Episode Details

Chris Paul and Burning Bright finally tackle this 2005 political thriller about oil, intelligence, and Middle East power games, and both admit they went in with basically no expectations. Turns out the title has nothing to do with Syria despite the timing lining up with plenty of real world headlines. Expect a real dig into the film's tangled web of characters, from an oil executive's family tragedy to a CIA operative getting pulled back into the game he claims he wants out of, plus a genuinely sharp read on the movie's father son throughline and what it says about men chasing control over things too big to actually control. There's also some sharp commentary on truther culture, branding, and the difference between actually chasing truth and just monetizing the chase. Stick around for listener boosts, a couple generous subs, and next week's pick, a 90s thriller starring Val Kilmer as a master thief.