About this episode

Paul and Amy recap the blockbuster summer of 2026, discussing diverse hits and the return of good storytelling.

Paul and Amy look back at the wild summer of 2026, a blockbuster season that brought audiences back to theaters and delivered one of the most lucrative summers in over a decade. From The Invite and Jackass Forever to The Odyssey, Minions and Monsters, and Toy Story 5, they dig into a surprisingly diverse group of hits and ask whether the era of chasing movie trends is finally giving way to something simpler: good storytelling. Along the way, they explore the return of the mid-budget movie, the Obsession and Backrooms mania sweeping through pop culture, and the season’s biggest flops. You can join the Unspooled conversation on Paul’s Discord at https://discord.gg/ZwtygZGTa6 Follow Paul and Amy on Letterboxd for more of their movie hot takes! https://letterboxd.com/paulscheer/ https://letterboxd.com/theamynicholson/ Paul’s book Joyful Recollections of Trauma is out now! Find it at https://www.harpercollins.com/products/joyful-recollections-of-trauma-paul-scheer Check out more of Paul's writing on his Substack https://substack.com/@paulscheer Episodic Art by Kim Troxall: https://www.unspooledart.com/ Learn more about the show at Unspooledpod.com…

People in this episode

Hosts: Paul Scheer, Amy Nicholson

Topics covered

• summer movies
• blockbuster season
• good storytelling
• mid-budget movies
• pop culture trends
• movie flops

Keywords

• 2026 movies
• blockbusters
• film reviews
• pop culture
• mid-budget films
• movie trends

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Unspooled, Discord, Letterboxd, HarperCollins, Substack

Products: Joyful Recollections of Trauma

Books & works: The Invite, Jackass Forever, The Odyssey, Minions, Monsters, Toy Story 5

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• O Brother, Where Art Thou? · August 13, 2026 · 1h 8m
• Reel Confessions: David Wain · August 7, 2026 · 28 min
• Rerun: Wet Hot American Summer · August 6, 2026 · 1h 11m

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