Critical Darlings
Critical Darlings, a Blank Check Productions show hosted by critics Richard Lawson and Alison Willmore, reviews the films driving current conversation, from blockbusters to festival favorites and awards contenders. It has 43 episodes with a weekly Thursday cadence and median length near 90 minutes. Estimated downloads per episode are 2,000 to 8,000, implying a host-read rate of about $40 to $200 per episode.
Weekly film criticism from two critics, with a 4.8 Apple rating
- Weekly Thursday episodes of roughly 90 minutes across 43 episodes
- 293 Apple ratings averaging 4.8 stars signal an engaged listener base
- Tied to the Blank Check network and its film-focused audience
Brand fit report
Content
- Formats
- co-hosted discussion, interview, mailbag
- Tone
- witty, analytical
- Language
- English
- Production
- Studio production
- Typical length
- 80 to 95 minutes
Audience
Commercial
- Brands seen
- Blank Check
- Categories promoted
- None yet
- Affiliate links
- No
No sponsor mentions found in the feed; the description links only to a newsletter and a Vulture author page, with no funding links.
Suitability GARM Brand Safety Floor + Suitability
Feed carries the explicit flag set to 1, and titles reference sexual and violent film content such as "One Night Only" Is The Sex Purge.
We classify content, never people. No age, gender, ethnicity, religion or political views are inferred about the creator. Audience figures are estimates unless marked verified. Creators can correct anything on their profile.
Where to listen
| Platform | Link |
|---|---|
| Website | feeds.megaphone.fm/THI7214278819 |
| Apple Podcasts | podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1885681327 |
| Spotify | open.spotify.com/show/4zmVd1CGeUCxAAMwGAwsFD |
| RSS feed | feeds.megaphone.fm/THI7214278819 |
| www.instagram.com/blankcheckpod/ | |
| X | x.com/blankcheckpod |
Benchmark score: 86 / 100
Public rule, same for everyone. How it works.
Recent episodes
| Episode | Date | Length |
|---|---|---|
| “The Social Reckoning” Misses The Mark (With George Civeris) | 2026-10-15 | 1 h 26 min |
| "Digger" ??? (With Dana Stevens) | 2026-10-08 | 1 h 26 min |
| “Primetime” Takes A Seat (With Jessica Kiang) | 2026-10-01 | 1 h 21 min |
| Bonus: The Festival Circuit Explained, And Our Fall Festival Trip Repo | 2026-09-26 | 1 h 1 min |
| "Resident Evil" Is How You Adapt A Video Game (With David Sims) | 2026-09-24 | 1 h 15 min |
| A Critical Darlings Mailbag | 2026-09-17 | 1 h 35 min |
Last six episodes from the show's feed, latest 4 days ago, a new one about every 7 days.
Welcome to Critical Darlings: a podcast about the movies everyone is talking about, one new release after another. Every week, critics Richard Lawson and Alison Willmore cover the latest film driving the conversation—from big summer blockbusters to festival favorites, buzzy streamers, and major awards contenders. New episodes every Thursday. We’re a Blank Check Production! To catch up on our…
About Critical Darlings
Critical Darlings is a weekly film review podcast from Blank Check Productions, hosted by critics Richard Lawson and Alison Willmore. Each episode covers a current release, from summer blockbusters and festival films to streaming titles and awards contenders, usually as a roughly 90-minute discussion with guest critics. The show publishes new episodes every Thursday across 43 episodes, according to its RSS feed.
Lawson and Alison Willmore write for established outlets, with Willmore's work at Vulture linked from the show's feed. Apple Podcasts shows 293 ratings averaging 4.8 stars. Listener figures are estimates, with an estimated 2,000 to 8,000 downloads per episode, and the audience is likely film-literate adults in English-speaking markets.
No sponsors were seen in the feed. Based on the estimated audience, a host-read mid-roll would sit at roughly $40 to $200 per episode, suiting streaming, home entertainment, and festival-linked brands that want a critical, film-focused audience.
Written from the show's public RSS feed, its Podcast Index listing and episode titles. Numbers updated 2026-10-19. Critical Darlings can edit or remove this page at any time.
Questions about Critical Darlings
How much does Critical Darlings charge for a podcast sponsorship?
Estimated host-read mid-roll rates run about $40 to $200 per episode, based on an estimated 2,000 to 8,000 downloads per episode at $18 to $25 per thousand. Final pricing depends on placement and booking terms.
What is Critical Darlings about?
Critical Darlings is a weekly film review podcast hosted by critics Richard Lawson and Alison Willmore. It covers new releases, from blockbusters and festival films to streaming titles and awards contenders.
How do I contact Critical Darlings about sponsoring an episode?
The show's contact email unlocks on Starbooked for $0.80. Boosted shows can also be booked through Starbooked.
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