Blank Check with Griffin & David – "You Were Never Really Here" (February 15, 2026)

Guest: Sean Clements
Hosts: Griffin Newman, David Sims
Producer: Ben Hosley

Episode Overview

In this episode of Blank Check, hosts Griffin Newman and David Sims are joined by comedian and screenwriter Sean Clements to dissect Lynne Ramsay's 2017 neo-noir thriller, "You Were Never Really Here", starring Joaquin Phoenix. Part of the ongoing Lynne Ramsay miniseries ("We Need to Pod About Castvin"), the episode investigates Ramsay's singular filmography, the handling of trauma and violence in "You Were Never Really Here", Joaquin Phoenix's performance, adaptation choices, and the cultural climate surrounding the film's release. The conversation is steeped in the hosts’ signature blend of cinephilic analysis and comedic rapport, offering both granular insight and meta-commentary on film culture.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Film's Tone, Marketing, and Initial Impressions

• The film is notably minimal in dialogue, which sets a challenging mood for viewers and marketers alike.
• The hosts riff on how hard it is to create compelling taglines for this kind of movie, joking about alternate poster quotes and parody taglines.
  • "There's a pull quote on the poster that is 'Taxi Driver for a New Century [...] Joaquin Phoenix looking tortured and a girl, like, drowning superimposed inside his body.'" – Griffin (00:45)
• The marketing and initial audience perception are debated, with Sean admitting he almost skipped it based on the poster’s ambiguous, moody quality.

2. Joaquin Phoenix’s Performance as Joe

• General agreement that Phoenix's performance is among his best, using understatement and a sense of embarrassment as tools—a shift from his more mannered roles, such as "Joker."
  • "Harnessing that aspect of him as an actor that always feels a little embarrassed to be acting." – David (02:40)
• Discussion on Phoenix's physical transformation; he sports a paunch rather than a Hollywood six-pack, suggesting a real, grizzled antihero:
  • "If he had been, like, shredded, he wouldn't be nearly as scary or powerful looking as he is in this movie." – Sean (74:28)
• The counterintuitive choice works to make the violence more credible and the character relatable in his brokenness.

3. Adaptation from Jonathan Ames’ Novel

• Both Griffin and Sean read the book, highlighting how the novel is heavy on internal monologue—a challenge Ramsay overcomes by externalizing Joe's PTSD and emotional state through quiet moments, visuals, and editing rather than voiceover.
  • "It feels like the book is like the backstory an actor creates for their character." – Griffin (05:53)
• Ramsay's process is discussed as reverse engineering, taking deeply internal narratives and making them cinematic; compared to her handling of "Morvern Callar".

4. Handling of Trauma, Violence, and PTSD

• Ramsay's aesthetic choices stand out: violence is suggested rather than shown, with security camera footage and aftermath shots replacing on-screen brutality, underlining the psychological toll.
  • "This feels like a really brutal, violent movie where you almost never actually see the show." – Griffin (06:23)
• The film is contrasted with "Taken" and traditional action revenge thrillers, with the hosts agreeing Ramsay’s focus is on aftermath and psychology, not cathartic violence.
• Sean shares a personal PTSD story, relating it to the film's honest portrayal of living with trauma (61:07–66:26).

5. Plot & Thematic Analysis

• The protagonists' purpose: Joe’s sense of duty and self-loathing, his care for his mother, and the spiral into violence.
• The hosts elucidate the plot’s deliberate simplicity: Joe is hired to rescue a senator’s daughter, only to become ensnared in a deeper web of corruption and violence.
• Emphasis on how the film removes “distracting pleasures” of genre (i.e., a typical cathartic rampage/climax) to force the audience to sit with the “lingering image of what’s going to stay in [Joe’s] head.” – Griffin (122:14)
• The ambiguous, emotionally raw ending wherein the rescued girl reaches out to Joe, giving him a glimmer of connection and meaning.

6. Lynne Ramsay as a 'Blank Check' Director

• The episode addresses Reddit criticisms that Ramsay is not truly “blank check” material (i.e., seldom given large budgets/free rein).
  • "There isn't one [blank check for Ramsay]. So, like, I guess it’s your podcast to do whatever you want." – Sean (36:05)
• The hosts defend her inclusion as a “refusal” of blank checks with strings, and for making uncompromising, distinct films against industry norms.
• Context is provided about Ramsay's troubles in Hollywood, notably the "Jane Got a Gun" debacle, and her resilience in rebounding with personal, independent projects.

7. Broader Industry Context & Amazon Studios

• Discussion of Amazon (and comparative mention of A24 and Netflix) as 2010s havens for auteurs pushed out of studios, buying up films like "You Were Never Really Here."
• Analysis of why Amazon's commercial bets both failed and succeeded (e.g., "Manchester by the Sea," "The Big Sick") and subsequent shift away from auteur-driven fare.

8. Violence and Cultural Paranoia (Epstein & Pizzagate)

• The film’s release and its resonance with (and distance from) contemporary conspiracy culture are discussed, including discussion on the rise of "Pizzagate," and "Sound of Freedom."
  • "At the time...I didn't clock that [conspiratorial undertone] at all...But now, it's basically like, yeah, well, that shit's all true." – David (96:02)
• The hosts condemn the shift in cultural focus onto "vengeance against evil men" and argue the film's value is in its empathy for victims, not sensationalizing villainy (139:19).

9. Technical Elements: Score, Editing, Direction

• Johnny Greenwood's score is praised for channeling Joe's inner chaos and for the pulsing, anxiety-inducing sound design.
  • "Johnny Greenwood score in this movie is un musical." – Griffin (124:59)
• Ramsay’s structural and tonal minimalism, her resistance to over-explanation, and the influence of films such as "Le Samouraï" are highlighted.

10. Memorable Moments & Bits

• Multiple recurring gags about hammer-based violence in cinema:
  • "Should we talk about his choice to use a hammer? And is this one of the greatest hammer violence performances of all time?" – Sean (89:16)
• Spirited sidebars about movie posters, Ed Burns’ directorial career, JGL, “Don Jon”, and more, reflecting the podcast’s signature mix of deep-dive and digression.
• Box Office Game (146:19–156:01): Playful guessing of 2018’s April box office, connecting to the film’s release climate.

Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• On Phoenix's acting style:
  "He always sounds embarrassed to be saying what he's saying. If he's saying." – Griffin (02:36)

• On adaptation:
  “The book is like the backstory an actor creates for their character.” – Griffin (05:53)

• On Ramsay’s handling of violence:
  "This feels like a really brutal, violent movie where you almost never actually see the show." – Griffin (06:23)

• On the blank check debate:
  "There's so many movies she walks off of, or lets fall apart because she's just like, this is going in the wrong direction. I'd rather not make a movie than make a movie." – Griffin (37:28)

• On the ending’s emotional resonance:
  "The moment of outreach, which is like the first and only time in this movie that you see anyone try to do anything to help him emotionally...is so profound and emotionally overwhelming to me." – Griffin (135:11)

• On the morality of violence and vengeance in stories:
  "There is this, like, perverse kind of, like, morbid fascination with...how can anyone be capable of something that evil? But spending more time thinking about them than the people who are on the receiving end...is part of a giant cultural problem." – Griffin (139:30)

Timestamps of Important Segments

• Phoenix’s performance, physicality & career context: 02:40–04:18; 74:28–77:39
• Book vs. film adaptation, internal vs. external monologue: 04:29–06:04; 46:07–51:40
• Ramsay’s direction, violence, and POV: 06:23–07:36; 117:16–118:59
• Blank check director debate: 35:26–39:06
• Jane Got a Gun saga: 39:06–44:16
• Amazon, A24, and indie film industry's state: 28:07–33:02
• Ham-fisted hammer talk: 89:16–93:34
• PTSD discussion (Sean’s story): 61:07–66:26
• Plot breakdown, differences in book and film: 108:39–113:19
• Ending analysis (Joe & Nina in diner): 133:07–135:30
• Box Office game: 146:19–156:12
• Cultural paranoia (Epstein/Pizzagate): 95:49–103:13; 139:19–140:49

Memorable Moments

• Hammer Movie Hall of Fame: The hosts run through other iconic hammer-wielding characters in cinema, comparing "You Were Never Really Here" to "Oldboy," "Drive," and “Thor” (89:16–90:55).
• Adaptation as Backstory: The concept of Ramsay’s scripts feeling like deeply considered actor backstory rather than exposition-heavy adaptations.
• Sean's PTSD story: A vulnerable and gripping story about escaping a car fire, which feeds directly into the episode’s discussion of trauma depiction (61:07–66:26).
• Ed Burns as Irish-American Tyler Perry: Quick-witted comparison and a running bit about under-the-radar directors.
• Meta-commentary on Moviegoing: Conversation about Amazon's successes/failures in theatrical releases and the shifting model of indie/arthouse distribution.

Podcast Tone & Style

• Highly referential, with jokes and asides on film poster copy, podcasting in-jokes, and ribbing each other about their respective habits and fandoms.
• Willingness to veer into personal territory and broader media critique, yet always tethered to an earnest cinephilia and admiration for craft.
• Dialogue is warm, fast-paced, and full of comedic flourishes, never belittling the heavier subject matter but instead contextualizing it within both film analysis and personal experience.

Conclusion

This episode is a rich, accessible entry point to both Lynne Ramsay’s work and the complex adaptation "You Were Never Really Here." The trio’s conversation is a deft mix of plot summary, adaptation analysis, actorly insight, and cinephile banter, with sufficient care paid to tone and content. Listeners unfamiliar with the film or director will find enough context to become invested, while aficionados will appreciate the granular and sometimes irreverent dissection.

Endnote: Next up in the miniseries: Ramsay’s "Die My Love."