The Smartest People in the Room

Maddie Weiner and Rachel Casey

Rachel Casey and Maddie Weiner have a lot of opinions on film - the industry, the art form, the makers, the viewers - and they just can't shut up about it. Join these two redheaded millennial women plus occasional guests as they discuss the latest in film news, awards season, festival season, their recent watches, film history, and much more.

  1. JAN 6

    Episode 29 - Snot Is The Key

    It's the beginning of a new year, and you know what that means: getting caught up on releases from the previous year for Best of 2025 lists and awards season! This week we talk about Dead Man's Wire (premiering this Friday, January 9!), Avatar: Fire and Ash, If I Had Legs I'd Kick You, Hamnet, Wake Up Dead Man, Marty Supreme, Train Dreams, and more! If you'd like to participate in Maddie's Female Filmmaker Challenge, you can find the guidelines here! Movies discussed (* indicates spoilers): Dead Man’s WireMarty Supreme*, Train Dreams*, Hamnet*, Eddington, One Battle After Another, Wake Up Dead Man*, Sentimental Value*, Peter Hujar’s DayAvatar: Fire and Ash*, F1, Avatar, Avatar: The Way of Water, The IrishmanIf I Had Legs I’d Kick You*, Die My Love*, Nightbitch, Her SmellLittle Women (2019), ArrivalIt Was Just An Accident, The Secret Agent, Resurrection, SafeKnives Out, Glass Onion, Emma., Good Luck to You Leo GrandeThe Smashing MachineBugonia*, Kinds of Kindness, Call Me By Your Name, Moonlight, Green Book, Darkest Hour, Phantom Thread, Get Out, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Killers of the Flower Moon The Smartest People in the Room is hosted by Rachel Casey and Maddie Weiner. It is edited by Maddie Weiner. Original theme and interstitial music is by Scott Boice - follow him on Instagram @yeah.boice and find more of his work on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bandcamp⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

    1 hr

  2. 08/20/2025

    Episode 28 - My Friend Gwyneth? Paltrow?

    Sorry it’s so late, but this week we discuss Sinners, The Phoenician Scheme, Brokeback Mountain, and the New York Times’ top movies of the century so far! (Episode recorded on 7/9/25). Maddie’s ballot: Mulholland Drive (2001), Spirited Away (2002), Margaret (2011), The Master (2012), Under the Skin (2014), Carol (2015), Moonlight (2015), Phantom Thread (2017), First Reformed (2018), Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019) Rachel’s ballot: Mad Max: Fury Road (2015), Napoleon Dynamite (2004), Children of Men (2006), Y Tu Mamá También (2001), Brokeback Mountain (2005), Silence (2016), There Will Be Blood (2007), Moneyball (2011), Ocean’s Eleven (2001), A Hidden Life (2019) Links: The 100 Best Movies of the 21st Century - The New York Times Maddie’s Letterboxd list The America I Love Movies discussed (* indicates spoilers): Sinners*, Black Panther, Black Panther: Wakanda ForeverThe Odyssey (2026), Juror #2, Superman (2025), The Batman, The Fantastic Four: First Steps, Weapons, Wolf Man, The Royal HotelBrokeback Mountain, This Is Spinal TapThe Phoenician Scheme, Asteroid City, The Royal Tenenbaums, The Grand Budapest HotelParasite, Mulholland Drive, Memories of Murder, Bloody Nose Empty Pockets, Titane, Love Lies Bleeding, Spirited Away, Margaret, The Master, Magnolia, There Will Be Blood, Phantom Thread, Under the Skin, Tár, The Zone of Interest, Moonrise Kingdom, Carol, Moonlight, We’re All Going to the World’s Fair, I Saw the TV Glow, Phantom Thread, First Reformed, Portrait of a Lady on Fire, Mad Max: Fury RoadSuperbad, Children of Men, The Worst Person in the World, Michael Clayton, Fish Tank, Interstellar, The Gleaners & I, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, Past Lives, Anchorman, Napoleon Dynamite, Everybody Wants Some!!, The Tree of Life, Aftersun, Everything Everywhere All At Once, O Brother Where Art Thou?, Ratatouille, Ocean’s Eleven, Spotlight, Oppenheimer, Killers of the Flower Moon, Silence, Gone Girl, The Irishman, Little Miss Sunshine, Inception, Pan’s Labyrinth,  Before Sunset, The Lives of Others, Almost Famous, Roma, Moneyball, Eephus, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Oldboy, Amélie, Ladybird, Call Me By Your Name, Suspiria (2018), A Serious Man, Bridesmaids, Lost in Translation, Marie Antoinette, Arrival, The Dark Knight, Anatomy of a Fall, Her, Boyhood, Wolf of Wall Street, Zodiac, Y Tu Mamá También, Brokeback Mountain, Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, City of God, Inglourious Basterds, The Social Network, Get Out, Nope, Us, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, No Country for Old Men, In the Mood for Love The Smartest People in the Room is hosted by Rachel Casey and Maddie Weiner. It is edited by Maddie Weiner. Original theme and interstitial music is by Scott Boice - follow him on Instagram @yeah.boice and find more of his work on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bandcamp⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

    1h 2m

  3. 12/24/2024

    Episode 27 - Spanish Has Been Such a Huge Part of Her Life

    TW: eating disorders Last episode of 2024 and an important reminder that Rachel and Maddie are shrill feminist buzzkills with hater energy :) This episode we discuss Megalopolis, Emilia Pérez, Wicked, "live action" remakes of animated films, The Substance, and Conclave. Links: The episode of On Point that Rachel mentions: https://www.wbur.org/onpoint/2024/12/02/trump-authoritarianism-ruth-ben-ghiat-voters-strongmen Movies discussed (* indicates spoilers): Megalopolis*, The Substance*, Emilia Pérez*, The Zone of Interest, TÁR, Joker: Folie à Deux, Honeyboy Nosferatu, The Iron Claw, Wicked, Crazy Rich Asians, West Side Story (2021)*, Singin’ in the Rain, West Side Story (1961) Moana 2, Moana, Inside Out, Inside Out 2 How to Train Your Dragon (2025), How to Train Your Dragon trilogy, The Lion King (2019), The Little Mermaid (2023), Mufasa The Apprentice, Magic Mike XXL, The Terrifier series, Suspiria (2018), Nightbitch, Showgirls, The Souvenir*, The Souvenir: Part II, Tenet Conclave*, All Quiet on the Western Front (2022), The Brutalist, Nickel Boys, The Holdovers, Marcel the Shell with Shoes On, La Chimera, Gladiator II, Heretic, A Real Pain, Anora, His Three Daughters, I Saw the TV Glow,  A Different Man, Sing Sing, The People’s Joker*, Batman Forever, Babygirl, Will & Harper, Hale County This Morning, This Evening, A Complete Unknown, Queer The Smartest People in the Room is hosted by Rachel Casey and Maddie Weiner. It is edited by Maddie Weiner. Original theme and interstitial music is by Scott Boice - follow him on Instagram @yeah.boice and find more of his work on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bandcamp⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

    1h 7m

  4. 09/24/2024

    Episode 26 - Jellicoe Songs for Rafferty Jellicoe Frost Law Cats

    We are now in awards pre-season and we have a lot to discuss. How are we going to get to 10 Best Picture nominees? Can James Mangold pull off A Complete Unknown? Will Nightbitch be good? (Answer: yes, it's Marielle Heller). Why are there so many horror movies about pregnancy right now, and romcoms with older women age gap relationships? (Not complaining!) Listen and find out! Movies discussed (* indicates spoilers): The Brutalist Anora, Sing Sing, Conclave, Maria (2024), Jackie, Spencer, Dune: Part Two, Emilia Perez, Blitz, Nickel Boys, Gladiator II, A Complete Unknown, The End (2024), Mother Mary, The Governesses Tár, Vox Lux, The Order (2024), Bram Stoker’s Dracula Saturday Night, The Piano Lesson (2024), Joker: Folie à Deux, A Real Pain, Past Lives, Everything Everywhere All At Once, CODA (2021) Sentimental Value All Quiet on the Western Front (2022) Mrs. Doubtfire, Wanted The Substance, The Apprentice, The Witch, A Different Man, Under the Skin, Walk the Line, Ford v Ferrari Christmas Eve in Miller’s Point, Heretic, Babygirl, Queer, The Room Next Door, A Strange Way of Life, The Killing of a Sacred Deer Nightbitch, Jeanne Dielman, 23, quad du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles, Honeyland, The First Omen, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, Can You Ever Forgive Me?, Diary of a Teenage Girl, Tully The Godfather, Her Smell, Wildlife, Gone Girl, Pride & Prejudice (2005), Pirates of the Caribbean series, The Boston Strangler, Colette, Silent Night The Idea of You, Anyone But You, Eileen, Twisters, Immaculate, The Deliverance, Madame Web, Bohemian Rhapsody, The Running Man, Barbarella Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Lawrence of Arabia, The Ten Commandments, Chinatown, The Witches of Eastwick, The Bucket List, As Good As It Gets, The Shining, Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb, The Taste of Things, The French Connection, Easy Rider Presence, No Sudden Move, A Star Is Born (2018), House of Gucci, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, Mad Max: Fury Road, The Bikeriders, Molly’s Game, John Wick Red Rocket, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice The Smartest People in the Room is hosted by Rachel Casey and Maddie Weiner. It is edited by Maddie Weiner. Original theme and interstitial music is by Scott Boice - follow him on Instagram @sc00gle and find more of his work on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bandcamp⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

    1 hr

  5. 07/08/2024

    Episode 25 - I'm Not Reading All That

    Sorry for the delay between episodes! A lot has happened - Maddie went to Cannes! We hate the suburbs! Maddie and Rachel saw Challengers! Links: Maddie's Cannes ranking on Letterboxd The article about pop music's "middle class" that Rachel mentioned Maddie's Seed & Spark campaign for the short film she's producing, Always Were - or if you'd like to make a tax-deductible donation, the Louisville Film Society fiscal sponsorship page Maddie's newsletter Movies discussed (* indicates spoilers): Megalopolis*, Anora, Bird, Red Road, American Honey, Cow, Passages The Hyperboreans (Los Hiperbóreos), The Wolf House (La casa lobo), Beau Is Afraid Rumours, Oh Canada*, The Substance Honey Boy, Hereditary, Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead, It's Not Me(C’est pas moi), Titane Inside Out 2, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Vrse, Flee, The Boy and the Heron, Coraline, Paranorman, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Inside Out Love Lies Bleeding, I Saw the TV Glow*, We’re All Going to the World’s Fair, Top Gun: Maverick, The Lion King (2019), Twin Peaks: The Return Challengers* Twisters, Joker: Folie à Deux, Wicked, Gone Girl, Maxxxine, Janet Planet, Thelma, Kinds of Kindness, The Bikeriders, Cora Bora, The Favourite, Poor Things, The Killing of a Sacred Deer, The Lobster, Dunkirk, American Animals, The Batman - Part II, The Master, Eileen, Godzilla Minus One, Inside Man, Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, Twister The Smartest People in the Room is hosted by Rachel Casey and Maddie Weiner. It is edited by Maddie Weiner. Original theme and interstitial music is by Scott Boice - follow him on Instagram @sc00gle and find more of his work on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Bandcamp⁠⁠⁠⁠.

    1h 1m

  6. 03/05/2024

    Episode 24 - Dunc Part 2

    It's time for the Smartest People Oscar Predictions! Hopefully we are of some help to your ballots this weekend 🙏🏻 we also discuss the releases we're looking forward to in 2024. Movies discussed (* indicates spoilers): Oppenheimer*, Everything Everywhere All At Once Poor Things*, Nyad Eileen The Boy and the Heron, Spider-Man: Across the Spiderverse Barbie The Zone of Interest*, Killers of the Flower Moon* 20 Days in Mariupol Anatomy of a Fall Maestro*, Society of the Snow A Star Is Born (2018) Green Book Asteroid City, Napoleon (2023) The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar Godzilla Minus One American Fiction Following, The Prestige, Tenet, Vice Dune: Part 2, The Taste of Things, Drive-Away Dolls, Love Lies Bleeding, La Chimera Civil War (2024), Ex Machina, Annihilation, Inside Llewyn Davis, Drive, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, MEN* The First Omen, Challengers, Hit Man, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, Mad Max: Fury Road, Three Thousand Years of Longing, Nosferatu (2024) Longlegs, Joker: Folie à Deux, Joker, Faces of Death (2024), The End (upcoming), Nightbitch, Gasoline Rainbow, I Saw the TV Glow, Maxxxine, Mickey 17, Megalopolis, The Way of the Wind, They Follow, It Follows Margaret The Smartest People in the Room is hosted by Rachel Casey and Maddie Weiner. It is edited by Maddie Weiner. Original theme and interstitial music is by Scott Boice - follow him on Instagram @sc00gle and find more of his work on ⁠⁠⁠Bandcamp⁠⁠⁠.

    55 min

  7. 02/20/2024 · BONUS

    Minisode 1 - That's What the Money's For Part 2, or, Barbie Was Not Kenough (with Irene Mudd)

    Okay, so, we recorded this emergency podcast the Saturday after the Oscar nominees were announced, and then Maddie got too busy and is only just now uploading it. This episode is no longer topical, nor a hot take. Please forgive us but please listen anyway! (Also, Maddie knows the song is called "What Was I Made For?" but was too worked up to remember the title). "Barbie Has Cellulite (But You Don't Have To)" from Jessica DeFino's newsletter The Unpublishable Movies discussed (* indicates spoilers): Barbie* Priscilla May December Past Lives, Eileen Green Book, Bohemian Rhapsody, Crash, Forrest Gump, Shakespeare In Love Nyad, Asteroid City Singin’ in the Rain, The Umbrellas of Cherbourg The Eternals, Hamnet The Smartest People in the Room is hosted by Rachel Casey and Maddie Weiner. It is edited by Maddie Weiner. Original theme and interstitial music is by Scott Boice - follow him on Instagram @sc00gle and find more of his work on ⁠⁠⁠Bandcamp⁠⁠⁠.

    37 min

  8. 01/23/2024

    Episode 23 - That's What the Money's For

    Things are getting back on track in 2024. We discuss awards season (recorded before the Oscar nominees were announce so don't @ us!), our Barbie's box office success, our favorite movies of 2023, and May December. Movies discussed (* indicates spoilers): Anatomy of a Fall, The Boy and the Heron Thelma (June Squibb’s film) Barbie, Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour, Oppenheimer, The Lego Movie The Zone of Interest, Birth (2004), Sexy Beast, The Fall (2019 short), Under the Skin, La Chimera, Saltburn, Promising Young Woman, All of Us Strangers, A Thousand and One Killers of the Flower Moon*, Eileen, Beau Is Afraid*, Certain Women, The Holdovers, Dolemite Is My Name May December*, Napoleon (2023), Ferrari, Priscilla, Hustlers, The Go-Between, Babylon (2022), La La Land Asteroid City*, The Grand Budapest Hotel, The French Dispatch, Waves (2019), The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar Past Lives*, Poor Things*, Sanctuary (2022), The Tragedy of Macbeth The Iron Claw*, Bottoms, How to Blow Up a Pipeline The Smartest People in the Room is hosted by Rachel Casey and Maddie Weiner. It is edited by Maddie Weiner. Original theme and interstitial music is by Scott Boice - follow him on Instagram @sc00gle and find more of his work on ⁠⁠Bandcamp⁠⁠.

    1h 9m
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

Rachel Casey and Maddie Weiner have a lot of opinions on film - the industry, the art form, the makers, the viewers - and they just can't shut up about it. Join these two redheaded millennial women plus occasional guests as they discuss the latest in film news, awards season, festival season, their recent watches, film history, and much more.

Information

  • Creator
    Maddie Weiner and Rachel Casey
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    32
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Maddie Weiner and Rachel Casey
  • Show Website
    The Smartest People in the Room