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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

'Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves' has high charisma

Michelle Rodriguez and Chris Pine plays Edgin plays Holga in Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves. Aidan Monaghan/Paramount Pictures hide caption

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Aidan Monaghan/Paramount Pictures

Pop Culture Happy Hour

'Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves' has high charisma

In Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, Chris Pine stars as a wise-cracking and charismatic thief who leads a band of misfits with different reasons to hate a malevolent ruler played by Hugh Grant. It's a fantasy epic meets heist movie, complete with some dragons, talking corpses, relics and spells, an epic quest, and LOTS of jokes.

'Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves' has high charisma

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A mother faces 'A Thousand and One' obstacles in this unconventional NYC film

Teyana Taylor and Aaron Kingsley Adetola play a mother and son in A Thousand and One. Sundance Institute hide caption

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Sundance Institute

A mother faces 'A Thousand and One' obstacles in this unconventional NYC film

Fresh Air

Teyana Taylor stars as a mom trying to build a home for her son in an intimate Sundance Film Festival winner that's more surprising than it looks.

A mother faces 'A Thousand and One' obstacles in this unconventional NYC film

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Two migrant kids fight to stay together — and stay alive — in this harrowing film

Lokita (Joely Mbundu) and Tori (Pablo Schils) are two migrant children making their way in Belgium in the latest from Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne. Janus Films hide caption

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Janus Films

Two migrant kids fight to stay together — and stay alive — in this harrowing film

Fresh Air

Tori and Lokita is the latest gripping moral thriller from Belgian filmmakers Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne. The story is swift and relentless; it runs barely 90 minutes and never slows down.

Two migrant kids fight to stay together — and stay alive — in this harrowing film

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New film explores how 'the father of video art' pioneered an art form

Nam June Paik, a Korean-born artist who blazed a trail in the fine art world by using video as a medium, is the subject of the new documentary Nam June Paik: Moon Is the Oldest TV. Above, the artist in 1982. Elliott Erwitt/© Elliott Erwitt / Magnum Photos hide caption

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Elliott Erwitt/© Elliott Erwitt / Magnum Photos

New film explores how 'the father of video art' pioneered an art form

Nam June Paik: Moon Is the Oldest TV premiered at Sundance in January. It traces the life and legacy of visionary artist Nam June Paik.

'John Wick: Chapter 4' wonders, 'When does this all end?'

Keanu Reeves returns as John Wick in John Wick: Chapter 4. Murray Close/Lionsgate hide caption

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Murray Close/Lionsgate

Pop Culture Happy Hour

'John Wick: Chapter 4' wonders, 'When does this all end?'

In previous John Wick films, Keanu Reeves played a retired hitman out of revenge. In the latest entry, John Wick: Chapter 4, his reasons are a little more simple — he just wants to be left alone. Wick's quest for freedom takes him all across the world, as encounters would-be assassins, busy traffic, and a sadistic French aristocrat.

'John Wick: Chapter 4' wonders, 'When does this all end?'

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'Shazam! Fury of the Gods' is a near myth

"Forget Pat's, forget Geno's. Jim's. Jim's in the best cheesesteak in Philly." Shazam (Zachary Levi) and Hespera (Helen Mirren) have a sit-down. Warner Bros. hide caption

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Warner Bros.

Pop Culture Happy Hour

'Shazam! Fury of the Gods' is a near myth

The sequel to the 2019 film that starred Zachary Levi as the adult superhero persona of a lonely teen goes bigger. And goofier. But the fuel mixture's off and Levi's one-note performance grates.

'Shazam! Fury of the Gods' is a near myth

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'Shazam! Fury of the Gods' has lost some magic

Zachary Levi, with (l-r) Adam Brody, Meagan Good, and D.J. Cotrona in Shazam! Fury Of The Gods. Warner Bros. hide caption

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Warner Bros.

Pop Culture Happy Hour

'Shazam! Fury of the Gods' has lost some magic

Four years ago, Shazam! was a surprise hit and a lighthearted entry in the DC Extended Universe. It follows teenager Billy Batson (Asher Angel) who's bestowed with magical powers and turns in an adult superhero, played by Zachary Levi. In the new sequel Shazam! Fury Of The Gods, Levi returns with a big cast that includes newcomers Helen Mirren, Lucy Liu and Rachel Zegler.

'Shazam! Fury of the Gods' has lost some magic

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Do we, in fact, all scream for 'Scream 6'?

Melissa Barrera as Sam Carpenter and Jenna Ortega as Tara Carpenter in Scream 6. Philippe Bossé/Paramount Pictures hide caption

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Philippe Bossé/Paramount Pictures

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Do we, in fact, all scream for 'Scream 6'?

The Ghostface killer is taking yet another stab at the box office as Scream 6 has arrived in theatres. It's a sequel to last year's reboot – or requel – of everyone's favorite deeply meta slasher franchise. Starring Jenna Ortega and Melissa Barerra, Scream 6 takes the characters who managed to survive the last Scream movie out of bucolic Woodsboro and into the urban jungle of New York City.

Do we, in fact, all scream for 'Scream 6'?

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Our 2023 Oscars Recap

Michelle Yeoh is the first Asian woman to win the Oscar for lead actress. Emma McIntyre/Getty Images hide caption

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Emma McIntyre/Getty Images

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Our 2023 Oscars Recap

At this year's Oscars, Everything Everywhere All At Once won seven awards, including best picture and best director. The film's actors Jamie Lee Curtis, Ke Huy Quan, and Michelle Yeoh also won Oscars. Yeoh's win was historic — she's the first Asian woman to win a lead actress Oscar. Brendan Fraser and All Quiet On The Western Front also won awards.

Our 2023 Oscars Recap

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An older man grooms a teenage girl in this disturbing but vital film

Tom (Jonathan Tucker) cultivates a sense of dependency in 17-year-old Lea (Lily McInerny) in Palm Trees and Power Lines. Momentum Pictures hide caption

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Momentum Pictures

An older man grooms a teenage girl in this disturbing but vital film

Fresh Air

Palm Trees and Power Lines is a gripping cautionary tale about abuse and trafficking — but it is scrupulous in its refusal to sensationalize.

An older man grooms a teenage girl in this disturbing but vital film

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2023 Oscars Guide: International Feature

Felix Kammerer stars as Paul in All Quiet on the Western Front. Netflix hide caption

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Netflix

Pop Culture Happy Hour

2023 Oscars Guide: International Feature

The five films nominated for international feature at this year's Oscars wrangle with some tough ideas and issues. There's the brutality of war, the human cost of fascism, animal cruelty, neglectful parenting and the prison of masculinity. Yet all of these films find room to offer glimmers of hope — some more than others.

2023 Oscars Guide: International Feature

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'Return to Seoul' is a funny, melancholy film that will surprise you start to finish

Park Ji-min stars as a young woman who was raised by adoptive parents in France in Return to Seoul. Sony hide caption

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Sony

'Return to Seoul' is a funny, melancholy film that will surprise you start to finish

Fresh Air

In this wonderfully unpredictable film, first-time actor Park Ji-min stars as Freddie, a young woman raised by adoptive parents in France who returns to the country of her birth.

'Return to Seoul' is a funny, melancholy film that will surprise you start to finish

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2023 Oscars Guide: Animated Feature

Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio was nominated for an Oscar for animated feature film. Netflix hide caption

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Netflix

Pop Culture Happy Hour

2023 Oscars Guide: Animated Feature

This year's Oscar nominees for best animated feature don't have a lot in common besides animation. You've got a dark vision of Pinocchio, a red panda from Pixar, a swashbuckling sea adventure, the latest entry in the Shrek franchise, and a tiny shell. Today, we run through what we think will win and what should win.

2023 Oscars Guide: Animated Feature

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2023 Oscars Guide: Documentary Feature

Sara Dosa's film Fire of Love earned an Oscar nomination for documentary feature. National Geographic Documentary Films hide caption

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National Geographic Documentary Films

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2023 Oscars Guide: Documentary Feature

This year's Oscar nominees for documentary feature include films about two brothers who rescue birds, a man who takes on Vladimir Putin, and a couple that chases volcanoes. From Ukraine to India, Russia to New York City, these films will take you places you couldn't go otherwise. And you can stream them from home.

2023 Oscars Guide: Documentary Feature

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Is 'Creed III' a knockout?

Michael B. Jordan stars in Creed III, his directorial debut. Eli Ade/Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios hide caption

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Eli Ade/Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Is 'Creed III' a knockout?

In Creed III, Michael B. Jordan is back as Adonis "Donnie" Creed, the scrappy underdog-turned-world champion boxer from the Rocky franchise. Adonis has decided to retire on top and focus on family. But his plans are blown up when an old friend, played by Jonathan Majors, suddenly reappears. The film is also Jordan's directorial debut.

Is 'Creed III' a knockout?

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'Return To Seoul' might break you, in the best way

Park Ji-Min stars as Freddie in Return To Seoul. Sony Classics hide caption

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Sony Classics

Pop Culture Happy Hour

'Return To Seoul' might break you, in the best way

In the moving film Return To Seoul, a young woman named Freddie visits South Korea for the first time since her birth, when she was adopted by a French couple. Freddie's attempt to contact her biological parents sets her on an uneasy path toward self-discovery and reconciliation. Written and directed by Davy Chou, the film spans several years and many emotions, and features a vivid lead performance by newcomer Park Ji-Min.

'Return To Seoul' might break you, in the best way

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'The Forty-Year-Old Version' is about getting older and finding yourself

Radha Blank stars in her directorial debut film, The Forty-Year-Old Version. Jeong Park/Netflix hide caption

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Jeong Park/Netflix

Pop Culture Happy Hour

'The Forty-Year-Old Version' is about getting older and finding yourself

In the wonderful film The Forty-Year-Old Version, playwright Radha Blank plays a variation on herself. Frustrated by a stall in her theater career, Radha finds a new passion: she becomes a rapper. The film is so good that we recently added it to the New Black Film Canon – a list of the best films by Black directors that we updated in partnership with Slate. And you can watch it on Netflix.

'The Forty-Year-Old Version' is about getting older and finding yourself

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The New Black Film Canon is your starting point for great Black filmmaking
Mark Harris/Slate

Pop Culture Happy Hour

The New Black Film Canon is your starting point for great Black filmmaking

NPR has teamed up with Slate to expand the Black Film Canon, a collection of the best films directed by Black filmmakers. The intent is to challenge both gatekeepers and makers of best of lists to consider the breadth of artistry black creators have demonstrated on screen–despite the odds being historically stacked against them. In this episode, we're picking a few of our favorite additions, and you can check out the full list of 75 movies here.

The New Black Film Canon is your starting point for great Black filmmaking

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This tender Irish drama proves the quietest films can have the most to say

Catherine Clinch plays Cáit in The Quiet Girl. Super Lt hide caption

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Super Lt

This tender Irish drama proves the quietest films can have the most to say

Fresh Air

A withdrawn 9-year-old spends the summer with two distant relatives in this Oscar-nominated film. The Quiet Girl's main character may be unassuming, but there's nothing insignificant about this film.

This tender Irish drama proves the quietest films can have the most to say

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This is your bear on drugs: Going wild with 'Cocaine Bear'

Keri Russell stars in Cocaine Bear. Universal Pictures hide caption

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Universal Pictures

Pop Culture Happy Hour

This is your bear on drugs: Going wild with 'Cocaine Bear'

A movie called Cocaine Bear needs two things: a bear, and some cocaine. Both are abundant in the new action comedy about a large quantity of cocaine that accidentally winds up deep in the Georgia forest. And who eats it? That's right: a bear. The movie was directed by Elizabeth Banks, and the cast includes Keri Russell, Ray Liotta, Margo Martindale, and O'Shea Jackson Jr.

This is your bear on drugs: Going wild with 'Cocaine Bear'

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'Top Gun: Maverick' puts Tom Cruise back in the cockpit

Tom Cruise in Top Gun: Maverick. Scott Garfield/Paramount Pictures hide caption

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Scott Garfield/Paramount Pictures

Pop Culture Happy Hour

'Top Gun: Maverick' puts Tom Cruise back in the cockpit

Top Gun: Maverick has earned six Oscar nominations, including best picture, adapted screenplay, and original song. The movie stars Tom Cruise, and you can catch up with it on Paramount+. We really like Top Gun: Maverick, so we thought this would be the perfect moment to revisit our conversation about the movie.

'Top Gun: Maverick' puts Tom Cruise back in the cockpit

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