Oh Brother

Dan and Mike Smith
  • 4.7 (14)
  • Film Reviews
  • Updated Weekly

Real brothers, Reel Talk: Dan & Mike Smith cover film, TV, & artist interviews 🍿📺🎤My brother Mike and I launched the “Oh Brother” podcast in 2020. The show’s primary objective is to share our enthusiasm for film and cinema in an informative and entertaining way. We also enjoy interviewing artists with diverse backgrounds in film and television who work both in front of and behind the scenes. We invite you to join us each week and follow the podcast so you never miss an episode. We’d love to hear from you, so email us or text us some fan mail to share your feedback on the show!

  1. 4d ago

    Project Hail Mary Review — Ryan Gosling's Best Sci-Fi Yet?

    Message Dan and Mike Four months ago we did a first look on Project Hail Mary and walked away genuinely excited. Now that we've seen it — Dan nearly three times, Mike once — we're ready to give it a full review. Ryan Gosling plays Ryland Grace, a molecular biologist moonlighting as a middle school teacher who wakes up alone in deep space, no memory intact, on what amounts to a suicide mission to save Earth from extinction. The film is dense and ambitious, and once it finds its footing — roughly an hour in when Grace meets the alien life form Rocky — it becomes something pretty special. We talk about what Lord and Miller pulled off here given the scope of the production, Gosling's continued growth as one of the most versatile actors working today, and the inspired work from puppeteer James Ortiz and his team of five (the Rocketeers) in bringing Rocky to life. We also get into the book-to-film changes, the runtime debate (the first cut was reportedly three and a half hours), cinematographer Greig Fraser's contributions, Sandra Hüller's Eva Stratt, and an unexpected Meryl Streep cameo that earns its laughs. We draw comparisons to The Martian, weigh in on the ratings discrepancy between Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic, and debate whether a sequel is even a good idea. Dan recommends it. Mike calls it a great family film. We both agree it could have been tightened. Project Hail Mary is streaming now on MGM+/Amazon Prime Video and may still be playing in select theaters near you. Support the show Oh Brother Podcast: Support the Show! (Be The First to Listen with Early Access)Listen on all podcast platformsSubscribe on YouTubeFollow us on Instagram

    52 min

  2. Jun 15

    Cool Hand Luke (1967) Review — Paul Newman, George Kennedy & One of Cinema's Most Quoted Lines

    Message Dan and Mike We finally got Dan in front of Cool Hand Luke for the first time, and this one did not disappoint. The 1967 Stuart Rosenberg film stars Paul Newman as Lucas Jackson — a decorated, easygoing war veteran who ends up on a Florida chain gang and absolutely refuses to be broken. It's a simple premise with a whole lot going on underneath it. We dig into what makes the film work, starting with Paul Newman's performance, which is somehow both understated and completely magnetic. George Kennedy won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Dragline — and we get into the wild behind-the-scenes story of how he paid $5,000 out of pocket to a consulting firm just to get his name in front of Oscar voters. It worked. His only Oscar, but it paid dividends for the rest of his career. We also talk about Strother Martin as Captain and Morgan Woodward as Boss Godfrey — a character who says nothing the entire film and still manages to be one of the most menacing screen villains either of us has seen. The supporting cast is stacked with actors who weren't famous yet: Dennis Hopper, Harry Dean Stanton, and a young Rance Howard (Ron Howard's father) all make appearances. The conversation covers the film's obvious spiritual imagery — the crucifixion pose after the egg-eating scene, the cross-shaped road in the final aerial shot, the Christ-like arc of Luke's story. We also trace the film's clear influence on what came after it: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, First Blood, The Shawshank Redemption — you can draw a straight line from Cool Hand Luke to all of them. On the craft side, the cinematography by Conrad Hall is remarkable — this is the same DP who later won Oscars for Road to Perdition and American Beauty. And Lalo Schifrin's score, which became so ubiquitous it ended up as the theme for ABC Nightly News, gets its due as well. 100% on Rotten Tomatoes. 92 Metacritic. In the Library of Congress. If you haven't seen it, this one's a must. Support the show Oh Brother Podcast: Support the Show! (Be The First to Listen with Early Access)Listen on all podcast platformsSubscribe on YouTubeFollow us on Instagram

    39 min

  3. Jun 10

    Cape Fear Review — Javier Bardem, Amy Adams & Patrick Wilson (Apple TV+)

    Message Dan and Mike We're two episodes into Apple TV+'s new adaptation of Cape Fear, and we have some thoughts. The series, which dropped its first two episodes on June 5th, stars Javier Bardem as Max Cady, Amy Adams as attorney Anna Bowden, and Patrick Wilson as her husband Tom — a family now living under the shadow of a man they may have wronged. Scorsese and Spielberg are both on board as executive producers, which raises the bar considerably. We came in with full knowledge of the source material. Mike read John D. McDonald's original novel, and both films — the 1962 version with Robert Mitchum and Gregory Peck, and Scorsese's 1991 remake with Robert De Niro and Nick Nolte — are part of the conversation throughout. What we were hoping to see is a reimagining that earns its place alongside those films. What we got, at least in these first two episodes, is something we're still trying to make sense of. The issues start early. Javier Bardem's portrayal of Max Cady lacks the menace that both Mitchum and De Niro brought to the role in very different ways. His introduction at the fundraiser gala — rambling speech, handed the microphone without hesitation, no security in sight — was hard to take seriously. The violence skews gratuitous in a way that feels less like intensity and more like a substitute for it. There are subplots involving the teenage son, an online chat that's clearly not what it seems, and a mysterious masked figure in a green trench coat that we couldn't make heads or tails of. The series also appears to be steering toward a version of events where Max Cady may actually be innocent — which, if true, is a significant departure from everything that makes this story work. We also noticed an Easter egg worth mentioning: Wesley Strick, who wrote the screenplay for the '91 film, shows up in a cameo as an ER doctor. We're essentially split after two episodes — one of us is out, the other is holding on to see what episode three brings. We'll check in again if the series turns things around — and if you don't see another Cape Fear episode on the channel, that's probably your answer. If you've seen the films, read the book, or are watching the series yourself, we want to hear from you — especially if you're a Javier Bardem fan and think he's bringing something to the role we're not seeing yet. Support the show Oh Brother Podcast: Support the Show! (Be The First to Listen with Early Access)Listen on all podcast platformsSubscribe on YouTubeFollow us on Instagram

    40 min

  4. Jun 3

    The Man Who Wasn't There | Coen Brothers Criterion Review (25th Anniversary)

    Message Dan and Mike We're back with our eighth installment of the Oh Brother Criterion Collection reviews, and this one is our fourth Coen Brothers entry — the 2001 neo-noir masterpiece, The Man Who Wasn't There, celebrating its 25th anniversary. Billy Bob Thornton plays Ed Crane, a laconic small-town barber who speaks little but observes everything. When he discovers his wife Doris is having an affair with her boss Big Dave, Ed hatches a blackmail scheme to fund an investment in a dry cleaning operation — setting off a chain of events that spirals far beyond his control. It's classic Coen Brothers territory: crime, consequence, absurdity, and a richly drawn moral vacuum at the center of it all. We break down the full cast, including Frances McDormand as Doris, James Gandolfini as Big Dave, a scene-stealing Tony Shalhoub as attorney Freddie Riedenschneider, a very young Scarlett Johansson, and the always reliable John Polito. We also dig into Roger Deakins' stunning black-and-white cinematography — shot in color and reprinted in monochrome — and some of the film's most memorable sequences, including a brilliant tracking shot through an apartment hallway, a hubcap rolling down a hillside, and UFO imagery woven throughout Dennis Gassner's production design. On the Criterion side, we cover the full supplement package: the Coen Brothers' commentary track from 2004, a new 2025 interview with the brothers conducted by Megan Abbott, the Roger Deakins interview, and more. We also share our thoughts on whether the 4K upgrade is worth it if you already own the Blu-ray. The Man Who Wasn't There was a box office non-event in its time — roughly $19 million worldwide — but by any other measure it holds up as a quietly remarkable piece of filmmaking. Worth seeking out if you haven't seen it, and worth revisiting if you have. Support the show Oh Brother Podcast: Support the Show! (Be The First to Listen with Early Access)Listen on all podcast platformsSubscribe on YouTubeFollow us on Instagram

    55 min

  5. May 27

    The Mandalorian and Grogu Review — Was It Worth the 7-Year Wait?

    Message Dan and Mike The first Star Wars film in seven years is finally here, and we're breaking down The Mandalorian and Grogu with a mostly spoiler-free review. Dan saw it opening night, Mike saw it the night before we recorded, and we are not on the same page — which makes for one of our most honest conversations yet. We cover everything: the opening weekend box office, whether the film delivers on years of buildup, how it connects (or doesn't) to the Mandalorian series, the new villain Rotta the Hutt, Sigourney Weaver's role, Pedro Pascal's presence in the film, the missing opening crawl, and what the production budget decisions may have cost the final product. We also get into what this film means for the future of Star Wars on the big screen — including the upcoming Ryan Gosling Starfighter film — and whether Disney and Lucasfilm have a real path forward. If you're a Star Wars fan who just saw the movie and want to hear two brothers who care deeply about this franchise actually dig into it, this is the episode. And if you loved it, we want to hear from you — send us a message using the link in the show notes and make the case. Support the show Oh Brother Podcast: Support the Show! (Be The First to Listen with Early Access)Listen on all podcast platformsSubscribe on YouTubeFollow us on Instagram

    48 min

  6. May 18

    Keanu Reeves & Jonah Hill's Outcome (2026) Review: A Wasted Opportunity

    Message Dan and Mike We finally got around to Outcome, the new Apple TV+ dark comedy directed by Jonah Hill and starring Keanu Reeves as a sober Hollywood star forced onto an apology tour after a blackmailer threatens to tank his career. On paper, it has everything — a great cast, a sharp premise, Cameron Diaz, Matt Bomer. In practice, it just doesn't work. We dig into why the film falls short despite its ingredients: the tonal whiplash between its quieter character moments and Jonah Hill's grating lawyer performance, the writing that mistakes shallow self-awareness for depth, and the central casting problem of asking Keanu Reeves to play someone genuinely unlikable. The good news is we find a few things worth talking about, including some standout scenes and what the film almost gets right. We also go a bit broader this episode. Outcome touches on AI's growing role in celebrity culture and filmmaking, and that conversation takes us somewhere interesting — from the blurring line between real and artificial performance to what it means when Hollywood starts leaning on technology to paper over creative problems. Not a recommendation, but definitely a conversation worth having. Oh Brother Podcast: Support the Show! (Be The First to Listen with Early Access)Listen on all podcast platformsSubscribe on YouTubeFollow us on Instagram

    34 min

  7. May 11

    Jaafar Jackson Delivers. Does the Michael Biopic?

    Message Dan and Mike We finally saw Michael — Antoine Fuqua's long-awaited biopic about the King of Pop — and we have thoughts. Dan and Mike break down Jaafar Jackson's performance as his legendary uncle, the film's decision to sidestep the 1993 allegations entirely, and whether the finished product does justice to one of the most complicated legacies in music history. We get into what Fuqua gets right — the recreation of Thriller, the Jackson 5 years, the raw energy of Michael on stage — and what the film conspicuously leaves out. With a 97% audience score and only a 38% from critics on Rotten Tomatoes, Michael has sparked a real fan-versus-critic divide, and we fall somewhere in between. If you've seen it, you know there's a lot to unpack. If you haven't, consider this your spoiler-friendly guide to whether it's worth the trip to the theater. Oh Brother Podcast: Support the Show! (Be The First to Listen with Early Access)Listen on all podcast platformsSubscribe on YouTubeFollow us on Instagram

    50 min

  8. May 4

    Sean Penn & Christopher Walken in At Close Range (1986) — Full Review

    Message Dan and Mike This week we're reviewing At Close Range, James Foley's 1986 rural noir crime film — newly available in a 4K restoration from Cinematographe. It's the kind of release that makes you wonder why it took this long. Based on the true story of the Johnston Gang, a Pennsylvania crime family whose reign ended in betrayal and murder, the film stars Sean Penn as Brad Whitewood Jr., a young man who seeks out his estranged father only to find someone far more dangerous than he bargained for. Christopher Walken plays Brad Sr. — and it's one of his most unsettling performances, not because of theatrics, but because of how still and certain he is in every scene. We talk through the full film: what holds up, what the 4K presentation brings out visually, and why this one never quite got its flowers the first time around. Penn and Walken are the obvious draw, but the supporting cast — Mary Stuart Masterson, Chris Penn, Crispin Glover, Kiefer Sutherland — gives the film a texture that a lot of crime dramas from this era are missing. Director James Foley and cinematographer Juan Ruiz Anchía built something that looks genuinely stunning in this new transfer. We also get into the Madonna factor — how "Live to Tell" came to be the film's centerpiece, and how it lands in context versus how most people know it. This is the kind of film a 4K box set was made for. We break down whether it lives up to the occasion. Oh Brother Podcast: Support the Show! (Be The First to Listen with Early Access)Listen on all podcast platformsSubscribe on YouTubeFollow us on Instagram

    53 min
See All (269)

4.7
out of 5
14 Ratings

About

Real brothers, Reel Talk: Dan & Mike Smith cover film, TV, & artist interviews 🍿📺🎤My brother Mike and I launched the “Oh Brother” podcast in 2020. The show’s primary objective is to share our enthusiasm for film and cinema in an informative and entertaining way. We also enjoy interviewing artists with diverse backgrounds in film and television who work both in front of and behind the scenes. We invite you to join us each week and follow the podcast so you never miss an episode. We’d love to hear from you, so email us or text us some fan mail to share your feedback on the show!

Information

  • Creator
    Dan and Mike Smith
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    269
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Oh Brother
  • Show Website
    Oh Brother

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