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

Ethan Hawke as The Grabber in Black Phone 2.

Ethan Hawke as The Grabber in Black Phone 2. Sabrina Lantos/Universal Pictures and Blumhouse hide caption

toggle caption
Sabrina Lantos/Universal Pictures and Blumhouse

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

In ‘Black Phone 2,’ The Grabber is dialed in

Grabbers gonna grab, even from beyond the grave. In Black Phone 2, Ethan Hawke returns from the dead as the serial killer who hides behind a demonic mask. It’s four years later, and the siblings (Mason Thames and Madeleine McGraw) who survived the Grabber’s killing spree are having a hard time with things. They head off to camp to investigate Gwen's psychic nightmares of the Grabber's early victims.

Black Phone 2 And What’s Making Us Happy

Listen · 18:34
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/nx-s1-5576422/nx-s1-mx-5763701" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript
Andrew Scott, left, as Richard Rodgers and Ethan Hawke, right, as Lorenz Hart in Richard Linklater's Blue Moon.

Andrew Scott, left, as Richard Rodgers and Ethan Hawke, right, as Lorenz Hart in Richard Linklater's Blue Moon. Sabrina Lantos/Sony Pictures Classics hide caption

toggle caption
Sabrina Lantos/Sony Pictures Classics

Movies

Ethan Hawke and Richard Linklater find the heartbreak in 'Blue Moon'

Director Richard Linklater and actor Ethan Hawke discuss their new film Blue Moon, which focuses on one fateful night toward the end of lyricist Lorenz Hart's life.

Ethan Hawke and Richard Linklater find the heartbreak in 'Blue Moon'

Listen · 7:01
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/nx-s1-5397991/nx-s1-9493794" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript
It's been 85 years since The Great Dictator dazzled audiences in 1940. It was a big risk for one of the world’s most popular performers to take a stand against fascism on film.

It's been 85 years since The Great Dictator dazzled audiences in 1940. It was a big risk for one of the world's most popular performers to take a stand against fascism on film. © Roy Export S.A.S.
/Bettmann Archive/Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption
© Roy Export S.A.S.
/Bettmann Archive/Getty Images

How Charlie Chaplin used his uncanny resemblance to Hitler to fight fascism

It's been 85 years since The Great Dictator first dazzled audiences in 1940. It was a big risk for one of the world's most popular performers to take a stand against fascism on film.

How Charlie Chaplin used his uncanny resemblance to Hitler to fight fascism

Listen · 3:53
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/nx-s1-5554555/nx-s1-9493201" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript
Channing Tatum in Roofman.

Channing Tatum in Roofman. Paramount Pictures hide caption

toggle caption
Paramount Pictures

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Channing Tatum charms his way into big trouble in ‘Roofman’

In the new movie Roofman, Channing Tatum and Kirsten Dunst ooze with their signature charm and chemistry. Tatum plays an exceptionally savvy military veteran who robs fast food joints by entering through the rooftops. Eventually he gets caught and sent to prison, but he’s able to escape and hides out in a Toys “R” Us for several months undetected. Obviously, he can only survive on M&Ms and keep up the ruse for so long before the roof comes crashing down on him. Consequences!

Roofman

Listen · 17:44
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/nx-s1-5574178/nx-s1-mx-5760032" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript
M. Night Shyamalan and Nicholas Sparks join forces on 'Remain' novel and film

Author Interviews

M. Night Shyamalan and Nicholas Sparks join forces on 'Remain' novel and film

Filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan and novelist Nicholas Sparks describe their collaboration to simultaneously craft the new novel and upcoming film Remain as a unique one that's unlikely to be replicated.

Nicholas Sparks and M. Night Shyamalan join forces on 'Remain' novel and film

Listen · 7:00
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/nx-s1-5536709/nx-s1-9490599" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript
Andrew Garfield as Hank and Julia Roberts as Alma in After the Hunt.

Andrew Garfield as Hank and Julia Roberts as Alma in After the Hunt. Amazon MGM Studios hide caption

toggle caption
Amazon MGM Studios

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Julia Roberts shines in the muddled 'After the Hunt'

In the new movie After The Hunt, Julia Roberts plays a Yale professor who finds herself in a hard place when one of her star students (Ayo Edebiri) makes an allegation against another faculty member (Andrew Garfield). Who’s telling the truth? Who’s the victim? Is there a victim? Directed by Luca Guadagnino (Challengers, Call Me by Your Name) the film poses a lot of questions. But are any of them answered?

After the Hunt

Listen · 17:55
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/nx-s1-5570719/nx-s1-mx-5755749" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript
Jennifer Lopez in Kiss of the Spider Woman.

Jennifer Lopez in Kiss of the Spider Woman. Roadside Attractions hide caption

toggle caption
Roadside Attractions

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

'Kiss of the Spider Woman' features great drama and meh music

Jennifer Lopez stars in the new film adaptation of Kiss of the Spider Woman. Set in an Argentine prison, one man (Tonatiuh) tells his cellmate (Diego Luna) the story of his favorite old Hollywood musical, starring the silver screen goddess he worships – that’s J. Lo. The musical is packed with glitz, glamour and songs written by Kander and Ebb, the minds behind Cabaret and Chicago.

Kiss of the Spider Woman

Listen · 22:02
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/nx-s1-5569495/nx-s1-mx-5755563" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript
Actor Diane Keaton, dressed in black and white and wearing a black hat, poses on a red carpet at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.

Diane Keaton poses during the 45th AFI Life Achievement Award tribute to Keaton at the Dolby Theatre on June 8, 2017, in Los Angeles. Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP hide caption

toggle caption
Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP

Obituaries

Hollywood's quirky leading lady, Diane Keaton, dies at age 79

Diane Keaton remained one of Hollywood's quirkiest and most beloved actors decades after her Academy Award-winning performance in the movie Annie Hall.

DIANE KEATON A REMEMBRANCE

Listen · 5:43
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/nx-s1-5571947/nx-s1-9488997" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript
Diane Keaton appears at the Ralph Lauren Spring 2023 Fashion Experience in Pasadena, Calif., on Oct. 13, 2022.

Diane Keaton appears at the Ralph Lauren Spring 2023 Fashion Experience in Pasadena, Calif., on Oct. 13, 2022. Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP hide caption

toggle caption
Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP

Obituaries

Diane Keaton, Oscar-winning star of 'Annie Hall' and 'The Godfather,' dies at 79

The actor, known for her quirky, vibrant manner and depth was 79. Across her decades-long career, she worked with prominent filmmakers including Francis Ford Coppola, Woody Allen and Nancy Meyers.

A House of Dynamite. (L-R) Anthony Ramos as Major Daniel Gonzalez and Abubakr Ali as Specialist Dan Buck in A House of Dynamite.

Anthony Ramos plays a major at an Alaskan missile outpost in A House of Dynamite. Eros Hoagland/Netflix hide caption

toggle caption
Eros Hoagland/Netflix

Review

Movie Reviews

Every moment pops in the nuclear thriller 'A House of Dynamite'

A single nuclear warhead, of unknown origin, is heading toward the U.S. mainland in Kathryn Bigelow's new Netflix film. It's an unnerving scenario — but it's also thrilling to watch.

FA Film Review: A House of Dynamite

Listen · 7:59
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/nx-s1-5567210/nx-s1-9487391" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript
Tonatiuh and Diego Luna as Molina and Valentín, respectively, in Kiss of the Spider Woman. The new film is based on the Broadway musical of the same name, itself based on the 1976 book by Manuel Puig.

Tonatiuh and Diego Luna as Molina and Valentín, respectively, in Kiss of the Spider Woman. The new film is based on the Broadway musical of the same name, itself based on the 1976 book by Manuel Puig. Roadside Attractions hide caption

toggle caption
Roadside Attractions

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

'Kiss of the Spider Woman' works, even when the music doesn't

Jennifer Lopez is the marquee name, but this adaptation of the Kander and Ebb Tony-winning musical belongs to Tonatiuh and Diego Luna.

John Candy in JOHN CANDY: I LIKE ME © Amazon Content Services LLC

John Candy in JOHN CANDY: I LIKE ME
© Amazon Content Services LLC Prime Video/JCAN_OV_PROD_4444XQ_UHD_SDR_178_ hide caption

toggle caption
Prime Video/JCAN_OV_PROD_4444XQ_UHD_SDR_178_

Sorry, dad! Colin Hanks says John Candy was the 'nicest guy in Hollywood'

John Candy was one of the most beloved comedic actors of his time, with starring roles in Planes, Trains and Automobiles and Uncle Buck. His life and work are celebrated in a new Amazon Prime documentary by Colin Hanks, John Candy: I Like Me.

'John Candy: I Like Me' celebrates the comedic actor's life and legacy

Listen · 7:02
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/nx-s1-5525892/nx-s1-9486672" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript
Greta Lee in TRON: Ares.

Greta Lee in TRON: Ares. Leah Gallo/Disney hide caption

toggle caption
Leah Gallo/Disney

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Reality bytes in ‘TRON: Ares’

TRON: Ares is the third film in the franchise, and this time flips the script: Instead of humans entering the digital world, this movie sees human-shaped artificial intelligence programs entering our world. Starring Jared Leto, Greta Lee and Evan Peters, is TRON: Ares an upgrade from the previous movies?

TRON: Ares And What's Making Us Happy

Listen · 22:44
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/nx-s1-5566091/nx-s1-mx-5754018" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript
Julia Roberts stars as Alma in After the Hunt.

Julia Roberts stars as Alma in After the Hunt. Yannis Drakoulidis/Amazon MGM Studios hide caption

toggle caption
Yannis Drakoulidis/Amazon MGM Studios

Review

Movie Reviews

This #MeToo melodrama isn't great, but Julia Roberts' performance is

Roberts plays a Yale professor whose life unravels after one of her colleagues is accused of sexually assaulting a student. After the Hunt is an academic potboiler that muddles its central issue.

FA: Film Review: After the Hunt

Listen · 7:25
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/nx-s1-5567871/nx-s1-9485496" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
An unknown number of people sitting in a dark theater. There is a projector screen in front of them with a man and woman at a conference.

What songs do you dread hearing while sitting in a movie theater, because they've become cliches? MediaProduction/Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption
MediaProduction/Getty Images

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Most overused songs in movies

Some great songs are so overused in movies, they’ve become cliches. Everyone’s mileage is bound to vary, but we’re rounding up a few songs we love that need to be retired and suggesting a few worthy replacements.

Most Overused Songs In Movies

Listen · 19:46
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/nx-s1-5566097/nx-s1-mx-5751688" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript
Actors Scott McNairy (left) and Nessa Dougherty in a scene from Fairyland, based on Alysia Abbott’s memoir of the same name

Actors Scoot McNairy, left, and Nessa Dougherty in a scene from Fairyland, based on Alysia Abbott's memoir of the same name Lionsgate/Willa hide caption

toggle caption
Lionsgate/Willa

Movie Interviews

'Fairyland' recalls a girl's life with her poet father in pre-AIDS San Francisco

Alysia Abbott's memoir about growing up in 1970s San Francisco with her gay, single father, has been adapted into a film directed by Andrew Durham and produced by Sofia Coppola.

Fairyland recalls a girl’s life with her poet father in pre-AIDS San Francisco

Listen · 4:49
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/nx-s1-5500501/nx-s1-9484528" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript
America Ferrera and Matthew McConaughey in The Lost Bus.

America Ferrera and Matthew McConaughey in The Lost Bus. Apple TV+ hide caption

toggle caption
Apple TV+

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Matthew McConaughey drives ‘The Lost Bus’ through a raging fire

In the new movie The Lost Bus, Matthew McConaughey and America Ferrera play a bus driver and a teacher who have to transport more than 20 kids to safety when evacuation orders roll in from a wildfire. Based on the 2018 Camp Fire in California, the movie is a harrowing drama, a climate warning, and a disaster film all in one. It’s streaming on Apple TV+.

The Lost Bus

Listen · 15:32
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/nx-s1-5561893/nx-s1-mx-5745956" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript
If American films are meh...are China’s better?

Is the Hollywood blockbuster a thing of the past? Getty Images. hide caption

toggle caption

It's Been a Minute

If American films are meh...are China’s better?

Hollywood isn't performing as well at home or abroad. Is it losing its cultural dominance to China's burgeoning film industry?

American films are meh. Are China’s better?

Listen · 18:03
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/nx-s1-5558149/nx-s1-mx-5746397" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript
Browse archive or search npr.org