Accessibility links
Movie Reviews Reviews of new movies, classic and art films, foreign films, and popular movies. Featuring Bob Mondello, Kenneth Turan, David Edelstein, and Mark Jenkins.

Movie Reviews

Friday

'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

toggle caption
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

Listen · 7:23
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1119232302/1119663348" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript
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

toggle caption
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?

Listen · 19:13
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1119055802/1119484564" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Thursday

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

Jewish townspeople of the village of Nasielsk, Poland in 1938. Family Affair Films, US Holocaust Memorial Museum hide caption

toggle caption
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

Listen · 4:37
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1117995023/1118274659" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Wednesday

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

toggle caption
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?

Listen · 20:56
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1117727668/1117739743" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Monday

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

toggle caption
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'

Listen · 5:34
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1116939182/1117562995" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Friday

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

toggle caption
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

Listen · 5:49
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1116919969/1117217242" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript
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

toggle caption
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'

Listen · 20:31
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1116501799/1116964620" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Thursday

'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

toggle caption
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

Listen · 13:02
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1116813117/1116818327" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Friday

'Bullet Train' a high-speed fail

Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Brad Pitt in a scene from the film Bullet Train. Sony Pictures hide caption

toggle caption
Sony Pictures

Pop Culture Happy Hour

'Bullet Train' a high-speed fail

In the new film Bullet Train, Brad Pitt plays an assassin hired to steal a briefcase from a pair of rival assassins played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Brian Tyree Henry. Also in the mix are Andrew Koji, Joey King, Bad Bunny, and Hiroyuki Sanada. It's directed by David Leitch (Deadpool 2, Atomic Blonde, Fast and Furious Presents: Hobbs and Shaw).

'Bullet Train' a high-speed fail

Listen · 20:16
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1114058387/1115610535" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Tuesday

Three great movies under 90 minutes

John Boyega stars in the 2011 film Attack The Block. Screen Gems hide caption

toggle caption
Screen Gems

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Three great movies under 90 minutes

What do you do when you need a good movie, but you don't have much time? The answer is that you find a short one. We recommend three films that deliver a lot of punch without taking up your whole day.

Three great movies under 90 minutes

Listen · 11:07
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1114607295/1114927693" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Friday

'Thirteen Lives' is Ron Howard's take on a dramatic cave rescue in Thailand

Four years ago, 12 boys and their soccer coach were trapped in deep, dark tunnels during heavy rains in Thailand. People around the world were captivated as a mission began to rescue them.

'Thirteen Lives' is Ron Howard's take on a dramatic cave rescue in Thailand

Listen · 3:49
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1114417132/1114417133" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript
In 'Vengeance,' a podcast bro messes with Texas

Ashton Kutcher and B.J. Novak in a scene from the film Vengeance. Focus Features hide caption

toggle caption
Focus Features

Pop Culture Happy Hour

In 'Vengeance,' a podcast bro messes with Texas

B.J. Novak (The Office) wrote, directed, and stars in the new indie comedy Vengeance. He plays Ben, a New York City journalist who decides to turn the mysterious death of his former hookup into fodder for a podcast. The film features Issa Rae as his podcast editor and Ashton Kutcher as a record producer.

In 'Vengeance,' a podcast bro messes with Texas

Listen · 20:43
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1114033983/1114246681" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Thursday

It's man vs. moustache on 'The Gray Man'

Ryan Gosling in The Gray Man. Netflix hide caption

toggle caption
Netflix

Pop Culture Happy Hour

It's man vs. moustache on 'The Gray Man'

The Netflix movie The Gray Man stars Ryan Gosling as an inmate who becomes an assassin for the CIA in exchange for his freedom. When a mission goes awry, he has to contend with a sociopathic ex-agent played by Chris Evans. It's directed by Joe and Anthony Russo, who made the Captain America and Avengers movies for Marvel.

It's man vs. moustache on 'The Gray Man'

Listen · 20:07
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1113541710/1113848747" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Monday

Yup, we're spoiling 'Nope'

Daniel Kaluuya, Keke Palmer, Brandon Perea in Jordan Peele's latest film, NOPE. Universal Pictures hide caption

toggle caption
Universal Pictures

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Yup, we're spoiling 'Nope'

The film Nope stars Daniel Kaluuya and Keke Palmer as siblings and horse wranglers living in a small California town where things get weird, people disappear, and a threat must be stopped. Jordan Peele wrote and directed the film, so there are bound to be some surprises. So we're hitching a ride on horseback into spoiler territory.

Yup, we're spoiling 'Nope'

Listen · 24:26
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1111582332/1113083420" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Friday

'Dr. Zhivago,' 'Fargo' and more movies to help you chill in the summer heat

Scenes from "The Seven Year Itch" and "101 Dalmatians" can transport you away from the sweltering weather outside. There are great documentary and animated options too.

'Dr. Zhivago,' 'Fargo' and more movies to help you chill in the summer heat

Listen · 6:18
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1113069539/1113069540" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript