Pop Culture Confidential
- Episodes
- 564
- Released
- weekly
- Latest episode
- Nov 13, 2026
About the podcast
Conversations at the intersection of movies, television, and pop culture.
Hosted by Christina Jeurling Birro, this podcast delivers candid interviews with filmmakers, actors, creators, and cultural tastemakers, plus festival and awards-season coverage, reviews, and in-depth explorations of the stories shaping what we watch and why it matters.
Episodes 564
553: Dressing La Bola Negra with Costume Designer Ana López Cobos
Costume designer Ana López Cobos joins Christina to unpack the costumes of Los Javis’ La Bola Negra, the Spanish gay epic spanning three eras. Ana takes us behind the scenes of building Los Javis’ vision …
Show notes
Costume designer Ana López Cobos joins Christina to unpack the costumes of Los Javis’ La Bola Negra, the Spanish gay epic spanning three eras. Ana takes us behind the scenes of building Los Javis’ vision through costume: from period military uniforms to dressing Federico García Lorca himself, and creating the look for Penélope Cruz’s turn as cupletista Nené Romero.
552: Casting Los Javis’ Epic ‘La Bola Negra’ (Guests Eva Leira & Yolanda Serrano)
Renowned casting directors Eva Leira and Yolanda Serrano join Christina for a fascinating conversation about casting La Bola Negra, the epic new film from Los Javis (Javier Ambrossi and Javier Calvo), starring …
Show notes
Renowned casting directors Eva Leira and Yolanda Serrano join Christina for a fascinating conversation about casting La Bola Negra, the epic new film from Los Javis (Javier Ambrossi and Javier Calvo), starring Guitarricadelafuente, Miguel Bernardeau and Carlos González.
Eva and Yolanda take us inside their casting process and explain why representation mattered so much on this project, including the directors' commitment to casting gay actors to play gay characters. They also look back on casting Javier Calvo in his very first acting role at just 15, and share their admiration for the talents of Los Javis.
Plus, they talk about the three powerful women of the film: Penélope Cruz, Lola Dueñas and Glenn Close.
551: Predicting the Oscar Acting Races (Guest: Ryan McQuade)
The acting races are heating up! Ryan McQuade of AwardsWatch joins Christina to predict where all four Oscar acting categories stand, as well as share their personal picks. Plus, You Can See Everything sweeps …
Show notes
The acting races are heating up! Ryan McQuade of AwardsWatch joins Christina to predict where all four Oscar acting categories stand, as well as share their personal picks. Plus, You Can See Everything sweeps the Critics Choice Documentary Awards, and more.
550: Inside the Edit: Oscar-Winning Editor Mikkel E.G. Nielsen on Wild Horse Nine!
Oscar-winning editor Mikkel E.G. Nielsen (Sound of Metal, The Banshees of Inisherin) joins Christina for a veritable editing masterclass on his latest collaboration with Martin McDonagh, Wild Horse Nine …
Show notes
Oscar-winning editor Mikkel E.G. Nielsen (Sound of Metal, The Banshees of Inisherin) joins Christina for a veritable editing masterclass on his latest collaboration with Martin McDonagh, Wild Horse Nine, starring John Malkovich, Sam Rockwell, and Steve Buscemi.
Mikkel takes us inside his process: how he shapes McDonagh’s masterful dialogue in the cutting room, what makes their creative partnership tick, the very special story behind the film’s final scene, and much more.
549: From YOU CAN SEE EVERYTHING to FJORD: Truth at the Movies in 2026 (with Christopher Rosen of The Ankler)
What is truth, and who gets to tell it? Christopher Rosen, Deputy Editor of The Ankler, joins Christina for a fascinating conversation about why so many of this year’s films and filmmakers are exploring and …
Show notes
What is truth, and who gets to tell it? Christopher Rosen, Deputy Editor of The Ankler, joins Christina for a fascinating conversation about why so many of this year’s films and filmmakers are exploring and interrogating the idea of “truth.” From YOU CAN SEE EVERYTHING to FJORD to LA BOLA NEGRA and beyond: what questions are they asking in 2026, how is it changing filmmaking, and why now?
548: ‘You Can See Everything’ .... You’ve Never Seen Anything Like It. Christina Birro & Ryan McQuade Review
It’s the film event of the year! Thirty-four days before she’s sent to prison, Elizabeth Holmes invites Nathan Fielder to move in with her. The result is You Can See Everything, Fielder and Lance Oppenheim’s …
Show notes
It’s the film event of the year! Thirty-four days before she’s sent to prison, Elizabeth Holmes invites Nathan Fielder to move in with her. The result is You Can See Everything, Fielder and Lance Oppenheim’s masterful, riveting, mind-bending documentary about the Theranos founder. Christina Birro and Ryan McQuade dig into Holmes’s elusive nature, the filmmaking, the film’s potential to make Oscar history, and much more. Be warned: spoilers ahead!
547: We Talk The Social Reckoning (Guest: Critic Jorge Tenreiro)
Freelance critic Jorge Tenreiro joins Christina to dig into The Social Reckoning, Aaron Sorkin’s follow-up to The Social Network. The film stars Mikey Madison as Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen and Jeremy …
Show notes
Freelance critic Jorge Tenreiro joins Christina to dig into The Social Reckoning, Aaron Sorkin’s follow-up to The Social Network. The film stars Mikey Madison as Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen and Jeremy Allen White as Wall Street Journal reporter Jeff Horwitz, with Jeremy Strong as Mark Zuckerberg. Jorge, who is a litigator, also weighs in on some of the interesting legal questions at the heart of the story.
Follow Jorge Tenreiro on Instagram @awards_predix
546: Dispatch from NYFF. Behemoth! + Digger Talk (with Ryan McQuade)
In this dispatch from the New York Film Festival 2026, Christina and Ryan McQuade (AwardsWatch) dig into the festival's Centerpiece film, Tony Gilroy's Behemoth!, starring Pedro Pascal. Plus, Digger talk!
545: A Conversation with Palme d'Or–Winning Director Cristian Mungiu (Fjord)
A special episode of Pop Culture Confidential! Christina had the honor of interviewing Cristian Mungiu, director of the Palme d'Or film Fjord. In a wide-ranging conversation, they discuss the film, the themes …
Show notes
A special episode of Pop Culture Confidential! Christina had the honor of interviewing Cristian Mungiu, director of the Palme d'Or film Fjord. In a wide-ranging conversation, they discuss the film, the themes that run through his body of work, the conversations Fjord has sparked, and much more.
Recorded live on stage following a screening in Stockholm, Sweden, September 2026.
544: Chris Rosen (The Ankler) Joins Us to Talk TIFF, La Bola Negra, Fall Films, and the Oscar Race!
Toronto just wrapped, closing out the fall festival trio of Venice, Telluride, and TIFF, and the Oscar picture is starting to come into focus. This week, Christopher Rosen (deputy editor at The Ankler, co-host …
Show notes
Toronto just wrapped, closing out the fall festival trio of Venice, Telluride, and TIFF, and the Oscar picture is starting to come into focus. This week, Christopher Rosen (deputy editor at The Ankler, co-host of the Prestige Junkie podcast) joins the show to break it all down.
We dig into TIFF winner La Bola Negra, the sensation that had the festival buzzing, plus Martin McDonagh's Wild Horse Nine (which won John Malkovich Best Actor at Venice) and Simon Stone's Telluride/TIFF drama Elsinore starring Andrew Scott. We look at who's in the running for Best Picture and the acting categories, and look ahead to some of the fall's biggest swings, including Iñárritu's Digger with Tom Cruise, and so much more.
It's a big one, so settle in.543. Mini Review: Nathan Fielder's Elizabeth Holmes Doc "You Can See Everything". Telluride Film Festival Dispatch
Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim's documentary "You Can See Everything" about Elizabeth Holmes blew the roof off the Telluride Film Festival at its secret screening. Christina sat down with Jay Ledbetter and …
Show notes
Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim's documentary "You Can See Everything" about Elizabeth Holmes blew the roof off the Telluride Film Festival at its secret screening. Christina sat down with Jay Ledbetter and Ryan McQuade of the Director Watch podcast (AwardsWatch) to process the experience!
542: Mini Review : "La Bola Negra": Dispatch from Telluride Film Festival 2026
High above Telluride, Christina hops aboard a gondola with Jorge Tenreiro and Sophia Ciminello of AwardsWatch to talk about La Bola Negra, the new film from Los Javis. From the Telluride Film Festival.
541: Mini Reviews: "Wild Horse Nine" & "A Long Winter": Dispatch from Telluride Film 2026
Christina and Ryan McQuade of AwardsWatch.com discuss two of Telluride's most talked-about films: Martin McDonagh's Wild Horse Nine and Andrew Haigh's A Long Winter.
540: Emmy Predictions 2026. Final Picks Before the Envelopes Open (Guest Eoin Daly)
Emmy time! Eoin Daly is back for our final Emmy predictions ahead of the 78th Emmy Awards, hosted by Mariska Hargitay, (airing September 14th). Who will take home the gold? Tune in!Follow Eoin on instgram @eoin_daily
539: A Conversation with Actor Steve Way! ('Furious')
This week Christina has the honor of talking to actor, comedian, writer and activist Steve Way about his incredible performance as Alden on Furious, creator Liz Meriwether's riveting crime thriller. (Furious …
Show notes
This week Christina has the honor of talking to actor, comedian, writer and activist Steve Way about his incredible performance as Alden on Furious, creator Liz Meriwether's riveting crime thriller. (Furious was just renewed for a second season!) In a wide-ranging conversation, they talk about what drew Way to the role of Alden, what sets Furious apart from other police procedurals, Meriwether's uniquely complicated and multifaceted characters, and the show's moments of humor. Steve talks about the near-death experience at 14 that reshaped how he sees his own life, when he knew he was funny, and his years in stand-up comedy. As well as discussing his advocacy for disability rights, the gap between America's gestures of inclusion and its follow-through, and expanding opportunities for disabled actors in Hollywood, and so much more.
538: Special Episode: Guesting on the AwardsWatch Podcast: Previewing the 53rd Telluride Film Festival
Christina joins the AwardsWatch podcast for a special episode! We’re less than two weeks before the 53nd Telluride Film Festival kicks off on Labor Day weekend and we have a packed show. On episode 360 …
Show notes
Christina joins the AwardsWatch podcast for a special episode! We’re less than two weeks before the 53nd Telluride Film Festival kicks off on Labor Day weekend and we have a packed show. On episode 360 AwardsWatch Executive Editor Ryan McQuade is joined by Editor-In-chief Erik Anderson Associate Editor Sophia Ciminello, contributors Jay Ledbetter, Mark Johnson, and Jorge Tenreiro, and Christina Birro of Pop Culture Confidential to break down what we think will be at Telluride this season, who might be getting the Silver Medallion festival tributes, and much more.
You can listen to The AwardsWatch Podcast wherever you stream podcasts, from iTunes, iHeartRadio, Soundcloud, Stitcher, Spotify, Audible, Amazon Music, YouTube and more.
Music: “Modern Fashion” from AShamaleuvmusic (intro), “B-3” from BoxCat Games Nameless: The Hackers RPG Soundtrack (outro).537: We Talk 'The End of Oak Street', 'The Invite', & TV's 'Furious' and 'Lanterns' (Guest: Ryan McQuade)
Summer's winding down but the watchlist isn't. Ryan McQuade (AwardsWatch) is back on Pop Culture Confidential to review and discuss The End of Oak Street and The Invite, plus a couple of TV picks worth your …
Show notes
Summer's winding down but the watchlist isn't. Ryan McQuade (AwardsWatch) is back on Pop Culture Confidential to review and discuss The End of Oak Street and The Invite, plus a couple of TV picks worth your time, Furious and Lanterns.
536: Director Brian L. Tan & Co-Producer Tara McNamara On Their Award-Winning Film 'Bandit' & Filmmaking Journey
Christina is joined by director Brian L. Tan and co-producer Tara McNamara to talk about their new film Bandit & their filmmaking journey! Tan describes the film as "The White Lotus from the perspective of the …
Show notes
Christina is joined by director Brian L. Tan and co-producer Tara McNamara to talk about their new film Bandit & their filmmaking journey! Tan describes the film as "The White Lotus from the perspective of the help." Set in Indonesia, Bandit follows two childhood friends, desperate for cash, whose theft goes horribly wrong. The film is already making serious festival waves: it won the Grand Jury Prize at the Dances With Films festival in Los Angeles and Best Foreign Film at the Burbank International Film Festival.
535: Lupin to Blood Sacrifice: Creator and Showrunner George Kay's Global Playbook
Christina talks to creator and showrunner George Kay.Kay is one of the most versatile and prolific creators working in television. His work spans genres and continents, with global hits like Lupin, The Long …
Show notes
Christina talks to creator and showrunner George Kay.
Kay is one of the most versatile and prolific creators working in television. His work spans genres and continents, with global hits like Lupin, The Long Shadow, and Hijack. George Kay is seemingly the busiest man in television, with two shows premiering soon: first his upcoming Swedish crime drama Blood Sacrifice, starring Jakob Oftebro and Peter Andersson as an estranged father-son detective duo hunting a killer targeting police, premiering August 20 on Netflix , and later the fall the legal drama War, starring Dominic West and Sienna Miller.
In a wide-ranging conversation, Christina talks to Kay about his shows and process and they dig into the rules of a great cliffhanger, simplicity of character, writing a show not in your own language, and much more.
534: The Best Movies of 2026, So Far! (Guest: Ryan McQuade)
It's been an incredible first part of the year at the movies! Ryan McQuade (AwardsWatch.com) joins Christina to talk about their 10 best movies of the year so far (not an easy task!) Plus, they talk about the …
Show notes
It's been an incredible first part of the year at the movies! Ryan McQuade (AwardsWatch.com) joins Christina to talk about their 10 best movies of the year so far (not an easy task!) Plus, they talk about the Venice Film Festival 2026 lineup that just dropped, the steep decline of women directors in competition, and less studio and streamer films on the Lido.
533: Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey. Review & Deep Dive (Guest: Ryan McQuade)
Guest Ryan McQuade (AwardsWatch.com) and Christina journey into Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey! Join us as we review, discuss, and dissect Nolan's latest epic.
532: The Footballer Who Vanished: Directors Ramiel Petros & Nicholas Freeman on Their Doc 'The Last Guest Of The Holloway Motel'
He was Player of the Year for Norwich City Football Club in the 1970s. Then he vanished, for decades.Directors Ramiel Petros & Nicholas Freeman found him hiding in plain sight, managing a motel in Los Angeles …
Show notes
He was Player of the Year for Norwich City Football Club in the 1970s. Then he vanished, for decades.
Directors Ramiel Petros & Nicholas Freeman found him hiding in plain sight, managing a motel in Los Angeles that was about to close for good. His name is Tony Powell, and his story became the heart of their doc, The Last Guest of the Holloway Motel.
In this episode, Ramiel and Nicholas join me to talk about their doc and about Tony & his story: a story about escaping a homophobic culture, the price paid, the power of family, and the long road to self-acceptance. It's a story with twists you won't see coming.
531: A Conversation With The Great K Callan! ('Ruth', Widow's Bay)
We are thrilled and honored to be joined by Widow's Bay's own Ruth, the incredible K Callan (Widow's Bay just got 19 Emmy nominations!!!). At 90 years old, K Callan is a LEGEND , over 7 decades working in TV …
Show notes
We are thrilled and honored to be joined by Widow's Bay's own Ruth, the incredible K Callan (Widow's Bay just got 19 Emmy nominations!!!). At 90 years old, K Callan is a LEGEND , over 7 decades working in TV, from Norman Lear shows to Bosom Buddies with Tom Hanks, Martha Kent in ABC's Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, Dawson's Creek, Veep, Great Nana in Knives Out and more. She is INCREDIBLE in the breakout show Widow's Bay, a scene stealing perfomance.
In our wide-ranging conversation we talk about the show, working with Katie Dippold, the great female characters on Widow's Bay, working with Matthew Rhys, an alternative ending they filmed, how TV has changed over the decades, roles for women, staying in the Hollywood industry means being persistent, the highs and lows, her fabulous party-planning skills, and much more!
Watch or listen on Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.
530: Guadagnino's 'Artificial' Dropped by Amazon. Google Invests in A24. AI: Hollywood's Big Dilemma? (Guest: Critic/Author John Bleasdale)
Film critic and journalist John Bleasdale joins Christina to discuss the news that Luca Guadagnino's film about OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Artificial, has been dropped by Amazon, which just happens to have a …
Show notes
Film critic and journalist John Bleasdale joins Christina to discuss the news that Luca Guadagnino's film about OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Artificial, has been dropped by Amazon, which just happens to have a partnership with OpenAI...
Also in the mix: the many partnerships forming between creators and tech. A24 has announced a $75 million research partnership with Google DeepMind. Steven Soderbergh is embracing AI. Scorsese has signed on as a partner with an AI image-generation startup. And Netflix has acquired an AI filmmaking start-up founded by Ben Affleck. Have the tech companies taken over Hollywood? Is AI Hollywood's big dilemma?
John Bleasdale. Film critic. Writer. Author of Darkness Visible the Cinema of Jonathan Glazer. Instagram @drjonty
529: Emmys 2026! Nomination Predictions ft. Guest Eoin Daly
TV time! Emmy nominations drop on July 8th. Christina and guest Eoin Daly make their boldest nom predictions. From The Pitt to Hacks, Widows Bay, Pluribus, and a lot of surprises. Who's getting in? Who's …
Show notes
TV time! Emmy nominations drop on July 8th. Christina and guest Eoin Daly make their boldest nom predictions. From The Pitt to Hacks, Widows Bay, Pluribus, and a lot of surprises. Who's getting in? Who's getting snubbed?
The Emmys ceremony is on September 14th.
Eoin Daly on Instagram. @eoin_dailyEpisode 528: Unpacking and Reviewing Spielberg's Disclosure Day. Guest: Ryan McQuade
It's Disclosure Day! Christina is joined by Ryan McQuade of AwardsWatch to discuss and review Steven Spielberg's latest film. They dig into how it fits into the director's filmography as well as his biography …
Show notes
It's Disclosure Day! Christina is joined by Ryan McQuade of AwardsWatch to discuss and review Steven Spielberg's latest film. They dig into how it fits into the director's filmography as well as his biography, exploring where his mastery shines through, where the film falls short, and how it all comes together. Includes spoilers!
527: Entering the 'Backrooms' with Guests Production Designer Danny Vermette and VFX Supervisor Edward J. Douglas
Backrooms is the record-breaking horror phenomenon of the summer. Christina sat down with brilliant production designer Danny Vermette and VFX supervisor Edward J. Douglas to talk about their work on the film …
Show notes
Backrooms is the record-breaking horror phenomenon of the summer. Christina sat down with brilliant production designer Danny Vermette and VFX supervisor Edward J. Douglas to talk about their work on the film and their collaboration with 20-year-old YouTube creator Kane Parsons , A24's youngest-ever director. We dig into the 30,000-square-foot build that brought Parsons's Backrooms YouTube series to life on the big screen, the themes and anxieties of isolation, (and the horror of fluorescent lighting ;) in the Backrooms , the dreamscape of the "outside world" (inspired by the Windows Bliss wallpaper), influences ranging from Eraserhead to Mr. Robot, Portal, and One Hour Photo, how young content creators are shaping the future of cinema, and whether they'd ever enter the Backrooms themselves :) ... and much more
Video edited by Anton Isiukov
https://www.antonisiukov.com
526: Brittany Allen on Her Powerful Performance as Roxie on 'The Pitt'
Actor Brittany Allen (The Boys, Dexter: Original Sin, Jigsaw) joins the show to discuss her Emmy-buzzed performance as Roxie Hamler, a terminal cancer patient on HBO’s The Pitt. We dive into the research behind …
Show notes
Actor Brittany Allen (The Boys, Dexter: Original Sin, Jigsaw) joins the show to discuss her Emmy-buzzed performance as Roxie Hamler, a terminal cancer patient on HBO’s The Pitt. We dive into the research behind her role, her collaboration with Noah Wyle and the cast and crew of the medical drama, the emotional weight of the storylines, how the team unwinds after intense days on set, and so much more.
525: Backrooms, Obsession & The YouTube Creators Filling Cinemas! (Guest: Ryan McQuade)
Ryan McQuade of AwardsWatch.com joins Christina to discuss the mega-hits Obsession (directed by 26-year-old Curry Barker) and Backrooms (by 20-year-old Kane Parsons), the rise of YouTube content creators in …
Show notes
Ryan McQuade of AwardsWatch.com joins Christina to discuss the mega-hits Obsession (directed by 26-year-old Curry Barker) and Backrooms (by 20-year-old Kane Parsons), the rise of YouTube content creators in cinema and more! Plus they talk basketball! :) Don’t miss it
524: Dispatch 10: Final Cannes Report & The Award Winners! Guest, Ryan McQuade
524: Dispatch 10: Final Cannes Report! Guest Ryan McQuade, AwardsWatch.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
These are the latest 40 of 564 episodes. You’ll find older episodes in the podcast’s feed.
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