Kermode & Mayo’s Take

In this Oscarsspecial episode of Kermode & Mayo’s Take, Simon Mayo and Mark Kermode break down the biggest moments from the 2026 Academy Awards. Mark shares his reactions to the ceremony, from Avatar: Fire and Ash winning Visual Effects to the triumph of Sentimental Value.  

Simon and Mark unpack the night’s major wins — including One Battle After Another sweeping six awards and Paul Thomas Anderson’s backstage reflections on politics, culture, and “bringing common sense and decency back into fashion.” They also explore the fierce race between One Battle After Another and Sinners, Michael B. Jordan’s emotional Best Actor win, and Autumn Durald Arkapaw’s groundbreaking Cinematography victory. 

Hear extended backstage moments from Paul Thomas Anderson, Michael B. Jordan, and Jessie Buckley as they reflect on the significance of their awards, artistic responsibility, and historymaking achievements. The duo also discuss Amy Madigan’s longawaited Supporting Actress win, Norway’s triumph with Sentimental Value, and the powerful documentary Mr Nobody Against Putin. 

Plus: the rise of KPop Demon Hunters, Guillermo del Toro’s three craft wins for Frankenstein, a rare Oscars tie, Conan O’Brien’s sharp hosting, emotional tributes to Rob Reiner, Catherine O’Hara, Diane Keaton and Robert Redford — and the films that left emptyhanded. 

The video version of this episode is available on our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/kermodeandmayo 

You can contact the show by emailing [email protected] or you can find us on social media, @KermodeandMayo 

Please take our survey and help shape the future of our show: https://www.kermodeandmayo.com/survey  

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Some exciting news—The Take is now on Patreon: www.patreon.com/kermodeandmayo. Become a Vanguardista or an Ultra Vanguardista to get video episodes of Take Two every week, plus member-only chat rooms, polls and submissions to influence the show, behind-the-scenes photos and videos, the monthly Redactor’s Roundup newsletter, and access to a new fortnightly LIVE show—a raucous, unfiltered lunchtime special with the Good Doctors, new features, and live chat so you can heckle, vote, and have your questions read out in real time.

On this week’s episode of Kermode and Mayo’s Take, Ryan Gosling is with us to talk about his new sci-fi epic Project Hail Mary. From the challenge of bringing Andy Weir’s beloved novel to the screen to the peculiar pressures of carrying a space-set survival story (often alone), Gosling reflects on the film’s mix of brainy science, cosmic peril and unexpected heart. This week it’s Mark he’ll be chatting to, and they get deep on sci-fi gems from Silent Running to The Abyss—plus some behind the scenes gossip on Project Hail Mary’s epic karaoke scene.

Keep an ear out for Mark’s review next week, and in the meantime there’s a trio of new releases on this week’s review slate. First up is Scarlet, a swashbuckling anime revenge drama based on the story of Hamlet. Then there’s How To Make A Killing, a darkly comic crime caper starring Glen Powell, and loosely based on the Ealing Comedy classic Kind Hearts and Coronets. And finally, One Last Deal—where a sports agent (played by he who shall not be named) battles to land a big contract and save his career. In Mark’s eyes though, the lead actor’s career is way beyond saving. Rant on the horizon, folks!

We’ll also be shouting out our favourite women directors for this Women’s History Month;

Plus all the usual Take treats: the box office top 10, a Laughter Lift that may (or may not) restore your faith in humanity, and your ever-splendid correspondence. Thanks for listening!

Timecodes:

00:00:00 Show starts

00:11:51 Scarlet review

00:19:01 Box Office Top 10

00:39:08 Ryan Gosling interview

00:51:28 How To Make A Killing review

00:57:36 Laughter Lift

01:02:08 One Last Deal review

You can contact the show by emailing [email protected] or you can find us on social media, @KermodeandMayo

Please take our survey and help shape the future of our show: https://www.kermodeandmayo.com/survey



🌎 Get an exclusive 15% discount on your first Saily data plans! Use code [Take] at checkout. Download Saily app or go to to https://saily.com/Take ⛵

A Sony Music Entertainment production.

Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts and follow us @sonypodcasts

To advertise on this show contact: [email protected]
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Here's a cheeky preview of our latest Take Ultra video episode in which Mark and Simon look ahead to this week’s Oscars and assess the state of the race. 

Ultra-Vanguardistas get these live streams every other week, our weekly T2 episodes in video and loads more. You can join them here: https://www.patreon.com/c/kermodeandmayo/membership  
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Some exciting news—The Take is now on Patreon: www.patreon.com/kermodeandmayo. Become a Vanguardista or an Ultra Vanguardista to get video episodes of Take Two every week, plus member‑only chat rooms, polls and submissions to influence the show, behind‑the‑scenes photos and videos, the monthly Redactor’s Roundup newsletter, and access to a new fortnightly LIVE show—a raucous, unfiltered lunchtime special with the Good Doctors, new features, and live chat so you can heckle, vote, and have your questions read out in real time.

On this week’s episode of Kermode and Mayo's Take, actor and national treasure Martin Clunes joins Simon…

On the review slate this week: Pixar’s latest animated adventure, Hoppers—a high-concept tale of body-swapping beavers and environmental derring-do. Will it burrow into the Take’s good books, or be politely shown the exit? Then there’s The Bride!, a bold and buzzy reimagining of a classic monster myth from Maggie Gyllenhaal, starring Gothic romance, big hair, bigger ideas—Mark digs into the film’s ambition, while Simon weighs up whether it truly crackles with life.

We also head back to Birmingham’s smoky underworld with Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man, as the Shelby saga makes the leap to the big screen. Is it a cinematic evolution worthy of its razor-sharp legacy, or does it feel like prestige telly in slightly fancier trousers?

Rounding things off is Mother's Pride, an intimate drama exploring family, sacrifice and the stories we tell ourselves. Tissues may be required. Mark considers its emotional pull; Simon braces for impact.

Plus all the usual Take treats: the box office top 10, a Laughter Lift that may (or may not) restore your faith in humanity, and your ever-splendid correspondence. Thanks for listening!

Timecodes

00:00:00 Show starts

00:11:33 Hoppers review

00:21:02 Box Office Top 10

00:33:27 Martin Clunes interview

00:49:06 Mother’s Pride review

00:56:35 Laughter Lift

00:59:10 The Bride! review

01:13:28 Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man review

You can contact the show by emailing [email protected] or you can find us on social media, @KermodeandMayo

Please take our survey and help shape the future of our show: https://www.kermodeandmayo.com/survey



🌎 Get an exclusive 15% discount on your first Saily data plans! Use code [Take] at checkout. Download Saily app or go to to https://saily.com/Take ⛵

A Sony Music Entertainment production.

Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts and follow us @sonypodcasts

To advertise on this show contact: [email protected]


Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This episode is brought to you with Vanguard, whose Managed ISA service provides a smart way to invest with confidence, giving you a better chance of investment success. 

 

It’s an International Women’s Day special, and we’ll be celebrating women in film by looking back at some of our favourite interviews with women filmmakers who have joined us on the Take. We’ve got Past Lives director Celine Song, editing legend and pioneer Thelma Schoonmaker, megastar actor-turned-director, Kate Winslet, and our live show guest Nia DaCosta on directing 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple. Plus we’ll hear from our Take guest booker Heather Dempsey about the importance of championing female filmmakers, and what barriers we need to keep pushing.  

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