This episode we celebrate the 30th anniversary of this legal thriller that brought us the fresh-faced intensity and launched the career of Edward Norton. Join us for our discussion on the legacy of Primal Fear.

And this week’s bonus top 10 list – Jonathan’s Top 10 Movie Ensembles:

I feel the need to give a little more context on this one. For one, my ranking is based on the ensemble and their performances and not the movie itself. While a lot of these would still rank high on whatever criteria, the order would shift around depending on that. Two, when I’m looking at an ensemble, I’m looking at the full cast, including some of the smaller roles, and how they fit in with the bigger (likely star-filled) cast. I like when important moments are knocked out of the park by a lesser-known performer in a well-cast role. I like when cameos feel important to the overall story and aren’t just shoehorned in. I also like when it feels like every character gets a chance to shine, and it feels like the movie wouldn’t survive removing any one character. Lastly, there’s not a weak link in the cast. Some movies from directors whose movies I also highlight below I left off because of a weak spot (example: Pulp Fiction, because the director cast himself in a minor role that is pretty rough, and a decent actor could’ve nailed it).

I really wanted to include Avengers: Endgame because I think it highlights some of these points. Tony’s end is sold because Gwyneth Paltrow, who is really a minor character in the scheme of things, nails her emotional moment. And that’s like the 10^th best character moment in the last hour. But because the emotional weight depends on the context of quite a few other movies, it didn’t feel fair. It’s also the reason Lord of the Rings: Return of the King didn’t make the cut. Also, there are so many bangers here I feel I have to add a few honorable mentions:

Wet Hot American Summer, really nailing a comedy troupe feel and comedy never gets enough credit

Spotlight, not just because the main cast is phenomenal in unexpected ways (Ruffalo, Keaton, and McAdams especially), but also because they really took care in some of the smaller roles (like Michael Cyril Creighton)

Happiness, because everyone sold the skeeviness and Dylan Baker did something amazing few actors would’ve even attempted

Dazed and Confused, because of how honestly everyone stuck to the tone – Rory Cochrane, Adam Goldberg, Sasha Jenson, Marissa Ribisi, Parker Posey and, yes, McConaughey all nailing moments without being the main focus.

I also only included one film from amazing directors who seem to consistently work with large and amazing ensembles (Paul Thomas Anderson, Wes Anderson, Robert Altman, Tarantino).

Best ensembles

10. Traffic
(Michael Douglas, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Benecio Del Toro, Jacob Vargas, Michael O’Neill, Don Cheadle, Miguel Ferrer, Topher Grace, Erika Christensen, Albert Finney, Amy Irving, Dennis Quaid, Clifton Collins Jr., Viola Davis, James Pickens Jr., John Slattery)

09. Steel Magnolias
(Sally Field, Dolly Parton, Shirley MacLaine, Daryl Hannah, Olympia Dukakis, Julia Roberts, Tom Skerritt, Sam Shepard, Dylan McDermott)

08. Waiting for Guffman
(Christophe Guest, Fred Willard, Michael Hitchcock, Larry Miller, Catherine O’Hara, Parker Posey, David Cross, Eugene Levy, Bob Balaban, Paul Dooley, Brian Doyle-Murray)

07. Eve’s Bayou
(Jurnee Smollett, Meagan Good, Samuel L. Jackson, Lynn Whitfield, Debbi Morgan, Diahann Carroll, Vondie Curtis-Hall, Roger Guenveur Smith, Lisa Nicole Carson, Branford Marsalis, Victoria Rowell, Tamara Tunie)

06. The Ice Storm
(Kevin Kline, Joan Allen, Sigourney Weaver, Henry Czerny, Tobey Maguire, Christina Ricci, Elijah Wood, Adam Hann-Byrd, David Krumholtz, Jamey Sheridan, Kate Burton, Michael Cumpsty, Katie Holmes, Allison Janney)

05. Inglourious Basterds
(Brad Pitt, Melanie Laurent, Christoph Waltz, Eli Roth, Michael Fassbender, Diane Kruger, Daniel Bruhl, Til Schweiger, BJ Novak, Jacky Ido, Mike Myers, Samm Levine, Omar Doom, August Diehl, Alexander Fehling, Rod Taylor)

04. The Departed
(Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson, Mark Wahlberg, Martin Sheen, Ray Winstone, Vera Farmiga, Anthony Anderson, Alec Baldwin, Kevin Corrigan, James Badge Dale, Mark Rolston)

03. The Royal Tenenbaums
(Gene Hackman, Anjelica Huston, Ben Stiller, Gwyneth Paltrow, Luke Wilson, Owen Wilson, Bill Murray, Danny Glover, Seymour Cassel, Kumar Pallana, Alec Baldwin, Grant Rosenmeyer, Jonah Meyerson)

02. Nashville
(David Arkin, Barbara Baxley, Ned Beatty, Karen Black, Ronee Blakley, Timothy Brown, Keith Carradine, Geraldine Chaplin, Robert Doqui, Shelley Duvall, Henry Gibson, Scott Glenn, Jeff Goldblum, Lily Tomlin, Sue Barton, Elliott Gould, Julie Christie)

01. Boogie Nights
(Mark Wahlberg, Burt Reynolds, Julianne Moore, John C. Reilly, Nicole Ari Parker, Luis Guzman, Don Cheadle, Heather Graham, Ricky Jay, William H. Macy, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Melora Walters, Philip Baker Hall, Thomas Jane, Joanna Gleason, Robert Ridgely, Alfred Molina)

And there’s still 10 more I can think of that are amazing. What are you favorites? Let us know below or on our social media channels.