Between Screenings

Neil

Between Screenings is a film podcast hosted by Neil Jeram-Croft and Tom Percival — two critics who live for cinema and the conversations it sparks.Each episode dives into what’s new on screens big and small — from festival discoveries and arthouse standouts to the biggest blockbusters and hidden gems. Expect honest reviews, spirited debates, insider perspectives from the festival circuit, and the kind of film chat that usually happens in the lobby, between screenings.New episodes every fortnight. Join us, and keep the conversation going between screenings.

  1. 3d ago

    Ghosts, Wildwood, Clayface and the Bond Casting Race

    Send us Fan Mail Neil and Tom Percival catch up on what they've watched since their last episode. They cover a family sitcom spin-off, a record-breaking stop-motion film, a gritty superhero movie and the race to be the next James Bond. What's covered Ghosts: The Possession of Button House (0:33). Tom's favourite recent watch. He says it works on the big screen, with spookier moments and a very funny Julian. He thinks fans of the series will love it, and he makes the case for supporting a British film at the cinema.Wildwood (6:27). Tom saw Laika's stop-motion film at a London Film Festival Q&A with director Travis Knight. He calls it a "five-star banger" and a film to see on the biggest screen. He also covers its long production, its budget and its box office so far.Forgotten Island (12:24). Tom found the DreamWorks animation overly busy and cliched, and not one to take kids to.Clayface (15:28). Both give it a solid three stars. They talk about the early body horror that fades, the budget limits, which version of Gotham it's set in and where it sits in the DCU. They praise the lead performance and the Rob Brydon cameo.I Play Rocky (25:17). A spoiler-light recommendation of the Stallone biopic, driven by a standout performance from Anthony Ippolito.Neil's quick reviews (27:56). Street Fighter is silly fun that runs long. Florid is a moving, low-budget British drama about schizophrenia. Bad Apples is carried by Saoirse Ronan but slow in the first two acts.The Bond casting race (36:40). They debate the reported candidates, including Jack Lowden, Callum Turner and Jack O'Connell. Neil and Tom both pick Jack O'Connell as the most exciting choice.Beatles films, UK release dates and wrap-up (43:11). The four Beatles films coming out on one day, why UK releases lag behind the US, and what they're watching next. Films mentioned: Ghosts, Wildwood, Forgotten Island, Clayface, I Play Rocky, Street Fighter, Florid, Bad Apples, Good Boy, The Dropout.

  2. Oct 7

    Why Digger’s Twist Turned a Fun Movie Into a Furious Disaster plus reviews and film news.

    Send us Fan Mail Between Screenings: The Love Hypothesis, Resident Evil, Cycle of Love, and Digger Neil and Tom catch up on the latest films they’ve seen, covering a familiar rom-com adaptation, a stripped-back Resident Evil spin, a heartfelt documentary built from recreation, and Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s divisive Digger. They also look ahead to the London Film Festival and the titles on their radar. Key topics The Love Hypothesis — Tom discusses the Amazon Prime rom-com’s fan-fiction origins and its familiar fake-dating story.A streaming rom-com’s appeal — Is it a harmless, low-stakes watch, or an easy skip?Resident Evil as a creature feature — Neil explains why Zach Cregger’s take worked for him, even though he isn’t a longtime fan of the franchise.The game’s influence — They consider how the film borrows the games’ isolated perspective while departing from familiar characters and storylines.Cycle of Love — Neil shares the real-life story behind the documentary and how it recreates a bicycle journey from India to Sweden with little archive footage.Digger’s twist — The hosts explain why the film’s theatrical framing left them frustrated and undercut the story’s momentum.Performances and awards chatter — They discuss what worked in Digger, its box-office performance, and Tom Cruise’s awards prospects.London Film Festival preview — Neil and Tom share some of the films they’re looking forward to seeing.

  3. Sep 14

    Venice, LFF, and the films worth your time - plus the one World War II movie that actually feels new.

    Send us Fan Mail Neil and Tom are back with a packed catch-up that jumps from holiday gossip and celebrity brush-ins straight into the films, festivals, and surprises shaping the season. If you want to know what to watch next, what to skip, and what everyone will be arguing about at Venice and the BFI London Film Festival, this is the episode to hear first. Tom comes in hot with reactions to Camp Miasma, the horror comedy that completely won him over, and Oasis: Don’t Look Back in Anger, which he says is far more entertaining in IMAX than any music doc has a right to be. He also makes the case for Pressure, a D-Day thriller that stands out by turning the weather itself into the enemy, with Andrew Scott and Brendan Fraser going head-to-head in a 72-hour race against disaster. Neil brings two very different films into the mix: One Night Only, the rom-com built around a wild sex-law premise, and The Dog Stars, Ridley Scott’s slow-burn post-pandemic drama with Jacob Elordi, Margaret Qualley, Guy Pearce, Josh Brolin, and Alison Janney. The conversation gets into what works, what doesn’t, and why some films are unfairly judged for being exactly what they set out to be. You’ll discover: why Camp Miasma is being called a wild, gory love letter to slasher movieswhy Oasis: Don’t Look Back in Anger works best on the biggest screen possiblewhat makes Pressure feel like a fresh take on WWII cinemawhy One Night Only is a pure “three-star” crowd-pleaserwhether The Dog Stars deserves its rough reviews or just needs the right audienceThen the episode opens up into a bigger festival conversation, with Venice, London, awards-season buzz, and a look at the films already generating heat - including Prime Target, Danny Boyle’s AI-tinged new project, and the movies Neil is most excited to catch at LFF. There’s also the usual healthy amount of debate about Ridley Scott, Night Shyamalan, box office math, streaming habits, and why some films are better in the cinema than at home.

About

Between Screenings is a film podcast hosted by Neil Jeram-Croft and Tom Percival — two critics who live for cinema and the conversations it sparks.Each episode dives into what’s new on screens big and small — from festival discoveries and arthouse standouts to the biggest blockbusters and hidden gems. Expect honest reviews, spirited debates, insider perspectives from the festival circuit, and the kind of film chat that usually happens in the lobby, between screenings.New episodes every fortnight. Join us, and keep the conversation going between screenings.