Cinema Verbi

On the 20th episode of Cinema Verbi, Fr. Brian and Fr. Matt look back on their favorite moments, movies, and review Project Hail Mary (2026). Our hosts appreciate that the film, while not explicitly Catholic, has many positively-portrayed Catholic elements.

In this episode of Cinema Verbi, Father Brian and Fr. Matt review Sentimental Value (2025), a Norwegian film about family dynamics, generational trauma, and the healing of emotional wounds. They also look ahead to the Academy Awards, talking about some of the nominated films and actors.

In this episode of Cinema Verbi, Father Matt and Father Brian reflect on the movies they watched in 2025 before diving into a discussion about Wicked (2024) and its sequel, Wicked: For Good (2025). They explore the evolution of the story from Gregory Maguire’s original novel to the Broadway musical, and finally to the big-screen adaptations. Our hosts discuss themes of friendship and debate the value of reinterpreting old stories, examining how these films reshape (or don’t reshape) our understanding of the iconic Wizard of Oz (1939) film.(0:26) Father Matt and Father Brian open the show by welcoming listeners to 2026 and reflecting on their experience hosting a live episode on It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) last month. They highlight the communal nature of cinema and the importance of gathering and sharing films together.(2:24) The priests discuss their Letterboxd stats, including the number of films watched, total hours logged, favorite actors, and prominent themes from 2025. Father Matt highlights Paul Walter Hauser as his most-watched actor of 2025, and they share their first, last, and favorite movies of the year.(12:41) The conversation shifts to the episode’s main topic: Wicked (2024) and its sequel, Wicked: For Good (2025). Father Brian explains the significance of these movies as adaptations of the Broadway musical and Gregory Maguire’s novel, noting how the story has been reimagined for a new generation of viewers.(15:25) They discuss the history of the “Wicked” novel, its 2003 Broadway debut, and its long-running popularity. Father Brian shares his personal experience seeing the musical on tour many times, while Father Matt has only seen it performed once in East Lansing. They also analyze the decision to divide Wicked into two movies, comparing it to other adaptations like Dune. They debate whether the second movie truly adds value or simply prolongs the story for commercial reasons.(19:10) Father Matt and Father Brian explore how Wicked reinterprets the original Wizard of Oz, giving the Wicked Witch of the West a more nuanced perspective. They debate moments in the film that “tip their hat” to the original Oz story, weighing cleverness and homage against fan service and overuse of nostalgia.(30:05) The hosts examine the film’s deeper themes, including power, manipulation, and the treatment of animals. They highlight how Glinda and Elphaba’s friendship develops despite their differences and reflect on the two films’ enduring message of friendship, personal growth, and the lasting impact others have on our lives.(41:33) The episode concludes with our hosts sharing their “seeds of the word” ratings for the films, based on how clearly they saw goodness, truth, and beauty reflected in the story.

In this episode of Cinema Verbi, Fathers Brian and Matt welcome their very first special guest: Alyssa, daughter of the show’s sound producer. She’s here to help them unpack the wildly popular animated hit, K-Pop Demon Hunters. The trio discuss the film’s themes of good versus evil, identity, and truth, finding once again that even pop culture can reflect the Gospel message. (0:29) The episode opens with excitement as hosts Fr. Brian and Fr. Matt introduce their first special guest, Alyssa. She’s the daughter of the show’s producer and has been recruited to discuss the Netflix summer smash hit, K-Pop Demon Hunters. She’s seen the movie at least ten times, which prompts our hosts to joke that she’s responsible for a significant share of the film’s 325 million global views. (2:43) Fr. Matt and Fr. Brian give an overview of K-pop, or Korean pop, a popular music genre that blends singing, dancing, and performing. Then they summarize the movie’s premise: a K-pop girl group, called Huntrix, whose members are secretly demon hunters using music to protect the world from dark forces. (6:56) Alyssa introduces the three heroines and members of Huntrix: Rumi, Zoey, and Mira. The conversation shifts to the movie’s use of the word “demons” and what they symbolize. The priests explain that these characters aren’t really demons as understood in the Catholic faith, but rather human souls consumed by shame and lies—a reflection of the spiritual struggles we all face.(11:46) Alyssa tells us about the film’s rival boy band, the Saja Boys, who are actually demons in disguise sent to thwart the efforts of the Huntrix group. She reveals that Rumi is actually part demon herself, something she hides from her fellow bandmates. (16:03) The hosts unpack some of the movie’s moral themes, especially the temptation to believe lies and hide our flaws. They compare Rumi’s journey to the Christian call to reject shame and embrace truth. (20:52) Alyssa and our hosts share their “seeds of the word” ratings for the film, based on how clearly they saw goodness, truth, and beauty reflected in the story. The episode concludes with the group highlighting some favorite moments, including a ghost tiger’s slapstick antics and the irresistibly catchy “Soda Pop” number. 

How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies is a story about inheritance, caregiving, and family obligations—but as Fr. Matt and Fr. Brian discover, it also carries surprising echoes of the Gospel. Themes of love, sacrifice, and the dignity of the human person shine through the story, even when the characters themselves don’t share a Christian worldview. (0:55) Before discussing How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies (2024), Fr. Matt and Fr. Brian catch up on the past few weeks and talk about two films they’ve seen recently, The Life of Chuck (2024) and Materialists (2025). (15:58) Fr. Matt introduces the film for this episode, How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies. Although the characters in the movie aren’t Christian, both Fr. Matt and Fr. Brian are struck by how the film points to Gospel truths, exploring self-sacrificial love, the way relationships take precedence over material wealth, and how even imperfect portrayals of family life can reveal universal human longings for God. (27:17) A major portion of the discussion focuses on cultural practices surrounding death and remembrance. Fr. Matt and Fr. Brian compare the Thai customs depicted in the film with Catholic teachings and rituals, from the Communion of Saints to funeral liturgies. (42:10) One of the film’s underlying tensions is the temptation to treat people as means to an end—especially when inheritance is involved. Fr. Brian and Fr. Matt contrast this with Catholic teaching that things are meant to be used and people are meant to be loved. This leads into a reflection on St. John Paul II’s Theology of the Body, emphasizing the dignity of the human person and the self-giving nature of love.(43:47) Wrapping up the episode, Fr. Matt and Fr. Brian give their Seeds of the Word ratings.

In this episode, Father Matt and Father Brian discuss Thunderbolts* (2025), the latest installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. They explore the film’s central themes of trauma and the power of love to overcome conflict, drawing connections to Christian understandings of suffering. The episode also includes reflections on recent films they've watched, commentary on the direction of the Marvel franchise, and a fun mythology quiz to wrap things up. 0:28: Fr. Brian and Fr. Matt begin by catching up on the few months since they last recorded an episode, discussing the appointment of Archbishop Weisenburger as Archbishop of Detroit and the election of Pope Leo XIV. They also catch up on some of the movies they’ve recently seen, including The Agony and the Ecstasy (1965) depicting the relationship between Michelangelo and Pope Julius II during the painting of the Sistine Chapel; Pride and Prejudice, the 2005 remake starring Keira Knightley; Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith (2005); Snow White (2025); and Warfare, (2025) about he real-life experiences of soldiers in the 2003-2011 Iraq War. 10:41: Fr. Brian introduces the film that is the focus of this episode, Thunderbolts*. Released in 2025, the 36th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe was directed by Jake Schreier and written by Eric Pearson and Joanna Calo.  11:48: Fr. Matt and Fr. Brian discuss the expansiveness of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which shows and movies they’ve seen, and how keeping up with all this content can make it difficult for casual viewers to keep up with the characters, plots, and maintain a sense of engagement with the heroic characters. Our hosts also discuss how the last several Marvel shows and films seem to have been trying to convey a message or promote an agenda rather than simply tell an entertaining story.  16:33: Fr. Matt provides a brief overview of the plot and main characters of Thunderbolts*. 24:41: Fr. Brian and Fr. Matt discuss some of the major themes in the film: how to deal with the parts of ourselves that we may not like, managing the effects of wounds from our pasts, and breaking the stranglehold that psychological trauma can have on our lives.  28:46: Fr. Matt talks about how the film depicts the power of love to overcome conflict. Fr Brian adds to that discussion, noting that for the characters in the film, their success only comes when they stop working in isolation and begin working together. This is very much akin to our understanding that we do not suffer alone; Christ enters into our suffering with us.  30:56: Fr. Matt notes that the film also portrays the notion that we are not defined by our worst moments and that great freedom can come from bringing them to the light.  34:16: Our hosts share their “seeds of the word” ratings for the film, based on how clearly they saw goodness, truth, and beauty reflected in the story. 39:46: In the last segment, Fr. Brain quizzes Fr. Matt about characters from Roman and Greek mythology.  

Fr. Brian and Fr. Matt explore the treatment of time and place in Here, a 2024 drama film depicting the events of a single spot of land over time. They discuss how this unique perspective, and the non-chronological order in which events are shown, mirrors the omniscience of God, who is similarly outside time. They also consider the passage of time in real life, and the significance of nostalgia and memory in the Christian life. (0:28) Fr. Brian and Fr. Matt open the episode by discussing some of the movies they’ve seen recently, including Whiplash (2014), Harold and the Purple Crayon (2024), and Didi (2024). Then, they introduce the movie being covered in this episode: Here, a 2024 drama film depicting the events of a single spot of land over time. (6:48) Our hosts discuss the unique format of Here, which is shot from a single, fixed camera angle to show a single spot throughout time, from when dinosaurs roamed the area to the present day. The stories are shown in non-chronological order, allowing the viewer to identify parallels between different experiences in this spot over time. Fr. Brian provides the example of the film’s depiction of the Spanish flu alongside the COVID-19 pandemic.(13:42) Fr. Brian talks about one of the main storylines in the film, the lives of a couple played by Tom Hanks and Robin Wright. The hosts also discuss how the plot’s focus on time echoes the way time contributes to conflict in classical Greek tragedies. Fr. Brian and Fr. Matt then discuss the significance of sacred time and sacred places. (19:02) Fr. Matt talks about the idea of time passing and changes taking place at his parish, Our Lady of the Rosary on Woodward Avenue in Detroit near Wayne State University. While the parish’s ministry today is mostly focused on campus ministry, around 100 years ago the pastor was known to ride his white horse to parishioners’ homes for sick calls. Similarly, while Old St. Mary Church is located in a neighborhood called Greektown, its stained glass windows feature the names of German donors who lived there when it was predominately a German neighborhood. Our hosts then talk about how the perspective of the movie—a single camera angle viewing events over time—mirrors the omniscience of God, who is outside time.(25:02) Fr. Brian mentions that the director of Here, Robert Zemeckis, has notably worked on a number of other movies that deal with the passage of time, including Back to the Future, Forrest Gump, and Cast Away. The hosts then turn to the topic of nostalgia and memory in the Christian life, and how the climax of the film shows us that it's in the ability to remember that we see things from different perspectives. (33:40) Fr. Matt and Fr. Brian share some of their critiques of the movie, most notably the aging and “de-aging” technology used to alter the actors’ appearances. They then rank the film using their “seeds of the word” rating, based on how clearly they saw goodness, truth, and beauty reflected in the story. Before concluding the episode, Fr. Matt invites listeners to send in their feedback—including which movies they’d like to see covered next—to cinema@aod.org.

Fr. Brian and Fr. Matt dive into the Pixar universe to break down themes of anxiety and sense of self in this year’s Inside Out 2, the highest-grossing animated film of all time and sequel to the 2015 hit Inside Out. Our hosts draw parallels between the other emotions’ efforts to rein in Anxiety (the character) and the Christian understanding that anxiety (the emotion) is not from God. They also discuss the movie’s assertion that a person’s sense of self is rooted in core memories and beliefs, similar to the Christian perspective of our identity being rooted in our relationship with God.(0:28) Our hosts greet each other and talk about some of the films they’ve seen recently. Fr. Brian playfully teases Fr. Matt for being “on the jumpy side” when watching scary movies. Then, they introduce today’s topic: Inside Out 2, the highest-grossing animated film of all time and sequel to the 2015 hit Inside Out.(3:53) Fr. Matt provides a synopsis of Inside Out, the story of a young girl named Riley who is guided through life by five anthropomorphized emotions: Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear, and Disgust. Both Fr. Matt and Fr. Brian liked Inside Out better than its sequel, which adds a few more emotions to the mix: Anxiety, Envy, Embarrassment, Ennui, and–for just a moment–Nostalgia. They discuss how the existence of these new emotions, and the ways they interact with each other, impact the world building set by the original film.(10:46) After a brief interlude to revisit Fr. Matt’s tendency toward jumpiness in the theater, our hosts discuss one of the new world building elements introduced in the film: Riley’s memories grow into her beliefs, which together form her sense of self. At the beginning of the movie, her sense of self is, “I am a good person.” With the arrival of Anxiety, this sense of self is lost and replaced with, “I am not good enough.”(16:55) Fr. Matt shares his 7-year-old cousin’s take on the film’s message: “We can’t let anxiety have control.” This opens the door to a discussion about the Christian understanding that anxiety is not from God, a teaching that is reflected in the film as the other characters work to control Anxiety and prevent her from controlling Riley.(25:10) Fr. Brian talks about the movie’s assertion that a person’s sense of self is rooted in core memories and beliefs, comparing it to the Christian perspective of our identity being rooted in our relationship with God. He and Fr. Matt highlight some of the more clever world building elements from the film, including the “Sarchasm,” a chasm inside Riley’s mind that transforms genuine speech into sarcastic taunts. (29:36) Fr. Matt says the film is missing the idea of virtue driving our actions. Both hosts agree that they’d love to see a film similar to the Inside Out franchise featuring characters modeled after faith, hope, charity, prudence, justice, temperance, and fortitude. Fr. Brian suggests the Prudence character would lead the way, like Joy does in the existing films.(31:58) Our hosts rank Inside Out 2 using their “seeds of the word” rating, based on how clearly they saw goodness, truth, and beauty reflected in the story. They conclude the episode by sharing their all-time favorite Pixar movies.

On this episode of Cinema Verbi, Fr. Brian and Fr. Matt explore the Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, set 300 years after the series’ previous installment and featuring opposing clans of apes. Our hosts find parallels between the Catholic faith and the film’s portrayal of community life, interpretation of teachings found in historic texts, the hope for mercy and forgiveness, and more. Editor’s note: The conversation includes major spoilers from throughout the film.(0:30) Fr. Matt and Fr. Brian greet each other and discuss early feedback they’ve received from listeners of the Cinema Verbit podcast. Both agree that talking about the “seeds of Scripture” in secular movies is a useful shallow entry into a discussion of faith. They segue into introducing the film for this episode: Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, which is the fourth installment of the Planet of the Apes reboot series and tenth film overall.(4:04) Neither Fr. Matt nor Fr. Brian had seen any of the three previous films in the reboot series, so they watched those films in preparation for Kingdom. However, they think the new movie has enough context that viewers new to the franchise will be able to follow the plot. They briefly discuss the setting for the newer film and give a refresher about how apes became sentient at the beginning of the series.(8:04) Fr. Brian and Fr. Matt discuss parallels between the film’s plot and some familiar Biblical themes, including a sense of “religious fealty” toward a historical figure, tension between nomadic peoples and city dwelling societies, and prophetic figures helping to interpret the knowledge found in historic texts. The characters in this movie have different ways of interpreting the teachings and legacy of Caesar, an ape who lived long ago, just as the Gospels tell us about the different reactions to Jesus’ earthly ministry.(22:41) Our hosts segue into looking at “seeds of the Word,” or how they see God’s word planted in the film. In Kingdom, they appreciated the distinctions between two interpretations of Caesar’s legacy, as well as the strong emphasis within the Bird Clan on the beauty of family and living harmoniously with God’s creation. (27:46) Fr. Matt and Fr. Brian note that while earlier films presented a clear dichotomy between humans and apes, this film zeroes in on the apes themselves and leaves the viewer wondering which apes are “good” and which are “evil.” As the events of the film unfold, it is not always clear whose intentions are pure and who is motivated by greed and self-interest.(35:59) Our hosts revisit a point earlier in the film during which the characters discover a telescope and are able to see the stars in a way they’ve never seen them before. This leads to a brief discussion about a short-lived program at the University of Kansas during which students studied the classics while also regularly gathering to look at the sky. The program was eventually disbanded after a number of students converted to Catholicism while enrolled in the course. Fr. Matt and Fr. Brian discuss the connection between being connected with the beauty of God’s creation and subsequently having faith in Him.(39:50) Fr. Matt and Fr. Brian rate the film in two ways: First, they offer a “seed” rating based on how clearly they saw goodness, truth, and beauty reflected in the film. Then, they give a standard rating based on their enjoyment and also rank where this film ranks for them in the reboot series.

On this episode of Cinema Verbi, Fr. Brian and Fr. Matt dive into the futuristic universe of Dune. They share some of their critical views on the films and unpack the commentary on religion, power, and control found in the narrative. They discuss where they find truth, goodness, and beauty in the movies and also note some important distinctions between religion found in these stories versus the life of the disciple. (01:00) Fr. Matt and Fr. Brian introduce this month’s topic: Dune, Parts 1 and 2. They share about their familiarity with the books written by Frank Herbert and briefly describe the universe in which the movies take place. They also share the main premise and key plot points of the narrative. (08:03) They both share their initial reactions to seeing Dune for the first time. They mention the potential for more movies in this franchise, given that there are more books in the series. They highlight the actors and their performances, share important terminology in the films, and discuss where they find the good, true, and beautiful in the movies. (14:01) They highlight the role of the religious leaders in the film, the Bene Gesserit, and discuss the origin of their name as coming from the term “Jesuit.” They discuss Frank Herbert’s choice for this title and what it implies about his perspective on religion and religious leaders. (16:12) Fr. Brian notes the overtones of call and vocation he finds in the film and draws parallels to the sacrament of Baptism. They discuss various plot points and the themes of good, evil, power, and control found in the narrative.(20:46) They contrast the religious figures found in the film who seek power and control with those who faithfully live out the Christian faith, highlighting the life of sacrifice, humility, and even suffering found in Christianity. They discuss the fact that themes of love and sacrifice also seem to be missing. (25:14) They discuss some of the choices Frank Herbert made that highlight his criticisms of religion, and the way in which authentic discipleship differs from his portrayal of religion as purely a pursuit of power. (27:18) Both give their “seed rating” on the movies, sharing what they liked about the movies. (29:05) Fr. Brian challenges Fr. Matt to a game of “Dune or Deuteronomy,” in which Fr. Matt must determine whether a short phrase came from Dune or the original Hebrew text of Deuteronomy. (35:34) They give a short preview into next month’s episode, which will be on The Holdovers, a favorite of both Fr. Matt and Fr. Brian. 

Discover what’s found between the silver screen and the sacred! Each month on Cinema Verbi, Fr. Matt Hood and Fr. Brian Meldrum, priests of the Archdiocese of Detroit, discuss a popular film and unpack the truth, goodness, and beauty found within it. Listen to find the seeds of God’s Word in the movies you love.