Low Key

Now that we've had some time for the hot takes to cool, we discuss Melina Matsoukas' consciousness-raising road movie Queen and Slim, written by Lena Waithe and starring Daniel Kaluuya and Jodie-Turner Smith.Tim and Keith mostly embrace Queen and Slim, but Aaron says plot issues kept taking him out of the story. He also wonders—and we all discuss—whether the film overgeneralizes in its portrayal of how black people would respond to Queen and Slim's road trip for justice.Who's right? No one's right, it's all opinion.The film has gotten mostly positive reviews, but also a few criticisms of particular scenes and characters. In one of our longest episodes, we talk about the film's lush visuals, deliberately complicated story, and most curious moments. We also talk about our own experiences with police stops, and note that police have never asked to search the car of our white host. Hm.1:15: Praise for Queen and Slim2:22: Spoilers are coming, look out.4:23: "This movie was so mixed for me. There were so many thing

The Mandalorian signaled how sweepingly it plans to embrace the entire Star Wars universe when it stocked its very first references to The Star Wars Holiday Special, a much-despised 1978 TV show that even George Lucas would like to forget. In our episode, we talk about how charmingly Jon Favreau's The Mandalorian has incorporated not only the things we all agree are cool (Bounty hunters! blasters! Freezing dudes in carbonite!) but also elements of the universe that some fans prefer not to talk about (cute creatures! Midichlorians! The Star Wars Holiday Special!)Here are some highlights, with timestamps:1:10: We talk about this storyabout the Star Wars Holiday Special, which is "kind of a janky affair."2:45: Is Boba Fett overrated?4:15: How The Mandaloriancalls back the Clint Eastwood-Sergio Leone spaghetti Westerns6:45: Is The Mandalorian's secret headquarters on Tatooine? 16:10: Why you need to use the closed captions while watching The Mandalorian.22:50: Star Wars' over-ex

HBO's Watchmen touches on reparations, racist vigilantism, and the destruction, 100 years ago, of the African-American business Mecca known as Black Wall Street. But what is the show actually saying about race? That's one of the main questions we try to unpack in the new Low Key podcast.Every week on Low Key, your hosts Aaron Lanton, Keith Dennie and Tim Molloy talk about pop culture moments we think others may have missed, often through a racial lens. We like comic books and superheroes. Watchmen seems made for us.And we do like Watchmen. The acting, cinematography, and music are top-notch. But like most people who watch the show, we have no idea where it's going. Does it have something new or unique to say about how the issues in the show parallel those in the real world? What we're hoping it isn't doing is using race as a plot device. Our continued watching of Watchmen amounts to our giving it the benefit of the doubt that there's an important payoff coming up.We also talk this episode about lower-stakes m

Eddie Murphy's Dolemite Is My Name shows how Rudy Ray Moore became a black independent moviemaker—and became a role model for future DIY artists. In the latest "Low Key" podcast, we talk about how Rudy Ray Moore's Dolemite helped blaze a still-difficult trail for Tyler Perry, Robert Townsend, and other DIY moviemakers who continue to inspire.On every episode of "Low Key," we discuss subtle aspects of movies, television and other pop culture that we think deserve more attention.This week, we talk about how Rudy Ray Moore influenced not only hip-hop music, but cinema. Would hip-hop exist without Dolemite? Is Quentin Tarantino a hip-hop moviemaker? These are just a few of the questions we address.We also talk about the difference between cultural appropriation and polishing and improving other people's routines, and where Rudy Ray Moore belongs in that conversation. And we talk about whether white director Craig Brewer and white writers Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski do a good job of telling Rud

How well does the CW’s “Batwoman” fit into the network’s other DC shows and the Batman universe? And would we rather see a new standalone heroine with no ties to either?Every week on “Low Key,” your co-hosts Aaron Lanton, Keith Dennie and I talk about pop culture moments we think others may have missed. This week, we revisit “Batwoman,” which we previously discussed over the summer, based only on the trailer. Now we’ve seen the show and want to give “Batwoman” its due.First, the things we like: Batwoman does a stellar job of representing people who have traditionally been underseen in comic-book adaptations, and in entertainment overall: Women, people of color, LGBTQ characters. Ruby Rose's Kate Kane, the anchor of the show, is a step forward for lesbian visibility and could be an important role model.What we're less sure about it how well "Batwoman" distinguishes itself from Batman. We want the storylines to make a harder break from the familiar Gotham tropes, and callbacks to past Batman stories. There are

What does "Joker" want to say about poverty, mental illness and other problems society has failed to solve? That's the subject of our latest "Low Key" podcast.Every week on "Low Key," your hosts Aaron Lanton, Keith Dennie and Tim Molloy look into pop culture subtleties you may have missed. Well, except for this week: This week Tim is replaced (quite successfully) by special guest Sam Perrin of the “Sam Said It” podcast. Sam, Aaron and Keith go deep on "Joker," questioning how to interpret its ending, whether it wants to make political statements or avoid them, and where it stands on the divide between rich and poor. They focus especially on how the film deals with mental illness, and how to interpret director Todd Phillips' presentation of Joaquin Phoenix's Arthur losing his grip on reality.Also: Do nice pearls really fall that way? See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

How to interpret Amazon's acclaimed animated series "Undone"?The series is about a 28-year-old woman named Alma (Rosa Salazar) who suffers a serious car accident and develops the ability to communicate with her long-dead father Jacob (Bob Odenkirk). She also becomes unstuck in time, and learns to bounce back and forth across decades to try to understand how her father died.The show leaves many questions open, including whether Anna is really traveling through time, or suffering from a serious mental illness. The show, which reminds us of Richard Linklater's "A Scanner Darkly," occupies an interesting place between real-life and dreams. It makes you appreciate life, reality, and the ability to tell reality from dreams.Every week on "Low Key" we talk about pop-culture subtleties we think others may have missed, and "Undone" leaves a lot of details open to interpretation. Everyone in the supporting cast feels human and compelling, and almost everyone has ethically troubling secrets. Alma has to not only decipher

Shimmy Shimmy Ya! On the latest episode of the Low Key podcast we talk about “Wu Tang Clan: An American Story,” brought to you by RZA -- the man who brought us “The Man With the Iron Fists.”(Also: We just found out what RZA stands for “Ruler, Zig-Zag-Zig, Allah.” I don’t know what any of that means, but it sounds dope. Can you say new X- Box Gamertag?) The series chronicles the formation and the rise of one of hip-hop’s greatest groups, The Wu Tang Clan. So far Hulu has six episodes available for streaming. We're not quite sure what it is just yet, and we discuss how the show works to create the mythos behind the Wu Tang, but seems to lack what we most admire about Wu Tang: the music.We get a little bit of Bobby (aka RZA) laying down a track with Shotgun (aka Method Man), but we mostly get drug deals and drive-bys. That's fine when accompanied with music, but we want more music. (By the way, we don't endorse drug dealing or drive bys, kids). During the episode, Aaron brings up the point that movies

Will Todd Phillips' new "Joker" prove the exception to the rule that villains are best left mysterious? And also, did we ever figure out why Garth Brooks' adopted an emo R&B persona named Chris Gaines? These two equally relevant subjects are the focus of our latest "Low Key" podcast.This week on "Low Key," we're joined by special guest Sam Perrin of the "Sam Said It" podcast. All of us are comic-book nerds, but despite that, we weren't necessarily desperate for a solo "Joker" film. As Hannibal Lecter and Darth Vader can attest, sometimes it's better not to know a scary villain's entire backstory. But we're cautiously excited for Todd Phillips' highly praised "Joker," which stars Joaquin Phoenix as the Crown Prince of Crime in an homage to Martin Scorsese-Robert De Niro classics like "Taxi Driver" and "King of Comedy."[contextual-link post_id="4362781" title="Also Read" link_title="Let’s Discuss the Tricky Racial Metaphors of ‘Carnival Row’ (Podcast)" target=""]Our discussion of th

Fae! Pucks! Critches! This week on the "Low Key" podcast, we talk about these and other words we think might be racial slurs in the world of "Carnival Row," Amazon's unique take on bigotry and immigration.The new series examines a star-crossed relationship between a human detective named Philo (Orlando Bloom) and a winged fae named Vignette (Cara Delevigne) that is filled with metaphors we're trying very hard to follow. The show creates a vast and complex fictional world, then populates it with storylines that seem oddly reminiscent of things happening in America today.Every week on "Low Key," we look for pop culture subtleties, often through a racial lens, so "Carnival Row" was kind of made for us. It's filled with nuance, and rewards viewers for patience and close attention. Our favorite subplot involves the "there goes the neighborhood" arrival or the mysterious puck Mr. Agreus (David Gyasi), who draws the intense interest of privileged neighbor (and master to Vignette) Imogen Spurnrose (Tamzin Merchant).W

"Don't Let Go" stars David Oyelowo as an LAPD detective who starts getting phone calls from his niece, played by Storm Reid -- after she and her parents are brutally murdered. Is it about time-travel? Parallel dimensions? God? We talk it out on the new "Low Key."The Blumhouse film, from Jacob Aaron Estes, debuted at the Sundance Film Festival under the original name "Relive." It quickly sets up the plot before taking us through a series of twists that challenge everything you thought you knew about cell phone conversations between the living and the dead.Is it a time-travel film? A story of crossed realities? We spend this episode puzzling it out, while praising the work of Reid and Oyelowo.We also talk about how Estes and Oyelowo, a producer on the film, changes the setting from a farm in Ohio to the streets of Los Angeles, an especially intense scene late in the film, and the Zodiac killer.Here are a few of our topics, with time stamps:2:30: "I don't know if it's a time-travel movie, I don't know if it's a

Usually on the "Low Key" podcast, we talk about pop culture moments we think others may have missed, often through a racial lens. This week, we just talk about some projects we're excited about, from "Cannon Busters" to "The Witcher" to "The Irishman" to "The Mandelorian," "Dolemite is My Name" and "Harriet."Of all those films and TV shows, only one -- the Netflix anime series "Cannon Busters," has been released. Aaron, a hardcore anime fan, tell us how intrigued he was to see anime with black characters in key roles.Keith, meanwhile, wonders if "The Witcher," starring Henry Cavill, can overcome the curse of many video-game adaptations.And Tim is eager to see if "The Irishman" -- from the super team of Martin Scorsese, Robert De Niro, Al Pacino and Joe Pesci -- can win its big CGI gamble to become the instant gangster classic we hope it will be. We also talk about Kasi Lemmons' upcoming Harriet Tubman biopic "Harriet," Eddie Murphy in "Dolemite Is My Name," and Jon Favreau's mysterious "The Mandalorian."

Do you need to know the history of the Manson Family and Sharon Tate to appreciate "Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood"? That's one of our first questions in our wrap-up of Quentin Tarantino's latest.Every week on "Low Key" we talk about pop culture moments we think others may have missed. This week: Prior to "Once Upon a Time... In Hollywood," one of your hosts, Tim, knew much too much about the Manson murders. But your other two ghosts, Keith and Aaron, didn't know that Manson's followers killed Sharon Tate and her friends in August of 1969.That means this episode offers you two radically different perspectives on the film. Does it work if you've read up on the Manson murders? Does it work if you haven't? Did Aaron and Keith watch a totally different movie than Tim did?We also talk about Tim's exclusive interview this week with Shannon Lee, Bruce Lee's daughter, about the screen legend's portrayal in the film. Shannon Lee says she understood the film was meant as a revenge fantasy, but felt, as she watched, a

"Game of Thrones" decapitated fairy tale and fantasy tropes by giving us deeply flawed knights, kings and queens. Amazon's new "The Boys" similarly demystifies superheroes, as we discuss on the latest "Low Key" podcast.Every week on "Low Key," Aaron Lanton, Keith Dennie and Tim Molloy look at pop culture subtleties and what they mean. "The Boys," Eric Kripke's adaptation of Gareth Ennis' comic book about the antiheroes who try to rein in corrupt superheroes, is full of nuance -- as well as very unsubtle sex and violence. "The Boys" works if you love superhero movies, but might work even better if you're totally sick of them. If you're one of those people who thinks DC and Marvel movies are crowding out movies for grown-ups, you'll probably appreciate the "Boys" POV that superheroes are mass-marketed profit generators, not uber-beings who deserve our adoration."The Boys" is pretty gruesome and cynical in places, but that feels like a direct responser to the occasional slickness of past superhero stories.

A dubious news report that a black actress, Lashana Lynch, will play 007 in the next James Bond film got your friendly neighborhood "Low Key" hosts wondering: When do Hollywood's attempts at diversity in casting feel positive, and when do they feel like pandering? And is there such a thing as positive pandering?This week we're joined by special guest host Sarah Lanton as our discussion of the James Bond franchise leads us into a discussion of the American James Bond, Batman. That in turn leads us into a discussion of the CW's new "Batwoman," played by Ruby Rose, and how much one of your hosts, Keith, does not like the trailer. He explains why.Here are a few of the other subjects we handle:1:55: Tim expresses his strong reservations about The Daily Mail newspaper, which reported on Lashana Lynch's casting.3:22: Could Lashana Lynch's casting just be an attempt to placate audiences, when want we really want is Idris Elba as the first black Bond?6:20: Who was the best Bond?7:55: Who is the audience for the new Bo

For all the nostalgia of "Stranger Things" -- the New Coke, the mall, the music -- the most uncanny memory it conjures is the feeling of first seeing a scary movie you were too young to see.With the very good Season 3 behind us, we still don't have resolution to some of the key mysteries unveiled in Season 1 and Season 2.Is the show doing too much? Or does the continuing mystery add to the feeling of being 10 years old, sitting in a cold theater or watching a worn VHS tape, trying to understand the mysteries of "Gremlins" or "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" or countless other mid-80s movies that drew millions of young fans, but also flirted with very confusing horror.We've never seen another show that reminds us of that childhood sense that we were learning about strange new things that frightened us, and that we might never understand. (And that maybe adults didn't understand, either. That was the most frightening part.) The Duffer Brothers do a very good job of capturing that uniquely unsettling feeli

This week we talk about Netflix's Spike Lee-produced "See You Yesterday," which combines the time-travel goofiness of "Back to the Future" with the social criticism of "Boys N the Hood" (RIP, John Singleton).Does it work? We're a little divided. We appreciate that the protagonist is a young, black and female scientist (Eden-Duncan Smith). We love seeing Marty McFly himself, Michael J. Fox, reading Octavia E. Butler's time-travel classic "Kindred."But the question is how well the film melds silliness with seriousness. We have a good honest discussion, and ultimately we're glad this story exists in the world. We hope you enjoy it.ALSO: Follow @thelowkeypod on Instagram! We see you, Cousin Sara. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This episode, we welcome our first guests: "Black Mirror" executive producers Charlie Brooker and Annabel Jones drop in for a (very) quick interview to discuss "Striking Viper," our favorite episode of Season 5.We talk about how "Tekken" used to make Brooker's home sound like an S&M dungeon, men's struggles to express our emotions, and why polar- bear sex doesn't sound so great. We also talk about the essential "Black Mirror" episodes.If you have any thoughts, hit up @alanton11 or @timamolloy. Keith is still too cool for Twitter. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The "Game of Thrones" finale left the "Low Key" team divided. House Aaron was disappointed. House Keith found it lackluster. House Tim was satisfied.We get into detail about the reasons why, while pondering several other issues, before getting into the real question: Was Bran the bad guy all along?We also discuss the final Jon-Dany scene, why the main cast members are kinda jerks, and the one thing we all agree on: That beautiful shot of dragon wings behind Queen Daenerys.And then we get to an issue we think everyone's been missing: Couldn't Bran have prevented a lot of pain and atrocity (including for his sister, Sansa) by using his time-travel or warg powers? Was it maybe a little self-serving to allow lots of awful things to happen so that he could become king of the, uh, six kingdoms?Join us as we say goodbye to a show that we all agree was totally brilliant for at least four seasons. (And that the person writing this loved from beginning to end.) See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

If you haven't watched the penultimate episode of "Game of Thrones," you should skip this episode, and also tweet at @timamolloy or @alanton11 for our HBO Go passwords. Because you're going to want to be caught up for the finale this Sunday.On this episode, we gave a dragon-fiery debate whether the show properly set up Daenerys Targaryen's heel turn, examine whether Targaryens have dragon blood, talk WAY too much about Targaryen inbreeding, and predict in extensive detail how we think "Game of Thrones" will end.We also play Daenerys Advocate to point out that what she did to King's Landing isn't that different than, oh, say, what the United States did to Japan at the end of World War II. War is hell, and history is a series of overreactions. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.