The Couch Critics
The Couch Critics is your laid-back guide to movies and TV shows that deserve your attention—or maybe don’t. Nathan, along with a rotating door of eclectic co-hosts, dives deep into storytelling, character development, and cinematic style with a sharp eye and a wry sense of humor. Whether it’s a blockbuster hit, a hidden gem, or a cult classic, Nathan’s relatable approach ensures every episode feels like a cozy chat with a friend who just happens to love film. Perfect for casual watchers and cinephiles alike, The Couch Critics bring thoughtful critique without the fluff. Grab your favorite snack, settle in, and let Nathan and friends guide you through the world of screen entertainment.
The Couch Critics
A 59-Year-Old Rookie: The Senior Reviewed with Honesty, Heart, and a Few Fumbles
What does a second chance really cost when the clock has been running for decades? We sat down with The Senior, Angel Studios’ new football drama about Mike Flynt, a 59-year-old who returns to college to finish what one moment stole from him. The hook is irresistible—age against odds, pride against regret—and the story carries enough truth and heart to keep us invested, even as it follows a familiar sports-movie path.
We talk about why the film feels both uplifting and safe, how Michael Chiklis brings quiet weight to a late-life comeback, and where the narrative lands when it comes to family, teammates, and the wounds that winning can’t easily heal. There’s also the evolving Angel Studios identity to consider: a pivot from overtly Christian storytelling to a lighter, faith-adjacent touch. We dig into whether that shift broadens the audience or blunts the film’s spiritual core, and how a Bible in a locker doesn’t always equal a meaningful faith arc on screen.
If you’re looking for polished, earnest, and accessible, The Senior delivers. If you’re hoping for a fresh playbook, it sticks to the tried-and-true: perseverance, doubt, and a final shot at dignity more than glory. We land on a measured 3.5/5—solid performances, steady craft, and a story that moves the chains without changing the game. Press play for our take on inspiration versus originality, the Rudy comparisons the film invites on purpose, and what we want to see next from Angel Studios as they continue to refine their voice. If you enjoyed this review, subscribe, share it with a friend who loves sports dramas, and leave a quick rating to help more listeners find the show.
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The weekend's here, it's time to unwind. Grab your snacks, leave the week behind. Blockbusters, classics, they're all on the way. Let's kick it off with Cinema Saturdays.
SPEAKER_01:Hello everybody, and welcome to another Cinema Saturday on the Couch Critics. I'm your host, Nathan, and on today's episode, this is the movie that was supposed to release last Cinema Saturday, but I was not able to get time to sit down and record it because life, again, is busy. And I know the last Tuesday episode I said I never wanted to miss an episode, and then I did. So apologies, but here it is. So originally, according to my movies to go see calendar, today should have been Saul 11, but that movie did not release. It actually got canceled. So we had to go see another movie. So my wife and I went to go see Angel Studios' new movie, The Senior. And before I talk about my likes, dislikes, what worked, what didn't, and what I actually thought, I have to go over the synopsis. At 59, Mike Flint may be too old to be on a college football field, but not too old to feel the weight of unfinished business. After nearly four decades, he returns to his alma mater to take the hit that changed everything. Bruised, doubted, and nearly broken, he pushes for one more game, not for glory, but for the teammates he lost, the family he fractured, and the ending he still believes is possible. The senior stars are Michael Chicklis, Mary Stuart Masterson, Brandon Flynn, and James Badge Dale. So this movie is again from Angel Studios, which my wife and I have been very impressed with when it comes to their movies. But one thing I've noticed is that when they first started releasing movies, they were very heavily Christian based. And now the more I've seen of their movies, like the sketch movie that just came out, and now with this one, the Christian aspect of it is faintly there. It's not as overtly in your face as the other movies were. And if you've listened to the show before or you know me at all, you know I don't have the biggest like when it comes to Christian films because I believe the majority of the time the quality is very, very low. But with Angel Studios, they have really elevated Christian media. And so I've been very impressed. But this movie, The Senior, again, is another film that just faintly has Christian undertones to it. And I'm not necessarily saying that's a bad thing, but with the content that they have been presenting before, it is kind of disappointing that the Christian aspect isn't as highlighted as much. Now, this movie, the Christian message really isn't there at all. It's only quote unquote there because his character has a Bible. You never see him read his Bible. You never even see him hear him or see him talk about anything related to the Bible, except the fact that his father, who they show in flashbacks, abused him verbally, mentally, sometimes physically, I guess, found God and then had a Bible, but never told his son about it. So yeah, the Christian message really isn't there. And it is a somewhat inspiring movie. It is based on the true story, the true life story of Mike Flint, who at 59 did go back to college and play college football. So it is a very impressive story. It is a very uplifting story to a certain extent. I just don't feel like it's anything new. That's what my wife and I both agreed on is that it was just your stereotypical inspirational football movie. Nothing new. They even joke that he was like a 59-year-old Rudy. And if you know that football movie, then you'll get that reference. But they literally make a joke that his life is like a stereotypical football movie. And so this movie didn't really didn't really do much. Again, it's not a bad movie. Not saying don't go see it, but I am saying it's not anything special or not, you know, it's not anything in particular. Angel Studios has released much more high-quality movies before this one. And again, I'm not saying it's not an a good quality movie either. I thought the acting in it was was pretty good. Again, I thought the storyline was good. It's just nothing new. It's nothing that we haven't seen before. Like even the movie Sketch, at least, was new-ish. And so, yeah, I don't really know what else to say about this movie. So I don't feel bad that I didn't release an episode last week because this episode isn't going to be really long anyway. Because my wife and I both agreed it's it was it was good. It was okay for what it was, but it wasn't anything special, it wasn't anything we haven't seen before. And so Angel Studios just released a pretty good movie, and that's that's about it. That's all I can really say about this film. So I would give the senior probably a 3.5 out of five because again, it's not a bad movie, it's just not really anything new. So that's what I'm giving the senior a 3.5 out of five stars this Tuesday. It's looking like it'll be me, my good friend Mitch, my good friend Lexi, and Katie, my good friend Katie. You can also send us a message by hitting that, send us a text link in the show notes, say hello, maybe recommend a movie for us to watch, check us out on the couch, critics where every movie gets its close up.
