25 Best YouTube Channels for TV Show & Film Analysis
YouTube is massive. There’s no denying that the platform has absolutely revolutionized the way we watch TV and the stats are mind-boggling. It’s second only to Google in terms of popularity on the net, and the sheer number of videos uploaded is insane, while the average time spent on the site reaching around 20 minutes or so.
YouTube is a treasure trove of content, covering a wide variety of different topics and genres. In our latest series of articles, we’ll be shining a spotlight on the best channels on YouTube to check out that cover TV Show and Film Analysis.
Each of the creators listed below come from a variety of different backgrounds, with varying degrees of popularity too. However, they all share a passion for TV and film, along with depth of knowledge that make their videos so enjoyable.
So without further ado (and in no particular order) TheReviewGeek team present our picks for 25 of the best YouTube Channels for TV Show & Film Analysis.
Every Frame A Painting
Every Frame a Painting is a YouTube channel dedicated to film analysis. Created by Tony Zhou and Taylor Ramos, the channel focuses on various aspects of filmmaking such as composition, editing, and sound, exploring the techniques that create memorable scenes and engaging stories.
The channel was officially announced as ending in December 2017, but the quality content is still up for you to enjoy. Each video is around 10 minutes long or so, serving up the perfect bite-size slice of education and entertainment.
Their most popular video comes in the form of “Jackie Chan – How to Do Action Comedy” which has (at the time of writing) 24 million views.
Link to the channel: Every Frame A Painting
Lessons from the Screenplay
Created by Michael Tucker, Lessons from the Screenplay is an in-depth and fascinating channel that dissects and analyzes popular movie screenplays, breaking down each to their most basic storytelling techniques.
The channel offers insights into the craft of screenwriting, provides tips and tricks for aspiring screenwriters, along with some excellent comparison videos to see the similarities or differences each film has.
Their most popular video is “The Dark Knight — Creating the Ultimate Antagonist” which has 5.5 million views.
Link to the channel: Lessons From The Screenplay
RedLetterMedia
RedLetterMedia is a YouTube channel run by Mike Stoklasa and Jay Bauman, offering reviews, analysis, and discussions of movies, television shows, and other media. They have a wide variety of different content across their channel, including the hilarious Best of the Worst series, where Jay and Mike are joined by Rich Evans (Mr Plinkett) and different guests, to watch woeful and oftentimes hilarious B-movies.
There’s also re:View, where the gang revisit an old movie and review it, as wekk as Half in the Bag, where the gang discuss newer films while drinking together, woven together with a narrative involving the pair working as VCR-Repairmen.
The channel is well-known for its long-form analysis and reviews, and their most popular video is the first part of a “Star Wars: The Phantom Menace Review” which has 10 million views.
Link to the channel: Red Letter Media
Nerdwriter1
Nerdwriter1 is a YouTube channel run by Evan Puschak, who creates video essays on a variety of topics, including art, culture, and politics. The channel’s videos are well-researched, informative, and thought-provoking.
If you’re looking for a wide palette of different topics to whet your appetite, you’re bound to find it here. The videos regarding Prisoner of Azkaban being the best Harry Potter film for example, or a dissection of Rowan Atkinson’s fantastic physical humour, are among the highlights.
In terms of popularity, when it comes to art and film analysis, “Parasite’s Perfect Montage”, clocks up an impressive 6.6 million views.
Link to the channel: Nerdwriter1
Just Write
Just Write is as simple as it gets, and that simplicity is where the channel really shines. Run by Sage Hyden, Just Write explores the art of storytelling in various forms of media, including film, television, and literature. The channel offers insights into the craft of writing and provides tips and tricks for aspiring writers.
The videos are generally around 10 minutes long, so they’re easy to dip in and out of, with some – like “How Macguffins can Ruin Movies” – are really well done, while the Writing Lessons series offers practical advice on how to (and how not to) write a compelling screenplay.
The most popular video on the channel is aptly titled “What Game Of Thrones Kinda Forgot” and of course, tackles that final season, with 2 million views on that one.
Link to the channel: Just Write
The Take
The Take is a YouTube channel that explores the themes, characters, and ideas in movies, TV shows, and other media. The channel’s videos analyze popular films and shows to uncover potential hidden meanings and subtext.
There are some fascinating videos here too, including looking at Unreliable Narrators, why shows continue to get cancelled, along with a fair few looking into social commentary on Hollywood.
This one’s going to be more of an acquired taste, but the video essays, along with the ending explained videos, are well worth a watch.
Unsurprisingly, the top videos are those aforementioned endings, with “American Psycho Ending Explained: What Really Happened?” clocking in at 4.7 million views overall.
Link to the channel: The Take
The Closer Look
The Closer Look is a wonderful channel and well worth checking out for anyone who enjoys analysis of film, TV and video games. Run by a guy called Henry, the channel offers in-depth analysis, as well as comprehensive breakdowns of various aspects of filmmaking.
The topics are all relevant and generally look into the aspects of different productions, both good and bad. The videos range from 10 minutes up to around 2 hours, with “Star Wars: How To Kill A Franchise” clocking in at 1 hour 43 minutes in total.
After watching the entire video, it’s one of the best on the channel, and unsurprisingly has 6.1 million views!
Link to the channel: The Closer Look
Jay Exci
Jay Exci is a hilarious Youtuber who absolutely exudes the humour and wit that makes British comedy so endearing. Jay offers insightful analysis and reviews of movies, TV shows and other pop culture.
Their magnum opus comes in the form of “The Fall of Doctor Who”, which is a 5 hour 14 minute video. It’s a brilliant, thought provoking and oftentimes hilarious breakdown of the long-running sci-fi series. In fact, it was even quoted and mocked (undeservedly so) by a journalist who later admitted he hadn’t even watched the video! That’s a shame because had he done so, he’d realize how impressive the feature actually is.
The most popular video though is not “The Fall of Doctor Who” but actually (outside of the hilarious “5-Minute Crafts Makes the Worst Life Hacks of All Time”) “Netflix’s Paradise PD is Painfully Unfunny”, which has clocked in 4.2 million views.
Link to the channel: Jay Exci
Now You See It
Now You See It explores the art and craft of filmmaking, focusing on various aspects of film production such as cinematography, editing, sound design, and more. The channel’s videos are known for their insightful and informative analysis of movies and TV shows.
There are some great videos in here, including a look at the difference between American and British comedy, through the differences between the US and UK versions of The Office. In fact, that’s the most popular video on the channel, boasting 5.7 million views.
However, there are all sorts of other neat additions here too, including a deep-dive into Quentin Tarantino’s movies, the effectiveness of jump scares, and how important opening shots in movies actually are.
Link to the channel: Now You See It
Folding Ideas
Folding Ideas is a fantastically quirky YouTube channel run by filmmaker and writer Dan Olson. He offers critical analysis and reviews of movies, TV shows, and other media. The videos themselves are well-edited and researched, while others look into oddball topics like Jamie Oliver’s disdain for chicken nuggets.
Each of the videos are incredibly thoughtful and nuanced, with “Line Goes Up – The Problem With NFTs” clocking in at 11 million views. However, the next video looks specifically at The Editing Of Suicide Squad, with 3.7 million views.
Link to the channel: Folding Ideas
Yhara Zayd
Yhara Zayd is a writer and filmmaker who runs a YouTube channel sharing her experiences and insights on writing, filmmaking, and creativity. Her videos offer practical advice and encouragement to aspiring writers and filmmakers, while also taking a deep dive into different movies through the years.
The most popular video here comes from a breakdown of The Hunger Game’s Rue, aptly titled “The Day Rue “Became” Black”, with 1.6 million views. There’s also great videos on White, Cruel Intentions 2 and more that are well researched and engaging.
Link to the channel: Yhara Zayd
YourMovieSucksDOTorg
YourMovieSucksDOTorg is a YouTube channel run by Adam Johnston, offering critical reviews of movies, video games, and other media. The channel’s videos boast a humorous and irreverent tone, while the audience interactivity, notably in the video “The worst remake” makes it different to others on this list in the best way.
YMS’ review of Cool Cat Saves the Kids is absolutely hilarious and unsurprisingly the most popular video on the channel. It has 6.5 million views and features better editing than the Cool Cat movie.
These quirky parts are balanced out by some of the longer essays, including The Lion King remake, which clocks in at a tasty 2 hours and 40 minutes.
Link to the channel: YourMovieSucksDOTorg
Screen Junkies
Screen Junkies are best known for their Honest Trailers series, which offer up a hilarious and parodical take on different shows and movies, featuring “epic movie voice guy” Jon Bailey.
Beyond that though, the channel is run by a team of writers, producers, and hosts that offer movie and TV show reviews, analysis, discussions and more.
It’s no surprise to see the Honest Trailers at the top of the popularity pile, and among all the channels on this list, is perhaps the most prolific. The Honest Trailer for Titanic boasts a massive 41 million views.
Link to the channel: Screen Junkies
FilmJoy
FilmJoy is run by Mikey Neumann, who offers reviews, analysis, and discussions of movies, television shows, and other media. The channel deep dives into various aspects of filmmaking, such as cinematography, sound design, and more.
The channel is separated into different types of videos, with “Deep Dive” riffing off the RedLetterMedia idea of watching bad movies, while “Movies With Mikey” serving as more of a straight forward deep-dive and video essay format.
The most popular video is titled “Is JOHN WICK About the Gods of Olympus?” and has 829k views (at the time of writing). However, there’s lots to enjoy beyond that video, including the excellent “NO MOVIE is like HOT FUZZ”, which Mikey calls his “desert island film”.
Link to the channel: FilmJoy
Lindsay Ellis
Lindsay Ellis quit YouTube last year, which is a shame because her essays are damn good. Serving as a writer, producer, and YouTube personality, Lindsay offers critical reviews and analysis of movies, television shows, and other media.
Her videos are well-regarded for their academic and analytical approach, as well as humor and wit, all of which rolled into 30-55 minute chunks of brilliance.
The most popular video comes from “How Aladdin Changed Animation (by Screwing Over Robin Williams)” which is a fascinating look at the changes in animation and how Aladdin essentially kickstarted a movement that Shrek ran with. The video has a deserved 7.3 million views.
Link to the channel: Lindsay Ellis
Pitch Meetings
The man who single-handedly carried ScreenRant’s YouTube channel for a while, Ryan George is a hilarious and humble guy, who has struck gold with his series of satirical reenactments of fictional pitch meetings for movies, TV shows and other media.
The guy has a knack for creating catchy phrases, including “Yeah, yeah, yeah!” and “Super Easy, Barely An Inconvenience!” The channel now has its own dedicated home (linked below) and features some pretty interesting new videos, where Ryan breaks down the making of said videos and how he came up with different ideas.
The pitches are witty, laugh out loud funny and immediately jump to plot holes, logical inconsistencies and hilarious observations about different movies.
Link to the channel: Pitch Meetings
The Critical Drinker
The Critical Drinker is a rising star on YouTube, run by William “Will” Jordan, a Scottish YouTuber, professional writer and avid drinker, who offers opinionated and irreverent reviews of movies, TV shows, and other media. The channel is known for its sarcastic and humorous approach to pop culture.
Drinker has an array of different content on the channel, including the ongoing series “Why Modern Movies Suck”, which looks at different aspects of Hollywood’s current state of filmmaking and diminishing returns.
The most popular video on the channel is “Why Ghostbusters 2016 FAILED – A scene comparison” which has 7.7 million views.
For those who prefer a more conversational tone though, The Critical Drinker also has a second channel, Critical Drinker After Hours, which feature “Open Bar” sessions, co-hosted with Mauler (highlighted below) that run for around 2 hours or so, discussing movie news, reviewing shows and movies, along with bringing different guests in each week for their take on film, TV and pop culture.
In recent months, Drinker has also interviewed various celebrities, including Russell Crowe, Mark Millar and Matthew Marsden.
Link to the channel: The Critical Drinker
Link to the channel: Critical Drinker After Hours
Mauler
Often referred to as The Long Man, Mauler offers in-depth analysis and criticism of movies, TV shows, and video games. The channel is known for its detailed and comprehensive approach to pop culture, with videos easily clocking in over 2 hours.
The most recent video clocks in at 5 hours and 50 minutes, making it one of the longest to feature on this list. It’s aptly titled “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness: An Unbridled Cataclysm” and breaks down absolutely everything wrong with the new Doctor Strange movie. As one may pertain from this length of video – there’s a lot to unpack!
Mauler’s wit and humour combine with genuinely insightful and interesting takes that will likely change the way you view different films.
Mauler also has his own show he hosts too, Every Frame A Pause (EFAP), which are very long-form podcasts that can range from a few hours to 11+ hour sessions, depending on the film. If you have the time, they’re well worth checking out.
Link to the channel: Mauler
Link to the channel: Every Frame A Pause
The Cosmonaut Variety Hour
The Cosmonaut Variety Hour is hosted by Marcus, Dan, and Meghan, who offers critical analysis and reviews of movies, TV shows, and other media. The channel’s videos are known for their humorous and irreverent approach to pop culture, with the series “Why It Sucks” looking at different movies and shows, examining (yep, you guessed it!) why they suck.
“Catwoman – The Worst Superhero Movie Ever Made?” is hilariously positioned to show just why the film is so bad, while “The Amazing Spider-Man 1&2 – Worse Than You Can Even Imagine” boasts the highest view count, with a total of 15 million views.
Link to the channel: The Cosmonaut Variety Hour
RalphTheMovieMaker
RalphTheMovieMaker is a YouTube channel that offers movie reviews, analysis, and discussions. It’s run by Ralph Sepe Jr, who injects comedy and a pretty balanced and fair perspective to everything being covered. He even has praise for Cats… between scathing critique of the movie of course!
Ralph is relatively active on his channel, while the balance of short reviews (about 2-5 minutes) and longer breakdowns (11-20 minutes) working well to balance out the content.
Link to the channel: RalphTheMovieMaker
Alex Meyers
Alex Meyers is another channel you should definitely subscribe to if you enjoy reviews and analysis on YouTube. He offers TV shows, movie, and other media reviews, all done through using cartoonish animations and comedic skits.
The channel has been a massive hit over the years, and his video essays about movies and TV Shows are consistently great. These essays are right at the top of the view count too, with “Descendants doesn’t make any sense…” boasting 11 million views at the time of writing.
Link to the channel: Alex Meyers
Mr Sunday Movies
If you’re looking for more of a conversationalist tone with your movie and TV show analysis, look no further than Mr Sunday Movies. Run by James Clement and Nick Mason, the different videos showcase humorous and informative reviews, analysis, trailer breakdowns and discussions of movies and TV shows.
The channel is known for its banter, while the ongoing series “Caravan of Garbage” sees the pair look back, grill, hilariously observe and review different movies over the years. You’ll never look at Shrek the same way after seeing the different theories, while at the time of writing, all the Batman movies are going through the ringer!
Their most popular video has 10 million views in “Avengers VS Thanos – 16 Bit Scenes” but there are a huge number of “Caravan of Garbage” video, ending explained articles, trailer breakdowns and more across the backlog.
Link to the channel: Mr Sunday Movies
Friendly Space Ninja
Friendly Space Ninja is a reviewer that effectively analyzes and critiques a wide variety of different shows and movies. The content ranges from shows like The Walking Dead and Fleabag to Wednesday and Emily In Paris. In fact, the latter goes through the ringer here, as Space Ninja cuts into the Netflix Original, with the cleverly titled “Emily In Paris: Romanticizing Ignorance”. With 8.6 million views and a run-time of 24 minutes, it’s one of the best videos on the channel.
However, you’ll find a lot of other good stuff here, including a 2 hour 20 minute breakdown of Riverdale, a fantastic 90 minute deep-dive into Chilling Adventures of Sabrina and the handy “10 Shows I Will Never Make Videos About (And Why)”, which is especially useful if you subscribe to the channel!
Link to the channel: Friendly Space Ninja
Full Fat Videos
Full Fat Videos is probably unknown to the masses, and that’s a shame because the content here is really well-done. Full Fat Videos are, by their very definition, chock full of content and really do well to break down different parts of movies and TV shows, with the intention of sparking discussions.
The video, “Is X-Men: The Last Stand Really That Bad?” offers up a thought provoking piece that dissects what went wrong with the third X-Men movie and whether the panning from fans and critics alike was justified.
The different video essays rarely run more than 30 minutes, but there’s a lot packed into that time. The most popular essay on the channel is titled “How the Russos Fixed Iron Man | Video Essay” which looks at Tony Stark’s journey across the MCU, and has 2.8 million views.
Link to the channel: Full Fat Videos
The Little Platoon
The Little Platoon is a YouTuber that offers brilliantly insightful and well written content. There are analysis, reviews, and discussions of movies, TV shows, and other media, all bundled up into a mix of long and short videos.
The channel has a thoughtful and nuanced approach to pop culture, with some of the longer videos dissecting more recent shows and movies, all whilst offering a great balance of humour, sarcasm and wisdom.
The most popular video is “She-Hulk – Nobody’s Laughing” which has 1.3 million views, but Platoon’s ongoing dissection of Rings of Power is well worth a watch, along with a 3 hour 26 minute video on Avatar: Way of Water!
Link to the channel: The Little Platoon
So there we have it! Our picks for the 25 best YouTube channels for TV Show & Film Analysis. Do you agree with our picks? Who is your favourite YouTuber? Have alternate takes on our picks? Feel free to drop us a comment below!