I could ask whether or not the world needs another movie podcast but it might be a bad start posing questions to which we both know the answer. Still, Movie Mindset has elevated above the glut of background noise for host Will Menaker and Hesse Deni’s approach: amusing but not frivolous, personal appreciation that doesn’t risk lapsing into narcissism.

A year after our last chat about the current cinema, Menaker and I sat down for a discussion that took slightly different turns: having not seen a number of the year’s most-acclaimed title, he preferred running the gamut on 2023 at large. Which engendered something funnier and more caustic––you can’t love movies if you don’t also hate them.

As I turned on my recorder we were already underway.

Will Menaker: You asked me how doing the Movie Mindset podcast has changed my movie-watching habits, and I...