iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Brandon Lewis @blewis1103.whenthingsgopop.com · 23/05/2026

So, Cannes was everything and I wish I was there longer (I wasn’t giving Delta a $3k change fee). Some incredible films and wonderful encounters along the way (*waves at India, Toheeb, and Sebastian*). Can’t wait to do it again.

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Brandon Lewis @blewis1103.whenthingsgopop.com · 06/01/2026

Me several times while watching The Passion of Anna tonight:

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Brandon Lewis @blewis1103.whenthingsgopop.com · 17/10/2025

A couple of hours into Pokémon Legends Z-A and I think it works best as a slice of life game. The missions, especially when they have you seek out a Pokemon or play with one (Slurpluff and his macaroons) are a blast. Oh, and Alpha Pokémon continue to be my favorite mechanic. (Look at this big lug!)

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Brandon Lewis @blewis1103.whenthingsgopop.com · 08/07/2025

#Superman is thrilling and earnest: a comic book brought to life, with James Gunn asking intriguing questions about heroism and self-actualization, alongside wildly creative uses of Clark's powers. Its narrative sprawl leads to some character shakiness, but the new DC hits hard.

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Brandon Lewis @blewis1103.whenthingsgopop.com · 05/06/2025

I’m officially calling the arrival of the Chris Evans Renaissance. Materialists aligns perfectly with his strengths, and Song helps him uncover new depths that stunned me. It’s soul-bearing work, refreshingly vulnerable and gentle. One of my favorite performances this year.

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Brandon Lewis @blewis1103.whenthingsgopop.com · 05/06/2025

Materialists is utterly charming and quietly soul-crushing in its observations about love and self-worth. Song’s script is marvelous, with lines that’ll make you laugh and shred your heart. A strong cast, but Zoe Winters and Chris Evans are stunning, with him turning in the best work of his career.

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Brandon Lewis @blewis1103.whenthingsgopop.com · 07/05/2025

The existence of Honey Don’t has been validated by this moment right here. I don’t care if it’s bad; this WILL be used as a meme. I’m ready for the Evans-sance!

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Brandon Lewis @blewis1103.whenthingsgopop.com · 10/02/2025

This awards season has been chaotic as hell (hi Anora!), but there have been some nominee narratives/journeys that have intrigued me, and could intrigue Oscar voters. I dig into Demi Moore, Timothée Chalamet, Sebastian Stan, and Fernanda Torres's stories for WTGP. whenthingsgopop.com/2025/02/09/2...

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Brandon Lewis @blewis1103.whenthingsgopop.com · 09/02/2025

Sebastian Stan on the importance of empathy and curiosity:

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Brandon Lewis @blewis1103.whenthingsgopop.com · 07/02/2025

This is my favorite part of my conversation with Sebastian Stan. It perfectly captures his career’s rigor and intentionality, which ultimately led to this moment of acclaim and recognition (after years of being underestimated as an actor for different reasons).

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Brandon Lewis @blewis1103.whenthingsgopop.com · 11/01/2025

On winning the Golden Globe: "It's incredibly gratifying...For me, at 42 years old, having been around for 20 years, you're always hoping you'll be up there one day to thank some of these people who have contributed to my life. It was a nice moment for my mom."

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Brandon Lewis @blewis1103.whenthingsgopop.com · 11/01/2025

On A Different Man’s awards season journey: “A Different Man had an interesting journey. Aaron and I always kept saying, 'We're at the Gothams, the Globes, Berlin.' There were signs that this was connecting with people. But it felt like we had to be the cheerleaders to A24 to keep it going.”

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Brandon Lewis @blewis1103.whenthingsgopop.com · 11/01/2025

Some b-sides from my Sebastian Stan interview: On Trump’s response to the California wildfires: “Even in these horrific fires, [Trump], instead of offering solutions, is sitting there and using what’s happening in California to serve his story, point fingers and assign blame. It’s horrific.”

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Brandon Lewis @blewis1103.whenthingsgopop.com · 11/01/2025

An excerpt from my interview with Sebastian Stan: how his childhood growing up amidst and in the aftermath of the fall of the Eastern Bloc and emigrating to the United States informed his performance in The Apprentice.

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Brandon Lewis @blewis1103.whenthingsgopop.com · 09/01/2025

A very big day with a very big interview…

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Brandon Lewis @blewis1103.whenthingsgopop.com · 03/01/2025

An excerpt from my conversation with Marianne Jean-Baptiste, reflecting on what the reception to Hard Truths means to her and the broader film industry:

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Brandon Lewis @blewis1103.whenthingsgopop.com · 16/12/2024

It’s so refreshing to see Superman as a beacon of hope again. Excited to see what James Gunn and David Corenswet have in the hopper.

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Brandon Lewis @blewis1103.whenthingsgopop.com · 07/12/2024

Cases in point: Sebastian Stan and Saoirse Ronan. Saoirse has two studios who see strong opps, so her coverage has been even (slight edge to The Outrun). For Sebastian, Briarcliff has been pushing heavy for The Apprentice, while A24 hasn’t for A Different Man, so that’s where the coverage leans.

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Brandon Lewis @blewis1103.whenthingsgopop.com · 04/12/2024

Fascinating tidbit about Challengers and Queer from talking with Justin Kuritzkes after the Queer Q&A in NYC: Luca Guadagnino took his figurative script notes and made them real (the tennis ball POV shot and Lee and Eugene’s dance/love scene). A lovely fusion of director and screenwriter.

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Brandon Lewis @blewis1103.whenthingsgopop.com · 01/12/2024

The full list of my Best Film Performances of 2024:

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Brandon Lewis @blewis1103.whenthingsgopop.com · 01/12/2024

There are several awards-contending films that are under promoted, under seen by voters and general audiences, or don’t even have distribution in the US. Wicked doesn’t need to be treated like the little engine that could. It’s a fucking bullet train in every conceivable metric.

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Brandon Lewis @blewis1103.whenthingsgopop.com · 28/11/2024

Finished earlier than anticipated. Next week is my Best Film Performances of 2024 piece!

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Brandon Lewis @blewis1103.whenthingsgopop.com · 27/11/2024

Easiest “Best Film Performances of 2024” entry I’ve written so far: Fernanda Torres in I’m Still Here. If I ranked them (I don’t), she’d be in the top 3, because what the actual fuck did she do to my emotions? Destroyed them, that’s what:

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Brandon Lewis @blewis1103.whenthingsgopop.com · 27/11/2024

I thought Best Actor was gonna beat my ass this season…sorry, Fernanda Torres should not only be in the Best Actress conversation, she should be leading it.

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Brandon Lewis @blewis1103.whenthingsgopop.com · 27/11/2024

Fernanda Torres gives one of the best performances of the year, if not the decade so far, in I’m Still Here, itself a searing, stomach-turning tale of a family living during Brazil’s military dictatorship in the 70s. It almost hurts to watch, but it feels vital, especially now.

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Brandon Lewis @blewis1103.whenthingsgopop.com · 26/11/2024

Nosferatu…I need to pray. And shower in holy water for like 25 minutes.

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Brandon Lewis @blewis1103.whenthingsgopop.com · 26/11/2024

Having seen all the Best Actor contenders…my personal six of the year: Adrien Brody, The Brutalist Colman Domingo, Sing Sing Sebastian Stan, A Different Man Timothee Chalamet, A Complete Unknown Daniel Craig, Queer Andre Holland, Exhibiting Forgiveness

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Brandon Lewis @blewis1103.whenthingsgopop.com · 26/11/2024

A Complete Unknown is a fine look at the enigmatic Bob Dylan, who bucks convention to be himself. The film doesn’t quite know who that is, but introspection isn’t the goal here. James Mangold does his best work capturing the excellent performances. Timothee Chalamet’s work is subtle but commanding.

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Brandon Lewis @blewis1103.whenthingsgopop.com · 25/11/2024

Watched The Piano Lesson for the first time since TIFF, and it plays better on second watch. The exploration of familial duty versus personal fulfillment hit for me. Danielle Deadwyler is sensational, but I really locked into Corey Hawkins’ work this time around. Also, Danielle and Ray Fisher…yes.

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Brandon Lewis @blewis1103.whenthingsgopop.com · 24/11/2024

Not gonna lie: I definitely considered shouting “you better motherfucking kick” at Ariana during Popular.

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Brandon Lewis @blewis1103.whenthingsgopop.com · 24/11/2024

Assuming Timothee Chalamet doesn’t eff me up on Monday night, here’s where I’m at for FYC season:

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Brandon Lewis @blewis1103.whenthingsgopop.com · 24/11/2024

My Letterboxd top 12 of 2024 after Wicked, Flow, and Memoir of a Snail collectively beat my ass this week:

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Brandon Lewis @blewis1103.whenthingsgopop.com · 24/11/2024

Like…Supporting Actor is a bloodbath and I know he doesn’t have a shot in hell, but if the Golden Globes wanted to toss Jonathan Bailey a nomination for playing the year’s second most charismatic and chaotic bisexual (behind Denzel in Gladiator II), that would be neat.

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Brandon Lewis @blewis1103.whenthingsgopop.com · 24/11/2024

I’m on the “Ariana Grande for the Best Supporting Actress Oscar” train. She is delightful in Wicked, with razor-sharp timing and presence that adds depth to the mean girl archetype. It’s one of the best comedic musical performances in years (maybe since Catherine Zeta-Jones on Chicago).

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Brandon Lewis @blewis1103.whenthingsgopop.com · 23/11/2024

My first year getting one of these; it’s pretty neat. Happy FYC season from Neon!

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Brandon Lewis @blewis1103.whenthingsgopop.com · 23/11/2024

Another FYC from my upcoming Best Film Performances of 2024 piece: Joan Chen in Didi, who perfectly embodies “grace under pressure.”

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Brandon Lewis @blewis1103.whenthingsgopop.com · 21/11/2024

I’m smelling a Sundance premiere for Materialists. Come through Celine Song!

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Brandon Lewis @blewis1103.whenthingsgopop.com · 19/11/2024

Sometimes (read: a lot) I think about how I gagged Robbie Williams at TIFF when I name-dropped The Road to Mandalay and Love My Life as two of my favorite songs of his and how he hugged me for it and I just go, “You know what? We can wrap it up. Nothing beats this.”

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Brandon Lewis @blewis1103.whenthingsgopop.com · 19/11/2024

With respect, I don’t see how Disney wins the Best Animated Feature Oscar in the same year as Flow, The Wild Robot, and Memoir of a Snail.

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Brandon Lewis @blewis1103.whenthingsgopop.com · 19/11/2024

Flow is, frame by frame, one of the most rapturously beautiful films of the year, jaw-dropping animation and cinematography. It’s also one of the most surprisingly profound in its exploration of found family and the rejection of tribalism at the end of civilization. It says so much in 86 minutes.

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Brandon Lewis @blewis1103.whenthingsgopop.com · 18/11/2024

Two things: 1. It speaks well of Sebastian Stan’s integrity that he’s still pushing The Apprentice when other actors would likely vanish to avoid the election blowback. 2. I think this message will resonate with creative purists who might’ve passed over the film otherwise.

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Brandon Lewis @blewis1103.whenthingsgopop.com · 18/11/2024

It’s Gladiator II week and I’m celebrating by sharing why Denzel Washington in messy rich bitch mode (complimentary) is one of my Best Film Performances of 2024:

It feels like a crime against humanity that we've never had Denzel Washington as a power-hungry, messy bitch that lives for drama. Thankfully, Ridley Scott tapped the legendary actor to add a much-needed dose of chaotic Machiavellian camp to Gladiator II. Washington looks like he's having a blast every single second, devouring the scenery with his movie star aura to the point that he pushes everyone around him to the farthest corners of the frame. Effortless as he appears to be, Washington still puts in carefully detailed work to make former slave-turned-gladiator owner Macrinus into the kind of menacing figure who could easily overthrow two Roman emperors. He is presence is so singular that it often feels like he's acting in an entirely different film than everyone else. (His is the one where filling the Colosseum with water and sharks is a reasonable government expense. It's the better film.) After seeing Gladiator II, you'll never want to see Denzel Washington without fine velvet robes and a gleaming side-eye aimed at the peasants ever again.

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Brandon Lewis @blewis1103.whenthingsgopop.com · 18/11/2024

This man’s drip is diabolical. Like, evil genius diabolical.

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Brandon Lewis @blewis1103.whenthingsgopop.com · 18/11/2024

My FYCs at the Governors Awards: Demi Moore, The Substance Nicole Kidman, Babygirl Sebastian Stan, A Different Man Kieran Culkin, A Real Pain Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Hard Truths

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Brandon Lewis @blewis1103.whenthingsgopop.com · 18/11/2024

Post your favorite movie poster of all time: I can't say definitely if this is my all-time favorite, but Pablo Larrain's Spencer immediately came to mind. Especially brave given what scene it referenced in the film.

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