Kermode & Mayo’s Take
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Essential film reviews, TV reviews, and all conversations around movie and non-movie related stuff brought to you by Mark Kermode and Simon Mayo. Plus a whole bunch of recommendations to watch in cinemas, on all streaming services and on physical media. Want more Kermode & Mayo? Subscribe to Kermode & Mayo’s Extra Takes to get ad-free listening plus access to our subscriber-exclusive show, TAKE TWO, with new episodes every Friday. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, or at extratakes.com to get access on your preferred podcast platform. There's more to discover at kermodeandmayo.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices . EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ https://nordvpn.com/take Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee!
Episodes
Mentioned books
May 7, 2026 • 1h 15min
SIR IAN MCKELLEN: Christophers and some unfinished business…
Sir Ian McKellen, veteran British stage and screen actor, chats about his new film The Christophers and his long, storied career. He discusses playing cantankerous painter Julian Sklar, working with Steven Soderbergh, comedy craft and on-set style, revisiting theatre roles like Hamlet and King Lear, and what it feels like to return to Middle-earth as Gandalf.
8 snips
Apr 30, 2026 • 1h 19min
Does THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA 2 rock the sequel trend? + STEVE COOGAN
Steve Coogan, acclaimed actor and comedian known for The Trip and Philomena, talks about his new Netflix series Legends and playing real people. Conversation covers undercover customs officers tackling the 90s heroin trade. He reflects on the toll of deep-cover roles and his acting approach. There’s also chat about Saipan and working with filmmakers.
14 snips
Apr 23, 2026 • 1h 33min
Have we found Mark’s film of the year already?
Richard Gadd, actor, writer and comic best known for Baby Reindeer, talks about his new BBC series Half Man. He discusses making, titling and performing in the show. Conversations cover how it examines male repression and violence, lessons from his earlier work, and the choices behind casting and structure. The segment also touches on fame, Football Aid, and public life.
Apr 16, 2026 • 1h 17min
John Waters: “I’m so respectable I could puke”
John Waters, cult filmmaker known for Pink Flamingos and Hairspray, chats about the BFI Trash season and his boundary-pushing career. He recalls drive-ins, midnight screenings, and why trash cinema delights. He debates respectability, censorship, and how shock has changed. Expect witty, provocative stories about making films to provoke and entertain.
10 snips
Apr 9, 2026 • 1h 19min
Brian Cox on GLENROTHAN: will it go down smoothly with Mark?
Brian Cox, veteran Scottish actor and filmmaker best known for stage, screen and TV work including Succession, talks about making his directorial debut Glenrothan. He discusses why he took the project, casting and his collaborative, theatre-rooted approach. Conversation covers family dynamics, brothers and whisky, character grudges, and moving from acting into directing.
14 snips
Apr 2, 2026 • 1h 19min
Level up or game over for SUPER MARIO GALAXY?
Hugh Bonneville, veteran British actor known for Downton Abbey and Paddington, chats about reprising Ian Fletcher in the new series 2026 and his stage work in Shadowlands. They delve into the show's bureaucracy humour, the pressures of scripting and rehearsal, and the sly World Cup-adjacent jokes. Plus a brisk take on Super Mario Galaxy and how it lands for fans.
8 snips
Mar 26, 2026 • 1h 11min
THE MAGIC FARAWAY TREE: Enchanting or just lost in the woods?
François Ozon, a prolific French director and screenwriter, talks about adapting Camus and making L'Étranger (The Stranger). He discusses why he modernized the context, chose black-and-white, directed Benjamin Voisin toward a Bresson-like detachment, and how he expanded female and Arab roles. Short, cinematic, and focused on filmmaking choices and sensitive historical context.
Mar 19, 2026 • 1h 30min
Is Stephen Graham another bad boy in THE GOOD BOY?
Stephen Graham, acclaimed English actor known for gritty roles in This Is England and Boardwalk Empire, discusses playing a disturbed father in The Good Boy. He talks about the film’s unsettling rehabilitation ritual and moral ambiguity. Conversation covers casting choices, family trauma, and echoes of classic reprogramming tales. Expect dark humour, tense character dynamics, and a lingering, ambiguous finish.
Mar 16, 2026 • 46min
Oscars Schmoscars 2026
They break down the night’s biggest wins, from One Battle After Another sweeping major awards to Norway’s Sentimental Value making history. Conversations touch on Michael B. Jordan’s emotional Best Actor moment and Autumn Durald Arkapaw’s cinematography breakthrough. They react to genre wins like K-pop Demon Hunters and Frankenstein’s craft haul, plus political documentaries, rare ties, and memorable tributes.
8 snips
Mar 12, 2026 • 1h 15min
Ryan Gosling on PROJECT HAIL MARY
Ryan Gosling, actor known for La La Land and Blade Runner 2049, chats about leading the sci‑fi film Project Hail Mary. He talks about loving Andy Weir’s book, crafting the heart of a solo space survival story, and creating Rocky with puppetry. There’s also chat on sci‑fi influences, a surprise karaoke moment, and whether he’d ever really go to space.
