Podcast 265: Bad Words

n this week’s episode, we’re reviewing Bad Words, the 2014 dark comedy where Jason Bateman plays Guy Trilby — a bitter, foul-mouthed adult man who finds a loophole in the rules and crashes a national spelling bee like the world’s angriest eighth grader. Why? Revenge, abandonment issues, and apparently a deep need to emotionally scar children one word at a time.

We dig into Bateman’s directorial debut, the movie’s uncomfortable humor, Catherine Hahn’s chaotic journalist energy, Rohan Chand’s surprisingly delightful performance as Chaitanya, and whether Guy’s tiny little redemption arc is enough to make him lovable… or just slightly less awful. Along the way, we talk spelling bee trauma, bad parenting, wildly inappropriate jokes, questionable hotel room decisions, and why this movie somehow manages to be cringeworthy, funny, mean-spirited, and oddly heartfelt all at once.

So grab your flashcards, lower your moral standards, and whatever you do…just don’t look at us.