The “Should I See It in a Movie Theater?” Test: ‘Tron: Ares,’ ‘Roofman,’ and ‘After the Hunt.’ Plus, the Magic of ‘Mr. Scorsese.’

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• The hosts are establishing a rubric—the 'Wow or FOMO factor,' the 'Communal factor,' and the 'Is this different at home factor'—to evaluate what drives audiences to see movies in a theater, prompted by the disappointing box office performance of recent releases like *Tron: Ares*.  Copied to clipboard!
• The early discussion on *Tron: Ares* suggests that legacy IP alone is insufficient to guarantee theatrical success if the film lacks emotional engagement or a strong 'Wow' factor, as evidenced by the low energy in the screenings and the host's nap.  Copied to clipboard!
• The film *Roofman* is highlighted as a successful, character-driven showcase for Channing Tatum, reminiscent of 1970s filmmaking, which resonated well with the small audience present for the weekday screening.  Copied to clipboard!
• The film being discussed, likely 'After the Hunt' based on the show notes context and discussion of Julia Roberts, is critically confusing, failing to commit to its soapy plot stylings or its campus politics themes, resulting in a baffling ending.  Copied to clipboard!
• Julia Roberts delivers one of her best performances in some time in the film, despite the material and the performance of Ayo Edebiri being considered not up to the task.  Copied to clipboard!
• Rebecca Miller's documentary, 'Mr. Scorsese,' is praised for its shocking intimacy, extensive scope (five hours), and its success in securing interviews with nearly all of Scorsese's major collaborators, making it a deeply knowledgeable portrait of the filmmaker's life and work.  Copied to clipboard!

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Event Announcement and Hosts Intro

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(00:00:00)

• Key Takeaway: The Ringer is hosting a live screening of a top-five ‘25 for 25’ list movie at the Egyptian Theater in LA on November 8th.
• Summary: A special screening event is scheduled for Saturday, November 8th, at the Egyptian Theater in Hollywood, featuring a secret movie from the ‘25 for 25’ list. Tickets go on sale Monday, October 20th, at 12 p.m. Pacific time via theringer.com/slash events. Hosts Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins introduce the episode’s focus on theatrical movie-going.

Rebecca Miller Interview Preview

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(00:01:07)

• Key Takeaway: Rebecca Miller’s new five-part documentary miniseries, Mr. Scorsese, is available on Apple TV and thoroughly explores Martin Scorsese’s life and career.
• Summary: Rebecca Miller, director of Mr. Scorsese, is featured later in the episode, discussing her extensive work on the documentary about Martin Scorsese. Miller previously directed a documentary about her father, Arthur Miller. The documentary covers Scorsese’s personal life, childhood, influences, and current life.

Diane Keaton Tribute

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(00:03:18)

• Key Takeaway: Diane Keaton was a singular New Hollywood icon whose career spanned ingenue stardom in her 20s, industry leadership in her 30s/40s, and box office success into her 50s and 60s, including films like Annie Hall and Reds.
• Summary: The hosts honor Diane Keaton following her passing at 79, noting her iconic status and her inclusion on the ‘25 for 25’ list for Something’s Gotta Give. They recall her distinctive style and memorable performances in films like The Godfather and Reds, with Sean calling Reds her greatest performance. The hosts plan a proper tribute episode for Keaton in December.

Theatrical Movie-Going Thesis Setup

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(00:10:14)

• Key Takeaway: The underperformance of three recent releases (Tron: Ares, Roofman, After the Hunt) prompted the hosts to question what audiences currently demand from the movie theater experience.
• Summary: The hosts are exploring a ’thought experiment’ regarding the current state of theatrical releases, noting that recent films of varying quality have underperformed expectations. They acknowledge the ongoing transition phase post-Marvel era and post-strikes, suggesting that crutches like strike delays are no longer viable excuses. The analysis will use three components: Wow/FOMO factor, Communal factor, and Is this different at home factor.

Review of Tron: Ares

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(00:15:11)

• Key Takeaway: Tron: Ares is deemed a major misfire that fails the ‘good’ and ‘good time’ tests, despite having visual spectacle and a Nine Inch Nails score, leading to one host taking a 10-minute nap.
• Summary: The film, directed by Joachim Roning, is the third in the Tron franchise and centers on an AI being sent to the real world, starring Jared Leto as ‘AI Jesus.’ The audience reaction to Leto’s introduction at an early access screening was notably indifferent, confirming his lack of star power in this IP. The movie is criticized for relying on exposition via computer screens and assuming the audience is unintelligent (‘moron mode’).

Review of Roofman

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(00:30:06)

• Key Takeaway: Roofman is praised as a successful, loose, 1970s-style character study that showcases Channing Tatum’s unique ability to blend charm with flawed, desperate behavior, despite a confusing ending.
• Summary: The film, based on a true story about an army veteran robbing McDonald’s, played well to a sold-out weekday afternoon screening, suggesting a strong communal factor. The movie excels as a showcase for Channing Tatum, utilizing his innate handsomeness and ‘dopey Florida boy’ regularness. The hosts appreciated the film’s throwback style, which felt comfortable in its own skin, though they found the conclusion somewhat baffling.

Analyzing ‘After the Hunt’ Film

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(00:51:50)

• Key Takeaway: The film ‘After the Hunt’ is structurally confusing, featuring an oblique setup that fails to deliver on its soapy plot elements or campus politics themes.
• Summary: The film intentionally hides a central event, functioning as a detective story focused on how the incident affects a knowledgeable bystander. Julia Roberts gives an excellent performance, potentially one of her best recently, but the script’s message is unclear, and the ending is baffling. The movie is heavily set on a college campus, specifically within the philosophy department, exploring intergenerational campus politics.

Woody Allen Font and Scorsese Comparison

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(00:56:18)

• Key Takeaway: The film’s opening title card font is indebted to Woody Allen’s ‘Crimes and Misdemeanors,’ contrasting with the current film’s deathly serious tone.
• Summary: ‘Crimes and Misdemeanors’ juxtaposes a serious character piece about masculinity with a lighter, classical Woody Allen comedy. Unlike that film, this movie slams on the brakes into a deathly serious tone in its final 75 minutes, lacking the knowing sensibility often present in Luca Guadino’s work. The film is noted for its beautiful production design, but its narrative commitment falters, abandoning soapy plot lines.

Spoilers: Unpacking the Ending

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(01:00:41)

• Key Takeaway: The ending reveals Roberts’ character had an affair and likely confirms Garfield’s character committed assault, leading to her firing for stealing a prescription and a subsequent Rolling Stone article.
• Summary: Roberts’ character is fired after stealing a controlled substance prescription due to unexplained pain attacks, leading to her tenure being paused indefinitely. This prompts a second Rolling Stone feature by Edebiri’s character about sexual assault, nodding to the real-life ‘Rape on Campus’ story. The final reveal is that Roberts’ character fabricated a past teenage affair, which her husband confirms was likely real assault, though she insists she loved the older man.

Epilogue and Final Verdict

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(01:06:22)

• Key Takeaway: The film’s epilogue is considered psychotic and lazy, showing Roberts’ character becoming a Dean while Edebiri’s character admits to loving her, suggesting a bizarre reconciliation.
• Summary: Five years later, Roberts’ character is the Dean at Yale, and she meets Edebiri’s character, who admits to loving her despite Edebiri having written a scathing second Rolling Stone piece about Roberts. The hosts find the ending completely unclear regarding the psychology of the characters, especially Edebiri’s, and agree the film ultimately fails despite the strong first hour and Julia Roberts’ performance. The movie lacks any FOMO factor for theatrical viewing.

Transition to Mr. Scorsese Documentary

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(01:11:24)

• Key Takeaway: Rebecca Miller’s documentary on Martin Scorsese took five years to make, beginning during COVID, and was inspired after completing a film about her father.
• Summary: Miller’s first Scorsese film seen was ‘Goodfellas,’ and she was later drawn to exploring his spiritual life’s role in his movies. She initially planned a feature-length documentary but realized the scope required five hours, a change Scorsese’s collaborator Brian De Palma had warned her about. The documentary employs a ‘Cubist approach,’ looking at Scorsese from all angles via collaborators, family, and his own work.

Praise for Mr. Scorsese Documentary

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(01:11:58)

• Key Takeaway: The documentary excels by being shockingly intimate, featuring interviews with nearly everyone significant in Scorsese’s life, including his mother and Robbie Robertson.
• Summary: The film is lauded for revealing details even close fans haven’t heard, with Isabella Rossellini being a standout interviewee, severely yet lovingly describing Scorsese. Jay Cox serves as a critical anchor, providing context for pivotal moments, and the film beautifully analyzes the correlation between Scorsese’s life and his art. The final section showing his current family life is noted as a humanizing and essential capstone.