Last updated on January 26th, 2021
Unless you were a film fanatic, historically, movie chat has ranked up there with talking about weekend plans or the weather: exactly the type of fodder you need to survive the office/first date/dinner with the in-laws. But now there is new hope! Wax eloquent like Roger Ebert or A. O. Scott with these movie podcasts. More importantly, and more seriously, film podcasts are changing representation by giving a voice to the communities and issues that have, for too long, been marginalized or purposefully ignored. From deconstructing filmic tropes and challenging assumed histories to just laughing along at some really terrible movies, there are shows for everyone, from the Hollywood hopeful and the cinephile to those just trying to make it through a family dinner unscathed. Here are our favorite movie podcasts for film fans.
For aspiring screenwriters, listen to John August and Craig Mazin’s Scriptnotes, a weekly movie podcast that dives into all things “interesting to screenwriters.” While not claiming to be much, this film podcast is a treasure-trove of information, with hundreds of episodes a year and an enormous archive. On air since 2011, the early episodes cast a close look at the nitty-gritty of script writing: not just the common pitfalls of screenplays or if an idea is movie-worthy, but also the Bechdel test and inequality in Hollywood. The guestlist is star-studded, with everyone from David Koepp to Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Melissa McCarthy stopping by to discuss the craft and creation of movies. Recurring segments like the Three-page Challenge let hopeful screenwriters send in the first pages of their scripts for on-air critiques.
Listen: Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Spotify
If your approach is more expansive than obsessive, then film critic Amy Nicholson has you covered. Each episode begins with a single film, say Downtown Abbey or A Star is Born, and then Nicholson steers you on a rollercoaster ride from there. ZOOM is teeming with history, science and politics, and Nicholson is a nimble driver: in her recent look at portrayals of the British monarchy, she began with a dramatic description of the decapitation of Mary Queen of Scots in Thomas Edison’s short film The Execution of Mary Stuart from 1895. I didn’t even know that Edison made films, and for what it is worth, that beheading with the first recorded use of special effects in the movies.
Listen: Apple Podcasts | Stitcher
From the team behind The Ringer (so you know it will be hilarious) comes The Rewatchables, which is exactly like it sounds: Bill Simmons and a rotating series of hosts “discussing movies they can’t seem to stop watching.” The co-hosts humorously break down each movie into its ‘most rewatchable scenes’ as they remember their initial viewings and evolving interpretations. Context, it seems, is everything and often, these guests are shocked by how far they’ve come as viewers. The movie podcast is witty and quick, the pop culture conversation you wish you were having at a bar.
Listen: Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Spotify
Accolades pour in for You Must Remember This, the best podcast for all things old Hollywood, the secrets, scandals and forgotten histories. The episodes clock in under an hour and are all written, produced and narrated by Karina Longworth, an all-out wunderkind who somehow does everything and more in just 24-hours. Each episode’s narrative is a captivating, mind-blowing and meticulously researched feat of film journalism. The upcoming season of You Must Remember This focuses entirely on Song of the South, the 1946 hybrid animated and live-action film from Disney which was set on a post-Civil War plantation. Since it was released over seventy years ago, the film has been criticised for promoting racial stereotypes and was never released on video. So, Longworth wants to know: “what is Song of the South, and why did Disney make it?”
Listen: Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Spotify
Hollywood heavy Denzel Washington has acted in over thirty films, not to mention countless television programs and Broadway plays, and Denzel Washington Is the Greatest Actor of All Time PERIOD is a fan account co-hosted by two unabashed Denzealots. Although it is no longer on the air, comedian W. Kamau Bell and writer Kevin Avery made Denzel Washington Is the Greatest Actor of All Time PERIOD comic gold. Joined by guests like Chris Chalk and Vincent D’Onofrio, the hosts wax poetic about their favourite actor of all time as they attempt to prove their titular premise. Tackling each movie in alphabetical order, they rank the star’s performance by its Denzelishness, a scientific system consisting of five elemental truths: the Denzel walk; humor; his badass self; the Denzel lip; and his “his trademark move that consists of a sort of George Clooney head wobble coupled with narrowed eyes.” Come for the mancrush, stay for the laughs.
Listen: Apple Podcasts | Stitcher
Ever wonder why that fourth movie in the horror franchise was made? Or what actually happened in the latest Tom Cruz action adventure? Well, How did this get made? might not have an answer, but certainly you will find yourself laughing along with hosts, the actors and comedians Paul Scheer, June Diane Raphael and Jason Mantzoukas, as they attempt to untangle the thorny plots of terrible films. They aren’t particularly discriminating in what they examine, and have looked at such cinematic delights as Anaconda, From Justin to Kelly, and My Stepmother Is an Alien. If you love the comedy but are hoping for something slightly more highbrow, in 2018, Scheer launched a new podcast, Unspooled, this time aimed at Hollywood’s all-time greats. Despite being a self-proclaimed movie buff, Scheer realised he shockingly hadn’t seen many of the anointed classic films. Co-hosted with Amy Nicholson of ZOOM, Scheer has been making his way through the American Film Institute’s Top 100 movies, hoping to uncover “what makes classics like Citizen Kane and Taxi Driver so special.”
How Did This Get Made? Listen: Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Spotify
Unspooled Listen: Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Spotify
While not explicitly a podcast about film, Still Processing from the New York Times is definitely worth a listen, or many listens. The podcast is hosted by the paper’s culture writers Jenna Wortham and Wesley Morris, who together reckon with culture in all its diverse incarnations as they try to come to grips with with contemporary America. Each episode is chatty and compelling, focussing on a different subject from Get Out and alternative histories perpetuated by the media to J. Lo’s triumphant performance in Hustlers. Richly confessional, Morris and Wortham chat like true friends, and in revealing their insecurities, biases and crushes, they outline the messiness of processing the world. See their recent conversation about Oscar winner Green Book which skillfully connected the trial of Jason Van Dyke to racial reconciliation fantasies and the documentary Surviving R. Kelly. Culture, it seems, is never an isolated industry.
Listen: Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Spotify
Black on Black Cinema is a nuanced look at the Black film industry. Zigzagging in time from the 2019 release of The Watchmen back to the 1974 blaxploitation action classic, Three the Hard Way, our three hosts, Jay, Micah and Terrence, thoughtfully consider the role of Black film today. Given that Hollywood has long discriminated against Black actors and filmmakers, theirs is a trenchant and supremely relevant conversation. But despite the weight of the topic, don’t think that Black on Black Cinema is devoid of humor, and these hosts know how to mock and goad one another. On air since 2012, the podcast is produced weekly, so the back catalogue is worth perusing.
Listen: Apple Podcasts | Stitcher
For straight up film reviews that are always more than just recaps, check out Vince Leo’s The Qwipster Film Review Podcast. Leo covers everything from Marvel blockbusters to indie films in smart, fun-sized episodes that are each about ten minutes long. Jampacked with information, The Qwipster Film Review is nevertheless filled with thoughtful, quippy commentary just as its title suggests. These are perfect for your commute to work, or when you need something smart to say in the office kitchen.
Listen: Apple Podcasts | Stitcher
Maryland-based film-critic Charlie Juhl and part-time reviewer and full-on fanatic Hannah Buchdal debate new releases in Cinema Clash. Often covering multiple films an episode, the podcast is an unedited, riotous conversation about the plusses and hazards of contemporary cinema. That both have vastly differing opinions – Juhl favors everything obscure and overlooked, while Buchdahl LOVES mainstream movies – makes for an exciting listen and rowdy debate.
Listen: Apple Podcasts
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