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Reanna Cruz

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Friday

'Priscilla' takes the romance out of a storied relationship

Cailee Spaeny and Jacob Elordi in Priscilla. A24 hide caption

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A24

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

'Priscilla' takes the romance out of a storied relationship

The new film Priscilla tells the story of Elvis Presley's wife, but it's not a by-the-book biopic. Written and directed by Sofia Coppola, the movie shows how Priscilla (Cailee Spaeny) and Elvis (Jacob Elordi) first meet, fall in love, get married, and eventually split in the early '70s. But it's also a moodier look at the way Priscilla is walled off, isolated from family, and kept at a distance from his life of superstardom.

'Priscilla' takes the romance out of a storied relationship

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Wednesday

With 'Five Nights at Freddy's,' a hit horror franchise is born

Josh Hutcherson and Piper Rubio in Five Nights at Freddy's. Patti Perret/Universal Pictures hide caption

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Patti Perret/Universal Pictures

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

With 'Five Nights at Freddy's,' a hit horror franchise is born

In the new movie Five Nights At Freddy's, Josh Hutcherson plays Mike, a down-on-his-luck security guard who winds up getting hired to keep an eye on a family-friendly theme restaurant that's gone out of business. It also happens to be haunted by murderous animatronic mascots. The film is based on the hugely successful video game series, and now it's a box-office sensation.

With 'Five Nights at Freddy's,' a hit horror franchise is born

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Friday

'The Exorcist: Believer' is possessed by the familiar

Ellen Burstyn and Leslie Odom, Jr. in The Exorcist: Believer. Anne Marie Fox/Universal Pictures hide caption

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Anne Marie Fox/Universal Pictures

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

'The Exorcist: Believer' is possessed by the familiar

The Exorcist came out 50 years ago, and it's still widely considered one of the greatest horror movies of all time. Now, The Exorcist: Believer serves as both a reboot and a sequel. Directed by David Gordon Green, the film stars a mostly new cast, including Leslie Odom, Jr., Lidya Jewett and Olivia O'Neill, but also brings back Ellen Burstyn, who reprises her iconic role from the original film.

'The Exorcist: Believer' is possessed by the familiar

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Wednesday

In 'Cassandro,' a gay luchador finds himself, and international fame

Gael García Bernal stars in Cassandro. Amazon Prime Studios hide caption

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Amazon Prime Studios

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

In 'Cassandro,' a gay luchador finds himself, and international fame

In the new film Cassandro, Gael García Bernal plays the real-life Mexican-American wrestler who came to international stardom by adopting the persona of the flamboyant Cassandro, the Liberace of Lucha Libre. It's the story of a queer man who challenges a macho and homophobic system through sheer showmanship – and earns the respect of his fellow wrestlers and audiences.

In 'Cassandro,' a gay luchador finds himself, and international fame

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Wednesday

Beyoncé's Renaissance Tour is a cozy, hypersonic, soul-healing experience

Beyoncé performs onstage during her Renaissance World Tour at PGE Narodowy in Warsaw, Poland. Kevin Mazur/WireImage for Parkwood / Getty Images hide caption

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Kevin Mazur/WireImage for Parkwood / Getty Images

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Beyoncé's Renaissance Tour is a cozy, hypersonic, soul-healing experience

This summer, millions of us got cozy with Beyoncé during the Renaissance World Tour. With stunning visuals, an array of costume changes, and the occasional Blue Ivy cameo, this is reportedly Beyonce's highest-grossing tour yet. Renaissance has been unlike any other Beyoncé experience, a truly communal and social media-hyped dance party.

Beyoncé's Renaissance Tour is a cozy, hypersonic, soul-healing experience

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Friday

The misplaced promise of Kim Petras

Kim Petras, the 30-year-old German-born pop singer, is currently in the process of figuring out where she wants to be in the pop music echelon. Luke Gilford hide caption

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Luke Gilford

Review

Music

The misplaced promise of Kim Petras

With her debut album, 'Feed the Beast,' the rising pop star is still in the process of figuring out where she wants to be in the pop music echelon.

The misplaced promise of Kim Petras

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Tuesday

'Transformers: Rise of the Beasts' has got your fightin' robots right here

Peter Cullen voices Optimus Prime in Transformers: Rise of the Beasts. Paramount Pictures hide caption

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Paramount Pictures

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

'Transformers: Rise of the Beasts' has got your fightin' robots right here

In Transformers: Rise Of The Beasts, good space-robots and evil space-robots battle for the fate of the universe. Led by Optimus Prime, the Autobots return to do battle with the forces of the villainous Unicron, and our heroes enlist new helpers along the way. Directed by Steven Caple Jr., the movie stars Anthony Ramos, Dominique Fishback, Pete Davidson, Michelle Yeoh and more.

'Transformers: Rise of the Beasts' has got your fightin' robots right here

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Thursday

'Beau Is Afraid' and living a nightmare

Joaquin Phoenix stars in the A24 film Beau Is Afraid. Takashi Seida/A24 Films hide caption

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Takashi Seida/A24 Films

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

'Beau Is Afraid' and living a nightmare

In the extremely divisive film Beau Is Afraid, Joaquin Phoenix stars as a schlubby, anxiety-ridden man whose existence is an extended nightmare of guilt, shame, dread and paranoia. Written and directed by Ari Aster (Hereditary, Midsommar), the film follows Beau as he attempts to visit his mother. But he gets repeatedly frustrated by a series of deeply disturbing obstacles that may be real, or may be entirely of his own making.

'Beau Is Afraid' and living a nightmare

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Tuesday

Wednesday

Friday

'Missing' is the latest thriller to unfold on phones and laptops

Storm Reid stars as June in Missing. Courtesy of Screen Gems hide caption

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Courtesy of Screen Gems

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

'Missing' is the latest thriller to unfold on phones and laptops

The new movie Missing is about our connected world. The social media, the surveillance cameras, the news footage, the video chats — the many, many things we can see from our screens. In this sequel to the 2018 thriller Searching, Storm Reid plays a young woman whose mother leaves on a trip with her boyfriend and seems to just vanish. Desperate to solve the mystery, Reid uses technology to figure out what's going on and save her mother's life.

'Missing' is the latest thriller to unfold on phones and laptops

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Friday

'Avatar: The Way Of Water' is a feast for the senses

Sam Worthington as Jake Sully and Zoe Saldaña as Neytiri in Avatar: The Way of Water Disney hide caption

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Disney

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

'Avatar: The Way Of Water' is a feast for the senses

James Cameron's science-fiction epic Avatar is the highest-grossing movie of all time. But it took 13 years to get a sequel into theaters. Avatar: The Way of Water continues Jake Sully and Neytiri's journey: complete with their children, a new Na'vi tribe and a familiar enemy to confront.

'Avatar: The Way Of Water' is a feast for the senses

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Monday

'Weird: The Al Yankovic Story' is gleefully full of lies about its subject

Quinta Brunson and Daniel Radcliffe star in Weird: The Al Yankovic Story The Roku Channel hide caption

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The Roku Channel

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

'Weird: The Al Yankovic Story' is gleefully full of lies about its subject

You should expect to learn nothing about the life of "Weird Al" Yankovic from the new film Weird: The Al Yankovic Story. That's because in keeping with his history of parody and comedy and sendups, the film, starring Daniel Radcliffe, is itself a sendup of biopics. From unsupportive parents who hate the accordion to a scandalous affair with Madonna, the movie is an avalanche of fictions mixed with the occasional dash of truth.

'Weird: The Al Yankovic Story' is gleefully full of lies about its subject

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Wednesday

Sunday

Friday

Tuesday

Celebrating Judy Garland, beyond the 'Rainbow'

Judy Garland in the 1954 film A Star Is Born. Hulton Archive/Getty Images hide caption

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Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Celebrating Judy Garland, beyond the 'Rainbow'

This Friday would have been Judy Garland's 100th birthday. Everyone of course knows her iconic portrayal of Dorothy Gale in the Wizard of Oz, but Garland delivered a variety of unforgettable performances over her variously triumphant, troubled and ultimately tragic life. If you're not familiar with her non-Oz-related work, here is a guide that speaks to her unique and enduring appeal. (Take our annual survey at npr.org/podcastsurvey)

Celebrating Judy Garland, beyond the 'Rainbow'

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Wednesday

NPR's favorite music of May, from a San Benito summer to an uneasy opus

NPR Music's best music of May includes (from top left, clockwise) Kendrick Lamar, Bad Bunny, Julia Reidy, Ravyn Lenae and Ethel Cain. Courtesy of the artists hide caption

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Courtesy of the artists

All Songs Considered

NPR's favorite music of May, from a San Benito summer to an uneasy opus

May brought us Bad Bunny's stacked summer album, Kendrick Lamar's unsettled opus, Ravyn Lenae's otherworldly debut, Julia Reidy's microtonal guitar dissonance and Ethel Cain's haunted pop.

NPR's favorite music of May, from a San Benito summer to an uneasy opus

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Monday

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