Kermode & Mayo’s Take

Some exciting news—The Take is now on Patreon: www.patreon.com/kermodeandmayo. Become a Vanguardista or an Ultra Vanguardista to get video episodes of Take Two every week, plus member‑only chat rooms, polls and submissions to influence the show, behind‑the‑scenes photos and videos, the monthly Redactor’s Roundup newsletter, and access to a new fortnightly LIVE show—a raucous, unfiltered lunchtime special with the Good Doctors, new features, and live chat so you can heckle, vote, and have your questions read out in real time.

Our guests this week are two comedy giants: star of Arrested Development, 30 Rock and BoJack Horseman, Will Arnett—and mega-successful scouse standup John Bishop. It’s Bishop’s unlikely comedy origin story that inspired Is This Thing On?, the new Hollywood feelgood blockbuster directed by Bradley Cooper. In it, Arnett plays a divorced dad who puts his name down for an open mic at a bar just to save the entry fee—then accidentally catches the comedy bug. As he secretly follows his new standup dreams, can comedy save his sanity—and maybe even his marriage?

Find out what Mark makes of it, plus two more of this week’s big screen releases. First up its Nouvelle Vague, Richard Linklater’s homage to the French new wave film movement of the 1960s. Linklater’s film dramatises the making of one of its essential movies, Jean Luc Godard’s Breathless. And from uber-cool Parisians murderous monkey’s, we’ll be reviewing Primate too: a tongue in cheek horror where a pet chimp goes bad.

The boys are here in the studio IRL this week, so you’ll be getting all of this, plus the box office top 10 and the banterous heights of the laughter lift, beamed right at you from the room where movie-reviewing magic happens. Keep it real, Vanguardistas and all-comers!

Timecodes with YT clip codes (for Vanguardistas listening ad-free)

Nouvelle Vague review - 10:32



Box Office Top 10 - 23:51



Will Arnett and John Bishop interview - 39:19



Is This Thing On? review 56:11



Laughter Lift - 01:03:04

Primate review - 01:07:20







You can contact the show by emailing [email protected] or you can find us on social media, @KermodeandMayo

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Some exciting news—The Take is now on Patreon: www.patreon.com/kermodeandmayo. Become a Vanguardista or an Ultra Vanguardista to get video episodes of Take Two every week, plus member‑only chat rooms, polls and submissions to influence the show, behind‑the‑scenes photos and videos, the monthly Redactor’s Roundup newsletter, and access to a new fortnightly LIVE show—a raucous, unfiltered lunchtime special with the Good Doctors, new features, and live chat so you can heckle, vote, and have your questions read out in real time.

Claire Foy is our special guest this week—and we promise that’s not just because her dad keeps writing in to the show... It’s also because she’s starring in H is For Hawk, out in cinemas this week. She plays Helen, who decides to keep and train a notoriously difficult goshawk as a means of coming to terms with the death of her father (played by Brendan Gleeson). Claire chats to Simon about bringing this bestselling memoir to the screen and learning to falcon with one of these ‘perfectly evolved psychopaths’ for real.

Mark reviews H is for Hawk, plus three more fresh film releases—it's a packed show! First, Saipan—the football drama starring Éanna Hardwicke as Roy Keane and Steve Coogan as Ireland manager Mick McCarthy, which charts their legendary bust-up ahead of the 2002 world cup. From Korean cinema superstar Park Chan-wook we’ve got No Other Choice, a black comedy about a white-collar worker who turns lethal after being laid off. And last but certainly not least we’ve got even more Josh O’Connor and more Paul Mescal (surely those two lads deserve a holiday?) in The History of Sound—a gay romance between two student musicians in WW1 era America.

Plus all the cinema action from the box office top 10, the endless hilarity of the laughter lift, and your tip top correspondence. Don’t miss it!

Timecodes with YT clip codes (for Vanguardistas listening ad-free)



Saipan review 08:36



Box Office Top 10 - 18:43



Claire Foy interview – 42:09



H is For Hawk review 58:08



Laughter Lift - 01:07:47



The History of Sound review 1:16:01



No Other Choice review 1:10:54





You can contact the show by emailing [email protected] or you can find us on social media, @KermodeandMayo

Please take our survey and help shape the future of our show: https://www.kermodeandmayo.com/survey

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A Sony Music Entertainment production.

Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts and follow us @sonypodcasts

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Some exciting news—The Take is now on Patreon: www.patreon.com/kermodeandmayo. Become a Vanguardista or an Ultra Vanguardista to get video episodes of Take Two every week, plus member‑only chat rooms, polls and submissions to influence the show, behind‑the‑scenes photos and videos, the monthly Redactor’s Roundup newsletter, and access to a new fortnightly LIVE show—a raucous, unfiltered lunchtime special with the Good Doctors, new features, and live chat so you can heckle, vote, and have your questions read out in real time.

The chilling on screen (but charming IRL) Jack O’Connell joins us on the Take this week to talk 28 Years Later: the Bone Temple. Directed by Nia DaCosta, who loyal listeners may remember from our live Christmas Extravaganza, it’s the second installment in a sequel trilogy to Danny Boyle’s zombie smash hit. Jack talks tracksuits, tiaras and being the most villainous actor of the past year—plus lots more on-set insights from the horror-thriller that’s got you all talking. Don;t miss this one!

Mark reviews Bone Temple too, plus more of this week’s fresh new films. First up, Rental Family—which sees Brendan Fraser’s Philip join a Japanese agency providing fake ‘family for hire’ for its clients’ social and companionship needs. Plus a tougher but important watch, The Voice of Hind Rajab, which replays the tragic death of six-year-old Hind Rajab—killed in Gaza in January 2024—based on real audio of her final recorded calls to the Palestine Red Crescent Society and the efforts of its volunteers to save her life.

Plus all the usual top quality nonsense on all things film-related and beyond, and your emergency mails of course. Thanks for listening!

Timecodes with YT clip codes (for Vanguardistas listening ad-free)



Rental Family review 09:55



Box Office Top 10 - 17:23



Jack O’Connell interview - 44:30



28 Years Later: The Bone Temple review 59:15



Laughter Lift - 1:15:14



The Voice of Hind Rajab review





You can contact the show by emailing [email protected] or you can find us on social media, @KermodeandMayo

Please take our survey and help shape the future of our show: https://www.kermodeandmayo.com/survey

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A Sony Music Entertainment production.

Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts and follow us @sonypodcasts

To advertise on this show contact: [email protected]
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Some exciting news—The Take is now on Patreon: www.patreon.com/kermodeandmayo. Become a Vanguardista or an Ultra Vanguardista to get video episodes of Take Two every week, plus member‑only chat rooms, polls and submissions to influence the show, behind‑the‑scenes photos and videos, the monthly Redactor’s Roundup newsletter, and access to a new fortnightly LIVE show—a raucous, unfiltered lunchtime special with the Good Doctors, new features, and live chat so you can heckle, vote, and have your questions read out in real time.

It’s a New Year’s correspondence special this week on the Take. Simon and Mark will be breaking open our bursting postbag and cracking into your excellent emergency mails from across the holiday period. We’ll be hearing your top takes on the films that made your festive breaks—and one repentant confession from the poor soul who made the mistake of watching The Lighthouse with their granny...

We’ve got reviews of the freshest films from 2026’s first week too. First up it’s Becoming Victoria Wood, a documentary looking for the true personality behind the comedy persona of the national treasure. Plus you’ll hear Mark’s verdict on the new British boxing drama GIANT—which follows the true story of ring star Naseem Hamed (Amir El-Masry) and his fractious relationship with trainer Brendan Ingle, played by Pierce Brosnan.

Not forgetting the much-anticipated Hamnet—the Chloé Zhao-directed biopic of William Shakespeare and his family during a period of personal turmoil and tragedy—based on Maggie O’Farrell’s bestselling novel. It’s already tipped for awards success—especially for lead performances by Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal—but do the Good Doctors believe the hype?

Timecodes with YT clip codes (for Vanguardistas listening ad-free)



Becoming Victoria Wood review – 15:46

BO10 – 31:11

Hamnet review – 55:25

Laughter Lift – 1:10:25

GIANT review – 1:13:51





You can contact the show by emailing [email protected] or you can find us on social media, @KermodeandMayo

Please take our survey and help shape the future of our show: https://www.kermodeandmayo.com/survey

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A Sony Music Entertainment production.

Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts and follow us @sonypodcasts

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It’s that time of year on the Take when Mark runs down his best and worst films of the year—so get ready for a reminder of 2025’s biggest raves and rants from I’m Still Here to Tron: Ares. It’s all new content as he ranks the big-screen bangers and clangers of the last 12 months and picks the Take’s best picture. We’ll also look at the year’s best small screen releases, revisiting stunning series like the gruelling Narrow Road to the Deep North and the gripping Pluribus (00:43:00 https://tv.apple.com/gb/show/pluribus/umc.cmc.37axgovs2yozlyh3c2cmwzlza).

For Vanguardistas listening ad-free, Pluribus is at 00:39:31.



Brand new reviews too of two new cinema releases. First up, Song Sung Blue—a feelgood musical drama biopic about a real-life couple who form a Neil Diamond tribute band and follow their long-held musical dreams, starring Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson. There’s Peter Hujar’s Day too—which follows the everyday life on the 70s Downtown New York arts scene of the titular photographer, played by Ben Whishaw.



Plus we remember the greats we lost in 2025. We’ve said goodbye to some true cinema legends this year, including Robert Redford, Diane Keaton, David Lynch—and of course tragically and most recently Rob Reiner. Mark and Simon celebrate their exceptional contributions to cinema.



Timecodes (for Vanguardistas listening ad-free):

00:00:00 Start of Discussion

00:02:51 Song Sung Blue review

00:17:15 Best films of 2025:

00:30:20 Peter Hujar’s Day review

00:36:12 Best TV of 2025

00:45:39 Worst films of 2025

00:56:45 They Lived Their Dash (obits)



You can contact the show by emailing [email protected] or you can find us on social media, @KermodeandMayo

Please take our survey and help shape the future of our show: https://www.kermodeandmayo.com/survey

EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ https://nordvpn.com/take Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee!

A Sony Music Entertainment production.

Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts and follow us @sonypodcasts

To advertise on this show contact: [email protected]
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices