“Wuthering Heights” proves that anti-intellectualism is winning, and critical thinking gets punished.

Last week I broke down Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë; this week, “Wuthering Heights” by Emerald Fennell broke me down. In this episode of the pod I give a (loose) plot summary of the movie, but mostly I analyze it and its role in pop culture as a test of media literacy and critical thinking. I get political a lot here and it feels necessary.

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Chapter timestamps

00:00:00 hello!

00:03:17 is it smut?

00:07:20 humor + style over substance

00:09:24 checking in re. feminism

00:10:48 theater audiences

00:12:32 my take on Emerald Fennell

00:14:40 let's talk about race

00:16:45 the great adaptation debate

00:20:03 start plot, opening scene

00:23:22 book vs. movie Nelly

00:30:07 childhood at Wuthering Heights

00:35:04 time jump & Cathy’s awakening

00:41:31 the Lintons arrive

00:45:24 “colorblind” casting

00:48:27 whitewashing white characters

00:53:13 Cathy and Edgar

00:54:58 the proposal

00:58:26 costume design + wedding

01:03:27 Heathcliff returns

01:06:11 Heathcliff + Cathy’s affair

01:09:53 Heathcliff and Isabella

01:15:54 book vs. movie Cathy

01:18:09 Cathy gets sick

01:20:57 Cathy departs, end plot

01:23:34 rant about press tour + marketing

01:26:54 rant about media literacy + anti-intellectualism

01:33:04 bye :)

Credits

Mentioned: Karolina Żebrowska https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNwZIGnHkzy6KpHPQtserzQ

Music: Karl Casey @ White Bat Audio

Stock videos: https://www.vecteezy.com/free-videos/

I read Wuthering Heights so you don’t have to – here’s the whole story, as told by Emily Brontë.

My first book report on the pod! I was inspired to make this so that everyone can access Emily Brontë’s iconic cornerstone of Gothic literature while it’s at the forefront of pop culture, whether or not you have the time and energy to sit down and read it yourself right now. There’s a lot of things to discuss re. Emerald Fennell’s movie “adaptation,” but for today we focus on the original text, all of the characters and plot, and my interpretation of the themes Brontë explores. I’ll be back to cover the movie soon!

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Tiktok https://www.tiktok.com/@movies4breakfast

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/moviesforbreakfastpod/

Chapter timestamps

00:00:00 hello!

00:01:32 my relationship to this book

00:03:22 Lockwood comes to Yorkshire

00:07:26 bad vibes and ghosts at Wuthering Heights

00:19:05 Heathcliff’s origin story

00:25:45 Emily Brontë wrote about race

00:30:02 mini Emerald Fennell rant

00:31:50 little Heathcliff: from golden boy to servant

00:35:09 the Lintons change Catherine

00:41:21 Heathcliff longs for Edgar’s whiteness

00:44:01 Hindley humiliates Heathcliff; Hareton is born

00:46:49 Heathcliff-Catherine-Edgar love triangle

00:54:40 Edgar proposes to Catherine

01:00:13 Heathcliff disappears

01:04:49 Heathcliff’s back, hotter and richer

01:11:55 Catherine, Edgar, Heathcliff, and Isabella

01:19:30 Edgar and Heathcliff fight

01:24:34 Isabella runs off with Heathcliff

01:29:01 Heathcliff and Catherine reunite

01:36:28 Catherine dies giving birth to Cathy Jr.

01:40:08 Isabella flees; gives birth to Linton

01:42:06 Hindley dies; Heathcliff keeps Hareton

01:43:52 Edgar spoils Cathy; Heathcliff abuses Hareton

01:48:20 Isabella dies, Heathcliff takes Linton

01:55:04 Heathcliff pushes Cathy + Linton together

02:03:11 Edgar dies

02:10:24 Linton dies; Cathy feels alone at WH

02:15:41 Cathy + Hareton break cycles of abuse

02:21:56 Heathcliff dies

02:24:00 goodbye!

Credits

• Video format concept: caricanread, Jenny Nicholson, Mike’s Mic (all on YouTube)
• Music: Karl Casey @ White Bat Audio
• Stock videos: https://www.vecteezy.com/free-videos/
• Wuthering Heights: Emily Brontë ;)

What the title says! I also realized while editing that I did in fact forget at least two 2025 releases I’ve seen – Oh, Hi! (2025), which I gave 3½ stars, and The History of Sound (2025), which I gave 4½ stars. See below for timestamps and links to full episodes for all movies that I’ve reviewed on the pod.

Find me on all platforms at moviesforbreakfast.com

Episodes on 2025 releases:

1. Superman

2. Sorry, Baby

3. KPop Demon Hunters

4. Eddington

5. The Phoenician Scheme

6. F1: The Movie

7. Sinners

8. Caught Stealing

9. One Battle After Another

10. Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere

11. After the Hunt

12. Bugonia

13. Wicked: For Good

14. Sentimental Value

15. Marty Supreme

16. It Was Just An Accident

    
    

00:00:00 hi :)

00:02:12 explaining the tiers

00:03:16 disclaimer

00:03:57 The Voice of Hind Rajab

00:04:14 No Other Choice

00:05:57 The Secret Agent

00:07:34 Rental Family

00:10:22 Twinless

00:12:16 Zootopia 2

00:12:26 Blue Moon

00:14:07 The Testament of Ann Lee

00:14:47 One of Them Days

00:16:35 The Chronology of Water

00:17:19 Jay Kelly

00:18:19 Hedda

00:18:23 The Smashing Machine

00:22:30 Die My Love

00:23:02 The Running Man

00:23:35 Materialists

00:24:52 Frankenstein

00:28:14 Hamnet

00:29:16 Mickey 17

00:30:51 The Naked Gun

00:31:41 The Roses

00:33:02 Train Dreams

00:33:57 After The Hunt

00:35:06 Bugonia

00:36:33 Caught Stealing

00:37:54 Eddington

00:39:20 F1: The Movie

00:41:08 It Was Just An Accident

00:42:32 KPop Demon Hunters

00:43:46 Marty Supreme

00:45:13 One Battle After Another

00:46:32 Sentimental Value

00:47:35 Sinners

00:49:19 Sorry, Baby

00:50:41 Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere

00:52:06 Superman

00:54:23 The Phoenician Scheme

00:55:52 Wicked: For Good

00:56:57 Eternity

00:58:12 Wake Up Dead Man

01:00:17 If I Had Legs I'd Kick You

01:01:58 conclusion

An in depth review, synopsis, and analysis of It Was Just An Accident (2025), winner of the Palme d’Or at Cannes 2025! I give it 5 stars and rank it among my favorites of the year. In this episode I discuss the themes of political violence, justice, and redemption, and I analyze the techniques Jafar Panahi used to explore them while making this film in secret in Iran.

Find me on all platforms at moviesforbreakfast.com

Chapter timestamps:

00:00:00 Hello

00:01:20 Spoiler free review

00:09:27 Checking in re. Heated Rivalry

00:10:40 Podkeeping

00:12:33 Spoiler warning

00:12:43 The coincidental sighting

00:20:25 The abduction

00:21:40 The first interrogation

00:24:31 Consulting Salar

00:26:10 Finding Shiva

00:32:25 Gang runs errands

00:38:23 Too many cooks in the van

00:43:09 Debating in the desert

00:49:17 Bump in the road

00:57:05 And then there were two

01:08:56 Closing scene

01:14:14 Final thots

An in depth review and analysis of Marty Supreme (2025), with my friend Wildlin Pierrevil (@NotWildlin). This is part 2 of our discussion, with part 1 posted on Wildlin’s podcast, 10 at a Time! We discuss our different perspectives on the movie and break down the writing and filmmaking behind it, with some giggles along the way as per. A huge thank you to Wildlin for joining me here and for having me on 10 at a Time!

Find me on all platforms at moviesforbreakfast.com :)

Chapter timestamps:

00:00:00 Hello!

00:01:42 Fran Drescher etc.

00:04:14 Marty vs. his mom; Munchausen by proxy

00:07:34 Marty vs. the world

00:12:56 Japan expo

00:17:15 Sports movie expectations

00:20:36 Abandoned plot threads

00:24:16 The ending

00:34:03 Rachel’s character

00:43:00 Marty vs. Rachel; gender dynamics

00:46:12 Cinematography

00:52:52 Direction without blocking?

00:54:32 Costume design

00:55:50 Post WWII geopolitics

01:01:41 Music / score

01:03:39 Editing

01:08:36 Marty vs. Rockwell vs. Kay

01:13:36 Kay’s character

01:20:43 Goodbye!

A brief discussion of the movies I watched this month; most of which I will not cover in their own episode. Let me know what you think of this format of episode…

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Find me on all platforms at moviesforbreakfast.com :)

Chapter timestamps:

00:00:00 Hello

00:01:41 Where Do We Go Now? (2011)

00:05:03 Killers of the Flower Moon (2023)

00:10:03 Parasite (2019)

00:11:52 It Was Just an Accident (2025)

00:13:18 Wake Up Dead Man (2025)

00:18:51 Ghadi (2013)

00:20:11 It Happened One Night (1934)

00:22:17 Scrooge / A Christmas Carol (1951)

00:25:46 Good Will Hunting (1997)

00:28:32 If I Had Legs I’d Kick You (2025)

00:32:18 Eternity (2025)

00:36:41 Goodbye

An in depth review, synopsis, and analysis of Sentimental Value (2025), winner of the Grand Prix at Cannes 2025! I gave it 5 stars and found it deeply moving and honest. In this episode I discuss the themes of generational trauma, abandonment, and sisterhood, and I analyze the techniques Joachim Trier uses to explore them.

Find me on all platforms at moviesforbreakfast.com :)

Chapter timestamps:

----------------

00:00:00 spoiler free review

00:07:31 content warnings

00:08:22 spoiler warning

00:08:28 opening montage

00:10:01 Nora’s stage fright

00:12:24 mother’s wake

00:18:18 Nora meets with Gustav

00:24:36 the film festival

00:28:29 after the festival

00:32:07 Nora’s daily life

00:36:52 cleaning out the house

00:40:22 Gustav plans scene in house

00:45:48 family history montage

00:53:51 Netflix interview

00:57:10 Nora picnics with friends

01:00:15 Errick’s 9th birthday

01:05:54 Gustav attacks Nora

01:17:53 Gustav meets with Peter

01:20:04 Gustav drunk calls Nora

01:24:17 table read with Rachel

01:27:26 Agnes at the library

01:31:43 Rachel grows suspicious

01:34:06 Gustav calls Michael

01:35:02 Nora's premiere

01:37:46 Nora's depressive episode

01:39:42 Agnes finally breaks

01:42:20 Rachel quits

01:43:43 Gustav breaks

01:46:13 Agnes goes to Nora

01:54:40 Gustav drinks himself sick

01:55:48 house renovations

01:56:07 final scene of Gustav’s film

02:00:22 my closing thoughts

An in depth review, synopsis, and analysis of Wicked: For Good (2025)! I gave it 3 stars, but have since downgraded to 2 (the more time I spent thinking and analyzing, the more it fell apart). I liked it significantly less than I liked Wicked (2024). I discuss why it falls short and give credit where credit is due for its strengths as well.

Find me on all platforms at moviesforbreakfast.com :)

PLEASE leave a 5 star rating and review on your podcast app!!

Chapter timestamps below!

----------------------

00:00:00 Intro music

00:00:16 Intro

00:02:32 Spoiler free discussion

00:12:44 Spoiler warning

00:13:09 Opening scene

00:22:35 Little Glinda flashback

00:27:34 Yellow brick road opening

00:38:52 Fiyero finds Elphaba

00:41:12 Governor Nessarose

00:44:49 Elphaba rallies the troops

00:52:15 Nessa loses control

01:04:05 The wedding

01:15:09 The wedding, disturbed

01:24:45 Fiyero and Elphaba, outlaws

01:28:14 The tempest

01:31:51 After the storm

01:37:40 Fiyero arrested

01:40:52 Dorothy on assignment

01:42:36 Girl in the bubble

01:44:36 Glinda wakes up

01:46:01 Elphaba crashes out

01:47:02 Glinda and Elphaba say goodbye

01:55:14 Glinda cleans house

01:59:36 Elphaba and Fiyero reunited

02:00:52 Loose ends montage

02:03:03 My closing thoughts