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Matt Olien's Movie Reviews
Thursdays during Main Street, at 3pm CT and a repeat at 7pm CT

Television producer Matt Olien doubles as Prairie Public's resident movie critic, and uses his background in film studies and extensive knowledge of movie history to review a current film. Stay tuned until the end, where he's quizzed with obscure Oscar trivia.

  • The Life of Chuck
    Matt Olien reviews The Life of Chuck, a moving, backward-told story adapted from Stephen King that explores memory, mortality, and the beauty of ordinary life.
  • Friendship
    Matt Olien reviews Friendship, a surreal, dark comedy about male loneliness, obsession, and the awkward search for connection.
  • The Phoenician Scheme, Top Female Movie Stars
    A Canadian diplomat uncovers a global oil conspiracy in The Phoenician Scheme. Plus, Matt shares his picks for top female movie stars of all time.
  • Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning
    Matt Olien reviews Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, where Ethan Hunt battles a rogue AI. Then Matt asks: is Tom Cruise the greatest movie star of all time?
  • Prairie Public's Matt Olien has a vast knowledge of film history, and is an active member of the Fargo Film Festival committee.
    Matt Olien’s Top 10 All-Time Favorite Films
    Matt Olien reveals his top 10 all-time favorite films—expect classics, surprises, and bold picks sure to spark debate among movie lovers.
  • Prairie Public's Matt Olien has a vast knowledge of film history, and is an active member of the Fargo Film Festival committee.
    Matt's Movie Countdown: All-Time Favorites from #20 to #11
    Film buff alert! Matt Olien counts down picks #20 through #11 from his all-time favorite films - expect bold choices, hidden gems, and maybe a hot take or two.
  • Clown In A Cornfield
    Matt Olien reviews "Clown In A Cornfield" where a group of teenagers in a small town becomes the target of a masked killer dressed as a clown.
  • Thunderbolts*
    Matt Olien reviews Thunderbolts, where misfit antiheroes team up to save the world — but can they save themselves?
  • Sinners
    Matt Olien reviews "Sinners," Ryan Coogler’s Southern Gothic epic where Michael B. Jordan plays twins in a world of jazz, vampires, and racial terror.
  • The Ballad of Wallis Island
    Matt loves The Ballad of Wallis Island, where a cartographer sent to update maps uncovers secrets, a tight-knit community, and truths that challenge his past. "It sticks the landing."