The Bobby Bones Show – Movie Mike: Best and Worst of October + Movie Review: Begonia + Trailer Park: Send Help
Date: November 8, 2025
Host: Movie Mike
Co-Host: Kelsey
Podcast Network: Nashville Podcast Network / Premiere Networks
Episode Overview
This episode of Movie Mike’s Movie Podcast, a segment from The Bobby Bones Show, delivers a lively and insightful discussion of the best and worst movies and shows from October 2025, a spoiler-free review of the much-anticipated film Begonia, and a breakdown of the trailer for Send Help. Mike and co-host Kelsey mix personal anecdotes and playful banter with sharp commentary on movie trends, acting, and streaming culture.
Best and Worst of October
(Start: 03:06)
Disaster Movie Love: The Lost Bus
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Best Movie (Mike): The Lost Bus
- Both hosts are disaster movie enthusiasts and admit their ratings might be biased due to genre nostalgia.
- Mike: “We do love a disaster.” (06:04)
- Acknowledgment that the movie, inspired by true events (the 2018 Paradise fires), dramatizes several events for entertainment.
- Kelsey: “Very glad there were not a bunch of school children on a bus in active flames.” (05:04)
- Matthew McConaughey praised as perfectly cast: “Where he is somebody who could do like an Oscar level performance right now, but then he can also do a really good. Just straight ahead. I'm your leading man.” (05:40)
- Ratings: Mike gives it 4/5, Kelsey originally gave a perfect score, revises to 4.5.
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Genre Shout-Outs:
- Affection for other disaster classics like Twister, Volcano, Dante’s Peak, Geostorm, San Andreas: “San Andreas with the rock. Slaps.” (06:33, Mike)
Streaming Service Overload and Movie Discovery
- Humorous side-thread about being overwhelmed by streaming service subscriptions and accidental purchases. (07:41–08:49)
- Mike laments paying for Paramount Plus to watch a disappointing Cowboys game but making the best of it with Nickelodeon reruns.
Surprise Hit: Roofman
- Best Movie (Kelsey): Roofman
- Praised for eliciting empathy for ambiguous/bad protagonists and sparking reflection on why we root for them.
- Mike: “I've had this weird thing lately where I start to root for the bad person in the movies we've been watching.” (09:27)
- Discussion on recent media (Kate Kennedy’s podcast, Louvre heist) about rooting for “harmless” criminals.
- Commentary on escapism and narratives that flip expected moral alignments.
Acting & Transformation
- The hosts debate the dedication of actors who undergo major physical changes for roles (specifically Channing Tatum in Roofman), questioning whether their resources make such feats less impressive.
- Kelsey: “But you have the trainer, you have the chef... that’s your job is getting in shape.” (13:24)
Cozy Life and Moviegoing Habits
- Amusing chat about ideal Friday nights in their thirties: groceries, home-cooked dinner, and a movie.
- Nostalgic and humorous memories of overbuying vacation snacks. (14:17–15:55)
October’s Biggest Disappointments
(16:01)
Regretting You – Colleen Hoover Adaptation (Kelsey’s Worst)
- Kelsey: “It got to the point where people were just making out loud commentary in the theater... one of the characters said something, and a girl next to us just goes, oh, God.” (16:44)
- Critiques the movie for being full of clichés and artificial dialogue, with a Rotten Tomatoes score of 15%: “It was so full of tropes… the dialogue was bad.” (16:49)
- Rates it 1.5 lollipops out of 5. (19:25)
- “So bad it’s good, but I don’t think it was supposed to be.” (19:20, Mike)
Good Fortune – Star-Studded Letdown (Mike’s Worst)
- Movie Mike: “The movie would have been good if it came out in, like, 2011.” (19:50)
- A body-swap/comedy with Seth Rogen, Aziz Ansari, Keanu Reeves that “just didn’t really land on any element”—neither funny, nor emotional, nor original.
- “It was 90 minutes long, and it felt so long by about 45 minutes.” (21:12)
- Scores it 2.5/5.
- Mike suggests the movie would have worked better centered on Keanu Reeves’ quirky angel character.
Rapid Fire: October Movie Mentions & Ratings
(23:44–26:54)
- Good Boy: Mike – 3/5
- Smashing Machine: Mike – 4/5 (Kelsey: “Way too high.”)
- The Woman in Cabin 10: Mike – 3/5 (“A cozy thriller.”)
- After the Hunt: Mike and Kelsey expected more from the Julia Roberts and Iowa Debris “dark academia,” found it too slow.
- Play Dirty (Mark Wahlberg): Mike – 3/5 (“Not bad.”)
- Honey Don’t (Margaret Qualley, Aubrey Plaza): Mike – 3/5
- Megan 2.0: Tried twice, “so bad I couldn’t finish it.”
TV and Book Recommendations
(26:54–30:30)
- TV, Kelsey: Chad Powers (Glen Powell), described as a “cozy comedy, elevated humor.” (26:57)
- TV, Mike: Peacemaker Season 2 (“John Cena let it all out... I did not expect something to have this much emotional depth.”) (28:33)
- Book, Kelsey:
- My Friends by Frederick Bachman — “Made me feel so many things.” (29:11)
- The Correspondent by Virginia Evans — “One of those characters that you’re like, oh, I’m going to think about this for a long time after I read it.” (29:34)
Spoiler-Free Movie Review: Begonia
(Main Review: 34:51–46:32)
Overview
- Director: Yorgos Lanthimos
- Starring: Emma Stone, Jesse Plemons
- Adapted from South Korean film Save the Green Planet (2003).
Plot Premise
- Emma Stone plays a pharmaceutical CEO. Jesse Plemons plays a conspiracy theorist convinced that Stone’s character is an alien, leading to her abduction. The tension is psychological, ambiguous, and morally complex.
Detailed Impressions & Insights
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Mike calls Begonia “something special,” gushing over its ability to generate empathy for both captor and captive, blurring lines between hero and villain.
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Movie Mike: “Great movies suspend you in time and make you feel truly like you have escaped this world that we are living in… this movie will have you questioning who you believe and who you are rooting for.” (35:14)
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The movie examines echo chambers, conspiracy thinking, and empathy for the ‘anti-hero’.
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On Emma Stone’s Commitment:
“Emma Stone actually shaved her head for Begonia. You actually see it happen in this movie when she is captured… That is Oscar stuff right there.” (36:25) -
On Lanthimos:
“He is a director that is an acquired taste. But his movies feel so authentically him. And I think of his most recent movies, this is the most easily digestible.” (36:50)- Notes this one is more accessible than Poor Things or Kinds of Kindness; reminiscent of The Favourite.
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On Ambiguity:
“Great art should be open ended. And I wish more directors took that risk.” (39:56)- Praises the film for resisting the modern urge to over-explain, giving viewers questions to debate long after.
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Memorable Moment:
“There was this one particular moment where I felt it go next level, where there was this switch in my brain that said, okay, this is a good movie, this is a good movie. And this scene in particular flipped that switch and went to a great movie.” (40:45)
Rating & Closing Thoughts on Begonia
- “It is rare for me to give out a five. I'm not gonna do it here. It is really close. But I am just so hyped coming off this movie… I give it 4.5 out of 5. Shaved heads.” (46:32)
Trailer Park: Send Help
(50:09–60:18)
Trailer Break Down
Starring: Rachel McAdams, Dylan O’Brien
Director: Sam Raimi
Premise
- Workplace enemies are the only survivors of a plane crash, stranded on a desert island. Rachel McAdams’ character (“amazingly capable at survival”) must protect the pair; power dynamics flip as the former boss becomes the helpless one.
Notable Moments
- “That line goes hard right there. We're not in the office anymore, Bradley.” (52:19)
- Mike anticipates the characters’ backstories and ponders the darker undertones: “How does she know how to cut the head off of a boar? How does she know how to hunt with this spear that she just built herself?”
Dylan O'Brien & Rachel McAdams Appreciation
- Mike details his “Dylan O'Brien resurgence,” citing Twin List as one of his favorite performances of 2025.
- On McAdams: “So huge in the mid 2000s, so much so that she had to take a couple years off and turned down major roles…”
Raimi’s Style and Inspirations
- Sam Raimi's horror background (Evil Dead) and comic book legacy discussed at length, with nods to “signature shots” and interest in subverting romantic comedy expectations for the survival genre.
Movie Contextual Recommendations
- For fans of Cast Away, Lord of the Flies, or the “yacht-to-island” third act of Triangle of Sadness (2022).
- “If you have no problem watching scenes of people vomiting profusely, that is a major part of that movie.” (58:45)
Notable Quotes & Memorable Exchanges
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On Disaster Movies:
“Is a bus ever really lost? That's... kind of turning into like Bill Clinton. He's like right in the middle of Bill Clinton and like a stoner.” (05:40, Movie Mike, joking about Matthew McConaughey's performance) -
On Bad Book Adaptations:
“When I tell you we were audibly giggling. It wasn't a comedy. It was, in fact, a drama.” (16:17, Kelsey on Regretting You) -
On Begonia:
“If you end up watching it or have seen it already and didn't enjoy it—what do you enjoy? I really want to know.” (41:52, Movie Mike closing his review of Begonia) -
On TV and Emotion:
“Very rarely do I watch a superhero show and have real emotions… [but] John Cena just let it all out. I’ve never seen that side of John Cena.” (28:33, Movie Mike on Peacemaker S2)
Segment Timestamps
- 03:06 – Main content begins: Best & Worst of October
- 04:31 – Best movie of the month discussion
- 16:01 – Worst movie of the month
- 23:44 – Rapid-fire reviews and ratings for other October films
- 26:54 – TV & book recommendations
- 34:51 – Begonia spoiler-free review
- 50:09 – Send Help trailer breakdown
- 60:23 – Listener shoutout, end of content
Tone & Style Notes
The episode is filled with friendly ribbing, humor, deep dives on acting and filmmaking craft, and personal, relatable reflections on the simple joys of staying home with movies. Mike’s reviewing style is energetic, passionate, and self-aware, unafraid both to critique and to hype.
Summary for New Listeners
Whether you're chasing the latest cinema releases, seeking comfort recommendations for a cozy weekend, or hankering for OSCar-level analysis of new indie darlings, this episode offers accessible opinions and fun banter. Mike and Kelsey balance unfiltered hot takes with genuine affection for movies, the moviegoing experience, and each other.
For Further Exploration
- Begonia (in theaters); if you enjoy ambiguous, character-driven, morally complex films.
- Send Help (release: January 30), for a survival drama twist with gravitas, humor, and horror pedigree.
- For lighter viewing: catch Chad Powers or Peacemaker S2. For readers, Kelsey recommends My Friends (Bachman) and The Correspondent (Virginia Evans).
End of summary. Advertisements, recurring sponsor messages, and non-content segments have been omitted for clarity.
