Watch The Theron: The Charlize Theron Podcast

In Prometheus, Charlize Theron plays a character who may be hiding some very big secrets -- namely, is she a human or a robot? -- but does finding out the answers to those secrets really matter? Rather than seek answers, we brought back our religion expert, John Brooks, to talk about the subtle (and not-so-subtle) religious undertones (and overtones) in this film. Even though this movie is filled to the brim with absolute dumb-dumbs, there's more than enough here to make this one of the more interesting (and one of the ten or fifteen best) Charlize Theron movies to date. Email us: watch@cageclub.me

Young Adult feels like the absolute culmination of every part Charlize Theron has played to date, showcasing her wide array of talents and highlighting a few of the different types of roles she's been known for over the years. She's a twisted version of a manic pixie dream girl, the anti-mom, a comedic force to be reckoned with, and an absolutely devastating character study of a broken woman. Pairing her on-screen with a never-better Patton Oswalt, and there's something magic about Young Adult. Email us: watch@cageclub.me

Charlize Theron isn't in very much of The Road, but she plays a character who's pivotal to the main characters and main story. Or does she? We're joined by Wistful Thinking's Cara Gael O'Regan, our post-apocalyptic expert, to discuss the movie, Charlize's role within it, and whether or not the types of character she's been playing are better than those played by the rest of the women in Hollywood, or if they're just as bad. Email us: watch@cageclub.me

Years ago, we covered Astro Boy as part of #CageClub, even though Nicolas Cage wasn't in the movie very much. This time around, we're covering it again, even though Charlize Theron is in it even less. Whoops! Even though Charlize only does a voiceover for a commercial early in the film, this episode rights a wrong by bringing Lindsay Gibb up to speed with a Nicolas Cage movie she'd previously left unseen. Email us: watch@cageclub.me

We're in the back half of #WatchTheTheron, and most of what's left are known quantities. The Burning Plain was one of the few Charlize Theron movies left that we'd never heard of, and it turned out to be one of her best performances yet. Without diving too deep into the world of spoilers, we have a (major) first for the podcast, a new job for a Charlize character, and a Charlize character who's broken in ways we've yet to see. Join Joey, Mike, and special guest Jeremy Kelly as they play with fire in New Mexico! Email us: watch@cageclub.me

Hancock is a movie of frustrating potential. Will Smith gives a dynamic performance as the lead, but it feels like studio interference made Charlize Theron's character more prominent than she should have been... and that's a bummer! A movie written by the mastermind behind Breaking Bad shouldn't be anywhere close to this level of chaotic, but here we are. At least we get our second team-up of Charlize and Will Smith, and our second of Charlize and Jason Bateman! Email us: watch@cageclub.me

Sleepwalking is such a vague and aimless film that not even its Wikipedia page notes where the movie takes place. Do the filmmaker and screenwriter even know? Who can say! All we know for sure is it was directed by a man who's primarily a visual artist and written by a man who's primarily a film colorist... oh, and Charlize is barely in it. Email us: watch@cageclub.me

Battle in Seattle marks our first true CageClub Podcast Network crossover, as both Charlize Theron and Channing Tatum are in this movie! The Watch The Theron and #MagicMics podcasts crossed over to cover this (disappointing) movie, directed by Charlize's long-time boyfriend (and Mike's mortal enemy) Stuart Townsend, in his directorial debut. Email us: watch@cageclub.me

You may not know how to pronounce In the Valley of Elah -- or even know what it's about -- but it's definitely a movie you should see. In the Valley of Elah marks one of Charlize Theron's all-time best performances (so far, at least) and doubles as one of her best films yet. Email us: watch@cageclub.me

In the history of the CageClub Podcast Network, we've never tackled a show quite like Arrested Development, or Charlize's specific arc within it. Spanning five episodes in the show's third season, the For British Eyes Only/Mr. F storyline is a fan favorite that also doubles as not-even-close-to-politically-correct. Rita corny, Michael. Email us: watch@cageclub.me

How much you enjoy Aeon Flux depends on the type of movie you think you're about to watch. If you want to see a movie where Charlize Theron kicks a lot of ass (and looks good doing it), you're in luck! If you're looking for something cohesive and coherent and well-rounded, well... you might want to keep looking. Like other ambitious sci-fi from this century, one of us (Mike) found it right up his alley, even if it didn't quite live up to his expectations. Joey, on the other hand... well, he might want to keep waiting for something else. Email us: watch@cageclub.me

Like Monster just a few short movies ago, North Country represents another prestige Charlize Theron drama that earned her an Academy Award nomination. While she's undeniably great in the movie (along with a slew of other actors all at or near the top of their game), recommending the movie is a tough ask due to the subject matter and the fact that the movie feels less than the sum of its parts. If you're able to stomach the oppressive levels of sexism in this period drama that marked a seismic shift in eliminating sexual harassment in the workplace, you'll see another role for Charlize that's a true culmination of everything she's done to this point, as well as a look forward to her future. Just don't say we didn't warn you: this one's a tough watch. Email us: watch@cageclub.me

Today's film was a made-for-TV movie that attempts to tackle, appropriately, The Life and Death of Peter Sellers. But, as it turns out, the life and death of Peter Sellers was filled with events in which he was an unlikable mess, and the movie was so forgettable that it's hard to recall whether or not we even see him die. At the very least, we have a terrific Stanley Tucci as Stanley Kubrick appearance. Email us: watch@cageclub.me

Head in the Clouds reminds Joey and Mike of a lot of different movies, and almost none of the comparisons are flattering. It's not that this is a bad movie, per se, but it's boring, unfocused, and tonally inconsistent. Oh, you mean those are qualities of bad movies? Well, then I guess it's a bad movie! Email us: watch@cageclub.me

Monster marks the high-water mark in Charlize's career, netting her Oscar and Golden Globe wins. Little did we know, though, how tough of a watch this would be. In her portrayal of hooker-turned-serial killer Aileen Wuornos, Charlize taps deep into her well of acting chops and pulls out a raw and terrifying performance. Email us: watch@cageclub.me

While there's great behind-the-scenes trivia about Charlize Theron -- plus the on-screen reunion between her and Mark Wahlberg that we've all been clamoring for since the near-masterpiece film The Yards -- this is a movie you can pretty safely skip. As for this episode, though? A MUST-LISTEN! Email us: watch@cageclub.me

In the history of the CageClub Podcast Network (and the nearly 500 episodes we've released so far), rarely have opinions been as split about a movie as they are here. Is Waking Up in Reno a terrible movie, or is it a wonderfully mindless reprieve from the first-half sludge of Watch The Theron? The answer, as it turns out, depends on who you ask. Email us: watch@cageclub.me

Do you see that picture associated with this episode on cageclub.me? That one of Charlize standing in front of a window with BAD IDEA written on it? It's almost as though team that made this movie were offering a hint: watching Trapped is a bad idea! We are spiraling down, down, down on Watch The Theron as we make our way through generic thriller after generic thriller, with one wasted Charlize Theron performance after another. That didn't stop Joey and Mike from talking about lots of things, like the world's worst actor, one of the most baffling third act finales in recent memory, and why Dakota Fanning keeps finding herself on the wrong side of kidnappings. Email us: watch@cageclub.me

It's been nearly 10 episodes since we last had to stomach an atrocious Woody Allen movie, so why not double down on some of his worst work ever? Not only does The Curse of the Jade Scorpion star Woody Allen himself (in a role he wishes he never took), but it's sexist, frustrating, and aggravating. Worst of all, it takes what would otherwise be a terrific role for Charlize Theron and wastes it in an otherwise dreadful movie. There's good news, though! We have no more Woody Allen movies to cover on this podcast. Hooray! Email us: watch@cageclub.me

If we had done literally any research before plotting out our course for Watch The Theron, there's a really strong chance we would have skipped 15 Minutes. Charlize Theron appears in just one scene (as a thank you to director John Herzfeld, who gave Charlize her breakout role in 2 Days in the Valley), and while that scene isn't bad, the rest of the movie sure isn't great. As it turns out, Herzfeld seems to make the same movie over and over again, yet is never able to figure out what tone he wants to use. Are there any redeeming qualities of this movie? Listen and find out! Email us: watch@cageclub.me