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Billy Eichner's 'Bros' is a gay rom-com aimed at the masses

Luke Macfarlane and Billy Eichner star in Bros. Universal Pictures hide caption

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Universal Pictures

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Billy Eichner's 'Bros' is a gay rom-com aimed at the masses

In the grand tradition of the modern rom-com, stories about queer couples are still few and far between. Which is part of what makes the new movie Bros so special: Billy Eichner stars as a lanky intellectual who boasts a proud aversion to romance until he has a meet-cute with his polar opposite, a hyper-masculine gym rat played by Luke Macfarlane. Eichner co-wrote the movie, and Judd Apatow is a producer, so unsurprisingly, the jokes can be broad and raunchy. But there's plenty of heart here, too.

Billy Eichner's 'Bros' is a gay rom-com aimed at the masses

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We talk 'Don't Worry Darling,' this time with spoilers

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Warner Bros. Entertainment

Pop Culture Happy Hour

We talk 'Don't Worry Darling,' this time with spoilers

In the new film Don't Worry Darling Florence Pugh plays Alice, a woman living in an idyllic planned community with her husband Jack, played by Harry Styles. But strange things begin to happen that make her suspect that all is not well in the community run by Jack's mysterious employer (Chris Pine). The film is directed by Olivia Wilde and in this spoiler-packed episode, we try to chase some answers down.

We talk 'Don't Worry Darling,' this time with spoilers

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'Blonde,' the new Marilyn Monroe biopic, is an exercise in exploitation, not empathy

Ana de Armas plays Marilyn Monroe in the Netflix film Blonde. Netflix hide caption

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Netflix

'Blonde,' the new Marilyn Monroe biopic, is an exercise in exploitation, not empathy

Fresh Air

The Netflix film turns Monroe into an avatar of suffering, brought low by a miserable childhood, a father she never knew and an industry full of men who abused and exploited her until her death.

'Blonde,' the new Marilyn Monroe biopic, is an exercise in exploitation, not empathy

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Wedded bliss gets really creepy in 'Don't Worry Darling'

Florence Pugh and Harry Styles star in Don't Worry Darling Warner Bros. Entertainment hide caption

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Warner Bros. Entertainment

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Wedded bliss gets really creepy in 'Don't Worry Darling'

In the new movie Don't Worry Darling, Florence Pugh plays a woman living with her husband (Harry Styles) in an idyllic planned community that looks like it came out of about 1955. But soon, strange things begin to happen that make her suspect that all is not well. Directed by Olivia Wilde, the film is now in theaters after some behind-the-scenes tensions that put it in the public conversation.

Wedded bliss gets really creepy in 'Don't Worry Darling'

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Will the murder mystery 'See How They Run' keep you guessing?

Sam Rockwell and Saoirse Ronan in See How They Run. Parisa Taghizadeh/Searchlight Pictures hide caption

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Parisa Taghizadeh/Searchlight Pictures

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Will the murder mystery 'See How They Run' keep you guessing?

The new comedy See How They Run is a whodunit for people who really like a whodunit. Set behind the scenes at a 1950s production of Agatha Christie's The Mousetrap, the film is a murder mystery with a big cast that includes Sam Rockwell, Saoirse Ronan, David Oyelowo, Ruth Wilson, and Adrien Brody. And it's an entertaining send-up that takes some very meta swings at the very idea of a murder mystery.

Will the murder mystery 'See How They Run' keep you guessing?

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High school is hazardous in the stylish 'Do Revenge'

Maya Hawke and Camila Mendes star in the Netflix film Do Revenge. Kim Simms/Netflix hide caption

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Kim Simms/Netflix

Pop Culture Happy Hour

High school is hazardous in the stylish 'Do Revenge'

The new Netflix film Do Revenge takes its cues from a lot of other films. Some are comedies about the psychology of high school, like Clueless and Heathers. Some are more traditional tales of dark plotting, like Strangers on a Train. Directed and co-written by Jennifer Kaytin Robinson, the film stars Camila Mendes and Maya Hawke as two teenagers committed to getting back at each other's enemies.

High school is hazardous in the stylish 'Do Revenge'

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These are the new movies and TV shows we can't wait to watch this fall

(Clockwise from top left) Seth Gilliam in The Walking Dead, Letitia Wright in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Brice Gonzalez and George Lopez in Lopez vs. Lopez, Susan Sarandon in Monarch, Harry Styles and Florence Pugh in Don't Worry Darling and Dwayne Johnson in Black Adam Jace Downs/AMC, Marvel Studios, Casey Durkin/NBC, Pete Dadds/Fox, Warner Bros. hide caption

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Jace Downs/AMC, Marvel Studios, Casey Durkin/NBC, Pete Dadds/Fox, Warner Bros.

Culture

These are the new movies and TV shows we can't wait to watch this fall

Our critics' guide lets you search by genre and where to watch — whether on your couch or in the theater. Here's what NPR critics are looking forward to after a busy blockbuster summer.

Viola Davis is 'The Woman King' in an epic story inspired by true events

Nanisca (Viola Davis) wields a sword and hacks her way through the many men who get in her way in The Woman King. Ilze Kitshoff/CTMG hide caption

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Ilze Kitshoff/CTMG

Viola Davis is 'The Woman King' in an epic story inspired by true events

Fresh Air

Gina Prince-Bythewood's latest film is a rousingly old-fashioned action-drama about women warriors in 19th-century West Africa.

Viola Davis is 'The Woman King' in an epic story inspired by true events

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'The Woman King' reigns supreme

Viola Davis and Thuso Mbedu star in The Woman King. Sony Pictures hide caption

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Sony Pictures

Pop Culture Happy Hour

'The Woman King' reigns supreme

The new movie The Woman King tells the story of the Agojie, a real-life group of women warriors who protected a West African kingdom in the 1820s. Directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood, the film stars Viola Davis, Thuso Mbedu, Lashana Lynch, and John Boyega – and it mixes bloody battle scenes with discussions of leadership and chosen family.

'The Woman King' reigns supreme

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'Honk for Jesus' is an uneven but entertaining saga about scandal and redemption

Sterling K. Brown and Regina Hall play a Southern Baptist pastor and his wife trying to redeem their legacy in the wake of a public scandal in Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul. Steve Swisher/Pinky Promise LLC hide caption

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Steve Swisher/Pinky Promise LLC

'Honk for Jesus' is an uneven but entertaining saga about scandal and redemption

Fresh Air

Sterling K. Brown and Regina Hall play a Southern Baptist pastor and his wife trying to redeem their legacy in the wake of a public scandal in Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul.

'Honk for Jesus' is an uneven but entertaining saga about scandal and redemption

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Disney's new 'Pinocchio' is what happens when you wish upon the wrong star

Pinocchio (Benjamin Ainsworth) and Geppetto (Tom Hanks) in a remake of the 1940 animated film. Disney + hide caption

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Disney +

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Disney's new 'Pinocchio' is what happens when you wish upon the wrong star

The new Disney Plus movie Pinocchio is a mostly live-action remake of the 1940 Disney animated classic about a wooden boy who longs to become real, but must first undergo a series of trials and temptations in order to do so. You may already know the story, but director and co-writer Robert Zemeckis has corralled stars like Tom Hanks, Cynthia Erivo, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Keegan-Michael Key to give it new life.

Disney's new 'Pinocchio' is what happens when you wish upon the wrong star

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Rediscovering the magic of 'Mississippi Masala'

Denzel Washington and Sarita Choudhury star in Mississippi Masala. Alamy Stock Photo hide caption

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Alamy Stock Photo

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Rediscovering the magic of 'Mississippi Masala'

The 1991 film Mississippi Masala stars Sarita Choudhury and Denzel Washington as two very beautiful people who meet and unexpectedly find they're just right for each other. Directed by Mira Nair, it's also about family and displacement, knowing your history, and making your own way in the world. And after being hard to track down for many years, the film is newly available again on the Criterion Channel.

Rediscovering the magic of 'Mississippi Masala'

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Regina Hall is our savior in 'Honk For Jesus. Save Your Soul.'

Regina Hall and Sterling K. Brown star as Trinitie and Lee-Curtis Childs in Honk For Jesus. Save Your Soul. Steve Swisher/Pinky Promise LLC hide caption

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Steve Swisher/Pinky Promise LLC

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Regina Hall is our savior in 'Honk For Jesus. Save Your Soul.'

In the movie Honk For Jesus. Save Your Soul., a Southern Baptist megachurch has been rocked by a lurid scandal. The always delightful Regina Hall and Sterling K. Brown star as the first lady and pastor of the church, who must reopen their doors and woo back their former congregants. The satire is framed as a mockumentary that dives into Black Christian culture, a marriage on the rocks and the politics of faith.

Regina Hall is our savior in 'Honk For Jesus. Save Your Soul.'

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'Three Thousand Years of Longing' will leave you charmed — and a little worn out

Tilda Swinton plays a literary scholar and Idris Elba is the Djinn she conjures in Three Thousand Years of Longing. Festival de Cannes hide caption

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Festival de Cannes

'Three Thousand Years of Longing' will leave you charmed — and a little worn out

Fresh Air

Tilda Swinton plays a literary scholar who has an encounter with a wish-granting genie, played by Idris Elba, in this flashy and ornate new fantasy film.

'Three Thousand Years of Longing' will leave you charmed — and a little worn out

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Is 'Three Thousand Years Of Longing' the film you wished for?

Tilda Swinton and Idris Elba in a scene from Three Thousand Years of Longing. United Artists hide caption

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United Artists

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Is 'Three Thousand Years Of Longing' the film you wished for?

In the new George Miller-directed film Three Thousand Years of Longing, Tilda Swinton plays an academic who buys a glass bottle and soon discovers it contains an ancient djinn, played by Idris Elba. He says he will grant her three wishes, but as a scholar of stories about wish-granting, she's going to need some time to think this through. Meanwhile, he tells her the story of his immortal life, and the many times he's found himself literally imprisoned by love.

Is 'Three Thousand Years Of Longing' the film you wished for?

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'The Territory' and 'Three Minutes: A Lengthening' find cinematic hope in tragedy

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Family Affair Films, US Holocaust Memorial Museum

Movies

'The Territory' and 'Three Minutes: A Lengthening' find cinematic hope in tragedy

Two documentaries — one involving a pre-WWII home movie, the other dispatches from the Amazon rainforest — have much in common.

'The Territory' and 'Three Minutes: A Lengthening' find cinematic hope in tragedy

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After 30 years, is 'A League Of Their Own' still a home run?

Lori Petty, Tom Hanks, Geena Davis star in A League Of Their Own. Alamy Stock Photo hide caption

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Alamy Stock Photo

Pop Culture Happy Hour

After 30 years, is 'A League Of Their Own' still a home run?

The 1992 film A League Of Their Own is a beloved sports movie classic – thanks to a memorable all-star cast led by Geena Davis and Tom Hanks, and repeat showings on cable TV. It's a fictionalized account of The Rockford Peaches, the real-life professional women's baseball team that was formed during World War II. With a new TV series adaptation on Amazon, now seems like the perfect time to revisit the original and reflect on its enduring legacy.

After 30 years, is 'A League Of Their Own' still a home run?

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Aubrey Plaza plays a fraudster in the mostly engrossing 'Emily the Criminal'

Aubrey Plaza plays an art-school dropout who resorts to credit card fraud in Emily the Criminal. Courtesy of Sundance Institute hide caption

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Courtesy of Sundance Institute

Aubrey Plaza plays a fraudster in the mostly engrossing 'Emily the Criminal'

Fresh Air

An art-school dropout seizes control of her life and livelihood by branching out into credit card fraud in this Los Angeles noir. Plaza is both vulnerable and fierce as a woman on the take.

Aubrey Plaza plays a fraudster in the mostly engrossing 'Emily the Criminal'

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The ordinariness of 'Ali & Ava' is what makes it extraordinary

Adeel Akhtar and Claire Rushbrook play an unlikely couple who fall in love in Ali & Ava. via Cineuropa hide caption

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via Cineuropa

The ordinariness of 'Ali & Ava' is what makes it extraordinary

Fresh Air

A Pakistani immigrant and an Irish-born grandmother fall in love in a bleak English town in this sunny and upbeat film. Ali & Ava is a lovely, charming surprise.

The ordinariness of 'Ali & Ava' is what makes it extraordinary

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Horror and comedy collide in a pileup of 'Bodies Bodies Bodies'

Amandla Stenberg, Maria Bakalova, Chase Sui Wonders, and Rachel Sennott in a scene from Bodies Bodies Bodies, directed by Halina Reijn. A24 hide caption

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A24

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Horror and comedy collide in a pileup of 'Bodies Bodies Bodies'

Bodies Bodies Bodies starts with a fairly standard horror-movie premise: A group of wealthy and attractive pleasure-seekers gather at a mansion to party and ride out an oncoming hurricane. But things get quickly messy when one of them turns up dead. With a cast that includes Amandla Stenberg, Maria Bakalova, Chase Sui Wonders, Myha'la Herrold, Rachel Sennott, Pete Davidson, and Lee Pace, the movie mixes horror, comedy, Gen-Z satire, and a whodunit-style mystery that will keep you guessing.

Horror and comedy collide in a pileup of 'Bodies Bodies Bodies'

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'Prey' is set in the past, but takes the 'Predator' franchise forward

Amber Midthunder as Naru in Prey. David Bukach/20th Century Studios hide caption

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David Bukach/20th Century Studios

Pop Culture Happy Hour

'Prey' is set in the past, but takes the 'Predator' franchise forward

The new film Prey isn't just another installment of the Predator franchise. For one thing, it's a prequel to the original 1987 movie — set more than 300 years ago. More important is who's telling the story this time: Amber Midthunder plays Naru, a tough, smart, young Comanche woman determined to prove herself, as well as to protect her people — and her dog — from a seemingly undefeatable enemy.

'Prey' is set in the past, but takes the 'Predator' franchise forward

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