On Episode 267 of the Always the Critic Podcast, we head back to spice world of Arrakis for a review of Dune: Part 2, starring Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Javier Bardem, Josh Brolin, Austin Butler, and Florence Pugh. Rico and Jess discuss this masterful sequel from prestige director Denis Villenueve, talking through the haunting a…

On Episode 266 of the Always the Critic Podcast, we’re back to look at some of the movies we saw over the last few weeks. Rico and Jess take turns talking about movies they have watched recently, including Argylle, Anatomy of a Fall, American Fiction, Bob Marley: One Love and The Beekeeper. For episodes with similar movies, click belowVariety Shows…

On Episode 265 of the Always the Critic Podcast, we head to WWII Germany to review The Zone of Interest, starring Sandra Hüller and Christian Friedel. Rico and Jess discuss this Oscar Best Picture contender from director Jonathan Glazer, talking through the haunting story, the performances and characters, the audacious sound design (also Oscar nomi…

On Episode 265 of the Always the Critic Podcast, we’re looking forward to the 2024 movie slate and we chat about 10 movies we're excited to watch. Rico and Jess take turns naming 2024 movies that they want to watch. Although they share a few in common, of course the surprise each other with what they left off the list. They also talk about Ariana G…

On Episode 264 of the Always the Critic Podcast, we’re back from our holiday break to look back at the year 2023 and rank our top 10 movies of the year. Rico and Jess take turns naming their top 10 movies of the year. Although they share a few in common, the co-hosts surprise each other with their picks. They also talk about the year 2023 in movies…

On Episode 263 of the Always the Critic Podcast, we’re back from our Thanksgiving break to review all the in-theater releases we watched recently, including Saltburn, starring Barry Keoghan, Jacob Elordi, and Rosamund Pike. Rico and Jess discuss Emerald Fennell's wild dabaucherous romp Saltburn, the latest from Hayao Miyazaki The Boy and the Heron,…

On Episode 261 of the Always the Critic Podcast, we’re back in the Panem to review The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, starring Tom Blyth, Rachel Zegler, Viola Davis, and Peter Dinklage. Rico and Jess discuss this prequel release from Hunger Games franchise director Francis Lawrence, talking through the plot, the performances from Z…

On Episode 261 of the Always the Critic Podcast, we’re back in the MCU to review The Marvels, starring Brie Larson, Teyonah Parris, and Iman Vellani. Rico and Jess discuss the SAG-AFTRA strike ending, the Mean Girls musical trailer, what they’ve been watching since their last episode before diving into this late 2023 release from director Nia DaCos…

On Episode 260 of the Always the Critic Podcast, we sing our hearts out and discuss Taylor Swift: The Era Tours! Rico and Jess discuss the blockbuster concert film. We chat about our favorite moments, what we wished to have seen in the movie and how it stacks up to concert movies we've seen before. For episodes with similar movies, click below Vari…

On Episode 259 of the Always the Critic podcast, Jess and Rico continue the mini Spooky SZN with another Daebak K-Rambles Podcast crossover episode to review of Ballerina, starring Jun Jong-Seo and Kim Ji-Hoon. Jess and Rico discuss this Netflix original film from writer-director Lee Chung-Hyun, talking through its derivative nature, the revenge pl…

On Episode 258 of the Always the Critic Podcast, we to New Asia to review The Creator, starring John David Washington, Gemma Chan, Allison Janney, and Madeleine Yuna Voyles. Rico and Jess discuss this 2023 release from director Gareth Edwards, talking through the genre of sci-fi A.I. robot movies, the stunning and impressive visuals, John David Was…

On Episode 257 of the Always the Critic Podcast, we’re finally back in time to review Dumb Money, starring Paul Dano, Shailene Woodley, Pete Davidson, America Ferrera, Seth Rogan, Sebastian Stan, and more. Rico and Jess discuss what they’ve been up to and watching since their last episode before diving into this rare late-2023 release based on a re…

On Episode 256 of the Always the Critic Podcast, on the eve of Hurricane Idalia, we queue up our list of best storm movies. Rico and Jess take turns listing their top 5 storm movies, producing two vastly different lists based on slightly different criteria, citing movies like Twister, The Wizard of Oz, The Day After Tomorrow, Groundhog Day, and mor…

On Episode 255 of the Always the Critic Podcast, we each list out favorite movies in ABC order, one movie for each letter of the alphabet. Rico and Jess discuss and list 26 of their favorite movies in ABC order. Rico mentioned movies like The Dark Knight and Moneyball, while Jessica listed out Bridesmaids and The Mummy, among others. For episodes w…

On Episode 254 of the Always the Critic Podcast, it’s Blindspots: Volume 3, where we discuss some movies (classic or not) that we watched for the first time. Rico and Jess discuss and remove a wide range of movies from their shame lists. Rico got around to movies like Chinatown and The Big Short, while Jessica knocked out Waiting to Exhale and Kick…

On Episode 253 of the Always the Critic Podcast, it’s a double feature as we review two hotly anticipated movies that won the weekend (possibly the year), Greta Gerwig’s Barbie and Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer. Rico and Jess first talk about Barbie and how much they connected with the clever, beautiful story and commentary, mentioning the excell…

On Episode 252 of the Always the Critic Podcast, we survive a car chase through the streets of Rome on our review of Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning - Part 1, starring Tom Cruise, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Rebecca Ferguson, Hayley Atwell, and more. Rico and Jess discuss the 6th MI installment, talking through the plot, the retcons, the practical …

On Episode 251 of the Always the Critic Podcast, we hit pause on reviewing a new movie and look back at the year 2023 so far, ranking our top 10 movies. Rico and Jess examine the 2023 movie outlook, comparing it to previous years and discussing what we can expect heading into the latter half of the year, rank their top 10 movies of 2023, and touch …

On Episode 250 of the Always the Critic Podcast, we put on our fedora (again) on our review of Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, starring Harrison Ford, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Mads Mikkelsen, and more. Rico and Jess discuss the 5th Indie installment, talking through the awesome and terrible, uncanny valley CGI, the new themes explored, Mikkelse…

On Episode 249 of the Always the Critic Podcast, it’s a double feature as we review the R-rated comedy No Hard Feelings and Wes Anderson’s Asteroid City, before the non-spoiler section of our Daebak K-Rambles Past Lives review. Rico and Jess first talk about No Hard Feelings and how much they’ve missed Jennifer Lawrence, mentioning the rather tame …

On Episode 248 of the Always the Critic Podcast, we suit up and enter a new dimension (again) on our review of The Flash, starring Ezra Miller, Michael Keaton, Sasha Calle, and more. Rico and Jess discuss the latest DC movie, talking through the terrible, uncanny valley CGI, the return of Keaton’s Batman, the divisive figure of Ezra Miller, the sta…

On Episode 247 of the Always the Critic Podcast, we MAXIMIZE on our review of Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, starring Anthony Ramos, Dominique Fishback, Ron Perlman, Peter Dinklage, Pete Davidson, and so many more. Rico and Jess discuss the latest in the Transformers franchise, talking through the cast list, Anthony Ramos and his rising star pow…

On Episode 246 of the Always the Critic Podcast, we suit up and enter a new dimension on our review of Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, starring Shameik Moore, Hailee Steinfeld, Oscar Isaac, and so many more. Rico and Jess discuss the sequel to 2018’s Into the Spider-Verse, talking through the Hispanic representation, the ethical and moral quan…

On Episode 245 of the Always the Critic Podcast, we swim fathoms below for our review of The Little Mermaid, starring Halle Bailey, Jonah Hauer-King, Melissa McCarthy, Javier Bardem, Awkwafina, Daveed Diggs, and more. Rico and Jess discuss the latest Disney live-action remake, talking through how perfect Halle Bailey was as Ariel, the Aquaman-esque…

On Episode 244 of the Always the Critic Podcast, it’s all about family on our review of Fast X, starring Vin Diesel, Jason Momoa, Michelle Rodriguez, Ludacris, Tyrese Gibson, Charlize Theron, John Cena, and so many more. Rico and Jess discuss the first movie in the possible Fast X trilogy, talking through how stacked the cast is and how the franchi…

On Episode 243 of the Always the Critic Podcast, in honor of Mother’s Day, we queue up our list of best movie moms! Rico and Jess take turns listing the movie mothers who teach, inspire, or just plain kick ass, citing moms like Sarah Connor (Terminator), Queen Ramonda (Black Panther), Mrs. Incredible (The Incredibles), Molly Weasley (Harry Potter f…

On Episode 242 of the Always the Critic Podcast, we’re back with a brand new playlist on our review of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, starring Chris Pratt, Dave Bautista, Bradley Cooper, Karen Gillan, Pom Klementieff, and so many more. Rico and Jess discuss the final movie in the Guardians trilogy, talking through how James Gunn decided to go for …

On Episode 241 of the Always the Critic Podcast, we go on a high fantasy adventure on our review of Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, starring Chris Pine, Michelle Rodriguez, Justice Smith, Sophia Lillis, Hugh Grant, and more. Rico and Jess discuss the D&D adaptation, talking through how approachable the plot and characters were (since they …

On Episode 240 of the Always the Critic Podcast, we’re back and in a brand-new suit for our review of John Wick: Chapter 4, starring Keanu Reeves, Ian McShane, Donnie Yen, Bill Skarsgård, more. Rico and Jess discuss the latest film in the John Wick franchise, talking through how the John Wick movies rank among the greatest action franchises, the ne…

On Episode 239 of the Always the Critic Podcast, we’re back in Philly for our review of Shazam: Fury of the Gods, starring Zachary Levi, Djimon Hounsou, Rachel Zegler, Lucy Liu, Helen Mirren, and more. Rico and Jess discuss the most recent DC release, talking through how it stacks up to the first movie, the character arcs that impressed and the one…

On Episode 238 of the Always the Critic Podcast, we recap and comment on the 95th Academy Awards. Rico and Jess talk through the telecast, going over some of their predictions and their experience watching the broadcast at an Oscars party. They recap the historic Everything Everywhere All at Once sweep, delight in Ke Huy Quan (who effectively won t…

On Episode 237 of the Always the Critic Podcast, it’s a double feature as we review Creed III, starring Michael B. Jordan, Jonathan Majors, and Tessa Thompson, and R-rated comedy Cocaine Bear, starring Keri Russell, Alden Ehrenreich, O’Shea Jackson Jr., and Ray Liotta. Rico and Jess first turn toward the ring, talking about Michael B. Jordan’s dire…

On Episode 236 of the Always the Critic Podcast, we visit the quantum realm on our review of Ant-Man & the Wasp: Quantumania, starring Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michelle Pfeiffer, Jonathan Majors, and more. Rico and Jess discuss the most recent Marvel Cinematic Universe release, talking through the dizzying CGI bonanza, the underwhelming utiliza…

On the latest episode of Always the Critic podcast, we get together with special guest Tasha Jones to induct a second class into the romantic comedy hall of fame! We are joined by our friend Tasha Jones, aka the official hype girl for John Williams, to nominate eight actors/actresses who we would induct into our Nora Ephron Romantic Comedy Hall of …

On Episode 233 of the Always the Critic Podcast, we catch a few grasshoppers and contend with the apocalypse on our review of Knock at the Cabin, starring Dave Bautista, Jonathan Groff, and Ben Aldridge. Rico and Jess discuss this M. Night Shymalan thriller, talking through Dave Bautista’s amazing performance, the shooting style that created a sens…

On Episode 233 of the Always the Critic Podcast, we hit up the Philippines for a destination wedding on our review of Shotgun Wedding, starring Jennifer Lopez and Josh Duhamel. Rico and Jess discuss this direct-to-Amazon Prime 2023 action rom-com, talking through J.Lo’s place in the annals of rom-com royalty, the pass-the-baton casting that landed …

On Episode 232 of the Always the Critic Podcast, we queue up our list of most anticipated 2023 movies! After talking through their 2023 movie resolutions, Rico and Jess take turns listing 2023 release movies they’re excited to see, citing movies like Barbie, Oppenheimer, Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part 1, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse…

On Episode 231 of the Always the Critic Podcast, we’re back from our holiday break to look back at the year 2022 and rank our top 10 movies of the year. Rico and Jess take turns naming their top 10 movies of the year. Although they share a few in common, the co-hosts surprise each other with their picks. They also talk about the year 2022 in movies…

On Episode 230 of the Always the Critic Podcast, we return to the world of Pandora on our review of Avatar: The Way of Water, starring Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, and Sigourney Weaver. It’s the last episode of 2022, and Rico and Jess discuss this James Cameron sequel 13 years in the making, talking through their theater experiences, the ridiculou…

On Episode 229 of the Always the Critic Podcast, we celebrate Christmas by answering the question, Is this a Christmas movie? Rico and Jess discuss the a slew of movies that can be considered Christmas movies, like Gremlins, The Nightmare Before Christmas… and Iron Man 3? Listen in to hear us state our cases, saving the best for last—Die Hard. For …

On Episode 228 of the Always the Critic Podcast, we get our ho-ho-ho back on our review of Violent Night, starring David Harbour and John Leguizamo. Rico and Jess discuss this bloody 2022 Christmas movie, talking through their unique theater experiences, the wildly entertaining David Harbour as Santa, how they nailed two different tones in the movi…

On Episode 227 of the Always the Critic Podcast, we celebrate Thanksgiving by dedicating an entire episode to prolific writer Nora Ephron. Rico and Jess talk through Ephron’s early life and how she got into Hollywood as a screenwriter, discussing her biggest works, like When Harry Met Sally…, Sleepless in Seattle, and You’ve Got Mail, including fun…

On Episode 226 of the Always the Critic Podcast, we visit the ancestral plain on our review of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, starring Letitia Wright, Angela Bassett, Lupita Nyong’o, Tenoch Huerta, and more. Rico and Jess discuss the most-anticipated MCU release this year, talking through the impressive performances from Letitia Wright and Angela …

On Episode 225 of the Always the Critic Podcast, we prep for the upcoming Wakanda Forever release by doing a snake draft with friend of the pod Jake Christie from the MCUniversity Podcast and Dalbin Osorio from Badlands/TOJ and Murphy’s Multiverse. Rico, Jess, Jake, and Dalbin go 10 rounds in a serpentine draft, drafting non-MCU movies with at leas…

On Episode 224 of the Always the Critic Podcast, we hit pause on reviewing a new movie and each rank our top 5 spooky SZN movies. Rico and Jess share their respective lists, which end up (of course) being wildly different. Jess chooses more comfort movies that evoke the spirit of the season, while Rico goes full horror and thriller. Listen to find …

On Episode 223 of the Always the Critic Podcast, we surrender to no one on our review of Black Adam, starring Dwayne Johnson. Rico and Jess discuss a movie that’s been in the works since 2007, talking through the startlingly bad storytelling, the charmless performance from Johnson, some preachy characters, Zack Snyder aesthetic, *that* mid-credits …

On Episode 222 of the Always the Critic Podcast, we ditch the new releases and rewind it back to 2006 to cover The Prestige, starring Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman. Rico and Jess discuss this oft-forgotten Christopher Nolan flick, talking through how Nolan managed to snag the film rights, the major themes and brilliant writing, what else was comp…

On Episode 221 of the Always the Critic Podcast, we sing to a corpse on our review of Amsterdam, starring Christian Bale, John David Washington, and Margot Robbie. Rico and Jess talk through one of Rico’s most anticipated movies of 2022, discussing the bizarre plot and writing, the preachy themes, awful acting from Washington and Taylor Swift, and …

On Episode 220 of the Always the Critic Podcast, we put a spell on you—again—on our review of Hocus Pocus 2, starring Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy, and Sarah Jessica Parker. Rico and Jess discuss the Disney+ sequel, including the recycled plot, the good and bad comedy, and terrible writing, before transitioning into Rico’s first impressions of the Ne…

On Episode 219 of the Always the Critic Podcast, we wake up in a male utopia (ironically located in the desert) for our review of Don’t Worry Darling, starring Florence Pugh, Harry Styles, Chris Pine, and Olivia Wilde. Rico and Jess discuss the Wilde’s sophomore film and the number 1 movie at the box office, including the complex and entertaining-a…