Michael Phillips

Michael Phillips (born March 11, 1961) is an American film critic formerly for the Chicago Tribune newspaper.

From 2006 through August 2008, he appeared frequently on At the Movies with Ebert & Roeper, first as one of numerous guest critics filling in for the late Roger Ebert while he was on medical leave, and becoming a semipermanent cohost with Richard Roeper in the months before Roeper and Ebert ended their association with the series. On August 5, 2009, Phillips was hired along with New York Times critic A. O. Scott to replace hosts Ben Lyons and Ben Mankiewicz. The show was cancelled after one season due to low ratings, concluding its run in August 2010.

Phillips has introduced over 100 feature films for Turner Classic Movies. He appears on the Filmspotting podcast. He hosted a series about movie music called The Film Score and contributes to Soundtrack both for WFMT-FM (98.7).

In 2025, the Chicago Tribune eliminated its film critic role and Phillips accepted a buyout. His final review for the paper, published August 14, was for the film Highest 2 Lowest. His final piece for the paper overall, published September 4, was a preview for movies coming out in the fall of 2025.

Preferences In an interview with Rotten Tomatoes, Phillips listed his five favorite films (in chronological order):

The Passion of Joan of Arc His Girl Friday Citizen Kane The Band Wagon Taxi Driver

Best films of the year Each year, from 2005 until 2024, Phillips prepares a list of the top ten films of the year. In 2009, he also made a list for the films of the 2000s decade.

Filmography Year Title Role Notes 2006-2010 At the Movies Guest Host/Co-Host 91 episodes 2008 Entourage Himself Episode: "Fantasy Island" 2010 Who Wants to Be a Millionaire Guest Expert 5 episodes The View Himself 1 episode Charlie Rose Guest 1 episode 2011 The Early Show Himself 1 episode 2013 TCM Friday Night Spotlight: Future Shock! Host