387 – Ain’t Them Bodies Saints

387 – Ain’t Them Bodies Saints

From This Had Oscar Buzz by Joe and Chris

April 13, 2026 · 2h 7m

About this episode

The episode discusses David Lowery's film Ain’t Them Bodies Saints, its influences, and its impact on the director's career.

As maverick director David Lowery returns to theatres this week with Mother Mary, we’re looking back at his 2013 film Ain’t Them Bodies Saints. The film follows two Texas lovers played by Casey Affleck and Rooney Mara torn apart by a showdown with local police, where he accepts guilt and jail time when she shoots a police officer. The film is an unpacking of romantic outlaw myths that caused a stir at the Sundance Film Festival and helped establish Lowery as one of the most unpredictable directors working today. This episode, we talk about the influence of Terrence Malick’s Badlands on the film and Lowery’s subversion of story expectations. We also discuss Mara’s filmography between Oscar nominations, Ben Foster’s emergence into character roles, and beloved cinematographer Bradford Young. Topics also include the 2013 Sundance Film Festival, Santa’s WikiFeet rating, and Chris’s favorite Huppert performance.

People in this episode

Hosts: Chris, Joe

Topics covered

  • David Lowery
  • Ain’t Them Bodies Saints
  • Sundance Film Festival
  • romantic outlaw myths
  • cinematography
  • film analysis

Keywords

  • David Lowery
  • Ain’t Them Bodies Saints
  • Casey Affleck
  • Rooney Mara
  • Sundance
  • Badlands
  • Ben Foster
  • Bradford Young

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Ain’t Them Bodies Saints, Badlands

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