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Eyes on Screen

Second Look Media

From the team behind Eyes on Gilead: The Handmaid’s Tale Companion, the award-winning podcast known for deep-dive analysis and sharp observations, comes a new weekly TV and film podcast: Eyes on Screen.

Hosted by Fiona Williams, Sana Qadar, Haidee Ireland and Natalie Hambly, this is a new independent show, and the next chapter for the team known for watching closely, a bit obsessively, and always with plenty to say.

As The Handmaid’s Tale expands into The Testaments, we’ll be following along week by week with episode recaps, analysis and yes, dubious predictions. Alongside that, Eyes on Screen covers new TV shows, movie releases and what to watch next, as well as older favourites worth revisiting.

Each week we talk through storytelling, performance, cinematography, score and the details that make a show or film work, mixing analysis with conversation, a few theories, and the kind of thoughts that come from watching something with other people who notice everything.

We’ll also be speaking with cast and creators, sharing interviews and insider insight to deepen the connection to the TV shows and movies we love, and explore how they’re made behind the scenes.

Because sometimes the best part of watching something is having someone to talk about it with.

If you’re looking for thoughtful TV and film discussion, episode breakdowns and reviews, or a TV and film podcast that helps you decide what to watch next, this is for you.

If you’re into The Testaments, TV recap podcasts, film analysis, movie reviews, or just hearing people unpack what they’ve watched in a way that feels like you're catching up with friends, you’ll feel right at home.

For returning Eyes on Gilead listeners, welcome back. For new listeners, you can jump in anywhere.

New episodes weekly.

Follow along on Instagram @eyesonscreenpod for updates and more.

Watching closely, talking it through, and enjoying the conversation along the way: This is Eyes On Screen.

Eyes on Screen is a Second Look Media production.

Theme music: Ashley Jane and Timon Wientzek

Photography: Ashley Mar / Design: Fiona Williams

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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26 episodes
weekly
Avg 50 min
English

Episodes 26

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S1 · E34
Wednesday · 45 min
The Matthew Rhys-urgence Is Now Official
Three of us this week — Fiona Williams, Haidee Ireland and Natalie Hambly (Sana is taking a break but will be back very soon) — and we are doing a deep dive into the Emmy Awards, because some of our favourites were in the mix, some got robbed, and one phrase has entered our permanent vocabulary: the Matthew Rhys-urgence. Widow's Bay swept 14 awards and we are not complaining — Kate O'Flynn winning best supporting actress in a comedy was the highlight of the night. We also get into why best drama going to The Pitt over Pluribus felt like the one that got away, whether Stephen Colbert's acceptance speech said everything it needed to say just by existing, and why this year's Emmys — however satisfying — felt uncomfortably comfortable. We also have thoughts on Chase Infiniti being the only Testaments nominee, and we have not moved on from the Stadium episode. Then we get into what we've all been watching: Haidee makes the case for The Beast in Me (starring Claire Danes and Matthew Rhys, naturally), Nat has finally finished Five Star Weekend and is ready to give her full verdict, and Fiona has caught up with DTF St Louis and cannot believe it took this long. We also get into Interview with the Vampire season three, and a film called The Rivals of Amziah King that someone absolutely did not forget the name of at all. Follow Eyes on Screen on Instagram: @eyesonscreenpod or email us at hello@eyesonscreen.com.au Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S1 · E33
September 16 · 41 min
Practical Magic 2: Just Use Your Damn Magic!
Fiona Williams, Sana Qadar and Natalie Hambly are talking Practical Magic 2, now in cinemas and already dividing critics and audiences spectacularly. The critics hate it (30% on Rotten Tomatoes). The fans love it (90%). We land somewhere in the middle, and we have thoughts. We get into what the sequel does well — the hair, the costuming, the chemistry between Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman, Lee Pace being extremely welcome — and what it doesn't. We also discuss the film's quietly radical female-centred storytelling, the very slight but very deliberate queer thread, and Nat's theory about what young women actually want from a witchy movie right now (hint: it's not lifting the love curse). Plus: our favourite witchy films and TV shows, our favourite Sandra Bullock films, and a pitch for Practical Magic 3 that we think Nicole Kidman should seriously consider. If you're going — and you should — take a girlfriend, get some wine, and for the love of all things magical, do not lug your suitcases up three flights of stairs if you don't have to! Follow Eyes on Screen on Instagram: @eyesonscreenpod or email us at hello@eyesonscreen.com.au Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S1 · E32
September 2 · 32 min
We Took Your Advice and Watched Furious, Haidee Finished DTF St Louis, and Parton is Such Sweet Sorrow
While Nat takes a well-earned break, Sana, Haidee and Fiona take listener recommendations and embrace the darkness of Furious. Do you know us well or what, dear listeners? This is the female-centred, trauma-informed, Epstein-adjacent investigative thriller we didn't know we needed in our lives. Elsewhere, Haidee makes a good case at convincing us to watch DTF St Louis, suggesting it's so much more than just sad men on swings, and finally, Fiona has been celebrating the life of Saint Dolly by watching feature documentaries and The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (because it's what Dolly would do). Follow Eyes On Screen on Instagram: @eyesonscreenpod or email us at hello@eyesonscreen.com.au. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S1 · E31
August 26 · 43 min
Widows Bay Season 1: An Inaugural Swim Like No Other
Sana is back, baby, and joining Fiona, Haidee and Natalie in our cosy virtual recording studio to sip a sunset cocktails and discuss one of our favourite watches of the year: Widow’s Bay. This breakout word-of-mouth horror-comedy crept up on us, delighted us all and is now stalking the Emmys with 19 nominations. We dive into the oddball small-town residents, comedy chops and downright terrifying moments that make this show so good. So plug in your taser to charge, sit down with a warm cup of herbal tea and dive into our inaugural swim around the bay. But be warned, spoilers ahead. Follow Eyes On Screen on Instagram: @eyesonscreenpod or email us at hello@eyesonscreen.com.au. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S1 · E30
August 19 · 42 min
Camp Miasma From the Perspective of the Candy Wrapper
The video nasty is ready for its close-up. Fiona Williams, Haidee Ireland and Natalie Hambly (*Sana is busy at her own sleepaway camp) unpack the seductive satire of Jane Schoenbrun's Cannes-winning indie hit, Teenage Sex & Death at Camp Miasma. The meta premise of a woke horror franchise reboot gives us a sexy, queer, tender time, courtesy of Scream Queens power couple, Hannah Einbinder and Gillian Anderson. Pack your snacks and choose your own adventure, there's so much to talk about, from the reclamation of problematic movie tropes, to the reverential depictions of franchise fandom, and dippin' into a sly southern drawl. Oh my! Follow Eyes on Screen on Instagram: @eyesonscreenpod or email us at hello@eyesonscreen.com.au Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S1 · E27
August 12 · 58 min
Dial F for Friendship: Five Star Weekend
Nat and Haidee catch-up on what they have been watching lately. Haidee has been giving Five Star Weekend a go — the star-studded female friendship drama with Jennifer Garner, Chloe Sevigny, Gemma Chan, Regina Hall and D'Arcy Carden — and has some thoughts on when to give a slow-starting show the benefit of the doubt. Nat has been watching Ted Lasso season four and making the case for why women's football might be exactly the reset the show needed. And then we go deep on movies with great premises and terrible endings — from the French feminist comedy I Am Not an Easy Man and its English remake Ladies First, to the afterlife romance Eternity, to Alex Garland's Men and its bonkers final act. Plus: What Dreams May Come, Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey, Hitchcock movie nights with children, and what happens when you show a kid Home Alone too soon. Follow Eyes on Screen on Instagram: @eyesonscreenpod or email us at hello@eyesonscreen.com.au Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S1 · E26
August 5 · 1 hr 1 min
The Odyssey: We Loved It (And We're Shocked)
Blame it on the lotus flowers! We've all been to see Christopher Nolan's epic The Odyssey — and we have thoughts. Fiona Williams, Haidee Ireland and Natalie Hambly (Sana is off on her own odyssey, hopefully remembering the way home) unpack a film that is packing out cinemas worldwide and asking some very big questions. Is it a war film? An anti-war film? A midlife crisis film? All three? We discuss Matt Damon as Odysseus — America's most decent man playing antiquity's most complicated one — and whether that's a feature or a bug, the women of the Odyssey and what Christopher Nolan does and doesn't do with them, why all the sex was taken out, and whether Zendaya's Athena is the emotional heart the film didn't know it had. We also get into the stunning score, the sirens sequence, the memes, and what it means to watch a story that was written for men — and find yourself moved by it anyway. Plus: a Margaret Atwood connection you may not have known about, and a teaser for next week when we discuss Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma. Don't look a big wooden horse in the mouth when you can just use your sense of smell instead! Follow Eyes on Screen on Instagram: @eyesonscreenpod or email us at hello@eyesonscreen.com.au Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S1 · E25
July 29 · 1 hr
Elbows Deep in a Choc Top
Just the two of us this week — Fiona Williams and Natalie Hambly are here to catch up with you, our listeners, and dive into what everyone's been watching. We read your comments on our recent episodes (including some very spirited takes on Off Campus), shout out your show recommendations, and go deep on a few things we've been watching ourselves. Nat has fallen hard for Ride or Die — Hannah Waddingham as an assassin with a best friend played by Octavia Spencer — and makes a compelling case for why it's the female spy show we've all been waiting for. Fiona confesses to being three seasons deep into America's Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders and has absolutely no regrets. We also take a moment to celebrate the life and work of the beloved Sam Neill — sharing favourite films, favourite memories, and in Fiona's case, a very charming cup of tea. Plus: your listener recommendations including Paradise, Silo, Widows Bay, Pluribus, Slow Horses and more. And we tease what's coming next week — Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey, which is apparently packing out cinemas everywhere. Careful with your choc tops. Follow Eyes on Screen on Instagram: @eyesonscreenpod or email us at hello@eyesonscreen.com.au Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S1 · E24
July 22 · 1 hr 4 min
Watching The Invite: Truth Bombs and Partner Swaps
We (Fiona, Sana, Haidee and Natalie) have just been to the movies to watch Olivia Wilde's The Invite, in which she stars alongside Penelope Cruz, Edward Norton and Seth Rogan. It's a film that has a lot to say about modern relationships, and we have a lot to say about it, from our favourite laugh-out-loud moments, to the details that are worth revisiting. If you only watch one hit indie breakout sex comedy this year, make it this one (well, some of us think so, at least). And then let us know what you thought of The Invite. You can find the Eyes on Screen team on Instagram at @eyesonscreenpod and on email at hello@eyesonscreen.com.au. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S1 · E23
July 15 · 59 min
2026 Emmy Nominations: The Pitt To Widows Bay and What Else We've Been Watching
This week Fiona, Natalie and Haidee are diving into the 2026 Emmy nominations, debating HBO's awards dominance, celebrating the breakout success of Widows Bay and Pluribus, and asking if Apple TV+ is quietly becoming television's most exciting home for prestige drama. We debate whether The Pitt deserves its Emmy dominance, if The Testaments was unfairly overlooked, celebrate Hacks' final season, and explain why Paradise, DTS St. Louis, Slow Horses, Margot's Got Money Troubles and Your Friends & Neighbours are climbing our watchlists. We also share the performances we're hoping take home Emmy gold, from Jean Smart and Rhea Seehorn to Chase Infiniti. Then it's time to check in on what else we've been watching, with spoiler-free reviews of Supergirl, Sydney Film Festival audience award winners American Doctor and Cycle of Love, and Netflix's moving tennis documentary Chris & Martina: The Final Set. Follow @eyesonscreenpod on Instagram or email us at hello@eyesonscreen.com.au. We'd love to hear your Emmy reactions, and what we should add to our watchlists next. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S1 · E22
July 8 · 1 hr 11 min
Off Campus: Episodes 5-8 - All Is Not Wellsy
We're back — all four of us together again. We're Fiona Williams, Sana Qadar, Haidee Ireland and Natalie Hambly, and after a big June (Sydney Film Festival, a World Cup, a house move and a job change between us), we are finishing what we started with the second half of Off Campus. Episodes five through eight — does it get better? Honestly, yes, a little. We get into what the show actually does well, what Hannah and Garrett's relationship tells us about what young women want from love right now, and attempt to tackle the correct way to show a penis on television. Plus — what are our all-time favourite screen romances? Haidee and Fiona dig deep into the yearning for this one! In the Mood for Love, All of Us Strangers, Heartstopper and Truly Madly Deeply (and more) all get a mention. What are your favourites? Follow Eyes on Screen on Instagram: @eyesonscreenpod or email us at hello@eyesonscreen.com.au Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S1 · E21
July 1 · 43 min
Off Campus: Episodes 1-4 - Horny But Wholesome?
We're trading dystopia for happily ever after — or at least trying to. We're Natalie Hambly, Sana Qadar and Fiona Williams (Haidee will be back!), and this week we're stepping well outside our comfort zone with the smash hit hockey romance Off Campus, created by newcomer and Greys Anatomy alum Louisa Levy. Millions of viewers worldwide are rewatching it obsessively, so we figured it was time to find out what all the fuss is about. We unpack the first four episodes — the fake dating premise, the not-so slow-burn romance between music student Hannah (Ella Bright) and star hockey player Garrett (Belmont Cameli), and whether the show earns its intimate moments. We can't help but compare it to Heated Rivalry, and we also get into what separates a truly great romance from one that just goes through the motions, why consent conversations in weight rooms are ridiculous but actually kind of good, and how Dirty Dancing, Pride and Prejudice and Bridgerton could have and should have influenced this new entry in the well-established genre of romantic dramas. Off Campus is streaming now. Watch along with us, then join the conversation. Fans of the show, we want to hear from you — tell us why you loved it, we want to know what struck a chord with you. Follow Eyes on Screen on Instagram: @eyesonscreenpod or email us at hello@eyesonscreen.com.au Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S1 · E20
June 23 · 34 min
Sydney Film Festival wrap: The Invite, Minotaur, Fjord and more
We're doing something a little different this week — it's just Natalie Hambly and Haidee Ireland, and we're trading our usual couch for a seat at the 2026 Sydney Film Festival. Haidee spent a week watching back-to-back films fresh from Cannes and beyond, and Nat wants to hear all about it. From Sandra Hüller's Silver Bear-winning performance in the stark and haunting Rose, to the Palme d'Or-winning Fjord starring Sebastian Stan (The Winter Soldier) and Renate Reinsve (Sentimental Value), to the SFF top prize and Grand Prix winner Minotaur — a domestic thriller wrapped in sharp political allegory by director Andrey Zvyagintsev. We also get into the wildly fun queer slasher Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma from director Jane Schoenbrunn, starring Hannah Einbinder (Hacks) and Gillian Anderson (Sex Education), and the deliciously chaotic dinner party comedy The Invite, directed by Olivia Wilde and starring Penelope Cruz, Edward Norton and Seth Rogan. Five films, one enormous week, and a lot to dig into. Listen in, then tell us what you caught at the festival. Follow Eyes on Screen on Instagram: @eyesonscreenpod or email us at hello@eyesonscreen.com.au Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S1 · E19
June 17 · 1 hr 3 min
Watching 'Sinners': Punched in the face by plot
This week, Fiona Williams, Sana Qadar and Natalie Hambly dive into Ryan Coogler's Oscar-nominated movie Sinners – a film that blends Southern Gothic horror, blues music and vampire mythology into a story about race, history, legacy and cultural memory. We unpack Michael B. Jordan's remarkable dual performance as Smoke and Stack, discuss why the film's explosive musical sequences hit so hard, and explore the ways Sinners uses genre to examine economic exploitation, community, resistance and survival in 1930s Mississippi. Along the way, we debate flash-forwards, celebrate Delroy Lindo's standout performance, and ask why original stories have become such a rarity in modern Hollywood. Plus: movie-theatre regrets, choc tops, twins in popular culture, and why some films simply demand to be seen on the biggest screen possible. Watch with us and then come and join us for the conversation. Follow Eyes on Screen on Instagram: @eyesonscreenpod or email us at hello@eyesonscreen.com.au Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S1 · E18
June 10 · 1 hr 12 min
One Battle After Another recap
The Testaments may be on hiatus, but we are not. We're Fiona Williams, Sana Qadar, Haidee Ireland, and Natalie Hambly, and we're widening the lens — because the real magic of watching something doesn't end when the credits roll. This week we're discussing Paul Thomas Anderson's Oscar-winning Best Picture, One Battle After Another: a nearly three-hour epic starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Teyana Taylor, Sean Penn and The Testaments own Chase Infiniti in her breakout film role, about ex-revolutionaries, inherited fights, and a teenage girl who keeps saving herself while the adults fumble around her. We unpack the parallels you didn't know you needed (hint: May Day is everywhere once you start looking), debate whether Perfidia Beverly Hills is an adrenaline junkie or a true believer, and fall completely in love with Benicio del Toro's Sergio. Watch along with us, then join the conversation. Follow Eyes on Screen on Instagram: @eyesonscreenpod or email us at hello@eyesonscreen.com.au Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S1 · E17
June 3 · 58 min
The Testaments Season 1 recap
The Testaments has wrapped, and we're not ready to let go. Now that we know what we know, we're going back to piece it all together — because the real magic of watching something doesn't end when the credits roll. We're Fiona Williams, Sana Qadar, Haidee Ireland, and Natalie Hambly (formerly of Eyes on Gilead: A Handmaid's Tale Companion), and this week we're doing a full season one recap of The Testaments: the threads we missed, the symbols that kept surfacing (horses, mirrors, pinky fingers), and the questions we're still turning over. We answer your listener questions — from why Aunt Lydia keeps shrinking in the frame, to whether Commander Weston is actually a good guy (narrator: he is not), to what on earth that kiss meant. Oh, and we speculate wildly about what season two might hold for the characters we've come to know, love, and loathe. Pinky promise to not let the bastards grind you down. Do you understand me? Watch along with us, then join the conversation. Follow Eyes on Screen on Instagram: @eyesonscreenpod or email us at hello@eyesonscreen.com.au Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S1 · E16
May 27 · 1 hr 6 min
The Testaments Season 1 Episode 10 Recap
We have just watched Episode 10 ("Secateurs") of The Testaments, the finale episode of this first season spinoff to The Handmaid's Tale. It was directed by Mike Barker and written by Bruce Miller, Maya Goldsmith and Gianna Sobol: ‘While Becka faces the consequences of her actions, Agnes and Daisy must decide how far they’re willing to go to protect her'. We’re Fiona Williams, Sana Qadar, Haidee Ireland, and Natalie Hambly (formerly of Eyes on Gilead: A Handmaid’s Tale Companion), and we’re here to unpack every detail of The Testaments finale: from the subtle power shifts taking place between generations, to the devastating and yet hopeful gifts on offer to Handmaid’s fans. Oh, and of course we speculate about what this means for the characters we’ve come to know, love and loathe. Watch along with us, then join the conversation. Follow Eyes on Screen on Instagram: @eyesonscreenpod or email us at hello@eyesonscreen.com.au. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S1 · E15
May 20 · 56 min
The Testaments Season 1 Episode 9 Recap
We have just watched Episode 9 ("Marat Sade") of The Testaments, the spinoff to The Handmaid's Tale. It was directed by Shana Stein and written by Bayan Wolcott and Ben Miller. 'As Daisy steps into a new role, she considers what she’s willing to lose to help her friends.' We’re Fiona Williams, Sana Qadar, Haidee Ireland, and Natalie Hambly (formerly of Eyes on Gilead: A Handmaid’s Tale Companion), and we’re here to unpack every detail: the meaning behind the episode title, the different ways Gilead’s citizens interpret justice, and what that ending could mean for the finale. With just one episode left, it’s time to start speculating. Watch along with us, then join the conversation.Follow Eyes on Screen on Instagram: @eyesonscreenpod or email us at hello@eyesonscreen.com.au Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S1 · E14
May 13 · 1 hr 6 min
The Testaments Season 1 Episode 8 Recap
We have just watched Episode 8 ("Broken") of The Testaments, the spinoff to The Handmaid's Tale. It was directed by Shana Stein and written by Stuti Malhotra. 'As Agnes is swept up in wedding plans, Daisy hides a life-altering secret and Hulda faces backlash after speaking out.' We're Fiona Williams, Sana Qadar, Haidee Ireland and Natalie Hambly (formerly Eyes on Gilead: A Handmaid's Tale Companion podcast), and we are here to unpack every detail of this episode — the quiet before the storm as the season nears its end. Join us as we decode the language of flowers, reckon with what Gilead's sex ed is really not teaching its girls, and sit with the weight of what happens when someone finally speaks up. Watch along with us, then join the conversation. Follow Eyes on Screen on Instagram: @eyesonscreenpod or email us at hello@eyesonscreen.com.au Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S1 · E13
May 10 · 20 min
Director Jet Wilkinson on shooting 'Stadium' | The Testaments Interview
Australian director Jet Wilkinson joins Eyes On Screen to discuss her work on episodes six and seven of The Testaments, including the pivotal 'Stadium'. In a must-listen interview for fans of The Testaments, Jet shares how she brought some of the show’s most confronting moments to life. She unpacks the creative and emotional challenges of directing the large-scale stadium sequence, explains how she balanced escalating tension and violence, and reflects on why this was the most emotionally demanding work of her lengthy career. Jet also reveals what she wanted audiences to understand about this defining moment in Gilead’s history, and the lasting impact it has on the characters at the heart of the story. Follow Eyes on Screen on Instagram: @eyesonscreenpod or email us at hello@eyesonscreen.com.au Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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