel survey some of the biggest releases of the year. They discuss new albums from Waxahatchee, Kacey Musgraves, Ariana Grande, Tyla, Future and more, unpacking the continued dominance of country and the malaise mainstream hip-hop seems to be in. Plus, the best in TV and books out this week.
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What do a new rom-com starring Lindsay Lohan and an epic mystery show by the creators of Game of Thrones have in common? They both debuted on Netflix this week.

Irish Wish (the number film on Netflix right now) and Three Body Problem sit at both ends of streamer's content strategy: Light, easy to digest fluff and high-budget, high-concept prestige.

Osman, Thomas and Mel review both releases and discuss the current streaming landscape and Netflix's role in it. Plus, they share their film, TV and book recommendations of the week.
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What's driving the obsession and conspiracy theories over the Royal photo scandal?

Osman, Thomas and Mel explain how the situation unfolding, discuss why it lit a cultural flare, and how it fits into our contemporary understanding of celebrity culture. They discuss their favourite Royal-themed movies, likely Oscar contenders for 2025 and share their pop culture recommendations on Impress Your Friends.
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