Movie Gumshoes

Case File: "Yoyohawk" - Prey (2022)

In this thrilling episode of Movie Gumshoes, the detectives crack the case file to investigate Prey, the explosive 2022 science-fiction action horror film directed by Dan Trachtenberg and written by Patrick Aison. Set in the Northern Great Plains in 1719, the film serves as a gripping prequel to Predator and follows Naru, a fierce young Comanche played by Amber Midthunder, as she hunts a deadly alien wandering the great plains. The Gumshoes are fired up from the jump, geeking out over the rich Comanche history, the brutal survival action, and the return of one of their favorite franchises. As they dig deeper into the case, the detectives can’t contain their excitement watching two elite warriors, one human, one extraterrestrial, collide in an intense showdown packed with suspense, heart, and savage combat.

Case File: "The Grabber" - Black Phone (2022)

In this episode of Movie Gumshoes, Jared and his overeager rookie partner Jonathan “Sourdough” Manno crack open the case file on The Black Phone, which Jonathan insists isn’t just a movie, but “evidence hiding in plain sight.” As they investigate the film, Jared lays out the facts: it’s a 2021 American supernatural horror film directed by Scott Derrickson, co-written with C. Robert Cargill, and based on a short story by Joe Hill. The story follows Finney (Mason Thames), a kidnapped teen trapped by a masked child killer known as “the Grabber” (Ethan Hawke), who uses a mysterious disconnected phone to communicate with the killer’s past victims. Jonathan, of course, latches onto this immediately, convinced the Grabber’s patterns, psychological tactics, and even the idea of victims “reaching back” could connect to their real-life hunt for the Panty Face Killer back in Apache Junction. As Jared tries to keep things grounded by noting the film’s Blumhouse Productions backing and distribution by Universal Pictures, Jonathan is already building a conspiracy board linking fictional murders to real ones. By the end, Jared is forced to admit one unsettling truth: even if the ghosts aren’t real, the patterns might be, and that’s enough to keep their investigation dangerously alive.

Case File: Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023)

In this episode of Movie Gumshoes, Jared and Jonathan investigate Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves starring Chris Pine, zeroing in on Edgin’s tragic mistake of stealing cursed gold from the Red Wizards, a decision that ultimately cost him his family. As they dig deeper, they’re sidetracked by the bizarre late-added cameo from Bradley Cooper, filmed after production wrapped, which Jared treats like a “patch job” not unlike the excuses cops make when they bend the rules. That spirals into a moral dilemma back at the precinct, where loose cash from drug busts tempts Jonathan to justify skimming a little off the top, only for Jared to draw a hard parallel: cursed gold or dirty money, it all carries consequences, and once you take it, it takes something from you in return.

Case File: "Graboids" - Tremors (1990)

In this episode of Movie Gumshoes, tensions flare when veteran detective Jared grows increasingly irritated with his rookie partner, Jonathan “Sourdough” Manno, who is more focused on perfecting his tap dancing routine for the precinct talent show than on their cases. The constant clatter of tap shoes echoing through the station pushes Jared to his limit, sparking a plan to regain Jonathan’s attention. Determined to pull his partner back into detective work, Jared fabricates a case involving mysterious underground seismic activity, framing it as a real-life version of Tremors. He spins an elaborate theory that the so-called “monster movie” may actually be based on true events, hoping Jonathan’s curiosity, and sense of duty will outweigh his passion for dance. As Jared builds the case, he backs it up with suspiciously accurate “evidence,” referencing real facts from the 1990 film: how it was directed by Ron Underwood, starred Kevin Bacon and Fred Ward, and featured underground creatures, later dubbed “Graboids” that hunt by sensing vibrations through the ground. He even points out that the movie was filmed in the desert town of Lone Pine, using practical effects and puppetry to bring the creatures to life details that make his fabricated case feel just believable enough to hook Jonathan. As Jonathan begins to take the bait, the line between fiction and reality blurs in classic Movie Gumshoes fashion, blending absurd investigative work with cinematic analysis. Meanwhile, Jared’s scheme risks spiraling out of control as the fake case gains momentum, especially as Jonathan starts applying real detective logic to the “Graboids,” all while still trying to squeeze in rehearsal time. In the end, the duo must decide what matters more: cracking a case that may not exist, or nailing a tap routine that definitely does.

Case File: "Möbius Strip" - Lost Highway (1997)

Jared and Jonathan are settling in for a quiet night at the precinct when the phone rings. On the other end is a calm but unsettling voice belonging to a man who calls himself Mobius. The caller gives them a strange demand: watch the 1997 film Lost Highway, directed by David Lynch. The gumshoes initially brush the call off as a prank from some late-night movie crank. But before hanging up, Möbius casually mentions several secrets from the detectives’ past details no stranger should possibly know. Uneasy but intrigued, the gumshoes decide to humor the mysterious caller and begin examining the film. As they discuss the movie’s surreal plot and fractured identity themes, strange things begin happening inside the precinct. Phones ring before they’re dialed. The same hallway conversations repeat. Files they just read return to the top of the stack. Before long, Jared and Jonathan realize the terrifying truth: they’re trapped in a time loop inside their own precinct, reliving the same moments over and over. And the only clue to escaping the loop may lie hidden within the bizarre logic of Lost Highway itself. Now the gumshoes must do the impossible solve a mystery where time refuses to move forward, and the only guide is a cryptic voice who seems to exist everywhere and nowhere at once.