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Lennon Sherburne

Friday

In 'Companion,' a robot seizes CTRL of her life

Sophie Thatcher in Companion. Warner Bros. Pictures hide caption

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Warner Bros. Pictures

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

In 'Companion,' a robot seizes CTRL of her life

In the smart, twisty thriller-comedy Companion, three young couples gather at a swanky lake house for the weekend. One of the couples is not like the others – that's because the girlfriend (Sophie Thatcher) turns out to be a companion robot, built to satisfy the boyfriend's (Jack Quaid) every fantasy. Inevitably, things go wrong, which sets off a chain of twists and revelations that comes with a body count.

In 'Companion,' a robot seizes CTRL of her life

Listen · 18:24
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Tuesday

Should you give 'Presence' the ghost of a chance?

Callina Liang in Presence. Peter Andrews/Neon hide caption

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Peter Andrews/Neon

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Should you give 'Presence' the ghost of a chance?

In the new Steven Soderbergh film Presence, a family moves into an old house, and weird stuff starts happening. But what's different about this haunted house story is that the movie told from the point of view of the ghost. We only get glimpses of the family, but gradually we start to piece together their brittle dynamic.

Should you give 'Presence' the ghost of a chance?

Listen · 20:27
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Monday

Is 'The Pitt' a cure for the winter TV doldrums?

Noah Wyle in The Pitt. Warrick Page/MAX hide caption

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Warrick Page/MAX

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Is 'The Pitt' a cure for the winter TV doldrums?

The Max hospital drama The Pitt stars ER veteran Noah Wyle. It takes some elements that are common to the medical genre and mixes them with some very contemporary thinking about health care and an inventive structure. Each episode follows one hour in the ER over the course of a very long day – so the layout is less Grey's Anatomy and more 24.

Is 'The Pitt' a cure for the winter TV doldrums?

Listen · 18:57
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Wednesday

'One of Them Days' turns Keke Palmer and SZA loose

Keke Palmer and SZA in One of Them Days. Anne Marie Fox/Sony Pictures hide caption

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Anne Marie Fox/Sony Pictures

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

'One of Them Days' turns Keke Palmer and SZA loose

Keke Palmer is one of Hollywood's most charismatic leads, and SZA is one of the world's biggest pop stars. Now, they've teamed up for the raunchy buddy comedy One of Them Days. The movie is about two best friends in L.A., who endure a wild series of misadventures as they try to make rent over the course of one very eventful day. It's rowdy and profane, but it's also got something to say about gentrification, predatory businesses, and other factors that make it hard to survive and advance in America.

'One of Them Days' turns Keke Palmer and SZA loose

Listen · 17:50
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Friday

'Wolf Man' is toothless

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Universal Pictures

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

'Wolf Man' is toothless

Everything old is new again, it seems, and there's no reason that wouldn't apply to werewolves. We now have a chance to enjoy a new Wolf Man starring Christopher Abbott and Julia Garner. Directed by Leigh Whannell (The Invisible Man), it maintains that sometimes the monster is inside you all along. Plus, we take a minute to remember director David Lynch.

'Wolf Man' is toothless

Listen · 27:13
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Wednesday

'American Primeval' is a nasty and gritty Western

Shawnee Pourier and Betty Gilpin in American Primeval. Matt Kennedy/Netflix hide caption

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Matt Kennedy/Netflix

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

'American Primeval' is a nasty and gritty Western

In Netflix's gritty, brutal Western series American Primeval, Betty Gilpin plays a woman determined to get herself and her son across the frontier. But along the way, they find themselves caught up in a brewing war between the federal government and a violent Mormon militia. A gruff guide (Taylor Kitsch) might be of some help, but the land is rife with violent factions with competing claims to the blood-soaked soil.

'American Primeval' is a nasty and gritty Western

Listen · 18:53
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Tuesday

We debate the best one-hit wonders
Connect Images/Getty Images

Pop Culture Happy Hour

We debate the best one-hit wonders

Some bands are The Beatles and some singers are Beyoncé: Smash after smash, their legend grows. And some artists aren't. For any one of a bunch of reasons — commercial, artistic and mysterious — some artists have one big hit song, but they don't have others. But what makes for a great one-hit wonder? Today we're debating: what is the best one-hit wonder of all time.

We debate the best one-hit wonders

Listen · 19:34
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Friday

'The Last Showgirl' gives Pamela Anderson her closeup

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Roadside Attractions

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

'The Last Showgirl' gives Pamela Anderson her closeup

In the new movie The Last Showgirl, a woman finds herself with few options as she approaches the end of her long career as a dancer in Las Vegas. The film marks a new chapter in the star-crossed acting career of Pamela Anderson. Directed by Gia Coppola, it tells a story about aging, parenthood, the underbelly of show business, and what happens when the world no longer buys what you're selling.

'The Last Showgirl' gives Pamela Anderson her closeup

Listen · 25:22
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Wednesday

'Squid Game' season 2 heads back into the arena

Lee Jung-jae in season two of Squid Game. No Ju-han/Netflix hide caption

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No Ju-han/Netflix

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

'Squid Game' season 2 heads back into the arena

The Korean drama Squid Game became the most popular offering in Netflix's history by combining pitch-black satire of late-stage capitalism with bloody violence. In Season 2, Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae) winds up sucked back into the games, where he must fight for his life, try to destroy the system from the inside, and rally new players to his cause.

'Squid Game' season 2 heads back into the arena

Listen · 24:32
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Tuesday

Our 2025 pop culture resolutions
Alexandr Kolesnikov/Getty Images

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Our 2025 pop culture resolutions

As a new year arrives, it's only natural to have some goals in mind: What you want to achieve, what heights you want to hit. Today, we make pop culture resolutions for 2025, and look back on last year's goals and assess our progress with brutal honesty.

Our 2025 pop culture resolutions

Listen · 30:07
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Monday

Our 2025 pop culture predictions
Olga Peshkova/Getty Images

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Our 2025 pop culture predictions

Nobody can predict what the future holds, but that doesn't stop us from trying. Trying, that is, to predict what will happen in the world of pop culture in 2025. We do it every year, so we'll look back on our predictions for 2024 and see how things turned out.

Our 2025 pop culture predictions

Listen · 28:40
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Friday

In 'A Complete Unknown,' Timothée Chalamet captures the idea of Bob Dylan

Timothée Chalamet in A Complete Unknown. Macall Polay/Searchlight Pictures hide caption

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Macall Polay/Searchlight Pictures

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

In 'A Complete Unknown,' Timothée Chalamet captures the idea of Bob Dylan

A Complete Unknown isn't a traditional biopic. Instead of covering Bob Dylan's life story from birth to old age, it covers the period shortly after his arrival in New York City, as he first begins to fall in with the city's folk music scene. Timothée Chalamet plays Dylan — and does all his own singing. We see Dylan become a superstar, as well as his famous set at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival —where he and his band plugged in for an electrified set that's often viewed as a cultural turning point in America.

In 'A Complete Unknown,' Timothée Chalamet captures the idea of Bob Dylan

Listen · 23:33
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Thursday

Nicole Kidman's erotic thriller makes us ask, 'Babygirl,' what are you doing??

Nicole Kidman in Babygirl. A24 hide caption

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A24

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Nicole Kidman's erotic thriller makes us ask, 'Babygirl,' what are you doing??

In the new movie Babygirl, Nicole Kidman plays a high-powered CEO who has an affair her mysterious intern (Harris Dickinson). Their affair gets complicated by the many power dynamics involved — not just in the office, but also in a sexual relationship defined by dominance and submission.

Nicole Kidman's erotic thriller makes us ask, 'Babygirl,' what are you doing??

Listen · 21:18
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Wednesday

'Nosferatu' sinks its fangs into you

Lily-Rose Depp in Nosferatu. Aidan Monaghan/Focus Features hide caption

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Aidan Monaghan/Focus Features

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

'Nosferatu' sinks its fangs into you

Nosferatu is a Dracula story with a twist. It stars Lily Rose-Depp as a new bride stalked by an evil bloodsucking creature of the night who brings death and terror in its wake. A handful of stalwart men – including her husband, played by Nicholas Hoult – attempt to defend Rose-Depp's virtue and defeat the undead scourge.

'Nosferatu' sinks its fangs into you

Listen · 20:32
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Tuesday

'Juror #2' is a great idea for a movie and an ... okay movie

Phil Biedron, Nicholas Hoult, Drew Scheid in Juror #2. Claire Folger/Warner Bros. hide caption

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Claire Folger/Warner Bros.

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

'Juror #2' is a great idea for a movie and an ... okay movie

Some people hate jury duty, but in Clint Eastwood's new film Juror #2, one guy's experience is worse than most. Nicholas Hoult plays a man assigned to serve on a jury who gradually realizes that the defendant might not be guilty. And he might just know who is. The film also stars Toni Collette, J.K. Simmons, and Kiefer Sutherland. It's streaming now on Max.

'Juror #2' is a great idea for a movie and an ... okay movie

Listen · 16:23
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