Picked by Sean Fennessey
Divinity 2023
His No. 5. Eddie Alcazar's black-and-white sci-fi, executive-produced by Steven Soderbergh; premiered at Sundance.
The Big Picture · Roundtable · Review · Interview
'The Iron Claw' and the 10 Most Underrated Movies of 2023
December 29, 2023/ 104 min/ Sean Fennessey · Amanda Dobbins
The year-end sign-off: Sean and Amanda each count down five overlooked 2023 movies, then bring on David Shoemaker and director Sean Durkin to talk about The Iron Claw.
17 films across 3 segments.
AI-generated This episode was transcribed and analyzed with AI models. The matches aren't perfect — expect the occasional misheard title or a link to the wrong film.
The 10 Most Underrated Movies of 2023 Sean and Amanda, five picks each, counting down
Picked by Sean Fennessey
Fremont 2023
His No. 4. Babak Jalali's black-and-white portrait of an Afghan refugee in California, with a late Jeremy Allen White cameo.
Picked by Sean Fennessey
Unrest 2022
His No. 3. Cyril Schaublin's 1877-set film about a watchmaker drawn into the anarchist movement in Switzerland.
Picked by Sean Fennessey
The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial 2023
His No. 2. William Friedkin's final film, on Paramount+.
Picked by Sean Fennessey
Asteroid City 2023
His No. 1. Wes Anderson's summer release, which he argues everyone took for granted.
Picked by Amanda Dobbins
Bottoms 2023
Her No. 5, paired with Joy Ride. Emma Seligman's comedy; Sean nearly put Marshawn Lynch on his performances of the year.
Picked by Amanda Dobbins
Joy Ride 2023
Her No. 5, paired with Bottoms. Adele Lim's road-trip comedy, which she calls genuinely overlooked.
Picked by Amanda Dobbins
You Hurt My Feelings 2023
Her No. 4. Nicole Holofcener, with Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Tobias Menzies.
Picked by Amanda Dobbins
How to Blow Up a Pipeline 2022
Her No. 3. Daniel Goldhaber's eco-thriller; also a top-five pick for Bobby Wagner and Chris Ryan.
Picked by Amanda Dobbins
Passages 2023
Her No. 2. Ira Sachs, with Franz Rogowski as the toxic center.
Picked by Amanda Dobbins
A Thousand and One 2023
Her No. 1. A.V. Rockwell's debut, with Teyana Taylor as a mother raising her son across 1990s New York.
'The Iron Claw'with David Shoemaker
The Iron Claw 2023
Sean Durkin's A24 drama about the Von Erich wrestling family, discussed with The Ringer's David Shoemaker. Zac Efron, Jeremy Allen White, Harris Dickinson, Stanley Simons, Holt McCallany, and Maura Tierney; the climax that never lands in the ring, and the afterlife scene all three agree shouldn't work but does.
Sean Durkin on 'The Iron Claw'
Sean Durkin on
The Iron Claw 2023
Seven years of writing, chipping the Von Erich epic down to Kevin's survival story; on the afterlife scene, born partly from Kerry's real suicide note.
Sean Durkin on
Martha Marcy May Marlene 2011
His Sundance-winning debut, which the hosts compare to The Iron Claw's slow mid-film dread.
Sean Durkin on
Rosemary's Baby 1968
The other touchstone he cites for the psychological horror running through his work.
Also mentioned raised along the way
Sean's honorable mentions Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among ThievesGuy Ritchie's The CovenantAnyone but YouSilent NightThe Equalizer 3SickKnock at the CabinFallen Leaves
Bobby's pick Perfect Days
In passing BarbieKillers of the Flower MoonThe Zone of InterestOppenheimerThe WrestlerFighting with My FamilyThe Great SantiniAndre the GiantCivil WarAquaman and the Lost Kingdom
Not films filtered out: TV, games, ads
TV The CrownThe Gilded AgeDark Side of the RingMindhunterDead RingersSouthcliffeThe BearWorld Class Championship Wrestling
Web series On Cinema at the Cinema
Ads The Wedding Scammer