The Reel Critic

‘The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes’ is the prequel to the original ‘Hunger Games’ trilogy, now adapted to the screen. The storyline follows a young Coriolanus Snow before he becomes the tyrannical ruler of fictional society Panem, and the origin of the Hunger Games tradition. The film stars Rachel Zegler and Tom Blyth. Reggie “The Reel Critic” Ponder shares his thoughts on the film, now in thea...

In this week's segment, Reggie “The Reel Critic” Ponder interviews actor Colman Domingo and director George C. Wolfe of new film ‘Rustin.’ As Reggie dives into the story of Bayard Rustin, Domingo and Wolfe shed light on the intricate layers of Rustin's character, from his upbringing to his role as an activist and key advisor to Martin Luther King, Jr. Rustin's openly gay identity and the conflicts...

In this week's segment of “The Reel Critic,” Reggie “The Reel Critic” Ponder delves into two very different cinematic experiences, ‘The Holdovers’ and ‘The Marvels.’ ‘The Holdovers’ presents a tale of an unconventional holiday season while ‘The Marvels’ introduces a compelling narrative of female superheroes uniting to prevent universal destruction. Both films are currently in theaters. "The Reel...

The second part of Reggie “The Reel Critic” Ponder’s conversation with director Raven Jackson about her film 'All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt,' a decades-spanning exploration a Black woman's life in Mississippi. The film was featured at the Chicago International Film Festival, with a limited theatrical release coming soon. "The Reel Critic" is hosted and produced by Reggie Ponder. Follow Reggie on Tw...

Marissa Jo Cerar, creator of Hulu drama series “Black Cake,” virtually sat down with Vocalo’s resident film critic Reggie Ponder to discuss the new series for this week’s segment of “The Reel Critic.” Based on Charmaine Wilkerson’s critically-acclaimed novel of the same name, “Black Cake” follows two estranged siblings as they uncover their mother’s guarded past, with elements of suspense and hist...

Resident film critic Reggie Ponder shares his thoughts on “The Other Black Girl,” the television adaptation of Zakiya Dalila Harris’ novel of the same name. The series focuses on the life of Nella Rogers (Sinclair Daniels), the only Black woman working in her office — until Hazel-May McCall (Ashleigh Murray). But as things get strange, her hiring leads Rogers to discover dark secrets about their c...

Reggie “The Reel Critic” Ponder sits down with director Raven Jackson to discuss 'All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt,' a decades-spanning exploration a Black woman's life in Mississippi. The film was recently featured at the Chicago International Film Festival, but there is no official public release date yet. "The Reel Critic" is hosted and produced by Reggie Ponder. Follow Reggie on Twitter and Instag...

The 59th annual Chicago International Film Festival kicked off on Oct. 11, and will host over 100 feature films and 60 short films through Oct. 22. Reggie “The Reel Critic” Ponder got to check out a few screenings, and breaks down four films from the festival in this week’s segment. He discusses 'Bike Vessel,' 'Departing Seniors,' 'All Happy Families' and 'We Grown Now.' For more information on th...

The 59th annual Chicago International Film Festival returns Oct. 11. In this week’s segment, Reggie “The Reel Critic” Ponder dives into all the things you need to know before it kicks off. The festival will run from October 11 to October 22, and is set to feature more than 100 films and 60 short films from across the world. Discover the wide variety of film categories, including stories centered a...

In this week’s segment, Reggie “The Reel Critic” Ponder shares his thoughts on the Apple TV+ series, “The Super Models,” plus a behind-the-scenes conversation with directors Larissa Bills and Roger Ross Williams. This series dives deeper into the lives of the supermodels Naomi Campbell, Cindy Crawford, Linda Evangelista and Christy Turlington, documenting their remarkable journeys to their iconic...

In this week’s segment, Reggie “The Reel Critic” Ponder shares his thoughts and opinions on the film ‘A Million Miles Away.’ The movie tells the true story of José Hernández (played by Michael Peña) and his dream of becoming a NASA flight engineer and astronaut. It follows the inspiring journey of Hernández, the son of immigrant field workers, as he strived to become one of NASA’s few Latino astro...

This week on “The Reel Critic,” resident film critic Reggie Ponder shares his thoughts on the new film ‘Dumb Money.’ Often described as a modern-day “David vs. Goliath” story, ‘Dumb Money’ is based on the true events of the January 2021 GameStop short squeeze, in which everyday people flipped the script on Wall Street hedge funds and made millions. ‘Dumb Money’ stars Paul Dano, Shailene Woodley, P...

This week for “The Reel Critic,” resident film critic Reggie Ponder brings listeners his take on the third and final action-packed installment of ‘The Equalizer’ trilogy. Now living in Southern Italy after walking away from his role as an assassin for the American government, Robert McCall (Denzel Washington) soon discovers the local mafia’s oppressive control of his community. As the film’s event...

‘The Hill’ retells the true story of Texas baseball player Rickey Hill, who overcame physical obstacles caused by a degenerative spine disease to try out for a major league scout. Check out The Reel Critic’s take here — and you can catch ‘The Hill’ in theaters now. "The Reel Critic" is hosted and produced by Reggie Ponder. Follow Reggie on Twitter and Instagram @TheReelCritic, and on Facebook @Reg...

This week, The Reel Critic breaks down the new DC superhero film ‘Blue Beetle.’ The story follows a young Jaime Reyes, whose life heads into a new trajectory when he comes into contact with the scarab — not just an artifact, but an ancient piece of alien technology. When it chooses Jaime as its host, the scarab gives him access to a powerful suit of armor and superhuman powers, forging the path to...

This week on “The Reel Critic,” resident film critic Reggie Ponder breaks down his thoughts on the new Apple TV+ movie, ‘Stephen Curry: Underrated.’ This film chronicles the life of Stephen Curry and his rise to fame through college basketball, creating one of the most dominant sports dynasties of modern time. "The Reel Critic" is hosted and produced by Reggie Ponder. Follow Reggie on Twitter and...

This week on “The Reel Critic,” resident film critic Reggie Ponder breaks down his thoughts on the Apple TV+ series ‘Swagger’ with director Reggie Rock Bythewood. They discuss season two of the series, specifically episode five, and delve into what prison reform education looks like in the show, positive detention center programs and making the most of the season. Additionally, Reggie discusses th...

This week on “The Reel Critic,” resident film critic Reggie Ponder premieres a triple-feature discussing his thoughts on ‘Haunted Mansion,’ plus documentaries ‘Black Ice’ and ‘The League.’ ‘Haunted Mansion’ brings Disney’s supernatural essence back to the screen in this reboot. ‘Black Ice’ addresses race in hockey and Black pioneers of the sport, and ‘The League’ follows the journey of several his...

This week on “The Reel Critic,” resident film critic Reggie Ponder breaks down his thoughts on the new live-action ‘Barbie’ film, directed by Greta Gerwig. The film stars Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling as Barbie and Ken, plus an all-star cast including Will Ferrell, Issa Rae, Kate McKinnon, America Ferrera, Simu Liu, Michael Cera, and many more. You can catch ‘Barbie’ in theaters now! "The Reel Cr...

Reggie “The Reel Critic” Ponder discusses the latest installment of the ‘Mission Impossible’ franchise, ‘Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part 1.’ In the film, Ethan Hunt must track down a terrifying new weapon that threatens all of humanity if it gets in the wrong hands. The question is not only who gets to it first, but who can hunt with the team in their quest to save the world. Tom Cruise is...

Reggie “The Reel Critic” Ponder engages in a thought-provoking conversation with Idris Elba about his new show “Hijack.” They dive into the dynamics of the array of the series’ characters. Elba portrays Sam, a corporate negotiator who finds himself on a hijacked plane. Initially confident in his abilities to save everyone on board, Sam quickly realizes he may not possess the necessary skills. With...

Preparing to retire from his college professorship, Indiana Jones is sucked into another adventure in search of an ancient artifact with the capabilities to turn back time. Indy and his goddaughter, Helena Shaw, must race to stop "the dial of destiny" from falling into the hands of a former Nazi, Jürgen Voller, who aims to rewrite history. The film stars Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones for the fift...

Reggie “The Reel Critic” Ponder sits down with lead actresses of the STARZ comedy ‘Run The World,’ Amber Stevens West, Bresha Webb and Corbin Reid, to discuss season two of the series. Season two follows three best friends as they embark on taking over their own world in Harlem. The cast reveals how they balance womanhood while respecting the outside demographic of lovers, parents and supporters i...

This week’s segment of “The Reel Critic” brings Reggie’s reviews on two films out June 16: ‘The Flash’ and ‘The Blackening.’ ‘The Flash’ follows its titular character (played by Ezra Miller) as he tries to go back in time to save his family, but by changing the past he must now save the future. ‘The Blackening’ is a horror-comedy meant to upend horror film cliches, following a group of friends tra...

Reggie “The Reel Critic” Ponder interviews writer Dewayne Perkins on his new film, ‘The Blackening.’ The horror film follows a group of friends who reunite for a Juneteenth weekend staying at a cabin in the woods trapped with a killer. They delve into the movie’s connection to the Black community and what “Blackness” means in context to the project, and who dies first in horror films. "The Reel Cr...