Movie Files

Big IP | Realm
  • 5.0 (15)
  • TV Reviews
  • Updated Weekly

Hi everyone and welcome to "Movie Files." Elliott here to Review New Movies & TV shows, Host Live Streams & much more! Rotten Tomatoes 🍅 and member of the St. Louis Film Critics Association and love watching and discussing the latest movies and great television shows on a daily basis. I'm here to provide you with my insightful thoughts and opinions but I also want to know what you think as well as I'm wanting to create a positive and fun community. Please follow and join me on this journey!

  1. 1d ago

    'LANTERNS' Episode 5 Breakdown | Why John Stewart Walked Away From the Ring

    John Stewart finally gets the Green Lantern ring in LANTERNS Episode 5, “Lights Out” and then chooses to walk away from the destiny he’s spent his entire life chasing. Elliott breaks down Zoe’s final plan, the truth about Abin Sur, Rushville’s destruction, Hal and John’s brutal fallout, and why John rejecting the ring may actually prove he’s finally worthy of it. Plus, what did Zoe really teach Noah, where does Hal’s ring go next, and what happened during the missing ten years before Hal Jordan’s death in 2026? Follow Movie Files: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MovieFilesTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@moviefiles_Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/moviefilesX / Twitter: https://twitter.com/MovieFilesLiveLetterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/moviefiles/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MovieFilesLive Subscribe to the Movie Files Podcast on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and follow for weekly LANTERNS breakdowns, reviews, theories, and Case File updates. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  2. Sep 9

    'HOPE' Review | Too Good to Be This Frustrating

    Ten years after The Wailing, director Na Hong-jin returns with HOPE, an ambitious Korean sci-fi creature feature starring Hwang Jung-min, Zo In-sung, Hoyeon, Taylor Russell, Cameron Britton, Alicia Vikander and Michael Fassbender. And I genuinely cannot remember the last time a movie left me this conflicted. There are stretches of HOPE that feel like a near-masterpiece: incredible tension, visceral filmmaking, phenomenal practical stunt work and two absolutely insane car chase sequences. The first half had me completely locked in as the movie slowly builds its creature mystery without showing us too much too soon. But once those creatures are fully revealed…things changed for me. In this episode, I’m breaking down why the CGI became such a major distraction, why some of the comedy and nearly 3-hour runtime started working against the movie, and why the final stretch left me feeling like an entire piece of the story was missing. And somehow, despite all of those frustrations…I still recommend seeing it on the biggest screen possible. HOPE is one of the most ambitious, thrilling and frustrating movies I’ve seen in 2026 — and probably the most conflicted 3/5 I’ve ever given.  Spoiler-Free Review Topics include:Na Hong-jin’s direction • HOPE’s creature design • CGI vs. practical effects • the car chase sequences • performances • comedy • pacing • IMAX experience • the ending • sequel setup • final rating If you’ve seen HOPE, let me know where you landed on this one — masterpiece, mess…or somewhere in between? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  3. Sep 8

    'LANTERNS' Episode 4 Breakdown | Zoe, the Manhunters & the Guardians’ Secret

    LANTERNS Season 1 Episode 4 pushes John Stewart deeper into the mystery surrounding Zoe, the Manhunters, and the Guardians while raising an even bigger question: how much of who we become is actually our own choice? In this full spoiler breakdown, I discuss Zoe’s true nature and whether she should be viewed as a monster, a victim, or something far more complicated. We also dive into John’s growing connection with her, the episode’s fascinating parallel between Manhunter programming and John’s own upbringing, and why John immediately questions whether someone created for a specific purpose can still choose a different path. Plus, we break down Lianna and the Guardians, whether John should really trust what he’s being told, Hal Jordan’s continued distrust of the Corps, the tension developing between Hal and John, and the larger mystery surrounding what the Guardians may be hiding about the Manhunters. There are also some major questions still hanging over Rushville, the Benefactor, Abin Sur, and what all of this could mean for John Stewart’s future as Green Lantern. This is my full SPOILER Review, Discussion, Deep Dive and Scene Breakdown of LANTERNS Episode 4. What do you think: Is Zoe a monster or the real victim? Can John trust the Guardians? And does Zoe actually have a choice? Topics include:LANTERNS Episode 4, John Stewart, Hal Jordan, Zoe, Manhunters, Lianna, the Guardians, Green Lantern Corps, Rushville, DCU theories, Easter eggs, ending explained, and Episode 4 theories. Movie Files New episodes covering LANTERNS, DCU theories, movie reviews, TV breakdowns, ending explained videos, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  4. Sep 1

    ‘LANTERNS’ Episode 3 Breakdown | John Stewart’s Origin, Fear & the Cost of Greatness

    Lanterns Episode 3, “OutKast,” gives us our deepest look yet at John Stewart and completely reframes his Green Lantern origin. Elliott breaks down the huge reveal that John Stewart Sr. was originally chosen by a Green Lantern ring before Hal Jordan and how admitting he was afraid ultimately shaped the way John was raised. We dive into Bernadette Stewart, Black exceptionalism, fear, emotional repression, family expectations and identity, including the pressure placed on John as a child, his growing distance from his brothers, and why his mother taught him to control emotions she was also struggling to suppress herself. Plus, we explain why the mysterious bird construct from Episode 2 suddenly means so much more, John’s military career, his artistic side, the incredibly detailed watch construct and its DC Comics connection, and why John may ultimately become a great Lantern not just because he’s a soldier but because he’s an artist. And then comes the major reveal: the Guardians don’t want John to be Hal Jordan’s backup. They want him to replace Hal. Which makes Hal telling John he’ll get the ring “over my dead body” VERY interesting considering what we already know happens ten years later. Topics Discussed: John Stewart’s origin • John Sr. and the Green Lantern ring • Bernadette Stewart • Black exceptionalism • John’s childhood and brothers • the bird construct • John’s military career • his artistic side • Green Lantern comic connections • “OutKast” meaning • Hal Jordan’s replacement • “over my dead body” foreshadowing John Stewart wasn’t raised to be fearless he was raised to make fear invisible. Did John’s parents prepare him for greatness, or sacrifice too much of his childhood trying? Lanterns is streaming on HBO Max. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  5. Aug 27

    'BUDDY' Review One of the Weirdest Horror Surprises of 2026

    In this episode of the Movie Files Podcast, Elliott reviews BUDDY (2026), the bizarre new horror-comedy from director Casper Kelly starring Keegan-Michael Key, Cristin Milioti, and Delaney Quinn. Imagine Barney, Pee-wee’s Playhouse, Five Nights at Freddy’s, The Backrooms, and Alice in Wonderland colliding inside one colorful childhood nightmare. Elliott breaks down why Buddy completely surprised him, including its incredible production design, creepy children’s-show aesthetic, awkward humor, strong performances, and the surprisingly interesting themes of childhood innocence, control, and manipulation. He also discusses where the movie falls short, why he wanted more answers about the mythology and mechanics of Buddy’s world, and why his horror-loving brain wished the kills went just a little harder. Is BUDDY worth watching? Is this giant orange unicorn basically Barney from Hell? And how did something this strange actually work? Find out in this spoiler-free review. Topics: Buddy review, Buddy 2026, Buddy movie review, horror movies 2026, horror comedy, Keegan-Michael Key, Cristin Milioti, Casper Kelly, new horror movies, Movie Files Podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  6. Aug 25

    'LANTERNS' Episode 2 Breakdown: The Manhunter Mystery, Abin Sur & Rushville Explained

    The mystery gets even deeper in Lanterns Episode 2, “Trust Fall.” In this episode of Movie Files, Elliott breaks down everything from Episode 2, including the shocking reveal surrounding the Manhunter, why Antaan and his people are really in Rushville, and what it could mean for Abin Sur’s mysterious arrival in Nebraska. We also dive into the growing tension between John Stewart and Hal Jordan, the meaning behind the episode’s “Trust Fall” title, John’s relationship with Zoe, the mystery surrounding Will Macon’s Benefactor, and why there may be something much bigger happening underneath Rushville. Plus, we explore the biggest DC theories coming out of the episode, including possible connections to the Manhunters, Atrocitus, the Red Lanterns, and the larger mythology being built for the DCU. Topics Discussed: Lanterns Episode 2 full breakdown The Manhunter explained Did the Manhunter kill Abin Sur? Why Antaan is hunting the Manhunter John Stewart and Hal Jordan’s trust issues What makes Rushville so important? Will Macon and the mysterious Benefactor Red Lantern and Atrocitus theories Easter eggs, DC Comics connections & Episode 3 theories What do you think the Manhunter is really doing in Rushville and do you trust Hal Jordan after Episode 2? Lanterns is streaming on HBO Max. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  7. Aug 17

    'LANTERNS' Episode 1 Breakdown: Hal Jordan, John Stewart, Theories & That Ending

    LANTERNS is officially here, and Episode 1 gives us a grounded Green Lantern mystery filled with major questions, character development, DC Comics connections and one shocking ending. In this episode, I break down the premiere scene by scene while diving deeper into Aaron Pierre’s John Stewart, Kyle Chandler’s Hal Jordan, their mentor-and-trainee dynamic, the recurring theme of fear, John’s mysterious family history, Abin Sur’s connection to Nebraska, the Rushville case, the Halogram, Will Macon, Waylon Sanders and the biggest clues the series may be setting up. We also open the LANTERNS Case File and discuss some of the premiere’s biggest questions and theories: Who killed Hal Jordan?Who took his ring?Why was Abin Sur really in Nebraska?What are Waylon’s people seeking vengeance for?Who does Will Macon work for?And is Hal Jordan actually gone? Plus, I give my full spoiler review of Episode 1, including thoughts on Aaron Pierre and Kyle Chandler’s performances, their chemistry, the grounded True Detective-inspired tone and whether this approach will work for longtime Green Lantern fans. Full spoilers ahead. Follow Movie Files for weekly LANTERNS reviews, breakdowns, theories, DC connections and Case File updates throughout the season. FOLLOW ME ► TikTok | https://www.tiktok.com/@moviefiles_ ► Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/moviefiles ► Twitter | https://twitter.com/MovieFilesLive ► Letterboxd | https://letterboxd.com/moviefiles/ ► Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/MovieFilesLive Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  8. Aug 12

    Christopher Nolan: Is He the Greatest Director of His Generation?

    Is Christopher Nolan the greatest filmmaker of his generation — and could he be the greatest director working today? In this episode of the Movie Files Podcast, we take a deep dive into the career, filmmaking style, influence, and legacy of Christopher Nolan. From Memento and The Dark Knight Trilogy to Inception, Interstellar, Dunkirk, Tenet, Oppenheimer, and The Odyssey, Nolan has spent nearly three decades accomplishing something increasingly rare in Hollywood: turning ambitious, director-driven filmmaking into genuine blockbuster events. But what makes Christopher Nolan’s movies feel so different? We explore Nolan’s evolution as a filmmaker, his obsession with time, memory, identity, guilt, sacrifice, family, and mortality, his commitment to practical filmmaking and IMAX, his ability to consistently attract incredible actors, and why he continues to trust audiences with complicated stories rather than simplifying his ideas. We also look at the defining moments that transformed Nolan from an independent filmmaker behind Following and Memento into one of the few directors whose name alone can sell a movie. Topics include: • Why Christopher Nolan has become one of Hollywood’s last true event filmmakers• How Nolan continues to challenge himself with every movie• Why practical filmmaking and IMAX remain so important to his work• Nolan’s refusal to underestimate his audience• Why TIME appears throughout so much of his filmography• His collaborations with actors and ability to inspire memorable performances• How The Dark Knight, Inception, Interstellar, and Oppenheimer changed his career• What The Odyssey represents for the next chapter of Nolan’s filmmaking• And the ultimate question: Has Christopher Nolan earned a place among the greatest directors of all time? Whether you’ve followed Nolan since Memento or discovered his work through The Dark Knight, Inception, Interstellar, or Oppenheimer, this is a celebration and examination of one of the defining filmmakers of modern cinema. 🎙️ Let me know: Where does Christopher Nolan rank among your favorite directors — and if you could only keep ONE Christopher Nolan movie, which one would it be? FOLLOW MOVIE FILES YouTube: Movie FilesTikTok: @moviefiles_Instagram: @moviefilesTwitter/X: @MovieFilesLiveLetterboxd: MovieFiles ⭐ Follow the Movie Files Podcast wherever you listen to podcasts, and leave a rating or review if you enjoyed the episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

See All (172)

5
out of 5
15 Ratings

About

Hi everyone and welcome to "Movie Files." Elliott here to Review New Movies & TV shows, Host Live Streams & much more! Rotten Tomatoes 🍅 and member of the St. Louis Film Critics Association and love watching and discussing the latest movies and great television shows on a daily basis. I'm here to provide you with my insightful thoughts and opinions but I also want to know what you think as well as I'm wanting to create a positive and fun community. Please follow and join me on this journey!

Information

  • Creator
    Big IP | Realm
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    172
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2025