Long Time Listener
True crime is a genre of podcast/storytelling I tend not to deal with. Yes, I will watch the occasional documentary or narrative film that works in that mode, but to sensationalize crime for clicks and profits is, personally, a big part of why society has gone as sideways as it has. I really started to feel that especially with the recent Epstein files releases; so much has been about the sensationalization of the crimes that people almost acted like this was content and not records of the worst depravity and immoral behavior.
I say the above not to critique Danielle Nicolet’s “Long Time Listener,” but to establish one of the subgenres of thriller it occupies. The other subgenre is the “woman in trouble” exploitation genre, which really took a trashy turn in the 1980s, and is partially responsible for the modern day erotic thriller. “Long Time Listener” doesn’t go into sexual exploitation- save for one plot point- but it dives head first into the “woman in trouble” narrative, and does a decent job of turning the screws, and sometimes surprising us.
The main character is Genesis (Meagan Holder), the host of a true crime podcast whose popularity has been waning. She has her researcher and co-host (Max, played by Cleo Berry) as well as her producer (Carter, played by Lyriq Bent), and we see them recording in the studio. Her boss has bad news, though; her rankings are dipping, and it looks like the podcast will be cancelled; meanwhile, a podcaster who looks up to her (Elle, played by Nicolet) sees her rankings soaring. One day, Genesis gets a caller to the podcast- someone whose voice sounds altered and goes by Long Time Listener calls in, and starts to add some current true crime associated with Genesis to the podcast. It starts to get popular again, but who is this caller is the question?
The screenplay by John Doolan and Joe Narode is not one built out of twisting the genre playbook too far- just about all of the violence, all of the happenings, and all of the misdirects will be familiar to people who have seen even just a few entries in the genre. Having said that, Nicolet and her cast make this fun to watch. The character dynamics work within the parameters of the plot, and it twists the narrative conventions just enough to have some surprises in store. For fans of the genre, it’s worth watching to see a new entry in the subgenre.
