Love Films That Make You Laugh, Cry & Question Your Relationship Status!

Ever thought about what romantic movies really say about love? Well, these cinephile experts have picked everything from classic screwball comedies to movies that'll have you sobbing into your popcorn. Buckle up, because we’re about to get romantic, quirky, and maybe a little too honest about what we find irresistible—or cringe-worthy—in these films.

This is a special episode of Flickering Dreams where those old romantics Bob Mann, Emma Sewell, Scott Forbes, Andy Godfrey and Dan Cook pick the two films that they would choose to woo a partner with!

In this episode:

• The timeless charm of It’s a Wonderful Life and why it’s everyone’s favorite love story even 80 years later
• The hilarious and slightly odd Nightmare Before Christmas as the holiday-obsessed romantic’s dream
• A deep dive into Sleepless in Seattle and When Harry Met Sally and what makes their dialogue practically inseparable from your own love life
• The unexpected brilliance of The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill But Came Down a Mountain and its quirky take on romance
• Newer hits like The Longest Ride and The Vow, which will make you laugh, cry, and maybe believe in soulmates again

Timestamps:
0:00 - Flickering Dreams Valentine’s Day Special Intro: Love, Films & Quirky Picks
2:30 - The Lady Eve’s timeless screwball comedy magic with Barbara Stanwyck & Henry Fonda
5:24 - Why Emma loves Simply Irresistible (and crabs!) as the perfect rom-com pick
7:15 - Scott’s chosen The Longest Ride: Cowboy meets artist and a tearjerker in modern romance
11:15 - Why Nightmare Before Christmas isn’t just a Halloween classic, but also a love story for the quirky at heart
14:26 - When Harry Met Sally and its iconic “can men and women ever just be friends?” debate
16:10 - The heartfelt It’s a Wonderful Life — George Bailey’s romantic and holiday classic
20:29 - The story behind It’s a Wonderful Life’s public domain fame and cult status
22:07 - Emma’s nostalgic 27 Dresses: the wedding planner’s romantic fantasy
25:06 - Scott’s The Vow: heartbreak, memory loss, and love that endures
29:15 - The funny and adorable The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill—a mountain of romance
32:35 - Tom Hanks, Meg Ryan, and the Sleepless in Seattle magic—so many quotable lines, so little time
35:05 - Wrap-up, listener questions, and Valentine’s film suggestions

Connect with the crew and share your own romantic favourite on social media:

• Bob Mann at onemannsmovies.com
• Emma Sewell at emmaatthemovies.com
• Scott Forbes at the Forbes Film and TV Review on Facebook
• Andy Godfrey on Pure247 Radio and
• Dan Cook at the Dan Cook Movie Review page on Facebook

Remember: love and laughter are the best combo for a perfect movie night. Spoiler alert: none of these films will judge if you cry—just bring the tissues, and maybe a little snack to drown your heartbreak or celebrate your happily-ever-after.

In this episode of Flickering Dreams - a regular monthly round-up podcast - us 'ere hosts (Dr Bob Mann, Rev. Andy Godfrey, Emma Sewell and Scott Forbes) review a comprehensive selection of films released in January 2026, discussing our favourites and least favourites.

(This is Part 2 of the two-part episode, with the first part already available on the Flickering Dreams channel.)

In this episode of Flickering Dreams, we review several films released in the last half of January, including:

• 'Mercy',
• 'The Rip',
• 'Rental Family',
• 'H is for Hawk',
• 'The History of Sound',
• 'Saipan',
• 'No Other Choice', and
• 'Xeno'.

We discuss the merits and flaws of each film, sharing personal insights and ratings, while also reflecting on the emotional themes and cinematic techniques used in the films.

The conversation highlights the diversity of storytelling in cinema and the impact of cultural contexts on film narratives.

We also give our brief thoughts on the recently announced BAFTA nominations, we pay tribute to Catherine O' Hara (RIP) and Andy tries to baffle us again with a few more of his devious quiz questions.
00:00 Introduction to January Films
00:54 Andy enjoys Mercy!
03:41 Diving into 'The Rip' and Its Themes
06:26 The Crowd-Pleasing 'Rental Family'
12:55 Understanding Grief in 'H is for Hawk'
18:27 Flickering Dreams Scores for the First Set + the Second Set
19:25 Mescal and O'Connor in The History Of Sound
20:53 Team frictions erupt in Saipan
23:14 Analysing No Other Choice
28:21 Diving into Xeno: A Mixed Bag of Genres
30:38 Scores on the doors for the second set of films reviewed
31:07 Other New Releases in January
33:56 Scott Forbes reviews the list of other new streaming releases
36:35 Remembering an Icon: A Tribute to Catherine O'Hara
37:28 The Reverend's Devious Quiz Questions
39:20 A quick review of the BAFTA nominations
41:29 Closing words and End Title

The Flickering Dreams team have been back in the studio doing the first of a monthly series of podcasts rounding up the best (and the worst) films of the month! This time we review all of the major films released from Christmas Day through to the last week of January.

In this first part (of 2) we review and rate:

• The Housemaid
• Anaconda
• Marty Supreme
• Sentimental Value
• Song Sung Blue
• Hamnet
• 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple and
• The Voice of Hind Rajab

And we close with some truly impossible movie quiz questions from Rev. Andy Godfrey, which managed to stump us all: will you do better?

Watch out for Part 2 being released on the Flickering Dreams channel tomorrow!

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction to Flickering Dreams

02:28 Twixtmas Films Overview

03:11 The Housemaid Review

07:22 Anaconda: A Guilty Pleasure

12:03 Marty Supreme: Chaotic but impressive

18:00 Sentimental Value

22:44 Scores for the first four films / Next batch

23:35 Delighting at Song Sung Blue

28:39 Mixed view on Hamnet

34:41 Diverse Opinions on '28 Years Later: The Bone Temple'

42:34 The Voice of Hind Rajab

47:33 The Flickering Dreams Scores for this batch

48:09 Andy's Impossible Movie Quiz Questions!

50:38 Flickering Dreams Outro

🎬 Ready for the Oscar nominations next week? 🤔 As we dive into awards season, predictions are heating up! This week on Flickering Dreams, we try to predict the Oscar nominations that will be announced on January 22nd, based on the winners and nominees from the Golden Globes and Critics' Choice Awards.

What 10 films do you think will make up the Best Picture Oscar nomination list this year? Let us know in the comments!

#oscars2026 #AwardsSeason #FilmCritics #MoviePredictions #FlickeringDreams #CinemaLovers #GoldenGlobes #CriticsChoice #BestPicture #FilmCommunity #oscars

Summary

In this episode of Flickering Dreams, hosts Bob Mann, Rev. Andy Godfrey, Emma Sewell, and Scott Forbes dive into the excitement of the awards season, focusing on the upcoming nominations for the Oscars. They discuss the results from the Golden Globes and Critics' Choice Awards, analyzing the potential nominees for major categories such as Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actor/Actress. The conversation is lively, with each host sharing their insights and predictions, while also reflecting on the films that have made an impact this year. They highlight standout performances and films, including 'One Battle After Another,' 'Hamnet,' and 'Sinners,' while also debating the merits of various contenders and the intricacies of the awards voting process.

Takeaways:

• 'One Battle After Another' is a strong contender for Best Picture.
• Jessie Buckley's performance in 'Hamnet' is likely to win her an Oscar.
• The awards voting process often favors established names over newcomers.

Chapters:

00:00 - Introduction to Awards Season Predictions

03:09 - Analyzing Best Picture Nominees

16:28 - Best Director Predictions

21:07 - Best Actress Insights

28:50 - Best Actor Contenders

34:33 - Supporting Actor Predictions

37:02 - Supporting Actress Predictions

42:17 - Screenplay Categories: Adapted and Original

47:48 - Animated Feature Discussion

50:01 - International Feature Discussion

52:25 - Final thoughts

53:50 - Flickering Dreams Outro

Summary

In this podcast episode, the Flickering Dreams team discusses their picks for the worst films of 2025. They explore various films that made their lists, sharing personal experiences and opinions on each. The conversation highlights the subjective nature of film criticism, with differing views on what constitutes a bad film. The hosts also reflect on the impact of expectations and disappointment in their film-watching experiences, culminating in a countdown of the top 10 worst films of the year.

Keywords

worst films, film reviews, 2025 movies, film criticism, movie countdown, podcast, Flickering Dreams, film discussion, cinema, film industry

Takeaways

• Every filmmaker aims to create a great film.
• The worst films often come from high expectations.
• Subjectivity plays a huge role in film criticism.
• Disappointment can lead to harsher judgments of films.
• Some films are so bad they become memorable.
• The quality of a film can be influenced by its marketing.
• Not all films resonate with all audiences.
• Comedy is particularly subjective and varies widely in taste.
• The hosts had differing opinions on the same films.
• Future podcasts will include discussions on award nominations.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Worst Films of 2025

02:05 Top 10 Worst Films Countdown: 10 to 6

09:00 Top 10 Worst Films Countdown: 5 to 1

29:47 Flickering Dreams Outro

The Flickering Dreams podcast team are back - and launching on Spotify! - to combine our picks for the best films of 2025.

We present our combined Top 20 then review the Top 10 of our personal choices.

Watch out for - coming soon - our Top 10 Worst Films of the Year!

Keywords:film review, 2025 films, horror films, character development, cinematic techniques, emotional resonance, best performances, podcast

Takeaways:

• 2025 has been a fantastic year for horror films.
• Diverse opinions on films reflect the subjectivity of cinema.
• Character development plays a crucial role in storytelling.
• Innovative storytelling techniques enhance viewer engagement.
• Emotional resonance is key to impactful films.
• Cinematic techniques can elevate a film's narrative.
• The importance of performances in driving a film's success.
• Audience reactions can vary widely based on personal experiences.
• The podcast will continue to explore monthly film reviews.
• Future episodes will focus on awards season and worst films.

Sound Bites:

• "This was a terrific performance."
• "I thought it was a really special film."
• "I thought it was just beautiful."

Chapters:

00:00 - Introduction to the Film Review Podcast

02:03 - Diverse Opinions on 2025 Films

05:08 - Exploring Innovative Horror Films

07:57 - The Avatar Franchise: A Mixed Reception

10:53 - Nosferatu and Its Cinematic Brilliance

14:17 - Top 20 Films: Rankings and Discussions

18:30 - Warfare: A Personal and Visceral Experience

22:32 - Final Destination Bloodlines: A Guilty Pleasure

25:51 - The Life of Chuck: A Life-Affirming Film

28:32 - Film Rankings and Controversies

30:00 - Marvel's Thunderbolts: A Surprising Comeback

34:11 - Exploring the Munich Massacre: A Unique Perspective

36:27 - Understanding Mental Health Through Film

42:09 - The Ballad of Wallace Island: A Heartwarming Tale

44:53 - Sinners: A Dual Role Masterpiece

50:03 Revealed: The Top Film of the Year