x

75% of people globally want unbiased news (Pew Research) but are concerned they're not getting that.

Get balanced coverage with Symby. See how stories are covered across diverse outlets and spot when one side covers a story the other skips.

PODCAST

The Couch Critics

The Couch Critics

The Couch Critics is your laid-back guide to movies and TV shows that deserve your attention—or maybe don’t. Nathan, along with a rotating door of eclectic co-hosts, dives deep into storytelling, character development, and cinematic style with a sharp eye and a wry sense of humor. Whether it’s a blockbuster hit, a hidden gem, or a cult classic, Nathan’s relatable approach ensures every episode feels like a cozy chat with a friend who just happens to love film. Perfect for casual watchers and

tv & film film reviews

All Episodes

19:36

Scrooge's Musical Redemption: A 1970 Christmas...

The Couch Critics ·

2025/05/27

"Send us a Text!" Dickens' immortal tale of redemption takes center stage as Nathan and Katy dive into the 1970 musical adaptation "Scrooge," starring Albert Finney and Alec Guinness. What unfolds is a fascinating contrast in perspectives that perfectly captures why some Christmas classics resonate differently across audiences. Nathan lights up with pure theatre-kid enthusiasm for this song-filled spectacle, confessing he'd never actually watched it all the way through before. The musical el...

en-us

10:52

When Premonitions Skip Generations: Is Final...

The Couch Critics ·

2025/05/25

"Send us a Text!" Death has a new bloodline, and after 14 years, the Final Destination franchise returns with a twist that attempts to tie the entire series together. What happens when a grandmother who cheated death in the 1950s passes her visions to her granddaughter decades later? The answer stretches the already flexible logic of this horror franchise to new limits. "Final Destination: Bloodlines" breaks new ground by connecting generations through death's design. Beginning with a length...

en-us

8:55

The Santa Claus Nobody Asked For

The Couch Critics ·

2025/05/20

"Send us a Text!" Missing the magic but packed with '80s nostalgia, the 1985 film "Santa Claus" takes center stage in this solo episode of The Couch Critic. Your host Nathan dives into this peculiar Christmas movie that Katy wisely opted to skip, and for good reason! What begins as an apparent retelling of the St. Nicholas legend quickly spirals into one of the strangest Christmas films you've probably never seen. With David Huddleston as the titular character, the film boasts an impressive ...

en-us

13:18

From Rollercoasters to Racetracks: Ranking the Final...

The Couch Critics ·

2025/05/17

"Send us a Text!" Death always has a plan. With a sixth installment of the Final Destination franchise on the horizon after a 14-year absence, it's the perfect time to revisit the series that made us afraid of everyday activities from flying to roller coasters. Join me as I rank all five existing Final Destination films from best to worst. Surprisingly, the original doesn't claim the top spot - that honor goes to Final Destination 3, with its unforgettable roller coaster sequence and solid p...

en-us

24:01

Love Actually: All the Ways We Connect

The Couch Critics ·

2025/05/13

"Send us a Text!" Hugh Grant dancing through 10 Downing Street. Emma Thompson crying to Joni Mitchell. A young boy dashing through airport security for love. These iconic moments from "Love Actually" have cemented its place in holiday movie history, but does this ensemble romantic comedy truly deliver on its premise about love? We tackle this star-studded film that follows eight interconnected love stories during the Christmas season, from the Prime Minister falling for his staff member to a...

en-us

8:26

Beyond the Asterisk: Unpacking Marvel's Thunderbolts*

The Couch Critics ·

2025/05/10

"Send us a Text!" Marvel fans rejoice! We're diving deep into "Thunderbolts*" (or should we say "The New Avengers"?) on this episode of Cinema Saturdays. After several divisive post-Endgame releases, has Marvel finally found its footing again with this ragtag team of morally ambiguous characters? Join host Nathan and special guest Elizabeth as they break down what makes this final Phase 5 film stand out from recent MCU offerings. David Harbour's Red Guardian emerges as the comedic MVP, bring...

en-us

20:11

Lights and Rivalry: A Suburban Christmas Tale

The Couch Critics ·

2025/05/06

"Send us a Text!" Holiday rivalries reach new heights in "Deck the Halls," where Christmas spirit becomes a battleground between two suburban dads determined to outdo each other. Matthew Broderick brilliantly portrays Steve Finch, the town's self-proclaimed "Christmas guy" whose meticulously planned holiday traditions leave little room for spontaneity. When Danny DeVito's character Buddy Hall moves in across the street with dreams of making his house visible from space through an extravagant ...

en-us

9:52

Until Dawn: From PlayStation to Silver Screen - A...

The Couch Critics ·

2025/05/03

"Send us a Text!" Horror movies live and die by our connection to their characters. Why should we fear for people we don't care about? This fundamental challenge haunts Sony Pictures' latest video game adaptation "Until Dawn," a time-loop thriller that struggles to make us invest in its imperiled teens. Based on the acclaimed 2015 PlayStation game, this adaptation follows friends trapped in a deadly cycle where mysterious entities hunt them down in increasingly gruesome ways. They must survi...

en-us

20:57

Beyond Flying Cars: Revisiting a Family Classic

The Couch Critics ·

2025/04/29

"Send us a Text!" Remember that magical car that could fly, float, and bring families together? "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" zooms back into our hearts as we revisit this 1968 musical fantasy classic starring the incomparable Dick Van Dyke. What we discovered might surprise you – did you know this whimsical children's tale was penned by Ian Fleming, creator of James Bond? This unexpected literary connection adds a fascinating layer to a film many of us cherished growing up. At a substantial 2 h...

en-us

11:03

When Mystery Screenings Go Wrong: The Legend of Ochi...

The Couch Critics ·

2025/04/26

"Send us a Text!" Cinematic mystery boxes can yield treasures or disappointments – and this week, Nathan unpacks a decidedly strange Screen Unseen experience with A24's "The Legend of Ochi." This peculiar PG-rated creature feature stars Willem Dafoe, Emily Watson, and Finn Wolfhard in a tale about a shy village girl who discovers a wounded baby creature and embarks on a quest to return it home. What starts as an intriguing premise quickly unravels into narrative confusion. Nathan breaks down...

en-us

10:20

Unraveling the Legacy of Meet Me in St. Louis:...

The Couch Critics ·

2025/04/22

"Send us a Text!" Meet Me in St. Louis sparks a fascinating debate about what truly constitutes a Christmas movie. Does a film need to center around the holiday itself, or is it enough that Christmas simply occurs within the narrative? This vibrant MGM masterpiece from 1944 follows the Smith family through four seasons in turn-of-the-century St. Louis, culminating in a poignant Christmas segment that forever changed holiday music. The unquestionable star is Judy Garland, whose musical talent...

en-us

6:44

Batman Under the Red Hood: A Comic Fan's Review

The Couch Critics ·

2025/04/19

"Send us a Text!" Gotham's darkest secrets resurface in "Batman Under the Red Hood" as a mysterious vigilante forces the Dark Knight to confront his greatest failure. This week on Cinema Saturdays, we explore this emotional DC animated feature that brings one of Batman's most tragic storylines to life. What happens when Batman's moral code is challenged by someone who knows his methods all too well? The Red Hood's arrival in Gotham reopens old wounds and brings buried memories into the light...

en-us

20:34

Bells Still Ring: The Cultural Legacy of The Polar...

The Couch Critics ·

2025/04/16

"Send us a Text!" The Polar Express stands as a landmark in animation history – the very first full-length computer motion capture film, earning a place in the Guinness Book of World Records alongside other Tom Hanks pioneering projects like Toy Story. Twenty years since its release, hosts Nathan and Katy analyze whether this Christmas classic holds up or falls into the uncanny valley. Katy shares her deep personal connection to the story, explaining how both the original book and film bring...

en-us

15:41

Gaming Meets Hollywood: The Minecraft Movie Surprise

The Couch Critics ·

2025/04/12

"Send us a Text!" Unexpected joy from unlikely places - that's what this week's Cinema Saturday episode delivers as we dive into the surprisingly entertaining world of The Minecraft Movie. When I first saw the trailer, my expectations couldn't have been lower. A movie based on a video game with no real storyline? It seemed destined for the pile of forgettable video game adaptations. What I discovered instead was a genuinely fun cinematic experience that captures the spirit of randomness and ...

en-us

12:01

Fred Claus: When Santa's Sibling Comes to Town

The Couch Critics ·

2025/04/11

"Send us a Text!" Christmas movies should warm our hearts and inspire holiday spirit, but do they all deliver? My long-awaited review of "Fred Claus" finally arrives, exploring whether this Vince Vaughn and Paul Giamatti vehicle deserves a place in your holiday rotation. What happens when Santa's bitter older brother reluctantly joins the North Pole operation? On paper, this premise sounds promising—a fresh take on Christmas mythology through complicated family dynamics. Unfortunately, the e...

en-us

15:08

From Mafia to Messiah: Reviewing Alto Knights and The...

The Couch Critics ·

2025/04/05

"Send us a Text!" From the gritty streets of mob-controlled New York to the dusty roads of first-century Jerusalem, this week's double feature takes us through vastly different cinematic worlds with surprising results. Robert De Niro's "Alto Knights" promised to be a quintessential mafia film with the legendary actor taking on dual roles as crime bosses Frank and Vito. While the prosthetics and visual differentiation between characters impressed, the film ultimately delivers a lukewarm exper...

en-us

13:13

Paint Cans, Blowtorches, and VHS Tapes: The Home...

The Couch Critics ·

2025/04/01

"Send us a Text!" Christmas movies come in many forms, from the overtly festive to those that merely use the holiday as a backdrop for their storytelling. Home Alone, the 1990 classic starring Macaulay Culkin as the resourceful Kevin McAllister, falls somewhere in the middle of that spectrum – a film so deeply associated with Christmas that it's become a holiday tradition, yet one that could theoretically work in any season. Revisiting this beloved film through adult eyes reveals fascinating...

en-us

25:48

From Classic to Controversial: Deconstructing...

The Couch Critics ·

2025/03/29

"Send us a Text!" Disney's latest attempt to refresh their animated classics crashes headlong into the pitfalls of modernization with the Snow White remake. What should have been a loving tribute to the film that built the Disney empire instead becomes a cautionary tale about straying too far from what made the original magical. The fundamental disconnect begins with the characterization of Snow White herself. As Katy astutely observes, "Beauty and strength don't have to all look like shouti...

en-us

19:42

Holy Holiday Letdown, Batman!

The Couch Critics ·

2025/03/25

"Send us a Text!" What happens when you combine Batman, Christmas, and Tim Burton's gothic sensibilities? The answer might disappoint you, as we discovered in our latest deep dive into Batman Returns (1992). After welcoming back fan-favorite co-host Katy to the show, we examine this supposed Christmas classic featuring Michael Keaton, Michelle Pfeiffer, Danny DeVito, and Christopher Walken. While the star-studded cast initially promised greatness, the execution left much to be desired. Katy,...

en-us

20:27

The Seven Dwarfs, the Wicked Queen, and the Moral...

The Couch Critics ·

2025/03/22

"Send us a Text!" Walt Disney's groundbreaking 1937 animated masterpiece, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, stands as a cornerstone of cinematic history—but does its simplicity still resonate in our complex modern world? I journey back to where Disney feature animation began to rediscover what made this fairy tale so powerful and enduring. The film's straightforward moral framework—good versus evil with true love conquering all—creates a perfect vehicle for its timeless message. Watching with...

en-us

308 results

Similar Podcasts

BEHIND THE VELVET ROPE

David Yontef

Nerd Culture - A Gamekings Podcast

Blammo Media

UPodcast

UPodcast

The Writers Hangout

Sandy Adomaitis

The Sarah Fraser Show

Sarah Fraser