Film Optimists is a joyful podcast about all things film. The hosts, Megan Tierney Flores and Seth Boyd, believe film is a beautiful and vital artistic medium. They are optimistic about film in general and each episode brings this optimism to an in-depth discussion on a particular film subject.
Last month Spain won the World Cup. As a late celebration of their victory, we're back with a Spanish film. The film is Pedro Almodovar's All About My Mother from 1999. The film follows Manuela, a single mother whose life is upended when her teenage son dies in a car accident. Filled with references to Hollywood classics, the film tackles motherhood, gender identity, transsexualism, and much more with immense empathy.
25 Jun 2026
No Other Choice
For decades some of the greatest and most interesting films have come from South Korea. While they've come up before, its about time we dedicate an episode to one of these films. In this episode we discuss last year's No Other Choice. This is the latest film from Park Chan-wook, one of the leading figure in Korean and world cinema. No Other Choice follows a man who is laid off after faithfully serving his employer for years. After months of underemployment a role that would be perfect appears. There's just one problem, there are several other qualified candidates. Desperate, our protagonist decides to kill his competition one by one leaving the employer with, No Other Choice.
20 May 2026
Bugonia
In this episode we discuss Bugonia directed by the Greek Director Yorgos Lanthimos. The scfi/dark comedy follows Jesse Plemons as a conspiracy theorist who is convinced that the CEO (played by Emma Stone) of a major company is in fact an Alien. Not just any alien, a a member of an alien race that is actively trying to destroy earth. The plan is to kidnap her and force her to admit to her that she is actually an alien, then have her arrange a meeting between Jesse Plemons and her superiors so he can attempt to negotiate the aliens leaving Earth alone. What could possibly go wrong? Well the answer is just about everything. As with all Lanthimos films, this one is a wild and surreal ride into the unexpected. Bugonia is a remake of the Korean film, Save the Green Planet!
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
YouTube views
151
Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
5 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
7 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 66 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
75
Social presence
0
YouTube
64
Engagement
77
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