The new Disney+ Star Wars series The Acolyte is a murder mystery. Someone is killing great Jedi masters, and while we learn the killer's identity early on, the real mystery driving the series is why they're doing it. It stars Amandla Stenberg as Force-sensitive twins Osha and Mae, and Squid Game's Lee Jung-jae as Osha's former Jedi master. By the time it's finished its eight-episode run, The Acolyte may shed new light on the nature of the Force, and the hidden history of the Jedi. Learn more abo...
Jun 24, 2024•23 min•Ep 1880•Transcript available on Metacast Financial scams are an unfortunate phenomenon, but what happens when a fraudster messes with the wrong grandma? The very fun action-comedy Thelma imagines exactly this scenario. The movie stars June Squibb as a woman scammed by someone pretending to be her grandson. She then enlists her old friend (the late Richard Roundtree) to help get her money back. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy...
Jun 21, 2024•18 min•Ep 1879•Transcript available on Metacast The brilliant and idiosyncratic new HBO series Fantasmas has a simple plot. Creator and star Julio Torres searches New York City for an earring he lost at a club. In the execution, that quest gets transformed into something epic and surreal and queer in every sense of the word. He keeps bumping into random New Yorkers whose stories play out in a series of sketch-like vignettes. They are played by actors including Emma Stone, Bowen Yang, and Tilda Swinton. Learn more about sponsor message choices...
Jun 20, 2024•18 min•Ep 1878•Transcript available on Metacast The second half of Bridgerton 's latest season just dropped on Netflix, and naturally the course of true love continues to not run smoothly. Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton) and Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan) may have finally declared their feelings for each other, but there's still a lot left to figure out. We previously talked about the first part of the third season in May, so today, we're diving in everything that happens in the conclusion. We want to hear your opinions about summer ...
Jun 18, 2024•19 min•Ep 1877•Transcript available on Metacast Whether they're lightly perspiring, gently glowing, or soaked through from sweltering, people in the movies sweat a lot. But what movie has had people sweat the very most? With summer underway, we are debating what is the sweatiest movie of all time — including Do the Right Thing , Dog Day Afternoon , Y tu mamá también , and Body Heat . Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy...
Jun 17, 2024•22 min•Ep 1876•Transcript available on Metacast Pixar's Inside Out introduced us to the core emotions inside an 11-year-old girl named Riley. We met Joy (Amy Poehler), Sadness (Phyllis Smith), and Anger (Lewis Black). In Inside Out 2 , Riley is experiencing puberty and a whole new crop of emotions have popped up. Most notably Anxiety (Maya Hawke) who has literally bottled up Riley's original core emotions and sent them hurtling into the back of her mind, where they plot to get back and set things right. We want to hear your opinions about sum...
Jun 14, 2024•21 min•Ep 1875•Transcript available on Metacast Presumed Innocent was a blockbuster legal thriller as a novel, and then a hit movie starring Harrison Ford. Now, Apple TV+ brings back the story of the accuser turned defendant as a limited series. Jake Gyllenhaal plays the lead this time, as a prosecutor who is accused of the murder of the colleague he'd had an affair with. David E. Kelley ( Big Little Lies, The Practice, Ally McBeal ) created the show. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy...
Jun 13, 2024•23 min•Ep 1874•Transcript available on Metacast This is the time of year when so many students graduate. Whether it's graduation episodes of our favorite TV series, high school songs, or movies about the last wild night of high school, we're revisiting our episode about the best moments about graduation in pop culture. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy
Jun 11, 2024•24 min•Ep 1873•Transcript available on Metacast Am I OK? is a about what happens when you finally come to accept your sexuality much later in life than many do. It stars Dakota Johnson and Sonoya Mizuno as two women in their 30s who have been best friends a long time. But Johnson's character is grappling with the possibility that she's queer – and with the fact that her most treasured friendship is in trouble. Directed by Tig Notaro and Stephanie Allynne, it's streaming on Max. We want to hear your opinions about summer snacks. Are you Team H...
Jun 10, 2024•15 min•Ep 1872•Transcript available on Metacast Netflix's entertaining dark comedy Hit Man is not about a hired killer. It's about a guy who pretends to be a hired killer. Director Richard Linklater co-wrote this film with movie star of the moment, Glen Powell. Based very loosely on a real guy, Powell plays a mild-mannered professor who also works undercover for the police as a fake hitman. We want to hear your opinions about summer snacks. Are you Team Hot Dog or Team Hamburger? What's better: churro or a funnel cake? Click here to cast your...
Jun 07, 2024•26 min•Ep 1871•Transcript available on Metacast The venerable British science fiction series Doctor Who is back with a new season. Ncuti Gatwa — who is Black and openly queer — brings a vibrant energy to the story of an alien who travels through space and time in a blue box. The series, now streaming on Disney+, also features the return of showrunner Russell T. Davies, who birthed the modern era of Doctor Who . But what does this mix of new and old mean for the sci-fi institution? We want to hear your opinions about summer snacks. Are you Tea...
Jun 06, 2024•27 min•Ep 1870•Transcript available on Metacast The new FX limited series Clipped tells the story of Donald Sterling, the then-owner of the Los Angeles Clippers, who was outed as a racist. Sterling's girlfriend – who was Black and Mexican – secretly recorded their conversations. When those tapes leaked, he was embroiled in a scandal that upended the NBA – an industry that profits off the star power of its majority Black players. The series stars Ed O'Neill and Laurence Fishburne as the owner and the head coach who clashed as it all went down....
Jun 05, 2024•21 min•Ep 1869•Transcript available on Metacast The Sopranos changed television. The HBO series was centered on mobster Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini), a deeply flawed male antihero. That then- innovative approach cast a long shadow on television, but what really set The Sopranos apart was the fact that Tony was in therapy — a genius touch that granted viewers special access to his inner conflicts. This year marks the 25th anniversary of the show's premiere, so we're revisiting our conversation about the series. Learn more about sponsor mess...
Jun 04, 2024•25 min•Ep 1868•Transcript available on Metacast Sometimes, our favorite musical artists are too good to be true because they're sprung from the imaginations of Hollywood screenwriters. But what makes a fake band great? Today, we are debating the best fictional bands in TV and film — including from Mamma Mia! , Josie and the Pussycats , It's Your Move , and Miami Connection . We want to hear your opinions about summer snacks. Are you Team Hot Dog or Team Hamburger? What's better: churro or a funnel cake? Click here to cast your votes . The res...
May 31, 2024•27 min•Ep 1867•Transcript available on Metacast The Peacock series We Are Lady Parts is a bold and very funny comedy about an up-and-coming London punk band called Lady Parts. The members of Lady Parts, and its manager, are all young Muslim women, from various racial and ethnic backgrounds. Over the course of its first season, each member experiences triumphs and setbacks – including its lead guitarist, who strives to overcome stage fright. The show is about to return for a new season, so today, we are revisiting our conversation about it. Le...
May 29, 2024•12 min•Ep 1866•Transcript available on Metacast What is it about a show that turns you into a bitter-ender, that keeps you dutifully watching every last episode, long after the train has jumped the tracks? Even when you know it's not good, but, for you anyway, it's just good enough to muddle through, all the way to the finale? Today, we're talking about terrible but bingeable TV shows. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy...
May 28, 2024•23 min•Ep 1865•Transcript available on Metacast Today, we are bringing you an episode of a new NPR podcast hosted by our pal Rachel Martin. It's called Wild Card , and it's a new interview show where the game controls the conversation. Each week, the guest chooses questions at random — about the memories, insights, and beliefs that have shaped their lives. This episode is an interview with the actor Pop Culture Happy Hour listeners voted as their favorite Chris — Chris Pine. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoic...
May 27, 2024•26 min•Ep 1864•Transcript available on Metacast Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga is packed with bone-crunching practical stunts and lots of gnarly, diesel-powered chase scenes. It also shows a commitment to worldbuilding that grapples with themes of feminism, environmentalism, and humanity. Directed by George Miller, the prequel film tells the story of a Furiosa (Anya Taylor-Joy), who was taken from her home as a girl, raised to be a warrior in a post-apocalyptic wasteland, and now seeks revenge on an evil warlord (Chris Hemsworth). Learn more about s...
May 24, 2024•26 min•Ep 1863•Transcript available on Metacast It's rare to find a series with such an impeccable pedigree as HBO's The Sympathizer . It's based on a Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, co-created by auteur director Park Chan-wook, and features Robert Downey, Jr. in four supporting roles. Set during and after the Vietnam war, the series follows a man (Hoa Xuande) juggling a position with the South Vietnamese military and one as a spy for the North Vietnamese. But is it a worthy adaptation? Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.c...
May 23, 2024•18 min•Ep 1862•Transcript available on Metacast In the new movie IF , a 12-year-old girl (Cailey Fleming) discovers she can see other people's imaginary friends. It stars Ryan Reynolds, and directed by John Krasinski. It mixes the real world and animation, but does it capture the heart of the Pixar movies that inspired it? Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy...
May 22, 2024•15 min•Ep 1861•Transcript available on Metacast The Netflix series Bridgerton is back, as gossipy and over-the-top as ever. Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan) and her crush on childhood best friend Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton) take center-stage. When Penelope is determined to find a husband, Colin wants to help her and they start spending extra time together. But where will this lead? Well, you know the answer to that. It's all about the journey, and the clothes, and the nudity, and obviously, the Queen's hair. Subscribe to Pop Cultur...
May 20, 2024•22 min•Ep 1860•Transcript available on Metacast The new music biopic Back to Black chronicles the life of singer-songwriter Amy Winehouse. The film stars Marisa Abela, and follows Winehouse as she records her breakthrough album, gets married, and struggles with addiction. But does the movie do justice to the singer and her music? Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy...
May 17, 2024•24 min•Ep 1859•Transcript available on Metacast The new movie Babes stars Ilana Glazer and Michelle Buteau as longtime best friends who've made very different life choices. It's also about the inherent joys, stressors, and grossness of parenthood, and what it means to embrace your chosen family. It's the feature directorial debut of Pamela Adlon ( Better Things ). Subscribe to Pop Culture Happy Hour Plus at plus.npr.org/happyhour Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy...
May 16, 2024•17 min•Ep 1858•Transcript available on Metacast For years, Black Twitter was the watering hole. It was where we could pop off jokes about Olivia and Fitz on Scandal. It's also where you could call out social injustices. It was both a state of mind and a state of being online. A new Hulu docuseries called Black Twitter: A People's History puts the massive global reach of that space into perspective. But what's changed now that it's owned by Elon Musk? Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy...
May 15, 2024•22 min•Ep 1857•Transcript available on Metacast I Saw the TV Glow is a strange and pleasantly unsettling new film from writer and director Jane Schoenbrun. It's about two teenagers (Justice Smith and Brigette Lundy-Paine) who bond so strongly over a cult monster-of-the-week TV show that it becomes their entire identities. When the show gets canceled, their bond dissolves – until years later, when one of the teens sweeps back into the other's life, bearing secret knowledge that could change everything. Learn more about sponsor message choices:...
May 14, 2024•23 min•Ep 1856•Transcript available on Metacast If you're familiar with Interview with the Vampire — because you read the Anne Rice novel or you saw the 1994 movie — the AMC series has some surprises. It revolves around a young man named Louis, his handsome vampire lover, and the creepy vampire child they adopt — but it's funnier, sexier and queerer than you remember. But this Louis isn't a white plantation owner — he's an ambitious and closeted Black man. The show just returned for a new season, so we're revisiting our conversation about the...
May 13, 2024•16 min•Ep 1855•Transcript available on Metacast Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes follows Noa (Owen Teague), an extraordinary chimpanzee whose clan is enslaved by a mercenary ape king named Proximus Caesar (Kevin Durand). As he sets out to gets them back, he's joined by a sage orangutan (Peter Maykin) and a scavenging human (Freya Allan). The movie is set hundreds of years after the recent Planet of the Apes trilogy, but the spirit of Andy Serkis' revolutionary character Caeser still looms large over this new film. Learn more about sponsor me...
May 10, 2024•24 min•Ep 1854•Transcript available on Metacast 2024 seems destined to go down as the Year of Pop Culture Grievances. Megan vs. Nicki. Beyoncé vs. Nashville. But above all: Kendrick Lamar vs. Drake, who are currently engaged in the nastiest lyrical warfare rap fans have seen in a minute. Today, we're talking about all the pettiness: Why so much beef, and what makes a good battle? And is there ever a clear "winner" in these battles? Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy...
May 09, 2024•22 min•Ep 1853•Transcript available on Metacast The British singer Dua Lipa has become one of the world's biggest pop stars. Now, she's back with Radical Optimism , a sort of concept record about moving through life with a more mature and constructive attitude. But it's also a pretty straightforward collection of grievance-free, hyper-catchy bangers. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy...
May 08, 2024•22 min•Ep 1852•Transcript available on Metacast The new Netflix film Unfrosted tells a fanciful invented version of the Pop-Tart's origin. The film was directed and co-written by Jerry Seinfeld, who also stars as a Kellogg's executive who's in a race to release a new breakfast idea before their rival beats them to it. Seinfeld is joined by a big cast of funny people including Melissa McCarthy, Amy Schumer, Jim Gaffigan, and Hugh Grant. But is the movie as satisfying as the Pop-Tart itself? Subscribe to Pop Culture Happy Hour Plus at plus.npr....
May 07, 2024•17 min•Ep 1851•Transcript available on Metacast 
