Best Hannah McKenna Podcasts (2025)

1
Big BAFTA chats 2025 1:02:14

10M ago1:02:14

1:02:14

We're in the thick of awards season and as always, we're far more interested in seeing the industry newcomers getting their flowers. In this episode, which is turning into a bit of an annual tradition for us, we meet the five brilliant nominees of the Best British Short Film category at the 2025 EE BAFTA Film Awards. We chat to Theo Panagopoulous d…

1
Heathers: Live Podcast at the London Podcast Festival 56:54

1y ago56:54

56:54

It’s Winona season and we’re BACK with a special episode recorded in the company of a delightful audience in London. Yes it’s time we released to the world… our thoughts on the monumental and enduringly relevant film that cemented Winona Ryder as a star. HEATHERS! Released in 1989 and considered a flop, it’s become what we see as the original mean …

1
The Parent Trap: in awe of Lindsay, Nancy Meyers and Meredith Blake 44:33

1+ y ago44:33

44:33

Ending the season on a magical high chosen by the listeners. The more we get into this episode the more magic we realise The Parent Trap (1998) is. After we’ve addressed the ridiculous trauma of it all (erm…the terrible parenting decisions!), we get to the good stuff; the nostalgic joy of this film, its legacy and the fact it introduced to the worl…

1
Polite Society: the biggest surprise of the year 47:07

1+ y ago47:07

47:07

For film club this week we’re watching Polite Society, last year’s British martial artsaction comedy film from debut feature filmmaker Nida Manzoor. The setup sees Ria, a London-based Pakistani Muslim girl who dreams of becoming one of Britain’s top stuntwomen. But it;s about so much more than that. It’s genre hopping, it’s a rewarding British come…

1
Jennifer’s Body: butchered by the marketing campaign 46:14

1+ y ago46:14

46:14

Mean Girls meets Scream? This week we passionately and lovingly rant about the cult classic, Jennifers Body (2009). Turns out back in 2009, the film industry execs, aka the boys, ruined Diablo Cody’s masterpiece. Fresh off the heels of her hit Juno, screenplay writer Cody was given free rein to create her dream horror comedy starring Megan Fox, the…

1
How To Have Sex: lead actor & BAFTA Rising Star Mia McKenna-Bruce joins us! 48:38

1+ y ago48:38

48:38

We lure the amazing Mia McKenna-Bruce to our studio to discuss our fave film of last year: How To Have Sex. She stars as the central character of Tara in this stunning film exploring sexual consent, female friendship, toxic friendship, and self discovery. Mia gives us the scoop on filming those party scenes, drunk acting tips and regressing 10 year…

1
Femme: how this gobsmacking neo-noir revenge thriller got made 43:36

1+ y ago43:36

43:36

Wear an extra pair of socks because this film will knock them right off. This week we discuss Femme, the Neo-noir thriller and debut feature from directing duo Sam H. Freeman and Ng Choon Ping. In Femme, we see Jules targeted in a horrific homophobic attack, destroying his life and career. Some time after that, he encounters one of his attackers in…

1
Maestro: getting onscreen ageing so wrong and so right 46:36

1+ y ago46:36

46:36

This week we watch Maestro, a film where Bradley Cooper convincingly ages before your eyes across four decades. We address his biographical film about American conductor Leonard Bernstein. In this episode, we learn a lot about Cooper’s career and directing techniques. We finally learn what a conductor actually does. We discuss whether the apparent …

1
The Holdovers: a masterclass in casting and dialogue 39:15

1+ y ago39:15

39:15

This week we watch The Holdovers to finally see what all the awards fuss was all about. A film that has so much heart, it follows Paul Giamatti as an unlikeable teacher at a boarding school who is forced to chaperone a handful of students with nowhere to go over Christmas. Convincingly set in the 70s, the film was committed right down to the old sc…

1
The Zone of Interest: when the credits roll and the shame washes over you 37:40

1+ y ago37:40

37:40

Talking about Jonathan Glazer’s Auschwitz-set film The Zone of Interest this week was both really hard and in many ways very easy. Easy because it’s a masterclass in sound design and unusual cinematography choices. Obviously film students should be studying this for years to come. But this is no easy watch - it's a film that leaves you questioning …

1
Nyad: our most divisive film yet 42:57

1+ y ago42:57

42:57

For two of us, this film was deeply inspiring. For one of us, this film was simply not it. Nyad is a 2023 American biographical sports drama about swimmer Diana Nyad’s attempts to swim from Cuba to Florida, starring Annette Bening and Jodie Foster. In this episode we address the controversy of the athlete’s cheating and conclude that people need to…

1
Challengers: Live Podcast at Everyman Cinema 35:04

1+ y ago35:04

35:04

We visited you lovely lot in Everyman Bristol to watch the sweatiest film of recent years- Challengers (2024)- and record a live podcast with you all. We discuss love triangles, obsession, competition, painfully obvious branding in films, CGI tennis balls in your face, the power of Zendaya’s onscreen presence and the thrilling score. We have a grou…

1
May December: A film that gave us a morality crisis 50:48

1+ y ago50:48

50:48

Never have we done such a 180 whilst recording an episode. Directed by Todd Haynes, we agreed May December is a gripping and technically brilliant film. By the end of the episode, we question whether we should like it so much. The film is inspired by real scandalous events and based off of real victimized people, so does Hollywood really have the r…

1
The Iron Claw: the crazy truth, the shattered masculinity and the triumph of Zac Efron 41:13

1+ y ago41:13

41:13

We buckled ourselves down for a film about shattered masculinity (one of Han's favourite genres) and came away wholly impressed, but conflicted. Why didn't it make most of us cry? What was missing? How can one family have so much tragedy? How did we find ourselves scrutinising male actors' bodies? The double standards! Plus, we discuss the lack of …

1
Mean Girls: The OG vs the musical 30:54

1+ y ago30:54

30:54

On Wednesdays, we wear pink drop episodes. This week we delve into the MGU (the Mean Girls Universe), and discuss the recent Mean Girls musical adaptation alongside the original. Who else knew Tina Fey’s screenplay is based off a single chapter in a self-help book? We discuss the phenomenal impact of the original film and our first-time viewing exp…

1
All Of Us Strangers had all of us crying 43:38

1+ y ago43:38

43:38

This week on film club we're discussing this beautiful, perfectly executed and unexpected ghost story from Andrew Haigh. Lead actor Andrew Scott is perfection, Paul Mescal is sublime. Yes, the internet frenzy is deserved. From depicting grief and loneliness, to homophobia in the 80s, we pull out the scenes that impacted us most. We analyse what mad…

1
Priscilla: Sofia Coppola was the perfect person to make this 48:26

1+ y ago48:26

48:26

For this week's episode we're not going to beat around the bush; we really loved Sofia Coppola's Priscilla (2023) and if you listen you’ll find out why. The film follows the perspective of Elvis’s teen wife, a rare autobiographical film that actually gives the time of day to a woman of that generation. Not only is this film completely non-judgement…

1
Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind: chosen by our listeners to rip our hearts out all over again 44:49

1+ y ago44:49

44:49

This week our film was chosen by YOU lovely listeners. We asked for an iconic 90s or 00s film and you really delivered. The cult classic Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is a film that genuinely keeps on giving, from the gut-wrenching emotional turmoil, to the visual language that was truly ahead of its time. We discuss the sour backstory of t…

1
Wonka: no one's favourite Willy but a pleasant surprise 41:23

2y ago41:23

41:23

An episode Maisie was dreading… until she actually watched the film. And, well, we couldn't dislike it if we tried. Turns out acting royalty and Harry Potter's production team will always work wonders. This week we discuss everything about the undeniably fun, not too sickly, if a little unmemorable, Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory unofficial pr…

1
Past Lives: the phenomenal debut from Celine Song and the tearjerker we needed 44:35

2y ago44:35

44:35

Will they/won't they?? Should they/shouldn't they?? This week we discuss Celine Song's phenomenal debut, Past Lives. In a world of explosive franchises comes a quiet original film that entranced us all. We discuss the prep that went into the authentic performances and casting. Plus, Celine Song's lived experiences that led her to write this, and, M…

1
Saltburn: it's giving the peach scene from Call Me By Your Name 47:27

2y ago47:27

47:27

It's Saltburn week, time to discuss that film that you regret watching with your parents. We are so here for the vulgarity, the Barry, the girlies, the soundtrack and the eyebrow piercings. At times we're a little salty.. is it too predictable? Did the internet ruin it? Listen to find out 💖 Saltburn (2023) is written and directed by Emerald Fennell…

1
Poor Things: The hair, the drama and Maisie’s revelation 39:37

2y ago39:37

39:37

This week we go on the wild ride that is Poor Things by Yorgos Lanthimos. It’s a real head-scratcher as we try get to the bottom of what it’s all supposed to MEAN?! In the latest from one of our favourite directors, it’s the costume dept that are our true heroes of this film. We discuss the visual effects and production behind this eccentric specta…

1
Big BAFTA chats 50:10

2y ago50:10

50:10

It's BAFTA week baby so for this special episode we are honoured to have our first guests of the season be the future of film, aka the five nominees of the Best British Short Film category. Some of our favourite films from last year started out as a short. Over half of the film industry are thought to enter via shorts, yet some – without establishe…

1
The Twilight episode: two Twi-hards and one Twi-virgin 44:33

2y ago44:33

44:33

It’s been 15 years and the Twi-hards amongst us have been lying low. But now, we emerge. The Twi-naissance is here. To celebrate the anniversary year of Catherine Hardwicke’s Twilight, we force Hannah to watch it for the first time. We discuss the chokehold this series had Lowri and Maisie in as teenagers and the reasons we keep returning to it tim…

1
Greta Gerwig’s Barbie: our verdict 40:29

2y ago40:29

40:29

This episode is brought to you by PROPER snacks, proud makers of PROPERCORN & PROPERCHIPS. The dust had barely settled on Barbie Land. After multiple watches and months of reflection, we look back at the phenomenon of Greta Gerwig’s 2023 hit Barbie and ask the big questions: Why make Ken the best character? With 45 Mattel films in the works, what d…

1
We're back with a new season! What films do we have in store for you? 1:36

2y ago1:36

1:36

We've been laying low these past few months. You film buffs have probably guessed it: we've been silent because we 100% stand with the SAGs + WGAs demands for everyone in this wonderful, but greedy industry. Now that the strikes are over, we are so excited to return to you with a new season and some exciting films! Watch the full episode on YouTube…

1
Embracing Aging: Breaking Up With Societal Beauty Standards - with Lee Zavorskas 43:13

2y ago43:13

43:13

Are you excited about getting older? Ordering a drink when you turn 21 is exciting, and renting a car at 25 is sort of cool…but how many of us truly embrace aging? For a lot of us, the idea of getting older is something we either avoid thinking about or maybe even downright fear. And society isn’t helping. Today I’m talking with Lee Zavorskas about…

1
Capacity Check: Finding Balance in a World Demanding More - with Lisa Robbin Young 54:32

2y ago54:32

54:32

When was the last time you felt like everything in your life is totally manageable. The pace of your life feeling both relaxed and interesting, having enough space for everything with time to spare. Chances are… you can’t remember a time like that. Many of us are consistently pushed beyond our limits - at work, at home, in parenthood, everywhere. T…

1
Lost in Translation: Understanding Your Fight Language - with Lena Morgan 51:41

2y ago51:41

51:41

Have you ever been arguing with someone, and the misunderstanding is so deep that it feels like you’re practically speaking different languages? Well, maybe you are. This week I’m talking with Lena Morgan about: What the five Fight Languages are, and how we end up defaulting to our own language preference without even realizing it. Why we seem to h…

1
How to Set Boundaries Without Freaking Out - with Morenike Olorunnisomo 55:13

2y ago55:13

55:13

Most of us have a really hard time setting boundaries. If you’re like me, you might have trouble knowing how to set them, actually holding them, and feeling okay during the whole process.This week I’m talking with Morenike Olorunnisomo about: What a real boundary is vs common misconceptions about them. Why we need them. How to know the difference b…

1
The Magic of Stillness: Rebelling Against the Attention Economy 16:14

2y ago16:14

16:14

This week, we’ve got a big announcement about the future of Unforgetting. We talk about: What’s changing about the show. My personal journey with accepting the faster AND slower parts of myself. How the ways I’ve been relaxing have actually been stressing me out. What the attention economy is and how we fit as consumers. How the noise of constant i…

1
Attachment Styles: How We Subconsciously Block Connection - with Nicole Walker 59:05

2y ago59:05

59:05

When you’re in relationship, do you find yourself so worried that something will go wrong that you want to badger the other person for reassurance? Maybe you have the opposite feeling and in relationship often feel yourself shutting down or running away when things get vulnerable? Or maybe you’re go back and forth between both of those feelings and…

1
Raising Kids Alone: The Beauty & Exhaustion of Being A Single Parent - with Erin McNulty 37:15

2y ago37:15

37:15

Either you are a single parent, or you know someone who is. Nearly a quarter of US children under the age of 18 live in a household with one parent. That’s a lot of families navigating this dynamic. Although I have several single mothers in my life, I really haven’t sat down and talked with them in depth about what it’s actually like. So today, tha…

1
Holding Our Pain: The Beautiful Truth That Toxic Positivity Ignores 17:33

2y ago17:33

17:33

Toxic positivity is bullshit. When we experience something painful in your life, the last thing we need is to be told that it’s all for the best. Because honestly, it kinda seems like the “best” outcome wouldn’t have involved that much pain. This week, I’m talking about: Why toxic positivity sucks. Reasons why your trauma doesn’t make you a better …

1
Sun, Moon, & Rising: Making Sense of Astrology's Big Three - with Gwen Yi 30:54

2y ago30:54

30:54

Astrology is more than just funny, relatable memes. It can teach us a lot about ourselves, but most of us don’t know much beyond the sun sign related to our own birthday, and anything beyond that feels confusing. This week on Unforgetting, I’m talking with Gwen Yi about: What astrology is. How an astrologer reads your natal chart. The 12 houses of …

1
When Quitting Is Winning: Lessons in Letting Go & Choosing Rest 29:48

2y ago29:48

29:48

If you're often praised for never giving up and always making things happen, it's also possible that you don't know when to quit and when to give up, and you run yourself into the ground no matter what to make something happen. In this solo episode, I'm talking about: Why quitting is really hard for some of us. Internalized capitalism and why some …

1
Constructive Conflict: Navigating Differences in Relationship - with Nicole Walker 59:55

2+ y ago59:55

59:55

I think that being in relationship is one of the most amazing things about being a human... And it’s also one of the hardest. This week, I’m talking with Nicole Walker about: What makes a healthy relationship. Why zero conflict is not the goal we should be striving for. Why some people want to talk it out immediately and others want to run at the f…

1
The Social Media Balancing Act: Prioritizing Mental Health While Online - with Cameron Phillips 55:54

2+ y ago55:54

55:54

We see their content all the time, but have you ever wondered what it’s like to be an influencer? Well today we’re gonna find out because I am talking to Cameron Phillips, about: His days in the world of content creation. What it really means to be a content creator or an influencer. What’s involved in social media being your full-time job. The men…

1
The Impact of Purity Culture: Overcoming Shame & Finding Liberation - with Hannah Brents 46:11

2+ y ago46:11

46:11

If you grew up going to church, then you were likely conditioned by purity culture. And purity culture’s pressure to deny and villainize really normal sexual development and curiosity has lasting negative consequences. This week, I’m talking with Hannah Brents about: How purity culture impacts the people within it, even if they aren’t in a religiou…

1
Active Listening: How To Connect More by Talking Less - with Orly Israel 51:04

2+ y ago51:04

51:04

How do you know if you’re a good listener? Listening isn’t necessarily a skill that we automatically get better at as we get older. This week, I’m talking with my guest Orly Israel about: What makes a good listener. What a Listening Table is and the unique way that Orly tackled his goal of becoming a better listener. Why a lot of us don’t share mor…

1
Personality Type: Discover Your Type & Enjoy Life More - with Carly Toomey 52:55

2+ y ago52:55

52:55

Whether you’re someone who loves taking quizzes to find out which 90s song you are, or you’re completely skeptical of anything that tries to put a label on you…this episode is going to be really, really helpful. Our personality is a mix of our conditioning and our nature. And today, we’re talking about the nature side. This week, I’m talking with C…

1
Self-Led Sexuality: Creating Healthy Intimacy & Connection - with Patricia Rich 59:14

2+ y ago59:14

59:14

Even if you did receive sex ed in middle school, that education probably did not include information on how to actually relate to your sexuality in a healthy way. This week, I’m talking with Patricia Rich about: What Self-Led sexuality is and why it’s important. Why authentically expressing ourselves sexually is often really difficult. Internal con…

1
The Price of Wellness: Capitalism's Shady Connection to Self-Care - with Rachael Kay Albers 50:31

2+ y ago50:31

50:31

If you’ve ever spent a weekend feeling completely burnt out while simultaneously crushed by the guilt and shame of not being productive…welcome to the wonderful world of capitalism. When this happens, we often end turning to wellness spaces to help us feel better, but are we really escaping the effects of capitalism through the wellness industry…or…

1
I Suck at This: The Art of Being Bad at Things 31:39

2+ y ago31:39

31:39

How comfortable are you with being really bad at something? Whether it's going to a new gym or an art class or at work, what happens inside of you when everyone else is way better at it than you are? This week, we chat about: Why being bad at things is really good for you Why being a beginner is extremely triggering for a lot of us. How American cu…

1
Internal Family Systems: Self-Exploration Through Parts Work - with Alice Mills Mai 53:00

2+ y ago53:00

53:00

We’re talking about one of my favorite, favorite things: Internal Family Systems, or IFS. And even if you think you don’t know what that is, you probably do and just didn’t know that’s what it’s called. If you’ve ever heard of your inner child, that’s IFS. Our personality isn’t one fixed thing. It’s complicated and nuanced and sometimes even contra…

1
Rooted in Wisdom: Rituals, Ancestry, and Cultural Respect - with Freia Serafina 59:38

2+ y ago59:38

59:38

Rituals have been passed down for generations…but what if we don’t know the cultural practices of our own ancestry? Too often, people who want to feel connected to wisdom of the past end up reaching out and grabbing onto the nearest ritual from a culture that doesn’t even belong to them. This week, I’m talking with my guest Freia Serafina about: Wh…

1
Unhealthy Family Systems: What's Normal & What's Not Okay - with Lauren Penner 49:01

2+ y ago49:01

49:01

How do you know if you were raised in an unhealthy family system, or if the issues your family faces are just normal problems that arise when a bunch of people try to combine their lives? This week, I’m talking with my guest Lauren Penner about: What makes a family dynamic healthy vs unhealthy. Why we care so much about what our families think of u…

1
The Myth of Manifestation: Why Positive Thinking Falls Short 32:14

2+ y ago32:14

32:14

Manifestation is the fastest, easiest way to get every single thing you want in your life. Except…is it? If attracting things with my mind is the best way to get things, why does it seem like every spiritual influencer is manifesting abundance by charging shit tons of money for the secrets of how easy manifestation is? In this episode, we talk abou…

1
Rooting for The Other Woman in One Fine Morning 33:35

2+ y ago33:35

33:35

Back for one fine bonus episode discussing One Fine Morning (2022) from director Mia Hansen-Løve. This might just be our love story of the year. We dissect the film’s realistic portrayal of womanhood and unusual handling of infidelity and analyse the value of intimacy coordinators in our industry. Plus, Han’s got a special announcement. Watch the f…

1
Breaking the Chains: High Control Groups, Cults, & Religious Trauma - with Dr. Quincee 52:02

2+ y ago52:02

52:02

When you hear the word “cult,” what do you think of? Maybe it’s people drinking koolaid or building a commune back in the 70s. But high control groups exist now, they are everywhere, they are extremely damaging, and no one thinks they are signing up for a cult when they first get involved. This week, I’m talking with my guest Dr. Quincee about: Wha…

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