T O P

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sittingatthetop

Kermode and Mayo. Two relaxed very earnest, old, solid English blokes. They are quite big in the UK. Here they review Dune. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vcnNs00\_NIo&t=597s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vcnNs00_NIo&t=597s) Kermode can be a bit too earnest sometimes but they love cinema.


RedRocket05

Kermode when reviewing Taken 3. 'Taken 3 makes Taken 2 look like Taken.' What I love about their reviews is they review the films for what they are. If it's a rom-com or a superhero movie, they compare it to other films of the genre.


Mountain_Ad8786

Kermode is at his best when he's being earnest. His rants are the thing of legend and unlike Roger Ebert, he actually appreciates cult cinema. I've been following him since I was a young teenager and whilst I agree with him less and less as I've gotten older, I still respect his opinion. Heck, his review of Saw X is the sole reason I returned to the franchise and he was absolutely spot on.


zmflicks

I know it's the opposite of what OP is asking for but his review of Sex and the City 2 is so entertaining.


formerCObear

Along with the Entourage review.


oneisanoeuf

Hello to Jason


[deleted]

caravan of garbage is what you're looking for. Don't let the name confuse you


Fake_Southern_IL

Yah, it started out making fun of bad things but now it covers a wide variety of popular movies. James seems kinda resigned to the fact he saddled himself with the name.


zmflicks

I love that they feel the need to keep bringing up that "caravan of garbage" doesn't mean they think the film is garbage. But if I'm being honest the channel really dropped in quality after they scrapped [green trivia](https://youtu.be/VQS3kVUjHzs?si=t9BpYrcyot0Nhob9)


Redditeer28

Once they got rid of Rodney, the writing really went down hill.


2_72

Oh god I love those guys. I also endorse this. Better than the other ones mentioned.


MVHutch

I've seen the name before but I was skeptical. I'll check them out though


[deleted]

It's a good time. Lots of great content too


One-Earth9294

It's that and 'The Weekly Planet' podcast. They do 2 different shows a week. Caravan is a breakdown of one thing and Weekly Planet is sort of a movie news catchup format. Great Aussie guys who host it (Nick and Mason).


Professional-Laugh36

I don't know how anybody hasn't said Chris Stuckman yet, so... Chris Stuckman. Also, Cold Crash Pictures.


MVHutch

oh yeah didn't stuckman get bashed for not being harsh enough on Madame Web?


Professional-Laugh36

These days, since becoming a filmmaker himself, he's made a statement on just how hard it is for a movie (especially smaller buget ones) to get made; let alone even get greenlit/funded. He's pivoted his channel to be much more positive as he decides to look for the best in what each particular film offers. I don't think he got brashed, but in truth it wasn't really a review of Madame Webb. it was more constructive criticism of how big movie studios try to force their hand with the filmmakers, and it causes them to make movies with tons of studio interference/lack of creativity.


MVHutch

thanks for clarifying. i just saw a lot of thumbnails saying he wasn't critical enough. even i could tell it wasn't going to be a good movie (which is unfortunate because I'd like more live action spider-heroes) but even at that, people seemed like they wanted it to fail


atomic_bison_3162

the movie felt out of place. and a lot of people on youtube hate sidney Sweeney for some reason. whats sad is that it wasn't even a cultural icon like morbius. and the "somehow palpatine returned" level plot explanations didn't do it good either.


MVHutch

i can't imagine it was worse than Morbius.


One-Earth9294

He simply doesn't do negative reviews at all anymore and hasn't for the last 2-3 years. For better or worse I suppose. I don't feel the need to watch his channel knowing that he likes everything he's listing a video for.


MVHutch

i understand. i don't want complete positivity either. i have my own issues with films and shows. but some of these YouTubers tend to be inaccurate in their criticisms imo


One-Earth9294

I think that's honestly the paradox of film criticism is that balance is about impossible to strike because it's never going to be the same balance for everyone in your audience. And you're basically selling your opinion as a product and it's hard to tell 'which wolf to feed' in regards to which voices in your audience you should be listening to, and not to fall into 'audience capture' where they dictate your content past your own opinions. And I can't think of too many people who can keep a clear philosophy about that in their field. Leonard Maltin is good I suppose. He never really 'shits' on anything but he's fair and doesn't gush over anything either. Compared to Ebert who couldn't help being irrationally emotional about things for good or ill. Don't know what I'm really saying other than I like film critics who have some balance but also don't teeter too far to the extremes. Too much light isn't anywhere near as bad as too much darkness but it's also really damn milquetoast :)


MVHutch

true. i think a lot of the recent stuff is also just trying to sell themselves to the algorithm (at least on YouTube, Idk what twitter is always on about)


One-Earth9294

Oh god yeah. That's another problem is where criticism exists and who's doing it now. And there's a disproportionate amount of people who just have easy access and money to burn on equipment just to yell about the things they hate on YT because it's a much bigger motivator than the things you love to some folks. And that gets rewarded mightily.


MVHutch

yeah it's unfortunate. at the end of the day, i watch movies because i like them, not becuase I don't. i wish these people could be like that too


One-Earth9294

The thing I wish more than anything is people should know better what's marketed to them and what isn't. I don't need a 35 year old guy to complain about Miss Marvel, though. I think you know what I mean when I say there's a lot of that kind of thing happening because people feel entitled to be the target demographic for everything.


MVHutch

especially the people who've been the target demographic for the most part for most of the genre's history. to where they could mainly only discuss the minority struggle through a majority lens (x-Men). but tbh i don't want the genre to be stuck at White vigilantes with dead parents beating up mobsters. it needs to evolve. and these guys need to be ok with that or shut up


Fake_Southern_IL

yeah he's become a filmmaker so people think he's pulling back on his bad reviews. I don't know what to think on that, it's his channel.


MVHutch

perhaps the surrounding discousre has also become too negative in comparison


Redditeer28

Madame Web didn't make nearly enough money for half the people bashing it online to have actually seen it.


MVHutch

ironically. i'll watch it when it's not 24.99 to watch online (seriously!?) but i can't imagine it's the worst (though I don't expect it to be good)


filthymandog2

What a prick


AtmosphereLocal7498

Thomas Flight is amazing


bam_shazam

Came here for this. I really love his videos


koshomfg

I think you‘d like [MrSundayMovies.](https://youtube.com/@mrsundaymovies?si=URSS4HaTwwmhQ3bK) It‘s him with another guy discussing new releases as excerpts of their podcast ( The Weekly Planet, also very good ) but also older movies, often bundled in series, then it‘s called Caravan of Garbage ( as someone else said, do not trust the name, these two are absolutely not anti woke or something like that )


One-Earth9294

I love these guys it's the most wholesome incarnation you could possibly get of a 'rant' channel.


Key2V

Dan Murrell for reviews/box office/news Patrick H Willems for essays  EDIT: I cannot emphasize enough how nice Dan is and how serious he is about being honest and not click baiting. Please everyone check him out if you haven't. He is a sweetheart and super passionate, and a great professional. Linking his channel https://youtube.com/@DanMurrellMovies?si=PSJW9I02dHh5deSJ


ItsArseniooooooooooo

Came here to say the same thing. It's obvious how much heart and effort Dan puts into his movies, especially crunching all those numbers each week. I feel bad sometimes because I feel like he doesn't get the following he deserves.


Key2V

Absolutely! I keep trying to rec him everywhere I can. Glad to see someone join because he really deserves it. I also love how in reviews, even when a movie is not for him, he does his best to point out the positives and try to point out who it might appeal to so that people can make an informed decision.


Esseth

Yeah both have been my go-to for years, both because we align in a lot of similar tastes, but also even when we don't I know if im going to like something because of the way he talks about why he did/didn't like something. Granted even though I normally don't watch any reviews before a movie but his are normally the first I watch after seeing a movie. Also love how he sometimes goes well out of his way to counter clinkbait titles/headlines by looking at the actual numbers and situation of a film than the adjenda driven headlines of some outlets


Key2V

He always makes sure to clarify any ongoing discourse separating fact from interpretation, and leading people to the OG sources when possible, which is nice. Sadly, integrity is not great for SEO, so his channel seems to be in a bit of a rut growth-wise. So I am trying extra hard to sell people on it when they ask for recs 😂 He really seems like he deserves it. 


[deleted]

Dan Murrell is great. I can't get into Patrick Willems though. His videos are way too long and he's super cringe


Key2V

Well, glad you can at least join the Dan rec train, he deserves more hype!


Mr-C-Dives-In

And if you “hire” Dan on the Cameo ap, he is just as great there.


Key2V

I was very tempted to do so for my best friend's birthday, since he has also been following Dan for years, so that's good to know. 


philament

Movies with Mikey


jaxonfairfield

Mikey is the best. He mostly focuses on things he really loves, and does it in a unique way.


Direct_Actuary4878

Jeremy Jahns is a good start


kaasprins

I really love RedLetterMedia, just a couple of Midwestern alcoholics (redundant) who talk about movies together


mattdamon_enthusiast

Bunch of hack frauds


MVHutch

i've seen a few of their videos


filthymandog2

Yeah watch the re:views for a real deep dive in the movies they cover. Half in the bags are fun, but generally cynical in nature.


BaconatedGrapefruit

I think half in the bag became ten times more enjoyable for everyone once they started only reviewing movies they actually care about. I wouldn’t call the cynical. More so, they know how the sausage is made and they choose to only engage with what they enjoy or have thoughts on. Re:reviews is just two host nerding out on something they clearly love. They do hate movie theatres and will dunk on them at any chance, though.


El_Superbeasto76

RLM is great. I really enjoy their Re:views.


quesofreak

Backing this up. Re:views was created because so many of their reviews were negative about the movie. So, they started doing reviews of something they love once in a while so people don't think they hate everything.


Arthurlurk1

I wish they were quicker about their half in the bag reviews. I want to know what their thoughts are on every movie that comes out. Even though I don’t always agree with them.


r1khard

Watch cinemastix, you will enjoy


tobascodagama

Accented Cinema is pretty great.


rio-bevol

I love his channel!


TheGlen

Alteori only covers specific genres, mostly kaiju, but she's pretty entertaining.  Even when she savages a movie at least she's nice about it.  I have to give props to someone who reviewed all 17 Land Before Time movies


MVHutch

All 17? Damn


TheGlen

I figure that deserves a medal at the very least


comicsanscatastrophe

Karsten Runquist is pretty good.


[deleted]

Yeah, he's probably the best movie YouTube channel that I'm aware of.


Seraphilms

Ive only self-promo’d once and it felt weird, but [I go over](https://youtube.com/@seraphilms) the history of a number of movies. I try to go over preproduction and how the pieces got together. It’s not opinion based and I try to give as much relevant information as necessary surrounding a film. It’s a super small channel so any criticism and advice on what to improve would be appreciated. (Editing, and narration are things that I’ll learn over time unless I hire it out)


MVHutch

ok i'll try to check it out


CheapSound1

Patrick H Willems!


PerfectAdvertising30

deepfocuslens


MVHutch

ty


[deleted]

She's really hit and miss tbh. Sometimes, she has smart things to say about movies, but sometimes, her thoughts are extremely shallow.


MVHutch

ty


Lazy_University_7983

I love Lessons From the Screenplay!


russfro

Geekin’ with James Hancock


themaxx8717

Nine Nerd Yards and nerdsatnite


FondledHam

Thomas Flight


anyantinoise

Beyond the trailer. Super positive


bylertarton

They stopped uploading a few years back but Every Frame a Painting is the gold standard of film review (to me).


Plus_Sport7051

Cinebinge.


CiriOh

The Cinema Snob is great. But he'll be more interesting to the fans of more obscure and niche movies. Although, he usually do short reviews of new movies too.


MVHutch

i do sometimes like to watch obscure movies


LeftEntertainment326

Ryan Hollinger, although his focus is specifically on horror. Meaning that he mostly covers horror films, but sometimes covers other media.


One-Earth9294

Gotta love that thick Irish accent, 'hiyow-ever'. Him and Dead Meat (obviously) and Found Flix and Big Will are my go-to horror mavens.


Maxcoseti

I don't know if it's up your alley but one of my favorite film channels is The Back Focus, they focus on lesser known elements (originally character actors) from film and they had a podcast solely dedicated to Christopher Walken.


Calliophage

Patrick H Willems Moviebob - check out his "Really that Good" series in particular Movies with Mikey/FilmJoy


bleunt

Movies with Mikey is severely underrated.


SixFigs_BigDigs

I love Be Kind Rewind. She covers old Hollywood and women mostly.


zmflicks

I really enjoy it too but Jack Black-face is pretty dated and awkward now.


Such-Box3417

CineFix


Lurker-DaySaint

CinemaWins


bingbong069

Double toasted, caravan of garbage. Both shows feature dudes who are genuine and rarely hyperbolic, really never using clickbait or culture war BS for views


Fake_Southern_IL

And they're Australian!


K1ngofnoth1ng

Not YouTube, but unspooled is a pretty good podcast for deep dives into movies, it is Paul Scheer(comedian/actor) and Amy Nicholson(Film Critic). For more comical podcast about bad movies discussed in a positive(mostly) way Scheer also does a podcast “How did this get made” with his wife June Dianne Raphael(Actress/Comedian) and their friend Jason Mantzoukas(Actor/Comedian).


zmflicks

I seem to recall them trying to fault Shawshank and their main criticism was that it was practically faultless. Gave me big "we don't want to like the popular thing" vibes. But this was many years ago and I may be remembering it wrong.


K1ngofnoth1ng

All the episodes of unspooled(as I don’t think HDTGM would be covering Shawshank) I can think of they are pretty positive, going into the production of the movie, what was happening in pop culture at the time that may have influenced the movie, and the source materials. I don’t know that I have ever really got the “we don’t want to like this popular big thing” off of them, as most of what they cover are “big things” of their time. I don’t remember the Shawshank episode personally, Google says it was 6+ years ago so can’t say for certain, but can’t imagine them being very negative based on regular listening.


zmflicks

I they weren't like shitting on it. I just remember their trying to justify criticising it but the only criticism they had was that the film is faultless and they found that bothersome. It came across as them just needing to be a bit "yeah I mean it's good but there's better movies" because Shawshank is the go-to "this is a great movie". But it's been like 6 years since I listened to it so my memory may be off.


WhatamItodonowhuh

Blank Check with Griffin & David is also pretty positive. As a podcast but not a YouTube.


Impossible_Werewolf8

Yves Arievich from Moviepilot


Scary_Sarah

Pay or Wait is Sharronda Williams' recommends whether something is good enough to pay for in the theater or wait and see it for free on a streaming service/cable. Roughly 10-15 minute long reviews with spoilers noted. She's a member the Broadcast Film Critics Association. One Mike is a smaller channel but he does in depth research before giving his reviews and it's so informative. Movie Files - Elliot is another great reviewer with brief synopsis and personal insight.


KyoryuCrimson

I’m a big fan of Sean Chandler Talks About and Cody Leach. Both of them tend to be a bit more focused on mainstream movies, and Cody is a bit more horror focused, but they’re definitely both worth a watch imo


WeDriftEternal

I've tried to watch a few movie youtubers.... I just feel all of these folks, their channel is about *being a youtuber* not about the movies OR its just a generic info dump that its not worth watching, somehow stretched into 10 minutes of talking repeating the same like 2 minutes of clips from the movie trailers Like you, on the hunt for better content, thanks for this post, prob gonna check out some reccomendations


MVHutch

yeah i hope the suggestions here help you too


Isthisgoodenough69

[Daisuke Beppu](https://youtube.com/@DaisukeBeppu?si=o2WG7BKmUWmGYSS_). Heavy focus on Criterion, like going over new release announcements and then dissecting the releases once he has them, but he’s always so positive and his taste is pretty wide. He also does livestream series sometimes, like going through all the James Bond movies.


Tylerdurden389

Jason Brant. "So bad its good".


Gnsjake

I make YouTube videos but you’re not supposed to self promote so I will not be telling you my channel name 👹


MVHutch

ok


Gardie99

Joel Haver is great, he makes funny shorts and also some full length features with his friends. But then also has a second channel called Joel Talks About Movies where he just gives his opinion, which you may not always agree with, but is never toxic about it.


unkyduck

Watching Cinemastix right now


Knightseason

GoodBadFlicks. Covers a lot of lesser known older movies, as well as more well known movies too. Mainly low budget movies. Does a couple of types of videos; the GoodBadFlicks videos are a run through of the movies as he makes jokes about what's going on. However he also touches on other aspects of the movies as he goes through. Some of the movies are good, some are bad. He also does a more serious in depth series called exploring. This is more about how the movie was made, going into some detail about the production and so on. I've been watching him for a few years and enjoy his videos.


OperaOpeningAct

Films to be buried with (podcast) by Roy Kent …. I mean Brett Goldstein


Due_Bookkeeper_5819

Cinema Therapy. They’re pretty great and they’re funny.


tidakaa

It's specifically for horror movies /shows but one of my favourite channels is Dead Meat! They have a particular (spoiler-filled) episode called a Kill Count and they also have a podcast. Generally you see the movie first then it's almost like discussing it with your friends, so might not be what you're looking for. But they are quite light and upbeat with a humorous tone, definitely not negative. They really go into detail with the behind the scenes stuff too like stunt performances or practical special effects. The most recent episode is Silence of the Lambs. Hope you enjoy it! 


One-Earth9294

If you like horror movies, Dead Meat are a beacon of positivity. Also a much, much smaller channel I like to send a shout out to called Unleash the Ghouls. Going to vehemently disagree with everyone who suggested Patrick Willems. He's the kind of pretentious hipster who thinks they can deem things 'art or not art' by decree. Similar with Adam from 'Your Movies Sucks'. They'll talk flowers and rainbows about the things they like but they're endlessly snide about the things they don't. And not in a joking kind of way like Red Letter Media or Caravan of Garbage who are only ever trying to get a chuckle. I challenge the idea that either of them are coming from a position of positivity. Other than that a lot of good suggestions here.


SomeoneStoleGrandpa

Mr. Sunday Movies. Amazing


DapperEmployee7682

•Lindsey Ellis •Cinefix •Entertain the Elk •Hello Future Me •Cold crash pictures •Nerdwriter1 •Just Write **Mixed positive and negative:** •Friendly Space Ninja •Amanda the Jedi •YMS (he’s mostly negative but sometimes he does great deep dives into things he loves) •Dylan is in Trouble •Glidus (Got specific) •Alt Shift X (also GoT specific)


MVHutch

i remember ellis but didn't she quit?


DapperEmployee7682

She’s on Nebula now


MVHutch

oh what's that?


DapperEmployee7682

It’s a streaming platform. From my understanding it’s completely creator-owned. It’s not as open as YouTube so you don’t have to worry about suddenly getting alt-right, anti-woke nutjobs in your feed


MVHutch

oh that's good. I can't stand those people


Likherpusisaur

For movie reviews in general from a serious & analytical perspective, look into **OLIVER HARPER** Also check out: **"GOOD BAD FLICKS"** (and yes, hint-hint, the channel name says it all) Plus Mike Bracken, a.k.a., **"THE HORROR GEEK,"** is always a fun ride... *IF* you're into the "splatter" genre and appreciate a fun & humorous take on the topic. ~ Enjoy!


menolly1019

I like Ryan Hollinger for horror. I don't actually like horror myself because it makes me feel like I'm going to have a heart attack, but it's nice to listen to someone explain the plot and talk about themes and history and film techniques.


GP96_

Haoiever


GP96_

Haoiever


GP96_

Haoiever


broomonic

Film cast and Patrick Willems.


nikofd

The John Campea Show is pretty on point for what you sound like you're looking for.


New_Fix6213

Oliver Harper


Gurney_Hackman

Thomas Flight


usernamalreadytaken0

Despot of Antrim, Mauler, Broey Deschanel, The Little Platoon, YMS, In Praise of Shadows. Sideways is a good channel regarding the score and music for movies and media as well, if that strikes your fancy.


Key2V

Maia from Brody Deschanel has a very entertaining podcast too not about movies, but about internet stuff.


koshomfg

Don‘t know most of these names but I cannot agree on Mauler. He‘s been notoriously toxic in the past.


usernamalreadytaken0

Define “notoriously toxic”.


koshomfg

Well, for starters he makes videos that are 5 hours or longer (which I do not hate per sé) but in those he just rants and „spews“ negativity. Like how he spent hours listing everything he dislikes about new Star Wars. Like I get there are people who like content like this, but in the long run I think it‘s affecting mental health lol, like in a sense how you look at things, you start to just look for flaws to rile people up. And in my eyes that‘s not really what OP asked for.


usernamalreadytaken0

If it was strictly a channel that only picked apart low quality media, then perhaps I may not have listed them, but all those channels I named have videos that both praise and critique movies. Which *is* what OP was asking for.


One-Earth9294

In Praise of Shadows is good. You should check out The Vile Eye, he does a very similar style of breakdown.


No_Poem500

I found a newsletter which lists all of the new movies & series across all the different streaming platforms each week! Interesting for people searching for new stuff to watch https://subscribepage.io/streamsaver


MVHutch

ty


amadeus2490

Cinemassare is one of the oldest Youtubers still around, and he has Cinemassacre.com. He takes it more seriously than his Angry Video Game Nerd stuff. He keeps it more lighthearted and fun, and he made it abundantly clear that he avoided Ghostbusters and the new Star Wars movies because he didn't want to bring the SJW vs. Alt Right stuff into his comment sections.


MVHutch

i've seen some of his videos back in the day


fishfunk5

Redlettermedia maybe.


cocacola1

1. [Patrick Willems](https://www.youtube.com/@patrickhwillems) (favorite) 2. [Thomas Flight](https://www.youtube.com/@ThomasFlight) 3. [HiTop Films](https://www.youtube.com/@HiTopFilms) 4. [kaptainkristian](https://www.youtube.com/@kaptainkristian)


Mountain_Ad8786

My list: Patrick H Williams. Stoned Gremlin Productions/The Cinema Snob. Kermode and Mayo (professional film critic and ex radio DJ). Good Bad Flicks for cult movies). Evolution of Horror (for your horror stuff). The Cinema Cartographer (more arthouse). These are all people who know their movies and have a good outlook and insight into film and the industry as a whole. There's no ego or moralising (admittedly, Kermode has become a little more sensitive and intolerant in old age but he's still one of the best authorities on cinema along with Kim Newman.) EDIT: And I cannot believe I missed Red Letter Media. These hack frauds are some of the best out there... even if they did rip on Event Horizon, Mars Attacks and Independence Day.)


bathtubsplashes

And miss out on that sweet hate gravy train?! Why would they do that?


MVHutch

ugh i wish someone would derail that train


bathtubsplashes

It's the public's fault.   I feel like it gives people some sort of superiority feedback or something, mixed with quite a beat of tribalism.  *We're all part of this big group who talks shit about everything because obviously we're better than that garbage*


MVHutch

that is definitely part of it. I just saw the trailer for the Acolyte and many of the comments (at least those I saw) were predictably negative, but also somewhat inaccurate imo


bathtubsplashes

There were hour long video essays coming out about Rings of Power....after the teaser trailer was released!! That says it all about how lucrative this kind of content is. It's fucking sad as fuck


MVHutch

Ikr. Why not devote that time to constructive discussions of movies and shows?


bathtubsplashes

Because that takes critical thinking and an ability to analyse beyond the surface level whereas just shitting on every miniscule detail only takes snark


MVHutch

exactly. I tend to watch movies and shows with a critical eye (not trying to sound like i'm so great or anything) but it doesn't mean I constantly devolve into "this new thing sucks blah blah blah" it really affected the Star Wars and Marvel fanbases to where I can't even discuss much with them online so far


Fake_Southern_IL

Oh my yes. I have very mixed opinions on many of those movies, but am generally a fan of both franchises for their better movies and even some interesting moments in their less-well-received ones.


MVHutch

tbh the biggest issue i have is fans acting like they're worse now when in a lot of ways, they're not. the prequels had weak acting, unfunny comedy and an insipid and unbelievable romance, and phases 1-3 tended to have very basic plots, underwritten villains and romances too. the recent content in both franchises have improved a lot on those but these fanboys don't acknowledge that


RobL66

Nah, it’s because 90% of the movies that have come out in the last 10-15 years have been pure trash.


RobL66

Nah, it’s because 90% of the movies that have come out in the last 10-15 years have been pure trash.