The following is a film buff’s guide to 2023’s best podcasts on movies, ranging from action and adventure to rom-coms and everything in between! We’ve compiled this list based on what audiences, actors, actresses, and film critics all have to say are the best ways to understand cinema on a more refined level. You can access behind-the-scenes knowledge and become a movie connoisseur in no time.
The Best Movie Podcasts Out There
Here’s our winning list, in no particular order.
Filmspotting
Known nationwide as the “Flagship Film Podcast,” Filmspotting is refined cinema at its best. Adam Kempenaar and Josh Larsen co-host this spectacular foray into film. With sterling credentials (instructor at the University of Chicago and reviewer at the Chicago Sun-Times, respectively), both co-hosts have established a solid knowledge base about movies. They cover the Oscars, conduct interviews, and converse about the ins and outs of movie production, casting, scripts, and more. We highly recommend it as one of your first go-to’s in finding podcasts about movies.
The Filmcast
Hosted by self-described “hardcore (movie) geeks,” David Chen, Davidra Hardawar, and Jeff Cannata engage in banter about the latest movies, TV shows, and current entertainment news. The Filmcast also hosts guests who are luminaries in the field, from bloggers to webmasters to stars and film directors across the span of diversity—highly recommended for some modern-day fun and information indulgence!
How Did This Get Made?
Run on the Earwolf platform, How Did This Get Made? is one of the ultimate movie podcasts on the market today. The hosts make it lively, informative, and, most of all, really funny. Unscrambling plots, making hearty commentary, and responding to listeners’ queries are the name of the game in this lively movie podcast. Paul Scheer, Jason Mantzoukas, and June Diane Raphael host.
The Empire Film Podcast
A wonderful film podcast revolving around movie reviews, audience feedback, and news from the film industry, The Empire Film Podcast is a delightful way to stay current on all things movies. Hosted by Chris Hewitt, James Dyer, Helen O’Hara, and a rotating fourth person, this show has an anarchistic flavor and stars some of Hollywood’s best and brightest.
The Rewatchables
Found on The Ringer platform, The Rewatchables is hosted by star podcaster Bill Simmons. It features a roundtable of illuminated film experts weighing in on recent movies they can’t stop watching. There are over 150 episodes in total. And the best part? The podcast is sponsored by a pizza company. Which one, we cannot say…you’ll just have to check out the podcast!
You Must Remember This
Hearken back to the twilight days of Old Hollywood, and you’ll discover a memorable and charming podcast that deals exclusively with classic films. Karina Longworth, a film critic for the LA Weekly, hosts it. Longworth writes, narrates, records, and mixes each episode personally. It’s a veritable passion project, and her research skill and educational finesse in talking about the oldies and what went on behind the scenes is unrivaled.
/Film Podcast
It’s the Golden Age of cinema, and the Slashfilm (/Film) Daily Podcast is an award-winning podcast that emphasizes that fact. It is part of the overarching /Film network, a hub for news media on all things movies and TV. The /Film enterprise includes stunning reviews and other exclusives, including in-depth analyses of true innovation in the film industry. It is hosted by Peter Sciretta.
The Big Picture
This is another excellent film podcast that has a more direct approach to scoping out the best movies. Hosts Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins bring in all-star guests and conduct well-produced interviews and discussions for a full, action-packed hour. One quirky and engaging feature of The Big Picture is Fennessey’s and Dobbins’ “Top 5” lists of various genres and sub-genres (and sub-sub-genres) of movies, from horror to movie robots and the best scenes in action movies. Not to be missed!
Scriptnotes
This movie podcast, hosted by John August and Craig Mazin, is an admirable exploration of the screenwriting aspect of filmmaking. Stimulating and illuminating, Scriptnotes delves deep into some juicy topics like the creative process of getting things written to copyright and work-for-hire laws. For a different kind of film podcast, check this out to further augment your now-increasing robust knowledge of filmmaking.
Unspooled
The dynamic duo of Paul Scheer and Amy Nicholson goes to town examining the AFIs (American Film Institute’s) Top 100 movies of all time. This one is a great ender to our list because it’s such a well-rounded show. Scheer and Nicholson discuss the gritty aspects of what makes these movies so special and immemorial, from iconic scenes to discussions with the great artists behind their conception.
Conclusion
At this point, you’re probably aware that with so many media to choose from, having a list of the top options for film podcasts will be very useful. We recommend navigating at least briefly through each of these podcasts and seeing which hosts, content, and style resonate with you the most. If you’re into classic film, You Must Remember This might be your best bet, while if you want to learn about film through the real lens of modernity, the /Film Podcast would likely be up your alley. Whichever direction you go, Podcast Pursuit recommends this selection as the best movie podcasts on the market! Also, check out our best TV podcasts.