Always the Critic: A Movie Podcast

On Episode 190 of the Always the Critic Podcast, we wing it on a brand-new variety show where each host comes up with their own Top 10 movie list. Rico starts off with his “Top 10 Best Uses of Color in a Movie,” citing movies like To Catch a Thief and Skyfall . Jess shares her “Top 10 Female-Fronted Romantic Period Piece Movies”, with entries like Far from the Madding Crowd and The Young Victoria...

On Episode 189 of the Always the Critic Podcast, we wrap up our quick In Defense of… mini-series, where each host defends a presumably indefensible January release movie panned by critics, with 2002’s Orange County . Rico tries his best to convince Jess that Orange County is an underrated teen comedy, citing the decent script from Mike White, the wackiness of Jack Black, and Colin Hanks’s boyish c...

On Episode 188 of the Always the Critic Podcast, we return to our In Defense of… mini-series, where each host defends a presumably indefensible January release movie panned by critics, with 2007’s 27 Dresses . Jess tries her best to convince Rico that 27 Dresses is a decent rom-com, citing the James Marsden’s charm, the memorable “Benny and the Jets” bar scene, and Judy Greer’s mere presence. The...

On Episode 187 of the Always the Critic Podcast, it’s a retrospective as we look back and rank our favorite movies of 2021. 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 2021 in movies, most memorable moments in film (good and bad), the best performances of the y...

On Episode 184 of the Always the Critic Podcast, it’s our third double feature in a row(!!) as we review Disney’s Encanto and House of Gucci, starring Lady Gaga, Adam Driver, Al Pacino, Jared Leto, and Jeremy Irons. Rico and Jess head to the mountains of Colombia, talking Disney’s latest animated film, slight comparisons to Coco , the enchanting original music from Lin-Manuel Miranda, and favorite...

On Episode 183 of the Always the Critic Podcast, it’s ANOTHER double feature as we talk King Richard , starring Will Smith, and Ghostbusters: Afterlife. Rico and Jess pick up a racket and hit a few tennis balls in the rain, talking Will Smith’s performance as Richard Williams and its Oscar potential, their favorite scenes, and how the movie follows the typical biopic progression. Later in the show...

On Episode 182 of the Always the Critic Podcast, it’s a double feature as we cover Spencer , starring Kristen Stewart, and Kenneth Branagh’s Belfast. Rico and Jess head to Sandringam to spend Christmas with the royals, talking about Stewart’s performance as Princess Diana, the abounding metaphors and meta commentary on the true modern tragedy, and the strange musical score. Later in the show, Rico...

On Episode 181 of the Always the Critic Podcast, we hunt a few deviants in our review of Eternals , starring Salma Hayek, Richard Madden, Gemma Chan, and Angelina Jolie (among many others). Rico and Jess talk through Academy Award-winning director Chloé Zhao’s entry into the MCU, including the themes explored, the characters and their development, nitpicks and major complaints, and what we can exp...

On Episode 180 of the Always the Critic Podcast, we fall asleep and dream of 1960s London in our review of Last Night in Soho , starring Thomasin McKenzie, Anya Taylor-Joy, and Matt Smith. Rico and Jess talk through director Edgar Wright’s first foray into pure thriller, including the great visuals, their disappointment in the plot, the performances from the entire cast, and Edgar Wright as a dire...

On Episode 179 of the Always the Critic Podcast, we face our fears, because fear is the mind-killer, in our review of Dune , starring Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, Jason Mamoa, Josh Brolin, and Zendaya. Rico and Jess discuss the latest film from prestige director Denis Villenueve, including their thoughts on the world building, the cinematography, the stacked cast and how they’...

On Episode 178 of the Always the Critic Podcast, we don a suit of armor and joust our way through a review of The Last Duel , starring Matt Damon, Adam Driver, Ben Affleck, and Jodie Comer. Rico and Jess discuss the latest film from prestige director Ridley Scott, including how they felt about the acting performances, the cinematography, the (infuriating) sexual assault case, the way the story is...

On Episode 177 of the Always the Critic Podcast, we finish off with a bang in part 4 of our series covering every single Bond film leading up to No Time to Die, finishing with Daniel Craig’s 007. Rico and Jess review a total of 5 Bond films, discussing Craig’s performance as Bond, the differences from his predecessors, and their raw thoughts on each film, including the best/worst Bond girls and Bo...

On Episode 176 of the Always the Critic Podcast, we take the Aston Martin out for one last ride on our review of No Time to Die , starring Daniel Craig, Lea Seydoux, Ana de Armas, Ralph Fiennes, and Rami Malek. Rico and Jess discuss Daniel Craig’s last outing as James Bond, including how they felt about Rami Malek’s villain, the cinematography, the titular Bond song by Billie Eilish, the twist end...

On Episode 175 of the Always the Critic Podcast, we dial up the action and inappropriate puns in part 3 of our series covering every single Bond film leading up to No Time to Die , continuing with Timothy Dalton and Pierce Brosnan’s 007s. Rico and Jess watched a total of 6 Bond films, discussing Dalton’s two outings as Bond in The Living Daylights (1987) and License to Kill (1989), and continuing...

On Episode 174 of the Always the Critic Podcast, we review the absolute carnage of a movie that is Venom: Let There Be Carnage , starring Tom Hardy, Woody Harrelson, Naomie Harris, and Michelle Williams. Rico and Jess have a rather short discussion about the Venom sequel, including how they felt about the plot, editing, and pacing of the film, and a longer rambling about the future of Spider-Man a...

On Episode 173 of the Always the Critic Podcast, we deploy a parachute with the Union Jack flag, in part 2 of our series covering every single Bond film leading up to No Time to Die , continuing with Roger Moore’s 007. Rico and Jess watched a total of 8 Bond films, none of which they’d seen before, discussing Moore’s first outing as Bond in Live and Let Die (1973) all the way to A View to a Kill (...

On Episode 172 of the Always the Critic Podcast, we take our martinis shaken, not stirred, in part 1 of our new series covering every single Bond film leading up to No Time to Die , starting with Sean Connery’s 007. Rico and Jess watched a total of 7 Bond films, none of which they’d seen before, discussing the very first film Dr. No (1962) all the way to Diamonds Are Forever (1971), with a stop of...

On Episode 171 of the Always the Critic Podcast, we wave through a window on our review of Dear Evan Hansen , starring Ben Platt, Kaitlyn Dever, Julianne Moore, and Amy Adams. Rico , Jess , and special guest Miguel Albarracin have a contentious discussion about the Broadway musical film adaptation, including their own divisive views, the vocal and acting performance from Ben Platt, the uncomfortab...

On Episode 170 of the Always the Critic Podcast, we call in to the telethon on our review of The Eyes of Tammy Faye , starring Jessica Chastain and Andrew Garfield. Rico and Jess discuss this biopic that hits a bit close to home, including the ultimately positive view the movie takes toward Tammy Faye, Jessica Chastain’s flashy and possibly Oscar worthy performance, the deep indictment of the Chri...

On Episode 169 of the Always the Critic Podcast, we enter the World Series of Poker for our review of The Card Counter , starring Oscar Isaac, Tiffany Haddish, Tye Sheridan, and Willem Dafoe. Rico and Jess discuss this strange outing from director Paul Schrader, including the deep morality of the characters, the tone of the film, Tiffany Haddish’s acting, the symbolism throughout, and the interest...

On Episode 167 of the Always the Critic Podcast, we exit the Tik Tok app for our review of Netflix’s He’s All That , starring Addison Rae, Tanner Buchanan, and Rachel Leigh Cook. Rico and Jess discuss the gender-swapped version of the 1999 movie She’s All That , including the acting chops from the cast, the horrendous product placement, comparisons to the original film, and serious complaints abou...

On Episode 166 of the Always the Critic Podcast, we suit up with Task Force X on our review of The Suicide Squad , starring Margot Robbie, Idris Elba, John Cena, and Viola Davis. Rico and Jess discuss the newest James Gunn superhero movie, including the absurd comedy, perfect casting choices, comparisons to the Suicide Squad from 2016, and complaints about the third act. For episodes with similar...

On Episode 165 of the Always the Critic Podcast, we cover the top two movies of the weekend: Disney’s Jungle Cruise and A24’s The Green Knight. Rico and Jess hop aboard the Jungle Cruise to behold the 8th wonder of the world: the backside of water! Just kidding. They do compliment the movie for its generous use of puns (just like the Disney ride), comment on the casting, Dwayne Johnson’s hair and...

On Episode 164 of the Always the Critic Podcast, we hit the beach for our review of Old , starring Gael García Bernal, Vicky Krieps, Alex Wolff, Thomasin McKenzie, and Rufus Sewell. Rico and Jess discuss the newest M. Night Shymalan thriller, including the fascinating moral and ethical quandaries explored, the striking premise, the emotional beats, the unintended comedy, and the (and you knew this...

On Episode 163 of the Always the Critic Podcast, we don’t go to space and we don’t jam on our review of Space Jam: A New Legacy , starring LeBron James and Don Cheadle. Rico and Jess discuss the Space Jam sequel? reboot?, including obvious comparisons to the original 1996 movie, the lack of a strong OST, Don Cheadle’s acting and wardrobe, as well as the use of WB IP. Here is our Space Jam throwbac...