Fred Asquith On Film

This week on FoF I breakdown how they could make The Traitors EVEN BETTER. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve been loving this series, but it could be INCREDIBLE with these tweaks. Imagine if you actually wanted to watch the missions?!

Plus; I’m excited by Steven Knight’s (Peaky Blinders) new Bond script teaser, Hans Zimmer is scoring the new HBO Harry Potter series… or is he? And I breakdown some of your reactions to 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple.

To finish off, I take you into the mind of 2008 Fred as we look at my then-list of top 100 movies, and leaf through my hilarious movie journal. And don’t miss the now-trademarked FoF disclaimer.

Explore the FoF socials/YT via my creepy website https://fredasquith.com

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 Intro 
00:38 How can we fix The Traitors? My 4 Step Plan. 
07:07 New Bond Script Teaser from Steven Knight!
10:14 Hans Zimmer to score HBO’s Harry Potter…or is he?
14:09 Bone Temple REACTION has got me thinking… (SPOILERS!!!)
20:18 THE RIP Review (no spoilers) and why you should watch it regardless
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24:33 Fred’s Favourite Movies 2008 (Time Capsule!!!)
31:08 What I’ve learnt about movie criticism & subjectivity from looking back at this list
32:30  My 2008 Film Journal!!!!! (Hilarious 15 year old reviews)
44:49 THE FOF DISCLAIMER
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45:12 Please rate and review! + Next Week’s HUGE ANGENDA

This week on FoF I’m reviewing 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple (no spoilers) and explaining why it’s my favourite 28 movie yet. From Nia DaCosta out Danny Boyle-ing Danny Boyle and bringing back the human threat, to Ralph Fiennes absolutely stealing the show in a way that feels genuinely awards-worthy.
I also go on a (deeply necessary) rant about the latest Traitors chaos and my big prediction for potential finalist, before taking you on a mini tour of Dolby HQ in Soho where I got a proper Atmos/Vision education and started plotting a potential listener-invite Dolby day.
Plus: physical media regrets, my home cinema setup, showing my Darling Wife The Sixth Sense, and my obsession with those “how have I never heard of this?” movies that somehow exist in major actors’ filmographies.
Explore the FoF socials/YT via my creepy website https://fredasquith.com

TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Intro
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28 YEARS LATER: THE BONE TEMPLE Review - no spoilers!!
00:47 You may already suspect my opinion on this movie…
02:36 This felt spiritually closer to 28 Days Later
04:15 Ralph Fiennes is a GOAT
06:23 Spike (Alife Williams) is more in the background, this is a good thing
07:38 Grisly, but fun, with depth if you want to look for it
08:56 I was gripped throughout, watch checks: zero
10:01 This is a good cinema movie, watch it with an audience
10:35 I love how each of these movies feels different to the other
13’11 Summary & Letterboxd Rating https://boxd.it/bZVqnV
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14:20 THE TRAITORS my observations, frustrations and predictions
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21:00 My Trip to Dolby HQ, what I learned, Tom Cruise and A POTENTIAL DOLBY / FOF GIVEAWAY!!
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30:25 Blu-ray, 4K & Physical Media Update
32:03 My Home Cinema Setup
33:10 THE SIXTH SENSE twist with my Darling Wife!!!!! https://boxd.it/cxKGYH
35:44 REMINISCENSE, Hugh Jackman, and hidden movies in Movie Star filmographies https://boxd.it/cxHUfl
39:27 MYSTIC RIVER and Adult Dramas That Your Parents watched https://boxd.it/cyY5tJ
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41:25 NEXT WEEK!

Welcome back to reality then, my little Christmas hams. On this week’s FoF: 

I’m reviewing the finale of Stranger Things. You may know, I think Stranger Things is sheet, but did the finale win me over?

The Traitors has a new “Secret Traitor” twist, but is it ACTUALLY fun not knowing who a traitor is?

I’m sorting 2026 films into categories of “GO AWAY”, “CURIOUS” and “MOST ANTICIPATED”, looking at movies like “The Social Reckoning”, Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey”, “Devil Wears Prada 2”,  “Avengers: Doomsday” and “Dune: Part 3”. 

And to fight back against January’s bleakness I bought a load of Blu-Rays (HELLO 2009), so I’ll take you through them.

Oh, and I’m reviewing Hamnet, the one where Paul Mescal is Shakespeare, but did he pull it off? Have a watch and find out.
Timestamps:
00:00 Intro
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STRANGER THINGS FINALE https://boxd.it/cnLN9j
02:26 Overall thoughts and ranting about the 50 minute epilogue
09:12 The Cinema Release and My Prediction for Netflix Cinema Ownership
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14:06 New TRAITORS!! Successes & failures of the Secret Traitor concept
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BLU RAY HAUL
16:11 The Haul Begins
17:43 Thoughts on Extended & Directors Cuts (Nosferatu, Amadeus, LOTR)
22:30 Sunshine and how I used to lack Cinema Etiquette in my youth
24:42 My Darling Wife DOESN’T KNOW THE SIXTH SENSE TWIST????
27:49 Inception 4K, and why I’m not the biggest fan
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29:25 The Godfather REWATCH, and why it is indeed 5 stars https://boxd.it/cmIjMb
34:01 Marty Supreme REWATCH and why it is still 4 stars for me (SPOILERS!) https://boxd.it/cqayNr
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LOOKING AHEAD TO 2026 MOVIES
38:28 Intro
39:15 These 2026 movies can GO AWAY
41:25 I’m CURIOUS about these 2026 movies 
47:49 My MOST ANTICIPATED 2026 movies
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51:24 HAMNET REVIEW - not strictly spoilers here, but skip if you are gonna see the movie https://boxd.it/bmjVRP
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59:14 NEXT WEEK! Is a big one.

It’s Chrimbo limbo. Life is desolate. You’re busy flogging stuff to CeX, I get it. So this is a brief, uplifting pod where I’m reviewing one of my favourite films of recent months and basically crying my eyes out on the Pod. PLUS we’ll be running down movies you can watch after Christmas in the limbo and all the way till February. We’re talking New Years Movies, we’re talking Snowy Movies, we’re talking… well watch the forking pod and find out.

Timestamps: 

(00:00) Agenda
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(01:20) The Best Crimbo Limbo Movies
(01:37) When Harry Met Sally
(02:18) The Holdovers still counts
(03:00) The Best January Movies (Criteria & List)
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(05:24) SONG SUNG BLUE Review (this is important) - no spoilers
(05:59) Set Up for this review
(06:38) I have been waiting SO LONG to hype this movie
(07:01) Worried they were sweeping the preview screening under the rug
(07:43) Synopsis
(07:56) So much was telling me this was about to be bad
(08:42) Muted reception for Hugh Jackman & Kate Hudson
(10:36) I FEEL EMOTIONAL.
(11:56) If ONLY I love this movie, that’s ok
(12:37) This doesn’t PRESENT as a good movie. But stick with it. 
(13:39) The lead performances and chemistry are sublime. 
(14:26) This is a deeply optimistic, happy movie to spend time with. 
(15:40) I am now a Neil Diamond jukebox
(17:04) Step by step this completely won me over until I was sobbing (I’m emotional again)
(18:55) You know when a movie has you by the b@lls
(19:17) One ESSENTIAL PIECE OF INFO before seeing this movie
(20:45) Summary & LETTERBOXD RATING https://boxd.it/bN9hJT
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(22:27) Coming up!

It's a late-Christmas surprise from Santa Fred! A bonus episode of FoF to warm your toes by the fire to. 
In this episode, I start off with a rundown of some very exciting trailers, including my worries for Disclosure Day and my excitement for The Odyssey. 
I then dive into THE FOFSCARS! Your definitive, alternative movie awards for 2025, including fun categories such as "Most Tears Shed", "Best Needle Drop", "Swing And A Miss", plus a few categories suggested by YOU the listener. 
Stick around till the end where I run through my Top 10 Movies of 2025, with some surprises along the way. 
As discussed in the group chat via @fredasquithonfilm, I have included some 2026 releases in my Top 10 to stay true to what I've seen this year, but kept the categories and deeper discussions to 2025 releases only. 
Explore the FoF socials/YT via my creepy website https://fredasquith.com

TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Agenda
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TRAILER NEWS
01:25 DIGGER Trailer -  new Tom Cruise movie is a COMEDY!
03:28 ANIMAL FARM Trailer - an abomination
04:09 AVENGERS: DOOMSDAY Trailer - like going to a Dad Rock concert
07:22 DISCLOSURE DAY Trailer - some worries about new Spielberg UFO movie 
13:10 THE ODYSSEY Prologue - I saw it!! And…
17:09 Never doubt Nolan. 
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18:12 THE FOFSCARS!
18:45 Criteria of Eligibility
20:08 The 2 WORST Movies of 2025
22:20 The Trailer So Good It Made Me Go To The Cinema
23:39 SURPRISE of 2025
24:44 DISAPPOINTMENTS of 2025
27:52 The Biggest “Swing and a Hit” of 2025
29:06 The Biggest “Swing and a Miss” of 2025
31:00 Most Underrated Movie of 2025 
32:13 The 2 Most Overrated Movies of 2025
34:24 The Best Ensemble Casting
35:27 My Favourite Performances of 2025
36:41 The ‘You Did All You Could’ Award for Best Performance in a Bad Movie
38:13 Best Needle Drop
39:17 Most Tears Shed
39:35 The Best Jump Scare
39:59 The Winners and Losers of 2025
41:06 The Lesson of 2025
42:11 Peak Era
42:58 Shot of 2025
43:47 The One That Doesn’t Feel Like a 2025 Movie
44:26 The Paycheck Award
45:00 Screening of 2025
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45:34 THE FOF TOP 10 MOVIES OF 2025 - set up & one that missed out
47:10 Number 10
47:37 Number 9
48:01 Number 8
48:19 Number 7
49:01 Number 6
49:32 Number 5
50:23 Number 4
50:57 Number 3
51:31 Number 2
52:19 Number 1 aka THE BEST MOVIE OF 2025
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54:43 A thank you to YOU. 
55:59 A teaser…