Rosie the Reviewer: a WW2 movies and shows podcast

In this episode of Rosie the Reviewer, we discuss Hart’s War (2002), directed by Gregory Hoblit and based on the novel by John Katzenbach. Set inside a German POW camp during the final months of World War II, the film is about a racially charged court martial involving a Tuskegee Airman, with a young American officer forced into the role of defence lawyer. War movie or courtroom drama? This one is...

In this episode of Rosie the Reviewer, we discuss Ice Cold in Alex (1958), directed by J. Lee Thompson and based on the 1957 novel by Christopher Landon. Set during the North African campaign of World War II, the film follows a British officer, his NCO, two nurses, and a mysterious South African hitchhiker as they attempt to reach Alexandria in a battered ambulance. It's a tense adventure film...

In this episode of Rosie the Reviewer , we discuss For the Moment (1993), written and directed by Aaron Kim Johnston. Set in rural Manitoba in 1942, the film follows a group of Canadian women and young Commonwealth airmen brought together by the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan. Though fictional, the story draws heavily on the real experiences of Johnston’s parents and captures the temporary...

In this episode of Rosie the Reviewer, we continue our accidental monster-movie streak with Beast of War (2025), written and directed by Kiah Roache-Turner. Loosely inspired by the real sinking of the Australian ship HMAS Armidale in the Timor Sea on 1 December 1942, the film follows a group of soldiers stranded on a rapidly failing raft, hunted by a great white shark. Joined by our favourite retu...

In this episode of Rosie the Reviewer, we talk about Godzilla Minus One (2023), written and directed by Takashi Yamazaki. We can hear you thinking... What? Set in the immediate aftermath of WWII, the film follows a former kamikaze pilot grappling with survivor’s guilt, PTSD, and the struggle to rebuild a life in a shattered Japan - while Godzilla looms as both a literal threat and a powerful metap...

In this episode of Rosie the Reviewer, we discuss Son of Saul (2015), László Nemes’ profoundly human film set inside Auschwitz. Told entirely through the tight perspective of a Jewish Sonderkommando prisoner named Saul, the film is entirely glamourless. We talk about how the narrow framing, blurred periphery, and overwhelming soundscape place you in a world where there's no yesterday and no to...

In this episode of Rosie the Reviewer, we welcome an extraordinary guest: Bruce McKenna, co-executive producer, creator, and principal writer of The Pacific , and writer of the Bastogne episode of Band of Brothers . We talk about the moral stakes of war, what made it into the episodes and what didn't, and why everything is about narrative and theme. We explore Bruce’s creative process and the...

In this episode of Rosie the Reviewer, we tackle Midway twice. We compare the 1976 classic with the 2019 CGI-heavy remake and take you through the events of The Battle of Midway. Get to know the key players and learn with us as we break down one of the most decisive naval battles of the Second World War. 🖥️ Visit our website: www.rosiethereviewer.com 📸 Follow us on Instagram: @rosiethereviewerpod...

In this episode of Rosie the Reviewer, we take a look at Nuremberg (2025), written and directed by James Vanderbilt and based on The Nazi and the Psychiatrist by Jack El-Hai. We talk about the performances by Russell Crowe and Rami Malek, what we thought of the film, and, of course, provide you with some real history, including a broader historical context around the Nuremberg Trials. 🖥️ Visit our...

In this episode of Rosie the Reviewer , we dive into Enemy at the Gates (2001), the wartime drama about Soviet sniper Vasily Zaitsev, the Battle of Stalingrad, and a completely unnecessary love triangle. We explore the Battle of Stalingrad (one of the bloodiest battles of all time) and discuss how propaganda shaped this story both on screen and off. 🖥️ Visit our website: www.rosiethereviewer.com...

In this episode of Rosie the Reviewer, we talk  The Monuments Men (2014), George Clooney’s glossy take on the true story of Allied soldiers racing to rescue Europe’s art from the Nazis. Joined by Merc, we unpack the film’s stacked cast, its mix of humour and drama, and why it never quite decides if it wants to be a comedy, a war drama, or an art heist. From Rose Valland’s secret lists to the missi...

In this episode of Rosie the Reviewer , we take on Richard Attenborough’s A Bridge Too Far (1977), the war epic based on Cornelius Ryan’s book of the same name about Operation Market Garden. We take you through one of WWII’s most ambitious (and doomed-to-fail) military plans as we discuss the film. From Sean Connery’s Major General Urquhart to Gene Hackman’s Sosabowski (we approve), we talk about...

In this episode of Rosie the Reviewer , we take to the skies for Battle of Britain (1969), Guy Hamilton’s sweeping recreation of the 1940 air campaign. We talk about the film's impressive aerial combat scenes, its documentary-style storytelling, and the astonishing number of real WWII aircraft used on set. From Christopher Plummer’s dashing Canadian pilot to Michael Caine’s brief but memorable...

In this episode of Rosie the Reviewer, we’re joined by journalist and author Tony Rushmer, whose book SAS: Duty Before Glory tells the story of Reg Seekings, one of the original members of the Special Air Service. Tony talks to us about how a documentary during lock down led him from sports journalism to writing about this WWII history that started in the Fens. Alongside our returning guest George...

In this episode of Rosie the Reviewer , we take on  U-571 (2000) with returning guest Katie. This tense, incredibly fictional tale is all about American submariners capturing a German U-boat and its Enigma machine. It's got Matthew McConaughey, Jon Bon Jovi and Matthew Settle and everyone's damp. We explore the claustrophobic depictions and why the British were fuming about this one. Inclu...

In this episode of Rosie the Reviewer, we wrap up our three-part discussion of The Pacific (2010) with episodes 7-10. Brace yourself for the brutal fighting on Peleliu and Okinawa to John and Lena Basilone, his final chapter and the long road home for Eugene Sledge and Robert Leckie. Alongside our returning guest George, we talk about leadership, disillusionment, the role of civilians, and the way...

Joining us to discuss episodes 4-6 of The Pacific (2010) is our friend Merc. We get into the meaty middle part of the show, saying hello to some new favourites (and clinging to them before they have to leave us again) while watching others go home. It's Peleliu time, which means everyone is having a terrible time. And Pavuvu, which is apparently not much better. 🖥️ Visit our website: ⁠⁠www.ros...

In this episode of Rosie the Reviewer, Bec returns to the pod to talk about the first three episodes of our favourite HBO War drama The Pacific (2010). Together, we discuss the show's opening, the amazing theme, the great friendships... and we can't stop gushing about Bob Leckie. Sorry. Not really. 🖥️ Visit our website: ⁠www.rosiethereviewer.com⁠ 📸 Follow us on Instagram: ⁠@rosiethereviewerpodcas...

In this episode of Rosie the Reviewer, we’re joined by Winnie and Gabby from the Donut Dollies podcast to discuss Their Finest (2016), Lone Scherfig’s adaptation of Lissa Evans’ novel Their Finest Hour and a Half . Together we unpack the film’s blend of romance, tragedy, and wartime propaganda, as well as how it compares to the book. Surprisingly much debate about Sam Claflin’s casting, the power...

This week on Rosie the Reviewer, we’re diving into the 2012 HBO film Hemingway & Gellhorn . It’s all about the messy relationship between WWII reporter Martha Gellhorn and Ernest Hemingway. We get into the Spanish Civil War (and yes, the movie really drags its feet before getting to WWII), and honestly, we’re not sure either of them is all that likable. Plus, we talk about Caroline Moorehead’s...

In this episode of Rosie the Reviewer, we tackle Valkyrie (2008), the Tom Cruise-led film about the real-life July 20 plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler. We dig into the movie's balance between Hollywood drama and historical accuracy, the cast full of familiar faces, and whether Cruise managed to not be too Cruise-y. 💻 Visit our website: www.rosiethereviewer.com 📸 Follow us on Instagram: @rosi...

In this episode of Rosie the Reviewer, we discuss  Grave of the Fireflies (1988), the harrowing Studio Ghibli animation that left us emotionally wrecked. We follow the story of Seita and Setsuko, two siblings trying to survive in Kobe, Japan during the final months of World War II. We discuss the film’s gut-wrenching portrayal of innocence lost and being forgotten, and why this is possibly the gre...

In this episode of Rosie the Reviewer, we review Walking with the Enemy (2013), exploring its depiction of WWII Hungary, the life of Elek Cohen (loosely based on Pinchas Rosenbaum), and the country’s political shifts during the war. We discuss standout performances, the film’s narrative choices, and are joined by our friend Katie, who shares insights into Hungary during WWII. 🖥️ Visit our website:...

In this episode of Rosie the Reviewer , we're wrapping up our three-part journey through Masters of the Air with a look at episodes 7-9.  We're once again joined by George! From the marches out of Stalag Luft III to Rosies' decision to fly more missions and Croz sleeping through D-Day. We get into the show's depiction of the Tuskegee Airmen and see where everybody ends up. Safe flight, Masters! 🖥️...

In this episode of Rosie the Reviewer, we continue our Masters of the Air series with episodes 4 through 6. George is back again to help us cover everything from Quinn and Bailey’s escape routes to Black Week, and welcome Rosie Rosenthal. We break down new character arcs, major missions, and quiet emotional ... uh, breakdowns, including Bucky's slow downward spiral, Crosby's grief, and Rosie findi...