launching...the TFS reader hotline 📞

From film club to film therapy: introducing the TFS hotline.

So remember in May when I convinced you to join me in what I generously called "film challenges" but was really just me trying to get everyone to stop rewatching the same sitcom for the fifth time? Well, the results are in, and honestly, I'm more surprised than anyone that it actually worked.

For those who missed it: we spent four weeks in May tackling the most common barriers to film discovery. Week one was for people who claim they don't have time (films under 90 minutes only). Week two targeted algorithm prisoners (watch something your Netflix would never suggest). Week three was genre prejudice rehabilitation (find your gateway drug film). Week four addressed the paralysis of too many "important" films (use directors you love as stepping stones).

The response was immediate and beautifully overwhelming. People genuinely engaged with the prompts in ways that surprised me. Cal tracked down Josh Safdie's favorite movies after discovering he loved "dog day afternoon" films. Ian finally gave horror a chance after avoiding the genre since traumatic 70s experiences, finding Edgar Wright inspiration in unexpected places. I watched Syd discover that musicals weren't actually their enemy after trying Kinky Boots, and Bod got genuinely excited about The Raid after learning the director basically improvised the entire sequel around budget constraints.

Feel free to go back to the Chat, some really really wholesome discussions 🥹

But the feedback that stuck with me most was about the prompts themselves. Multiple people said they appreciated how the challenges were structured—specific enough to provide direction, flexible enough to accommodate different tastes and availability. Instead of me dictating "everyone watch Seven Samurai this week," the prompts allowed for personal interpretation while still pushing people outside their comfort zones.

This flexibility turned out to be both the experiment's greatest strength and its potential weakness. Yes, people discovered films they never would have found otherwise. However, it also meant we weren't all watching the same thing, which limited our ability to have those deep, spoiler-heavy conversations that make film communities so addictive.

substack chat: cute but not it

I ran the experiment through Substack's Chat feature, which I initially thought would be good enough for low-key film conversations. The reality is more complicated. The interface works fine for quick reactions and sharing what you're watching, but right now it's basically a group text without the features that make film discussions really sing. Since there’s no polls, no serious thread organization, and no easy way to tag discussions, it makes it hard to want to stay in it for a long time.

Don't get me wrong—I appreciate what Substack is trying to do with chat. But if we're ever going to do a proper film club where people are dissecting cinematography choices and arguing about ambiguous endings, we need something with more functionality.

The trickier, longer-term question is whether an online film club is best served on a platform like Discord (which would be ideal but requires critical mass I'm not sure I have) or find creative ways to work within Substack's ecosystem. Because ultimately, my community is here, you are here, on this platform, reading these words right now.

So let me get your thoughts on a few things real quick:

the reader hotline announcement

Which brings me to something I've been thinking about for weeks: what if instead of trying to replicate traditional film club models (for now, though please feel free to tell me otherwise), we created something entirely new here on Substack?

🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁 DRUM ROLL 🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁

I want to introduce the monthly TFS hotline—think of it as a letters-to-the-editor section but for folks with complex feelings about entertainment. Once a month, I'll publish a weekend issue dedicated entirely to subscriber submissions: your unconventional takes, your burning questions, your stories about what happened to you in a theater last weekend that you can't stop thinking about.

You can submit via email (sophie@thatfinalscene.com) or voice note (because sometimes the way someone says "and then this guy behind me started crying during the Marvel credits" is half the fun). I'll respond with my thoughts/reactions in the post, and then we can dissect together in the comments.

And because I like structure like that, I’m going to give you specific prompts:

• Plot armor: The show or film that got you through a difficult time. Were you watching The IT Crowd for 12 hours straight after your breakup? Did you start spending money you didn't have on clothes after watching Sex and the City because shopping felt easier than dealing with your anxiety?

• Spicy take: Your most controversial film opinion that you'll defend with your life. Think Twilight is better than The Godfather? Can't stand Meryl Streep? Give me your worst.

• Reality check: The film or show that completely rewired your brain. Did a random documentary make you realize you've been wrong about something your whole life? Has a film ever made you call someone you hadn't spoken to in years?

• Triggered: When something on screen or in the theater hit you unexpectedly hard. Did someone's phone going off in a recent viewing send you into a rage spiral? I need to hear it.

The hotline will be open to EVERYONE but I'm keeping the comment section to paid subscribers because people might share vulnerable things and I want to protect that space. At least initially, I'd rather have fewer, more thoughtful responses than an open forum. That may change in the future depending on how this goes.

Needless to say, I want these submissions to be weird, specific, and personal. If you can share anything among the lines of "I've only seen Goodfellas while sick with food poisoning and now I associate Joe Pesci with nausea—am I broken?" or "my date fell asleep during Portrait of a Lady on Fire and I'm questioning everything about their character", then the hotline is the right place for you.

If you want your submission to be anonymous, just tell me you want to stay as anon.

AND…

Did I mention that using the (email/voice) hotline gives you a 3-month paid subscription to That Final Scene?

✨✨✨✨✨✨ So here we are, opening the TFS reader hotline ✨✨✨✨✨✨✨

Send me your Plot Armor moments, Reality Check stories, Spicy Takes, or Triggered experiences via voice note or email.

What stories have you been sitting on?

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A final note for people with taste 🫦

While the internet's prioritizing hot takes and SEO-optimized nothingness, I’m here building a sanctuary for people who believe film and television criticism can be thoughtful, accessible and fun all at once.

For the price of a truly mediocre sandwich, consider joining the resistance with a paid subscription – it keeps independent film writing alive and the algorithms at bay.

Plus, you'll get exclusive access to After Credits, my monthly handpicked selection of films & tv shows that will stop you from doomscrolling Netflix AND exclusive access to my more personal posts.

Want me to write an essay on your favorite film or TV show? Upgrade to Founding Member and you’ll enjoy this very special perk ✨

Now go forth and raise those standards, darling.

- Sophie x