Rosie the Reviewer: a WW2 movies and shows podcast

In this episode of Rosie the Reviewer, we're wrapping up our three-part journey through Masters of the Air with a look at episodes 7-9.  We're once again joined by George! From the marches out of Stalag Luft III to Rosies' decision to fly more missions and Croz sleeping through D-Day. We get into the show's depiction of the Tuskegee Airmen and see where everybody ends up. Safe flight, Masters!

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In this episode of Rosie the Reviewer, we continue our Masters of the Air series with episodes 4 through 6. George is back again to help us cover everything from Quinn and Bailey’s escape routes to Black Week, and welcome Rosie Rosenthal. We break down new character arcs, major missions, and quiet emotional ... uh, breakdowns, including Bucky's slow downward spiral, Crosby's grief, and Rosie finding his rhythm (with some help from ...

In this episode of Rosie the Reviewer, we cover the first three episodes of Masters of the Air, the latest Spielberg-Hanks WWII series following the Bloody Hundredth Bomb Group. Joined by our resident SAS Rogue Heroes correspondent George to talk about not the SAS, we unpack what works and what doesn't. From Buck and Bucky banter to B-17 flight scenes you come to a WWII show for. We talk ball turrets, bike races, bomber boys, a...

In this episode of Rosie the Reviewer, we take on The Imitation Game (2014) and unpick all the ways it does Alan Turing dirty. With guest George (our usual SAS Rogue Heroes correspondent) taking on several sidequests with us this summer), we tackle the unnecessary spy plot, the myth of the lone genius, and why turning one of history’s most brilliant minds into a socially inept robot is just lazy, disrespectful writing. Sam did all ...

In this episode of Rosie the Reviewer, we discuss the beautiful Ballad of a Soldier (1959), a Soviet-era WWII film that might just be the gentlest war movie we've ever seen. The film follows a young soldier named Alyosha as he travels across Russia to visit his mother on furlough. Along the way, he meets the love of his life. Not a very outspoken war movie, but a gentle story with sincere performances from main cast and support...

In this episode of Rosie the Reviewer, we take on the 1968 WWII film The Devil's Brigade, a movie full of misfit characters, Italian mountains, and a whole lot of bagpipes. Based on a real American-Canadian commando unit known as the Devil's Brigade or the Black Devils, the film mixes adventure with questionable casting choices (why does everyone look 47 or up?) and a fun hour long training session. We talk about William Ho...

In this episode of Rosie the Reviewer, we’re joined by award-winning historian Clare Mulley, author of The Spy Who Loved..., The Women Who Flew for Hitler, and Agent Zo. We talk about Polish paratrooper Elżbieta Zawacka (Zo), Nazi-resisting test pilot Melitta von Stauffenberg, and the razor-sharp Christine Granville. Clare shares how she builds trust with her readers, balances storytelling with historical rigour, and restores women...

In this episode of Rosie the Reviewer, we break down the final season of X Company, the gripping Canadian WWII spy series set at Camp X. We discuss what worked, what felt rushed, and what made us yell "girl, no, don't kiss that Nazi!"

Season 3 brings heavy losses, moral complexity, and a too early farewell to our favourite Canadian covert operatives. From Krystina's subterfuge, Faber’s redemption arc, to how the s...

In this episode of Rosie the Reviewer, we take on Season 2 of X Company, the tense Canadian WWII drama set at Camp X. This season brings higher stakes, deeper trauma, and a brutal reckoning with the Dieppe Raid. We talk Alfred’s Magneto cage, the complexity of Faber and Sabine’s marriage and a certain “code machine that looks like a fancy typewriter”. Yes, the Enigma makes an appearance. Plus: tortured romances (literal and metapho...

In this episode of Rosie the Reviewer, we dive into the explosive first season of X Company — the 2015 Canadian WWII drama about five secret agents trained at Camp X, Canada's spy training camp. From high-stakes sabotage in occupied France to moral grey zones and surprise betrayals, we explore what makes this little-known show so gripping. We talk about the character arcs we love, historical accuracy, and the surprisingly bruta...

In this episode of Rosie the Reviewer, we unpack The Narrow Road to the Deep North, the harrowing new WWII series starring Jacob Elordi as Australian surgeon Dorrigo Evans. Based on Richard Flanagan’s Booker Prize-winning novel, the show follows Dorrigo’s life before, during, and after his time as a POW forced to build the Burma Railway. We talk symbolism, adaptation choices, and why every character in this show feels trapped—by wa...

In this episode of Rosie the Reviewer, we sit down with Matt Hartman, retired US Navy Chief Petty Officer and author of the WWII spy thriller Other Than Honorable. We talk about writing spy fiction, morally complex heroes, the feeling of Berlin on the brink of war and what it’s like to build a Jason Bourne-ish spy with zero suave and actual consequences. From the emotional roots of Ridge Frost to Hartman’s Enigma rabbit holes, this...

In this episode of Rosie the Reviewer, we discuss the 2019 historical drama A Call to Spy, which follows the real-life wartime missions of Virginia Hall, Noor Inayat Khan, and Vera Atkins — three extraordinary women recruited into Churchill’s Special Operations Executive during WWII.

We explore what the film gets right, where it fictionalises, and how the true stories behind these women are even more astonishing than what made it to...

In this episode of Rosie the Reviewer, we embark on a cinematic sortie with Le Grand Cirque (The Big Show), the 1950 French film based on the bestselling memoir by ace pilot Pierre Clostermann. While the movie tries to be authentic with vintage aircraft footage and Free French pride, we found it weighed down by a lack of character depth and narrative, especially compared to Clostermann’s vivid, emotionally resonant book. We discuss...

In this episode of Rosie the Reviewer, we dive into Quentin Tarantino’s violent alternate history film Inglourious Basterds (2009). From Christoph Waltz’s unforgettable performance as the terrifying Hans Landa to the film’s masterful tension, spaghetti-western style, and cathartic violence, we break down why this crazy WWII fantasy still captivates audiences. We also explore Tarantino’s bold music choices, and what makes alternate ...

This episode is also available as a video podcast. Watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/@RosietheReviewer

In this episode of Rosie the Reviewer, actor Bobby Schofield joins us and SAS Rogue Heroes Correspondent George to talk about his role as Corporal Dave Kershaw in SAS Rogue Heroes (available on BBC iPlayer, MGM+, and Max). We explore his journey from lifelong WWII history nerd to series regular, including the deep research...

In this episode of Rosie the Reviewer, we dive into Black Book, Paul Verhoeven’s 2006 thriller about a Jewish woman who goes undercover in the Dutch resistance. Nearly twenty years later, its themes of complicity, moral ambiguity, and survival feel sharper—and perhaps even more relevant—against the backdrop of today’s conflicts.

We unpack the film’s chaotic plot, infamous pube-bleaching scene, and the real-life resistance fighter wh...

Watch the video version of this episode on YouTube.

In this episode of Rosie the Reviewer, we’re joined by Masters of the Air stars Bailey Brook and Kai Alexander, who brought to life the characters of Sergeant Charles K. Bailey and Sergeant William Quinn. Get the inside scoop on their experience portraying WWII airmen, discover the thrilling story of the Comet Line and its daring escape routes, and hear all about the behind-the...

In this episode of Rosie the Reviewer, we head to the South Pacific to explore Rodgers & Hammerstein’s classic World War II musical. Maartje and Sam discuss whether war is a suitable backdrop for a musical, and dive into the show’s complicated relationship with racism — from its progressive anthem “You’ve Got to Be Carefully Taught” to its undeniably stereotypical portrayals. Plus, a detour into the CB’s (Maartje's obsessed!) a...