Critical Darlings
Hosted by Alison and Richard · Blank Check Productions
4.8from 277 ratings
- 39
- Episodes
- 19
- Transcribed
- 277
- Ratings
- Daily
- Cadence
- 2026
- First episode
About Critical Darlings
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!
- Publisher
- Blank Check Productions
- Category
- society & culture · tv & film
- Language
- en
- Explicit
- Yes
- First episode
- 1 Jan 2026
- Latest episode
- 17 Sept 2026
Latest episodes
19 of 39 episodes have a transcript.
17 Sept 2026TRANSCRIPT
A Critical Darlings Mailbag
10 Sept 2026TRANSCRIPT
“Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma” And Video Store Nostalgia
3 Sept 2026TRANSCRIPT
“Coyote Vs. Acme” And The Great Ketchup Rescue (With Connor Ratliff)
Inside a recent episode
A Critical Darlings Mailbag
Published 17 Sept 2026 · Transcript excerpt
[…] Just to deepen our parasocial relationship, I was wondering what movie opinion do you hold that might surprise your co-hosts or producer? I mean, surprise is hard because Allison and I at least have known each other for a long time. Yeah, I know. Like, I think Allison knows I think Collateral Beauty is good. What? I mean, I reviewed it as such. Like, it's out there in the world. That opinion is out there. I feel like... That is less, like, delightful. That's crazy. Yeah, yeah. That's less delightful to me than your love for Empire of Light, though, I will say, which we have discussed on this podcast. […]
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See plansWho has been a guest on Critical Darlings
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
- Connor Ratliff
- Jaya Saxena
- Matt Singer
- Josh Gondelman
- Griffin Newman
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
- Apple Podcasts (US)
- 4.8 / 5
- 277 ratings
Pitching Critical Darlings
- Guest appearances
- Books guests
Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting pitches.
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Questions about Critical Darlings
Who hosts Critical Darlings?
Alison and Richard host the show. Published by Blank Check Productions.
How often do new episodes come out?
The show publishes daily, based on its RSS feed.
Does Critical Darlings take guests?
Yes. Guests have been identified in episode analyses.
Where can I read transcripts?
19 of 39 episodes have a transcript on Pod Engine. Full transcripts are available with a Pod Engine plan.
Host of Critical Darlings?
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