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Critical Darlings

Blank Check Productions
Sinners
Oscars
One Battle After Another
Award Season
Project Hail Mary
Oscar Nominations
Beegonia (beogonia)
Sentimental Value
Ready Or Not 2
They Will Kill You
Sheep Detectives
Michael Jackson
The Devil Wears Prada 2
Youtube
Anne Hathaway
Oscars Ceremony
Cannes Film Festival, France
Zendaya
The Drama
Media Industry

Welcome to Critical Darlings: a podcast about the movies everyone is talking about, one new release after another. Every week, critics Richard Lawson and Alison Willmore cover the latest film driving the conversation—from big summer blockbusters to festival favorites, buzzy streamers, and major awards contenders. New episodes every Thursday. We’re a Blank Check Production! To catch up on our first... more

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes24Founded3 months ago
Number of ListenersCategories
TV & FilmFilm ReviewsSociety & Culture

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Latest Episodes

This week we’re joined by the very liminal Ryan Broderick, proprietor of the great Garbage Day newsletter and host of the podcast Panic World, to discuss A24’s hit, Backrooms!  Based on a 4-Chan thread, creepypasta, and web series, the movie has capt... more

This week, it’s springtime for sad boys, with “Obsession!” a horror flick from Blumhouse and director Curry Barker. The movie has exceeded all expectations and is currently doing better than its opening weekend, largely thanks to great word-of-mouth.... more

Coucou les cheris! As Cannes is underway on the Riviera, we take a break from our usual movie-of-the-week format to look back at the year so far, and look forward to this summer.

We count down our top 5 favorite movies of the year (that haven’t bee... more

Wake up sheeple, it’s The Sheep Detectives! This week we’re joined by our very own executive sheepherder Griffin Newman to discuss the new cozy mystery for families. After the mysterious death of their shepherd, played by Hugh Jackman, his band of sh... more

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Recent Guests

Ryan Broderick
internet culture writer and commentator
Garbage Day / Panic World
Episode: "Backrooms" And The Internet Horror Boom (With Ryan Broderick)
Lindsey Webber
Host of Who Weekly, fashion/media podcast
Who Weekly
Episode: “The Devil Wears Prada 2” And The Future Of Tastemakers (With Who? Weekly)
Bobby Finger
Host of Who Weekly, fashion/media podcast
Who Weekly
Episode: “The Devil Wears Prada 2” And The Future Of Tastemakers (With Who? Weekly)
Danielle Hewitt
Producer and Think Twice collaborator on Jackson material
Think Twice podcast / Jackson project
Episode: "Michael" And The Jackson Biopic That Wasn't (With Danielle Hewitt)
Benjamin Frisch
Producer
Blank Check Productions
Episode: “The Mario Galaxy Movie” And The Changing Shape Of Video Game Adaptations
Ben Frisch
Producer, Blank Check Productions
Blank Check Productions
Episode: "Project Hail Mary" And Lessons For Family Blockbusters
David Sims
Film critic and returning guest
Episode: "One Battle After Another" And Oscar Predictions with David Sims
Sam Sanders
Host of The Sam Sanders Show on KCRW
The Sam Sanders Show / KCRW
Episode: "Sinners" And The Academy’s Growing Genre Acceptance with Sam Sanders
Joe Reid
Host of This Had Oscar Buzz
Vulture
Episode: "Sentimental Value" And Belated Oscar Breakthroughs with Joe Reid

Hosts

Richard Lawson
Host of critical analysis and industry commentary; long-running co-host with a focus on awards, campaigns, and industry trends.
Alison Willmore
Co-host focusing on criticism, festival coverage, and industry campaigns; often discusses representation and industry dynamics.

Reviews

4.9 out of 5 stars from 252 ratings
  • 👍👍👍👍👍

    🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Jmckinny
    United States22 days ago
  • When they know what they are talking about it's great, when they don't and bluster through it's a real tough listen

    Podcast Addict
    2
    DrDewm
    a month ago
  • Good podcast, with one caveat

    I appreciate the whole of the pod (hosts, guests, subject matter, production), but can Alison please stop saying “like” every other word? It’s a tic I can’t stand in a podcast.

    Apple Podcasts
    4
    Withane
    United Statesa month ago
  • Thought provoking

    I’d give Critical Darlings the back handed compliment that while I disagree with the evaluations as many times as I agree with them, that doesn’t take away from my experience of listening. In fact I think it adds to it, and that’s neat

    Apple Podcasts
    4
    If gib
    United Statesa month ago
  • Critics At Large for Film Crit

    Finally a podcast that feels like the perfect middle in the venn diagram of The Big Picture and Critics At Large! I can see this becoming my favorite weekly film criticism podcast, although I fear the over saturation in film crit podcasts specifically might bury this one. Something I will say I get annoyed with current film crit pods: the lead up to the 2026 oscars made me feel like I heard the same exact takes 4 different times every week for like a year. If you can, please push oscars speculat... more

    Apple Podcasts
    4
    burnernoot
    United Statesa month ago

Listeners Say

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Behind-the-scenes context on campaigns and production
Industry-focused, critique-forward discussions
Forward-looking coverage of awards and festival ecosystems

Chart Rankings

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Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

"Frankenstein" And The Craft Category Juggernauts with Bilge Ebiri
Q: What are your thoughts on Frankenstein's Oscar chances outside of the major categories?
The hosts and Bilge discuss how the film could rack up nominations in technical crafts like production design, sound, and makeup, even if it doesn't secure top prizes, while noting Netflix's inconsistent theatrical reporting complicates judging its blockbuster status.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Critical Darlings

What is Critical Darlings about and what kind of topics does it cover?

Critics and industry observers dissect the latest cinematic conversations, from blockbuster premieres to festival favorites and prestige campaigns. Episodes routinely center on awards-season dynamics, marketing strategies, and the cultural impact of high-profile releases, pairing sharp film analysis with insider perspectives on production, distribution, and campaign tactics. The format often features a rotating roster of guests—critics, filmmakers, and industry insiders—who bring behind-the-scenes context, trade insights, and firsthand experiences with campaigns, premieres, and press rounds. A notable strength is blending passionate cinephilia with practical guidance for navigating publicity, reception, and audience engagement in today's mu... more

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To see how many followers or subscribers Critical Darlings has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to Critical Darlings?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Critical Darlings:

1. Blank Check with Griffin & David
2. This Had Oscar Buzz
3. Prestige Junkie
4. Fighting In The War Room: A Movies And Pop Culture Podcast
5. The Big Picture

How many episodes of Critical Darlings are there?

Critical Darlings launched 3 months ago and published 24 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact Critical Darlings?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

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What guests have appeared on Critical Darlings?

Recent guests on Critical Darlings include:

1. Ryan Broderick
2. Lindsey Webber
3. Bobby Finger
4. Danielle Hewitt
5. Benjamin Frisch
6. Ben Frisch
7. David Sims
8. Sam Sanders

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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