The Sleepless Cinematic Podcast
Emilio, Madeline, and Julian love music, and spend their afternoons and evenings working for and teaching at a music school in midtown Manhattan. But they also really love movies. A lot. So when they're done teaching, they stay up late and discuss a movie, sometimes a few, that they've all agreed to see recently. Opinions, musings, personal stories, and sincere film enthusiasm ensue.
The Sleepless Cinematic Podcast
"We're Americans" - 'Us' (2019) and 'Sinners' (2025) with Mariquita Reese
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Continuing their cycle dedicated to Twins and Doppelgängers, Julian, Madeline and Emilio welcome friend of the pod and always delightful guest Mariquita Reese for their "Two Shot" episode to discuss two recent horror-coded films rich with metaphors and themes pertaining to race in America, Jordan Peele's 2018 film 'Us' and Ryan Coogler's critical and commercial hit 'Sinners' from 2025. Though genre conventions and mainstream thrills are at the heart of both of these films, there is A LOT there to discuss, and the group hones in on the ways dualities present themselves throughout these movies. Dual roles, dichotomies, and conflicting characteristics are abound throughout 'Us' and 'Sinners', and the group finds comparisons between the films regarding how characters process religion, notable scenes that feature music, and antagonists that are there to induce more than just scares. It's a lively discussion about two of the more well regarded films from recent years, and milestone entries from their respective auteur's filmographies.
Follow Mariquita on IG, Tik Tok and Letterboxd at keeta_babe - and check out Post Film Clarity, her podcast with cohost Lindsey Strickland, at postfilmclaritypod
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On Letterboxd? Follow Julian at julian_barthold and Madeline at patronessofcats