Welcome back to BYOB! After a bit of a break with Ben and Jack both out on holiday, we're back with a classic. In perfect keeping with our two travellers, this week we're going on a journey of self discovery, hitting hard the wanderlust and sampling the delights of 'The Beach' (2000).

When you watch this one back, as we're sure lots of you have, it's tough to not think...WOW it looks dated. Which of course it does, it's a film from 2000... having said this, a lot of the themes within it still maintain their relevance and still give really fertile ground for a good old breakdown. Take for example - the idea of travel. The character of Richard is desperate to do something to break the mould, to break the cycle of consistent same old same old experiences. Yet somehow he seems to fall into so many of the same traps that drive us all mad whenever you hear someone talking about how they 'found themselves' in Thailand.

We're invited by the film to work out what Richard has left behind, what is his backstory. Primarily because so little is shared on our central character. This is particularly important when you try and consider what kind of narrator Richard is. We might as well throw it out there as it's hardly a spoiler... because at times he comes across as a bit of a tosser!

Within the pod we get stuck into how Sal forms her cult and how she has found a new way of life that satisfies her own need for control and hierachy, and there's a big discussion on what happens to a group of people after it's been hit by an event that is irreversibly bad.

MVP wise it's a straight shoot out between two heavyweights as Tilda Swinton and Leo DiCaprio go head to head off the back of two sensational performances, closely followed by the soundtrack with a couple of screamers in there. As ever we'll break down how this one has aged.

Bring Your Own Blockbuster isn’t just a film review podcast, we try our best each week to dive deep into the themes and discussions that make cinema so special - and we’d love to hear your feedback on the film. What did meet it mean to you? What did we miss? Get involved and tell us what you think on social media, you can find us everywhere at @byobpod

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Broadcast on:

18 Sep 2023