“I just want to be perfect.” Join Ian & Megs for our 308th episode as we step into the mirror-lined, razor-edged, emotionally fraught world of Darren Aronofsky’s Black Swan (2010). Lace up your shoes, crack your knuckles, and prepare to descend into obsession, duality, and tutu-level trauma. This week we discuss: Natalie Portman’s extraordinary, Oscar-winning transformation — fragile ingénue, ruthless perfectionist, and fractured psyche in one. Mila Kunis as the effortless chaos to Nina’s claustrophobic control — real threat or manifested paranoia? Aronofsky’s visual language: reflections, doubles, textures, and body horror. How does he trap the audience inside Nina’s deteriorating mind? The film’s depiction of artistic pressure and perfectionism — when does ambition turn pathological? What other film could we not stop referencing whilst watching this film Megs questions the ballet accuracy (and the wildly inaccurate bits) — including the culture, the training, and the psychological toll Ian asks if the film does a good enough job educating the audience about ballet to make the film accessible We talk about how Black Swan functions as a companion piece to The Wrestler — obsession as both craft and self-destruction. The boundaries between reality and hallucination — when does the film stop being literal? Or was it metaphor all along? We examine the film’s treatment of sexuality, identity, and agency through the lens of duality: White Swan vs. Black Swan, innocence vs. corruption, submission vs. liberation. The final performance — triumphant, tragic, transcendent? We unpack the film’s unforgettable ending. And finally, whether Black Swan is the Best Film Ever — or simply one of the most hypnotic psychological thrillers of the 21st century. Become a Patron of this podcast and support the BFE at https://www.patreon.com/BFE. We are extremely thankful to our following Patrons for their most generous support: Juleen from It Goes Down In The PM Hermes Auslander James DeGuzman Synthia Shai Bergerfroind Ariannah Who Loves BFE The Most Andy Dickson Chris Pedersen Duane Smith (Duane Smith!) Randal Silva Nate The Great Rev Bruce Cheezy (with a fish on a bike) Richard Ryan Kuketz Dirk Diggler Stew from the Stew World Order podcast NorfolkDomus John Humphrey's Right Foot Timmy Tim Tim Aashrey Paul Komoroski Buy some BFE merch at https://my-store-b4e4d4.creator-spring.com/. Massive thanks to Lex Van Den Berghe for the use of Mistake by Luckydog. Catch more from Lex's new band, The Maids of Honor, at https://soundcloud.com/themaidsofhonor Also, massive thanks to Moonlight Social for our age game theme song. You can catch more from them at https://www.moonlightsocialmusic.com/

Best Film Ever

Movie Podcast

Episode 308 - Black Swan

DEC 9, 2025187 MIN
Best Film Ever

Episode 308 - Black Swan

DEC 9, 2025187 MIN

Description

“I just want to be perfect.”

Join Ian & Megs for our 308th episode as we step into the mirror-lined, razor-edged, emotionally fraught world of Darren Aronofsky’s Black Swan (2010). Lace up your shoes, crack your knuckles, and prepare to descend into obsession, duality, and tutu-level trauma.

This week we discuss:

  • Natalie Portman’s extraordinary, Oscar-winning transformation — fragile ingénue, ruthless perfectionist, and fractured psyche in one.
  • Mila Kunis as the effortless chaos to Nina’s claustrophobic control — real threat or manifested paranoia?
  • Aronofsky’s visual language: reflections, doubles, textures, and body horror. How does he trap the audience inside Nina’s deteriorating mind?
  • The film’s depiction of artistic pressure and perfectionism — when does ambition turn pathological?
  • What other film could we not stop referencing whilst watching this film
  • Megs questions the ballet accuracy (and the wildly inaccurate bits) — including the culture, the training, and the psychological toll
  • Ian asks if the film does a good enough job educating the audience about ballet to make the film accessible
  • We talk about how Black Swan functions as a companion piece to The Wrestler — obsession as both craft and self-destruction.
  • The boundaries between reality and hallucination — when does the film stop being literal? Or was it metaphor all along?
  • We examine the film’s treatment of sexuality, identity, and agency through the lens of duality: White Swan vs. Black Swan, innocence vs. corruption, submission vs. liberation.
  • The final performance — triumphant, tragic, transcendent? We unpack the film’s unforgettable ending.
  • And finally, whether Black Swan is the Best Film Ever — or simply one of the most hypnotic psychological thrillers of the 21st century.

Become a Patron of this podcast and support the BFE at https://www.patreon.com/BFE.

We are extremely thankful to our following Patrons for their most generous support:

  • Juleen from It Goes Down In The PM
  • Hermes Auslander
  • James DeGuzman
  • Synthia
  • Shai Bergerfroind
  • Ariannah Who Loves BFE The Most
  • Andy Dickson
  • Chris Pedersen
  • Duane Smith (Duane Smith!)
  • Randal Silva
  • Nate The Great
  • Rev Bruce
  • Cheezy (with a fish on a bike)
  • Richard
  • Ryan Kuketz
  • Dirk Diggler
  • Stew from the Stew World Order podcast
  • NorfolkDomus
  • John Humphrey's Right Foot
  • Timmy Tim Tim
  • Aashrey
  • Paul Komoroski

Buy some BFE merch at https://my-store-b4e4d4.creator-spring.com/.

Massive thanks to Lex Van Den Berghe for the use of Mistake by Luckydog. Catch more from Lex's new band, The Maids of Honor, at https://soundcloud.com/themaidsofhonor

Also, massive thanks to Moonlight Social for our age game theme song. You can catch more from them at https://www.moonlightsocialmusic.com/