Philosophy In Film

This week on Philosophy in Film, the gang enters the glass-walled world of Alex Garland's 2014 sci-fi thriller, Ex Machina. When programmer Caleb is invited to the secluded estate of enigmatic tech mogul Nathan, he finds himself enlisted to evaluate Ava, an advanced artificial intelligence whose apparent consciousness raises questions that become increasingly difficult to contain. Before long, the experiment turns toward bigger questions about intelligence, desire, creation, and who exactly is testing whom.
Alain delivers a streamlined Beauclair Synopsis (8:38), setting the stage before Chris enters Philosopher's Corner (16:57) to examine the film's questions about consciousness and artificial intelligence. The Round Table (31:03) puts Ava through three lenses: the Turing Test, the Pygmalion myth, and the darker possibilities of AI, including what it might want from us and what goals it might pursue on its own. Reviews (86:17) follow before Craig steps into the spotlight with Producer's Notes (92:06), while Mailbag (98:38) then closes the doors on the experiment.
As always, we explore the philosophical and non-philosophical aspects of the film, because the question isn't just whether AI can think, but what happens when it starts thinking about us.
🍻 Featured Beer 🍻 - I/O New England IPA by Town Square Brewing Co. (Edmonton, AB)

Episode 107: The Odyssey
This week on Philosophy in Film, the gang sets sail with Christopher Nolan's ambitious retelling of The Odyssey, breathing new life into Homer's timeless epic of monsters, memory, and the long road home. After the fall of Troy, the cunning Odysseus embarks on a perilous journey across unfamiliar seas, where every island, temptation, and trial tests not only his resolve, but the very man he hopes to become before returning to Ithaca.
Craig hoists the sails with Producer's Notes (10:45), while Alain charts the voyage with the Beauclair Synopsis (21:13), navigating a course through gods, monsters, shipwrecks, and impossible choices. In Philosopher's Corner (56:58), Chris charts the course from nostos, the Greek ideal of homecoming, to the modern notion of nostalgia, revealing why the journey home has always been about more than distance. The gang then gathers at the Round Table (1:01:44), where myth, history, and humanity collide before Reviews (1:54:14) and Mailbag (2:03:35) guide us safely back to shore.
As always, we explore the philosophical and non-philosophical aspects of the film, because every voyage changes the traveller, but only a few lead us home.
🍻 Featured Beer 🍻 - Pyrrhic Victory by Small Gods Brewing Co. X Field House Brewing Co. (Sidney, BC)

Episode 106: Dogville
This week on Philosophy in Film, the gang steps onto the chalk-lined streets of Lars von Trier's provocative 2003 drama, Dogville. When the mysterious Grace arrives seeking refuge from a pair of gangsters, the isolated mountain town reluctantly offers her shelter. But as hospitality gives way to exploitation, kindness slowly curdles into cruelty, revealing just how thin the line between virtue and self-interest can be.
Craig draws the map with Producer's Notes (11:54), while Alain walks the bare stage for the Beauclair Synopsis (19:23), guiding us through Dogville's quiet descent from generosity to moral collapse. In Philosopher's Corner (43:35), Chris shines a light on Immanuel Kant's notion of radical evil, asking what happens when ordinary people gradually learn to justify the unjustifiable. The gang then gathers at the Round Table (57:01), where every line in the sand is up for debate before Reviews (1:48:23) pulls back the curtain for one final look.
As always, we explore the philosophical and non-philosophical aspects of the film, because sometimes the darkest places are the ones that seem the most welcoming.
🍻 Featured Beer 🍻 - Saints and Sinners IPA by Dog Island Brewing (Slave Lake, AB)

Episode 105 - Back to the Future
Great Scott! This week on Philosophy in Film, the gang travels back in time to 1985 with Robert Zemeckis' beloved sci-fi adventure classic, Back to the Future. When Marty McFly is accidentally sent back to 1955 in a time machine built by the eccentric Doc Brown, he quickly discovers that history is far easier to disrupt than repair. Craig kicks things off, generating 1.21 gigawatts of Producer's Notes (5:21), while Alain fires up the DeLorean for the Beauclair Synopsis (19:28). In Philosopher's Corner (37:42), Chris engages the flux capacitor to navigate the film's famously tangled family tree. The gang then convenes at the Round Table (51:05), where timelines intersect, paradoxes emerge, and nobody can quite agree on the rules. Reviews (1:26:33) and Mailbag (1:37:34) bring us safely back to the present, wrapping up the episode before the timeline can drift any further.
As always, we explore the philosophical and non-philosophical aspects of the film, because where we're going, we don't need…roads.
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🍻 Featured Beer 🍻 - "Why Don't You Make Like A Tree And Get Outta Here" NZ Cascade Pale Ale⁠ by Backcountry Brewing (Squamish, BC)

Episode 104: Glory Daze

This week on Philosophy in Film, the gang cracks open a time capsule with Glory Daze, the scrappy 1995 Gen-X comedy filled with graduation panic, beer-soaked nostalgia, and an early Ben Affleck appearance before the Hollywood spotlight hit. Set over one chaotic night before graduation, the film follows a group of college friends desperately clinging to youth before adulthood finally calls their bluff. Craig stumbles into Producer's Notes (13:29), while Alain pulls an all-nighter for the Beauclair Synopsis (26:18), tracing the film's blend of drunken nostalgia and quarter-life existentialism. In Philosopher's Corner (45:13), Chris settles into the film's strange limbo between youth and adulthood, unpacking the quiet panic that comes with realizing freedom, responsibility, and identity rarely arrive at the same time. The gang gathers at the Round Table (53:50) to kick around one last semester of chaos before Reviews (1:37:46) and Mailbag (1:55:33) crack open a final beer and stumble across the graduation stage into the night.
As always, we explore the philosophical and non-philosophical aspects of the film, because sooner or later, everybody has to leave campus.
🍻 Featured Beer 🍻 - Mixtape Hazy IPA by Polyrhythm Brewing (Edmonton, Alberta)
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