The Third Reel: A Movie Podcast

Since we somehow managed the impossible — turning Rachael from a Florence Pugh sceptic into a fully-fledged Florence Pugh celebrator — we’ve been on the hunt for our next great conversion. And while Rachael is usually the easy target (she apparently hates half of Hollywood), we thought we’d mix things up and turn our attention to Dale… who has one very specific cinematic prejudice. Against Keira K...

Welcome to the first chaos of 2026 — it’s our annual deep dive into the year ahead in cinema! We’re breaking down the films that have got us excited, confused, or mildly panicked , from epic space odysseys to superhero overload. This year, Nolan returns with a mind-bending spectacle that promises headaches and awe in equal measure. Spielberg’s back in sci-fi , Denis Villeneuve is rounding off his...

Love a list? Good — because for our very last episode of 2025 we’re going out with a bang (and maybe a terrified scream). It’s our Top 10 Films of 2025 — SEO-friendly enough for the algorithm, chaotic enough for us. Each of us brings our own Top 10, but here’s the twist: we only talk about a film when it finally ranks highest on someone’s list. So yes — the suspense is real, the arguments are sill...

It’s Film Swap… but make it festive 🎄 This time, we’re diving into Christmas films, but not the usual suspects. No Home Alone, no Elf, no It’s a Wonderful Life. Instead, we’ve gone digging a little deeper into the Christmas vault… well, Dale and Dan did. Rachael brings The Holiday — one of her all-time festive favourites — in a bold attempt to convert notorious The Holiday hater Dan. Can she fina...

Christmas is creeping ever closer—presents maybe bought, probably not wrapped, Baileys flowing like the Thames, decorations at full twinkle. And while you’re settling into the festive haze, we’re diving headfirst into the ultimate Christmas tale: Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol . The man practically invented the modern Christmas… and yet somehow Hollywood keeps reinventing him . (And yes, becau...

Can you believe it? Somehow, against all odds, missed upload windows, rogue microphones, and at least one near-existential crisis per host, we’ve made it to a full year of recording this wonderfully chaotic little podcast. To mark the occasion, Dale takes the captain’s chair (steady yourselves) and fires a series of deeply investigative, hard-hitting questions at the other two — everything from ou...

Remember 2012? The year we almost got wiped out by a Mayan prophecy, everyone was suddenly doing the Gangnam Style dance, and the world collectively agreed that coloured skinny jeans were acceptable? Well, we’re diving straight back into that glorious fever dream. Before we even get to the movies, we take a wander through our own personal histories of 2012—yes, the questionable fashion choices, th...

The 80s are running back into cinemas ! 🏃‍♂️ Edgar Wright’s classic remake of an iconic film is sprinting onto screens, and what better way to celebrate the decade that practically invented modern blockbuster cinema? In this episode, we’re cranking the nostalgia and competition all the way up. We’re joined by our second guest ever , the legendary Joe — a name dropped on practically every other ep...

The horror month may be over… but the horror isn’t stopping. 💀 Guillermo del Toro’s long-awaited Frankenstein (2025) has finally risen from the grave, and everyone’s talking about it. After years of calling this his dream project , del Toro has brought Mary Shelley’s masterpiece back to life — but can he succeed where so many recent adaptations have fallen flat? In Part 1 , we give our spoiler-fr...

The journey continues – and yes, we actually made it all the way to Mordor (well… at least to the end of The Fellowship of the Ring ). This week, it’s Part 2 of our Lord of the Rings review, where we tackle Act 2, Act 3 , and wrap things up with our closing thoughts and all-important scores . We’re talking Balrog battles , Boromir blunders , and big emotional moments as we say farewell to the Fell...

It’s the one podcast to rule them all… and it’s finally here!   This week, The Third Reel tackles The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring – the episode you’ve all been waiting for (and possibly the one we’ve been dreading editing). As always with our deep-dive reviews, things got a little… epic. So, we’ve split this one into two parts. Consider this your extended edition (Part...

Here lurks our Halloween special, crawling out of the crypt with a brand-new Horror Icons Draft . One episode. Three terrified hosts. Zero common sense. We’re assembling the ultimate spooky squad: • Human Killers - (if they’re squishy and mortal, they count) • Supernatural - spirits and demons (the spooky, floaty kind) • Undead - beasties who just couldn’t stay dead • Slashers - who love a bit of...

🎃 It’s time for another Film Swap on The Third Reel: A Movie Podcast — and because it’s still our Scary Horror Month™ , we decided to swap our spookiest picks! 👻 Dan came in hot with The Faculty — because nothing says “90s horror” like alien teachers and an emo Elijah Wood. Rach went nostalgic (and slightly traumatised) with Jeepers Creepers 2 , one of the films that made her the horror fan she...

🎮👻 Horror season is in full swing, and with a new Silent Hill game creeping onto the scene, there’s no better time to descend into the fog! This week, we’re pitting two titans of survival horror against each other — Silent Hill vs Resident Evil . These franchises have been battling it out since the ‘90s — first in gaming, then on the big screen. Unfortunately… the films didn’t exactly get critic...

🎃 October is here, and you know what that means… spooky season is officially ON! We’re kicking things off with a bang in this week’s episode of The Third Reel as we dive into Zach Cregger’s Weapons —hailed by some as a modern horror masterpiece and praised across the internet. But does it live up to the hype? We break it down with all the scares, thrills, and laughs you need to start your month o...

Happy Gilmore is back – but should he have stayed in retirement? ⛳️ In our Hall of Fame/Lame: Adam Sandler episode, the original Happy Gilmore swung straight into our Hall of Fame. But how does Happy Gilmore 2 stack up nearly 30 years later? Sequels this far removed rarely hit the mark, and with critics split down the middle, we’re here to break it all down. We kick things off spoiler-free with o...

It’s been a while since we’ve done one of our Icon episodes , but we’re back with a true legend of Old Hollywood: Cary Grant . Effortlessly suave, endlessly charming, and one of cinema’s greatest leading men, Grant’s career defined an era and left behind a legacy that continues to influence film today. Join Rachael as she takes you on a journey through the extraordinary life of this timeless star...

It’s Reel Kwik time, and this week we’re marching straight into Alex Garland & Ray Mendoza’s Warfare. As huge fans of Garland’s previous work, we were excited to see him team up with Mendoza — a former Navy SEAL whose real-life experiences helped shape the film’s brutally immersive portrait of frontline combat. Does Warfare carry the same punch as Ex Machina or Annihilation? And, more importan...

Dan’s pick: Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie . Dale’s pick: 3 Ninjas . Rach’s pick: Spice World . Are these films actually any good? Probably not. But that’s not the point. It’s about stepping back into a time when these films meant the world to us. The concept is simple: each of us brings a film to fit the theme, at least one person hasn’t seen it before, and when we watch, it’s no phones,...

Disney’s latest live-action Snow White remake has been review-bombed worse than the Evil Queen’s temper—so is the hate deserved? In this episode, we give you our spoiler-free take: does it hold up at all against the beloved original, or is it just another step down the slippery slope of live-action remakes? Then, for those brave enough, we dive full spoilers : plot twists, character choices, and a...

🎬 It’s Part 2 of the A-Z of Films: B Edition ! Last week, Blade Runner powered through the first half of the draw, earning its place in the ultimate final . With Alien already crowned the definitive A film, Ridley Scott is looking pretty pleased with himself right now… but the job’s not done yet. This week, we dive into the other 16 best films beginning with B , with every chaotic match-up once a...

🎬 The A-Z of Films is back, and it’s time for the letter B ! Here’s how it works: we’ve shortlisted 32 of the best films starting with B (that we’ve seen), and a trusty Wheel of Names decides the match-ups. Some pairings might make no sense—but that’s exactly what makes it fun and chaotic! This is Part 1 of 2 , with Part 2 dropping next week. In a traditional knockout competition, this week’s win...

“Look Up”… no really, look up — because the Man of Steel is back! 🦸‍♂️ Our latest Kwik Episode takes to the skies with Superman (2025) , James Gunn’s first step into the brand-new DCU. From Christopher Reeve’s charm to Henry Cavill’s grit (and maybe one we’d rather forget 👀), Superman has had more reboots than the Batmobile has upgrades — so how does this new take measure up? Join us as we give...

Welcome to the debut of our brand new format: Make Me a Fan Of… — the episode where cinematic beef gets put to the test. In this series, one host takes the hot seat to face their (sometimes irrational) dislike of a particular actor or director, while the other two come armed with three carefully selected films to try and change their mind. Not the best films—just the right ones. This time, it’s Ra...

The rage returns! In this week’s Reel Kwik episode, we dive straight into 28 Years Later — the surprise sequel to the iconic zombie saga. Does it live up to 28 Days and Weeks Later? Is the trilogy now complete or has the infection run its course? We’re breaking down the story, performances, scares, and yes… the running zombies. All that in under an hour. Reel Kwik – bite-sized reviews, full-sized...