Now Playing Podcast is a long-running movie review podcast dedicated to in-depth discussions of films. Since launching in 2007, the show has built one of the largest archives of feature film reviews in podcasting, with 1,618 movies covered across nearly every genre.

The show's signature format is its retrospective series. Rather than reviewing only the latest theatrical releases, Now Playing Podcast typically examines an entire film franchise, director, or connected group of movies, exploring how the films relate to one another, how they have aged, and which entries stand the test of time.

In addition to retrospective series, the podcast also releases standalone reviews every month. These one-off episodes cover everything from classic films like Casablanca and Gone with the Wind to current releases and listener-requested favorites, creating a library of more than 200 individual movie reviews alongside the larger series.

Every episode features detailed plot discussion, behind-the-scenes information, production history, critical analysis, and a final recommendation from each host. Because the reviews examine the films in depth, episodes contain major spoilers.

Now Playing Podcast has released a new free movie review almost every week since 2011, while supporters receive access to an even larger archive of exclusive reviews through the show's donation program.

Beyond movie reviews, Now Playing Podcast has also produced 40 book reviews, interviews with filmmakers, actors, authors, and other notable guests, and special episodes exploring the people and stories behind the movies.

Now Playing Podcast is hosted by a team led by Arnie Carvalho and Stuart Atkinson. Depending on the review series, they are joined by Brock, Justin, Marjorie, and Jason. Each retrospective series and standalone review features a consistent panel of hosts from beginning to end. As hosts have joined or left the podcast over the years, they have been succeeded by other hosts on future series and new installments of long-running franchises. Learn more about the current hosts on the Now Playing Podcast Team page.

Over the years, the podcast has also featured several former co-hosts. Jakob Conkling appeared on more than 1,000 reviews between 2009 and 2025. Jerry, a noted toy collector, appeared on more than 20 episodes, primarily reviewing the Transformers and G.I. Joe franchises between 2011 and 2020. Brock's wife, Elisha, also co-hosted several of the show's early short-form reviews in 2008 and 2009.

Now Playing Podcast debuted in May 2007 as a companion to the movie news and collecting podcasts produced by the Star Wars Action News podcast team. Originally hosted by Arnie Carvalho and Marjorie Carvalho, the show focused on brief, spoiler-free reviews of newly released movies. The very first episode reviewed Spider-Man 3, recorded on opening weekend and released the same day.

During its first two years, new episodes were released only occasionally as the hosts experimented with the format and expanded the roster of reviewers. In 2008, Stuart Atkinson joined the show, followed by Brock, helping establish a more regular release schedule.

The podcast found its identity in early 2009 when it shifted from short reviews of individual movies to in-depth retrospective series. Beginning with a complete review of the Friday the 13th franchise leading up to the 2009 reboot, the new format featured detailed, spoiler-filled discussions of every film in a series before concluding with the latest theatrical release. The success of that experiment led to retrospectives covering Star Trek, Terminator, Halloween, Saw, Back to the Future, and many others.

In 2011, Now Playing Podcast launched its most ambitious project to date: reviewing every live-action Marvel movie ever made in preparation for The Avengers. The retrospective format became the show's signature style and remains the foundation of Now Playing Podcast today.

The Now Playing Podcast archive has grown steadily since the show's debut in 2007 and is one of the largest collections of movie criticism available as podcasts. In addition to movie reviews, the archive includes retrospective series, standalone reviews, book reviews, celebrity interviews, special features, and bonus content spanning nearly two decades.

Today, the archive contains 1,703 podcast episodes separated across

• 1,641 movie reviews
• 329 retrospective series
• 206 standalone movie reviews
• 5 Now Playing Podcast Intermission episodes
• 40 book reviews
• 14 interviews with actors, filmmakers, authors, and other notable guests

New reviews and special features are added throughout the year, ensuring the archive continues to grow.

Since reviewing Spider-Man 3 in May 2007, Now Playing Podcast has reviewed 1,618 unique feature films across 1,641 movie review podcasts.

The two numbers are different because some films have been revisited over the years. Many movies originally reviewed during the show's early short-form era were later re-reviewed as part of the podcast's in-depth retrospective series or selected by listeners for a fresh look. In a few special cases, a film has even been reviewed more than once from different perspectives. For example, Freddy vs. Jason received one review as part of the Friday the 13th retrospective, focusing on Jason's story, and a second during the A Nightmare on Elm Street retrospective, examining the film through Freddy's mythology.

Every review reflects the hosts, format, and perspective of the podcast at that moment in its history, making each discussion a unique part of the Now Playing Podcast archive.

Now Playing Podcast releases new content throughout the month, with a regular schedule that listeners can count on.

Our free movie reviews are released every Tuesday, and we have not missed a scheduled free review week since 2011. Supporters also receive bonus reviews on most Fridays through our donation program and Patreon.

On the first day of every month, we release a new episode of Intermission, our freeform discussion show covering movie news, trivia, listener questions, and other entertainment topics.

Additional episodes, including celebrity interviews, book reviews, bonus movie reviews, and special features, are released throughout the month as they are completed. Some weeks include three or even four new episodes.

For the latest release dates and upcoming reviews, visit our Upcoming Schedule.

The hosts of Now Playing Podcast are the authors of Now Playing Podcast: Underrated Movies We Recommend, a collection of 375 individual reviews of 125 films. Written by Arnie Carvalho, Stuart Atkinson, Marjorie Carvalho, and former Now Playing Podcast host Jakob Conkling, the book expands on the podcast's film criticism and brings together reviews spanning a wide range of genres and eras in a printed collection for movie fans and collectors.