Friendly criticism for screen and stage obsessives.
Rachel's Reviews follows Rachel Wagner through new releases, Disney rankings, Broadway tangents, box-office predictions, and first-time watches of major classics. The tone is upbeat and conversational, with room for grumpy weekends, niche food-movie menus, and sincere musical-theater arguments.
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Rachel's Reviews is an entertainment criticism show with a wide comfort zone. Its center is Rachel Wagner talking through movies, television, theater, animation, romcoms, Hallmark movies, and musical-theater favorites with a rotating circle of guests. The show often feels like the conversation that starts after the screening and keeps going until every side topic has had its turn. Friday Flicks episodes cover new and upcoming releases, including mainstream titles and smaller picks that might otherwise slip by. The tone can be cheerful. It can also be openly disappointed when a weekend lineup falls flat. That candor gives the show its useful edge. Rachel is comfortable saying when an experience was mixed, as with a movie-and-food event, while still making space for what worked. The Disney episodes are especially niche in a good way, turning food movies and themed menus into a full conversation. Broadway episodes bring a different energy. A cut tangent about The Last Five Years becomes its own debate about structure, character sympathy, and relationship interpretation. Wicked gets treated through the lens of serious fandom, with Camille's history with the musical adding texture. The Female Film Critics Panel widens the frame to criticism itself, content creation, and the experience of other women writing and talking about movies. Box-office prediction episodes add a seasonal sports-pool flavor, weighing franchises, family appeal, superhero fatigue, horror momentum, and summer release strategy. The Blind Spot Project gives the feed room for first encounters with widely known films such as Predator. Across formats, the show favors accessible criticism over polished distance. It is enthusiastic but not indiscriminate. It can be niche without feeling closed off. The result is a critic-led hangout for people whose watchlists include Disney, Broadway, franchise movies, awards chatter, romcoms, and the occasional classic they somehow missed.
Made for: Rachel's Reviews is for listeners who follow movies, TV, Disney, Broadway, romcoms, animation, Hallmark movies, and box-office chatter. It especially suits people who like criticism that feels conversational without losing informed judgment.
What sets it apart: The show stands out through its range: weekend release roundups, Disney rankings, Broadway debates, female critic conversations, live streams, box-office predictions, and blind-spot classics all live in the same feed. Its strongest mode is specific, personal, guest-driven criticism rather than detached industry commentary.
I love podcasting and talking with my friends about movies, TV and anything else that is fun. I especially love animation, romcoms and cheesy TV movies Rottentomatoes approved critic. Member UFCA and HCA
Rachel turns Nolan, Hallmark, and Shakespeare into the overbooked watchlist you secretly wanted.
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Short reviews from the PlayNext desk, based on the episodes we processed.
A lively early forecast where franchise uncertainty keeps the top 10 arguing.
Rachel Wagner, Maude, and David Rosen turn summer box-office forecasting into a buoyant annual exercise, sorting a 24-film shortlist into four honorable mentions and a top 10.
A loose, candid comparison that keeps returning to the racing.
Rachel Wagner and Amanda use The Blind Spot Project to line up 2013's Rush with the new theatrical Formula One release, and the episode settles comfortably into a conversational compare-and-contrast.
A film-talk episode that blends criticism, freelance reality, and the changing role of influencers.
Rachel's Reviews uses this Female Film Critics Panel episode to center Kit Stone's path into film criticism and the work around it. The opening stays light, with a friendly chat about Hallmark movies and how the hosts connected online, before turning to Stone's long interest in…
Rare early drama, argued and performed.
Odd lives, sharp tangents, no straight path.
Shakespeare, traced through the wider world.
Rachel and her friend Will preview the Toronto International Film Festival, discussing selected films and their excitement for the event.
The hosts discuss the movie Fight Club, with one host watching it for the first time and sharing reactions.
The host discusses her recent movie watching, including covering every film she saw at Sundance, and opens the floor for audience questions.
Host Rachel interviews film critic Kit Stone on the Female Film Critics Panel.
Film critics Rachel Wagner and Amanda compare two Formula One racing movies: the new blockbuster F1 starring Brad Pitt and the 2013 drama Rush.
Rachel Wagner, Cohen, and Jax review the Hadestown pro shot, which reunites five principal performers from the original production and plays in theaters for one week.
Rachel and Terry discuss Rachel’s Southern Utah trip, the Utah Shakespeare Festival, recent films, theater, and the 20th week of Friday Flicks.
Rachel Wagner and film critic Josh Terry review Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey, an adaptation involving Odysseus's ten-year journey home, the Trojan War, and encounters such as the Cyclops.
Rachel Wagner, Sarah Cohen, and Terry review Evil Dead Burn, Gayle Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass, My Neighbor Totoro, The Invite, and the live-action Moana remake.
Rachel Wagner, Stanford and Jonathan North rank 13 Toy Story properties on Talking Disney Classics episode 118, including six feature films, TV specials, Buzz Lightyear of Star Command and several short-form series.
Rachel Wagner, Sarah Cohen and Cade Peterson review the July 4th weekend releases Young Washington and Minions and Monsters in Rachel's Friday Flicks Ep 17, and all three come away positive.
Rachel Wagner's Blind Spot Project covers the 1992 comedy House Sitter, which she calls one of her most successful picks after disliking Beverly Hills Cop, the first Lethal Weapon, and Slapshot.
Rachel and her film critic friends discuss and review the weekend's new movie releases.
This episode discusses ranking Disney food-themed movies and creating menus for an immersive dining experience called Cinebites, inspired by events like fork and film.
This episode features a discussion about the musical 'The Last Five Years,' focusing on differing interpretations of the characters Kathy and Jamie, sparked by a previous podcast tangent.
Film critic Rachel Wagner and guests discuss upcoming weekend movie releases, including obscure picks, in this episode of Friday Flicks.
Host Rachel interviews fellow female film critic Kit Stone about her journey into film criticism and love for movies.
Rachel Wagner, Maude, and David Rosen rank 2026 summer films by expected box-office performance, using a 24-film shortlist to select four honorable mentions and a top ten.
The host interviews Camille, a Wicked superfan who has seen the musical 30 times, discussing her first experience with the original Broadway cast in 2004.
Film critic Grace Wagner and co-host discuss the 1987 film Predator as part of a series exploring movies they haven't seen before.