Accessibility links
Movies: Movie Reviews and Commentary on New and Classic Films NPR Movies podcast, movie reviews, and commentary on new and classic films. Interviews with filmmakers, actors, and actresses.

Movies

Thursday

In The Run-Up To War, A British Whistleblower Exposes 'Official Secrets'

Keira Knightley stars in this true story about Katharine Gun, a British intelligence officer who exposed the US government's efforts to force the UN Security Council to sanction the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Nick Wall/IFC Films hide caption

toggle caption
Nick Wall/IFC Films

Review

Movie Reviews

In The Run-Up To War, A British Whistleblower Exposes 'Official Secrets'

Director Gavin Hood's film about a leaked NSA memo becomes an ambitious indictment of the invasion of Iraq itself, though it's saddled with drab visuals of characters frowning at computer screens.

'Before You Know It': A Charming, Soapy Comedy About Family Secrets

A zany showbiz family gets a little zanier when stage manager Rachel (Hannah Pearl Utt, left) and her actress sister, Jackie (Jen Tullock, right) discover the mother they thought was dead is alive, well, and a soap opera star. 1091 Media hide caption

toggle caption
1091 Media

Review

Movie Reviews

'Before You Know It': A Charming, Soapy Comedy About Family Secrets

Two sisters (co-writers Hannah Pearl Utt and Jen Tullock) learn that their dead mother (Judith Light) is alive — and starring in a soap opera — in this "wise, witty and richly specific" film.

In Stalker Thriller 'The Fanatic,' Travolta Stalks, But Never Thrills

Fred Durst (yes, that Fred Durst) co-wrote and directed this thriller about a stalker. John Travolta (left), stars as the fanatic and Devon Sawa (right), stars as his movie star prey. Quiver hide caption

toggle caption
Quiver

Review

Movie Reviews

In Stalker Thriller 'The Fanatic,' Travolta Stalks, But Never Thrills

In Fred Durst's third feature, based loosely on his experience with an overzealous fan, the director lectures the audience while star John Travolta flails away at a one-note performance.

Tuesday

'Cold Case Hammarskjöld' Investigates The Mystery Of Deadly 1961 Plane Crash

Filmmaker Mads Brügger's new film, Cold Case Hammarskjöld, is a controversial investigation into the mysterious plane crash that killed U.N. General Secretary Dag Hammarskjöld over Zambia in 1961.

'Cold Case Hammarskjöld' Investigates The Mystery Of Deadly 1961 Plane Crash

Listen · 4:06
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/754811238/754811239" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Monday

Movie Interviews

Actress Jillian Bell On Her Role In 'Brittany Runs A Marathon'

NPR's Mary Louise Kelly talks with Jillian Bell, of the new movie Brittany Runs A Marathon, about relating to her character's journey and making a movie that deals with weight without being cliche.

Actress Jillian Bell On Her Role In 'Brittany Runs A Marathon'

Listen · 7:44
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/754485119/754485120" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Sunday

'Hair Love' Uses Animation To Bring A Story Of Natural Hair In Black Families To Life

The new animated short Hair Love follows the story of an African American father trying to do his daughter's hair. Courtesy of Sony Pictures Animation hide caption

toggle caption
Courtesy of Sony Pictures Animation

Culture

'Hair Love' Uses Animation To Bring A Story Of Natural Hair In Black Families To Life

Conceived and directed by Matthew Cherry, it follows the story of an African American father — Stephen — and his daughter, Zuri. Stephen is trying to learn how to do Zuri's glorious natural hair.

'Hair Love' Uses Animation To Bring A Story Of Natural Hair In Black Families To Life

Listen · 7:27
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/754160144/754175807" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
In 'Tigers Are Not Afraid,' A Dark Fantasy Amid Mexico's Drug War

In Tigers Are Not Afraid, 11-year-old Estrella (Paola Lara) meets a gang of orphans led by a boy in a tiger mask. Shudder hide caption

toggle caption
Shudder

Movie Interviews

In 'Tigers Are Not Afraid,' A Dark Fantasy Amid Mexico's Drug War

Director Issa López blends magical realism and horror with the current events of her native country in the story of young Estrella, who meets a street gang of fellow orphan children.

In 'Tigers Are Not Afraid,' A Dark Fantasy Amid Mexico's Drug War

Listen · 7:22
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/753877130/754122999" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Saturday

Friday

Obituaries

'Fresh Air' Remembers 'Easy Rider' Peter Fonda

Fresh Air

The Oscar-nominated actor and screenwriter, who died Aug. 16, spoke to Terry Gross in 1998 about Ulee's Gold, Easy Rider and his acting philosophy of "doing less — and making more of it."

'Fresh Air' Remembers 'Easy Rider' Peter Fonda

Listen · 31:46
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/753698477/753770475" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Thursday

'Vita & Virginia': Get A Room (Of Your Own), You Two

Gemma Arterton (left) and Elizabeth Debicki (right) star as socialite Vita Sackville-West and novelist Virginia Woolf in this true story about the love affair behind one of Woolf's greatest works. IFC Films hide caption

toggle caption
IFC Films

Review

Movie Reviews

'Vita & Virginia': Get A Room (Of Your Own), You Two

The film, based on Eileen Atkins' play about the correspondence between Virginia Woolf and Virginia Sackville-West, is a standard British period drama that tries, and fails, to be something more.