JJ and Steve wrap up this season of Trailer Rewind with a powerful film. This is one of the few films that JJ doesn’t want to spoil. He and Steve both agree that you should avoid this trailer until after you have watched the film. Antebellum takes its time to tell its story, but JJ and Steve agree that the payoff is worth the wait.

It would be a disservice to the film to just say that JJ and Steve are just checking a box with “If Beale Street Could Talk”. While both of them had it on their list of films to see in 2018 neither of them ever got around to seeing it until now. They can now check that box, but both of them agree that its a film not to be missed.

This is a tough film to recommend because it’s not entertainment, and it doesn’t feel right to call this story enjoyable. However, both JJ and Steve agree that there is something to be learned from stories like this. It is a film that is likely to start great conversations with friends.

To close out the series of war films, Tommy joins JJ and Steve to discuss The Kill Team. Will this finally be a war film that is actually about war?

During their seasons on Trailer Rewind JJ and Steve have seen a lot. Will they be the same when they come back from watching The Yellow Birds? Is the talented cast of Alden Ehrenreich, Tye Sheridan, Toni Collette, Jennifer Aniston, Jason Patric and Jack Huston able to hold this film together? Is this film for you? Within the first 15 minutes of this episode you will know whether you will push play, or keep scrolling.

John Cena and Aaron Taylor-Johnson are stuck at the wall, and together with Laith Nakli’s voice we have a film about relationships and the power of words — and weapons — to navigate war in The Wall.

The Book of Henry is not the film any of us expected. This is a film that splits audiences - including JJ, Steve and Tommy. Is this film for you? Within the first 15 minutes of this episode you will know whether you will push play, or keep scrolling.

Joanna Hogg’s 2019 film The Souvenir is based on her own experiences as a student filmmaker in the 1980s. This leads JJ and Steve to again ponder the question of whether such a personal story can be fully accessible to an audience. They are sharply divided on their ratings, but agree that this isn’t a film for everyone. Listen in to the episode to find out who they think this film is for.

JJ and Steve travel back to 1995. That time when landlines were ubiquitous and had yet surrendered to the internet, cell phones and texting. Although Landline is from 2017, it feels like a close relative to the mid-90s indie film scene that was bursting onto the festival circuit at the time.

The Roads Not Taken is a challenging film to watch. The question is whether it is intended to be oblique or if it is such a personal film that audiences aren’t expected to fully access the intent and meaning behind it.

Tommy joins JJ and Steve in a discussion of The Endless, the story of two brothers that have escaped from a weird death cult. Is it a cult, or just a commune of people that like being off the grid? Is this a horror film or a sci-fi film? Can it be both?

When is a film that has scenes with Kirk and Spock not a Star Trek movie? Well . . . when it’s a film about a young woman writing an epic screenplay for a Star Trek contest.

Is there magical realism woven into the end of this film? Possibly. Will kids want to carve watermelon helmets after watching this? Maybe. Is this a film that the whole family can watch together and enjoy? Steve and JJ disagree. Listen in to find out why.

JJ and Steve are joined by Tommy to make sense of the puzzle that is The Goldfinch. It’s not that the story is complex or difficult to decipher. It’s not that there’s a mystery to solve. It’s just that it is very challenging to describe why this film doesn’t work. Why does a Pulitzer Prize winning novel not translate to the big screen? Is there not enough, or is it too much? Is “beautiful disaster” the most appropriate description?

For some reason this film about building a 1000 mile underground fiber optic connection was also buried underground. In this story about an attempt to set a speed record in round trip communications JJ and Steve find that it’s the back half of the story where this film reveals its true intent.

When is a movie that features characters trying to break out of prison not a prison break movie? How can you watch a man earn his freedom and not feel elated? These are just a few of the questions that JJ and Steve dig into during their conversation about Papillon (2017).

This week JJ and Steve are joined by Ocean, from TNR’s Silver Linings podcast, to discuss Julius Onah’s 2019 film Luce. It’s not easy to delve into this story without setting off some spoilers, so listen to the first few minutes of this episode to find out if this is a film for you.

Edison scrolling on a smartphone? Tesla karaoke? Just what is going on in this film? Steve and JJ delve into Michael Almereyda’s puzzling 2020 film TESLA.

Today one of our newest TNR voices, Ocean, takes a trip with Steve to meet The Last Black Man in San Francisco. They agree that this is a film that has a distinctive opening, but there’s a sharp difference of opinion at the heart of this episode. Find out what makes the last Trailer Rewind of 2020 a contentious one.

It’s a rare occasion when Steve and Andy have an in-depth conversation about a film. One thing you can be sure of is that they know how to pick them. For this Trailer Rewind, Steve and Andy are traveling abroad for a suspenseful ride along with Chris, Gwada, and Stephane Ruiz in 2019’s Les Misérables.