Top Five Guilty Pleasure Movies

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What are the movies we love despite knowing they're not cinematic masterpieces? When the critics pan a film that you can't stop rewatching, should you feel guilty about your enjoyment?

In this deeply personal episode, we reunite as a full trio to dive into the concept of "guilty pleasures" in film - those movies we return to time and again despite (or perhaps because of) their perceived flaws. As Erica returns from her travels, she brings with her this question that reveals more about us as viewers than perhaps any other topic could.

We each approach this challenge differently - Max analyzes the numerical gaps between his ratings and the critical consensus, Alex passionately defends films no one else seems to appreciate, and Erica embraces the nostalgic comforts of childhood favorites. From the shark-filled waters of Deep Blue Sea to the supernatural scares of Annabelle Comes Home, from the teen angst of Twilight to the ghostly romance of Casper, our selections span genres and decades but share one common thread: they matter deeply to us.

The conversation reveals how our most treasured movie experiences often connect to formative moments in our lives. We explore whether a guilty pleasure can transition into legitimate appreciation when critical opinion shifts, whether certain genres are more prone to guilty pleasure status than others, and ultimately, whether we should feel any guilt at all about the films that bring us joy.

What movies do you secretly love despite their reputation? Join us for this confession booth of cinematic loves and discover why the films we're hesitant to recommend might actually be the ones that define us most as movie lovers.

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