Filmspotting - Movie Reviews can make any casual film watcher into a cinephile. The podcast offers extensive conversations about the newest movies in theaters. The hosts discuss anything from character development to creative direction, acting, and sound. They provide expert analysis as well as facts about the production. These talks hope to give the listeners better tools to appreciate this art form.

The podcast began in 2005 when this medium was brand new. Host Adam Kempenaar was already an avid movie critic. He had written for The Daily Iowan and hosted the radio show Burn Hollywood Burn. Adam also created a film blog, Cinemascope. By 2005, people were starting to lose interest. After reading about the rise of podcasts in Wired, he decided it would be the next logical step.

Adam created Cinecast with his friend Sam Van Hallgren, who used to work on This American Life. In 2006, they changed the name to Filmspotting. The podcast aired nonstop, gathering many loyal fans along the way. In 2012, Sam left for other pursuits, and Josh Larsen joined as a cohort. He, too, has years of experience in the industry. Josh wrote over a decade of film reviews for the Chicago Sun-Times and authored the book Movies Are Prayers. The duo not only has excellent knowledge of the industry but also great chemistry.

Episodes of Filmspotting usually start with a discussion about a recent theatrical release. Conversations include Barbie, Scream VI, and Guardians of the Galaxy. On occasions, Adam and Josh offer a retrospective. For instance, they talked about The Big Lebowski on its 25th anniversary. Some episodes have notable journalists as guests, while others provide interviews with filmmakers. There's also a segment called "Top Five," where the hosts discuss the best films around a specific topic. For example, they share their picks for the best Joaquin Phoenix performances. One of the most entertaining recurring segments is where the hosts reenact a scene from an unknown film for the listeners to identify.

New episodes of Filmspotting - Movie Reviews come out on Fridays.