• Episodes

    Episode 109: Grief and Guilt Can Take You on a Journey into Darkness — Herman (2025) with Dir. Andrew Vogel

    Join Alex and filmmaker Andrew Vogel, director of the new psychological horror/thriller film, Herman (2025), as they discuss the themes and psychological concepts found within his directorial debut! The film follows a harrowing evening experienced by the titular character, Herman, played by Colin Ward. Herman is dealing with the grief and guilt losing his wife 40 years ago and it manifests as some form of darkness. The pair discuss these topics from a psychological perspective, including how religious psychology plays a role, as well as psychosis as meaning-making rather than a mental disorder. There’s a lot up to audience interpretation and Alex has a field day thinking up various ideas to prod the filmmaker!…

  • Episodes

    Episode 108: Sometimes You Just Need a Frontal Lobotomy — Shutter Island (2010)

    Join Alex in a solo episode as he explores the Scorsese psychological thriller Shutter Island (2010)! Starring Leonard DiCaprio as a troubled US Marshal, the film follows the Marshal’s investigation into the disappearance of a patient at a psychiatric facility and prison for the criminally insane on a desolate, rocky island in the mid-1950s. However, beneath the surface, sinister forces lurk, and the episode delves into the mysteries surrounding the case. It explores the potential psychological and psychiatric diagnoses for the characters (whether it’s schizophrenia or something else entirely). Additionally, the film sheds light on the state of psychiatric and psychological care during that era in the United States.…

  • Episodes

    Episode 022: Welp, it Looks Like I Broke the First Two Rules—Fight Club (1999)

    Join Alex in a solo episode as he discusses the psychological concepts in a wild ride of a film, Fight Club (1999), starring Edward Norton and Brad Pitt as <<SPOILER ALERT>> the same person… but actually different people? This episode is also an experimental delivery, with the bulk of the discussion happening during a live stream of Alex’s (https://twitch.tv/cogpsychprof), with participation and some shoutouts to Twitch chat.

    Please leave your feedback on this post, the main site (cinemapsychpod.swanpsych.com) or on Facebook (@CinPsyPod). We’d love to hear from you!

    Don’t forget to check out our Paypal links to contribute to this podcast and keep the lights on!…