The following podcast contains explicit language.

This is Dana Steven, Slate's movie critic, here with the Slate's spoiler special on Paul Greengrass's new film, Captain Phillips.

And joining me from Slate's D.C. office is Slate's political correspondent Dave Weig only done one spoiler before. It was World War Z, and it was one of my favorite ones I've done in a while. So I'm hoping you'll bring some insight to Captain Phillips as well.

Before we get started, I wanted to hear a quick, just overall response. Did you like this movie?

Would you send friends to it? I really did. I was surprised. I liked it this much because I

blow hot and cold. When it comes to Paul Greengrass. I enjoyed United 93, although it was

painful to watch. And at the time, I remember the political context was kind of ominous

because it was when George Lerb. Bush was still president, and he was trying to remind people

that you should be scared of terrorism and vote for him. This has no political context. Maybe that

was a little bit more helpful.

And I found it really thrilling.

I've been told to go watch a hijacking, which is also about an incident like this,

that is less Hollywood.

But this didn't feel terribly Hollywood apart from the pulse-pounding music.

I mean, this is a classic Paul Greengrass.

I have no idea how to hold my camera steady, thriller, with a story I'd forgotten about. I mean, this is a classic Paul Greengrass. I have no idea how to hold my camera steady thriller with a story I'd forgotten about. I mean, I'd imagine you, I'd remember what happened on 9-11. We never forget. I'd kind of forgotten the details of this story and didn't

really bone up beforehand. So I was pretty captivated. Yeah, the story of people don't know already

from the previews and all the hype this movie has gotten is it's retelling this real-life incident from 2009, I think it was, when a U.S. cargo ship was hijacked by Somali pirates. And in real life, the incident, as I recall, took several days, right? It was like five days that first the ship was held hostage and then the captain was taken to this lifeboat, and the movie telescopes it down to what seems to be about A-Day.

Right. I actually met the Hepton Phillips at the D.C. premiere of this,

and I asked him afterwards how close it was.

He said, it was a movie.

He wasn't trying to pretend it was that close to experience.

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