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Film Reviews · Paul Scheer & Amy Nicholson | Realm

Unspooled

by Paul Scheer & Amy Nicholson | Realm

Each week actor & comedian Paul Scheer (Black Monday, The League) and film critic Amy Nicholson (LA Times Chief Film Critic ) watch and discuss the best movies out there. From the classics to new releases and every indie film in-between. Along the way, they’ll dissect iconic scenes, spotlight their favorite characters, and decide if these movies still stand the test of time.

Chart trend

Position in the Film Reviews chart (US), last 90 days.

#2
all-time peak
503
days in the top 3 since Nov 2024

Latest episodes

Showing 20 · updated from the feed

Summer Movie Recap 2026

#3 trending · Film Reviews

Paul and Amy look back at the wild summer of 2026, a blockbuster season that brought audiences back to theaters and delivered one of the most lucrative summers in over a

Sep 10
1 h 01 min

Hudson Hawk (with David Hughes)

Paul and Amy embrace an ambitious failure with Hudson Hawk, the gloriously strange Bruce Willis passion project that went from bar-napkin idea to legendary box-office flo

Sep 3
53 min

Interview with the Vampire

Paul and Amy sink their teeth into Interview with the Vampire, the movie project that spent nearly two decades trying to make it to the screen. They trace Anne Rice’s fie

Aug 27
1 h 13 min

Reel Confessions: Josh Greenbaum

Director, screenwriter, and producer Josh Greenbaum enters the Reel Confessions booth to spill his movie hot takes (and a few opinions that might get him kicked out of th

Aug 20
55 min

O Brother, Where Art Thou?

Paul and Amy head down to the Mississippi Delta with O Brother, Where Art Thou?, the Coen Brothers’ Depression-era odyssey that transformed Homer’s epic into a bluegrass-

Aug 13
1 h 08 min

Reel Confessions: David Wain

David Wain steps into the confession booth to talk cult classics, cinematic blind spots, and the movies that shaped his comedy. Paul and Amy chat with the Wet Hot America

Aug 7
27 min

Rerun: Wet Hot American Summer

To celebrate the 25th anniversary theatrical re-release of Wet Hot American Summer, we're revisiting Paul and Amy’s deep dive into the beloved cult comedy. They trace the

Aug 6
1 h 10 min

Drive

Paul and Amy hit the gas with Drive, Nicolas Winding Refn’s hypnotic neo-noir that transformed a would-be studio action movie into one of the defining films of the 2010s.

Jul 30
1 h 21 min

The Odyssey (with Lucas Matthew Herchenroeder)

Amy drops an emergency Unspooled episode to unpack Christopher Nolan’s epic take on The Odyssey, joined by USC classics professor Lucas Herrenroeder. Together they compar

Jul 25
1 h 04 min

An American Tail

Paul and Amy set sail with An American Tail, Don Bluth’s sweeping animated tale of immigration, family, and hope. They trace Bluth’s break from Disney, debate the film's

Jul 23
1 h 21 min

Superbad

Paul and Amy revisit Superbad, the coming-of-age comedy that turned awkward adolescence into an instant classic. They trace the film’s origins from Seth Rogen and Evan Go

Jul 16
1 h 11 min

The Muppet Movie (with BenDavid Grabinski)

While Amy's away, Paul welcomes writer-director BenDavid Grabinski for a Critics’ Choice celebrating The Muppet Movie. Together they revisit Jim Henson’s big-screen break

Jul 9
1 h 34 min

Gremlins

Paul and Amy unwrap Gremlins, Joe Dante’s delightfully chaotic holiday classic that proved cute can turn catastrophic in the blink of an eye. They trace the film’s journe

Jul 2
1 h 11 min

Nope

Paul and Amy continue their alien-movie streak alive with Nope, Jordan Peele’s ambitious sci-fi spectacle. They revisit the Haywood siblings’ quest to capture the impossi

Jun 25
1 h 23 min

Close Encounters of the Third Kind

Paul and Amy look to the skies with Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Steven Spielberg’s awe-inspiring follow-up to Jaws and one of cinema’s most influential visions of

Jun 18
1 h 19 min

Die Hard 2 (with Jorma Taccone)

With Amy reporting from Cannes, Paul welcomes Jorma Taccone for a Dealer’s Choice episode on Die Hard 2, the explosive sequel that takes John McClane to a snowbound airpo

Jun 11
1 h 15 min

Josie and the Pussycats (with Joanna Robinson)

While Amy is off at Cannes, Paul welcomes Joanna Robinson for an Unspooled Critics’ Choice episode on Josie and the Pussycats, the 2001 musical comedy that was lightyears

Jun 4
1 h 07 min

The Baby-Sitters Club (with Rob Anderson)

Paul and Rob Anderson takes the reins for a Critics’ Choice episode with shining a spotlight on The Baby-Sitters Club, the earnest, deeply ’90s adaptation of Ann M. Marti

May 28
1 h 15 min

Top Secret! (with Ed Helms)

Paul welcomes Ed Helms into the Unspooled booth for a deep dive into Top Secret!, the gloriously absurd 1984 comedy from ZAZ while Amy is away. Between stories about Meet

May 21
1 h 15 min

Reel Confessions: Lauren Lapkus

Lauren Lapkus steps into the confession booth to talk comfort rewatches, movie blind spots, and the films that changed her mind. Paul and Amy dig into her love for Big, 1

May 19
44 min

Chart positions

Where Unspooled ranks today in each Apple Podcasts chart (US, Sep 13, 2026).

#3 ▲ 1 Film Reviews US
#31 ▲ 5 TV & Film US

What listeners say

A curated, balanced selection of Apple Podcasts reviews.

The hosts are pleasant to listen to and don’t drawl into monotone. The content is interesting with a balance of facts, background, insights, and opinions.

twistmyfate · Feb 2025

Entertaining to listen to depending on the episode and how Amy feels about the film. She can make some episodes tedious to get through. However, Paul is seemingly able to recognize this and save it with his quick humor and moving the conversation else where. Loved listening to his opinions on Hellraiser! Totally agreed. Most of the horror episodes are pretty good. Enjoyed The Thing and Halloween a good bit.

blevinsdesigns · Dec 2024

I listen to a lot of movie podcasts, and this is one of my very faves. I love the rapport between Paul and Amy. I love that, between them both, they bring both movie loving passion and film critique expertise. I love the BTS movie tidbits I learn, and the context they place their discussions in. There are several movies I’ve sought out so I can listen to the episode. (I WOULD pay for an ad-free version!)

MsDiagnosed · Oct 2024

I love this podcast. It takes me to college film class. The Deerhunter episode does miss the mark in my opinion. The movie was not intended to be a realistic version of serving in Vietnam. It is about relationships of people who did go and didn’t go and the extreme difficulty of coming back and transitioning to a life outside of war. I think you both misjudged this movie.

BrianBPB · Sep 2024

Tried to make it through two podcasts (“Interstellar” and “Sweet Smell of Success.”). Hosts would rather talk about themselves instead of any substance regarding the film. Feel free to fast forward through the first 15 minutes, regardless of episode.

FalconsCoach · Mar 2025

I’ve listened since episode one. This podcast provided me an incentive to expand my film knowledge and try new things while also celebrating what I’d already seen and loved. After the afi was done any and Paul, who are great, continued to push and review movies like Chungking express and strip to the moon while also exploring crowd pleasers. That has changed in the past two years and I can’t take it any more. There are never any surprises in their movie choices. They’re Hollywood and they’re from the past 30 years and that’s it. I hate giving up and I don’t hate the movies they pick but they are no longer pushing my knowledge as a film fan in new directions. My suspicion is it’s to get better numbers than what the 400 blows provide but idk. It’s not for me. Have fun reviewing point break.

themicamonster · Dec 2024

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About Unspooled on Reason.fm

Here you find the Apple Podcasts chart positions of Unspooled, its latest episodes to listen to directly, and reviews from listeners. Rankings are updated daily for the United States.

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