UK Film Review Podcast

In this second part, we continue our exploration of The Films of Hayao Miyazaki , focusing on what many regard as the peak of his career and his later, possibly final, works. We begin with one of the most acclaimed films of the 21st century, Spirited Away (2001) , before moving through Howl’s Moving Castle (2004) , Ponyo (2008) , The Wind Rises (2013) , and The Boy and the Heron (2023) . We start by discussing how Spirited Away became one of the greatest films of all time and earned Miyazaki his first Academy Award. We explore its themes of consumerism and capitalism, the meaning of No-Face, and why the film may not resonate with every viewer. Next, we turn to the Academy Award-nominated Howl’s Moving Castle , considering how it became Miyazaki’s artistic response to the Iraq War and how he adapted Diana Wynne Jones’s novel for the screen. Ponyo marks a return to childhood innocence and hand-drawn animation, prompting us to ask whether it may be Miyazaki’s most visually beautiful film. We then consider whether The Wind Rises is an overlooked work and perhaps his most personal film. Finally, we end with The Boy and the Heron , the film that won Miyazaki his second Academy Award. We discuss whether it has the best English dub of any Miyazaki film, why he returned from retirement, and whether it could be his final feature. We close by considering why Miyazaki’s films remain so enduring and beloved, and how his ideas have evolved from 1979 to 2023. Once again, we hope you’ll join us for this concluding part of The Films of Hayao Miyazaki . Head to our official website for the latest film reviews . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

UKFR film critic James Learoyd interviews Isabel Moir, who is one of the programmers at this year's BFI London Film Festival. Offering incredible insight into the inner workings of the LFF, Isabel chats to James about all manner of aspects surrounding the biggest film festival in the UK. Find out more about this year's London Film Festival below: https://www.ukfilmreview.co.uk/post/top-films-to-see-at-the-70th-bfi-london-film-festival Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Join “The Films Of… “ crew and UK Film Review critics James Learoyd and Callum Ewing, along with special co-host Tom Manning, as they analyse and discuss one of cinema’s most famous and influential directors: Hayao Miyazaki. In this first part, we explore how Miyazaki’s upbringing shaped recurring themes in his films, from environmentalism and aviation to societies that turn machines into weapons of war. Beginning with The Castle of Cagliostro (1979) , we move through his filmography, including Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984) , Castle in the Sky (1986) , My Neighbour Totoro (1988) , Kiki’s Delivery Service (1989) , and Porco Rosso (1992) , before concluding part one with Princess Mononoke (1997) . The episode traces Miyazaki’s journey from animator at Toei Animation, where he met Isao Takahata, to co-founding Studio Ghibli with him and later influencing Western animation. We also discuss his approach to female protagonists such as Nausicaä and San, his creation of complex antagonists, and how the concept of ma — silence and space — shapes the pacing of his films. We examine how Miyazaki adapted the manga and TV series he had worked on into The Castle of Cagliostro , how Frank Herbert’s Dune inspired Nausicaä , and how a trip to Wales influenced Castle in the Sky . We also cover why My Neighbour Totoro struggled at the box office before becoming a merchandising phenomenon, how Miyazaki moved from producing to directing Kiki’s Delivery Service , how the war in Yugoslavia shaped the tone of Porco Rosso , and how Princess Mononoke became one of Japan’s biggest films. Through this first part we hope longtime fans and newcomers can sit back and relax whilst appreciating one of the master of cinema. Remember to head to the UK Film Review website for the latest movie reviews . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this horror film podcast, Rachel and her guest discuss the 1985 film Come and See . Synopsis: After finding a rifle, a Belarusian teenager joins Soviet partisans in World War II and is swept into the harrowing realities of Nazi occupation. For more of the latest movie reviews , head to the UK Film Review website. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 42 of the UK Film Club Podcast hosted by film critics Chris Olson and Brian Penn. In this episode, we have the latest movie reviews , including: Cinema Films The End of Oak Street Spider-Man: Brand New Day film review Tony film review Streaming Pick The Last House Indie Films OPEN A EYE, Season 1 The Reality Experiment PAYN The Orchard Dark Side Of Night Another Way The Quiet Ocean Noblestone Nostalgia Pick Jerry Maguire - SHOW ME THE MONEY! Digital marketing provided by Olson Digital Marketing Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this horror film podcast episode, host Rachel of The Scream Test has finally watched the 2001 R-rated horror film Jason X. Jason Voorhees is cryogenically frozen at the beginning of the 21st century, and is discovered in the 25th century and taken to space. He gets thawed, and begins stalking and killing the crew of the spaceship that's transporting him. Directed by James Isaac. Find out what Rachel thought! And remember to head to our website for the latest movie reviews . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Content Warning: Adult themes, sexual assault and drug use/addition. This episode was recorded back in March, but still feels current - Amber and Joyce discuss Kristen Stewart's directorial debut, The Chronology of Water. Another gorgeous LGBTQ+ film that posits nature at the heart of experience. They look into the depths of visual storytelling, consider when arthouse could go too far, explore fragments of memory, and celebrate how queerness on screen can be subtly beautiful. Remember to head to the UK Film Review website for more of the latest movie reviews and newest film trailers . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Part 2 of our special episode on The Films of Christopher Nolan to celebrate the release of The Odyssey. Read our The Odyssey film review and head to our website for the latest movie reviews and more from our film podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Part 1 of The Films of Christopher Nolan episode, hosted by James Learoyd and Callum Ewing. A timely episode following our The Odyssey film review in which our critic gave it 5 stars. Head to our website for the latest movie reviews and more from our film podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this popular movie review podcast, we have the latest film reviews from Brian Penn and Chris Olson. In cinemas, we review: The Odyssey The Invite Animal Farm Our Streaming Pick this month is Nothing to Lose, a new French film on Netflix. Our Indie Film Reviews include: The Inventurers Fairyland The Musical Existence Zero (Esistenza Zero) SkullHunter The Goose That Laid the Golden Egg Rooted Out - Chapter 1 "Shade" Girl in the Refrigerator Spades Our Nostalgia Pick is a Christopher Nolan gem - find out by listening :) Website Design and SEO provided by Olson Digital Marketing . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Part 4 of The Films of Steven Spielberg special episode, with the movies from Munich to Disclosure Day. Remember to view the latest movies at UK Film Review and check out all our incredible film reviews. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Part 3 of The Films of Steven Spielberg special, looking at Schindlers List to War of the Worlds. Remember to head to the UK Film Review website for the latest movies . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Horror film podcast The Scream Test is back with a new episode, this time posing the question: Can Ghosts Have Feelings? Remember to head to the official UK Film Review website for the latest movie reviews . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Part 2 of our Steven Spielberg special episode of The Films Of Podcast. From E.T. to Jurassic Park. Remember to head to our website for the latest film reviews . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Part 1 of the Films of Spielberg special podcast. From Duel to Raiders of the Lost Ark. Remember to subscribe to the UK Film Review Podcast for more episodes of The Films Of, as well as our other shows. For the latest film reviews , head to the official UK Film Review website - https://www.ukfilmreview.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this latest episode of the UK Film Club Podcast, we have the latest movie reviews including: Disclosure Day Savage House Toy Story 5 Our Netflix movie review is: USA 94: Brazil's Return to Glory Our indie film reviews include: Cage Rage Zombucha! Serena Boss of the Ballet Starmaker Remember to head to the UK Film Review website for more movie madness. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to another special edition of the UK Film Review Podcast . In this episode, titled Cannes Film Festival 2026, host and film critic Chris Olson sits down with resident critic Jack Salvadori, who has just returned from the Croisette. The 79th edition of the Cannes Film Festival proved to be a thoroughly complicated affair, and Jack brings his characteristically candid, unfiltered insights straight from the cinema halls of France to our listeners. The conversation begins with what Jack fiercely defends as the absolute best film of Cannes 2026: El Ser Querido (The Beloved) . Directed by Rodrigo Sorogoyen, the film marked the director's confident, precise arrival in Official Competition. Jack walks Chris through how the film rests entirely on the monumental shoulders of Javier Bardem, who delivers one of the finest performances of his career as Esteban Martínez, a legendary, Oscar-winning filmmaker returning to Spain to shoot a colonial-era desert epic. However, beneath the cinematic grandeur lies an intimate family drama regarding Esteban's attempt to reconnect with his estranged daughter, Emilia, played by Victoria Luengo. Jack highlights Sorogoyen's mastery of tension and restraint, particularly in how he shifts the atmospheric temperature from comedy to psychological terror in an instant, creating an emotionally layered masterpiece that should have taken the festival's top prize. The discussion then turns to the historic presence of queer cinema at the festival, spearheaded by Los Javis' latest offering in Official Competition, La Bola Negra . Earning a strong four-star review from Jack, the film is framed as an epic of desire, memory, and inherited trauma. Spanning two-and-a-half hours, the Spanish directing duo weaves three parallel narratives across different time periods to explore how the spectre of the Spanish Civil War and generational repression bleed into the present day. From triumphs, Chris and Jack pivot to the film that actually did take home the coveted Palme d'Or: Fjord , directed by Cristian Mungiu. In a less positive review, Jack expresses his intense frustration with the festival jury's decision, describing the film as a monument to mediocrity that never remotely earns its prestige. Set in a remote Norwegian town, Fjord follows a deeply religious Romanian family whose five children are suddenly separated from them by local child welfare services following allegations of physical abuse. While praising Sebastian Stan's impressively restrained and believable performance as the exhausted patriarch, Jack argues that Mungiu's social critique is surprisingly one-dimensional. Next, the critics look at Pawel Pawlikowski's highly anticipated return after seven years with Fatherland . Shot in immaculate, austere black and white, the film feels like the final movement in an unofficial trilogy that began with Ida and Cold War. Set in 1949, the narrative follows Nobel Prize-winning author Thomas Mann, played with weary grandeur by Hans Zischler, as he returns from American exile to a physically and ideologically shattered Germany to receive the Goethe Prize. Finally, Jack shares his joy over the ultimate dark horse of the festival: Club Kid . Written, directed by, and starring Jordan Firstman alongside Cara Delevingne, this charming A24-acquired comedy became the word-of-mouth sensation whispered about in the Palais queues. Firstman plays Peter, a chaotic, forty-year-old party promoter whose perpetual adolescence is shattered when a sharp ten-year-old boy from London arrives on his doorstep, revealing himself to be the son Peter never knew he had. Jack commends the film for its effortless humour, emotional sincerity, and unapologetically queer perspective that never feels ornamental. It is an uplifting note to end on, proving that cinematic discovery is still possible amidst the politics of Cannes. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rachel explores The Amityville Horror on the podcast this month. The Amityville haunting is a modern folk story based on the true crimes of Ronald DeFeo Jr. On November 13, 1974, DeFeo shot and killed six members of his family at 112 Ocean Avenue, Amityville, on the south shore of Long Island. He was convicted of second-degree murder in November 1975. The Scream Test is a dedicated horror-focused segment of the UK Film Review Podcast . Hosted by film critic Rachel Pullen, the show dives deep into classic, mainstream, and indie horror cinema. Remember to head to the official UK Film Review website for the latest movie reviews . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Part 2 of our Meryl Streep episode - looking at the best films starring the acting icon. Remember to head to our website for the latest movie reviews . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

James and Callum are back with another movie podcast episode, and this one was way too big for just one show. So enjoy Part 1 of The Films of Meryl Streep. Remember to head to the UK Film Review website for the latest movie reviews . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.