Remake/sequel: the Rocky franchise covers the category’s options; Van proposes a limited series in which Adonis recruits Apollo’s other children into a boxing team, like Nick Fury. — Van Lathan
Nitpicks/unanswerable: Adonis’s financial-services job and work history are unclear, and weekend Tijuana boxing seems incompatible with managing clients’ money; Don Johnson is an appealing adviser-name joke.
Nitpick: Donnie’s Godfather impression crosses fictional worlds because Talia Shire appears in both franchises. — Chris Ryan
Nitpicks: Adonis has too little ring experience for this fight, despite a Ngannou comparison. Tijuana matchmaking is questioned; Van describes paid easy opponents as possible, but says he never did it. — Van Lathan
Nitpicks: Rocky’s rapid cancer recovery and international travel, Bianca’s abrupt backstage intimacy, Conlan’s physique and vulnerability, and Donnie’s swollen-eye makeup. — Bill Simmons
Changing Adonis’s maternal surname is challenged, then the objection is withdrawn when both Johnson and Creed are noted on the trunks. — Van Lathan
Conlan’s warm post-fight respect seems abrupt after their hostility, though reconciliation is called common in boxing; the length of his British gun sentence prompts jokes.
Hottest take: Wheeler deserves his own film or sequel after Conlan breaks his jaw and Adonis inherits the title opportunity. — Chris Ryan
Van provocatively imagines Rocky and Apollo as lovers after the private third fight, using their intimacy and Rocky avoiding the widow as interpretive material. This is a joke theory, not a film fact; audience applause is not a ballot. — Van Lathan
Hottest take: Creed and the original Rocky should have let their heroes win; the moral victory already feels like victory, and withholding the title just to create a sequel seems cynical. — Sean Fennessey
Hottest take: Creed is the best franchise reboot or legacy sequel. Blade Runner 2049, Top Gun:Maverick, Cobra Kai and Nolan’s Batman films are alternatives, with qualifications about single-film sequels versus a long-running franchise. — Bill Simmons
PTI leading with the boxing match is nominated for aged worst.
Aged worst: Apollo’s 1985 death would make Donnie about 29, older than he seems. Setting Creed around 2010 is suggested; others question whether either movie’s internal year is fixed, leaving the chronology uncertain. — Bill Simmons
Aged worst: Bianca’s use of jawn now grates after wider popularization; her cheesesteak ingredients are questioned, though local preferences differ. — Chris Ryan
Van recalls receiving conflicting Philadelphia cheesesteak recommendations and ordering delivery after being warned against exploring at night; Bill had gone out. — Van Lathan
Van identifies Ishkabibble’s as his delivered cheesesteak; only some audience members approve. — Chris Ryan
Aged worst: Rocky never contacts Apollo’s widow after the funeral. Guilt over not stopping the fatal fight is offered as an explanation; the panel still argues he should have checked in.
Bill finds the film about twelve minutes too long but cannot name cuts; others object. A backstage film argument and Philadelphia basketball wishes interrupt the discussion.
Aged worst: printing and handing over a resignation letter seems unnecessarily formal. — Chris Ryan
Donnie’s pre-fight bathroom moment divides the panel between humanizing realism and a scene they do not need to see repeatedly. — Chris Ryan
The sidewalk promise of complete honesty ages poorly because Donnie lies to Bianca in later films. — Chris Ryan
Boxing’s diminished cultural importance is nominated, with a possible recent upswing acknowledged. MMA is considered as a modern substitute, but even praise for Warrior does not displace boxing’s cinematic appeal.
Weak link: Rocky briefly denying they are family feels mean and inconsistent to Bill. Others defend it as fear of attachment, bereavement and protective withdrawal; Van finds it acceptable.
Most Rewatchable Scene begins with young Adonis’s opening encounter with Mary Anne, praising a scene that works better than expected. — Bill Simmons
The opening adoption scene is essential to explaining Adonis’s feelings; the unclenched fist and title reveal are praised.
The Andre Ward car-key-bet fight is nominated, though watching Donnie beaten makes one host sad; Van compares it to humbling real boxing encounters. — Van Lathan
Donnie meeting Rocky at Adrian’s is praised for Stallone gradually recognizing Apollo’s son and the time-is-undefeated line. Rocky diminishing his own victories to honor Apollo reframes the franchise mythology.
Rocky says Apollo won their private third fight. Bill doubts whether he is sparing the son’s feelings; Van thinks Apollo probably won. The uncertainty remains unresolved. — Bill Simmons
Donnie moving into Paulie’s room leads to a scene using Stallone’s real son’s photograph; the hosts praise his visible emotion and report Coogler persuaded him to include it. Paulie’s absence and missing robot prompt jokes. — Bill Simmons
The uninterrupted Leo–Donnie fight is nominated; the panel names its cinematographer and reports thirteen takes with the eleventh used. — Bill Simmons
The two-round fight is praised as a culmination of boxing cinema, immersive proof of Jordan’s credibility and Coogler’s action ability. Its tie-ups and counterpunches feel more realistic than the Rocky-style finale; the camera’s move from Rocky’s instruction to the knockout is admired.
The Baby Creed confrontation with Tone Trump is a scene nominee, called a characteristically Philadelphia escalation between two easily offended men. Van had invited the rapper to attend. — Van Lathan
Van interprets Tone Trump and Bianca as former sexual partners; another host offers past flirtation without consummation as an alternative. Familiarity is agreed but sexual history remains speculation; a joint music track is imagined. — Van Lathan
A provocative joke links Bianca’s hearing loss to gunfire; the panel asks whether Baby Creed is insulting and suggests Adonis was primed to take offense.
The jailhouse reconciliation and its absent-father monologue are nominated, linked to the mirror-training advice. — Bill Simmons
The bikes-and-ATVs training montage is a thrilling modern counterpart to Rocky’s runs. Its Meek Mill music is framed against the 2015 Drake feud and explicitly wins the needle-drop category.
The press conference, Conlan’s false-Creed taunt, the trunks from his mother, Rocky’s pre-fight speech, Tupac’s Hail Mary and Conlan’s entrance are praised. — Bill Simmons
Adonis shadowboxing while watching his father’s footage is nominated as an image of wanting to become Apollo. — Van Lathan
The final fight is nominated, especially round two and the late corner exchange about not being a mistake. Rocky’s love and renewed will to fight his illness lead into the deliberately withheld Rocky theme; the implausibly timed finish is enjoyed with objections deferred. — Bill Simmons
The final museum-steps exchange about seeing one’s life is nominated.
Chris chooses the Meek Mill training montage and adds the cheesesteak first date as a particularly Philadelphia scene; the date also wins the food award.
Van favors the father-film shadowboxing and training montage; the recreated 24/7 fight promotion also impresses. Another final choice is the montage. Liev Schreiber’s narration and his Hard Knocks appearance prompt a tangent.
The opening hotel scene and Nadine Velazquez’s nudity made a striking theatrical impression; its importance later in the story and the abrupt cocaine-to-Feelin’ Alright transition are praised.
The takeoff toward a sliver of sunshine and the nine-minute crash are praised, especially Whip’s calm amid the copilot’s panic and technical dialogue.
Whip’s instruction that Margaret record a farewell to her son gives the crash its human center and displays his extraordinary awareness. — Van Lathan
A flight attendant’s death while helping a child is distressing, with her body thrown about during inversion. — Bill Simmons
The crew member’s tumbling body seems almost like an Airplane gag despite the tragedy; the clipped church cross and baptism water foreground religious symbolism. — Bill Simmons
Whip’s bloodshot, concussed hospital awakening contrasts the crash’s noise with stunned silence and grief over the deaths.
The stairwell meeting with the gaunt cancer patient is an admired philosophical center; James Badge Dale’s Departed role prompts a desire for more setup there.
Cheadle confronting Whip over the toxicology report punctures his entitlement and warns both protagonist and audience about the stakes.
Margaret’s funeral confrontation and the intensely religious hospitalized copilot/wife are favorites; even survivors’ serious injuries are frightening.
Cheadle’s desperate warning beside the reconstructed aircraft highlights Whip’s continued drinking; the plane’s incomplete reassembly mirrors his broken state. — Van Lathan
The adjoining hotel room’s temptation, relapse and morning discovery create unbearable suspense even on repeat viewings. The minibar’s abundance seems almost supernatural, and the whole stretch through Goodman is one vote.
Goodman’s first hospital visit with cigarettes and magazines is another nominee; his later Banana Boat rescue dominates through furious energy, expertise, payment demands and exit. The nickname’s origin inspires mock training-course jokes.
The testimony confession and I’m drunk right now line complete the collapse of Whip’s lies; addiction audiences reportedly find the minibar especially truthful. — Bill Simmons
Melissa Leo’s recurring Washington collaborations are wondered about, and the prison speech about sobriety and freedom is praised. — Van Lathan
Final preferences split among the hotel-to-Goodman stretch, the crash and the opening; one apparent crash vote immediately changes to the opening. — Bill Simmons
Van confirms the opening as his honest choice; Craig’s family-viewing anecdote illustrates its awkwardness. Thus the three core choices remain hotel stretch, crash and opening.
A 31 million budget and 161.8 million gross are cited, with reduced Washington/Zemeckis compensation. — Bill Simmons
Alaska 261’s fatal inverted-flight attempt reportedly inspired the film; Atlanta filming and Zemeckis’s 1600 flight hours are cited. Pilot Patrick Smith criticizes the depiction as implausible and insulting to airline testing standards. — Bill Simmons
Goodman’s sobriety since 2007, similarities to 1980’s The Pilot and a 7:14 alarm/Chronicles 7:14 faith connection are reported. — Bill Simmons
Washington reportedly takes scene partners to dinner before intimate filming to build familiarity; the hosts speculate about venues and recall other costars. — Bill Simmons
Velazquez’s interview recounts using skin-colored modesty tape and Washington asking about it during filming; her joking reply is relayed. — Bill Simmons
The performer playing Kip is reportedly an accomplished editor who edited Country Strong. — Chris Ryan
A superstition about flight numbers adding to 11 is raised with 227 and two 191 crashes; the discussion makes Van anxious rather than establishing a causal fact. — Chris Ryan
Chess movies and Pomeranc are affirmed; Mantegna is rejected in favor of Godfather III’s greater contemporaneous impact despite the film’s possible belated stature.
A case is endorsed for ambitious 1993 children’s live-action films, citing The Sandlot, Cool Runnings, Hocus Pocus and Homeward Bound, plus animated Batman: Mask of the Phantasm and The Nightmare Before Christmas. — Charles Holmes
Bringing the queen out early is floated and turns into suggestive wordplay and a discussion of which chess piece suits Van; no clear settled award follows. — Bill Simmons
Kingsley and Allen are rejected, with The Contender proposed for Allen. Fishburne’s 1993 Oscar run is argued for but challenged by Morpheus and The Matrix’s lasting cultural identification.
Evil kids is rejected. Washington Square Park is personally affirmed for this movie, while I Am Legend and When Harry Met Sally are raised as comparisons without resolving the broader claim.
The mother’s fear of Black men in the park is criticized; later visits show a more beautiful Washington Square, with the older setting acknowledged. — Van Lathan
Fischer’s later reputation and decline undermine the romantic tortured-genius framing; other volatile sports figures illustrate a formerly tolerated archetype. — Bill Simmons
A two-week fishing reward sounds miserable to two hosts, while Van strongly defends fishing with one’s father and recalls a lake trip. — Van Lathan
Josh initially avoids beating his father until encouraged, illustrating tenderness rather than lack of skill. — Bill Simmons
Josh beating Shalhoub’s player and offering candy is a favorite one-scene appearance. — Bill Simmons
Parents banished from the tournament rely on child messengers; their willingness to be confined reveals how much the competition matters to them.
The teacher confrontation and Fred’s defense of his son’s gift are called an easy winner and perhaps Mantegna’s greatest acting. Whether his fury is justified versus embarrassing is disputed; modern spectators would record it.
After Josh loses in seven moves, his request that his father stand closer resolves the rain scene through vulnerability. The child actor’s quiet, perceptive sadness and ability to hold his own with major actors make it work.
Bruce revealing the certificates are meaningless shatters Josh, and the mother expels him. The scene suggests Bruce’s unresolved trauma; a Black household is imagined intervening sooner, while the child’s love of stickers is questioned then defended by his age.
The parents’ argument defends Josh’s decency and threatens separation if competitive pressure destroys it. — Bill Simmons
Fred offers to let Josh quit, but the boy insists it is more than a game; restoring the trophies and taking him back to Vinnie completes the reconciliation. — Bill Simmons
Vinnie’s park lesson restores instinct and risk-taking, urging Josh to play the opponent rather than merely protect the board. — Van Lathan
Bruce warns Fred how damaging a fall can be, and Fred replies that he understands; Bruce’s vulnerability shows. — Bill Simmons
Bruce’s framed certificate and declaration of pride before the final match supply an emotional reconciliation. — Bill Simmons
The final match combines psychological pressure, the queen motif, board visualization and the offered draw. Josh wins by integrating rather than suppressing his personality.
Van and Bill choose the teacher confrontation, while Charles chooses the reunion with Vinnie.
The park community could support its own film; two additional Vinnie scenes would clarify his work, personality and emotional insight. The father’s druggie label seems poorly supported and possibly prejudiced.
Charles argues chess is more enjoyable and harder to perform convincingly onscreen than basketball; others counter that visibly bad physical sports acting is much more distracting. — Charles Holmes
Charles argues Bruce is right about competitive contempt and that the offered draw helped normalize participation trophies; the provocation is amusedly received rather than treated as evidence. — Charles Holmes
Van imagines the mother’s support for park chess masking an affair with Vinnie, extending the earlier divorce joke. — Van Lathan
The Ringer ranks fifth on the list of five movies not getting greenlit in 2026. — Van Lathan
Tropic Thunder ranks fourth because the intact film is doubted as a present-day greenlight. — Van Lathan
Juwanna Mann ranks third because a man dominates the women’s league. — Van Lathan
The Birth of a Nation ranks second, specifically the 1915 film rather than the later film with the same title. — Van Lathan
Soul Man ranks first and is considered impossible to make in 2026. — Van Lathan
The film’s anti-racist conclusion is offered as a counterargument, but another speaker argues that viewers cannot get past its premise to reach that lesson.
The Crying Game is proposed as another film likely to be attacked today, particularly because its secret would be deliberately spoiled.
Fight Club is proposed as difficult to release now because preview coverage would expose its twist; the counterdiscussion focuses on lost secrecy rather than whether production itself is impossible.
The Blair Witch Project is rejected as workable under the same modern secrecy conditions. — Van Lathan
American History X is considered still makeable. — Van Lathan
Van’s explicitly introduced top-five fictional bands are, from fifth to first: Josie and the Pussycats, the Wonders, Spinal Tap, the Five Heartbeats and Stillwater; Eddie and the Cruisers is intentionally excluded from this episode’s list. — Bill Simmons
A follow-up distinguishes best fictional band from best music: the Five Heartbeats, Wonders, Eddie and the Cruisers and Stillwater are compared, with Fever Dog considered a weaker signature than On the Dark Side or That Thing You Do!. — Van Lathan
The Revolution and the Time are excluded as actual bands despite Purple Rain’s fictional framing; Sex Bob-omb is suggested as an additional candidate.
Additional fictional-band candidates include Sex Bob-omb, the EuroTrip band, Hey That’s My Bike, CB4 and Citizen Dick; the Dan Band is distinguished as real and Citizen Dick’s onscreen performance is disputed.
Van explicitly selects How Would Van Get Out of This One, inventing a defense of a motel visit as political/cultural outreach with adult college fans; the lengthy story is a comic hypothetical, not an event. — Van Lathan
The flex proposes an actual Yankees game during the stadium scene. The baseball strike may explain access, but the film could mention it; the Mets’ stadium is another option.
Van explicitly selected flex Paulie Award for Asshole of Film, Paulie winner. Discusses sequel power-of-attorney financial ruin, objection Rocky V never happened; modest defense Rocky IV his best version.
Paulie flex continued: treats sister as commodity, blames her for unmarried life, insults her, destroys Thanksgiving turkey while keeping leg and coerces date. Rocky partly complicit in coercion; exaggerated wished-for retaliation. — Chris Ryan
Paulie flex: no redeeming deep-down goodness; proposed Paulie/Panino why-character-awful naming, neighbors would tire of yelling.
Number three is described as everyone being racist and beautiful, referring to the current film in context; The Help is second and Driving Miss Daisy first. — Van Lathan
