Frank Film Club with Maisie Williams

We're in the thick of awards season and as always, we're far more interested in seeing the industry newcomers getting their flowers. In this episode, which is turning into a bit of an annual tradition for us, we meet the five brilliant nominees of the Best British Short Film category at the 2025 EE BAFTA Film Awards.We chat to Theo Panagopoulous director of "The Flowers Stand Silently, Witnessing", Joe Weiland and Finn Constantine for their film "Marion", Franz Böhm and Hayder Hoozeer for "Rock, Paper, Scissors", Miranda Stern and Ashionye Ogene for their documentary short, "Milk" and Matty Crawford and Karima Sammout-Kanellopoulou for "Stomach Bug".We asked the filmmakers about their individual routes into filmmaking and how they found their collaborators. We chat about what it’s like working with small budgets and how, despite this, they were able to boost the production value. Oh and you can see them for yourselves, as some of these films are now on BAFTA’s YouTube and find out who wins on Sunday 16 February 7pm on BBC One & iPlayer!This episode is in collaboration with BAFTA.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ending the season on a magical high chosen by the listeners. The more we get into this episode the more magic we realise The Parent Trap (1998) is. After we’ve addressed the ridiculous trauma of it all (erm…the terrible parenting decisions!), we get to the good stuff; the nostalgic joy of this film, its legacy and the fact it introduced to the world, Lindsay Lohan and director and co-writer Nancy Meyers.Wait until you hear about the other actors that were considered before Lindsay. We discuss the sheer brilliance of 11-year-old Lohan and the complicated layers of acting she pulled off during what must’ve been a long, taxing shoot. We look at how exactly they created the illusion of twins back in the 90s, both on set and in post-production. Oh, and we take a long hard look at ourselves after realising the character of Meredith Blake is only 26 years old. HOW?Tune in for some reminiscing, some making-of trivia and a gritty realistic 2024 Parent Trap remake that we cook up.A full transcript of this episode can be found here.Keep up to date with us on Instagram, TikTok, Letterboxd and YouTube: @frankfilmclub Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mean Girls meets Scream? This week we passionately and lovingly rant about the cult classic, Jennifers Body (2009). Turns out back in 2009, the film industry execs, aka the boys, ruined Diablo Cody’s masterpiece. Fresh off the heels of her hit Juno, screenplay writer Cody was given free rein to create her dream horror comedy starring Megan Fox, the actress born to play the title role. The film flopped thanks to the sexist marketing targeting the wrong audience, jeopardising Megan and Diablo’s careers. Obviously we’re furious. We discuss the brilliance of the writing that firmly cements this in the high school film canon. We analyse how relatable the friends-by-default setup is and the joy of seeing toxic friendship depicted on screen. We love the Labrador puppy vs black cat energy of the Amanda Seyfried and Megan Fox duo. We compare our favourite lines and discuss the films legacy. It’s been a Maisie pick this week > enjoy the rewatch and tune in to our chat 💕A full transcript of this episode can be found here.Keep up to date with us on Instagram, TikTok, Letterboxd and YouTube: @frankfilmclub Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Wear an extra pair of socks because this film will knock them right off. This week we discuss Femme, the Neo-noir thriller and debut feature from directing duo Sam H. Freeman and Ng Choon Ping. In Femme, we see Jules targeted in a horrific homophobic attack, destroying his life and career. Some time after that, he encounters one of his attackers in a gay sauna and wants revenge. We discuss the inspiring journey of this film getting made, from short to feature, plus a whole new cast, with the support of Agile films. You go Agile films! We discuss the simply astounding performances from Nathan Stewart-Jarrett and George MacKay. We give serious props to the shoestring budget, the unbelievable 3 week actor prep time, and the quality of the scriptwriting. TW: this film features a lot of sexual violence. Femme (2023) is available to stream on Netflix. A full transcript of this episode can be found here. Keep up to date with us on Instagram, TikTok, Letterboxd and YouTube: @frankfilmclub Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we watch The Holdovers to finally see what all the awards fuss was all about. A film that has so much heart, it follows Paul Giamatti as an unlikeable teacher at a boarding school who is forced to chaperone a handful of students with nowhere to go over Christmas. Convincingly set in the 70s, the film was committed right down to the old school trailer. None of us expected to connect with it as much as we did, but we were won over by the people - from character actor Paul Giamatti in a role so different from the Paul from our childhoods, to newcomer Dominic Sessa. Let’s just say we had a very excited Casting Director in the room for this recording.The Holdovers (2023) is an American Christmas comedy-drama film directed by Alexander Payne and written by David Hemingson. A full transcript of this episode can be found here.Keep up to date with us on Instagram, TikTok, Letterboxd and YouTube: @frankfilmclub Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For two of us, this film was deeply inspiring. For one of us, this film was simply not it. Nyad is a 2023 American biographical sports drama about swimmer Diana Nyad’s attempts to swim from Cuba to Florida, starring Annette Bening and Jodie Foster. In this episode we address the controversy of the athlete’s cheating and conclude that people need to GET A LIFE. We give serious props to the filmmakers who are legends in the world of sports documentary. But despite their credentials, we question some of their filmmaking choices. Is it too cheesy? Letterboxd hate it, Rotten Tomatoes love it. We’re the same - it’s a hung jury. Keep up to date with us on Instagram, TikTok, Letterboxd and YouTube: @frankfilmclubA full transcript of this episode can be found here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Never have we done such a 180 whilst recording an episode. Directed by Todd Haynes, we agreed May December is a gripping and technically brilliant film. By the end of the episode, we question whether we should like it so much. The film is inspired by real scandalous events and based off of real victimized people, so does Hollywood really have the right to tell this story? We discuss the DRAMA Todd Haynes brings - the music, those zooms and the sensationalized American-ness of it all. And we get Maisie's perspective on preparing to play real life characters. This episode has been a journey, we hope you enjoy <3May December (2023) stars Natalie Portman, Julianne Moore and Charles Melton.Keep up to date with us on Instagram, TikTok, Letterboxd and YouTube: @frankfilmclubA full transcript of this episode can be found here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On Wednesdays, we wear pink drop episodes.This week we delve into the MGU (the Mean Girls Universe), and discuss the recent Mean Girls musical adaptation alongside the original. Who else knew Tina Fey’s screenplay is based off a single chapter in a self-help book? We discuss the phenomenal impact of the original film and our first-time viewing experiences. For us, we agree it was the first time we saw girls being truly hilarious on screen. But we question the relatability of the film and the fact that it’s aged terribly. (That cafeteria scene?!?) Tune in to find out what we think the musical DID get right.Mean Girls (2024) stars Reneé Rapp as Regina George and Angourie Rice as lady Heron and was directed by Samantha Jayne and Arturo Perez Jr.Keep up to date with us on Instagram, TikTok, Letterboxd and YouTube: @frankfilmclubA full transcript of this episode can be found here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For this week's episode we're not going to beat around the bush; we really loved Sofia Coppola's Priscilla (2023) and if you listen you’ll find out why. The film follows the perspective of Elvis’s teen wife, a rare autobiographical film that actually gives the time of day to a woman of that generation. Not only is this film completely non-judgemental, but Coppola somehow has a way of making us relate to a woman we have nothing in common with. Would we have been more satisfied ending with an explosion of emotions? Not all of us agree. From that soundtrack, to that age gap, to the Presley family response... we have a lot to unpack. Join us, and then listen to some Dolly Parton.A full transcript of this episode can be found here. Keep up to date with us on Instagram, TikTok, Letterboxd and YouTube: @frankfilmclub Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

An episode Maisie was dreading… until she actually watched the film. And, well, we couldn't dislike it if we tried. Turns out acting royalty and Harry Potter's production team will always work wonders. This week we discuss everything about the undeniably fun, not too sickly, if a little unmemorable, Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory unofficial prequel. We try to imagine other actors in the role of young Wonka, and we look back at our fav Wonka's from the past…A full transcript of this episode can be found here. Keep up to date with us on Instagram, TikTok, Letterboxd and YouTube: @frankfilmclub Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's Saltburn week, time to discuss that film that you regret watching with your parents. We are so here for the vulgarity, the Barry, the girlies, the soundtrack and the eyebrow piercings. At times we're a little salty.. is it too predictable? Did the internet ruin it? Listen to find out 💖Saltburn (2023) is written and directed by Emerald Fennell starring Barry Keoghan, Jacob Elordi, Rosamund Pike, Carey Mulligan and Richard E Grant. Produced by our fave, LuckyChap Entertainment.A full transcript of this episode can be found here.Keep up to date with us on Instagram, TikTok, Letterboxd and YouTube: @frankfilmclub Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's BAFTA week baby so for this special episode we are honoured to have our first guests of the season be the future of film, aka the five nominees of the Best British Short Film category. Some of our favourite films from last year started out as a short. Over half of the film industry are thought to enter via shorts, yet some – without established industry connections – can find the routes challenging to navigate. We want to hear all about that journey so this week, dialling into our Bristol studio are Abdou Cisse for Festival of Slaps (2023), Dina Mousawi and Elham Ehas for Yellow (2023), Joe Weiland for Gorka (2023), Yasmin Afif for Jellyfish and Lobster (2023) and Simon Woods for Such A Lovely Day (2023). We hear about their individual routes into filmmaking, how each made their film on a shoestring budget and their plans to take their filmmaking to that next level.This episode is in collaboration with BAFTA.A full transcript for this episode can be found here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode is brought to you by PROPER snacks, proud makers of PROPERCORN & PROPERCHIPS.The dust had barely settled on Barbie Land. After multiple watches and months of reflection, we look back at the phenomenon of Greta Gerwig’s 2023 hit Barbie and ask the big questions: Why make Ken the best character? With 45 Mattel films in the works, what does the future of film look like? What will the unstoppable force of Margot Robbie’s production team turn to next? And why the **** was Maisie crying throughout all of it? Keep up to date with us on Instagram @frankfilmclub and TikTok @frankfilmclub and Letterboxd @frankfilmclub For more snackable content follow @proper on IG and @propersnacks on TT #doneproperly Watch the full episode on YouTube @frankfilmclubA full transcript of this episode can be found here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.