Critical Darlings cover art

Critical Darlings

Critical Darlings

By: Blank Check Productions
Listen for free

Welcome to Critical Darlings: a podcast about the movies everyone is talking about, one new release after another. Every week, critics Richard Lawson and Alison Willmore cover the latest film driving the conversation—from big summer blockbusters to festival favorites, buzzy streamers, and major awards contenders. New episodes every Thursday. We’re a Blank Check Production! To catch up on our first miniseries covering the 2026 Oscars season, check out Blank Check on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen. Stick around on this feed for new episodes going forward. Produced by Benjamin Frisch Subscribe to Richard's newsletter, ⁠⁠Premiere Party,⁠⁠ and read Alison's work ⁠⁠at Vulture. Follow @blankcheckpod on ⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Threads⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠! Art Social Sciences
Episodes
  • “Obsession” And Youtube Creators In Hollywood

    “Obsession” And Youtube Creators In Hollywood
    May 28 2026
    This week, it’s springtime for sad boys, with “Obsession!” a horror flick from Blumhouse and director Curry Barker. The movie has exceeded all expectations and is currently doing better than its opening weekend, largely thanks to great word-of-mouth. The movie tells a monkey’s paw story about a one-sided, obsessive relationship that’s taken to horrific, supernatural heights. It’s both fun and genuinely upsetting, thanks to two excellent lead performances and confident direction that makes the most of a very low budget. We also explore the history of YouTubers who’ve made it big in Hollywood (where Barker started his career) and why directors seem to transition into Hollywood more easily than other youtube talent. Plus, we give a quick rundown of Alison and Richard’s Cannes experiences to give you a sneak peek of what we’ll be discussing later this year. And we have a special guest appearance from Critical Darling’s straight boy correspondent, Griffin Newman, who’ll share his thoughts on the movie in a Straight Boy Corner segment. Next week, we’re all yellow, and exploring The Backrooms with a special guest, see you then. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 21 mins
  • Our Favorite Movies Of The Year So Far, And A Summer Blockbusters Preview

    Our Favorite Movies Of The Year So Far, And A Summer Blockbusters Preview
    May 21 2026
    Coucou les cheris! As Cannes is underway on the Riviera, we take a break from our usual movie-of-the-week format to look back at the year so far, and look forward to this summer. We count down our top 5 favorite movies of the year (that haven’t been covered on the show), including big studio movies and European arthouse fare. We’ll also take a temperature check on the summer blockbuster slate, from The Mandalorian & Grogu, Disclosure Day, Spider-Man, The Odyssey, and more. Finally, we’ll hear a transmission from Alison and Richard, live from Cannes, to discuss the festival so far. Your wish has been granted! Next week, we’re talking about Obsession, from director Curry Barker and Blumhouse. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 35 mins
  • “The Sheep Detectives” And Amazon’s Box Office Bets (With Griffin Newman)

    “The Sheep Detectives” And Amazon’s Box Office Bets (With Griffin Newman)
    May 14 2026
    Wake up sheeple, it’s The Sheep Detectives! This week we’re joined by our very own executive sheepherder Griffin Newman to discuss the new cozy mystery for families. After the mysterious death of their shepherd, played by Hugh Jackman, his band of sheep team up to solve the mystery in a picturesque British countryside. Surprisingly, it’s very good! Knitting together themes of memory and grief, tied up in a wooly bow. We discuss the plot and characters, our histories with upsetting kid’s movies, the exceptional voice performance of Julia Louis-Dreyfus and more. We get into Amazon and MGM’s current play for the box office, fall down a He-Man rabbit hole, and also talk about some other cozy mysteries. Next week, we look back at the year so far, and look forward with a Summer movie preview. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 29 mins
adbl_web_anon_alc_button_suppression_t1
No reviews yet