This time on Film Swap, we’re joined by David Blakeslee of the Criterion Reflections podcast to explore paranoia, power, and political corruption in two landmark works of European cinema.We begin with Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion (1970), directed by Elio Petri—a surreal, biting satire that examines how authority can warp the individual psyche. When a high-ranking police official commits a crime to prove his own immunity, the film becomes a disturbing study of ego, control, and the seductive nature of unchecked power.In the second half, we turn to Z (1969), directed by Costa-Gavras—a gripping political thriller that shifts the focus from individual corruption to systemic failure. Based on real events, Z exposes how institutions can manipulate truth, resist accountability, and ultimately protect themselves at all costs.Together, these films trace a chilling progression: from the corruption of a single individual to the resilience of corruption within the system itself. Along the way, we discuss themes of justice, institutional trust, political violence, and the uneasy tension between scepticism and belief in the structures that govern society.Brought to you by those funky film guru’s at the Film Swap podcast—your calm oasis for fun and thoughtful film discussion.Visit our website at filmswap.ukVisit our Letterboxd profile for capsule reviews and our essential cinema lists!Check out David Blakeslee's Criterion Reflections podcast at CriterionCast.com

What happens when humanity is seen through alien eyes?In this episode of Film Swap, we are joined by special guest Jack Wyer as we explore the theme of the outsider perspective through Werner Herzog’s The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser (1974) and Jonathan Glazer’s Under the Skin (2013) starring Scarlet Johansson. One tells the story of a young man raised in total isolation and released into society. The other follows an extraterrestrial predator observing — and imitating — human behaviour in modern Scotland.Together, these films strip away the familiar and force us to confront the strange rituals, social conditioning, language, cruelty, and vulnerability that define human life. What looks “normal” to us becomes alien, awkward, and often disturbing when seen through unconditioned eyes.We discuss:The idea of the “pure” or unformed mind.Social conditioning and the construction of identity.The uncanny nature of everyday human behaviour.Empathy, alienation, and moral development.How Herzog and Glazer use perspective to defamiliarise the mundane.From Kaspar’s childlike reasoning to the silent observation of an extraterrestrial drifter, both films challenge us to reconsider what it means to be human — and whether civilisation refines us or simply masks our instincts.If you’re interested in outsider narratives, existential cinema, arthouse film analysis, or deep dives into philosophical themes in film, this episode is for you.Brought to you by those funky film guru’s at the Film Swap podcast — your calm oasis for fun and thoughtful film discussion.LINKS:An interview with the sound designer for Under the Skin: Interview Herzog's Minnesota Manifesto Article about Bagan in Myanmar/Burma (where Herzog actually replied to the blogger's email): Dream Vision in classic Herzog film Episode of Criterion Reflections where David was a guest and discussed Herzog's Land of Silence and Darkness with host David Blakeslee: Criterion Reflections 80 Land of Silence and Darkness Visit the Film Swap website at: filmswap.ukFilm Swap on Letterboxd

In this episode of Film Swap, we explore the idea of “dropping out” through two very different but unexpectedly connected films: Nicholas Roeg’s Castaway (1986) and Matt Ross’s Captain Fantastic (2016). Both films centre on characters who reject modern life in favour of isolation, self-sufficiency, and alternative ways of living — but crucially, they take other people with them.

Starting with Roeg’s under-seen Castaway, based on a real-life experiment, we discuss the uneasy dynamics between Oliver Reed and Amanda Donohoe as two strangers retreat to a remote island with radically different expectations of intimacy, purpose, and freedom. The film becomes less a survival story than a study of desire, power, and the fragility of shared escape.

In the second half, we turn to Captain Fantastic, starring Viggo Mortensen as a fiercely principled father raising his children outside conventional society. When tragedy forces the family back into the world they’ve rejected, the film raises complex questions about ideals, responsibility, education, and whether independence can ever be imposed without consequence.

Along the way, we connect both films to themes explored previously on the podcast — including Bergman’s Summer with Monika — and reflect on why stories of withdrawal, self-reliance, and alternative living remain so compelling.

Films discussed:

Castaway (1986), dir. Nicholas Roeg

Captain Fantastic (2016), dir. Matt Ross

Brought to you by those funky film gurus at the Film Swap Podcast — your calm oasis for fun and thoughtful film discussion.

Article and Video about Lucy Irvine: https://psyche.co/videos/for-lucy-surviving-on-a-remote-island-was-hard-but-returning-was-harder

Lucy Irvine on BBC's Desert Island Discs: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p009mhjg

Film Swap on Letterboxd: https://boxd.it/elv4x

Visit our website: filmswap.uk