Podcast Summary: "It's a Numbers Game: Reel Values – The Morality and Meaning Behind Great Films"

Podcast: The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show
Date: October 16, 2025
Host: Ryan Garduski
Guest: Giancarlo Sopo, culture writer for National Review
Main Theme:
A thoughtful dive into the intersection of film, morality, and conservative values, with Ryan Garduski and Giancarlo Sopo sharing and dissecting their lists of "10 Movies Every Conservative Should Watch." The episode moves beyond politics to explore how great films reflect enduring questions of right, wrong, duty, and the human condition.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Opening Reflections on Movies and Memory

• Ryan shares nostalgia for old movies, lamenting how access to films has changed:

  "If you watched a movie on television and didn’t write the name down, there is a likely chance you would never see that movie again." (05:12)

• He frames his approach: Recommend meaningful, perhaps obscure movies, focusing on storytelling and values rather than pure politics.

2. The Conservative Lens on Cinema

(10:42–12:55)

• Giancarlo defines what makes a movie "good" or valuable through a conservative aesthetic:

  • Presence of a recognizable moral order
  • Depth and motivation in characters
  • Attention to craft and artistic integrity (integrity, harmony, radiance)
  • Engagement with enduring, cross-generational themes

  "There needs to be an attention to craft... I do believe that the definition that Aquinas put forward for something being beautiful really holds. Right? It has to have integrity, harmony, and radiance. You know it when you see it."
  — Giancarlo Sopo (11:15)

• Both agree: A movie doesn't need explicitly right-wing politics to speak to conservative sensibilities.

3. The Top 10 Movies: A Film-by-Film Breakdown

(Not presented as a ranked list; selections alternate between Ryan and Giancarlo)

Ryan Garduski’s Picks

• Hacksaw Ridge (2016, Mel Gibson)

  • Anti-war, with a powerful Christian (pacifist) protagonist (Desmond Doss)
  • Questions glory and morality in conflict

• Ex Machina (2014, Alex Garland)

  • Explores AI’s challenge to human identity, slow-burning, philosophical
  • Raises "what makes us human" and God-complex themes (17:24)

• Zulu (1964, Cy Endfield)

  • British colonial perspective; epic historical battle scenes;
  • "When you have to make a warning like that, it's offensive because it's of a certain time. You know it’s a good movie." (21:00)

• Godzilla Minus One (2023, Takashi Yamazaki)

  • More than a monster movie: deals with guilt, shame, redemption in post-WWII Japan
  • Praised for emotional resonance and technical achievement

• Hotel Mumbai (2018, Anthony Maras)

  • Tense thriller on the real-life 2008 terror attack, morality under siege

• Hook (1991, Steven Spielberg)

  • Peter Pan reimagined as a meditation on fatherhood (32:05)
  • "It’s really a celebration about fatherhood... That’s really the essence."

• Sabrina (1954, Billy Wilder)

  • Cinderella story; features a compelling, articulate defense of capitalism

• Belfast (2021, Kenneth Branagh)

  • During the Troubles in Northern Ireland; bittersweet and deeply Irish

• Death of Stalin (2018, Armando Iannucci)

  • Dark comedy showing the chaos and brutality of power transitions in authoritarian regimes

• April 9th (2015, Roni Ezra)

  • Danish WWII drama; explores duty in the face of insurmountable odds

  "How much do you owe to a cause or to a country when you cannot succeed ... Beautiful, beautiful movie in Danish. Free on YouTube." (42:59)

Giancarlo Sopo’s Picks

• They Live (1988, John Carpenter)

  • Satirical ‘80s cult classic; media brainwashing, hidden power structures
  • "That is just like grade A 80s propaganda. That’s just fantastic." (17:04)

• A Man for All Seasons (1966, Fred Zinnemann)

  • Moral courage of Sir Thomas More vs. King Henry VIII
  • "It’s not oversimplified... At the end of the day he felt that his soul was worth a lot more to him than expedients." (19:32)

• The Godfather (1972, Francis Ford Coppola)

  • The quintessential American epic about power, family, and moral compromise

  "It’s a moral parable... Some of those compromises, it seems small ... could ultimately doom someone..." (23:46)

• The Counselor (2013, Ridley Scott)

  • Border noir; a lawyer entangled with the cartel; fatal choices

• Le Samouraï (1967, Jean-Pierre Melville)

  • Ultra-cool French neo-noir about a hitman with a code

  "This is the coolest movie ever made. There is no debate in terms of just the aesthetics." (29:58)

• Falling Down (1993, Joel Schumacher)

  • Michael Douglas as a man pushed by alienation and change to snap
  • "It's a movie about social instability ... how that could really destabilize a society and push people ... toward really dark places." (33:16)

• The Conformist (1970, Bernardo Bertolucci)

  • Psychological study of complicity and careerism under Italian fascism

• Joe (1970, John G. Avildsen)

  • Satire of ‘70s right/left caricatures; critique from within

• The Kid (1921, Charlie Chaplin)

  • Silent classic; heartfelt lesson in surrogate fatherhood and duty

• White Christmas (1954, Michael Curtiz)

  • Sentimental Bing Crosby classic; about comradeship and loyalty more than romance

    "It has one of the most heartwarming and beautiful endings in all of cinema. Every time I watch that film, I just look over to my wife and I’m like, yeah, this got to me." (44:05)

4. Examination of Film, Art, and Political Meaning

• The pair highlight the value of watching, not just reading about history and morality:

  "If you want to understand American culture, you have to watch The Godfather." — Giancarlo Sopo (22:35)

• Arguments over the difference between direct political messaging and films that simply capture enduring human struggles and virtues.
• Both agree conservatives should expose themselves to art-house and international cinema (“don’t be afraid of subtitles!”).

5. Memorable Quotes & Moments

• On Old Movies & Influence

  "It hurts my heart when people say movies made before 2000 are old... I grew up watching a lot of movies from the ‘40s and ‘50s and ‘60s."
  — Ryan Garduski (03:59)

• On Moral Complexity

  "At the end of the day, he felt that his soul was worth a lot more to him than expedients."
  — Giancarlo Sopo, on A Man for All Seasons (19:32)

• On Watching The Godfather

  "Whenever I hear Diane Keaton scream, ‘It was an abortion, Michael!’... Just peak greatness."
  — Ryan Garduski (24:39)

• On the Power of Subtle Political Film

  "It’s a movie that’s a critique of the Reagan administration... but if you’re into political filmmaking, that is about as good as it gets."
  — Giancarlo Sopo, on They Live (15:35)

• On Cinematic Aesthetics

  "If you like seeing beautiful art... you really hit it out of the park with [Zulu]."
  — Giancarlo Sopo (22:17)

• On Fatherhood and Film

  "Don’t those stories hit harder now as a dad?"
  — Giancarlo Sopo, on Hook (33:00)

6. Takeaways & Closing Thoughts

• Both hosts make the case for moral, artistic, and emotional depth in cinema, regardless of genre or explicit ideology.
• Conservatives are urged to stretch cultural horizons, seeking out films that grapple with questions of duty, order, tradition, and sacrifice.
• The list is diverse: from mainstream classics and war dramas to art-house thrillers, black comedies, and even a silent film.
• Giancarlo invites listeners to look for his upcoming project: 150 Films for the Conservative Imagination.

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Intro & Motivation for Episode: 02:50–06:00
• What Makes a Movie “Good”: 10:57–12:55
• List Introduction & Criteria: 13:15–14:01
• Alternating Movie Recommendations: 15:06–44:05
• Quotes & Deeper Discussion: Sprinkled throughout, esp. 11:00–13:00, 17:00–22:00, 23:14–24:39
• Endorsement of International Film: 25:09–26:23 (Godzilla Minus One)
• Ask Me Anything Segment: 48:51–55:30

Conclusion

This episode offers an in-depth, passionate, and entertaining exploration of films that inform, challenge, and inspire from a conservative perspective. Ryan and Giancarlo’s lists are ideal conversation starters and reminders that great cinema explores not just political ideology but the fundamentals of the human experience.

For listeners who haven’t heard the show:
You’ll leave with a readymade watchlist, insights on how to look at films through a new lens, and a sense of why storytelling matters—no matter your politics.

Guest plug:
"Read me at National Review or follow me on Twitter... I'll have a lot more to share about movies and this project that I’ve been working on in the next couple weeks. I’m really excited about it."
— Giancarlo Sopo (45:27)