Casey Affleck and Lucas Hedges in MANCHESTER BY THE SEA
2016 Movie ReviewsBOFCAMoviesSpoilerpiece Theatre

Spoilerpiece Theatre Episode 125: Manchester by the Sea

Evan Crean

“Spoilerpiece Theatre” is a weekly movie podcast where I talk about new releases with fellow BOFCA critics Dave Riedel and Kris Jenson. We don’t give a shit about spoilers. We just want to talk about the movies.

In Episode 125 below we review Manchester by the Sea, The Handmaiden, Krisha, and more. This week Kris shares the unusual tale of his 10 year high school reunion. We carry our silliness from that story over into their intro, where we ask, you the listener, which 60 Minutes anchor you think we are. It’s a good thing we get to the movies, because there are several to cover. Kris starts with a segment of “Keepin’ up with the Jensons,” where he talks about why he liked Swiss Army Man (at 6:00) more than he expected. Then he and Dave join forces for a recap of Hell or High Water (at 18:04), where they joke about the title, discuss the score, and dissect its Western elements. They get to new movies with their review of The Handmaiden (at 28:09), a three hour movie that flies by due to a layered story and perfect performances, set design, and camerawork. Next, I quickly review Krisha (at 42:23), a tough film about a woman spending Thanksgiving with her estranged family that’s shot and edited in an unsettling way. Lastly, Kris and I review Manchester by the Sea (at 48:32), an effective examination of grief that also reveals how frustrating it is to drive in Massachusetts.

Evan Crean

Hello! My name is Evan Crean. By day I work for a marketing agency, but by night, I’m a film critic based in Boston, MA. Since 2009, I have written hundreds of movie reviews and celebrity interviews for Starpulse.com. I have also contributed pieces to NewEnglandFilm.com and to The Independent, as a writer and editor. I maintain an active Letterboxd account too. In addition to publishing short form work, I am a co-author of the book Your ’80s Movie Guide to Better Living, which is available on CreateSpace and Amazon. The book is the first in a series of lighthearted self-help books for film fans, which distills advice from ’80s movies on how to tackle many of life’s challenges. On top of writing, I co-host and edit the weekly film podcast Spoilerpiece Theatre with two other Boston film critics. I’m a founding member and the current treasurer for the Boston Online Film Critics Association as well. This site, Reel Recon.com, is a one-stop-shop where you can find links to all of my past and present work. Have any questions or comments after checking it out? Please feel free to email me (Evan Crean) at: ecrean AT reelrecon DOT COM .