The episode treats Snake Eyes as a fast, stylish late-90s De Palma thriller powered by Nicolas Cage at maximum intensity. The hosts admire its technical craft, opening long take, kinetic momentum, and trashy conspiracy energy, while also noting that the movie feels thinner thematically and that the ending feels compromised without the tidal wave payoff.
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01The opening long Steadicam sequence is treated as the movie's signature rewatchable set piece. Opening minutes
02Nicolas Cage's over-the-top performance is highly entertaining and central to the movie's appeal. Opening minutes
03De Palma's visual storytelling, split screens, overhead shots, and POV shifts make the movie especially watchable. About 8 min
04The film is a tightly constructed, fast-moving thriller that keeps the viewer in momentum mode rather than puzzle-solving mode. About 8 min
05Its late-90s Atlantic City setting and stacked supporting cast give it a strong time-capsule appeal. About 1:04
WHAT DID NOT WORK
Their main criticisms
moderateThe movie is seen as less thematically rich than some other De Palma films. About 8 min
majorThe tidal wave ending was removed, and the movie deflates without that payoff. About 2:00
moderateCarla Gugino's plotline and the assassination scheme are called incoherent or overly elaborate. About 2:00
minorSome casting choices feel age-mismatched or visually implausible, especially Stan Shaw and Denise Richards-type specificity debates in the broader discussion. About 40 min
minorThe movie's final buttoned-up romantic ending feels slightly outside the film's trashy-noir mode. About 2:00
SCENES THEY KEPT COMING BACK TO
Standout moments
Favorite
Opening tracking shot at the boxing arena
A long, elaborate opening Steadicam shot through the arena is treated as the movie's signature sequence.
Opening minutes Favorite
Cage's synchronized crowd-rising moment
The crowd rises with Cage at the fight, highlighting both star power and staging precision.
About 8 min positive
Blood-wiping bathroom moment
Carla wiping blood from her face is singled out as a small but memorable De Palma beat.
About 56 min Favorite
Secret video discovery and Sinise reveal
Cage discovers the hidden tape that exposes Gary Sinise as the film's villainous operator.
About 1:36 Favorite
Staircase conversation with Gugino and Cage
The staircase scene is framed as a classic De Palma homage shot and an especially striking visual composition.
About 1:52 mixed
Closing beach aftermath
The ending on the beach is seen as emotionally tidy but less consistent with the rest of the movie's sleazy tone.
About 2:00
WHERE THEY DISAGREED
The biggest debates
They agreed About 2:00
Whether the tidal wave ending should have stayed in the movie
Sean Fennessey
Pro-tidal-wave; the movie would improve if the original ending were restored.
Bill Simmons
Agrees that the removed tidal wave would have better matched the film's escalating chaos.
Van Lathan
Leans toward the film benefiting from a bigger, more chaotic finale.
They partly agreed About 2:00
Whether the main roles should have been swapped between Cage and Sinise
Van Lathan
Swapping the roles might have produced a more interesting movie.
Bill Simmons
Suggests Cage and Sinise have different energies that define the movie as cast.
Sean Fennessey
Does not fully commit, but treats the existing Cage/Sinise balance as part of the film's identity.
They partly agreed About 2:00
How good The Untouchables is compared with other De Palma movies
Sean Fennessey
It is dull and overrated relative to De Palma's sleazier, more kinetic films.
Bill Simmons
Likes it more than Sean does and sees it as a strong De Palma movie.
Van Lathan
Sits closer to the idea that De Palma's looser films are more fun.
They partly agreed About 24 min · medium confidence
Whether Snake Eyes is really about celebrity and media spectacle
Bill Simmons
Sees celebrity and public attention as an underdeveloped but interesting thread.
Sean Fennessey
Feels the movie hints at that theme but does not push it hard enough.
Van Lathan
Focuses more on the intrigue and conspiracy than the fame angle.
12 People discussedActors, directors, writers, and producers
