Rewatchables Reference

Each host delivers their most controversial, contrarian, or provocative opinion about the movie. The hottest take should be something that would get you yelled at on the internet or start an argument at a dinner party – the kind of opinion that makes your co-hosts say "wait, what?" A lukewarm take doesn't count.

This is one of the most entertaining categories because it forces the hosts to go out on a limb. Takes can range from "this movie is actually bad" to "this supporting actor is better than the lead" to "this movie would be better without its most famous scene." The best hot takes are defensible but guaranteed to spark debate.

This category first appeared in 'Dead Poets Society', but became a staple of the show later, after the The New Categories Selection Show episode in 2022. It was initially called the "Stephen A. Smith hottest take award", but, after CR said on the 'Old School' episode that Luke Wilson could have had Harrison Ford's career, a listener suggested the award be renamed to "CR thinks 'Luke Wilson could have been Harrison Ford' hottest take", which Bill did on the 'Manchester by the Sea' episode. For many years, nobody thought we would see a take hotter than that, but then, in late 2025, Rob Mahoney shocked everyone on his very first Rewatchables appearance, 'High Fidelity' by saying that Nirvana's GenX anthem, "Smells Like Teen Spirit", actually sucked. However, the award has not yet been formally renamed.